Scores of truckers making an 11-day cross-country trek from California to Washington DC in an effort to protest COVID-19 restrictions were forced to reroute their drive after being delayed due to inclement weather in Arizona.

The People’s Convoy – comprised of more than two dozen 18-wheeler trucks, along with about 50 pickups and recreational vehicles – made its first top in Kingman, Arizona late Wednesday after being greeted with a crowd of sign-holding supporters.

Kris Young, who is the admin for the group’s Facebook page, announced the delay early Thursday morning, citing ‘weather conditions’. The convoy was headed to Lupton, Arizona.

Young later released an updated route, seemingly to avoid the poor conditions, and told supporters in Lupton to prepare for their arrival. The convoy is still expected to arrive in the city Friday, they are just taking different roads to get there.

‘Line the over passes! Wave your flags! Get the kids arm pumping!’ she wrote. 

It is unclear what conditions the convoy met along the original route, as organizers did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment, however, a storm dropped about a foot of snow across parts of Arizona’s high county Wednesday. 

The National Weather Service had issued a winter storm warning spanning from Flagstaff to Show Low until 11pm Wednesday. When the truckers arrived in Kingman, which is located about 150 miles east of Flagstaff, there wasn’t any snow visible. 

The People’s Convoy, inspired by Canada’s Freedom Convoy protest, has called on the federal government to end the National Emergency enacted at the start of the pandemic, arguing the threat posed by the coronavirus has now receded. The group also seeks an end to ‘unconstitutional’ vaccine and mask requirements.

However, nearly every state in America has either lifted or relaxed indoor mask mandates, or has set a date to do so in the near future. The lone holdout is Hawaii, the island state that has had the strictest mandates of anywhere in the country throughout the pandemic so far. Additionally, only 19 states currently have vaccine mandates in effect – however the mandates do not apply to all individuals and their requirements vary by state.

‘This ride is not about truckers, it’s about America,’ trucker Larry Horton, 49, who lives in Nevada, told the Victorville Daily Press Wednesday night. ‘I love America, but our freedoms will be stripped away if we don’t stand up for our rights.’ 

Scores of truckers making an 11-day cross-country trek from California to Washington DC in an effort to protest COVID-19 restrictions were forced to reroute their drive after being delayed due to inclement weather in Arizona 

Kris Young, who is the admin for the People’s Convoy Facebook group, announced the delay early Thursday morning, citing ‘weather conditions’. She later released the convoy’s revised route and told supporters in Lupton, Arizona: ‘Line the over passes! Wave your flags! Get the kids arm pumping!’

The People’s Convoy is expected to arrive in DC on March 5 where it will be joined by around 25 other truck cavalcades. 

It follows Canada’s Freedom Convoy which included weeks of demonstrations and blockades that shut down border crossings into the U.S. Organizers claim they do not intend to disrupt roads or bridges, like the Canadian protest did.

However, some semi-truck drivers are already calling for widespread blockades. Trucker Bob Bolus – who is leading a group from Pennsylvania – vowed earlier this week that the Beltway and other roads in and out of DC will be shut down.

In response, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved a request from local DC government and the Capitol police to deploy 700 members of the National Guard to the capital city ahead of the convoy’s arrival. 

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Guardsmen would not be armed, and will not be empowered to arrest people, but would be reporting wrongdoing to local police. Approximately 50 ‘large tactical vehicles’ will also be stationed in the city 24 hours a day.   

Kris Young published the new convoy route on Facebook after announcing the group had been delayed by weather conditions

While it is unclear what conditions the convoy met along the original route – as organizers did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment – a storm dropped about a foot of snow across parts of Arizona’s high county Wednesday (Pictured: Snow in Flagstaff)

The People’s Convoy held a rally in Kingman, Arizona early Thursday morning, ahead of their now-delayed departure.

‘The convoy yesterday was absolutely amazing,’ one participant told the crowd. ‘I did not expect to see all those people on overpasses and everything. It just totally blew me away to see that.’

Members of the crowd, interrupting the man with cheers, said ‘America’s spirit is alive’ and ‘we all got along!’

The group arrived in Kingman Wednesday night and were met with an outpour of support. 

Video shared to Facebook shows bystanders cheering, waving and holding signs and American flags as the vehicles rolled through the town, horns blaring.

Young, on Facebook, applauded the outpour response: ‘We want to thank every one of you for your support. The welcoming on the Arizona overpasses and at Great American Pizza yesterday was absolutely amazing!!’

She also thanked Crazy Fred’s Truck Stop and Rebel Oil, both in Kingman, for donating 25,000 gallons of fuel to the convoy.

The shops allegedly brought the fuel to Great American Pizza and Sub, in Golden Valley, where the convoy was staying to fill their trucks.  

The group – leaving from Adelanto, California – arrived in Kingman, Arizona Wednesday night and were met with an outpour of support

The People’s Convoy held a rally in Kingman, Arizona early Thursday morning, ahead of their now-delayed departure. One convoy participant told the crowd: ‘The convoy yesterday was absolutely amazing. I did not expect to see all those people on overpasses and everything. It just totally blew me away to see that.’

The small convoy of truckers departed Adelanto, California midday Wednesday after several hundred people rallied in a parking lot before the group of vehicles hit the road. It wasn’t clear how many intended to go all the way to DC.

‘To the truck drivers around the world: Now is your time to stand up. Now is your time to usher in a renaissance time of freedom,’ truck driver and event organizer Brian Brase told the rally. ‘Do not bow down.’

Convoy vehicles carried signs with slogans such as ‘Legalize freedom’ and ‘Let them breathe.’

The movement has attracted more than $464,000 in donations, according to the website, which organizers say will be used to reimburse fuel and other costs borne by participating truckers. 

It was one of several U.S. convoys organized online and modeled on the recent Canadian truckers’ protests that shut down U.S.-Canadian border crossings and besieged the streets of the capital, Ottawa, for three weeks. 

The convoys all have different starting points, departure dates and routes.

A statement issued by organizers of the Adelanto group called it ‘The People’s Convoy’ and said it was multicultural and nonpartisan, although there were Trump flags at the rally.

The statement said ‘COVID is well-in-hand now, and Americans need to get back to work in a free and unrestricted manner.’

It pledged a ‘100% safe, lawful and peaceful journey’ that will ‘terminate in the vicinity of the DC area, but will NOT be going into DC proper.’

This map shows the original route of the People’s Convoy from California to Washington DC. The group had to revise the route after their stop in Kingman, Arizona

Arizonians wait for truckers to arrive as the People’s Convoy rolls through their town on Wednesday. They are seen holding signs and American flags from what appears to be a highway overpass

Kevin Clark and his service dog Chip sit around a fire after the The People’s Convoy stopped for the night on Wednesday at Great American Pizza and Sub, in Golden Valley, Arizona

Dan Davidson, of Ohio, sits in his cab after parking at Great American Pizza and Sub. Convoy organizers say Crazy Fred’s Truck Stop and Rebel Oil, both in Kingman, donated 25,000 gallons of fuel to the convoy and delivered it to the drivers at Great American Pizza

Bob Bolus, who is leading a DC-bound convoy of about 25 semis from Pennsylvania, began his route Wednesday morning after suffering a more than two hour delay caused by a flat tire. Although he vowed to block the DC area Beltway, Bolus not specified how they plan to do so.

