One of Russia's closest allies denies request for troops  —  Kazakhstan, one of Russia's closest allies and a southern neighbor, is denying a request for its troops to join the offensive in Ukraine, officials said Friday.  —  Additionally, the former Soviet republic said it is not recognizing …

U.S. stands ready to evacuate Zelensky, Russia's ‘target No. 1’  —  The U.S. government is prepared to help Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky leave Kyiv to avoid being captured or killed by advancing Russian forces, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials.  But so far, the president has refused to go.

COVID-19 by County  —  COVID-19 Community Levels are a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data.  Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

North Carolina Republicans Ask SCOTUS To Decimate Voting Rights in Every State  —  In a late Friday afternoon filing as war raged in Ukraine and as President Joe Biden announced Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court …

Zelensky Prepares to Go Down with the Ship  —  Ukraine's president rebuffed US pleas to flee, an American associate tells SpyTalk  —  An American businessman with close ties to Volodymyr Zelensky says the Ukrainian president was “calm and businesslike” when they talked yesterday …

Federal judge rules that admissions changes at nation's top public school discriminate against Asian-American students  —  Alexandria, Virginia; February 25, 2022: Today, a federal judge ruled that Fairfax County school officials violated the law by changing admissions requirements …

Georgia GOP chair tells January 6 committee that Trump campaign directed alternate elector effort  —  (CNN)The chairman of the Republican Party in Georgia on Friday told the House select committee investigating the January 6 riot that the Trump campaign had directed the party in 2020 …

Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin keeps fact-checking her colleagues on Ukraine … Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin has been pulling double duty lately.  —  Much like her peers at other news outfits, the national security correspondent has reported live from the Pentagon …

NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll: The Biden Administration Heading into the State of the Union Address, February 2022  —  Americans Perceive Biden's First Year in Office to Be a Failure... Want Biden's Administration to Focus on Inflation Amid Persistent Financial Concerns

CNN Probe Finds Allison Gollust Assisted Chris Cuomo in His Efforts to Help Andrew Cuomo  —  Spokeswoman for ex-CNN marketing chief says notion that messages to Chris Cuomo could be considered covert advice to Andrew Cuomo ‘is patently ridiculous’  —  CNN's parent company determined …

Marjorie Taylor Greene Speaks At White Nationalist Conference  —  The congresswoman from Georgia spoke at the America First Political Action Conference, organized by white nationalist “groyper” leader Nick Fuentes.  —  ORLANDO, Fla. — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) …

Putin's Not the “Genius”—Russia's Anti-War Protesters Are  —  Trump may celebrate the strongman.  But real strength is being shown on the streets of the Russian cities, where anti-war protesters gather.  —  Donald Trump still has the capacity to shock even seasoned observers of American politics.

5 ways to cope with the stressful news cycle  —  Russia invaded Ukraine this week, and the world seems to have shifted.  —  Even after weeks of bracing for an attack amid speculation, global tensions and diplomatic attempts to stave off invasion — the reality of conflict is always a shock to the system.