Stars and Stripes Daily Headlines

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February 18, 2022 | View in browser

 

Biden says he’s ‘convinced’ Putin has decided to invade Ukraine as violence erupts in eastern regions of the country President Joe Biden said Friday that he now believes Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine. Read more >

US tank sale to bolster Polish forces as allies focus on Russia’s movements Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday that the U.S. will sell 250 M1A2 Abrams tanks to Poland, giving a key NATO ally that borders Russia a substantial boost in firepower. Read more >

Biden signs stopgap funding bill with $350 million for military’s water contamination response in Hawaii President Joe Biden on Friday signed into law a stopgap funding bill to avert a federal shutdown that also provides the Pentagon some $350 million to bolster its response to a contaminated drinking water emergency at a military installation in Hawaii. Read more >   Lawmakers seek answers about ‘poor and unsafe’ conditions at Walter Reed barracks Three Democratic members of Maryland’s congressional delegation — Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Sen. Ben Cardin, and Rep. Jamie Raskin — wrote in a letter to Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro that there was a “troubling pattern” of neglected facilities at Naval Support Activity-Bethesda, which is the site of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Read more >   Japan to reduce COVID-19 quarantine period, admit more foreigners beginning in March People entering Japan will still be required to quarantine at home for seven days from March, however, a negative test on the third day will be enough to end the quarantine period, government officials said. Read more >

Small businesses, beleaguered by curfews, get a break amid major COVID-19 surge in South Korea Updated COVID-19 restrictions in South Korea will extend business hours from Saturday, despite nearly 110,000 new cases of the virus recorded in the country on Thursday, government officials said. Read more >   Rahm Emanuel, ambassador to Japan, welcomes new US citizens aboard USS Ronald Reagan U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel visited the Navy’s largest installation in that country for the first time during a trip that left little time for catching his breath. Read more >   Cannabis smuggling nets Okinawa-based Marine two years in Japanese prison Cpl. Nicholas Garner received a two-year prison sentence with hard labor and a $4,344 fine in Japan’s Naha District Court, a court spokeswoman told Stars and Stripes. Read more >   Team USA bobsled coach, an Army officer, relives Olympic glory through his athletes’ medals Two U.S. athletes coached by Army Capt. Michael Kohn won medals in the first-ever Olympic women’s monobob event in Beijing on Monday. Read more >   Thrift Savings Plan will soon offer mutual funds, mobile app and other requested services Starting this summer, the savings plan – the equivalent of a 401(k) retirement account for military members and civilian workers – will also offer mutual funds for the first time in addition to its stable of index funds.   Read more >   Kremlin declares nuclear drills as Ukrainian rebels evacuate civilians to Russia Russia announced massive drills of its nuclear forces amid soaring East-West tensions, and as the U.S. issued some of its starkest, most detailed warnings yet about how a Russian invasion of Ukraine might unfold. Read more >

 

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