Russia attacks Ukraine, Biden to meet G7 leaders, student loan relief: 5 things to know Thursday
Russia casts aside international outrage, sanctions, to launch wide-ranging attack on Ukraine
Russian troops launched a wide-ranging pre-dawn attack on Ukraine Thursday as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international outrage and sanctions, and himself warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to "consequences you have never seen." Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces had struck military assets and other important defense facilities and were attacking border units. Putin said in a televised address the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine — a false claim the U.S. had predicted he would make as a pretext for an invasion. Explosions were heard in cities including in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Ukrainians started fleeing some cities, and the Russian military claimed to have incapacitated all of Ukraine's air defenses and air bases. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law.
The European Union is planning the "strongest, the harshest package" of sanctions it has ever considered at an emergency meeting Thursday. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the "massive and targeted sanctions" she will put to EU leaders "will target strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking the access to technologies and markets that are key for Russia." Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula in 2014, and pro-Russia rebels have since been fighting Ukrainian forces in the eastern areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, for which Putin signed decrees on Monday recognizing them as independent. More than 14,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
- 'A tragedy': World reacts to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 'Murkiness and doubt': Putin playbook meant to throw White House, allies off balance on Ukraine invasion
- As Russian forces advance on Ukraine, U.S., allies escalate diplomatic efforts
- How Ukraine became the independent democracy it is today: A visual perspective of the country's history
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Biden to address the American people after meeting with G7 leaders
After news broke that Russia was set to invade Ukraine, President Joe Biden issued a statement late Wednesday condemning Moscow for an "unprovoked and unjustified attack." He promised that the U.S. and its allies "will hold Russia accountable." Biden said he plans to speak to the American people Thursday afternoon after a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders in the morning. More sanctions against Russia are expected to be announced with Biden saying there will be "further consequences" the U.S. and its allies will impose "for this needless act of aggression against Ukraine and global peace and security." The sanctions could include targeting more Russian banks beyond the two already hit and imposing export controls to deprive Russia of technologies it needs to grow its high-tech industry. "Security, economic, political, diplomatic: All of that will be forthcoming," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on ABC Wednesday. "All things that President Putin says he wants to prevent will be happening."
- What is a tranche of sanctions? Defining the key words from Biden's earlier remarks on Russia and Ukraine
- From Paste BN Opinion: Will Biden's sanctions work to stop Russia? Yes. If allies stand firm
- A visual timeline of failed diplomatic efforts to stop Russia from invading Ukraine
Parents of Oxford High School shooting suspect due back in court
The parents of a 15-year-old boy charged with killing four other students at Oxford High School in Oxford Township, Michigan, are scheduled to return to court Thursday, where they face charges for making the gun used in the shooting available to the teen. A preliminary examination for Jennifer and James Crumbley was to resume in Rochester Hills District Court before a judge who will decide if there's enough evidence to send the couple to trial for involuntary manslaughter. Ethan Crumbley is charged as an adult with first-degree murder, assault with intent to murder, terrorism and gun charges in the Nov. 30 shooting, about 30 miles north of Detroit. In addition to the four students slain, six other students and a teacher were wounded. The parents also are accused of failing to intervene when their son showed signs of mental distress at home and at school.
- Bad parents or criminals? It will be difficult to convict parents of school shooting suspect, experts say
- Oxford school officials knew suspect brought bird's head, bullets to school before shooting, suit claims
Millions of jobs qualify for student loan forgiveness program. Is yours one of them?
A huge swath of the nation's workforce is employed in a job that now qualifies for loan forgiveness through the overhauled Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. But many workers, including those who aren't using their degree or were previously rejected for forgiveness, may not realize they are eligible. The program requires borrowers to work full-time in a public service job and make 10 years' worth of payments on their loans. The federal government, in turn, agrees to forgive their debt after a decade of payments. The Education Department overhauled the program in October and loosened some of its most stringent rules that had kept most of the borrowers who worked in millions of qualifying jobs from accessing debt relief.
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Here is who eligible and how to apply
- Student loan forgiveness: $415 million of federal loan money sent to students defrauded by DeVry, ITT Tech
NBA regular season resumes following All Star break
The NBA regular season continues Thursday after a week off due to the annual All-Star Weekend festivities. The return of games also marks the stretch run for the playoffs with several teams jockeying for postseason positions. Entering Thursday, the top five teams in the Eastern Conference are all separated by fewer than three games in the standings, setting the stage for an exciting finish to the season. Conversely, a pair of high-profile teams, the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers, are battling to climb up the standings and avoid the postseason play-in games. But there is hope for both as the Nets are expected to get Kevin Durant back from a sprained MCL and Anthony Davis, who has a sprained foot, should return to Lakers' lineup before the regular season ends. Brooklyn will return to the court Thursday night with a prime-time matchup against the Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), who have won 9 out of their last 10 games.
- 10 NBA stars who will impact championship race in second half of season
- Kyrie Irving will soon be able to play games in Brooklyn, which could boost Nets' title dreams
Contributing: The Associated Press