Ukraine cease-fire, Russians in danger, Coach K’s last home game: 5 things to know this weekend – USA TODAY

Russia reports cease-fire in two Ukraine areas for civilian evacuations

The Russian military is observing a temporary cease-fire in two areas of Ukraine to allow civilians to evacuate, Russian state media reported Saturday, the first breakthrough in allowing civilians to escape the war. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that it had agreed on evacuation routes with Ukrainian forces to allow civilians to leave the strategic port of Mariupol and the eastern town of Volnovakha “from 10 a.m. Moscow time” (8 a.m. GMT/3 a.m. ET). The vaguely worded statement did not make clear how long the routes would remain open. Also on Saturday, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was set to brief U.S. senators by video conference as Congress considers a request for $10 billion in emergency funding for humanitarian aid and security needs. This comes after Zelenskyy late Friday, in a bitter and emotional speech, criticized NATO over the lack of a no-fly zone, saying it will fully untie Russia’s hands as it escalates its air attack.

• ‘We will fight and win’: Ukrainian civilians find ways, big and small, to resist Putin’s invasion
• He ‘drove for 12 hours to save us’: One man’s efforts to transport Ukrainian refugees to safety
• Ukraine war diary from USA TODAY Opinion: ‘If we lose Kyiv, we lose everything.’
• Online groups, financial aid, housing: Support to Ukrainian refugees comes in different forms

Russians are ‘facing real danger’ as they protest the war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered an earthquake of global condemnation, including in his own backyard, where protests have swelled across the country in a remarkable outpouring of dissent against the Kremlin. More than 8,000 Russians have been detained for antiwar activities by police since the invasion began, according to the independent monitoring group OVD-Info. And in the days since the invasion, security forces have widened their patrols of Moscow’s streets, looking for dissent in all corners of the city. Despite the crackdown, Russian opposition groups have organized more antiwar rallies, including one for Sunday. The last few years have been marked by increasingly draconian restrictions on freedoms in Russia, experts say, and that’s likely to escalate as the war drags on in Ukraine. 

• Vladimir Putin may declare martial law in Russia. Here’s what it would mean for Russians.
• Russia’s attack on a nuclear plant was unprecedented: Experts now fret about futures once thought ‘inconceivable.’
• What’s happening at American universities: As students protest, US colleges denounce Russia, pull out of country over Ukraine war

As talks near end, UN nuclear watchdog chief meets leaders in Tehran

The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog met Saturday with Iranian officials as talks in Vienna over Tehran’s tattered 2015 atomic deal with world powers appear to be reaching their end. Rafael Mariano Grossi described his visit to Tehran as a means “to address outstanding questions.” The deal saw Iran agree to drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of crushing economic sanctions. But a 2018 decision by then-President Donald Trump to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement sparked years of Mideast tensions and attacks. Today, Tehran enriches uranium up to 60% purity – its highest level ever and a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90% and far greater than the nuclear deal’s 3.67% cap. In Vienna, negotiators – including Russia’s ambassador in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, and French negotiator Philippe Errera – appear to be signaling a deal is near, even as Russia’s war on Ukraine rages on.

• From USA TODAY Opinion: While everyone watches Ukraine and Russia, don’t forget about equally important conversation in Iran
• Column from David Mastio: Who wins a Russian war against Ukraine? It could be China, Iran and North Korea.

Boston the last big city to drop COVID-19 measures in push for normalcy

On Saturday, Boston will become the latest major city to lift its indoor masking mandate in public spaces, such as gyms, bars and restaurants, museums, and entertainment venues. Public transportation and health care settings are still subject to state and federal mask orders. “The decision was made based on key COVID-19 metrics, which show continued improvement in the prevalence and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in Boston,” a statement from the office of Mayor Michelle Wu this week read. The move comes as Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the U.S., dropped its indoor mask mandate for restaurants, bars, gyms, shops and other businesses Friday. Late last month, the CDC announced guideline changes allowing most Americans to unmask indoors, which health experts said may be the first step in shifting the USA to an “endemic phase” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• New strategy: Biden administration unveils COVID-19 preparedness plan, includes a ‘test to treat’ initiative
• Go online: Americans can order more COVID tests from the government starting next week
• No more kisses or hugs: Could travel customs suspended during COVID become permanent?

Duke’s Coach K bids farewell to Cameron Indoor Stadium

After 42 seasons at the helm of the Duke men’s basketball team, Mike Krzyzewski coaches in his final home game Saturday against against rival North Carolina in the arena where he earned 572 of his 1,997 career wins and has hung five national championship banners. Krzyzewski’s farewell tour has included recent emotional stops at Virginia, Syracuse and Pitt, where his former player and assistant coach Jeff Capel presented him with a symbolic gift. Duke fans from across the country have made their way to Cameron to watch Coach K hold court in his final games. After Saturday, the No. 2 Blue Devils (26-4, 16-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) head to next week’s ACC Tournament with an outside shot at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

• Column from Dan Wolken: Nobody did it better than Krzyzewski and college basketball won’t be the same without him
• Duke fans came from all over to see Coach K one last time: These are their stories.
• ‘Awesome, baby, with a capital A!’ Dick Vitale writes powerful tribute to Mike Krzyzewski for his final Duke home game

Contributing: The Associated Press