Academy Awards Fast Facts



CNN
 — 

Here is some background information about the Academy Awards, also known as the “Oscars.”

March 12, 2023 – The 95th Annual Academy Awards are scheduled to take place, with Jimmy Kimmel hosting for the third time.

March 27, 2022 – The 94th Annual Academy Awards ceremony takes place, with Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall as hosts. The previous three ceremonies did not have hosts.

Best Picture

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

“Avatar: The Way of Water”

“The Banshees of Inisherin”

“Elvis”

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”

“The Fabelmans”

“Tár”

“Top Gun: Maverick”

“Triangle of Sadness”

“Women Talking”

Actor in a Leading Role

Austin Butler, “Elvis”

Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”

Paul Mescal, “Aftersun”

Bill Nighy, “Living”

Actress in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett, “Tár”

Ana de Armas, “Blonde”

Andrea Riseborough, “To Leslie”

Michelle Williams, “The Fabelmans”

Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Brendan Gleeson, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Brian Tyree Henry, “Causeway”

Judd Hirsch, “The Fabelmans”

Barry Keoghan, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

Hong Chau, “The Whale”

Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Stephanie Hsu, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Director

Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Steven Spielberg, “The Fabelmans”

Todd Field, “Tár”

Ruben Ostlund, “Triangle of Sadness”

The full list of nominees

Best Picture
“CODA”

Actor in a Leading Role
Will Smith, “King Richard”

Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”

Actor in a Supporting Role
Troy Kotsur, “CODA”

Director
Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”

The full list of winners

PricewaterhouseCoopers accounting firm has tallied the ballots since 1934. Newspaper headlines announced the winners before the ceremony until 1941, when the sealed envelope system was put in place. Prior to a PwC envelope mix-up in 2017, when an error was made during the award announcement for Best Picture, only two partners from the firm knew the results until the envelopes were opened. After 2017, new procedures were adopted, which include adding a third balloting partner to also memorize the list of winners. The third partner sits with Oscar producers in the control room while the other two balloting partners are posted on opposite sides of the stage. Additionally, the PwC partners are prohibited from using cellphones and social media backstage during the show.

Walt Disney is the most honored person in Oscar history. He received 59 nominations and 26 competitive awards throughout his career.

Composer John Williams is the most nominated living person – 52 nominations (including five wins).

Meryl Streep is the most nominated performer in Academy history with 21 nominations.

Jack Nicholson is the most nominated male performer in Academy history with 12 nominations.

Katharine Hepburn had the most Oscar wins for a performer, with four.

Daniel Day-Lewis is the only person to have three Best Actor Oscars.

Tatum O’Neal is the youngest person to ever win a competitive Oscar at 10 years, 148 days old.

Only three films have won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing: in 1934, “It Happened One Night”; in 1975, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”; and in 1991, “The Silence of the Lambs.”

No one film has ever taken home all six top prizes, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress.

Scientific and Technical Awards are given out in a separate ceremony for methods, discoveries or inventions that contribute to the arts and sciences of motion pictures.

May 16, 1929 – The first Academy Awards are held in the Blossom Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Tickets cost $5.

1929 – The first Best Picture award goes to “Wings.”

1929 – The first statuette ever presented is to Emil Jannings, for his Best Actor performance in “The Last Command.”

1937 – The first presentation of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award is given to Darryl F. Zanuck.

1938 – Due to extensive flooding in Los Angeles, the ceremony is delayed for one week.

March 19, 1953 – First televised ceremony is from the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.

1966 – The awards are first broadcast in color.

1968 – Due to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the ceremony is moved forward two days as the original date is the day of King’s funeral.

1976-present – ABC broadcasts the Oscars.

1981 – Due to the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, the ceremony is postponed 24 hours.

2001 – The Best Animated Feature Film category is added.

June 23, 2009 – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces that beginning in 2010, 10 films will receive nominations in the Best Picture category, instead of five.

June 26, 2009 – The Academy announces that beginning in 2010, new rules governing the Best Song category may eliminate that category in any given year. Also, the Irving G. Thalberg and Jean Hersholt honorary awards will be given at a separate ceremony in November.

June 14, 2011 – The Academy announces new rules governing the Best Picture category, the number of movies nominated may vary from 5 – 10 in any given year and will not be known until the nominees are announced. The new rule goes into effect in 2012.

November 9, 2011 – Eddie Murphy drops out as host of the Oscars in February 2012, one day after producer Brett Ratner quits the show, because of a remark he made that was considered homophobic.

January 18, 2016 – Following criticism two years in a row about the lack of diversity with Oscar nominees, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the president of the Academy, issues a statement saying that “in the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond.”

January 24, 2017 – The romantic musical, “La La Land,” picks up 14 Oscar nominations, tying the record held by “All About Eve” and “Titanic.” After complaints in 2016 about a lack of diversity, six Black actors receive nominations for their performances, a record.

February 26, 2017 – Following the moment “La La Land” is mistakenly announced as best picture, “Moonlight” becomes the first film with an all-Black cast to win the Academy Award for best picture. Additionally, Mahershala Ali is the first Muslim actor to win best supporting actor.

August 8, 2018 – In a letter to members, the Academy announces that it is adding a new category in 2019 for outstanding achievement in popular film. The letter doesn’t specify the criteria for a “popular” film.

September 6, 2018 – The Academy announces that it is rethinking the decision to add a popular film category. Academy CEO Dawn Hudson says in a statement, “There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members.”

December 6, 2018 – Kevin Hart steps down from hosting the Oscars after past homophobic tweets surface.

February 5, 2019 – ABC confirms that the Academy Awards will be hostless. This will be the first time in 30 years that the ceremony will be without a host.

February 9, 2020 – “Parasite” becomes the first non-English film to win an Oscar for Best Picture. It is also the first film to win both Best International Feature and Best Picture.

February 9, 2020 – The 92nd Academy Awards draws an average of 23.6 million views, the lowest ratings in the show’s history.

June 15, 2020 – For the first time in 40 years, the Academy postpones the 93rd Oscars. The last time the Oscars were postponed was in 1981, when the ceremony was delayed 24 hours because of an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. In addition to the delay, the Academy agrees to extend the eligibility window for films, which usually corresponds to the calendar year. For the 2021 Oscars, the new window will be extended until February 28, 2021.

September 8, 2020 – The Academy announces that movies must meet certain criteria in terms of representation in order to be eligible for the Academy Award for best picture beginning in 2024. Introduced under an initiative called Aperture 2025, the organization says the goal is to “encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience.”

April 25, 2021 – Yuh-jung Youn is named best supporting actress for her role in “Minari” and becomes the first Korean actress to win an Oscar. Chloe Zhao is named best director for “Nomadland” and becomes the first woman of color and the first woman of Asian descent to earn the award. She is also only the second woman to win.

May 27, 2021 – The Academy announces that the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony will be held in March 2022, a month later than originally scheduled.

March 27, 2022 – Will Smith slaps Chris Rock on the face after Rock makes a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head while presenting the award for best documentary. Smith then says “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!” twice. Censors muted the verbal part of the exchange for viewers at home in the United States.

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UK nurse Lucy Letby denies injecting twin babies with air, insulin in murder case

A U.K. jury heard testimony accusing Lucy Letby, 33, of injecting one infant dubbed Child M with air in April 2016 before attempting to poison the infant’s twin, Child L, with insulin, reports said Monday.

Child M and Child L are just two of 10 infants that Letby has been accused of attempting to kill on top of the seven babies she is accused of murdering at the Countess of Chester Hospital, just south of Liverpool. Letby has denied all charges against her.

Jurors listened as the prosecution described how doctors and nurses worked to resuscitate Child M, a six-week premature boy, for 25 minutes in the late afternoon on April 9, 2016, by administering CPR and multiple doses of adrenaline after he stopped breathing, according to the BBC.

A court sketch shows Lucy Letby at Warrington Magistrates' Court via videolink on Nov. 12, 2020. The neonatal nurse is accused of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of 10 more.

A court sketch shows Lucy Letby at Warrington Magistrates’ Court via videolink on Nov. 12, 2020. The neonatal nurse is accused of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of 10 more. (SWNS)

‘SMILING’ NURSE LUCY LETBY ACCUSED OF KILLING BABY GIRL AFTER FOUR ATTEMPTS

The infant was eventually stabilized and was placed on a ventilator before he and his twin brother were discharged from the hospital in May 2016. 

The prosecution alleged Child M collapsed after Letby injected him with oxygen.

Letby, who was assigned to the infant for evening care and noted he had symptoms that were indicative of the brain being starved of oxygen, has denied the accusations.

Brain scans on Child M reportedly found that he suffered no adverse afteraffects. 

Letby abruptly left the court’s proceedings last week after she broke down in tears when testimony began in relation to Child L, whom she has also denied attempting to murder. 

The court heard how the infants started to deteriorate at “pretty much the same time” after Letby also allegedly attacked Child L in the early hours of April 10, 2016 – just hours after doctors had managed to stabilize Child M.

The maternity ward of the Countess of Chester Hospital in the U.K., where Letby worked and is alleged to have killed seven babies between 2015 and 2016.

The maternity ward of the Countess of Chester Hospital in the U.K., where Letby worked and is alleged to have killed seven babies between 2015 and 2016. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

BABY ATTACKED BY ALLEGED ‘KILLER NURSE’ LUCY LETBY RECOVERED AFTER BEING MOVED TO NEW HOSPITAL

She has been accused of injecting Child L with a dose of insulin and the doctor on call recounted how he was concerned by the baby’s dropping blood sugar levels – an occurrence that could happen after an insulin dose is administered.

But when asked if she gave the infant insulin, Letby told police officers, who questioned her in 2019, “That wasn’t done by me.”

Letby said she didn’t think she or another nurse could have accidentally administered the insulin dose. 

A blood sample from Child L had been sent from a lab at the nearby Royal Liverpool Hospital that showed insulin had been administered to the infant rather than having been naturally produced by its pancreas, a consultant clinical scientist at the Liverpool facility, Dr. Anna Milan, told the court.

Neonatal nurse Lucy Letby, 33, is alleged to have murdered seven babies. 

Neonatal nurse Lucy Letby, 33, is alleged to have murdered seven babies.  (Credit: SWNS)

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It was also confirmed that two vials of insulin were issued to the neo-natal unit in 2016, along with six vials in 2015 and two vials in 2014, reported the BBC.

Letby’s case remains ongoing. 

