POLITICO Playbook: ‘This retreat is cursed’  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  HEADS UP — “White House bracing for Thursday inflation report,” per CNN's Betsy Klein: “The consumer price index, a key report indicating inflation in the U.S., will be released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics at 8:30 a.m.”

Inflation rose 7.9% in February, as food and energy costs push prices to highest in more than 40 years  — The consumer price index for February rose 7.9% from a year ago, the highest level since January 1982.  — Excluding food and energy, both of which moved sharply higher during the month …

Silicon Valley tech worker was the Ukrainian mom lying dead on street in brutal photo that sparked outrage  —  A Silicon Valley employee and her children are the subjects of photos so devastating that they shocked the world: A Ukrainian family lying dead on the pavement, killed by Russian mortar fire while trying to flee the conflict.

‘No off-ramps’: U.S. and European officials don't see a clear endgame in Ukraine … When Russia first invaded Ukraine just over two weeks ago, the near-unanimous global assumption was that it would score a quick and easy military victory over its neighbor to the west.

Outside the West, Putin is less isolated than you might think  —  You're reading an excerpt from the Today's WorldView newsletter.  Sign up to get the rest, including news from around the globe, interesting ideas, and opinions to know sent to your inbox every weekday.

Garland says the Jan. 6 investigation won't end until everyone is held to account  —  On his first anniversary as attorney general, Merrick Garland said he's committed to unraveling the conspiracy behind the storming of the U.S. Capitol, in what he calls “the most urgent investigation in the history of the Justice Department.”

Trump lawyer knew plan to delay Biden certification was unlawful, emails show  —  John Eastman conceded that scheme represented violation of Electoral Count Act but urged Mike Pence to go ahead anyway  —  Interrupting the certification of Joe Biden's election win on 6 January last year …

“Infamy Is Kind Of Fun”: Grimes on Music, Mars, and Her Secret New Baby With Elon Musk  —  So I show up at Grimes's house on a Tuesday afternoon.  Grimes's real name is Claire Boucher, and she answers to Grimes or Claire, or even better, c, as in the speed of light.

Sen. Cruz to ride with 'People's Convoy' around D.C. Beltway … Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will be visiting the “People's Convoy” at the Hagerstown Speedway on Thursday and riding shotgun as drivers head to the Beltway for the fourth time this week to protest pandemic health restrictions aimed …

‘No light.  No nothing.’ Inside Louisiana's harshest juvenile lockup  —  This article was published in partnership with ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power, and The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system.

NYT Reporter: CIA/NSA Sources Involved With Trump “Pee Tape” & “Leftist sh*t” At The Times  —  New York Times Reporter Discusses CIA / NSA Sources; 'Ridiculous Pee Tape Didn't Exist' ... ‘Crazier Leftist Sh*t’ Influences Reporting  • Rosenberg on infamous ...

Woman sues Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, says he is her father, court documents say  —  The lawsuit said Jones and the woman's mother had reached a settlement that barred the child from publicly identifying that Jones is her father.  —  A 25-year-old congressional aide who grew …

Russia and QAnon have the same false conspiracy theory about Ukraine  —  New York (CNN Business)A new conspiracy theory has become popular among some of the online communities that formed around QAnon — one simultaneously being promoted by the Kremlin as a justification for its invasion of Ukraine.

Ready to Die?  Why Most People Flunk the Zelenskyy Test.  —  In his bid for international support for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has found a good line, and he knows it.  —  “This might be the last time you see me alive,” he told European leaders in a conference call, shortly after his country was invaded.

MAGA Candidate Begs For Absolution From Dorm-Room David Duke  —  Running for political office is an inherently humiliating endeavor.  Among other indignities, candidates are forced to grovel for money, both in high-dollar denominations from country-club assholes who think they're masters …

Gerhard Schröder in Moscow to meet Putin in Ukraine peace bid: Sources  —  Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday as part of a mediation effort to end the war in Ukraine, sources familiar with the matter told POLITICO.

DCCC Announces Changes To Its 2022 House Battlefield, Names First-Round Of Candidates To Coveted Red To Blue List  —  Today, the DCCC announced additions to its battle-tested Frontline Program, designed to support members of Congress in competitive seats, and changes to its Districts In Play …

MedStar doctor hit by his own car and killed after a thief jumped in and sped off … Rakesh Patel pulled his gray Mercedes to a curb near Florida Avenue and U Street in Northwest Washington on Tuesday night, got out and walked over to his waiting girlfriend.  —  He had a package for her, and he set it on the sidewalk.

Ukrainian family fleeing Russian invasion turned away from U.S. border  —  A woman and her three children tried to request asylum at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, but Customs and Border Protection officials told them they couldn't come in  —  U.S. border officials in San Diego …

Russia says China refuses to supply aircraft parts after sanctions  —  China has refused to supply Russian airlines with aircraft parts, an official at Russia's aviation authority was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying on Thursday, after Boeing (BA.N) and Airbus (AIR.PA) halted supply of components.

Subtle Shifts Raise Hopes for a Cease-fire in Ukraine  —  ISTANBUL — When President Vladimir V. Putin launched his invasion two weeks ago, he said a primary goal was the “denazification” of Ukraine.  He referred to the Ukrainian government as a “gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis,” making it clear that his aim was to topple it.

Abramovich and Deripaska among seven Oligarchs targeted in estimated £15bn sanction hit  —  The UK has announced sanctions against seven Oligarchs including Roman Abramovich and Oleg Deripaska. … - Owner of Chelsea FC sees his assets frozen, a prohibition on transactions with UK individuals …

Tennessee Republicans revolt against Trump's outsider pick for House seat  —  When Morgan Ortagus announced her bid for a House seat in Tennessee last month, she did so with former President Donald Trump's “complete and total endorsement” — a surefire way for a GOP candidate to quickly become competitive in a crowded field.

In a war of terrible choices, these are the fighting-age men who left Ukraine  —  CHISINAU, Moldova — He drove the final miles toward Ukraine's border bracing for the possibility that he was spending his last minutes with his family.  Dmitri Alexeev, 34, told his two children he'd probably …