He told WJLA Wednesday: ‘We’re not going to cause a traffic problem any more than they live with every single day.’ 

‘We’re not going to camp there. Let me put it that way,’ he added. ‘We’re not camping on the Beltway. We’re gonna have our voices heard and let them understand this is only the tip of the iceberg.’

Bolus also said he is keeping his convoy out of the District, arguing he ‘believes Maryland and Virginia follow due process more than the nation’s capital.’

The trucker claims his convoy has been in contact with the California convoy: ‘We have had dialogue. We’ve had conference calls and we’re all on the same page. We’re all for one thing: freedom and rights.’

‘This is America/ You took our freedom, you took our rights, you gave it to the illegals. You took our freedom and our rights and turned them around and you gave it to the BLMs (Black Lives Matter protesters) to burn buildings and not get prosecuted. The laws don’t apply to them.’   

Bob Bolus, who is leading a DC-bound convoy of about 25 semis from Pennsylvania, began his route Wednesday morning. Although he vowed to block the DC area Beltway, Bolus not specified how they plan to do so. He is pictured driving out of Scranton on Wednesday

There are several U.S. convoys heading to DC this week. They all have different starting points, departure dates and routes (Pictured: Bob Bolus leading a convoy traveling from Pennsylvania)

The People’s Convoy departed Adelanto, California midday Wednesday after several hundred people rallied in a parking lot before the group of vehicles hit the road

A group of supporters hold a sign that reads ‘Land of the FREE because of the BRAVE’ at the rally held in Adelanto, California before the People’s Convoy departed Wednesday

Two men are seen at the Adelanto trucker rally on Wednesday

The protest comes as average daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are continuing to fall in the U.S. and as nearly every state in America is making moves to lift remaining virus-related mandates and usher in a ‘return to normal’. 

An analysis by CBS News found that 49 U.S. states have either lifted or relaxed indoor mask mandates, or have set a date to do so in the near future.

These decisions by both Democratic and Republican leaders around America come as cases decline basically everywhere. 49 states have recorded a decline in Covid cases over the past two weeks, with Maine being the lone outlier.

Nationwide, the United States is recording 79,668 cases per day – the first time the seven day average has dropped below 80,000 since November 29. 

Cases are down 38 percent over the past seven days, and down 90 percent from the Omicron fueled surge’s mid-January peak of around 800,000 per day.

All U.S. states except Hawaii have either lifted or relaxed indoor mask mandates, or have set a date to do so in the near future. Nineteen states currently have vaccine mandates in effect

Nationwide, the United States is recording 79,668 cases per day – the first time the seven day average has dropped below 80,000 since November 29. Cases are down 38 percent over the past seven days, and down 90 percent from the Omicron fueled surge’s mid-January peak of around 800,000 per day

Public health experts say they feel hopeful that more declines are ahead, but many federal leaders remain hesitant to lift mandates. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends universal masking in public schools and requires people to wear masks when traveling on planes and trains. 

The World Health Organization also warned  global health leaders not to let their guard down as the Omicron ‘stealth’ variant spreads around the world, arguing a new threat may be around the corner.

The ‘stealth’ variant, or BA.2 as it is officially classified, is a lineage of the Omicron variant that lacks some key indicators that allows for it to be easily sequenced – hence the ‘stealth’ moniker. It is not believed to cause more severe infection than the original, BA.1, version of the variant, but it is around 30 percent more transmissible.

Administration officials studied how the sanctions would affect each of the major banks, including Sberbank and VTB, Russia’s two largest banks. Sberbank owns about a third of the assets in the country’s banking sector, and VTB owns more than 15 percent. Some experts are skeptical that the administration will put these two banks on the SDN list, fearing the consequences for the Russian and global economy. Until US officials are prepared to cut off all Russian banks from FastAn important Belgian money transfer system used by over 11,000 financial institutions around the world.

The Treasury Department has other sanctions lists that incur costs while causing less widespread suffering. For example, he can put the bank on a list that prohibits him from making any transactions with dollars. Many international business transactions are carried out in US dollars, the currency that underpins the global economy.

It is also expected that the Ministry of Finance will add more Russian officials, businessmen and companies to the sanctions list.

By Thursday evening, the national stock market in Russia had fallen by almost 40 percent.

The Department of Commerce is planning restrict the export of certain American technologies to Russia, a tactic the Trump administration has used to thwart Chinese telecommunications company Huawei. The control will hurt the supply chain for some Russian sectors. US officials have said their targets include the defense industry and the oil and gas industry.

European officials are expected to announce sanctions similar to many planned by the United States, as they did this week. However, they are more cautious about imposing the toughest sanctions due to the continent’s active trade with Russia.

While Mr. Biden said he would consider any possible sanctions, US officials are not yet planning a major disruption to Russia’s energy exports, which are the backbone of the country’s economy. Europe relies on products, and rising oil prices around the world will cause higher inflation and more problems for politicians. However, this week Germany announced that it would not certify Nord Stream 2, a new gas pipeline connecting Russia and Western Europe. On Wednesday, Mr. Biden announced sanctions against a subsidiary of Gazprom, a major Russian energy company that built the pipeline and planned to operate it.

“We have been frank, we have been frank with the American people that our measures – the measures that we are taking and are ready to take regarding the Russian Federation – will definitely not be free for the Russian Federation,” Ned Price said on Wednesday State Department representative. “But they won’t be completely free for the rest of the world either.”

Beloved impersonator Donnie Davis “may have died as a result of unfair play” according to a new police report received from TMZ.

On Tuesday, the comedian – who recently appeared frequently on the Chelsea show Handler Chelsea and was loved by Britney SpearsParis Hilton, Mariah Carey and Miley Cyrus – was found dead in a room at the Resorts World Hotel.

New details of Davis’ death, according to Las Vegas police, reveal that he was hanging out at the Dawg House bar around 1 am with another man and two women.

Shocking death: favorite comedian Donnie Davis “may have died as a result of unfair acting” on Tuesday, according to a new police report received from TMZ

The group later reportedly left for a drink in Flamingo before returning to his hotel at Resort World around 2:30 a.m.

One woman, according to TMZ, said Davis was denied alcohol at their final destination because he was “too drunk.”

However, it is alleged that Davis and his acquaintance returned to the star’s room at 3:30 in the morning, where they stayed for nearly an hour.

Rest in Peace: Davis, who turned 43, was loved by Britney Spears, Mariah Carey and Miley Cyrus

When they returned, at 5 a.m., they noticed Davis’s hands looking pale and purple as he sat in a chair.

One of the women claims that his hands are “freezing” and Davis is no longer breathing, which prompted them to call the security guard, who called 911.

Authorities responded to the hotel at the southern end of the strip shortly after 6 a.m., according to a local 8 News now report.