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Suki Waterhouse is 'shocked' she's so happy with boyfriend Robert Pattinson five years into relationship



CNN
 — 

Actor and model Suki Waterhouse is still surprised by her relationship with “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson.

“I’m shocked that I’m so happy with someone for nearly five years,” Waterhouse said in an interview with The Times that was published on Sunday.

Waterhouse and Pattinson were first spotted together in London in 2018 and now live together in London, according to The Times.

“I’m always incredibly excited when I see his name pop up (on my phone) or even a text, and I think he feels the same about me,” she said, adding, “We’ve always got so much to say, and I find him hilarious.”

Waterhouse, who is playing Karen Sirko on the new Amazon Prime series “Daisy Jones & The Six,” also admitted that she taps the “Batman” star for acting advice.

“I’ll try and get him to help me with an audition before he falls asleep on the sofa,” she said.

The notoriously private pair only recently made their red carpet debut as a couple in December at the Dior fashion show in Egypt, nearly five years after their relationship began.

Waterhouse was previously in a relationship with actor Bradley Cooper and Pattinson spent years in a relationship with his “Twilight” co-star Kristen Stewart. With both of those relationships covered heavily in the media, it’s not surprising that Pattinson and Waterhouse have taken a much more private approach.

There are, however, still some surprises left for the two Brits. Waterhouse told the Times that she “never, ever would have thought I’d go out with a boy from Barnes.”

“And he didn’t think he’d go out with a girl from Chiswick,” she quipped.

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Parents speak out against school canceling honors classes in the name of equity: 'It's not working'

Parents at a Los Angeles area school district spoke out at a Tuesday school board meeting against the administration’s decision to eliminate honors classes in the name of racial-equity because they didn’t enroll enough Black and Latino students.

Earlier this school year, the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) replaced honors classes at Culver City High School with a one-size-fits-all approach that officials said would give students of all races an equal education, the Wall Street Journal reported. Many parents attended the school board meeting to ask the CCUSD administration to reinstate honors classes, which they laid out in a two-page resolution. 

“I have a child in the high school,” one mom told the school board. “It is too easy in his classroom. They say, ‘Mom, they say it’s equity, they say that’s the reason and therefore it’s okay.’ I want my child to be challenged.”

“We are immigrants,” she added. “My family are immigrants. We came to this country to have a better life, a better education, to get out of poverty … we want to be able to give them a better education … because this is why we chose Culver City.”

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Starting in the fall of 2022, freshmen and sophomores at CCUSD have only been offered one level of English, whereas before they could choose between a grade level class or opt into an honors class, which was available to everyone, the WSJ reported. Administrators argued that this keeps everyone on the same playing field, so students are able to enroll in advanced classes in their junior and senior years of high school. 

A group of parents representing the Culver City Families for Education and Equity introduced the resolution at Tuesday’s meeting, arguing that a history of inequity requires a robust and varied array of learning opportunities, so students at all levels can get the support they need to achieve their highest potential. 

“Our beloved local school district, Culver City Unified School District, is in crisis,” one parent told the school board during the meeting. “We have entrenched patterns of disparity amongst different student populations when it comes to academic performance and an alarming reduction of educational opportunities that are available to every student with no input from key stakeholders: parents, families and students.”

The group focused on more parent and student involvement in the decisions made regarding academics at the district level. 

“Families of students in our district have been offered very little visibility and information on this issue leading to the education of their children and have not being afforded meaningful opportunities to voice their views on the sweeping changes made on access to honors classes for all students,” another parent said. 

Other parents were critical of the district for implementing the “one-size-fits-all” approach that doesn’t address what they believe to be the real problem. 

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“The district has not addressed the underlying issues of underrepresentation experienced by Black and Brown students in honors classes and has replaced previous honors English content with a one size fits all class that is not serving the interests of many students and in particular does not specifically address the need for additional support for underperforming students, while also ignoring the needs of high performing [students],” one parent said. 

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“It’s not working and we’ve thrown the baby out with the bathwater,” another parent said. “My daughter, who is a sophomore has said that it’s not working. She’s been in honors the whole way and as a sophomore now, she says she’s not challenged.”

“She’s now getting like an A +++ in her English class and she’s not being challenged,” she added. “She says the class is kind of a joke, so it’s not working.”

School districts in California and across the country have taken similar action to eliminate honors classes. In 2022, Patrick Henry High School (PHHS) in San Diego told parents it aimed to get rid of 11th-grade History and English honors courses, but in response to parent protests and negative community backlash, the school reversed its decision. 

School districts that have gotten rid of honors classes believe that students who don’t take those advanced classes from a young age get behind their peers and get stuck at lower levels of academic advancement, which makes it harder to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) classes later on. 

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Black students make up 15 percent of high schoolers in the country, but consist of only 9 percent of students enrolled in at least one AP course and nearly 25 percent of students are Latino, but they only make up 21 percent of students enrolled in AP courses, according to a report from The Education Trust.

Fox News Digital reached out to Culver City Unified School District. A representative responded: “This is an issue of both academic rigor and equity. The transition from a two-tier system of “Honors and Non-Honors” to ‘College Prep’ classes-for-all was led by our English teachers. We put our trust in our educators who are closest to our students, the teachers who are with them in the classroom day in and day out.

We want to emphasize that the College Prep curriculum is an Honors curriculum, serving all students with the same level of rigor as the Honors curriculum, and one that prepares students to enroll in advanced classes in their final years of high school. Our teachers expect the same high-level outcomes for all students. CCUSD fully supports this well-researched pedagogical approach. We are fully committed to giving the teachers the resources needed to support all students at all levels.” 

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Liverpool soccer club is not for sale, owner John Henry tells Boston Sports Journal



CNN
 — 

English Premier League club Liverpool FC is not for sale, owner John Henry told the Boston Sports Journal in an interview published on Sunday.

Henry’s Fenway Sports Group (FSG) owns US baseball team the Boston Red Sox as well as Liverpool FC, the top-flight soccer club that they bought in 2010.

“I know there has been a lot of conversation and quotes about LFC (Liverpool Football Club), but I keep to the facts: we merely formalized an ongoing process,” Henry told Boston Sports Journal in a question-and-answer session conducted via email.

Liverpool have won the Champions League and Premier League under John Henry's ownership.

“Will we be in England forever? No. Are we selling LFC? No. Are (we) talking with investors about LFC? Yes. Will something happen there? I believe so, but it won’t be a sale. Have we sold anything in the past 20+ years?” Henry added to the Boston Sports Journal.

In November 2022, FSG released a statement which said “we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club” but did not directly answer if the club was for sale.

Liverpool will host Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 match at Anfield Stadium on Tuesday.

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Catholic university ready to ax core majors like theology, English to fund more popular programs

A Catholic liberal arts university in northern Virginia is getting ready to cut 10 traditional majors and programs – including theology, religious studies and economics – over a “lack of potential for growth.”

Marymount University’s plan has sent shockwaves through the campus community, drawing widespread condemnation from students and alumni.

“Cutting portions of the School of Humanities as well as math and art programs would be detrimental to the diversity of our student body,” student-government president Ashly Trejo Mejia wrote in a letter to the school’s president. “We fear that removing programs will alter the foundation and identity Marymount University was built on.”

The school’s president is backing the controversial plan, which would eliminate bachelor’s degrees in theology and religious studies, philosophy, mathematics, art, history, sociology, English, economics and secondary education. The plan will also eliminate a master’s program in English and humanities.

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A building on Marymount University's campus in Arlington, Virginia. 

A building on Marymount University’s campus in Arlington, Virginia.  (Google Maps )

Universities that will thrive and prosper in the future are those that innovate and focus on what distinguishes them from their competition,” the school stated in an update on the plan this month, which was reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

“Digital disruption, economic conditions, and the explosion of low-cost, online course providers have put pressure on universities to reinvent their institutions in order to compete,” the update added. “Students have more choices than ever for where to earn a college degree, and MU must respond wisely to the demand.”

President Irma Becerra submitted her plan to the board of trustees Wednesday, according to a document obtained by Fox News Digital. The board will officially make a decision on the cuts Thursday. 

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“Over the long term, it would be irresponsible to sustain majors [and] programs with consistently low enrollment, low graduation rates, and lack of potential for growth,” Becerra stated in the update. “Recommendations and decisions on programs marked for elimination are based on clear evidence of student choices and behavior over time.”

Marymount University President Irma Becerra is backing the plan to cut several majors.

Marymount University President Irma Becerra is backing the plan to cut several majors. (Charles Mostoller/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“True to our mission, all university programs will continue to be grounded in the liberal arts and focused on the education of the whole person,” Becerra argued.

Funds that go to the liberal arts programs that are likely to be cut will now be funneled to more popular majors and initiatives.

“Marymount will reallocate resources from those programs to others that better serve our students and reflect their interests,” a spokesperson for the school told Fox News Digital on Monday, adding that the elimination of the majors are supported by “definitive research and a Faculty Advisory Committee, the Academic Policy, Budget and Planning (APBP) Committee.”

The school said the plan, however, is not “not financially driven,” and “will provide the University the opportunity to redeploy resources to better serve students and areas of growth.” 

Students have already been alerted to the prospective changes, according to an email sent by the university’s vice provost and obtained by Fox. They were told that those affected by the changes will still be able to finish their required courses to earn their degrees. No other students, however, will be admitted into programs moving forward.

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Marymount was founded in 1950 originally as a two-year women’s Catholic school before it expanded to its current university status, with roughly 4,000 enrolled students through its campus located just outside Washington, D.C., in Arlington, Virginia.

Students, staff and alumni are now questioning whether the school can stay true to its roots as a Catholic liberal arts university when degrees in studies such as theology and English are no longer offered. 

“If they want to change the mission, then say that and say what that change is,” Ariane Economos, an associate professor of philosophy who serves as director of the School of Humanities and the liberal-arts core curriculum, told The Chronicle of Higher Education. “But getting rid of theology and religious studies at a Catholic university, that doesn’t fit with the mission.”

Woman holds rosary in Vatican City.

Woman holds rosary in Vatican City. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Economos told the outlet that the majority of faculty support keeping the programs at the school, saying she wished “our administration would respect the role of faculty governance in determining the curriculum.”

A petition on Change.org was also formed in support of keeping the majors and has racked up more than 1,000 signatures as of Monday. Alumni feel the elimination of the majors would defy the school’s mission that “emphasizes intellectual curiosity, service to others, and a global perspective,” according to the petition. 

