🥁 Axios PM: War at home

Plus: Big finish for Neil Diamond | Monday, February 28, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Amazon   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·Feb 28, 2022 Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 463 words, a 2-minute read.     1 big thing: War at home Photo: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images This Ukrainian is walking in front of a destroyed building after a Russian attack in the town of Vasylkiv, near Kyiv. Photo: Ethan Swope/Bloomberg via Getty Images Above: A Nigerian student cries after police refused to let him board a train to Poland, after six days of being turned away. Photo: Pierre Crom/Getty Images Above: A German citizen holds her baby — who was born two days ago from a surrogate in Ukraine — in the train station in Kyiv. These photos were curated by Axios senior editorial designer Aïda Amer.     2. Russian convoy swells Russian convoy north of Kyiv. Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies The Russian convoy we told you about in Axios AM has grown from 3.25 to 17 miles in length, rolling toward Kyiv. The latest: Russian troops shelled civilian neighborhoods in the eastern city of Kharkiv while peace talks were ongoing. As night fell on Kyiv, journalists reported missile fire and loud explosions, with repeated air raid sirens. Russian forces are now roughly 15 miles from the city center, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters. What's next: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an application today for his country to join the EU. P.S. Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted today that Elon Musk's promised Starlink terminals — which can provide satellite internet for the besieged country — arrived in Ukraine. Via Twitter.     A message from Amazon "Amazon has allowed me to live a comfortable life"     Getting great health care benefits was Luv-Luv's top priority during her job search. That's why she chose Amazon. Thanks to Amazon's starting wage of at least $15 an hour and comprehensive benefits, she lives life on her own terms. Watch her story.     3. Scoop: Zelensky's no-fly push Zelensky signs Ukraine's application for membership in the EU today. Photo: Ukrainian Parliament via Getty Images Zelensky is pushing the Western allies to "do their part" to stop the Russian invasion. "The sanctions are heading in the right direction," he said in a statement to Axios' Jonathan Swan, Zachary Basu and Sophia Cai. "In addition to disconnecting the Russian Central Bank from SWIFT and providing more Stingers and anti-tank weapons, we need the West to impose a no-fly zone over significant parts of Ukraine." Reality check: President Biden has ruled out sending U.S. troops to fight Russia in Ukraine. That pledge extends to a no-fly zone, which could require the U.S. military to potentially directly engage Russian air forces, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stressed today. Go deeper.     4. 💎 Big finish for Neil Diamond Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   Neil Diamond, 81, sold Universal Music Group his entire song catalog, including "Sweet Caroline," "Cracklin' Rosie," "Red Red Wine" and "Song Sung Blue." The deal includes 110 unreleased tracks, an unreleased album and archival long-form videos, UMG said in the announcement. Why it matters: Diamond has sold more than 130 million albums over the past half-century, with 70+ songs on the Billboard charts. The backstory: In 2018, Diamond said he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and would retire from touring, Reuters notes. He gave a surprise benefit performance in Vegas in 2020. "The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise" opens in Boston in June. Tickets go on sale Friday. Other artists with rights deals in the past 14 months: Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Sting, Mick Fleetwood, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Go deeper.     A message from Amazon Amazon expands fully paid education benefits for employees     Amazon now funds full college tuition as well as high school diplomas, GEDs, and ESL proficiency certifications for its front-line employees. More info: As of January, more than 750,000 employees are eligible, including hourly workers who've been on the job for as little as three months. See all the benefits.   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. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: