Steve Kerr sends a clear message to Jordan Poole amid the Warriors drift

Sports News / By

MINEAPOLIS – Jordan Poole was a big reason for the Warriors to open this season as a burning house. The three-year-old averaged 16.7 points per game in the first two months or more of the season, serving as a starting defender while Clay Thompson completed his rehabilitation for Achilles.

Poole was electric for the first 28 games of the season. He threatened the Warriors with a hit to Curry and provided the much-needed offensive pop leading the second division of Golden State. Thompson’s return sent Poole in the role of the sixth man, and the young guard’s game has since waned and flowed as he struggled to find a solid foundation.

It is no coincidence that the decline in Poole’s game is combined with the Warriors’ skating in 2022 (14-11 in their last 25 games), culminating in a rotten February in which he shot 41.1 percent of the field and 25, 9 percent of depth. He was not so aggressive in attack or so vigilant in defense. During the Warriors’ 107-101 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, Poole scored just four points and went 0-for-7 off the field.

With 21 games left, the Warriors know they need the best from Poole to reappear. Coach Steve Kerr is convinced it will happen.

“He had a great year,” Kerr said Tuesday before the Warriors’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. “It simply came to our notice then. He had a hard night. I could have done a better job of trying to help him find a rhythm. I probably didn’t play it enough in the first half. These matches, they all matter, but they are 82. So never worry too much about a match with any of them. I look at the big picture and the big picture is that Jordan had a fantastic year and we have a lot of faith in him.

“He had a great year and was a big reason for our success,” Kerr continued. “He is only in his third year. He still has a lot of growth to do, which is exciting. It just has to keep working. He is one of our most diligent workers and he has a great approach and a really bright future, so it’s exciting. “

After losing to Mavericks, Steph Curry said Poole needed to stay “engaged” and be more “flexible” for the Warriors to get the most out of him during the stretch.

RELATED: The recent Warriors slide reveals weaknesses

It is clear that the inconsistent role has affected Poole’s game.

As a starter this season, Poole averaged 18.3 points per game, shooting 43.1 percent of the field and 34.9 of 3. As a reserve, Poole scored just 12.2 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent of the game. terrain and 29.3 from a distance.

With Thompson out due to illness, it may seem logical for Kerr to put Poole back in the starting lineup against a Timberwolves team that plays a weak defender in D’Angelo Russell to regain confidence.

But instead, Kerr chose to start rookie Moses Moody for a second straight game. Kerr cited Minnesota’s ability to hit the offensive glass and Otto Porter’s minute limits as reasons for starting the bigger Moody on Tuesday.

But the message was clear: Warriors need Poole to understand how to thrive in the role Warriors need him to do when the lights are brightest. Finding this begins now.

“That’s what he’ll do when we’re in full force,” Kerr said, “and he may be comfortable with that.”

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Only 24% of Americans “very” or “extremely” worry that a family member will catch Covid in February

Latest News / By

Only 24% of Americans are

Only 24% of Americans are “very” or “extremely” worried (dark green) about themselves or a family member infected with Covid, according to an AP-NORC study

The level of fear of Americans around Covid is reaching one of its lowest points since the beginning of last year, as the declining number of cases forces Americans to prepare for the pandemic.

According to a survey by the Associated Press Research Center (NORC) in February, only 24 percent of Americans are “very” or “extremely” worried about whether they or a family member will catch COVID-19.

This is a drop of one third of 36% of Americans who report serious fears in January, and the lowest figure since June 2021, when the number of cases decreased by months against the background of the successful introduction of the vaccine.

Just over one in three respondents, 34 percent, said they were “somewhat” worried about Covid.

The results come as Covid’s cases and hospitalizations drop sharply in the United States, and employees begin canceling orders for masks and vaccines in a bid to return to normal.

IN research was held Feb. 18-21 and included a sample of 1,289 adults in the United States from across the nation.

A February poll shows a 33% drop in Americans worried about the pandemic, and this is the fourth month in two years that less than 25% of Americans have shown a lot of concern about Covid

A February poll shows a 33% drop in Americans worried about the pandemic, and this is the fourth month in two years that less than 25% of Americans have shown a lot of concern about Covid

It has been held almost every month since Covid first entered American life in February 2020.

In just four months, less than 25 percent of Americans felt “very” or “extremely” worried about the pandemic.