What happened? New details of Davis’ death, according to Las Vegas police, reveal that he was hanged at the Dawg House bar around 1 a.m. with another man and two women; seen in 2018

He was pronounced dead shortly after 7 a.m. at Sunrise Hospital.

As for why investigators suspect unfair play, cops said in a police report that the man refused to talk to them without a lawyer and had trouble contacting those in the room with Davis.

Davis was known for his entertaining imitations in the comedy chain, including playing a version of Donald Trump’s Mini-Trump, and also working on a podcast series with Kelly Osbourne and longtime friend Jeff Beecher.

Beecher told DailyMail.com: “I didn’t just lose a friend today. I lost a dream, brother, best friend. Donnie wasn’t just a loyal loving best friend. I literally entrusted him with everything from my life to business and everything in between. Donnie was an angel.

Beecher told TMZ: “Donnie broke down barriers in the small community and was an inspiration to his peers. He will be terribly absent, but his legacy and the impact he had on those who loved him will live on forever.

“A magical being who spreads love and laughter to everyone in his presence, I would always tell people that he is not from this planet. He loved to love and he loved to make everyone happy.

“He was the best, best friend, producer and performer I knew and everyone will know. My love, condolences and prayers are to everyone who knows and or loves him like me, as well as to all his friends and family. Donnie, you will miss him more than you can imagine. I will appreciate our 20 years that God has given me with you as my Ride or die and the 100,000 people you have touched with your magical love and the fun you have given people.

“The planet was a better place with you on it.” I will continue our dream and win awards for our documentary and I will continue to push for equality for all in your honor. I love you Donnie. You are the best.

Friends forever: Ryan Philip took to Instagram with lots of photos to immortalize his Dynamo friend, who had “more confidence than I could have hoped to have.”

Friends: Comedian Jeffrey Ross wrote that Donnie is a full “rock star” in a cheerful tribute shared on Instagram

Ryan Philip took to Instagram with lots of photos to immortalize his Dynamo friend, who had “more confidence than I could have hoped to have.”

He wrote: “It was impossible to be around him without having a good time. His energy was boundless and he got everything he could from life with the time he had here. A good lesson for all of us. I miss you now, my friend. Rest in peace and cause some chaos in the sky. You are unforgettable.

Comedian Jeffrey Ross wrote that Donnie is a complete “rock star” in a funny tribute shared on Instagram, writing: “I will miss my beautiful generous friend. My condolences to his family and his older brother Jeff Beecher.

It’s never a boring moment: his list of celebrity friends seemed endless with shared photos of wild nights with the city’s hottest stars, including Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato

Just one more day: Donnie is having fun with Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner

Nicki Hilton commented: “We lost a legend” as Sister Paris added emoji to her heart under Jeffrey’s post.

Donnie’s list of friends seemed endless with shared photos of wild nights with the city’s hottest stars, including Nick and Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner, Demi Lovato and Paris Hilton.

While Davis gained fame on stage, he also appeared in the 2013 film Pain & Gain with Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie, as well as in Tommy Chong’s 2017 comedy It’s Gawd!

Always good weather: He shared “St. Return of Pattys’ Day, celebrating Paris Hilton’s birthday last year dressed in leprechaun threads

Elon Musk he was so competitive that he emailed his employees a rude message about an early business rival: “KILL THEM DEAD. DIE. DIE. DIE”.

A new book reveals that the 50-year-old Musk sent a message to the staff of his online financial startup X.com, which was involved in a fierce battle with Confinity.

The hatred was mutual, and in Confinity, co-founder of the hedge fund billionaire and former Trump adviser Peter Thiel, they wrote on an employee’s birthday cake: “Die X.com”

The two companies later merged and renamed themselves PayPal, where hours and competition were so brutal that “it would make George RR Martin blush”, targeting the creator of the bloody TV series. Game of Thrones.

The staff worked 36-hour shifts and slept under their desks, releasing Salt ‘N’ Pepa’s hit ‘Push It’ to stay awake and taking their young children to work on the weekends.

Musk, whose all-consuming work ethic would later lead to the success of Tesla and SpaceX, had to cancel his honeymoon with his first wife in 2000 because he was so busy.

But when she rescheduled him for the Summer Olympics in September, he couldn’t leave work behind – and turned what was supposed to be a romantic getaway into a fundraising trip.

Details are revealed in “Founders: The story of Paypal and the entrepreneurs who shaped Silicon Valley“, By award-winning author Jimmy Sony.

A new book describes the early days of Elon Musk with his startup X.com, where employees worked 36 hours in shifts and slept under their desks. Musk was pictured in 2004

Peter Thiel and Elon Musk were rivals until their two companies later merged and rebranded as PayPal, where hours and competition were brutal.

The book describes how PayPal rose from an idea in the minds of Musk and Teal to a stock market placement in 2002, which valued the company at less than $ 1 billion.

Details of Elon Musk are revealed in “The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley” by Jimmy Sony

He is now worth $ 122 billion and his fortune is reflected in that of Musk, now the richest man in the world with a personal fortune of $ 249 billion.

The Founders took a look at the time long before such a fortune came to Musk’s path, and describes how in his youth he called himself the Nerdmaster 3000.

Musk was born in South Africa and emigrated to Canada in the late 1980s before going to the University of Pennsylvania to study physics.

He was obsessed with computers and at the age of 13 sold a coding project, a video game called Blastar, in which players destroy an alien spaceship.

Desperate to find a job in Silicon Valley, he once hid in the lobby of Netscape, an early Internet browser, but was “too shy to talk to anyone.”

Musk said: “It was quite uncomfortable. I was just standing there trying to see if there was anyone I could talk to, and I was too scared to talk to anyone, so I left.

Musk started his own company with his brother Kimball and rented an office in Palo Alto, California, sleeping in the office and bathing in the nearby YMCA.

They called it Zip2 and focused on increasing the digital assets of media companies and building local city directories.

Incredibly, in 1999, at the height of the dot com boom, they were bought for $ 307 million by Compaq Computers. Musk raised $ 21 million – he was 27 years old.

But instead of living an easy life, Musk dumped much of his money on X.com, which he hoped would turn into an online financial services supermarket, something that was revolutionary at the time.

Musk introduced a ruthless work ethic in which he slept in the office and made his staff do the same.

In Confinity, Teal, now 54, pushed his stick just as hard.

Musk, whose all-consuming work ethic would later lead to the success of Tesla and SpaceX, had to cancel his honeymoon in 2000 with his first wife, Justin, because he was so busy.

The book reveals that Musk sent a message to employees of his online financial company X.com, saying “KILL THEM DEAD. DIE. DIE. DIE ‘, which concerns the competitor Confinity

The Founders says an engineer had so little time out of the office that he continued to drive his car even though he ruined one tire and used the spare for another.

Award-winning author Sony writes that the competition was so brutal that it “would make George R. R. Martin blush”, referring to the creator of the bloody TV series Game of Thrones

He drove for three days before finally fixing it.

