memeorandum: White House press secretary Jen Psaki could reportedly replace Rachel Maddow on MSNBC (Alexandra Steigrad/New York Post)

8:05 AM ET, February 24, 2022

Top Items:

Statement by President Biden on Russia's Unprovoked and Unjustified Attack on Ukraine — The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces. President Putin has chosen a premeditated war …

Associated Press:

Russia's Putin announces military operation in Ukraine — KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a military operation in Ukraine, claiming it's intended to protect civilians. — In a televised address, Putin said the action comes in response to threats coming from Ukraine.

Michael Kofman / The Economist:

Michael Kofman, an expert on Russia's armed forces, explains why the Kremlin will seek regime change in Ukraine — Scenarios involving only limited fighting make little sense militarily — AFTER A LENGTHY and ominous speech, Russia's President Vladimir Putin chose to recognise …

Discussion: CNN, Insider, The National Interest and Raw Story

Anne Applebaum / The Atlantic:

Calamity Again … The poem is called “Calamity Again.” The original version was written in Ukrainian, in 1859, and the author, Taras Shevchenko, was not speaking metaphorically when he wrote about slavery. Shevchenko was born into a family of serfs—slaves—on an estate in what is now central Ukraine …

Ryan Lizza / Politico:

POLITICO Playbook: War in Europe — DRIVING THE DAY — THE LATEST FROM UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: — “We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country. Be ready to support Ukraine in the squares of our cities.” — “We have severed diplomatic relations with Russia.

Discussion: Associated Press and New York Times

Politico:

Battles flare across Ukraine after Putin declares war — KYIV — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday launched an all-out assault on Ukraine with missiles, warplanes and tanks that threatens to push Europe into its biggest conflict since World War II.

Discussion: CNBC, National Review, Insider, CNN, New York Times, Al Jazeera, Forbes, The Drive, Breitbart, The Daily Beast, Politico and Hollywood Reporter

The White House:

Statement by President Joe Biden on Phone Call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine — President Zelenskyy reached out to me tonight and we just finished speaking. I condemned this unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces. I briefed him on the steps we are taking …

Discussion: New York Times, Politico and Forbes

David M. Herszenhorn / Politico:

Ukraine naval base drew Putin's wrath, then Russian fire — OCHAKIV, Ukraine — Two explosions rocked the port of Ochakiv around 7 a.m. on Thursday, as Russian forces unleashed a fierce assault on a Ukrainian naval base President Vladimir Putin had personally griped about as a symbol …

Discussion: Insider, South China Morning Post, Bloomberg and Shoaib's Newsletter

Axios:

Zelensky says Putin has ordered invasion — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an impassioned address on Wednesday night that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered an invasion of his country but that if Russia attacks, “you will see our faces, not our backs.”

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Hill, Indie News Network, Townhall, Talking Points Memo, WAVY-TV and Wall Street Journal

New York Times:

Putin Issues Threat Against ‘Anyone Who Tries to Interfere’ — Several Ukrainian cities were under attack on Thursday morning. President Biden condemned President Vladimir Putin's actions, saying he would speak to the American people on Thursday.

Discussion: HotAir, Insider, politicalwire.com, Responsible Statecraft, Politico, Bloomberg, Space.com and ukraine@war

David Corn / Mother Jones:
Is It Amnesia or Hypocrisy That Fuels the GOP's Crazy Response to Putin?

Discussion: USA Today, Ann Coulter, Washington Post, Jihad Watch, National Review, Today's Edition Newsletter, Washington Free Beacon, The Bulwark, The Mahablog, Zandar Versus The Stupid and Politico

Associated Press:
The Latest: Biden condemns Russia for ‘unjustified attack’

Discussion: The Dispatch, New York Post, WAVY-TV, WFLA-TV, NBC New York, Insider, Bloomberg, PIX11 and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »

Eliot A. Cohen / The Atlantic:
Arm the Ukrainians Now — A rule of thumb in the theater is that if someone produces a pistol …

Discussion: Bloomberg, The Economist, The Guardian and Responsible Statecraft

David E. Sanger / New York Times:
Putin Spins a Conspiracy Theory That Ukraine Is on a Path to Nuclear Weapons

Discussion: Bloomberg, Washington Examiner and Foreign Exchanges

Washington Post:
Widening Ukraine conflict risks deadly toll on civilians

Discussion: Financial Times, CNBC, Jacobin, Fox News, Al Jazeera, TheJournal.ie and Washington Examiner

Jim Swift / The Bulwark:
“Pain, Blood, Mud, and Death”: Putin Attacks Ukraine

Discussion: Insider, Outside the Tent, Washington Post and Talking Points Memo

Sean Lyngaas / CNN:
Key Ukrainian government websites hit by series of cyberattacks

Discussion: The Hill, Mediaite, CBS Miami and New York Post

CNN:
Russia launches military attack on Ukraine with reports of explosions and troops crossing border

Discussion: Media Matters for America and One America News Network

Nick Wadhams / Bloomberg:
Biden's Own Aides Feared His Sanctions Wouldn't Stop Putin

