Russian Forces Target Ukrainian Civilian Areas as Missile Hits Central Kharkiv  —  Moscow shifts approach toward heavy bombardment of Ukrainian cities after failing to execute quick invasion  —  KYIV, Ukraine—Russian forces struck the central square of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early Tuesday …

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.

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 …

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 …

Democrats turn against mask mandates as Covid landscape and voter attitudes shift  —  Why are mask mandates falling away now?  —  WASHINGTON — When President Joe Biden gives his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, the mask mandate will be gone in the Capitol, reflecting a stark nationwide shift …

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.

The limits of “following the science”  —  Two years into the pandemic, the idea of “following the science” has oversimplified what's actually a complex array of factors that policymakers must weigh in formulating a response. … Even when data is irrefutable, people can disagree on the application …

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.

Marco Rubio Says He's Boycotting Biden's State of the Union Over COVID Test Tantrum  —  SORE LOSS  —  Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is refusing to attend President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday because he's upset that everyone has been asked to check if they have COVID-19 before they show up.

Coverage of Ukraine has exposed long-standing racist biases in Western media  —  H.A. Hellyer, a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace scholar, is a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and Cambridge University.  —  “This isn't a place, with all due respect …

India sticks with Russia after Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine  —  New Delhi is reluctant to upset Moscow due to deep trade and defence links and anxiety over China  —  An increasingly isolated Vladimir Putin left Russia for only the second time during the pandemic last December.

Biden Wants to Take Down the Ocean Shipping Cartel  —  New initiatives would beef up investigations into anti-competitive conduct from the industry, which is enjoying astronomical profits.  —  Container ships are docked at the Port of Long Beach in California, January 11, 2022.

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.