One was February 2020, when Covid was still happening mostly abroad and had not yet affected Central America.

The next two were in April and June 2021 – may have been missed for the study – when the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine was gaining momentum and vaccine uptake was highest.

During this period, the number of cases and deaths reached low points and steadily decreased by months. It looked like the pandemic would end until the Delta option made its way to the state in late July.

Now fears are diminishing again, as Americans may once again feel that a “return to normal” may be around the corner.

The AP-NORC study also found that only 48 percent of Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the spread of the virus in the country, down 65 percent during the peak of Delta’s jump in September.

Less than half of Americans consider the spread of infectious diseases a direct threat to the United States, which is far from the peak of 65% in September 2021.

Less than half of Americans consider the spread of infectious diseases a direct threat to the United States, which is far from the peak of 65% in September 2021.

The United States registered an average of 71,247 new cases each day, a 20% drop in the last week and a 90% drop from the mid-January peak of the Omicron variant of 800,000 cases per day.

Covid hospitalizations have dropped 44 percent in the past 14 days, with less than 50,000 Americans receiving treatment tests a day.

As of Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is already looking at hospitalizations and hospital capacity as the most important figures in calculating Covid’s risk in the community.

The reduction in the number of Covid cases and hospitalizations, combined with the milder nature of the now dominant Omicron COVID-19, has high hopes that the virus will soon move from its pandemic phase to its endemic phase.

Despite the declining number of cases across the country, 50% of Americans still support orders for masks. Those who support the requirements for masks are likely to be Democrats or vaccinated

Despite the declining number of cases across the country, 50% of Americans still support orders for masks. Those who support the requirements for masks are likely to be Democrats or vaccinated

Almost every US state has revoked masks or made plans in recent weeks, and cities like New York are now following suit. Pictured: People in Times Square, New York, New York, wearing masks on January 25

Almost every US state has revoked masks or made plans in recent weeks, and cities like New York are now following suit. Pictured: People in Times Square, New York, New York, wearing masks on January 25

Many local officials are also moving away from the pandemic. 49 out of 50 US states have either eased, abolished the mandates for masks, or have a date for that in the near future.

School masks are also beginning to be removed, with New York – a state with one of Covid’s toughest mandates in two years – even planning to have the face-off orders lifted on March 7.

Despite declining cases and the abolition of mask orders, Americans are divided over mandates.

The survey found that 50 percent of Americans “strongly” or “somewhat” support the requirement for Americans to wear masks in public.

Only 28% of respondents said they were either “somewhat” or “firmly” opposed to these mask orders.

Those who support mask orders are significantly more likely to be Democrats – 77 per cent of Democrats polled support masks – or vaccinated – 57 per cent.

This attitude may be due to the fact that Americans have been in this situation before.

In the spring of 2021, many also hoped that Covid would end, only that the nation would be overwhelmed by the Delta option.

Only 24% of Americans “very” or “extremely” worry that a family member will catch Covid in February Read More »

Canada closes ports to Russian ships due to invasion of Ukraine

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Cargo ships with their containers are seen in the port of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 6, 2021. REUTERS / Christine Muschi / File photo

TORONTO, March 1 – Canada stepped up pressure on Russia on Tuesday to invade Ukraine by closing ports to Russian ships and saying shares of all Russian oligarchs and companies in the country were being reviewed.

Canada has announced a number of measures to isolate Russia, including imposing sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, closing Canadian airspace to Russian aircraft, banning oil imports and banning Canadian financial institutions from working with Russia’s central bank in tandem with other western countries. Read more

Ottawa has extended its ban on crude oil imports to include refined petroleum products and “other Russian petroleum products,” the country’s natural resources minister tweeted Tuesday night.

Earlier, Transport Minister Omar Algabra said that although the number of Russian ships entering Canadian waters and ports was “small”, there would still be an impact, especially when other countries were doing the same.

Russia accounts for less than 2% of Montreal’s annual container volumes and the ban will have little commercial impact, a port spokesman said.

The port of Vancouver, Canada’s busiest, said the number of Russian-flagged vessels was minimal. In the past, they traded in crude oil, rapeseed oil and copper concentrates, a spokesman said.

Canada is tracking three Russian-flagged ships off the east coast, one of which is a cargo ship, a government official told Reuters.