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, Summit News, Gigi Sims Newsletter, Wide World of News, The Blue State Conservative, Fox News, Diary of a Sane Conservative and Louder With Crowder

Anton Troianovski / New York Times: Many Russians Feel a Deep Unease Over Going to War

David Ignatius / Washington Post:
A deadly, devious intelligence war unfolds in Ukraine

Discussion: Politico

Associated Press:
AP-NORC poll: Most in US oppose major role in Russia strife

Discussion: Axios, From The Forests of Arduinna, bellingcat, RedState, Insider, A Conservative Perspective, RedState, U.S. Department of Defense, AP-NORC, NBC News, The National Interest, The Daily Caller, The Hill, National Review, HotAir, Politico, The Daily Caller and National Review

Paul Sonne / Washington Post:
Ukraine's Zelensky to Russians: ‘What are you fighting for and with whom?’

Discussion: CBS News, TASS, Washington Examiner and Metro.co.uk

Sarakshi Rai / The Hill:
Ukraine official questions why Russia is even part of UN security council

Discussion: Fox News, WFLA-TV, HuffPost, FOX 5 San Diego and Insider

Katherine Doyle / Washington Examiner:
Putin is ‘improvising’ and ‘adapting’ to US response, White House says

Discussion: Politico, HuffPost, Supercreator and NBC New York

Bernard-Henri Lévy / Tablet Magazine:
The Rape of Ukraine — Taking Putin's grievances seriously would be nothing more than a death wish …

Discussion: Associated Press, Washington Examiner and CNN

Dylan Byers / Puck:

Is Jen Psaki the Next Rachel Maddow? — Biden's spokesperson, who plans to leave the White House this year, is being feverishly courted by CNN and MSNBC, among others. And Psaki has ambitions to become a marquee star. Is she the next Maddow or Anderson?

Discussion: Daily Mail, Too Much TV Newsletter, RedState, Washington Examiner, Twitchy, Mediaite and HotAir

Politico:

The frame that doomed BBB — Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. — As the Biden administration looks over the cadaver that is their Build Back Better agenda, wondering what components, if any, it can resuscitate …

Discussion: National Review

Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post: White House press secretary Jen Psaki could reportedly replace Rachel Maddow on MSNBC

Bryan Anderson / WRAL-TV:

NC Supreme Court OK's new voting maps for 2022 election — The North Carolina Supreme Court late Wednesday allowed a set of newly enacted voting maps that a panel of North Carolina judges approved earlier in the day to be implemented for this year's elections.

Michael Wines / New York Times:
North Carolina Court Imposes New District Map, Eliminating G.O.P. Edge

Discussion: Political Wire

The Philadelphia Inquirer:
The Pa. Supreme Court has picked a new congressional map

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Spotlight PA, AFP, Greensburg Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, WTOP News, Roll Call, CBS Philly and POLITICUSUSA

James Osborne / Houston Chronicle:

Ex-ERCOT chief says he was following Abbott's direction when they ran up billions in bills during freeze — The former head of the Texas power grid testified in court Wednesday that when he ordered power prices to stay at the maximum price cap for days on end during last year's frigid winter storm …

Discussion: Off the Kuff, Raw Story, HillReporter.com, Church of the Poison …, Insider, Daily Kos, littlegreenfootballs.com and POLITICUSUSA

New York Times:

2 Prosecutors Leading N.Y. Trump Inquiry Resign, Clouding Case's Future — The prosecutors had abruptly stopped presenting evidence to a grand jury in the high-stakes criminal investigation into the former president's business practices. — The two prosecutors leading …

Jo Yurcaba / NBC News:

Texas governor calls on citizens to report parents of transgender kids for abuse — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on “licensed professionals” and “members of the general public” to report the parents of transgender minors to state authorities if it appears the minors are receiving gender-affirming medical care.

Kate Sosin / The 19th:
Ken Paxton dined with the family of a trans kid. They now feel under attack.

Discussion: Rolling Stone, Axios, Reason and Mic

Lola Fadulu / New York Times:

Columbia Psychiatry Chair Suspended After Tweet About Dark-Skinned Model — The post from Jeffrey Lieberman, which described the model as possibly a “freak of nature,” drew negative attention from medical professionals. — The chair of the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry …

Discussion: The Hill and NBC New York

Joe Tidy / BBC:

Cyber-attacks bring down many Ukraine websites — Ukraine has been hit by more cyber-attacks, which its government says are “on a completely different level”. — Earlier on Wednesday, the websites of several Ukrainian banks and government departments became inaccessible.

Discussion: Reuters, Sophos News, NetBlocks, Townhall, National Newswatch, RedState and Radio Free Europe/Radio …, more at Techmeme »

Stuart Lau / Politico:

China Direct: When your best pal picks war — EU dismay — Taiwan's watching — Exploring Europe's diplomatic and commercial relationship with China. — THE WAR BEGINS: Russia launched a full-fledged attack on Ukraine this morning, with at least hundreds of casualties so far according to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry.