Frustrated Putin may order escalation of violence in Ukraine, U.S. officials say  —  U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin is growing increasingly frustrated by his military struggles in Ukraine, and may see his only option as doubling down on violence …

Ukraine invasion opens faint, but once unthinkable, fissures between Putin and Russian oligarchs … LONDON — Fissures appear to be forming between Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of the oligarch class who made billions of dollars while showing fealty to the autocratic leader …

Biden's State of the Union address to focus on Ukraine, U.S. economy  —  What to expect during Biden's first State of the Union address amid ongoing crisis in Ukraine  —  WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will come before Congress Tuesday seeking to sell his domestic and foreign policy agenda …

Scoop: Biden to deny executive privilege for Flynn and Navarro  —  President Biden will deny the shield of executive privilege for two top advisers to former President Donald Trump — his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and former trade adviser Peter Navarro …

Major social media platforms ban Russian state media in Europe … Major social media companies including YouTube, Facebook and TikTok moved to ban Russian state media outlets in Europe, blocking Moscow's biggest megaphone for influencing public opinion about the war in Ukraine in a critical region on its borders.

‘Yes, He Would’: Fiona Hill on Putin and Nukes  —  For many people, watching the Russian invasion of Ukraine has felt like a series of “He can't be doing this” moments.  Russia's Vladimir Putin has launched the largest ground war in Europe since the Second World War.  It is, quite literally, mind-boggling.

In just 72 hours, Europe overhauled its entire post-Cold War relationship with Russia  —  Just last week, many European countries were still so somnolent about the threat Russia posed to Ukraine that Germany's spy chief was caught unawares in Kyiv when the Kremlin invasion started.

GOP leaders denounce Greene, Gosar for speaking at white nationalist event  —  WASHINGTON — GOP leaders in the House and the Senate on Monday denounced a pair of far-right Trump allies — Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. — for speaking at a gathering of white nationalists in Florida over the weekend.

Louis Tomlinson, Yungblud and Franz Ferdinand pull Russian tour dates  —  Louis Tomlinson and Franz Ferdinand are the latest music stars to pull gigs in Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine.  —  US band Green Day and pop punk star Yungblud have also cancelled dates.

How Russia's Nobel-Winning Newspaper Is Covering Ukraine  —  “We continue to call war war,” Dmitry Muratov, the editor of Novaya Gazeta, said.  “We are waiting for the consequences.”  —  Last year, Dmitry Muratov, the editor-in-chief of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta …

The tide has turned against the Russia apologists — and the neutrals  —  For the better part of five-plus years, Donald Trump attempted to inject some nuance into the GOP's posture toward Russia.  It was a partially a strategy of necessity — given how Russia's 2016 election interference loomed …

Five dead, including three children, in Sacramento County church shooting  —  A man killed four people, including three of his children, before turning the gun on himself inside a church in the Sacramento suburbs on Monday evening, authorities said.  —  The explosion of gunfire took place …

House centrists: Tlaib “keying your own car”  —  Centrist House Democrats are unloading on Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for her plan to give a response to President Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday.  — “It's like keying your own car and slashing your own tires,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) told Axios.

Exclusive: Nord Stream 2 owner considers insolvency after sanctions … The Swiss-based company which built the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany is considering filing for insolvency, two sources familiar with the situation said, as it attempts to settle claims ahead …

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Russian Air Force  —  On the fifth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, one of many unanswered questions is why Russia has launched a military campaign at huge cost with maximalist objectives, and then declined to use the vast majority of its fixed wing combat aircraft.

In State of the Union, Biden plans to tout his climate agenda despite challenges in Congress and the courts  —  Good morning and welcome to The Climate 202!  Happy Tuesday from Maxine and her fluffy cat, Ollie.  😻  —  While President Biden's first State of the Union address tonight …

Axios-Ipsos poll: Biden gets little credit for COVID recovery  —  Americans are abandoning COVID-19 fears and precautions, a sea change in the past few weeks as severe illnesses fell, states dropped mandates and the CDC relaxed guidelines, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.