Russian 8 pointed star

Wimbledon is a tournament apart . It is delightfully anachronistic in that it is played on pristine grass courts, a throwback to the era when the sport was still called ‘lawn tennis’. Star players, who otherwise resemble walking billboards, are required to be reticent and don spotless white attire, resonating with the tournament’s strict policy of keeping the site relatively free of commercial sponsorships. Until 2021, the tournament even had a ‘Middle Sunday’ holiday, an out-of-place idea in the era of mega television deals and ambush marketing. And such is the event’s magnetic pull that even the biggest crisis to hit tennis in recent times — of Wimbledon barring Russian and Belarusian players against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war and the ATP and WTA retaliating by removing ranking points — did not turn into a smoky inferno. Rafael Nadal, who three weeks ago won his 14th French Open and a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title literally on one leg, is set to feature after … [Read more...] about Green as always: On Wimbledon 2022 shorning of ranking points

MOSCOW (AP) — More than four months after she was arrested at a Moscow airport for cannabis possession, a Russian court has set the start date of the criminal trial of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for July 1. The Phoenix Mercury star was also ordered to remain in custody for the duration of her criminal trial. She could face 10 years in prison if convicted on charges of large-scale transportation of drugs. Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in the U.S., acquittals can be overturned. On Monday, the court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki extended Griner’s detention for another six months after she appeared for a preliminary hearing held behind closed doors. Photos obtained by the AP showed her appearing in handcuffs. Griner had previously been ordered to remain in pretrial detention until July 2. Griner’s detention and trial come at an extraordinarily low point in Moscow-Washington relations. She was arrested at Moscow’s … [Read more...] about WNBA Star Brittney Griner Appears in Russian Court

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here . I’m a conservative (or what used to be called a conservative) who always thought Roe v. Wade was the product of judicial activism. But overturning it is even worse. But first, here’s more from The Atlantic . America is sliding into the long pandemic defeat, Ed Yong writes. We’re about to see just how pro-life Republicans actually are. The Constitution is whatever the right wing says it is, Adam Serwer argues. As of last Friday, American women lost the constitutional right to choose an abortion, ending a protection that’s nearly 50 years old. Like most Americans, I think abortion must remain legal—but with restrictions. I am conflicted about abortion because of things that happened in my own family , but when it comes to the law, let’s stipulate that … [Read more...] about Roe Was Flawed. Dobbs Is Worse.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Just six weeks before the 2020 presidential election — game day for vote-counting bureaucrats — Tina Peters was so proud of her operation at the Mesa County clerk’s office that she invited a film crew in to show it off. There’s no chance of mishap here, she boasted. “The Russians can’t hack into and start casting votes for someone,” she said, as a few in the office chuckled. By May 2021, it was Ms. Peters, not the Russians, who had helped engineer an audacious breach of voting machines, according to an indictment charging her with seven felonies. Ms. Peters arranged to copy sensitive election software from county voting machines in an attempt to prove the 2020 presidential election was rigged, according to court records. Prosecutors said she committed identity theft and criminal impersonation, and violated the duties of her office in the process. Ms. Peters has pleaded not guilty. The strange tale of Tina Peters — a once-ordinary public servant … [Read more...] about The Strange Tale of Tina Peters