Caracal Daily | Jan. 20

WATCHING TODAY:

1. Why Germany refuses weapons deliveries to Ukraine: DW reports Germany has declined to join allies such as the US and UK in shipping weapons to Ukraine. The country faces an unpredictable buildup of Russian troops on its borders — and there is precedent for armed aggression.

2. What if Web3 isn’t all it is cracked up to be? NYT reports Andreessen Horowitz’s representatives in Washington are telling policymakers that a crypto-based internet can fix the problems of the current web, helping Americans “win the future” by giving them greater stakes in the tools they use.

3. Exodus of House Democrats points to daunting US midterms challenge: FT reports retirements by lawmakers from Joe Biden’s party puts razor-thin majority at risk.

4. André Leon Talley’s deep Southern roots: Garden + Gun writes the acclaimed fashion editor has served as confidant and adviser to Oscar de la Renta, dressed first ladies, and sat front row at every couture show that mattered. But his famous eye for style traces back to his grandmother’s house in Durham, North Carolina.

5. Choreographer helps UCLA gymnasts showcase their break-the-internet individuality: LAT reports in her first two years as UCLA’s choreographer, Bijoya “BJ” Das has set the internet aflame with three viral floor routines. Two of the star-making performances were choreographed during a pandemic that limited the assistant coach’s ability to interact with the gymnasts she was coaching.