putin hockey
Will Putin apologize for playing hockey instead of holding a 10-hour press conference to discuss a fired US official?

Good morning from (finally) sunny Moscow. Today is May 11, 2017 — and as usual, there is lots of Russian meddling to discuss.

Today's big story: "Vladimir Putin would rather play hockey than talk about James B. Comey firing". The nerve!

The Washington Post has the details:
After dodging a question of international importance, Putin made his way through the tunnel of the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi, Russia, to take part in an exhibition match to promote a league he recently created, the Night Hockey League. It didn't start well for him, however; he fell shortly after face off.
Read that a few times and let it sink in.

We appreciate WaPo's entertaining take on Putin's refusal to host a 10-hour press conference to discuss the firing of US official, but let's clarify a few things:

Putin didn't dodge anything. He told a brave CBS reporter that Moscow "has nothing to do with" Comey's sacking, and that it will have "no effect" on US-Russia relations. You might not like that answer. You might think he's lying. But he's not dodging anything. He answered the question and then proceeded to do what he was planning to do — play hockey.

We also like the schadenfreude employed to make it clear that the Washington Post sits around all day in hot anticipation of Putin falling during a sports event.
putin hockey
Putin takes a fall while playing a sport where players regularly fall.
gretsky
Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky proves he's actually horrible at hockey.
Let's move on:
  • "Vladimir Putin has been speaking favorably about clean energy lately. The country's energy ministry also endorsed a recent report from the International Renewable Energy Agency that suggested that Russia has plenty of potential for developing renewables." [MIT Technology Review]
  • Is Putin the "Godfather of Populism"? A very tragic website says "yes". [Quartz]
  • More media outlets admit that Putin probably didn't hack France. [Forbes]
  • "Russia is leading the way to stake its claim in the Arctic, leaving the United States in its wake and creating new tensions between the two countries." [ABC]
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