memeorandum: Exclusive: Biden sends former top defense officials to Taiwan in show of support (Reuters)

2:30 PM ET, February 28, 2022

Top Items:

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Rocket Attack on Civilian Target — Delegations from Kyiv and Moscow met in Belarus, even as Ukraine said dozens were killed in a Russian rocket attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. The Treasury Department announced a freeze on Russian Central Bank assets.

Washington Post:

The war in Ukraine isn't working out the way Russia intended … The war in Ukraine isn't going Russia's way. — Videos posted on social media show whole columns of tanks and armored vehicles have been wiped out. Others have been stopped in their tracks by ordinary Ukrainians standing on the street to block their advance.

Wall Street Journal:

Putin Finds Himself Isolated, Out of Touch as Invasion of Ukraine Sputters — Russia's leader is peddling an alternative narrative to suit his needs, and his behavior is making his inner circle appear uncomfortable — With much of the world moving against him, economic sanctions piling …

Discussion: Against the Grain, CNN, Associated Press, Foreign Policy, The Kyiv Independent and Washington Post

Associated Press:

Ukraine seeks to join EU as round of talks with Russia ends — KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — An embattled Ukraine moved to solidify its bond with the West on Monday by signing an application to join the European Union, while the first round of Ukraine-Russia talks aimed at ending the fighting concluded with no immediate agreements.

Discussion: New York Post and KTLA

Allahpundit / HotAir:

Russia is taking off the gloves in Kharkiv — A significant escalation, and not just in terms of firepower. … I'm going to give you these two clips as well with a warning that they're graphic. But most war videos are sterile, capturing bombs exploding at a safe distance.

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Instapundit, Lucian Truscott Newsletter and PolisPandit

Axios:
Russian forces shell civilian areas as first round of peace talks ends

Discussion: Financial Times, Conservative Brief and Politico

Associated Press:
Live updates: US official: Belarus may join Ukraine invasion

Discussion: Reuters, Slate, UPI, Kyodo News+, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, Associated Press, Newsy, BizPac Review, Bloomberg, The Drive, Associated Press, Daily Kos, Reuters, New York Times, Reuters and Financial Times

Illia Ponomarenko / The Kyiv Independent:
Sources: Belarus to join Russia's war on Ukraine within hours

Discussion: Associated Press, CNN, Politico, Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, WFLA-TV, Austin Kocher, BizPac Review, Washington Examiner, Raw Story and Balloon Juice

CNN:
CNN poll: Most Americans want US to do more to stop Russia, but most also oppose direct military action

Discussion: HotAir, New York Post, Townhall, Erick Erickson's Confessions …, Washington Post, National Review and Associated Press

Wall Street Journal:
Ukraine Leads the World

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press, BizPac Review, UnHerd, Making Sense …, Newslit Daily, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Current, Power Line and Comment is Freed, more at Techmeme »

Andrew Romano / Yahoo News:

Poll: 74 percent of Americans call Russia's Ukraine invasion unjustified — 46th and current president of the United States — In the opening days of the war in Ukraine, the fractious American public is remarkably united in opposition to Russia's invasion, with 74 percent saying the breach …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Blue State Conservative and The Political Insider

New York Times:

The West's Plan to Isolate Putin: Undermine the Ruble — Measures announced over the weekend aimed at restricting the Russian central bank's ability to support the ruble appear to be having an immediate impact. — By targeting Russia's central bank with sanctions, experts said …

Discussion: CNN, Bloomberg, HotAir, Financial Times, CDR Salamander, Washington Post, Jacobin, The Kyiv Independent, One America News Network, Behind the Iron Curtain, t zero, lewrockwell.com, Pandemic Capitalism, Euro Weekly News Spain and Japan Times

Natasha Turak / CNBC:
Russia central bank more than doubles key interest rate to 20% to boost sinking ruble

Discussion: Reuters, NBC News, Deseret, BBC, The Times of Israel, Al Jazeera, Forbes, TASS and Financial Times

Brian Schwartz / CNBC: Russian oligarchs move yachts as U.S. moves to ‘hunt down’ and freeze assets

U.S. Department of the Treasury:
Treasury Prohibits Transactions with Central Bank of Russia and Imposes Sanctions on Key Sources of Russia's Wealth

Discussion: Fox News, OFAC, Reuters, Washington Examiner, UPI, Musings of a Social Worker, Reason, CBS News, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller, The Daily Beast, Politico, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, TASS and REFORM.by

Bloomberg:
U.S. Bans Transactions With Russian Central Bank, Wealth Fund

Discussion: The Moscow Times, CNBC, Financial Times, The Guardian, CBS News, ABC News, New York Post, Human Events, Voice of America, UPI, HotAir, Metro.co.uk, New York Times and The Guardian

Caitlin Ostroff / Wall Street Journal:
Russia's Ruble, Financial Markets Are Hammered by Sanctions