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The American Historical Association, the U.S.’s oldest professional association of historians, also sent a letter to Becerra last week asking her to reconsider the “short-sighted” plan.

“We urge Marymount University to reconsider this decision, which undermines the university’s commitment to ‘intellectual curiosity, service to others, and a global perspective.’ While the university’s liberal arts core provides one way of addressing this mission, it is essential that students have the opportunity for the deeper study and mastery of a field that comes with majoring in history and an array of humanities programs,” the letter states

The sign for Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. 

The sign for Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.  (Google Maps )

A philosophy professor at the school, Adam Kovach, added in comment to ARL Now that the “consequences” of the changes “have not been thought through,” and that the planned shift in resources is “vague.”

“The administration claims program closures will allow the university to shift resources to grow programs with larger enrollments and to create innovative new programs, but this is all vague and aspirational,” Kovach told the outlet.

“We have not heard any definite plan for how to grow,” Kovach added. “We have not seen evidence these changes will lead to cost savings that could just as well be achieved without closing programs. The strategy appears to be, wreck first and find out what to build later.”

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Though Marymount provided Fox News Digital with comment on the matter, the school did not answer questions about how much the school expects to save through the cuts or how the reallocated funds would specifically be distributed.

“Marymount University’s mission is unchanged. We will continue to prepare students for in-demand careers by offering them a robust education grounded in the liberal arts,” Marymount’s spokesperson said. 

“However, Marymount is indeed making changes to better position the University for long-term growth and success. One of those is investing in programs with growth potential, aligned with student demand, to give Marymount a competitive advantage.”

Last year, the school saw higher enrollment rates, new sports teams, and even new academic programs, such as an intensive English program that caters “to international students and other individuals for whom English is not a primary language.” The school also even considered building a new athletic facility, ARL Now reported.

Among Becerra’s initiatives since becoming the school’s president in 2018 were advocating for Dreamer students – illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as dependents – including launching a scholarship fund back in 2020 that received praise from Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine. 

She also penned an op-ed for Forbes last year calling for “cognitive diversity” – which is defined as the inclusion of people who think and solve problems differently than others – to be included amid discussion on diversity, equity and inclusion in workplaces.

As the board readies to make its final decision on the plan, student-government president Mejia stressed that alumni “want to be proud of their alma mater.”

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“Current and future alumni want to be proud of their alma mater and they fear that with this action their success will be hindered by a weakened perception of their MU education from a program that no longer exists,” Mejia wrote to Becerra.

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More than 30 countries calling on IOC to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes



CNN
 — 

The United States and more than 30 other “like-minded” countries are backing a proposed ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in international sports, according to a joint statement published on a UK government website on Monday.

The countries – including the UK, Canada and most of Europe – asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reconsider its decision last month to create a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in next year’s Paris Olympics as “neutral athletes.”

But the statement on the UK government website says there is “no practical reason to move away from the exclusion regime for Russian and Belarusian athletes.”

On previous recommendation from the IOC, Russian and Belarusian athletes are currently banned from competition by many sporting federations following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Belarus’ assistance in the attack.

“In Russia and Belarus sport and politics are closely intertwined,” the joint statement said.

“We have strong concerns on how feasible it is for Russian and Belarusian Olympic athletes to compete as ‘neutrals’ – under the IOC’s conditions of no identification with their country – when they are directly funded and supported by their states (unlike, for example, professional tennis players).

“The strong links and affiliations between Russian athletes and the Russian military are also of clear concern. Our collective approach throughout has therefore never been one of discrimination simply on the basis of nationality, but these strong concerns need to be dealt with by the IOC.”

The statement is signed by sport and culture ministers from the US, Canada, UK, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

In a statement sent to CNN on Tuesday, the IOC said it “appreciates the constructive questions with regard to the definition of the neutrality of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport, while noting that the explicit human rights concerns expressed by two special rapporteurs of the United Nations Human Rights Council have not been addressed in the statement.”

The office of the high commission of Human Rights commended the IOC’s move to allow Russian and Belarus athletes to compete as neutrals, urging the governing body to ensure “the non-discrimination of any athlete on the basis of their nationality.”

In a recent questions and answers statement published to its website, the IOC said it “cannot speculate” about whether Russian and Belarusian athletes would compete at the Paris Olympics.

The IOC’s intention to create a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition has been met with criticism, including from Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina and former boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak, meanwhile, called the IOC a “promoter of war, murder and destruction” in light of the announcement last month – remarks the IOC rejected as “defamatory statements.”

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DeSantis racks up wins while Trump, potential 2024 opponents take swipes at Florida governor

While former President Trump continues to work out nicknames for his potential 2024 presidential rival, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is still managing to stay out of the fray while building his resume and eyeing more Republican-backed victories on issues like education, crime and immigration.

DeSantis embarked on a pro-police tour of blue cities on Monday, traveling to the New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago areas and meeting with sheriffs, chiefs of police and other local law enforcement officials who feel unsupported by their local governments, his political team told Fox News Digital.

While DeSantis has not announced a 2024 presidential run, he is frequently floated as a top contender to face off against Trump in the Republican primary. The governor is also releasing an autobiography on Feb. 28, titled “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival,” which is viewed by political pundits as another sign he is readying an announcement.

