Putin’s Billionaire Propagandist | Warren Buffett’s Energy Bet | The Other Free Brittney Movement

Plus: The World Watched Russia Bomb Ukraine’s Hospitals. What Happens Next?

Good morning.

An autocratic state needs firm control over the country’s media to survive. In Putin’s Russia, that task is performed by—you guessed it—a billionaire oligarch, Yuri Kovalchuk. We’re also covering the “Oracle of Omaha's” bet on energy stocks, and why efforts to free WNBA player Brittney Griner from detention in Russia appear so muted. Finally, don’t miss this story on how the proliferation of technology can make it easier to collect evidence of war crimes and bring perpetrators to justice.

In The News Today

Ukraine defied Russia’s demand to surrender the besieged city of Mariupol, a strategic maritime hub, on Sunday. Follow our live blog for the latest news about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its repercussions. 

A Boeing 737 jet that was carrying 123 passengers and nine crew members crashed in Southern China. 

Top Take-Aways

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on domestic dissent is only possible thanks to a well-oiled propaganda and censorship machine. Billionaire oligarch Yuri Kovalchuk is on the frontlines of the disinformation war, managing the party line.

Americans seeking to boycott Russian delicacies to protest Putin’s war in Ukraine should focus on other targets—many Russian-sounding products sold in the U.S. aren't linked to Russia at all. Just ask Michelin-starred Caviar Russe, whose caviar comes from Germany.

Energy stocks’ performance depends largely on how long sanctions against Russia will last, but investors like Warren Buffett appear optimistic. The “Oracle of Omaha” has been aggressively buying up shares of energy company Occidental Petroleum this month.

To best navigate a stock market that’s had a difficult start to the year and faces the looming threat of stagflation—persistently high inflation coupled with stagnant economic growth—analysts say it’s time to buy companies with high dividend yields and strong cash flows.

The response to star basketball player Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia has largely been muted. According to experts who specialize in Russian law and geopolitics, the low-key communications strategy may be in her best interest, for now.

As the U.S. nears a million Covid-19 deaths, the desire to commemorate the lives lost to the pandemic and “democratize grief” intensifies. But questions around how or where a monument should be built—and, most important, who’d pay for it—are still being explored.

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