2.20.2023

Carter in Hospice Care

Former President Jimmy Carter will receive hospice care at his Plains, Georgia, home as his health deteriorates, according to a Saturday announcement from the Carter Center. At 98 years old, Carter is the longest-living former US executive. The cause of Carter's current health issues was not announced.

Electing hospice care signals a person is nearing the end of life, where care focuses on comfort rather than continued treatment. One study found 93% of hospice patients pass away within six months.

The former peanut farmer, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Gerald Ford in 1976 on his way to a single term marked by an energy crisis, a historic agreement between Israel and Egypt, and the normalization of relations with China (see timeline). Since losing reelection in 1980, Carter has worked as a humanitarian advocate alongside his wife, Rosalynn. He recovered in 2015 from a melanoma diagnosis that spread to his brain and liver.

See his life in photos here.

Crimes Against Humanity

The US has formally concluded Russia has committed what legally constitutes as crimes against humanity during its ongoing war in Ukraine, according to Vice President Kamala Harris. The statement, the most explicit and public-facing condemnation by the US government of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, came as Harris gave remarks in Munich, Germany. 

Harris pointed to reported atrocities in the towns of Bucha, where the bodies of more than 300 civilians were found in April, and Mariupol, where a Russian airstrike hit a theater where civilians had sought shelter. Russia has previously denied being responsible for the killings. 

On the ground, Russian forces—reportedly led by the private military contractor Wagner Group—are close to controlling the eastern city of Bakhmut. See updates on the war here.

The remarks come as Russia appears to be preparing for a redoubled push in Ukraine, nearing the one-year mark of the war this week. 

Jovine Auroras 

Astronomers have detected auroras on at least four moons of Jupiter that would be visible to the human eye, according to recently published results. The phenomena, commonly referred to on Earth as the Northern Lights, occurs when electrically charged particles traveling through space interact with a planet's or moon's atmosphere. 

The findings were observed on Jupiter's four largest moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Astronomers said the display would be visible while standing on the moons' surfaces. While not observable from the Earth with the naked eye, the results provide insight into the bodies' lunar atmospheres, suggesting the moons have a thin layer of oxygen and sulfur on at least some of the bodies. 

Explore the solar system with NASA's interactive map here. 

Science & Technology

Business & Markets

Politics & World Affairs

Footage from Iwo Jima through the eyes of Marines.

... and on the 78th anniversary of the fight, the story behind the Iwo Jima flag raising. 

The weirdness of Presidents Day. 

Ranking the most affordable wine regions in the US. 

Japan identifies 7,000 more islands.

Scientists make a case for high-altitude balloons. 

... while an art collector shatters a $42,000 balloon dog.

Meet the 11-year-old artist making millions. 

Clickbait: The quietest place on Earth. 

Historybook: Frederick Douglass dies (1895); Sidney Poitier born (1927); John Glenn becomes first American to orbit Earth (1962); Kurt Cobain born (1967); Rihanna born (1988).