🥁 Axios PM: Putin crosses Rubicon

Plus: Mechanic in your phone | Monday, February 21, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Facebook   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·Feb 21, 2022 Happy holiday afternoon. Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 594 words, a 2-minute read.     1 big thing: Putin crosses Rubicon Putin chairs his Security Council in Moscow today. Photo: Alexey Nikolsky/AFP via Getty Images In a likely prelude to war, Vladimir Putin announced at the end of a combative, hourlong address that he will recognize two breakaway "republics" in eastern Ukraine as independent. Why it matters: The separatists don't hold all the territory they claim. So recognition could be a de facto declaration of war by Putin, Axios World author Dave Lawler writes. ⚡ The White House immediately announced new sanctions on the Russian-backed republics. The separatists declared independence in 2014 and have waged a low-scale war against Ukrainian forces since then, with military backing from Moscow. Recognizing the two breakaway regions "would be a sort of attack without weapons," France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a parliamentary hearing earlier Monday. 👀 What we're watching: Analysts expect Russian recognition of the separatist republics to be followed by deployment of "peacekeeper" forces. Between the lines: Putin's move could be a sign that his immediate military focus is on the eastern Donbas region — not the capital, Kyiv. Michael Kofman, a CNA expert on the Russian military, contends it's more likely the first step in a broader military operation. Secretary of State Tony Blinken has said such recognition would "call into further question Russia's stated commitment to ... diplomacy." Share this story.     2. Pedestrian deaths surge Data: Governors Highway Safety Association. Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios Pedestrian deaths from cars rose to record levels during the pandemic, Axios' Erin Doherty writes from Governors Highway Safety Association data. Why it matters: An uptick in dangerous driving behavior during the pandemic contributed to the rise in pedestrian deaths in 2020, even though fewer drivers were on the road. Crashes killed 6,700 pedestrians in 2020, up about 5% from 6,400 in 2019, according to the association. Seven states — Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina and Texas — accounted for more than half of pedestrian deaths. New Mexico had the highest rate of pedestrian deaths per resident. Share this story.     A message from Facebook Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations     Paige is one of many experts working on privacy at Facebook — to give you more control over your information. Hear more from Paige on why Facebook supports updating regulations on the internet's most pressing challenges, including federal privacy legislation.     3. Mechanic in your phone Photo: Blitzz   BMW owners stumped by the car's goofy gesture controls to change the radio can get real-time video instructions from a live human, Axios' Joann Muller writes in our What's Next newsletter. Why it matters: We're increasingly frustrated by the complicated technology bombarding our daily lives, and having an on-demand expert can make a huge difference. Rama Sreenivasan, co-founder and CEO of Blitzz, a startup powering BMW's virtual roadside assistance, said drivers want "visual empathy." Case in point: One customer complained their plug-in hybrid vehicle wouldn't charge properly. Over video, the technician spotted that a pebble from the customer's gravel driveway was blocking the charge port. Share this story.     4. 📷 Parting shots: Pompeii reborn Tourists walk inside the Pompeii archaeological site in southern Italy last week. Photo: Gregorio Borgia/AP The excavated Roman city of Pompeii, Italy, appeared alarmingly close to a second death this century — assailed by decades of neglect, mismanagement and scant maintenance of the heavily visited ruins. Now, innovative engineering designed to stabilize the ruins are yielding a raft of revelations about the everyday lives of Pompeii's residents, AP's Frances D'Emilio reports. AI and robots are tackling what otherwise would be impossible tasks — reassembling frescoes that have crumbled into the tiniest of fragments. In the House of the Little Pig, a whimsical fresco in a tiny kitchen depicts a pig's head with a prominent snout. The backstory: In a few horrible hours, Pompeii was turned from a vibrant city into an ash-embalmed wasteland, smothered by an eruption from Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Ruins of a thermopolium, where the people of Pompeii could buy ready-to-eat food. Photo: Gregorio Borgia/AP The most crowd-pleasing discovery to emerge from the shoring-up project is a corner "thermopolium," with a countertop like a soup-and-salad bar. Judging by remains found in the containers, the menu featured concoctions with fish, snails and goat. Dig deeper on the thermopolium.     A message from Facebook Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations     Paige is one of many experts working on privacy at Facebook — to give you more control over your information. Hear more from Paige on why Facebook supports updating regulations on the internet's most pressing challenges, including federal privacy legislation.   Like this email style and format? Bring the strength of Smart Brevity® to your team — more effective communications, powered by Axios HQ.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. 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