DESANTIS SLIGHTLY EDGES TRUMP AS PREFERRED LEADER OF REPUBLICAN PARTY: POLL

Trump recently insisted on his Truth Social site that contrary to his frequent mocking and name-calling of DeSantis, he rarely thinks about the governor. “I don’t even think about it — A very unimportant subject to me!!!” he declared last week.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks as he announces a proposal for Digital Bill of Rights, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks as he announces a proposal for Digital Bill of Rights, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

DESANTIS KICKS OFF PRO-POLICE TOUR IN DEMOCRAT-RUN CITIES AS WHITE HOUSE RUMORS SWIRL

The former president targeted DeSantis days later after Fox News exclusively reported the details of DeSantis’ pro-police tour on Sunday.

“Ron DeSanctimonious wants to cut your Social Security and Medicare,” Trump wrote Sunday night, “closed up Florida & its beaches, loves RINOS Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush, and Karl Rove (disasters ALL!), is backed by Globalist’s Club for NO Growth, Lincoln Pervert Project, & ‘Uninspired’ Koch — And it only gets worse from there. He is a RINO in disguise!, whose Poll numbers are dropping like a rock. Good luck Ron!”

The virtually one-sided feud between Trump and DeSantis began in November, when the former president branded him “Ron DeSanctimonious” just three days before the midterm elections. When Election Day came, the Wall Street Journal published comments by Trump threatening to release dirt on DeSantis if the governor decided to run for president.

“If he did run, I will tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering,” Trump told the outlet. “I know more about him than anybody other than perhaps his wife, who is really running his campaign.”

Former President Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina Statehouse, Jan. 28, 2023, in Columbia, South Carolina.

Former President Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina Statehouse, Jan. 28, 2023, in Columbia, South Carolina. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FLORIDA GOV. DESANTIS REPEATEDLY TARGETED BY FALSE VIRAL CLAIMS AMID 2024 SPECULATION

Trump’s attacks against DeSantis so close to the election were widely condemned by conservatives, and while Republicans went on to underperform on the national level, losing the U.S. Senate and only retaking the House by a few seats, DeSantis cruised to an historic 19-point win in Florida, a onetime battleground state.

The day after the election, the former president lashed out a DeSantis again, writing, “Now that the Election in Florida is over, and everything went quite well, shouldn’t it be said that in 2020, I got 1.1 Million more votes in Florida than Ron D got this year, 5.7 Million to 4.6 Million? Just asking?” 

Trump later unleashed a more than 400-word tirade against DeSantis, slamming the governor as “average” and lacking “class” and “loyalty.” He criticized DeSantis for ordering lockdowns in Florida, saying the governor “didn’t have to close up his State, but did, unlike other Republican Governors,” and he credited himself for DeSantis’ 2018 gubernatorial win against disgraced Democrat Andrew Gillum.

Former President Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina Statehouse, Jan. 28, 2023, in Columbia, South Carolina.

Former President Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina Statehouse, Jan. 28, 2023, in Columbia, South Carolina. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Trump’s critique of DeSantis for locking down the state is a peculiar one. DeSantis did not issue his first and only stay-at-home order for the state until April 1, 2020, more than two weeks after Trump, as president, announced his “15 Days to Slow the Spread” plan, which recommended that governors shut down schools, restaurants and other public places.

While DeSantis, like most governors across the country, followed the guidance and briefly shut down the state, he was one of the first to reopen, which brought on a wave of Democratic backlash that continues today. The governor has since vowed that the state would never lock down again, and that one of his biggest regrets was not pushing back against the Trump administration’s recommendations, which he primarily blamed on Dr. Anthony Fauci, leader of the White House’s COVID-19 response.

Still, Trump, who formally announced his 2024 presidential run on Nov. 15, a week after the midterms, has repeatedly slammed DeSantis’ pandemic response on Truth Social in recent weeks.

According to a new poll by Monmouth University, the governor would win a hypothetical head-to-head match against Trump by a 53% to 40% margin, and he is preferred over Trump among nearly every major voting bloc in the party, except among those earning less than $50,000 a year and people age 65 and older. Other polls, however, have shown Trump leading DeSantis. 

Former South Carolina Governor and U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, the only other Republican to officially announce her 2024 presidential run besides Trump, took her first shot at DeSantis last week by saying his controversial parental rights law did not go far enough.

“There was all this talk about the Florida bill — the ‘don’t say gay bill.’ Basically what it said was you shouldn’t be able to talk about gender before third grade. I’m sorry. I don’t think that goes far enough,” Haley told supporters in New Hampshire. “When I was in school you didn’t have sex ed until 7th grade. And even then, your parents had to sign whether you could take the class.”

Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, during an event in Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.

Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, during an event in Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (Photographer: Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks to supporters during her speech Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks to supporters during her speech Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, in Charleston, South Carolina. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

RON DESANTIS SENDS TWO PLANES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO MARTHA’S VINEYARD

Another potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, on Sunday blasted DeSantis’ education initiatives as “big government” and even “authoritarian.”

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, another potential candidate, has also fired shots at DeSantis in recent weeks.

“I’m ranked the most fiscally conservative governor in the country,” he told Politico this month. “I’m No. 1 in personal freedoms. Sorry, Ron, you’re No. 2.”

DeSantis has largely refrained from taking any direct shots at Trump or others, but he said he considers the criticism “positive feedback” during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” Monday morning.

“If you’re an office holder, and you’re just sitting there twiddling your thumbs and not getting anything done, no one ever says anything,” the governor said. “You can kind of just fly under the radar. But when you’re out there leading, when you’re out there setting the agenda, not just for Florida, but really for the nation, which we’ve done over the last few years, people see that. And the people that don’t necessarily like that are going to respond accordingly. But I can just tell you, if people are not firing at me, then I must not be doing my job.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks as he announces a proposal for Digital Bill of Rights, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks as he announces a proposal for Digital Bill of Rights, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The governor is traveling to blue-led cities to tout his efforts to support law enforcement and reduce crime in Florida, where he recently proposed legislation to strengthen bail laws, toughen penalties for sex criminals and other anti-crime measures.

According to the governor’s office, DeSantis implemented the largest recruitment package for law enforcement officers in state history last year, awarding $5,000 signing bonuses to officers willing to relocate to Florida from blue states.

Speaking from Staten Island on Monday morning, DeSantis told “Fox & Friends” that the “woke” approach to law enforcement and crime has failed.

“It’s all putting ideology over public safety,” he said. “It has caused a lot of people to leave these formerly thriving areas.”

The governor has already signed multiple bills in his second term that are popular with Republicans, including granting more authority to the statewide prosecutor for cases related to voter fraud, as well as repealing and replacing the state’s controversial migrant relocation program, which transports illegals out of state.

Last week, DeSantis proposed his “Digital Bill of Rights,” which would ban TikTok from government devices and prohibit any Florida state or local government employee from coordinating with a “Big Tech” company to censor free speech.

Last month, the governor announced his “Teacher’s Bill of Rights,” which would include $1 billion in teacher pay raises but also limit the power of teachers’ unions in the state. It comes almost one year after he signed into law his Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by Democrats, which banned teachers from giving classroom instruction on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” in kindergarten through third grade.

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DeSantis told Fox News on Monday that “this is going to be the most productive legislative session we have had across the board.”

“I think people look at Florida, and they’re like, ‘Man, the governor has gotten a lot done,’ and we have and we’re proud of it. You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he said.

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Putin delivers annual address day after Biden's visit to Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Russia was pulling back from the New START treaty with the United States which reduces and limits each country’s nuclear arsenal.

“In this regard, I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty,” Putin said in his annual address to the nation, just one day after President Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine.

In his long-delayed state-of-the-nation address, Putin cast Russia and Ukraine as victims of Western double-dealing. He said Russia, not Ukraine, was the one fighting for its very existence.

The speech reiterated a litany of grievances that the Russian leader has frequently offered as justification for the widely condemned war and ignored international demands to pull back from occupied areas in Ukraine.

PRESIDENT BIDEN MAKES SURPRISE VISIT TO KYIV. UKRAINE, MEETS WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he gives his annual state of the nation address in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he gives his annual state of the nation address in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. (Sergei Karpukhin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The New START treaty, first signed in April 2010, limits the U.S. and Russia from having more than 1,550 nuclear warheads deployed on delivery systems like intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missile or heavy bombers. 

Both the U.S. and Russia are capable of deploying far more than the allotted nuclear warheads as Washington and Moscow have a combined total of more than 13,000 warheads – making up roughly 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenal, according to data provided by the Arms Control Association.

Following the nuclear arms race that largely came to an end with the fall of the Soviet Union, the U.N. has pushed for nuclear disarmament and global warheads inventories have dropped since hitting their peak in 1985, when more than 70,000 warheads were estimated to make up global stockpiles. 

Putin’s speech comes three days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has continued its attack on Ukraine over the last year despite Western sanctions and losses on the battlefield. Ukraine’s defense has been supported by a number of other countries, most of which are in the West.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and President Biden shake hands at Mariinsky Palace on an unannounced visit, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 20, 2023. 

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and President Biden shake hands at Mariinsky Palace on an unannounced visit, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 20, 2023.  (Evan Vucci/Pool via REUTERS)

Ukrainian officials have said they expect Russia to ramp up its offensive in Moscow’s acknowledgment of the one-year anniversary of the war on Feb. 24.

Biden on Monday met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace to announce an additional half-billion dollars in U.S. assistance. The U.S. has already supported Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in financial aid and military equipment. 

BIDEN ANNOUNCES MILLIONS MORE TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO ASSIST UKRAINE DURING SURPRISE TRIP TO KYIV

President Biden, left, walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral during an unannounced visit, in Kyiv on Feb. 20, 2023.

President Biden, left, walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral during an unannounced visit, in Kyiv on Feb. 20, 2023. (EVAN VUCCI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The new assistance includes shells for howitzers, anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars and other aid but does not offer new advanced weaponry.

Biden said he visited Ukraine to meet with Zelenskyy and “reaffirm our unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.” He said Putin was “dead wrong” in believing Ukraine was weak when he launched the invasion a year ago.

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“I am meeting with President Zelenskyy and his team for an extended discussion on our support for Ukraine,” Biden said in a statement Monday. “I will announce another delivery of critical equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars to help protect the Ukrainian people from aerial bombardments. And I will share that later this week, we will announce additional sanctions against elites and companies that are trying to evade or backfill Russia’s war machine.”

