Ukraine conflict

Brittney Griner has been held by Russia on drug charges since sometime in February.

Foreign drug laws are often much more harsh than those in the US and “reasonable doubt” doesn’t seem to be a thing in Russia.

I hope this gets resolved sooner rather than later…but she faces up to ten years according to reports.

It is claimed she secreted vaping hashish oil.

Assuming that is true: What an idiot, bringing hashish into Russia.

Given the current "cold war" I suspect they'll "make an example" of her.

What was she thinking?

Britney G is being used as a bargaining chip since Russia is facing severe economic sanctions from the U.S. Which means she's likely not getting out anytime soon. The sanctions will not be lessen to bargain for her. Or maybe they want to swap prisoner.

The top basketball teams in Russia will pay top WNBA players more than 1 million to play, which is far more than WNBA pays. She's spent years playing in Russia throughout the winter. She's either gotten away with bringing harshish oil vapes to Russia up until now, or she's being set up as a political pawn.

Quote: quadriga

Britney G is being used as a bargaining chip since Russia is facing severe economic sanctions from the U.S. Which means she's likely not getting out anytime soon. The sanctions will not be lessen to bargain for her. Or maybe they want to swap prisoner.

The top basketball teams in Russia will pay top WNBA players more than 1 million to play, which is far more than WNBA pays. She's spent years playing in Russia throughout the winter. She's either gotten away with bringing harshish oil vapes to Russia up until now, or she's being set up as a political pawn.

Surprised how popular women's basketball is overseas
I follow Women's basketball only regarding my MD Women's team. Don't follow WNBA
No doubt they looked the other way regarding Brittany for years.
Only the best Women's basketball player on the planet
Times have changed and now she is a political pawn
Oh well, sh*t happens. Should have known better.
She is pretty much on her own

To be honest, I am quite scared about things spiraling. It seems Putin is determined to pick on non-NATO countries.

Finland and Sweden which strived to be out of NATO now are musing about joining, and Putin is making it very clear that there will be consequences if they do. And, is flying war planes in restricted airspace to almost bait them. Putin seems to be obsessed with keeping as many countries out of NATO as possible.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1576403/when-did-russia-invade-finland-Vladimir-Putin-nato-expansion-warning-evg
“Finland's accession to NATO would have serious military and political repercussions.”

And, unfortunately NATO is setting a potential that is will only directly get involved with NATO countries. This is no doubt encouraging Putin.

Quote: Gandler

To be honest, I am quite scared about things spiraling. It seems Putin is determined to pick on non-NATO countries.

Finland and Sweden which strived to be out of NATO now are musing about joining, and Putin is making it very clear that there will be consequences if they do. And, is flying war planes in restricted airspace to almost bait them. Putin seems to be obsessed with keeping as many countries out of NATO as possible

Putin has badly miscalculated
He has united NATO and made it clear to Europe that he is dangerous
He badly miscalculated his Republican support in this country due to Trump

It's amazing a Fox reporter makes the news because she is reporting accurately
"The Fox News journalist fact-checking channel’s pundits on air over Ukraine | Fox News | The Guardian" https://amp.theguardian.com/media/2022/mar/04/jennifer-griffin-fox-news-fact-checking-ukraine

I'd better get back to work on that fallout shelter.

Then again, who'd want to live in on a thoroughly irradiated planet?

Nah, just cross those fingers, watch the skies, and hope we don't seven out.

Quote: terapined

Putin has badly miscalculated

I was listening to a roundup of all Putin's aggressive actions, and war crime potential activities over the years.

I think he's gotten away with everything before because he was taking smaller bites of territory, or he was attacking someone arguably bad like organizations with terror aspects, if not actual terrorists. This time he followed neither of those guidelines.

Quote: Tanko

Quote: Tanko

"Russian troops close in on Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant as authorities warn of potential for disaster"

Russians began bombing the nuclear plant yesterday, attempting to create another, but much more devastating Chernobyl. Radiation levels are elevated. This is a nuclear attack without nuclear bombs.

This is from a WSJ article that unfortunately is behind a paywall.

“The U.S. has invested heavily into the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles that could carry nuclear warheads although it has no effective defense against Russia's nuclear forces and has no plans to develop such a capacity. The limited anti-missiles system the U.S. has are aimed at a North Korean threat.”

Thank an Obama voter. We were building ABM bases in Poland but he 86ed the program.