What Zelenskyy’s requests to Congress would mean

+ how cloud seeding works; what to expect from the Fed today US Edition - Today's top story: How weapons get to Ukraine and what's needed to protect vulnerable supply chains [View in browser]( US Edition | 16 March 2022 [The Conversation]( Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, spoke clearly, emotionally and firmly to a joint session of Congress this morning, telling lawmakers that “Right now the destiny of our country is being decided.” Zelenskyy asked lawmakers to help his country fight Russia by supplying more weapons and equipment. He also repeated the request that has so far been denied by the U.S. and other NATO countries: a no-fly zone over Ukraine. We have two stories that will help you understand more of the context behind those requests. The first, by Vincent E. Castillo, an assistant professor of logistics at The Ohio State University, explains just how weapons and equipment provided by the U.S. to Ukraine [make their way from storage at U.S. bases in NATO countries all the way into soldiers’ hands]( on the front lines of the war. It’s a path that includes many opportunities for failure, including Russian attacks on transport convoys. That failure could mean, writes Castillo, that “a sovereign nation will not be able to defend itself against an invading force.” The second story looks at “no-fly zones,” which Zelenskyy would like the U.S. and NATO to set up over Ukraine. United States Naval War College scholars Christopher Michael Faulkner and Andrew Stigler describe [how these zones work, and where they have and haven’t been successful](. “The phrase ‘establish a no-fly zone’ can sound calm, civilized and achievable,” Faulkner and Stigler write. But there are many risks, they say, to setting up a Ukraine no-fly zone. “It is not hyperbole to say that anything could go wrong,” they say. When the enemy is a nuclear power, that’s a risk that may prove too high even for the most ardent of Ukraine’s supporters. Also today - [How climate change affects pollen season: new research]( - [The limits of what the Fed can do by raising interest rates]( - [Meet St. Brigid, the female patron saint of Ireland]( Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society [How weapons get to Ukraine and what’s needed to protect vulnerable supply chains]( Vincent E. Castillo, The Ohio State University The Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered an unprecedented outpouring of humanitarian and military aid. Protecting those supply chains is essential for delivering materiel to the frontlines. Politics + Society - [Ukraine wants a no-fly zone. What does this mean, and would one make any sense in this war?]( Christopher Michael Faulkner, US Naval War College; Andrew Stigler, US Naval War College Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked the US to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Doing so in this kind of international conflict would be unprecedented and might not make sense. - [Kyiv has faced adversity before – and a stronger Ukrainian identity grew in response]( Matthew Pauly, Michigan State University A historian looks back at a time when Ukrainians battled for control of the capital, but succumbed to a superior Soviet army. Economy + Business - [Why the Fed can’t stop prices from going up anytime soon – but may have more luck over the long term]( Jeffery S. Bredthauer, University of Nebraska Omaha The Fed is about to begin its biggest inflation fight in four decades. Environment + Energy - [Pollen season is getting longer and more intense with climate change – here’s what allergy sufferers can expect in the future]( Yingxiao Zhang, University of Michigan; Allison L. Steiner, University of Michigan Rising temperatures mean longer, earlier pollen seasons, but the bigger problem is what carbon dioxide will do to the amount of pollen being released. A 200% increase is possible this century. - [Cloud seeding might not be as promising as drought-troubled states hope]( William R. Cotton, Colorado State University Several states are experimenting with weather modification to try to generate snow as water supplies shrink. An atmospheric scientist explains the history behind it – and the challenges. Ethics + Religion - [St. Brigid, the compassionate, sensible female patron saint of Ireland, gets a lot less recognition than St. Patrick]( Lisa Bitel, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences The Irish government recently declared a national holiday for St. Brigid. A medieval historian explains her fascinating life and history. - [Purim spiels: Skits and satire have brought merriment to an ancient Jewish holiday in America]( Zev Eleff The Jewish holiday of Purim, being celebrated on March 17 this year, has an interesting tradition of satirizing life in yeshivas. Trending on site - [Schools will stop serving free lunch to all students – a pandemic solution left out of a new federal spending package]( - [Smart devices spy on you – 2 computer scientists explain how the Internet of Things can violate your privacy]( - [Putin’s brazen manipulation of language is a perfect example of Orwellian doublespeak]( Today's graphic [A bar graph showing the amount of U.S. aid money that has been sent to Ukraine from 1993 to 2021.]( From the story, [US aid to Ukraine: $13.6 billion approved following Russian bombardment marks sharp increase]( - More from The Conversation US - Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly emails: [Politics Weekly]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](