Discussion: Insider, Washington Post, Bloomberg, NPR, Agence France-Presse, Financial Times, CNBC, CNN, HotAir, Sky News, The Daily Caller, Nsbb, Edward Slavsquat, Talking Points Memo, UPI, New Statesman, Just The News and BBC

Associated Press:
Ruble plummets as sanctions bite, sending Russians to banks

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Yahoo News, Life in Lists of 30, The Record, NBC News, WAVY-TV, The Kyiv Independent, ING Think, Nsbb, CNN, The Times of Israel and The Atlantic

Wall Street Journal:
Behind the Sweeping Russia Sanctions: Zelensky's Plea and a Mounting Crisis

Discussion: Breitbart

Jeff Stein / Washington Post:
U.S., European allies freeze 'Putin's war chest' as Russia careens toward economic crisis

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Politico, CNBC, San Diego Jewish World and Deseret

Judd Legum / Popular Information:

Two members of Congress spoke at a white nationalist convention. These corporations are supporting their reelection. — Over the weekend, two members of Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ), addressed a white nationalist convention.

Discussion: Raw Story, BizPac Review, CBS News, Rolling Stone, The Racket News, The Dispatch and Newsweek

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Romney is right: MAGA Republicans are ‘almost treasonous’

Discussion: The Blue State Conservative, CNN, PRESS RUN, USA Today, Raw Story, Jihad Watch, Common Dreams, Robert Reich and Morning Shots

Jonathan Edwards / Washington Post:
Two Republican members of Congress participated in a white nationalist's conference. Mitt Romney called them ‘morons.’

Discussion: Salon, Digressions and Dysfluencies, Right Wing Watch, EgbertoWillies.com, CNN, HuffPost, Washington Times, Insider and The Guardian

CNN:

EXCLUSIVE: Prominent conservative judge who advised Pence on the 2020 election endorses Biden's Supreme Court nominee — The Biden White House is getting a major endorsement for Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson from a prominent conservative.

Anita Hill / URL Media:
Ketanji Brown Jackson's Nomination to the Supreme Court Signals Historic Change

Discussion: Vanity Fair, MILLENNIUM and Fortune

Laura Barrón-López / Politico:
Ketanji Brown Jackson to meet with McConnell this week

Discussion: CNN, The Hill, Daily Kos and CBS News

Nick Cumming-Bruce / New York Times:

Switzerland says it will freeze Russian assets, setting aside a tradition of neutrality. — GENEVA — Switzerland, a favorite destination for Russian oligarchs and their money, announced on Monday that it would freeze Russian financial assets in the country, setting aside a deeply rooted tradition …

Discussion: HotAir, Reuters, Insider, New York Post, The Guardian, Financial Times, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, The Daily Caller, Raw Story, The Moderate Voice, Associated Press, Live and Let's Fly and The Local

Axios:

Scoop: Zelensky pushes Biden on no-fly zone — Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging President Biden and NATO to impose a “no-fly zone” over “significant parts” of the country, telling Axios in a statement that Ukraine “can beat the aggressor” if the Western allies “do their part.”

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Washington Post, The Washington Current, National Review and Political Wire

David Dayen / New York Times:

Larry Summers Shares the Blame for Inflation — Mr. Dayen is the author of two books about Wall Street and the economy. He is also the executive editor of The American Prospect, whose latest issue focuses on the supply chain disruptions of the past two years, and the policies that led to them.

Patty Coller / WKBN-TV:

Local man charged in Capitol riot dies — SHARPSVILLE, Pa. (WKBN) - A local man charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has died. — Matthew Perna, 37, died February 25. Investigators said that Perna took his own life. — The Mercer County Coroner's Office said Monday his death is under investigation.

Discussion: Raw Story

Andy Campbell / HuffPost:

Proud Boys Leader Yells Racist Slurs Before Attacking Black Woman — Andrew Walls, 26, was slapped with weapons and assault charges after he was seen on video sucker-punching a woman outside a bar in Akron, Ohio. — A chapter leader in the far-right Proud Boys extremist gang was charged …

Discussion: Akron Beacon Journal, Raw Story and Political Wire

American Greatness:

The Suicide of a January 6 Defendant: ‘They Broke Him’ — Matthew Perna was failed by the country he loved. — Matthew Perna did nothing wrong on January 6, 2021. — The Pennsylvania man walked through an open door on the Senate side of the building shortly before 3 p.m. that afternoon.

Discussion: Washington Examiner

NBC News:

Facebook, Twitter remove disinformation accounts targeting Ukrainians — Facebook and Twitter removed two anti-Ukrainian “covert influence operations” over the weekend, one tied to Russia and another with connections to Belarus, the companies said. — One of the operations …

Discussion: Twitchy, The Federalist, UPI, The Guardian, The Verge, TechCrunch, Lukasz Olejnik on Cyber …, NPR, CBS News and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »

Kaelan Deese / Washington Examiner:

Supreme Court weighs major case on EPA's authority over greenhouse gases — The Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments for a consolidation of cases filed by a coalition of states and coal companies seeking to limit the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to regulate power plants …