X.com and Confinity soon discovered that they saw each other as serious rivals

As Musk described it: “It was a race to see who could run out of money the fastest.”

During a Confinity employee’s birthday party, he received a cake that read: “Die X.com”

Confinity employees raised a banner reading “Memento Mori”, which is Latin for “Remember you must die,” to focus employees’ attention.

From X.com, Musk spoke harshly to his staff in an email to Confinity: “KILL THEM DEAD. DIE. DIE. DIE”.

But the competition did not last long and both sides soon realized that they had to merge or both would die.

After the deal ended, they set about setting up a company they called PayPal.

Earlier, Teal rejected alternatives for the company, including Zapio, MoMo, Cachet and the strange eMoneyBeam.

At one point, the company’s office included an indicator called the World Dominance Index to track consumers during the day.

There was an “industrial” cache with Tylenol to deal with the headache. Officials felt as if they were working on a “missile ship” and said they felt like “veterans of an intensive military campaign,” the book said.

PayPal employee Kim-Elisha Proctor recalled seeing sleeping bags under people’s desks when she arrived for an interview.

When she arrived, she did the same. She said: “I think I had a 36-hour stay – I actually slept in one of the conference rooms.”

Musk worked until 4 in the morning and slept for several hours before the employees, who observed slightly more regular working hours, arrived at 6.30 in the morning.

According to The Founders, the amount of coffee consumed by PayPal employees is “legendary”.

While pressing the coding of something on the site, they would blow up Salt ‘N’ Pepa’s ‘Push It’ to motivate staff.

To have fun, they steamed potatoes with PVC guns. An employee brought his eight-month-old daughter to work on weekends for fear of taking a break.

Fatigue led to a “heated exchange of emails” and “imitation” and an atmosphere that the “Founders” likened to Game of Thrones.

During the early days, Musk worked until 4 a.m. and slept for several hours before employees who observed slightly more regular work hours arrived at 6:30 a.m.

Tesla boss raised $ 21 million after Zip2 was bought by Compaq Computers. He was 27. But instead of living an easy life, Musk dumped much of his money on X.com, which eventually led to the launch of Tesla and Space X

Musk is already dating Australian actress Natasha Bassett, who plays Elvis Presley’s girlfriend Dixie Locke in the new biographical film about the King

Early hires for PayPal were unconventional and included chess champions, puzzle champions, and high school dropouts.

But with the eccentric personality came eccentric habits, and an engineer dragged his bare feet to his desk and removed toenail remnants “full eyes.”

Another problem along the way was when Musk overturned his $ 1 million McLaren F1 silver car while Teale was on board.

Neither of them wore belts, but they escaped unbelievably unscathed.

Musk said the car overturned “like a disk” and people who saw it happen “think we’re going to die.”

The car survived, but Musk faced a huge repair bill because he didn’t bother to insure it.

Musk’s obsession with work meant that his marriage in January 2000 to his longtime girlfriend Justin Wilson began unstable.

He had canceled his honeymoon due to a “corporate drama” and tried to make up for it by taking her to the Sydney Summer Olympics in September.

Instead, Musk – who is now dating Australian actress Natasha Bassett – decided to take the opportunity to meet with wealthy investors and conduct inspections with staff abroad.

Justin Musk said to her husband, “I am your wife, not your servant.” Musk replied, “If you were my employee, I would fire you.”

Musk says in the book, “It was meant to be a late honeymoon and a fundraising trip.” Their marriage will last an incredible eight years and will give birth to five sons before they divorce in 2008.

Wilson later said he would tell Musk, “I’m your wife, not your employee.”

Musk replied, “If you were my employee, I would fire you.”

Musk’s honeymoon gave Teal and others the “perfect opportunity” to get rid of him as CEO because they thought the company was going in the wrong direction.

After receiving the votes from the board, Musk was informed and told staff at the time that he was “so sad that my words failed.”

Two decades later, Musk acknowledged that it was a “well-executed coup” and said it was “a little extra that they would do it when I’m not there.”

He remained on good terms with Thiel, who helped fund the $ 20 million launch of SpaceX from his hedge fund.

Still, the episode helps explain Musk’s aversion to vacations, as they are cursed for him.

Speaking to Danish television in 2015, he said he had only twice tried to take a week off.

The first time his Orbit Sciences rocket exploded was Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic rocket that same week.

The second time, one of Musk’s own missiles exploded.

As Musk put it: “Holidays will kill you.”

Europe is facing a new refugee crisis, and harsh economic sanctions designed to punish Russia are expected to reverberate around the world.

As Vladimir Putin launched a bombing campaign of Ukraine that signaled the start of a full-blown invasion, scores of Republicans unloaded on the leader they saw as the villain: President Joe Biden.   

‘As we pray for the Ukrainian people, make no mistake: THIS is what happens when America’s enemies see a weak and incompetent @POTUS,’ tweeted U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, adding the hashtag Bidenisafailure.

Some took their lead from former President Donald Trump‘s rambling appearance on Fox News on Wednesday night, when he claimed his good relationship with Putin would have prevented the invasion. 

And hours later it was the recurring theme as conservatives gathered in Orlando, Florida, for the annual CPAC conference. 

With the Republican foreign policy establishment focusing their condemnation on Putin, it suggested the issue of Russia is a new litmus test for conservatives – just like the January 6 violence and Trump’s claims that he was cheated of the election.

‘America’s incompetent right now,’ said CPAC’s first speaker, TV host Ben Ferguson.

‘America is a place right now that is not going to even understand how to organise the world to fight back against tyrants and dictators around the world. And that’s why they’re doing it right now.’

As Russian tanks moved through Crimea, and Russia began its bombardment of Ukraine, scores of Republicans trained their fire on President Joe Biden rather than Vladimir Putin accusing the US leader of weakness

The first speaker at the CPAC conservative gathering in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday gave a taste of things to come. ‘America’s incompetent right now,’ said  TV host Ben Ferguson as he warned that adversaries were taking advantage

Former President Trump called into Fox News on Wednesday to claim the attack would not have happened on his watch

Rep Scott Perry was among the Republicans who took to Twitter to blast Biden for Putin’s aggression in Ukraine

Others warned that America’s allies were watching what was unfolding and see American weakness on the world stage

A steady stream of Republicans tweeted their anger at Biden and warned that the country’s enemies would be watching.

In a tweet, House Republicans said: ‘President Biden’s weakness on the world stage has emboldened our enemies. China, Iran, and North Korea are watching.’ 

For days, Tucker Carlson has been setting out the ground for questioning Biden’s response on his highly-rated Fox News show. He has repeatedly asked why the US should side with Ukraine rather than Putin.

But not everyone was in lockstep. 

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has been keen to demonstrate his close relationship with Trump, did not mention Biden at all in his comments. 

‘Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is reckless and evil,’ he said. ‘The United States stands with the people of Ukraine and prays for their safety and resolve.’

Matt Schlapp, who heads the organization behind CPAC and a leading conservative voice, said the issue of Russia and Ukraine would be a key theme of the next four days. 

