News of the day: Equal Care Day, Vladimir Putin, Beyoncé

1. Care work: Do women finally have to speak up?

February 29th - of course, people talk about it, you probably do too today, the day only comes around every four years.

But I had never heard of the fact that February 29th is also Equal Care Day.

Maybe because those in question are too busy that day to be able to draw attention to their concerns: women.

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Hard-working and capable of suffering (symbolic image): The responsibility for the family and household lies with women

Photo: Roel Burgler / Hollandse Hoogte / plainpicture

Equal Care Day demands that women and men share care work as equally as possible.

What they still don't do: Just like February 29th, they are often overlooked.

Cooking, cleaning, looking after children: My colleague Heike Le Ker therefore demands in her comment that women should finally be loud, offensive and uncomfortable instead of doing their unpaid work quietly and invisibly.

Otherwise nothing moves.

In 2022, women still spent nine hours more per week on care activities than men.

They earn significantly less in their jobs and work part-time more often.

If the daycare center is closed or the teacher is sick, it falls back on them.

Heike just asked me: “What would happen if all the women went on strike for a day?

Awareness of the problem would be heightened - the farmers, train drivers and pilots have shown the way.

In one fell swoop it would be clear what would no longer be possible without women.

And how systemically relevant care work is.«

• Read more here: Speakers for hard-working women 

2. Putin's State of the Nation Address

Vladimir Putin delivered his address to the nation, as he does once a year.

It was the longest he's ever held.

He spoke for more than two hours in the Gostiny Dvor event center not far from the Kremlin.

And above all, it was a speech to the Russians, who will finally confirm him in office in two weeks.

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Vladimir Putin in Gostiny Dvor: "We also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory"

Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev / AFP

My colleagues Ann-Dorit Boy and Christina Hebel listened to the speech.

A lot of it was about well-known threatening gestures, for example the possible use of nuclear weapons.

This time the Russian ruler threatened a nuclear strike if NATO troops came to Ukraine.

Putin sees this as an effective way to scare the West.

During his speech, he once again emphasized that Europeans and Americans should be careful not to intervene directly in the war.

"We also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory," said Putin.

"Do not you understand?"

It was a speech whose heightened rhetoric and threats on the outside were intended to show strength on the inside.

Because there are major economic and social problems inside Russia.

My colleagues write that Putin can be given credit for addressing one of the central problems: the country's demographic decline.

There will be fewer babies born in 2023 than in 1999.

The low rate is probably also related to the war in Ukraine, which has been going on for two years now.

When it comes to Russia's economy, the two write, Putin's words remind us of the Soviet Union, with sugar-coated claims and unrealistic promises.

"We will become one of the four largest economic powers in the world," said Putin.

What was the central message of the speech?

"Putin promises his citizens that despite the terrible war he has dragged the country into, they will be well off and will lack for nothing," Ann-Dorit just wrote to me.

“But he’s lying to her about it.

In the long run, the war will come at the expense of the country’s future.”

• Read the whole analysis here: Rosy promises to the people – new nuclear threats to the West 

3. Not old hat at all

Now it's about cowboy hats.

My colleague Ulrike Knöfel wrote a style review about this headgear, which I thought might just be wearable for Trump supporters or the ex-country singer Taylor Swift.

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Superstar Beyoncé at New York Fashion Week in mid-February: reminiscence of the days of Buffalo Bill.

Photo: James Devaney / GC Images / Getty Images

Wrong, I learn from Ulrike's text.

Because of all people, Beyoncé, one of today's biggest pop stars, has retrained to become a country singer.

With her song "Texas Hold 'em," Beyoncé became the first black woman to reach number one on the country charts, and from there on to the top of the top 100, rushing from record to record - in a genre that is usually considered conservative bearing would have been attributed.

She breaks expectations once again.

But, says Ulrike, Beyoncé's new Wild Wild West style isn't at all surprising, at least if you follow her style.

