February 23 top stories
It is February 23. Here are today’s top stories.
US spacecraft lands on moon for 1st time since 1973
Intuitive Machines’ 14-foot-tall Odysseus or “Odie” robotic lander landed on the moon shortly before 6:30 pm ET Thursday.
Intuitive Machines’ CEO Steve Altemus said, “We are on the surface and we are transmitting. Welcome to the moon.”
The landing is a historic one, marking Intuitive Machines as the first company to pull off a moon landing – government agencies have carried out all previously successful missions and the first US-made vehicle to touch down on the lunar surface since the Apollo program ended more than five decades ago.
According to NASA, Intuitive Machines aimed to land Odie near Malapert A, a region that is close to the moon’s south pole and relatively flat in comparison with its surroundings. The location is strategic as the south pole is of broad international interest because it is suspected to be home to stores of water ice, which could be converted to drinking water or even rocket fuel for future missions.
Odysseus is expected to operate for up to seven days on the lunar surface to gather a wide variety of scientific data.
NASA is targeting 2026 for the first crewed mission back to the surface.
Russo-Ukrainian war updates
Many Ukrainians say Russia’s invasion came in two phases, the first a decade ago when it sent soldiers over the border in an unacknowledged military intervention, and the second when it began its full assault two years ago on February 24, 2022. Over the years, Russia’s denials of any direct military role in Ukraine in 2014 infuriated Ukrainians. For many Ukrainians, it has been a 10-year war, not a 2-year one.
Here is a recap on the conflict in Ukraine.
Ukrainian president Zelensky replaced top general Zaluzhny in a major shake-up earlier this month and appointed Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, to lead the army.
Ukraine claimed it has evidence Russia fired an advanced hypersonic missile during a February 7 attack on Kyiv – one that experts say is almost impossible to shoot down – for the first time in the almost 2-year-old war.
Last week on February 14, Ukraine said it sank a large Russian landing ship in the Black Sea using sea drones. Russian forces have not confirmed it.
Currently, Ukraine grapples with shortages of ammunition and personnel due to aid delays. The situation is dire and getting worse every week on the eastern fronts. Some Ukrainian soldiers said aid delays have left them outmanned and outgunned.
Zelensky said in an interview with Fox News published Thursday that Ukraine will prepare a new counteroffensive following a series that did not bring the desired results.
Russia’s only success over nine months has been taking control of Avdiivka since it seized Bakhmut. Both Biden and Zelensky blamed faltering Western weapons supplies for this defeat.
Russian president Putin said on Friday nearly all of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces had been modernized and that the Air Force had just taken delivery of four new supersonic nuclear-capable bombers.
Zelensky told at the Munich security conference last Saturday, “Do not ask Ukraine when the war will end. Ask yourself, why is Putin still able to continue it?”
The United States and the European Union are piling new sanctions on Russia for the Ukraine war’s second anniversary and Navalny’s death.
Tx. judge rules school district can restrict length of male hair
A Texas judge ruled on Thursday, Darryl George (18), a Black high school student‘s months-long suspension by his school district for refusing to change his hairstyle does not violate a new state law, CROWN act, that prohibits race-based hair discrimination.
George has not been in his regular Houston-area high school classes since August 31 because the school district, Barbers Hill, says the length of his hair violates its dress code.
The district filed a lawsuit arguing George’s long hair, which he wears in tied and twisted locs on top of his head, violates its policy because it would fall below his shirt collar, eyebrows or earlobes when let down. The district has said other students with locs comply with the length policy.
Before the trial, George was optimistic and said wearing locs is “how I feel closer to my people. It’s how I feel closer to my ancestors.”
Judge Chap Cain III ruled in favor of the school district, saying its policy is not discriminatory because the CROWN act does not say that exemptions for long hair can be made for hairstyles that are protected by the law, including locs.
After the ruling, George and his mother cried and declined to speak with reporters.
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Massive AT&T system failure
Tens of thousands of Americans had trouble making phone calls, sending texts and reaching emergency services or even accessing the internet on Thursday because of a nearly 12-hour AT&T network outage.
And at least one police department reported that its 911 line was briefly flooded with people dialing to see if their calls would go through from their cell phones.
The incident also quickly raised questions about whether cyberattacks could have caused the outage and could present an ongoing threat to US cell networks. AT&T said the massive cell outage was caused by technical error, not cyberattack.
AT&T finally restored wireless service to all customers by around 3 pm ET, and the company said it was sincerely sorry to customers.
See Alex for the report on a dual US and Russian citizen being detained in Russia.
Dual US, Russian citizen detained on treason charges in Russia
Thanks, Callie.
A 33-year-old woman from Los Angeles who is a dual U.S. and Russian citizen was arrested in Russia while on a trip there to spend time with her family. Her name is Ksenia Khavana. Russian authorities accused her of committing treason by raising funds for Ukraine.
Khavana worked at a spa at a luxury hotel in Los Angeles and was on a two-week trip to Russia in the middle of January.
Khavana was first arrested on January 27 on charges of petty hooliganism. She was sentenced to 14 days in jail. While in jail, she was arrested on the treason charge on Feb 7.
Russian security authorities said she was collecting funds to support a Ukrainian organization and that the funds were later used to purchase equipment that benefited the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Khavana faces up to 20 years in prison if she is convicted of treason.
Khavana's employer (from the spa in Los Angeles) said she was raising funds to benefit a nonprofit called Razom for Ukraine. The money was to buy diapers and baby formula. The employer said Khavana was like an angel and wouldn’t hurt a fly.
The Biden administration said they are aware of the reports about the arrest and are trying to get more information and make contact with Khavana.
This is yet another incident of an American being arrested in Russia during this time of war. In March of last year, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested and charged with spying. He is still detained. In February 2022, WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested for bringing cannabis oil through the airport. She was detained for nearly a year until she was freed in a prisoner swap.
Thanks for that report. That is all the news stories for this week. Have a nice weekend and stay with the light!
US spacecraft lands on moon for 1st time since 1973:
https://www.space.com/intuitive-machines-odysseus-private-moon-landing-success
Russia-Ukraine war updates:
https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/ukraine-russia-crisis/
Tx. judge rules school district can restrict length of male hair:
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/22/texas-crown-act-judge-barbers-hill/
Massive AT&T system failure:
Dual US, Russian citizen detained on treason charges in Russia: