Start your week smart: Trump ruling, Alexey Navalny, Virginia explosion, aid for Ukraine, Kansas City mourning

 

A Beatles mystery that dates back more than 50 years has finally been solved. Paul McCartney’s left-handed bass guitar — purchased in Germany in 1961 and used on tracks such as “Twist and Shout” and “She Loves You” — was stolen in 1972. But thanks to an online campaign called the Lost Bass Project, the music icon and his beloved instrument have been reunited.Judge Arthur Engoron hit Donald Trump with his biggest punishment to date, in a ruling that fined the former president $355 million for fraudulently inflating the values of his properties. The blistering 93-page opinion painted the former president as unremorseful and highly likely to commit fraud again.The body of jailed Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny should be handed over to his family “immediately,” his spokesperson said, as she accused Russian officials of lying in order to delay the process. News of his death sparked outrage, with some Western leaders blaming Vladimir Putin.

• A house exploded in Sterling, Virginia, as fire crews were inside checking a gas leak, leaving one firefighter dead and at least 13 others injured, including 11 first responders. Authorities assume the explosion “was propane-related,” as firefighters had arrived to assess a leak in a 500-gallon underground tank. President Biden, in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, directly tied Ukraine’s withdrawal from the key town of Avdiivka to Congress’ inability to approve further aid. The Senate passed a bill including $60 billion for Ukraine, but House Speaker Mike Johnson said he does not plan to bring the measure to the floor.

• The euphoria that swept Kansas City after back-to-back Super Bowl wins by its beloved Chiefs now seemed a distant memory, supplanted by shock and sadness. A deadly shooting at the hometown victory celebration left one woman dead, more than 20 other people injured and two teenagers in custody.The third Monday in February is a holiday that the federal government designates as Washington’s Birthday. Individual states, local government agencies and mattress stores, however, refer to it alternatively as President’s Day, Presidents’ Day or Presidents Day. Whatever the name, many corporate offices, banks, post offices and non-essential government agencies will be closed. Most retailers and restaurants, however, will be open.February 20 is the deadline for special counsel Jack Smith to respond to an emergency filing from Trump asking the Supreme Court to step into the dispute over whether he may claim immunity from prosecution. Trump asked the high court to temporarily block a scathing and unanimous decision from a federal appeals court handed down earlier this month that flatly rejected his claims of immunity from election subversion charges brought by Smith.The House Oversight Committee is set to interview James Biden amid its impeachment inquiry into his brother, President Joe Biden. Last week, special counsel David Weiss charged a former FBI informant with lying about the president and his son Hunter Biden’s involvement in business dealings with Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings — undercutting a major aspect of House Republicans’ case for impeachment. Alexander Smirnov, 43, was arrested Thursday and is facing charges in connection with lying to the FBI and creating false records. Congressional Republicans have championed Smirnov’s now-discredited allegations for roughly a year in their efforts to impeach President Biden, though not by name.