Your First Look at Today's Top Stories - Daybreak Insider

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Monday, February 14, 2022

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Atlantic on Ukraine: It Might Be Too Late

From the story: … we are on the brink of what could be a catastrophic conflict. American, British, and European embassies in Ukraine are evacuating; citizens have been warned to leave. But this terrible moment represents not just a failure of diplomacy; it also reflects a failure of the Western imagination, a generation-long refusal, on the part of diplomats, politicians, journalists, and intellectuals, to understand what kind of state Russia was becoming and to prepare accordingly. We have refused to see the representatives of this state for what they are. We have refused to speak to them in a way that might have mattered. Now it might be too late (The Atlantic). From the Wall Street Journal editorial board: A Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a seminal event that accelerates the new world disorder. The signs have been building for years, but America and its allies are unprepared, as democracies usually are, for the trouble to come. President Biden has a particular obligation to explain the stakes and unite the country as other Presidents have done to meet the challenge (WSJ). A picture of a Ukrainian great grandmother training with an AK-47 is making the rounds (Twitter). From Jay Nordlinger: Astonishing, what people must endure, and do. And make no mistake: This emergency is entirely of Vladimir Putin’s doing. The world could unite and stand up to him, if it wanted to (Twitter).

Threat of Russian Invasion of Ukraine Sending Oil Prices Skyward

From the story: Russia is the world’s third-largest oil producer, and if a conflict in Ukraine leads to a substantial decrease in the flow of Russian barrels to market, it would be perilous for the tight balance between supply and demand. Those dynamics have led traders in recent days to price in a sizable geopolitical risk premium, according to analysts. Crude oil prices, which haven’t topped $100 a barrel since 2014, jumped to an eight-year high on Ukraine concerns Friday (WSJ). Many in media seem to forget Biden’s effort to cut oil production in the U.S. From August: It is not a revelation to discover that the Biden administration intends to phase out the U.S. oil and gas industry. But it is astonishing to see how quickly it is moving to accomplish this, while sending production abroad to producers in Russia and Middle Eastern nations whose commitment to reduce greenhouse gases is at best questionable (Forbes). And now Europe finds itself in desperate need of gas from America (WSJ).

Poll: Most Democrats Don’t Want Biden as 2024 Nominee

Just 45 percent want him back (Fox News). A look at how Biden began his public downward spiral during the Afghanistan disaster (Washington Examiner).

Durham: Clinton Campaign Paid to Infiltrate Trump Tower, White House Servers

In an effort to link Trump to Russia (Fox News). Byron York tweeted pictures of the “13 pages of John Durham’s new finding that is getting a lot of attention” (Twitter). From Bret Baier: Take the time to read this thread and the specifics within from the Durham finding. This is a big story that has many tentacles- if you look back at the coverage & rhetoric (Twitter).

NBC: Abysmal Olympic Ratings “About Where We Thought They’d Be”

The NBC Sports chairman did admit “it’s been difficult. There’s no way around this” (Fox News). Another story notes “An average of just 13.2 million viewers a day have watched this year’s nightly highlights from Beijing on NBC – around half the 23 million who were tuning in at the same stage of the 2018 Games, which were broadcast from South Korea” (Daily Mail).

Media Calls Ottawa Truckers the “Canadian Far Right”

Jazz Shaw explains “One of the most recent examples can be found in this “explainer” from NBC News published on Thursday evening. They have clearly chosen to lump all of the protesters together as some sort of Trumpesque, Canadian “far right-wing” splinter group of extremists. Unfortunately for NBC’s dogged reporters, examples of any sort of right-wing extremism are few and far between. Also, the poster child they selected to showcase the “harm” that the truckers are causing (a 26-year-old gay Russian immigrant) leaves much to be desired in terms of the impact the protesters are actually having on his life.”

Hot Air

Left-Wing Celebrities Ignore Mask Mandate at Super Bowl

From the story: Social media erupted after seeing Jay-Z, Charlize Theron, LeBron James, Jennifer Lopez, and Ben Affleck enjoying themselves at the game without a mask while they were not eating or drinking, a violation of California’s indoor mask mandate that is in place until February 15.

Fox News

University of North Texas Punishes Professor for Not Believing Music Theory is Racist

And that professor, Timothy Jackson, is suing the school.

Fox News

CNN Changes Inflammatory Headline on Joe Rogan

It once read “Joe Rogan’s use of the n-word is another January 6 moment.” It later read “Why shrugging off Joe Rogan’s use of the n-word is so dangerous” (Twitter). The CNN story itself still closes with what was once the headline (CNN). The analysis was mocked on social media (Fox News).

10.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation: The Word Freedom is a “Rallying Cry” for “Far-Right Groups”

A word the general public finds vital.

CBC