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Google bans Russian state media from receiving money for ads - agency

TASS, February 27. Google has decided to ban Russia’s state media from receiving money for ads, the Reuters news agency said on Sunday.

According to the agency, the tech giant temporarily paused Russia’s state-funded media outlets from placing ads on its services.

Earlier, YouTube confirmed that it had barred some Russian channels from receiving money for ads due to a special military operation in Ukraine. Prior to this, the monetization of Russian media was banned by Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.

14 shot at Vegas hookah parlor; 1 dead and 2 critically hurt

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Fourteen people were shot during a party at a Las Vegas hookah lounge early Saturday, including one man who was killed and two others who were critically wounded.

The shooting happened about 3:15 a.m. and preliminary information indicated there was a party during which two people got into an altercation and exchanged gunfire, said police Capt. Dori Koren.

Koren told reporters no arrests have been made and no suspect descriptions were immediately available but that authorities did not believe there was any danger to the general public.

USA: More volatility expected on Wall Street amid Ukraine tensions, Fed tightening

NEW YORK, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. equities reversed their earlier massive losses to finish higher on Thursday, snapping a four-day losing streak. But, it is not yet the time for investors to pop the champagne.

Analysts cautioned that continued volatility is expected amid uncertainty over the Ukraine crisis coupled with policy tightening from the U.S. Federal Reserve.

The news that the Russia-Ukraine tensions have escalated into a military conflict overnight caused Wall Street to open Thursday's session with a plunge.

USA: House panel requests Trump WH records from National Archives

WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional oversight committee sought additional documents Friday from the National Archives related to former President Donald Trump’s handling of White House records as the panel looks to expand its investigation into his handling of sensitive and even classified information.

Biden, Europe waiting on key SWIFT sanction against Russia

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and European officials are holding one key financial sanction against Russia in reserve, choosing not to boot Russia off SWIFT, the dominant system for global financial transactions.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused a barrage of new financial sanctions Thursday. The sanctions are meant to isolate, punish and impoverish Russia in the long term. President Joe Biden announced restrictions on exports to Russia and sanctions against Russian banks and state-controlled companies.

USA: Munich may fire Russian conductor Gergiev over Ukraine

NEW YORK (AP) — Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter has threatened to remove Valery Gergiev as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic unless Gergiev publicly says by Monday that he does not support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The 68-year-old Russian conductor is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and supported Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

USA: Snow moves into Northeast; a foot possible in many areas

BOSTON (AP) — A steady snow that started in the predawn hours Friday could bring up to a foot of accumulation in some areas of the U.S. Northeast by the time the storm ends late in the day, while other spots were contending with a sloppy mix of sleet and ice.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for most of New England and eastern New York, and a winter weather advisory stretching from Ohio into coastal areas of southern New England and northern Maine.

USA: Attacks from within seen as a growing threat to elections

(AP) --- Election officials preparing for this year’s midterms have yet another security concern to add to an already long list that includes death threats, disinformation, ransomware and cyberattacks — threats from within.

In a handful of states, authorities are investigating whether local officials directed or aided in suspected security breaches at their own election offices. At least some have expressed doubt about the 2020 presidential election, and information gleaned from the breaches has surfaced in conspiracy theories pushed by allies of former President Donald Trump.

USA Treasury: Most COVID rental aid went to low-income residents

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 80% of the billions of dollars in federal rental assistance aimed at keeping families in their homes during the pandemic went to low-income tenants, the Treasury Department said.

It also concluded Thursday that the largest percentage of tenants receiving pandemic aid were Black followed by female-led households. In the fourth quarter of 2021, Treasury found that more than 40% of tenants getting help were Black and two-thirds of recipients were female-headed households. The data was consistent with what Treasury saw throughout the year.

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