Canada is also inspecting the holdings of all Russian oligarchs and Russian companies in the country, Finance Minister Christia Freeland told reporters on Tuesday. “We are reviewing them and everything is on the table,” she added.

Canada sends 1,600 bulletproof vests and nearly 400,000 food rations to Ukraine.

Canada imported $ 2.14 billion ($ 1.68 billion) worth of goods from Russia in 2021, according to Statistics Canada, with metals and minerals among the most valuable. According to the agency, last year it imported Russian energy products worth 289 million Canadian dollars.

(1 dollar = 1.2738 Canadian dollars)

Report by Alexander Schumer in Toronto; Additional reports by Alison Lampert in Montreal and Julie Gordon and Steve Scherer in Ottawa and Rod Nickel in Winnipeg Writing by Danny Thomas; Edited by Jonathan Oatis, Grant McCool and Sandra Mahler

Our standards: ‘ principles of trust.

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“Now we are all Ukrainians”: Crying chef Jose Andres publishes a video describing his day feeding refugees

Latest News / By

World Kitchen Central founder Jose Andres wiped away tears as he described feeding waves of arriving refugees fleeing Ukraine against the backdrop of a bloody invasion led by Vladimir-Putin.

More than 500,000 Ukrainians have fled their country since Putin’s troops launched an unprovoked takeover attempt last week that killed more than 350 civilians.

Most of those fleeing the war-torn nation are women and children who have taken refuge in neighboring Poland through eight checkpoints erected along the 300-mile border.

In a tearful message filmed Monday night while it was snowing in Rzeszow, Poland, Andres described in detail how he struggled to reconcile his own comforts with the difficulties of Ukrainians fleeing their homeland by car, train and on foot.

“Obviously all the people of Poland, as well as all the people in the world, are currently Ukrainians,” said the famous chef. “As you can see, the snow is coming as we talk, the temperatures are really freezing and I will go to the comfort of my hotel like many of us in the comfort of our homes.

“It is difficult to know that even at this time there are mostly women with children who spend hours from Ukraine safely in different countries,” he continued. “Every country welcomes them and every country does its best, but it’s hard to know that there are people walking the streets or spending the night in a gas-free car with no way to warm up.”

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World Kitchen Central founder Jose Andres led a delegation of other chefs to Poland to feed thousands of Ukrainians desperately fleeing their country

More than 500,000 Ukrainians have fled their country since Putin's troops launched an unprovoked takeover attempt last week that killed more than 350 civilians. People are pictured at a train station in Kyiv, hoping to ride outside the city, on March 1, 2022.

More than 500,000 Ukrainians have fled their country since Putin’s troops launched an unprovoked takeover attempt last week that killed more than 350 civilians. People are pictured at a train station in Kyiv, hoping to ride outside the city, on March 1, 2022.

Andres mobilized a team of chefs to help greet arriving Ukrainians with hot, nutritious food.

In a series of tweets and accompanying videos, he described in detail how he and his colleagues worked in sub-zero temperatures to meet refugees whose lives have been thrown into chaos and insecurity.

“We will do our best not to let them down!” He said.

Since his team at World Kitchen Central arrived to help, they have set up dining venues at all eight border crossings in Poland as well as in Romania.

His colleague. The organization’s CEO Nate Mook described on Twitter the chaos he witnessed first hand.

“Last night I was in Ukraine on the border with Poland, serving hundreds of families fleeing the invasion,” he tweeted. “Exhausted, they waited in line for 20-30 hours. Their friendly smiles dispelled the tragedy and uncertainty of what was to come.

World Kitchen Central has expanded its efforts by setting up food stations at all eight Polish border crossings

World Kitchen Central has expanded its efforts by setting up food stations at all eight Polish border crossings

The nonprofit distributed 10,000 dishes on Monday and is expected to share 25,000 plates on Tuesday. IT also expanded in Romania, where a woman was seen eating with a child on Tuesday in ¿tef¿ne¿ti

The nonprofit distributed 10,000 dishes on Monday and is expected to share 25,000 plates on Tuesday. IT also expanded in Romania, where a woman was seen eating with a child on Tuesday in Stefanes

Families who have spent hours or even days reaching safer land are pictured queuing for hot chicken stew, soup, tea and apple pie in Korcova, Poland on February 26th.

Families who have spent hours or even days reaching safer land are pictured queuing for hot chicken stew, soup, tea and apple pie in Korcova, Poland on February 26th.

Smiling refugees are depicted gathered and sipping soup after crossing the Polish border in Korcova, Poland on February 26

Smiling refugees are depicted gathered and sipping soup after crossing the Polish border in Korcova, Poland on February 26

He and others also distributed sandwiches, fresh fruit and chocolate to hundreds of cars waiting for more than 30 hours.

Mook said his nonprofit was not the only one helping; farmers were spotted handing out eggs and sausages, where a food truck was carrying bowls of shoulder noodles.

He said a volunteer had traveled from London to help.

“He had never fired a gun in his life and decided that the best way to fight was to serve food,” Mook told Wall Street Journal. “We see people who are eager to help.”

He said the non-profit organization distributed 10,000 dishes on Monday and is expected to share 25,000 plates on Tuesday.

54829663 10566901 image a 67 1646182018877

“It is difficult to know that even at this time there are mostly women with children who spend hours from Ukraine safely in different countries,” Andres said of the people he helps.

More than 350 civilians have been killed since the conflict began. Smoke can be seen rising from a TV tower in Kyiv, hit by a blow from Russia on March 1, 2022.

More than 350 civilians have been killed since the conflict began. Smoke can be seen rising from a TV tower in Kyiv, hit by a blow from Russia on March 1, 2022.

A gunman stands near the wreckage of a Russian military vehicle in Bucha, Ukraine, March 1, 2022.

A gunman stands near the wreckage of a Russian military vehicle in Bucha, Ukraine, March 1, 2022.

As head of the mission, Andres is well known for stepping up to help those in need around the world.

After Puerto Rico was devastated by a hurricane in 2017, for example, the Spanish-born chef flew in to offer relief by serving 20,000 meals a day in helpless communities.

Now in Eastern Europe, Andres – who owns a Michelin-starred restaurant in Washington – said his priority is to help those facing the darkest hour.

He called on others to help where they could – and to open their eyes to the atrocities that are taking place.

“Why are we putting young men and women in this position?” Andres said. “We haven’t learned enough from the horrors of the past?” People, we need to speak out against leaders who break support. We cannot allow more Putin than the world. We cannot use life as a monopoly. Life is not a game of monopoly. Life is real.

He concluded the video with a final blow to Putin and his supporters: “Anyone who has ever thought of saying that Putin is a good leader should be ashamed. Anyone who supports people who say Putin is a good leader should be more ashamed of it.

“These are people who think that life is a monopoly.”

“Now we are all Ukrainians”: Crying chef Jose Andres publishes a video describing his day feeding refugees Read More »

Read Tim Cook’s email to Ukraine staff

Business News / By

Tim Cook sent an email to officials this morning addressing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, explaining Apple’s response to the past two weeks. The email also tells employees that Apple will compare the donations they make to certain humanitarian funds, two to one, and will do so retroactively for donations made on February 25.

A copy of this email was received from On the edgeand you can read it in full below (except for Apple’s edited internal email address):

I wanted to take a moment to deal with the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

I know that I am speaking on behalf of everyone at Apple, expressing our concern for all those affected by the violence. With each new image of families fleeing their homes and courageous citizens fighting for their lives, we see how important it is for people around the world to unite to continue the cause of peace.

Apple is donating humanitarian aid and providing assistance for the unfolding refugee crisis. We also work with partners to decide what else we can do. I know that many of you are also eager to find ways to support, and we want to help increase the impact of your donations. As of today, Apple will match your 2: 1 donations to eligible organizations, and we will do so retroactively for donations to these organizations on February 25th. Please visit the Employment Portal to learn more.

We work to support our teams in Ukraine and throughout the region. In Ukraine, we keep in touch with every employee, helping them and their families in every way possible. For members of our Ukrainian team outside the country who may need support, please contact [email redacted]. And for any employee who needs support, please visit the People website for available resources.

As a company, we are taking additional action. We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week we stopped all exports in our sales channel in the country. Apple Pay and other services are limited. RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside of Russia. And we have deactivated both traffic and live incidents on Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety measure and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens.

We will continue to assess the situation and keep in touch with the relevant governments on the actions we are taking.

This moment calls for unity, calls for courage and reminds us that we must never lose sight of the humanity we all share. In these difficult times, I take comfort in knowing that we are united in our commitment to each other, to our consumers, and to be a force for good in the world.