He said there were differences between the party coalition has spread.

‘You know, the Liz Cheney wing of the Republican Party. is becoming increasingly marginalized and discredited,’ he told DailyMail.com. ‘So that makes people go to different voices to try to say, okay, you know, if you’re not a military expert, do you think we should use America’s might, its treasure to intervene? 

‘And I would say I think most of the people here would actually listen to the case to protect Ukraine, but the president has to make it.

‘He somehow has to transform from this guy reading cue cards in the middle of the day, to a president that’s giving major primetime addresses, including press conferences, about what he thinks we should do.’

Recent polling suggests there is little support for a US role in the conflict. 

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found only 22% of Republicans think the U.S. should play a major role in the conflict, compared with 32% of Democrats. 

A military column moves across the town of Armyansk, northern Crimea. Early on February 24, after invasion begins

People waiting for a Kiev bound train spread on a platform in Kostiantynivka, the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine

Republicans are also less to say they’re very or extremely concerned that Russia’s influence around the world poses a direct threat to the US.

That makes former Democratic presidential runner Tulsi Gabbard a fit for the lineup at CPAC. 

She has been accused of cozying up to dictators and spreading Putin’s propaganda by saying an invasion would not have happened if the West had addressed Russia’s concerns about Ukraine joining NATO – even though the Russian president has also said Ukraine had not right to exist independently of Russia.

Rep Elise Stefanik, who won Cheney’s position as the third most senior Republican in the House because of her backing for Trump, made clear where she stood.

‘After just one year of a weak, feckless, and unfit President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief, the world is less safe,’ she said. 

‘Rather than peace through strength, we are witnessing Joe Biden’s foreign policy of war through weakness.’

But leading the way in condemning Biden was Trump, who told  Fox News in a freewheeling interview that this wouldn’t have happened under his administration and again making claims of a rigged election in 2020.

As explosions were reported in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other areas of Ukraine, Trump called the scene a “terrible situation” and insisted Putin never would have moved on his watch.

‘He sees the weakness and the incompetence and the stupidity of this administration. And as an American I’m angry about it and I’m saddened by it,’ he said, calling into Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show. 

‘It’s a very sad thing for the world, for the country, and it’s certainly very sad for a lot of people that are going to be needlessly killed.’ 

Ingraham asked Trump about the continuing closeness between Putin and Xi. 

‘Well, I had a good relationship with both,’ he said. ‘It was hurt by the Russia hoax. You see what happened with Durham and those reports and other reports including Mueller. 

‘It was just a made up hoax and it really hurt our country but despite the hoax, I had a good relationship and with president XI of China, other than the fact that I was tariff-ing and taxing the hell out of him.’

‘As a young man growing up, I always heard that the worst thing that could happen is drive those two countries together. It really started with Obama and energy. He drove them together because one needed the energy and the other needed the money,’ Trump added. ‘He drove them together and Biden — I kept them apart – and Biden now it’s a great love fest and that’s a very bad thing and I think you can probably add Iran into it too.’  

Former President Donald Trump, speaking at a super PAC fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, spoke off the cuff about the impending military action Wednesday night

Trump spoke to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham as the bombs went off in Kyiv

Trump then again said that Vladimir Putin was ‘smart,’ as he had during interviews given on Tuesday

Trump again criticized President Joe Biden for his actions ahead of the crisis

Trump said that, despite having good relationships with Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi (right), he ‘kept them apart

Earlier in the interview, in which Trump spoke over the phone with Ingraham, Trump bemoaned that this was happening at all. 

‘This should have never happened. This would not have happened during my administration. In fact, some people are saying why didn’t this take place over the last four years? It didn’t for a very good reason and I’ll explain that to you someday, but it wouldn’t have taken place and it wouldn’t have taken place right now. It’s a sad thing for the world and the country and a lot of people that will be needlessly killed.’

Trump argued he’d have used his good relationship with Putin to stop this from happening.  

‘Well, I know him very well. We had many, many times together. I got along with him fantastically despite the fact I shut down Nord Stream-2, nobody would’ve heard of Nord Stream 2 if it weren’t for me. I am the one that shut it down.’

He then went through a story about how he disagreed with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the strategy regarding Nord-Stream 2.  

Trump then linked the invasion with the failed pullout from Afghanistan by the Biden administration in 2021. 

‘It’s a terrible thing the way it started, I don’t believe he wanted to do this initially,’ Trump said. ‘I think he wanted to do  something and negotiate it and had got worse and worse. He saw the weakness  and you know, it really started with the weakness in Afghanistan. The way they pulled out of Afghanistan. I really believe that’s where he started thinking he could do this.’

Ingraham then asked Trump what he thought of President Biden’s approach, in which Ingraham said Biden was ‘monitoring the situation’ and then would talk to fellow G7 leaders Thursday.   

‘I don’t think he’s monitoring, I think he is probably sleeping right now,’ Trump retorted. ‘This is a terrible thing that should never have happened. I really believe that it was Afghanistan, when he looked at that horrible, weak pullout.’   

Earlier Thursday Trump, speaking at a super PAC fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, spoke off the cuff about the impending military action Wednesday night.

The former president spoke about America’s enemies during the crisis, saying: ‘Now they laugh at us. That’s why you have Ukraine, that’s why you’re going to have China. Taiwan is next, and you’re going to see the same kind of thing.’  

Trump then again said that Vladimir Putin was ‘smart,’ as he had during interviews given on Tuesday.

‘He’s taken over a country for $2 worth of sanctions, I’d say that’s pretty smart. He’s taking over a country – a vast, vast location, a great piece of land with a lot of people – just walking right in. This never would have happened and I know him very well. 

Trump on Tuesday praised Putin’s move to declare the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine ‘independent.’ 

‘I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, “This is genius,”‘ Trump said. ‘Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine – of Ukraine – Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful.’ 

‘I said, “How smart is that?'” the former U.S. president continued. ‘And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s the strongest peace force… We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen. There were more army tanks than I’ve ever seen. They’re gonna keep peace all right.’ 

‘No, but think of it. Here’s a guy who’s very savvy,’ Trump went on. ‘I know him very well. Very, very, very well. Had I been in office, not even thinkable, this never would have happened.’ 

Trump added: ‘But here’s a guy that says, you know, “I’m gonna declare a big portion of Ukraine independent,” he used the word ‘independent’ and ‘we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace.’ You gotta say that’s pretty savvy. And you know what the response was from Biden? There was no response. They didn’t have one for that. No, it’s very sad. Very sad.

Trump also called Biden ‘a man who has no concept of what he’s doing.’   

Protests broke out in Moscow tonight in solidarity with similar demonstrations across the world as the global outcry against Russian president Vladimir Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine grew louder amid the unfolding crisis.

Pictures showed Russian police clamping down on anti war protesters in the capital, some of whom had to be physically carried away by officers in police uniform. Earlier, a Russian opposition activist who called for anti-war protests told Reuters that she had been detained by police on Thursday.

