A member of the U.S. Air Force set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. And AT&T is apologizing to its customers for last week’s outage by offering a credit to their accounts. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.
U.S. Airman sets himself of fire outside Israeli Embassy in D.C.
A man set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Sunday, Feb. 24, in what appears to be a protest against Israel’s operations in Gaza. The U.S. military has confirmed that the individual is an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force.
The incident occurred around 1 p.m., with Secret Service officers quickly intervening to extinguish the flames. The man was transported to the hospital in critical condition, suffering from life-threatening injuries. Authorities believe he was live-streaming the act and, at one point in the video, he reportedly declared he would “no longer be complicit in genocide.” The video has since been removed from social media.
This act of protest comes amid statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the military’s plan to evacuate civilians from “areas of fighting” in the Gaza Strip, particularly targeting the border city of Rafah. Netanyahu also mentioned that these plans could be delayed if an agreement is reached for the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Zelenskyy: 31,000 Ukranian soldiers have been killed in war with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently shared insights into the significant impact of the ongoing war with Russia on his country.
On Sunday, Feb. 25, Zelenskyy confirmed that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives since the onset of Russia’s invasion in 2022, describing it as a “big loss for us.” He refrained from disclosing the number of injured or missing soldiers to avoid providing critical information to Russia.
This figure is considerably lower than estimates provided by American officials last summer, which suggested nearly 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed. Zelenskyy explained his decision to reveal the death toll was aimed at countering Russia’s claims of much higher Ukrainian casualties.
The exact number of civilian casualties remains unknown, Zelenskyy added.
While Russia seldom releases details about its military losses, a U.S. intelligence report in December estimated that around 315,000 Russian troops had been killed or wounded in Ukraine.
Biden to meet with Congressional leaders ahead of shutdown deadline
As the deadline to prevent a government shutdown approaches, President Biden is set to meet with congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
Administration officials have highlighted the president’s intent to discuss the “urgency” of passing the government funding bill before the March 1 deadline. Among the lawmakers invited to the meeting are Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
In addition to the funding bill, Biden also plans to address the $95 billion national security bill that recently passed the Senate. This legislation aims to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, and other U.S. foreign allies.
Candidates eye Michigan after Trump defeats Haley in South Carolina
The next critical juncture in the 2024 presidential race is the Michigan primary set for Tuesday, Feb. 27.
President Joe Biden is anticipated to secure a victory on the Democratic side, while former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner, aims to extend his series of wins following a recent victory in South Carolina Feb. 24.
Despite a significant loss by about 20 percentage points in her home state, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley is determined to persevere in the race. She has committed to continuing her campaign through Super Tuesday on March 5th, a pivotal day when more than a dozen states will hold elections.
In addition to the Michigan primary, the state’s Republican Party plans to conduct congressional district conventions later in the week.
In a notable development on Sunday, Feb. 25, Americans for Prosperity Action, a political network financed by billionaire Charles Koch, announced it would cease funding Haley’s campaign. The network has decided to reallocate its resources towards House and Senate races.
AT&T credits customers affected by widespread network outages
AT&T announced yesterday that it would offer a $5 service credit to some customers affected by last week’s cellphone service outage. The outage, which lasted more than seven hours, impacted over 70,000 users, the company disclosed in a letter to employees.
According to AT&T, the disruption was caused by an incorrect procedure during network expansion efforts, not a cyberattack.
“No matter the timing, one thing is clear — we let down many of our customers, including many of you and your families,” AT&T CEO John T. Stankey wrote. “For that, we apologize.”
The company specified that the $5 credit does not apply to AT&T Business, prepaid, or Cricket Wireless services. Customers eligible for the credit might wait up to two billing cycles for it to take effect.
Duke player injured after Wake Forest fans rush onto court
As the sports world eagerly anticipates the start of March Madness, there’s a growing call to end another type of madness — the controversial fan tradition of storming the court. This practice sees college basketball fans rushing from the stands onto the court to celebrate their team’s victory as the final buzzer sounds.
The debate around the safety of court storming has intensified after Duke’s Kyle Filipowski was injured Feb. 24. After Wake Forest’s victory , fans ran onto the court, colliding with the Blue Devils’ star player and causing an ankle injury as he attempted to exit the game area.
“Just like any other upset game where the fans rush the court, all hell goes crazy,” Filipowski said. “Just trying to get my way off the court, and you know, you’ve got these crazy college students just doing whatever they want. It’s got to be a little more protective when things like that happen.”
Duke’s coach, addressing reporters post-game, questioned the continuation of the tradition, asking, “When are we going to ban court storming?”
In response to the incident, Wake Forest’s athletic director expressed “sincere regret” to Duke officials during a post-game discussion, acknowledging the need for improved management by event staff and security.
The dangers of court storming were front and center last month when NCAA women’s basketball record breaker Caitlin Clark said she could’ve been seriously injured after a fan collided with her.
Filipowski himself labeled his encounter with the fans as “intentional” when speaking to a local news outlet. On social media, he emphasized the urgency for change with the statement, “This has gotta change.”