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall, Nick Kalman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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As Biden visits Ukraine, China's top diplomat goes to Russia


Hong Kong
CNN
 — 

As US President Joe Biden touched down in Ukraine to meet with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, China’s top diplomat was traveling in the opposite direction, on his way to Russia.

Wang Yi – who was promoted as Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s top foreign policy adviser last month – is due to arrive in Moscow this week for the final stop of his eight-day Europe tour, a trip that brings into focus China’s attempted diplomatic balancing act since Russia tanks rolled into Ukraine a year ago.

The Kremlin has said it does not “rule out” a meeting between Wang and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. If they do meet, the images of Wang and Putin shaking hands inside the fortified Kremlin will be a stark juxtaposition to Biden’s open-air stroll with Zelensky through Kyiv amid air raid sirens.

The optics of the two trips – taking place just days before the one-year anniversary of the brutal war on Friday – underscores the sharpening of geopolitical fault lines between the world’s two superpowers.

Gordon Chang lead vpx

Expert has theory on why Russia may be involved with unidentified objects

While relations between the US and China continue to plummet – most recently due to the fallout from a suspected Chinese spy balloon that entered US airspace, China and Russia are as close as ever since their leaders declared a “no-limits” friendship a year ago – partly driven by their shared animosity toward the United States.

And as the US and its allies reaffirm their support for Ukraine and step up military aid, Beijing’s deepening partnership with Moscow has raised alarms in Western capitals – despite China’s public charm offensive in Europe to present itself as a negotiator of peace.

At the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Wang addressed a room of European officials as “dear friends” and touted China’s commitment to peace, while apparently attempting to drive a wedge between Europe and the US.

“We do not add fuel to the fire, and we’re against reaping benefits from this crisis,” Wang said in a thinly veiled dig at the US, echoing the propaganda messaging that regularly made China’s nightly prime-time news program – that the US is intentionally prolonging the war to advance its own geopolitical interests and increase the profits of its arms manufacturers.

“Some forces might not want to see peace talks to materialize. They don’t care about the life and death of Ukrainians, nor the harm on Europe. They might have strategic goals larger than Ukraine itself. This warfare must not continue,” Wang said.

He urged European officials to think about “what framework should there be to bring lasting peace to Europe, what role should Europe play to manifest its strategic autonomy.”

Wang also announced Beijing’s plan to release its proposition on a “political settlement of the Ukraine crisis” around the first anniversary.

BRASILIA, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 13: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) greets Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) during their bilateral meeting on November 13, 2019 in Brasilia, Brazil. The leaders of Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa have gathered in Brasilia for the BRICS leaders summit. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

Retired general: A weak Russia would be satisfying for Xi

But the vague mention of the proposal was met with suspicion from some Western leaders who are closely watching for any support China lends to its northern neighbor – especially assistance that could help Russia on the battlefield.

“We need more proof that China isn’t working with Russia, and we aren’t seeing that now,” European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen told CNN Saturday.

Such suspicions are compounded by claims by US officials that Beijing is considering stepping up its partnership with Moscow by supplying Russia’s military with “lethal support.”

“We’ve been watching this very closely,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told “Face the Nation” on CBS in Munich on Sunday.

“The concern that we have now is based on information we have that they’re considering providing lethal support, and we’ve made very clear to them that that would cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship,” Blinken said.

Responding to the accusations Monday, China’s Foreign Ministry blasted the US for “shoving responsibility, shifting blame and spreading false information.”

“It is the US side, not the Chinese side, that supplies a steady stream of weapons to the battlefield. The US side is not qualified to lecture China, and we would never accept the US dictating or even coercing pressure on Sino-Russian relations,” a ministry spokesperson said at a regular news conference.

“Who is calling for dialogue and peace? And who is handing out knives and encouraging confrontation? The international community can see clearly,” the spokesperson said.

US officials have been concerned enough with the intelligence that they shared it with allies and partners in Munich, according to CNN reporting. In a meeting with Wang on the sidelines of the conference Saturday, Blinken also raised the issue and warned Wang about its “implications and consequences,” according to a US readout.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the 2023 Munich Security Conference (MSC) on February 18, 2023 in Munich, Germany. The Munich Security Conference brings together defence leaders and stakeholders from around the world and is taking place February 17-19. Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine is dominating the agenda.

Reporter shares what Blinken and Chinese foreign minister discussed

The US accusations, if true, would mark a major escalation in China’s support for Russia – and usher in a dangerous and unpredictable new phase in the war itself.

Previously, Beijing had carefully avoided actions that could trigger secondary sanctions, which would deal a devastating blow to an economy hampered by three years of costly zero-Covid policy.

Though China claimed impartiality in the conflict and no advance knowledge of Russia’s intent, it has refused to condemn Moscow and parroted Kremlin lines blaming NATO for provoking the conflict.

And while Beijing’s pro-Russian rhetoric appears to have softened in recent months, its support for Moscow – when measured by its annual trade, diplomatic engagements and schedule of joint military exercises – has bolstered over the past year.

Chinese officials have often calibrated their narrative to different audiences. Wang may have made many appealing pledges during his Europe tour, but whether they will be translated into a consistent message to be delivered to Putin when the two meet is another question.

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