‘I was detained on my way out of the house,’ Marina Litvinovich, the Moscow-based activist, wrote on Telegram. She confirmed her detention separately in a message to Reuters.

Litvinovich called on Russians earlier to gather in protest in various Russian cities on Thursday evening.

Across Europe and the rest of the world, anti-war activists took to their own streets and gathered outside Russian embassies including those in London, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm, Oslo, Riga, as well as further afield in Tokyo, making their voices heard. Sydney also saw furious protesters calling for an end to the conflict.

Demonstrations were held overnight before war was declared by Russia, and continued into Thursday as Russian tanks rolled towards Kiev. There have been reports of intense fighting and casualties on both sides.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday also called on Ukrainian to ‘go out’ and ‘protest against this war’, after urging Russians to do the same earlier this week in a bid to prevent the invasion.

‘We have severed diplomatic relations with Russia. For all those who have not yet lost their conscience in Russia, it is time to go out and protest against the war with Ukraine,’ he said today. 

MOSCOW: Police officers detain a woman during a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Moscow on February 24, 2022. Protests broke out in Moscow tonight in solidarity with similar demonstrations across Europe today as the global outcry against Russian president Vladimir Putin ‘s invasion of Ukraine grew louder amid the unfolding crisis

MOSCOW: A person carries a banner during an anti-war protest, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Moscow, Russia February 24, 2022

MOSCOW: Police officers detain a man during a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Moscow on February 24, 2022

MOSCOW: Police officers in masks detain a woman during a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Moscow

MOSCOW: A man is detained by three police officers on Thursday night at an anti-war protest

SAINT PETERSBURG: Armoured police gather in a square near demonstrators during an anti-war protest on Thursday night

SAINT PETERSBURG: Police officers detain a woman during a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in central Saint Petersburg on February 24, 2022

MOSCOW: A woman is marched off by armoured police after joining anti-war protesters in Moscow

MOSCOW: A woman gestures as she is marched off by Russian police officers in Russia’s capital on Tuesday night

MOSCOW: Police block a rout to Red Square ahead of a planned unsanctioned protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

MOSCOW: Police block Red Square ahead of a planned unsanctioned protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in central Moscow on February 24, 2022

Across Europe, people were pictured with placards and megaphones outside Russian embassies, calling for Putin to pull back from Ukraine and stop the war. 

A growing group of Ukrainians and Russians united outside of the Russian embassy in Kensington, London, also waving the Ukrainian flag. Last night, a large group gathered there ahead of the invasion.

Another photo taken outside Russia’s diplomatic HQ in Britain showed demonstrators with placards that took aim aim at Putin, including one which depicted him with a Hitler-like moustache.

In Berlin, demonstrators waved Ukrainian flags in front of the Brandenburg Gate on Thursday. Last night, the iconic arch was lit up in Ukraine’s colours.

In Paris, authorities lit City Hall in the same colours to also show their support. 

In Stockholm, Sweden, a large group of people were seen in the snow waving the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine while shouting at Russia’s embassy. Their placards called for the end of the war, with one man holding a sign that read ‘hands of Ukraine.’ Another said: ‘Ukraine is forever.’    

WARSAW: A demonstrator burns a Russian flag during a protest by Ukrainian and Polish demonstrators against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in front of the Russian embassy, Poland, on February 24, 2022

BERLIN: People take part in an anti-war protest at Brandenburg Gate, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, Germany February 24, 2022. Protests have broken out across Europe as the global outcry against Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine grows louder amid the unfolding deadly crisis

LONDON: Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Holy Family of London Kenneth Nowakowski (centre) joins Ukrainians holding a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine outside Downing Street, central London. Picture date: Thursday February 24, 2022

EDINBURGH: People take part in ‘Stand with Ukraine’ public demonstration outside the Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Thursday

OLSO: Ukrainian Olga Lietnieva, on holidays in Norway, is wrapped in the Ukrainian flag and cries as she attends a demonstration against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022

PARIS: A woman reacts during a demonstration of Ukrainian citizens against Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in front of the Russian embassy in Paris on February 24, 2022

STOCKHOLM: Protesters gather during a rally against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in front of the Russian Embassy, Sweden February 24, 2022

WARSAW: Ukrainian and Polish demonstrators protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in front of Russian embassy, Poland, on February 24, 2022

MADRID: A Ukrainian man waves a European Union flag as a Spanish woman holds a placard while protesting in front of the Russian Embassy, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a military operation in eastern Ukraine, Spain

RIGA: People protest against Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, outside the Russian Embassy, Latvia, 24 February 2022

TALLINN:Demonstrators protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 in front of the Russian Embassy

TOKYO: Japanese and Ukrainian protesters attend a rally against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Japan, February 24, 2022

SYDNEY: People chant, carry placards and wave Ukrainian flags as they gather in Australia, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, to demonstrate against Russian attacks in Ukraine

BERLIN: A demonstrator holding images taken in Kharkiv and published by Anadolu Agency during a protest held near Brandenburg gate against Russia’s full-scale military intervention in Ukraine, on February 24, 2022, Germany

BERLIN: People attend a pro-Ukraine protest rally in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022 after Russian troops have launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine

BERLIN: People attend a pro-Ukraine protest rally in front of the Brandenburg Gate on Thursday

BERLIN: People wave Ukrainian flags during a protest at Brandenburg Gate, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany February 24, 2022

BERLIN: Demonstrators hold signs during an anti-war protest at Brandenburg Gate, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, Germany February 24, 2022

PARIS: Demonstrators take part in an anti-war protest in front of the Russian embassy, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, France, February 24, 2022

PARIS: Ukrainian citizens protest against Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in front of the Russian embassy in Paris on February 24, 2022

PARIS: A woman with her face painted with the slogan ‘Peace’ takes part in an anti-war protest in front of the Russian embassy in Paris, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, France, February 24, 2022

PARIS: Demonstrators take part in an anti-war protest in front of the Russian embassy in Paris, after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized a military operation in eastern Ukraine, France, February 24, 2022

Berlin, which represented the front line during the Cold War until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, was sending a clear signal for a free and sovereign Ukraine, said its government.

‘We are showing our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, the many Berliners with Ukrainian roots but also with the many Russians who want peace in Russia and Ukraine,’ Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey said in a statement.

‘They all want nothing more than an end to the escalation and a peaceful settlement to this threatening conflict,’ she added.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, also a candidate in France’s upcoming presidential election, said earlier on Wednesday ‘once again, the spectre of war looms on Europe’s doorstep.’    

LONDON: Ela Czuruk from Ukraine seen outside the Russian Embassy. Russians and Ukrainians unite in protest outside the Russian Embassy in London over Putins attack on the Ukraine. February 24 2022

LONDON: Russians and Ukrainians unite in protest outside the Russian Embassy over Putins attack on the Ukraine

LONDON: Ukrainians hold a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine outside Downing Street, central London

LONDON: People hold placards outside Downing Street in London on Thursday as troops roll into Ukraine

LONDON: A Ukrainian woman holds a placard thanking Western allies for supporting Ukraine

LONDON: Russians and Ukrainians unite in protest outside the Russian Embassy in London over Putin’s attack on the Ukraine. February 24 2022

EDINBURGH: People take part in ‘Stand with Ukraine’ public demonstration outside the Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine

EDINBURGH: People take part in ‘Stand with Ukraine’ public demonstration outside the Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Picture date: Thursday February 24, 2022 

Ukrainian national Ela Czuruk fought back tears as she told of her fears for family back home during a protest outside the Russian Embassy in London on Thursday.