As Cook emphasized in his email (and as Apple mentioned in public statements), Apple has taken various actions in the region. On Tuesday, he announced he was suspending sales of his products in Russia. In addition, the sharing of Apple Maps data in Ukraine and the use of Apple Pay in Russia is limited.

Cook also mentioned that Apple is in contact with “every employee” based in Ukraine and working to help them and their families. Internally, some officials discussed the removal of their families from Ukraine.

Read Tim Cook’s email to Ukraine staff Read More »

Biden says he will prosecute criminals who “stole billions” of COVID “small business” aid

Latest News / By

Biden says he will prosecute criminals who “stole” billions of COVID aid to “small businesses and millions of Americans” with the Justice Department’s “chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud.”

  • “Watch dogs are back,” President Biden told Congress on Tuesday
  • He used the appeal to the state of the Union to declare repression against COVID fraud
  • He said the justice ministry would nominate a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud
  • Officials estimate that about $ 100 billion has disappeared from the aid

from Rob Wings, senior US political reporter for Dailymail.Com

Posted: 03:38 GMT, March 2, 2022 | Updated: 3:58 AM GMT on March 2, 2022

President Joe Biden used the Union State’s address on Tuesday to declare repression against COVID-19 fraudsters with the Attorney General for Pandemic Fraud.

Republicans and Democrats cheers as he said he was prosecuting criminals who stole billions of dollars in aid.

Officials estimate that about $ 100 billion has disappeared and hundreds of investigations are under way.

Biden made his statement with no predecessor, Donald Trumpwhich limited the work of regulators or removed them altogether.

“The previous administration not only increased the deficit by cutting taxes on the very rich and corporations, but also undermined the oversight bodies whose job it was to protect the pandemic from the loss,” Biden said.

He said he was in charge: “The watch dogs are coming back.”

“We are prosecuting criminals who stole billions of aid money for small businesses and millions of Americans,” he continued.

“And tonight I announce that the Ministry of Justice will appoint a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud.”

President Joe Biden announced during his address on the state of the Union that the Ministry of Justice will appoint a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud

President Joe Biden announced during his address on the state of the Union that the Ministry of Justice will appoint a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud

Orange County prosecutors say Nguyen's social services have charged up to $ 700 per priest to file fake unemployment claims for people who do not qualify for Covid-19 relief money. Ten people have been accused of fraudulent unemployment schemes

Orange County prosecutors say Nguyen’s social services have charged up to $ 700 per priest to file fake unemployment claims for people who do not qualify for Covid-19 relief money. Ten people have been accused of fraudulent unemployment schemes

In total, the US government has spent about $ 6 trillion in emergency aid on COVID-19 to prevent an economic catastrophe, and the fire hose has attracted a flock of impatient fraudsters.

The suspects include a former NFL player and reality TV star, and in a number of lawsuits filed so far, prosecutors say the proceeds of the fraud were spent on everything from Lamborghinis and Rolex watches to contract killings.

The scale of the problem is such that the Secret Service has appointed Assistant Special Agent Roy Dotson of the Jacksonville Field Office as the National Pandemic Fraud Recovery Coordinator.

“Currently, the Secret Service has more than 900 active criminal investigations into fraud specific to the pandemic relief funds,” Dotson said in a statement at the time.

“This is a combination of the benefits of the pandemic and all other compensation programs. Every state is affected, some more than others.

Many of the scams involved fake applications for Wage Protection Program (PPP) funds designed to support small businesses, but scams involving unemployment insurance were also widespread, investigators said.

The massive fraud took place in three separate rounds of funding during the Trump and Biden administrations, and the current White House is quick to describe it as a problem that President Joe Biden “inherited” from his predecessor.

Former New York Jets successor Joshua Bellamy has been charged with fraud and conspiracy to participate in a $ 1.2 million PPP scheme

Former New York Jets successor Joshua Bellamy has been charged with fraud and conspiracy to participate in a $ 1.2 million PPP scheme

Reality TV star Maurice Fain, who starred in Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, has been sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison on charges stemming from a Ponzi scheme and PPP fraud

Reality TV star Maurice Fain, who starred in Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, has been sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison on charges stemming from a Ponzi scheme and PPP fraud

In one case, former New York Jets successor Joshua Bellamy was accused of fraud and conspiracy to participate in a $ 1.2 million PPP scheme.

