THE BIDEN-PUTIN video conference centered on Ukraine (White House photos).

In response to growing tensions over Russian military activity on its border with Ukraine, President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a two-hour video conference.

According to The New York Times, Biden warned Putin that an invasion of Ukraine would result in strong economic penalties and could lead NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) to move its troops, perhaps closer to Russia.

The actual conversation has not been made public, so reporting on what was said comes second-hand through spokespersons for each side.

In 2014, Russia invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula with little response from the Western allies. This time, the Biden administration indicated, the U.S was prepared to work with its European partners to block Russian access to global capital markets and impose other economic sanctions.

The U.S. is providing military assistance to Ukraine, action that Moscow says is “raising tensions” in the area. Ukraine is being considered for membership in NATO, a military and diplomatic alliance originally created to confront the former Soviet Union.

Sports: Brady wins SI’s “Sportsman” honor

For the second time in his NFL career, Sports Illustrated named Tom Brady “Sportsman of the Year.”å Now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady first won the award 16 years ago when with the New England Patriots.

Brady was chosen not only for his accomplishments but also for his longevity. He’s still performing at a peak level at 44, an age at which most pro athletes have long since retired. He’s a seven-time Super Bowl champion, including the Super Bowl LV game, in which he passed for three scores as Tampa Bay defeated Kansas City 31-9.

Weather: Some clouds, some rain

Cool and occasional rain can be expected in the West Orange County area over the next several days. The forecast for Wednesday is for a daytime high of 66 (overnight low of 57) under partly cloudy skies. Thursday is expected to bring light rain in the morning with a daytime high of 60(45). Friday should be partly cloudy with a high of 64 (44).

Finance: Two-day winning streak for stocks

A second consecutive day of positive results for stocks emerged on Wall Street on Tuesday. All three major exchanges showed daily gains after faltering in morning trading.  The S&P 500 gained 9.75 points to close at 4,694.75. The Dow rose by 39 points to 35,752 and Nasdaq was up by 50 points to 16,368.