Russia election, March Madness, and a pigbutt worm

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Big Stories

Six more years of Putin

President Vladimir Putin won by a landslide in Russia’s election on Sunday.

• The early results indicate Putin will secure another six-year term, which will make him Russia's longest-serving leader in over 200 years. He won 87.8% of the vote, the highest-ever result in Russia’s post-Soviet history.

• Putin’s victory was anticipated because of the control he has over Russia. Nonetheless, opposition figures staged protests that ended in arrests but limited impact. Opposition movements in Russia have weakened recently, especially after the death of Putin’s fiercest critic, Alexei Navalny who died in prison while serving 19 years for extremism charges.

• The election in Russia isn’t an actual election at all. Russia holds these election-style events to appear credible domestically and abroad. They are demonstrations of power as well as loyalty tests from the Kremlin to local leaders according to the Carnegie Endowment's Ekaterina Kurbangaleeva. On the world stage, they are meant to show that the Russian people are united and that the president is carrying out foreign policy based on people’s wishes.

• In reality, the whole system is controlled by President Putin, and the outcome of the election was decided before it went to the polls.

EU provides aid to Egypt

The European Union announced a €7.4 billion aid package for Egypt to lessen economic strain and reduce potential migrant influxes to Europe.

• The deal was signed between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and European Commission President Ursula con der Leyen, despite drawing criticism from rights groups over Egypt’s human rights records.

• The agreement signifies a shift towards a strategic partnership between Egypt and the EU. Funds will support Egypt in fortifying borders, hosting refugees, and managing migratory pressures, particularly from conflict zones like Sudan and Libya.

• Despite the criticism from civil rights groups, the EU defended the partnership, citing the need to work with countries to improve conditions for both locals and migrants.

NCAA March Madness

March Madness kicked off on Sunday as the NCAA announced the men’s and women’s teams that made it to the championship tournament.

• UConn, the defending national champion, secured the men's No. 1 overall seed after winning the Big East tournament and boasting a 31-3 record. Houston, Purdue, and North Carolina are also No. 1 seeds, despite losses in their conference tournaments. The men’s tournament will begin on Thursday.

• Several upsets in the conference tournaments complicated the selection process, making this year's decisions among the "most difficult" in years, according to committee chair Dr. Charles McClelland. The Big East had only three tournament teams selected. The SEC and Big 12 led with eight teams each in the field, followed by the Big Ten and Mountain West with six apiece.

• After an undefeated regular season, South Carolina claimed the top overall seed in the women's NCAA tournament. Joining them as No. 1 seeds are Iowa, USC, and Texas. The tournament format includes regional sites in Albany, New York, and Portland, Oregon, with matchups beginning Wednesday and continuing through the weekend.

• Tennessee maintained its impressive streak of 42 consecutive appearances, while newcomers like Presbyterian and California Baptist will make their debut. Conference representation is broad, with the ACC and SEC leading with eight teams each, followed by the Big Ten, Pac-12, and Big 12.

Little Stories

• The National Association of Realtors will pay $418 million to settle allegations of conspiring to raise agent commissions. If approved, this could change how homes are bought and sold, possibly lowering commission rates. The lawsuit was filed by home sellers who sued the Realtors Association for keeping agent pay artificially high. (More)

• Police apprehended a suspect in Albuquerque after a two-day search related to the shooting death of a New Mexico State Police officer near Tucumcari. The officer was shot and killed after responding to a call from a driver with a flat tire. (More)

• Over half of the US will have cold temperatures on the final day of winter as chilly air moves in from Canada. More than 23 million people in the Southeast are under Freeze Watches and Warnings extending from Arkansas to North Carolina. Heavy snow, including lake-effect snow, may disrupt travel in the Great Lakes, Northeast, and parts of the central Appalachians during the first half of the week. (More)

• Niger's military government has ended an agreement with the US that permitted American military and civilian personnel to operate in Niger. The Niger military spokesperson said that the agreement, signed in 2012, was against Niger's sovereignty and did not serve the interests of its people. Relations between Niger and the US have weakened since the military junta took power in July 2023. (More)

• A new study says that the number of moms dying during childbirth in the US isn't rising as previously thought. The method by which they counted these deaths was changed by the CDC in 2003, making it seem like there was a big increase when there wasn't. Since 2002, the rates have stayed about the same. (More)

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