After receiving the loan for his company Drip Entertainment LLC, Bellamy admitted that he used the funds for personal belongings, such as jewelry and a stay at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Bellamy, 32, pleaded guilty last June to conspiracy to commit fraud and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison.

Also, reality TV star Maurice Fain, who starred in Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison on charges stemming from a Ponzi scheme and PPP fraud.

Acting U.S. Attorney General Kurt R. Erskine said last year that Fein “plans to use the PPP program as a cover for his long-running Ponzi scheme.”

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The music stops when Russian stars become cultural pariahs

Entertainment News / By

For three decades, he was one of the most sought-after conductors in the world, performing at the best concert halls from London to Tokyo. Six days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Valery Gergiev has gone from being an international celebrity to a pariah of the classical world.

The 68-year-old maestro was fired as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic on Tuesday. Dieter Reiter, the mayor of Munich, said in a statement that he had asked the Russian maestro to “clearly and unequivocally distance himself from Putin’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.”

But Gergiev, a Putin supporter who publicly backed Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, declined to respond to Reuters’ request.

He is on a growing list of Russian stars who are proving to be the new goal of the campaign to isolate Moscow, which is no longer limited to economics, finance or military aid.

Many face cancellation and suspension in response to their failure to distance themselves from Moscow’s military aggression, the largest ground invasion since World War II.

Gergiev, director general of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, was also forced to cancel the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland and cancel a performance at Milan’s La Scala.

“Being a musician does not release you from being a citizen, from taking responsibility,” Russian-German pianist Igor Levitt commented on his Instagram account, adding the hashtag #StandWithUkraine.

Meanwhile, in the world of sports, the Russian invasion has forced the industry to abandon its self-proclaimed political neutrality.

Vladimir Putin, center left, with coaches and players of the Russian football team. FIFA expelled Russian teams from their competitions on Monday © Pavel Golovkin / AP

The International Olympic Committee, which chairs the Olympic Games, has recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials be barred from participating in international events, saying many Ukrainians trapped in the war could not participate.

FIFA, which described the sport as a “vector of peace and hope”, initially opposed pressure to ban Russia. But on Monday, the governing body of world football agreed with UEFA, its equivalent at European level, to expel Russian teams from their competitions.

Russia’s Football Union has threatened to sue FIFA and UEFA.

Now removed from the Europa League, Spartak Moscow say the decision undermines the sport’s higher purpose. “We believe that sport, even in the most difficult times, should aim to build bridges, not burn them,” the team said.

Some criticized the wave of shame. “Gergiev is not responsible for Putin’s horrific decisions,” tweeted political analyst Hisham A. Helier. “Moreover, he will continue to have a family in Russia that will face repression if he, as a public figure, condemns Putin. We cannot (rightly) condemn Putin as a dictator and then demand this kind of public dissent.

But efforts to avoid Russia in the arts are accelerating rapidly. In France, the Cannes Film Festival said on Tuesday it would ban official Russian delegations from attending its 2022 event unless the conflict in Ukraine ends “in a way acceptable to the Ukrainian people.”

The New York Metropolitan Opera, North America’s largest classical music organization, has canceled a series of performances.

“We can no longer communicate with artists or institutions that support Putin or are supported by him,” Met CEO Peter Gelb said in a video statement. “Not until the engagement and the murder are terminated, order is restored and restitution is carried out.

Still, several star performers stand by Putin – or at least don’t want to stand up to him.

Gergiev, despite the repeal, did not comment on the invasion.

Russian opera soprano star Anna Netrebko canceled her upcoming performance at La Scala shortly after Gergiev was removed. Netrebko, who is also an Austrian citizen, celebrated her birthday in the Kremlin last year. She backed Putin in his 2012 re-election campaign.

Russian soprano Anna Netrebko cancels upcoming performance at La Scala © Christoph de Barry / AFP / Getty

On Saturday, Netrebko wrote that he was “an opponent of this war” but that he was “not a political figure”. She criticized the idea of ​​using culture as a political tool: “It is not right to force artists or any public figure to express their political opinions and the public and condemn their homeland.

In response, popular German satirist Jan Böhmerman wrote on Twitter: “Nothing is apolitical, never and definitely not art.

