memeorandum: Putin's miscalculation — Watching Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine play out … (Zoya Sheftalovich/Politico)

2:15 PM ET, February 26, 2022

Top Items:

Russia-Ukraine live updates: Ukraine fights to hold Kyiv amid street battles, gunfire and explosions — At daybreak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video of himself, unshaven, on the capital's streets — proof of his apparent commitment to remain in Kyiv.

Discussion: The Verge, Forbes, CBS News and Political Wire, more at Techmeme »

Jonathan V. Last / The Triad:

Zelensky Has Become More Than a Man — A symbol. — Every week I highlight three newsletters that are worth your time. — If you find value in this project, do two things for me: (1) Hit the like button, and (2) Share this with someone. — Most of what we do in Bulwark+ is only for our members …

Discussion: Mother Jones, RedState, The Daily Wire and Mediaite

Franklin Foer / The Atlantic:

A Prayer for Volodymyr Zelensky — Before he became the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky played the part on television. He created and starred in a comedy series, Servant of the People. His character, a high-school history teacher, is surreptitiously recorded by one of his students …

Discussion: Insider, HotAir and Louder With Crowder

Lee Smith / Tablet Magazine:

Ukraine's Deadly Gamble — By tying itself to a reckless and dangerous America, the Ukrainians made a blunder that client states will study for years to come — Russian President Vladimir Putin chose this war, Joe Biden said in his Thursday afternoon speech to America regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

Discussion: New York Times, Spin, strangeness, and charm, Maarten's Newsletter, WTOP News, Associated Press and CBS San Francisco

NBC News:

Ukraine's leader defiant as Kyiv holds firm against Russian attacks — Ukrainian forces fight to hold capital as Russia vetoes UN security council resolution — The Ukrainian government was still in control of its capital city Kyiv Saturday after a night of explosions and fighting …

Discussion: Breitbart, Associated Press, BBC, Reuters, Townhall, CNN, Task & Purpose, National Review, ABC13, NPR, FOX 5 San Diego, The Daily Caller, Agence France-Presse and One America News Network

Vladislav Davidzon / Tablet Magazine:
‘Russian Ship ... Go F**k Yourself!’

Discussion: Metro.co.uk, The Cosmopolitan Globalist, The Times of Israel, National Newswatch, Al Jazeera and Bloomberg

Yaroslav Trofimov / Wall Street Journal:
Ukrainian Forces Repel Russian Attack on Kyiv, Prepare for Next Assault

Discussion: Financial Times, National Review, Associated Press and HillReporter.com

New York Times:
Russia's Assault in Ukraine Slows After an Aggressive Start

Discussion: The National Interest, On the Trail with Nick Kristof, Washington Examiner and Institute for the Study of War

Washington Post:
Russia says attacks not hitting civilians. Scenes in cities tell a different story.

Discussion: The Guardian, New York Post, Telegraph, Metro.co.uk, The Daily Fishwrap, The Daily Beast and NBC News

Phil McCausland / NBC News:
Ukrainian ambassador to U.S. accuses Russia of war crimes

Discussion: Raw Story, KFOR-TV, Washington Examiner and Townhall

Politico:

Germany to send Ukraine weapons in historic shift on military aid — Germany on Saturday reversed a historic policy of never sending weapons to conflict zones, saying the Russian invasion of Ukraine was an epochal moment that imperiled the entire post-World War II order across Europe.

Discussion: Politico, NBC Los Angeles, Slate, NBC New York, New Statesman, CNBC and Political Wire

Zachary Basu / Axios:

Germany to send thousands of weapons to Ukraine in major reversal — Germany will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger missiles to Ukraine, marking a complete reversal in Berlin's restrictive arms export policy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Saturday.

Zoya Sheftalovich / Politico:

Putin's miscalculation — Watching Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine play out, it seems the Russian president has vastly underestimated and misunderstood Ukrainians and their president. — Putin, a one-time KGB operative who in 2004 said “there is no such thing as a former KGB man,” has made clear that he lives in a world of the past.

Discussion: Jacobin, The Register, The Intercept, Associated Press and Mediaite

Associated Press:

Live updates: Germany to send anti-tank weapons to Ukraine — The latest on the Russia's invasion of Ukraine: — BERLIN — In a significant shift, the German government confirmed Saturday that it has approved the shipment of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine and supports some restrictions of the SWIFT global banking system for Russia.