Ela called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the invasion immediately and stop any further bloodshed.

She said: ‘We are deeply concerned because our families are back there, so we came to the Russian embassy to express our concern, to show our support to Ukrainians who are back home.

‘We don’t want anyone to die. We don’t want anymore casualties. We don’t want any more deaths.’

Russian national Anna, who also attended the protest, said: ‘As a Russia citizen, I am here to protest against these actions. This morning I woke up with tears in my eyes. I don’t know what to do, but I really want to do something.’ 

Across the border in Scotland, Ukrainian people and their supporters protested outside the Russian embassy in Edinburgh, also waving the blue and yellow for Ukraine. 

WARSAW: A woman holds a placard reading ‘Hands off Ukraine’ as another demonstrator displays a flag of Europe during a protest of Ukrainian and Polish demonstrators against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in front of Russian embassy in Warsaw, Poland, on February 24, 2022

WARSAW: People hold placards reading ‘Solidarity with Ukraine’ and ‘No more war’ as Ukrainian and Polish demonstrators protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in front of Russian embassy, Poland, on February 24, 2022

STOCKHOLM: People protest against Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, outside the Russian Embassy, Sweden

OSLO: People participate in a demonstration in front of the Russian embassy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Oslo, Norway, February 24, 2022

OSLO: People, both Russians and Ukrainians, gather to protest against Russian invasion on Ukraine in front of the Russian embassy in Oslo, Norway, 24 February 2022

COPENHAGEN: A woman with the Ukraine flag takes part in a demonstration in front of the Russian Embassy in Copenhagen on February 23, 2022, to show support for Ukraine

Protests were also seen in countries bordering Ukraine, who will also be concerned about Putin’s future ambitions of expansion in the region.

In Poland’s Warsaw capital, people waves Ukrainian and European Union flags, as well as placards pleading for peace in the country with which it shares a south-eastern border.

The protests came as Central European countries braced on Thursday for the arrival of refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Poland setting up reception points on its border and Hungary and Slovakia planning to send troops to manage the likely influx.

The countries on the European Union’s eastern flank were all once part of the Moscow-led Warsaw Pact and are now members of NATO. Among them, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania all share land borders with Ukraine. 

NATO member Lithuania, which has borders with Russian ally Belarus and Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, has declared a state of emergency effective early Thursday afternoon due to the situation in Ukraine.

The decree signed Thursday by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda steps up border protection. It gives authorities, among other things, the right to check and inspect vehicles, persons and luggage in the border area.

Lithuania also borders fellow NATO and European Union members Poland and Latvia.

Protesters also took to the streets of Riga, Latvia today. One person held up an image of Putin made to look like Adolf Hitler, drawing comparisons to the Russian leader’s actions and those seen during the Second World War.

RIGA: A person holds a placard showing Vladimir Putin dressed as Adolf Hitler as people protest against Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, outside the Russian Embassy, Latvia, 24 February 2022

RIGA: People protest against Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, outside the Russian Embassy, Latvia, 24 February 2022

RIGA: People protest against Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, outside the Russian Embassy in Riga, Latvia, 24 February 2022. One woman holds up a sign that reads ‘Stop Russian aggression’

TOKYO: A man takes part in a protest against Russia’s actions in Ukraine during a rally at Shibuya district in Tokyo on February 24, 2022

TOKYO: A child holds a slogan stop war during a protest against Russia’s actions in Ukraine during a rally at Shibuya district in Tokyo on February 24, 2022

TOKYO: Protesters attend a rally against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Tokyo, Japan, February 24, 2022

MELBOURNE: A person takes a photo of Flinders Street Station lit in yellow and blue in Melbourne on February 24, 2022, as public buildings lit up in the national colours of Ukraine as a show of support

SYDNEY: A protestor takes pictures with her mobile phone as she holds national flags of Australia and Ukraine during a protest rally to condemn the Russian military action against Ukraine in Sydney on February 24, 2022

Last night, many held placards that mocked and criticised Russia‘s president for his aggressive posturing, while many others pleaded for war to be avoided – despite the worrying signs that a conflict could be on the way.  

In Berlin, demonstrators waved Ukrainian flags in front of the Brandenburg Gate, which was lit up in the country’s colours.

In Copenhagen, scores held an enormous Ukrainian flag aloft as others massed with banners in front of the Russian embassy.

In Paris, the city hall was lit up with the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag as the city’s mayor Anne Hidalgo stood outside it flanked by the Ukrainian ambassador to France Vadym Omelchenko. 

In Berlin, demonstrators waved Ukrainian flags in front of the Brandenburg Gate. The global show of support for Ukraine was taking place as U.S. President Joe Biden warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of an ‘imminent’ attack by Putin’s troops in the next 48 hours

A demonstrator holds a placard saying ‘Ukraine will never surrender’ as he attends a protest outside the Russian Embassy, in London on Wednesday night

Another photo taken outside Russia’s diplomatic HQ in Britain showed demonstrators with placards that took aim aim at Putin, including one which depicted him with a Hitler-like moustache

In Paris, the city hall was lit up with the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag as the city’s mayor Anne Hidalgo stood outside it flanked by the Ukrainian ambassador to France Vadym Omelchenko

In Tokyo, children were pictured holding banners that read ‘Stand with Ukraine’ as others called for the world to ‘Stop Putin’.

Images also showed similar demonstrations in other cities, including Stockholm in Sweden, Kathmandu in Nepal and Warsaw in Poland.

There were reportedly more than 1,000 protesters at last night’s demonstration in London. Some were heard shouting ‘Old man take your meds!’ and ‘Putin hands off Ukraine’.

They also held other signs aloft, including one that read ‘Love Ukraine’ and another saying ‘Ukrainians will resist’.

One woman held a placard that read ‘Putin kills’ alongside a mocked up radioactive warning sign – an apparent reference to Russia’s huge stockpile of nuclear weapons.

In Russia, more than 150 senior Russian officials signed an open letter condemning Vladimir Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine as ‘an unprecedented atrocity’ and warning of ‘catastrophic consequences’.

The deputies said they were ‘convinced’ Russian citizens do not back the war and blamed Putin ‘personally’ for ordering troops into Ukraine in an attack ‘for which there is no and cannot be justification’. 

Morgan Wright is a senior security adviser to SentinelOne, a senior fellow at the Center for Digital Government and a former senior adviser to the U.S. State Department’s Counterterrorism Assistance Program.

Imagine – it’s winter. Heating oil prices are rising. Low temperatures are forecast for the next days.

You turn on your TV and hear the first reports of a massive cyber attack on America’s largest pipeline.

