Maybe it’s a coincidence, but maybe not. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is accusing Ukraine of a plot to sabotage his country’s energy infrastructure just weeks ahead of an April parliamentary election that threatens his grip on power.

Orbán is “facing the prospect of defeat by his political rival, Péter Magyar,” said Politico. To make up a polling gap of eight points, Hungary’s leader has accused Magyar of being both pro-Ukraine and pro-European Union. And last week, he ordered troops to protect “key sites” such as oil pipelines against the possibility of a Ukrainian attack. That drew an “exasperated response” from European leaders trying to present a united pro-Ukraine front as that country fights a Russian invasion in its fourth year.

What did the commentators say?
Orbán’s actions are “aiding and abetting Russia’s kinetic war against Ukraine,” said Mark Toth and Jonathan Sweet at The Hill. He has long hidden behind “economic excuses” for his refusal to oppose Russia, claiming that Europe “cannot afford” to back Ukraine in its war, even as he “champions Putin’s interests in the West.” The prime minister would “gladly continue to crassly trade cheap Russian oil for Ukrainian lives.” Now, Orbán is trying to convince his country that Ukrainians are the real threat, even though Ukraine is “not at war” with Hungary.

This spring’s elections are “shaping up to be the most serious challenge” to Orbán’s power in the last two decades, said Timothy Ash at The Kyiv Post. It’s no coincidence that the Hungarian leader’s campaign has been “shaped around picking fights” with the EU and Ukraine. He appears to believe he can “play Hungary as the victim here” with Ukraine as the culprit for higher fuel prices, thanks to energy disruptions caused by the war. The polling showing Magyar in the lead, however, suggests “this Orbán strategy is not really working.”

What next?
Hungary is “holding up about $105 billion in European funding” for Ukraine, said The Washington Post. Back at home, there are "growing fears" that Orbán may “cancel next month's election,” said The Bulwark. Hungary's constitution outlaws elections during a state of emergency, which makes the “manufactured” alarms over Ukraine look like a “deeply sinister” attempt to hold on to power.

A growing social media obsession is seeing people “hum into their phones, gargle with theatrical enthusiasm, dunk their faces into bowls of ice water, and poke at their ears,” said The Conversation. They are all trying to “activate” or “train” their vagus nerve, the new “favorite body part” of the internet. Stimulate it and reset it, and you can improve your mental and physical well-being, according to wellness influencers. 

What’s the vagus nerve? 
The Latin word for “wandering” defines the longest cranial nerve in the human body. Its two branches run through the entire body, travelling from the brainstem down into the neck, chest and abdomen and connecting to the heart, lungs, gut and liver. It constantly relays information from the brain to the organs and back again and is often described as an internal communication superhighway or our body’s intranet. 

How important is it? 
As a “signal updater” between brain and body, the vagus nerve is a part of the autonomic nervous system that regulates processes that we don’t consciously control, such as heart rate, breathing and digestion. Within that system, it has a key role in the parasympathetic response, sometimes known as “rest and digest,” slowing heart rate and decreasing blood pressure. Put simply, when we feel calm, safe and relaxed, the vagus nerve is helping to make that happen. The theory is that the body can sometimes get “stuck” or spend too long in “fight or flight,” and stimulating the vagus nerve can prompt a return to calm. 

Can stimulating it make you healthier? 
Implanted devices that directly stimulate the vagus nerve have long been used to treat neurological conditions, including epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression. More recently, trials of transcutaneous devices, often placed around the neck or in the outer ear, have shown promising results in treating conditions including diabetes, Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome. 

There’s caution about claims that the vagus nerve can be “switched on like a light,” said Arshad Majid, a professor of cerebrovascular neurology at England’s University of Sheffield, at The Conversation. But several clinical trials are taking place, and the “next few years of research” could “reshape” how we treat a range of conditions. So “maybe hold off on aggressively poking your ear” for now.

A boy is covered in colored powder during Holi celebrations in Kolkata, India. The Hindu festival marks the arrival of spring and includes dancing, singing and the throwing of colored pigments and water.
Sudipta Das / NurPhoto / Getty Images

While the titans of the entertainment industry continue their behind-the-scenes machinations with Paramount’s near-acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the streaming content will keep flowing. This month that content is highlighted by these highly anticipated new and returning series.

‘Rooster’
In the comedy “Rooster,” Steve Carell plays bestselling novelist Greg Russo, who swoops in to rescue his daughter, Katie (Charly Clive), and her academic career after she accidentally burns down her faculty housing and assaults her lecherous ex-husband (Phil Dunster). “Boasting a stacked ensemble and a strong central hook,” the show looks like a “warm, occasionally dramatic comedy,” said Jordan King at Empire. (March 8, HBO Max)

‘Deadloch’ season 2
The hit cozy crime series returns for a second season. Kate Box and Madeleine Sami reprise their roles as Dulcie Collins and Eddie Redcliffe, respectively. The follow-up is being advertised as the show’s “Tropical Gothic era, with a cast of eclectic locals from a world of crocodile-fueled tourism, overstretched Indigenous rangers, cagey locals and huge reptilian predators,” said Jesse Whittock at Deadline. (March 20, Prime Video)

‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ 
This new series from creator Haley Z. Boston, who wrote “Brand New Cherry Flavor,” follows the eight-day run-up to the wedding between Nicky (Adam DiMarco) and Rachel (Camila Morrone). The extremely creepy teaser trailer is “basically a full minute of everyone apologizing to each other in an escalating manner,” said Tony Maglio at The Hollywood Reporter. (March 26, Netflix)