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Biden's touch of gray, Zelenskyy's gamble and a defamation doozy

 
Today's POLITICS story

Biden cleared in barbed special counsel report

What happened?
Special Counsel Robert Hur said "no criminal charges are warranted" for President Joe Biden over his handling of classified documents, in part because there wasn't enough evidence to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that he "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials" after his vice presidency. Hur also said Biden could convince a future jury he was a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

Who said what?
"I'm well meaning, and I'm an elderly man, and I know what the hell I'm doing," Biden said in a Thursday night press conference. "My memory is fine." He denied sharing classified information.

The commentary
"A man too incapable of being held accountable for mishandling classified information is certainly unfit for the Oval Office," said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). "Hur, a lifelong Republican and creature of D.C., didn't have a case against Biden, but he knew exactly how his swipes could hurt Biden politically," Democratic strategist Jim Messina said.

What next?
The report "removes legal jeopardy" for Biden, but it's "nonetheless an embarrassment" for a candidate who "placed competency and experience at the core" of his reelection campaign, The Associated Press said. Challenger Donald Trump faces criminal charges for obstructing efforts to get back classified documents he took, but it's unclear if that trial will happen before the election.

 
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Today's INTERnational story

Zelenskyy replaces top general

What happened?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday appointed Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, as head of the military, replacing the popular Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Who said what?
"I thanked [Zaluzhnyi] for two years of defense of Ukraine," Zelenskyy said. Ukraine can succeed this year "only through effective changes" in military strategy. He invited Zaluzhnyi, 50, to stay on as part of his "team."

The commentary
Syrskyi, 58, successfully defended Kyiv and retook Kharkiv in a brilliant lighting strike, but Ukrainian troops call him "the butcher" for his bloody, prolonged defense of Bakhmut, The New York Times said. "One hundred percent" of "my subordinates" don't respect Syrskyi "because they don't think he counts soldiers' lives," a high-ranking military official told The Washington Post. "He gets much lower support" than the beloved Zaluzhnyi. Zelenskyy must "take any possible steps" to win, said military analyst Mykhailo Samus. Basing "military decisions on the people's love is a mistake."

What next?
Syrskyi's options to regain momentum against Russia depend largely on "what Western weaponry and new manpower will be at his disposal," the Times said.

 
 
Today's SCIENCE Story

Climate scientist wins $1 million defamation verdict

What happened?
A Washington, D.C., jury on Thursday awarded climate scientist Michael Mann more than $1 million in punitive damages in his defamation lawsuit against two conservative writers. Rand Simberg wrote in 2012 that Mann "molested and tortured data," making him "the Jerry Sandusky of climate science." Mark Steyn agreed in National Review. Sandusky, a former Penn State coach, sexually assaulted children.

Who said what?
"I hope this verdict sends a message that falsely attacking climate scientists is not protected speech," Mann said. The jurors at least agreed "Mann never suffered any actual injury from the statement at issue," Steyn said through his manager. That's why they "awarded him $1 in compensatory damages."

The commentary
Scientists have "followed Mann’s case for years as misinformation about climate change" exploded on social media, The Associated Press said. "We are so far outside the bounds of a civil conversation about facts that I hope this verdict can help us find our way back," said Kate Cell of Union of Concerned Scientists.

What next?
Steyn suggested he will appeal his $1 million in punitive damages. 

 
 

It's not all bad

A newly discovered worm species could be the solution farmers are looking for to protect their crops. Scientists at the University of California Riverside found that the tiny worms, Steinernema adamsi, track down insects in soil and infect them by entering their "mouth or anus and [defecating] highly pathogenic bacteria." The infected insect dies within 48 hours. Steinerema are not harmful to humans or other mammals, but they might "control crop pests in warm, humid places," the scientists said.

 
 
Under the radar

A recent investigation by The Washington Post found that the NFL has largely dropped the ball when it comes to payouts from a $765 million settlement, using a series of medical loopholes to avoid covering costs for brain-related illnesses connected to concussions. 

The Post said the NFL "routinely fails to deliver money and medical care to former players suffering from dementia and CTE." The crux of the investigation was that the settlement carved out a new definition for dementia that "requires more impairment than the standard definition used in the United States." Many of the players were diagnosed with dementia by their personal doctors "only to see their claims denied by the administrative law firm that oversees the settlement," the Post said. 

Some players also alleged racial bias among the settlements. In 2020, The Conversation said a pair of former players, Najeh Davenport and Kevin Henry, "accused the NFL of discriminating against Black players seeking compensation through the league's concussion settlement." 

In all, the Post said, the NFL has approved a total of about 900 settlement claims and denied more than 1,100 claims. The collective value of the denied claims reportedly could top $700 million.

The NFL has implemented concussion guidelines to try to keep players as safe as possible. Despite the league's spoken commitment to safety, though, the dark mark remains for the 1,100 denied claimants who did not receive monetary help.

 
 
On this day

February 9, 1943

The Allied forces, led by U.S. Gen. Alexander Patch, declare victory in the Battle of Guadalcanal after confirming that all remaining Japanese troops had evacuated the island. The six-month battle marked the first major American offensive against Japanese forces in World War II. Thousands were killed on both sides.

 
 
TODAY’S newspaperS

On a Friday full of weighty news about the Supreme Court deciding former President Donald Trump's eligibility for office and a special prosecutor declaring current President Joe Biden has a memory problem, Taylor Swift still makes the front page of major newspapers. In a conspiracy-theory-fueled situation "rife with ironies," the Los Angeles Times reports, "Taylor Swift has far-right pundits rooting" for the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday's Super Bowl.

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
Tall tale

Sorry sticklers …

Guinness World Records issued a mea culpa after admitting it was "too heavy-handed" in judging an Eiffel Tower model made out of matchsticks. Richard Plaud submitted it for consideration as the world's tallest structure using matchsticks, and Guinness initially disqualified the model because of the sticks used. Plaud complained, and a Guinness official told Sky News that after reviewing the case and learning the "techniques used by the matchstick model community," they are "very happy" to award him the Guinness World Records title.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Catherine Garcia, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Nathan Howard/Getty Images; Metin AktaÅ / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images; Pete Kiehart for The Washington Post via Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Shutterstock