Ransomware has infected the company’s computer system by halting operations as IT staff work frantically to stop the spread.

The situation quickly escalated over the next 48 hours, prompting the president to declare a state of emergency.

Gas stations up and down the east coast run out of fuel for hours. Airlines are delaying and canceling flights.

The first signs of panic began. Drivers collect all the remaining fuel and fight for their seats in the pipeline. The company cannot give an exact date when the business will be resumed.

Prices are skyrocketing across the United States as fears of a wider cyber attack continue, despite assurances from the Department of Homeland Security.

Now realize – this is not Hollywood or table exercise.

In April 2021, the same series of events took place after a Russian-based ransom gang broke into the Colonial Pipeline.

A week later, a ransom note popped up on the computer screen in the control room, and the pipeline’s operations were completely halted for the first time in 57 years.

Five days later, operations resumed. But repairing the damage will take months and millions of dollars.

As Russia invades Ukraine and America responds with sanctions, the world faces the possibility of a new Cold War.

As expected, the Kremlin has promised to retaliate against countermeasures imposed on them by the West.

We need to think about what a modern version of the Cold War would look like. It will look very different from the previous one.

In April 2021, a Russian-based ransom gang broke into the Colonial Pipeline. (Above) Sign of an Exxon station in Washington, DC on May 15, 2021, after a cyber attack crippled the country’s largest fuel pipeline

We need to think about what a modern version of the Cold War would look like. It will look very different from the previous one. (Above) Brooklyn, New York students practiced training in preparation for nuclear war with the Soviet Union in 1962.

There will be no massive attack or one blow of haymaker to take everything down. Instead, it will be gradual, focused and continuous.

After the terrorist attacks of 9-11 9-11 Commission was set up to “prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. [and] provide recommendations designed to protect against future attacks.

The biggest lesson we learned was that above all else, we suffered from a “Failure of the imagination.”

The largest terrorist attack in the United States was carried out with fewer staff needed to play a football team.

To protect ourselves from a future Cold War, it would be foolish to dismiss any scenario as “unimaginable.” The world is entering unexplored territory.

The colonial pipeline attack was the first visible attack on critical infrastructure. They were no longer invisible bits and bytes, but dollars, cents and long pipelines.

The next attack on the pipeline may be accompanied by a similar attack on the power grid.

We have seen how difficult it is to defend an attack on one front. What if there were multiple prolonged attacks on two or more fronts?

America’s energy grid is perhaps the most vulnerable. And Russia has the patience to conduct long-term cyber intelligence.

They will use a variety of techniques, including the operation of fragmented “patched” computer systems that manage the network.

Compromising these system vulnerabilities with phishing and phishing emails remains a proven tactic.

Initial support is obtained. Over time, Russian intelligence officers continued to roam the entire system, mapping vulnerabilities, covering their tracks, and gathering sensitive information about operations.

What brand are the circuit breakers? Who made the backup power systems? What version is the software that manages industrial management systems? What do they use for email?

Not every system can be attacked or needs to be attacked. The energy network is extremely Balkanized. Many interfaces between neighboring systems are not as reliable as they should be.

At the moment of Russia’s choice, an attack will be launched.

The goal is to create a cascading series of failures that connect vital resources, cause mass panic and confusion, create mistrust of government messages, and cloud the waters for attribution.

A major attack on the US power grid is expected to quickly cost the economy between $ 243 billion and $ 1 trillion.

In February 2021, the Texas power grid was severely damaged failures related to the cold weather, which led to a loss of electricity for 4.5 million homes, $ 195 billion in property damage and the deaths of at least 57 people.

For comparison, Hurricanes Katrina, Harvey, Maria, Sandy and Irma combined cost $ 497 billion.

Russia has already shown that it can remove large sections of the grid.

America’s energy grid is perhaps the most vulnerable. And Russia has the patience to conduct long-term cyber intelligence. (Above) Electrical substation on February 21, 2021 in Houston, Texas. Millions of Texans lost power when the winter storm Uri hit the state and extracted coal, natural gas and nuclear power plants

On December 23, 2015, the malware BlackEnergy it was used against Ukraine and cut off power to more than 750,000 homes, shut down three power plants and two backup plants, and caused chaos and mass confusion for days.

Russia’s fingerprints will not be directly related to the attack. Unknown criminals will be charged, which Russia will convict as they declare that they too have been the victims of cyberattacks originating in the United States.

Narrative control is a major part of Russian cyberattacks.

Another vulnerable area ripe for targeting is ours dependence on satellites. From GPS to communications to agriculture, the constellation of orbital technology has long been an Achilles’ heel for our military also.

In November 2021, Russia tested anti-satellite weapon against one of the decommissioned satellites. The result was debris that threatened the International Space Station.

GPS satellites provide information to farmers to map their fields and harvest more efficiently. Emergency services such as the police, fire brigade and EMS rely on GPS guides for various public safety features. Even the possibility of getting in your car and launching your favorite driving app will be controversial.

The largest user of GPS data is the United States military. From drones to smart bombs, to jet fighters and refueling tankers, to soldiers and marines on the ground, access to accurate GPS data is a critical requirement for the mission.

Russia and China are actively developing and implementing “GPS jamming and communications satellites” technology. From destroying satellites to interfering with them, our reliance on GPS is worrying.

Equally worrying is the prospect of a targeted attack with an electromagnetic pulse (EMP). This type of attack would seriously blind the eyes and ears of our intelligence-gathering capabilities.

A high-altitude nuclear explosion would generate a huge electromagnetic pulse over 1,000 miles that could fry any electronic component. What would happen to our electricity grid, for example?

According to a study by Oak Ridge National Labs, the collapse of our energy system could affect 130 million Americans, requires 4 to 10 years for a full recovery and imposes economic costs of 1 to 2 trillion dollars.

The targets will not be only the continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii.

It will include places where the United States has a military or intelligence presence. For example Pine Gap in Australia. The loss of intelligence-gathering and analysis capabilities there will affect military counter-terrorism operations, prevent the use of drones and lose our early warning capability to detect missile launches from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, for example.

The number of opponents capable of conducting an EMP attack is growing, not declining. EMP attacks are included in the military doctrines of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

(Above) Author Morgan Wright served as senior law enforcement adviser for the 2012 Republican National Convention.

From Ireland to Iceland to Indonesia, Russia has mapped submarine cables which carry vital traffic for all types of trade, banking, sensitive communications, etc.

Any threat to cut off Russia from the rest of the world could lead to Russia cutting off the rest of the world.

There are additional goals for Russia and their Cold War doctrine that are too many to mention in one article.

However, another consequence of the disruption has become dependence on the technology available to the public and the government, and what happens when access is interrupted. Soon research showed what could happen.

“A survey commissioned by HMD Global, the home of Nokia’s phones and conducted by OnePoll, found that 55 percent of respondents thought battery depletion was a nightmare.” One in eight people say the dying battery actually worries them.

Maybe this is the nightmare scenario that will attract the attention that a new Cold War deserves. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past.