Biden could meet with Putin if an invasion of Ukraine ‘hasn’t happened’

U.S. leaders will continue to monitor developments between Russia and Ukraine Monday, after White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden has agreed “in principle” to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin “if an invasion hasn’t happened.” The meeting would come after high-stakes talks between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, who are set to meet Thursday in Europe – as long as Russia does not send its troops into Ukraine beforehand. Blinken said on “Meet the Press” that his meeting with Lavrov, should it go forward, is aimed at doing “everything I can to try diplomatically to prevent a war.” Psaki also noted that while the U.S. is “always ready for diplomacy,” Russia right now “appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.”

• The enigma of Vladimir Putin: What do we really know about Russia’s leader?

• Cyberattack effects: A Russian invasion could reach farther than Ukraine. How a cyberattack could affect you

• Is Russia going to invade Ukraine? Some satellite images suggest pullback. Others don’t

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Closing arguments scheduled at hate crimes trial for Ahmaud Arbery’s killers

Closing arguments are scheduled Monday in the federal hate crimes trial ofafter various days of testimony that included racist text messages and social media posts, and graphic crime scene images. Jurors heard from seven witnesses on Friday who largely testified to the use of racial slurs by defendants Travis McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan, while one witness testified that defendant Gregory McMichael once made disparaging comments about a Black woman tenant who was behind on her rent. The defendants were convicted of murder last fall and sentenced to life in prison, but state prosecutors did not present evidence that the murder was racially motivated – evidence that is central to the federal prosecutors’ case. All three men have pleaded not guilty.

Queen Elizabeth will perform ‘light duties’ despite COVID-19

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II plans to keep working this week as she recovers from COVID-19. Britain’s longest reigning monarch, 95, tested positive and is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms, Buckingham Palace announced Sunday. Nonetheless, she will continue with “light” duties at Windsor Castle, the palace said, as she receives medical treatment and follows “all the appropriate guidelines.” The queen is fully vaccinated, having received three shots of a coronavirus vaccine. Elizabeth marked 70 years on the throne on Feb. 6.

Presidents Day: What’s open today? And what are we celebrating?

Monday is Presidents Day, a federal holiday that originally celebrated George Washington’s birthday (Feb. 22), but is better known today as a national day of shopping bargains. George Washington’s Birthday became a federal holiday in 1879. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved several federal holidays to Mondays and established Washington’s Birthday as the third Monday in February. At the time, it was suggested – but never formally adopted – that the holiday be renamed Presidents Day, to also celebrate Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12), according to History.com. Since then, advertisers have latched onto Presidents Day an opportunity for sales and promotions. Anyway, some businesses and offices will be closed – here’s a rundown of what you can expect.

MLB cancels first week of spring training games; daily negotiations to begin

Major League Baseball will begin daily negotiating sessions Monday with the MLB Players Association, after calling off the first week of spring-training games. A deal must be struck to end the lockout by Feb. 28 to preserve the start of the regular season on March 31. The league said in a release that “without a collective bargaining agreement in place, it must postpone the start of spring training games until no earlier than Saturday, March 5th.” The players union struck back stating that “nothing requires the league to delay the start of spring training.” The players union says it remains committed to the negotiating process and the league hopes to reach a deal to avoid delaying the start of the 2022 regular season.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden and Putin, President’s Day, Queen Elizabeth: 5 things to know Monday