Because Beyoncé has often appeared in a cowboy hat;

There has been a noticeable increase in attendance lately – for the Grammy Awards and New York Fashion Week, for example.

And because fashion always wants to say something, Beyoncé's choice for an accessory that is soaked in American iconography says one thing above all:

“It literally frees a supposedly white symbol from old attributions,” Ulrike told me.

»Beyoncé may be extremely successful and make a lot of money, but she uses her power.

She opens up where others restrict." The story of the cowboys and cowboys doesn't just belong to white people, says the text that I definitely recommend to them.

• Read the full story here: The Queen as a Cowgirl

What else is important today?

• More than 100 victims of abuse in Boy Scouts identified:

  The Boy Scout Association has dealt with sexual violence within its own ranks.

  A study now shows that there are many people affected and certain prototypes among the perpetrators.

• Israeli army fires on crowds – reports of numerous deaths:

  The UN warns of thousands of civilians starving to death in the Gaza war.

  Now the situation has escalated as a crowd of people waited for relief supplies.

  Israeli soldiers opened fire.

• World association bans trainer of fraudulent cycling team:

  In order to get the required five riders to the start in a cycling race, a US team quickly sent a mechanic to register.

  The trick was discovered.

  This now has consequences for the coach.

My favorite story today: The “Gammel Oasis” for dementia sufferers in Marl

My colleague Jamin Schreiber writes about them.

The senior center is located in a small town in the Ruhr area, and attempts are made there to give dementia sufferers back some of their self-determination.

Instead of constantly entertaining the residents and setting up daily, weekly and monthly programs, people with dementia are left to decide what they want to do.

And that often means hanging out a bit.

In the home, people are allowed to decide for themselves when they want to eat, sleep or rest.

If they feel like it, residents can just hang out.

The structures of everyday life can be broken because everyday life, as it is generally understood, often no longer exists for people with dementia.

Because, as the educator Erich Schützendorf once wrote: “A life with dementia is like living in the eternal moment.” Jamin was there and tells a touching story that takes the people in question seriously.

I recommend them to you.

• Read the whole story here: Welcome to the “Gammel Oasis” – what makes this home different for people with dementia 

What we recommend today at SPIEGEL+

• What's behind the record temperatures in the world's oceans:

  The world's oceans are warmer than ever before.

  There have been record temperatures for a year now, well above the long-term average.

  Climate researchers are puzzling: Is this global warming, or is there something more going on? 

• Why the RAF of all people was so important for the history of the Federal Republic:

  The RAF dissolved 26 years ago, but politicians and authorities still celebrate the arrest of ex-member Daniela Klette as a great success.

  Historian Robert Wolff explains what role the RAF played in the German self-image.

• US President Biden threatens to withdraw weapons from Israel:

  Washington is demanding guarantees from Israel that it will comply with international law in Gaza, US media report.

  If violations occur, Biden wants to stop arms deliveries.

  But how much power does he really have? 

Which is less important today

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Drew Barrymore: No crop tops for the kids

Photo: Andrew Kelly / REUTERS

Measurement and body size:

The US actress

Drew Barrymore

, 49, recently lost a midriff-free discussion with her daughter.

Barrymore said on a talk show that her child wanted to wear a crop top and she said no.

But then the daughter landed her hit: “You were on the cover of Playboy.”

What else do you want to say?

Mini concave mirror

You can find the entire concave mirror here.

Cartoon of the day

And tonight?

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Anna Dushime hosts the talk show “The Last Drink”

Photo: Johanna Wittig / rbb

Could you listen to my colleague Juan Moreno's podcast.

This week he talks to presenter Anna Dushime for an hour about her earliest memories.

Dushime comes from Rwanda; parts of her family were murdered in the genocide there 30 years ago, including her father.

How do you move on after such experiences?

How does it work – persevere and find a good life again?

The episode revolves around these questions.

You can listen to it here.

I wish you a nice evening.

Warm greetings from Bangkok,

your Maria Stöhr, correspondent in Southeast Asia