Netrebko and Gergiev used their cultural fame in the past to highlight Putin’s geopolitical offensives. In 2014, she was photographed next to pro-Russian separatist leader Oleg Tsarev holding a separatist flag.

After the 2008 war in Georgia, Gergiev conducted a special concert in South Ossetia, a breakaway Georgian region supported as an independent state by Putin.

The performance of Swan Lake at the ballets in St. Petersburg and Moscow in Dublin was also canceled. The London Coliseum has announced that it has canceled the Icons of Russian Ballet gala concert, which was to include members of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Ballets.

In Paris, critics called for the Louis Vuitton Foundation’s blockbuster exhibition of French and Russian paintings collected by wealthy 19th-century industrialists, the Mozorov brothers, to be closed in solidarity with Ukraine. Some called for the works to be confiscated.

Moving the show to France, with more than 1 million visitors, was a political feat for billionaire Bernard Arnault, who owns luxury goods group LVMH, and for Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin, who hailed it as a sign of friendship. LVMH declined to comment.

The loss of such performances and exhibitions is a financial blow to cultural sites, especially two years after the pandemic.

According to German media, for example, some tickets for Netrebko’s performance at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg cost as much as 440 euros this week.

On Tuesday, the concert was postponed to September after Netrebko announced he was suspending his performances. “It’s not the right time for me to perform and make music,” she said.

Additional reports by Eleni Varvitsioti, Dan Dombey, Joe Miller, Leila Abboud, Samuel Agini and Sam Jones

Video: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: what’s next? | FT live

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21:36 ET

  • Alex PhilipESPN

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    • Covers women’s college basketball and the WNBA
    • He previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for Hartford Courant
    • A Stanford graduate and born in Baltimore with additional experience in the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Inquirer

New York Liberty has been fined $ 500,000 for charter flights to the second half of the WNBA season and other league violations, including an unauthorized team trip to Napa, California, a source told ESPN on Tuesday.

The flights were purchased by team owners Joe Tsai, co-founder of Chinese technology company Alibaba Group, and his wife Clara, who bought Liberty and Brooklyn Nets from the NBA in 2019.

The news was first announced by Sports Illustrated.

Tsai has publicly campaigned for better travel accommodation for WNBA players, tweeting in October that he is working with WNBA Commissioner Katie Engelbert and airlines to find a charter sponsor.

Charter is not usually allowed in the WNBA for fear of creating a competitive advantage for teams whose owners can afford to fund such expensive agreements. Engelbert told the media last month that while he supported the idea of ​​hiring teams, the league needed to experience more financial growth to cover these costs.

While Tsai worked to find a solution for all the franchises, last season the WNBA discovered that he was secretly renting flights to Liberty. At the time, Liberty players openly posted on social media about the team’s trip to Napa over Labor Day weekend. Sports Illustrated also announced that the WNBA Board of Directors had rejected an “unofficial proposal” led by Liberty in which the league would compete for three years of charter flights.

A WNBA spokesman denied on Tuesday that something specific had been presented.

“At no time has there been a proposal from the New York Liberty WNBA Board of Governors to consider offering three-year charter flights to WNBA teams,” a spokesman told ESPN. “It was agreed that Liberty would explore the possibility of charter flights and present it on board. To date, this has not happened.

The WNBA occasionally intervenes to pay for post-season travel in multiple time zones, including the latest for Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury between Games 2 and 3 of the 2021 finals.

Sports Illustrated also reported that the league’s top adviser offered a number of harsh penalties for Liberty, including “losing” every draft choice you’ve ever seen “to a suspension of ownership, even” grounds to terminate the franchise “. Engelbert said during a conversation on the board of governors that she “made a deal with Joe” to reduce the fine from $ 1 million to $ 500,000.

Commercial travel for WNBA teams – provided for in the league’s collective agreement with the players’ union – has been a major ignition point for the league in recent years, as players have drawn attention to tight, awkward places during flights and travel troubles that have even led to until the cancellation of games.

The news of the fine caused excitement on social media from both players and fans.

“What a joke,” Liberty’s franchise player Sabrina Ionescu wrote on Twitter in response to the league’s behavior with the situation.

The WNBA Players’ Association tweeted: “The fining of teams for justice, the defense of players, is reminiscent of a league that fines players for social justice.”

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburn contributed to this report.

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