Discussion: Financial Times, The's Newsletter, Bloomberg, The Kyiv Independent and Associated Press

Antony J. Blinken / United States Department of State:
Additional Military Assistance for Ukraine

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Washington Post, The Drive, UPI, The Dispatch, No Title | AIER and Cracked Bowl

Bloomberg:
U.S. Puts Banning Russia From SWIFT System Back in Play

Discussion: Forbes, CNN, Fox News, New York Times, This Week In The Economy, Metro.co.uk, Politico, Wall Street Journal, One America News Network and Interfax-Ukraine

Cameron Joseph / VICE:

Lt. Col. Vindman: Trump ‘Absolutely’ at Fault for Russia's Ukraine Invasion — “It's because of Trump's corruption that we have a less capable, less prepared Ukraine,” retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman told VICE News. — CJ — The man who played a key role in then-President Donald Trump's …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Bloomberg and Political Wire

Michael D. Weiss / TIME:
Even If Russia Wins, It Won't Do So Easily

Discussion: RT, Breitbart and CNBC

Mona El-Naggar / New York Times:

Country's Leader Urges His People to Fight — There was intense street fighting across the capital on Saturday, and the latest Western intelligence reports indicated that the Russian advance had been slowed. But the Russian priority remained the capture of Kyiv. — Ukrainian forces slow Russian advance on three cities.

Discussion: KyivPost and UPI

New York Times:

Russia's War With Ukraine Already Costing Russian Economy — Despite the Kremlin's efforts to obscure the offensive in Ukraine, the costs of the war were already evident in both economic and social turmoil. — MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin has ushered in a crisis for his country — in its economy and identity.

Discussion: Political Wire

Axios:

Scoop: CNN to dull its liberal edge — Under new chief Chris Licht, CNN will dial down the prime-time partisanship and double down on the network's news-gathering muscle, top sources tell me. — Why it matters: Ratings are secondary to credibility, in the view of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who's taking over CNN.

Discussion: Puck

Dylan Byers / Puck:

Jeff Zucker's Successor Is... Chris Licht — According to people who have spoken with Zaslav, the former wunderkind producer Jeff Zucker will be succeeded by another former wunderkind, Chris Licht. Welcome to the new CNN. — Last night, I reported that Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav …

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, New York Times, TVNewser, IndieWire, NPR, The Wrap, Variety, Hollywood Reporter and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Patricia Mazzei / New York Times:

How a High School Debate Team Shaped Ketanji Brown Jackson — The Supreme Court nominee honed her oratory on Miami Palmetto's powerhouse debate team. She was not the only alum who went on to an impressive career. — PINECREST, Fla. — Let Miami Palmetto Senior High School brag for a moment: It has a swoon-worthy alumni roster.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Register, The Daily Caller, Reason, Slate and 89.3 WFPL News Louisville

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:
Democrats raise over $1 million in hours after Biden nominates Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court

Discussion: Politico and The American Independent

Richard L. Hasen / Slate:
North Carolina Republicans Ask SCOTUS To Decimate Voting Rights in Every State

Discussion: Zandar Versus The Stupid, Election Law Blog, WTOP News and The Garden Island

Natalie Andrews / Wall Street Journal:
GOP Focuses on Midterms as Senate Considers Judge Jackson for Supreme Court

Discussion: Washington Post and CNN

New York Times:
Biden Made a Historic Supreme Court Pick. What Now?

Max Seddon / Financial Times:

Vladimir Putin, Russia's resentful leader, takes the world to war — Pent-up anger with the west and a fixation on Ukraine make him more aggressive and unpredictable than ever — Growing up in a communal apartment in Leningrad, a young Vladimir Putin liked to chase rats across the stairwell with sticks.

Discussion: Quillette, New York Times, Insight CTAE, An American in Exile, Cornwall Alliance, The Guardian, Metro.co.uk and Fox News

Reuters:

Cutting Russia off from SWIFT a “matter of days” - euro zone central banker … A decision to cut Russia off from the global SWIFT payment system will be taken in a matter of days, the governor of a central bank within the euro zone told Reuters on Saturday.

Miami Herald:

‘That is fraud.’ GOP registered more than 100 voters as Republicans without their consent — At first, Nelia Estevez didn't believe that her voter registration could have been changed without her knowledge to reflect a new political party. Voting was sacrosanct to the 69-year-old Cuban immigrant …

Discussion: Raw Story

Lissandra Villa / BuzzFeed News:

Texas's Confusing Voter Registration System Is An Early Result of Democrats' Failed Voting Rights Push — Julie Crum and her 91-year-old mother Darlyne Crum, residents of Canyon Lake, Texas, first filled out applications for mail-in ballots in January, which they qualify for in the state because they are both over the age of 65.

Nick Corasaniti / New York Times: Ballot Rejections in Texas Spike After New Voting Law

Alex Griffing / Mediaite:

Newsmax Blasts Tucker Carlson For 'Supporting Putin and Russia's Invasion of Ukraine' — Newsmax released a statement on Friday calling out Fox News and Tucker Carlson for “supporting Putin and Russia's invasion of the Ukraine.” — The right-wing, pro-Trump Newsmax taking a swing at Fox News …

Discussion: New York Times, No More Mister Nice Blog and Big League Politics