Top Items:
Yuras Karmanau / Associated Press:
Russian strikes hit western Ukraine as offensive widens — LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia widened its military offensive in Ukraine on Friday, striking near airports in the west of the country for the first time as troops kept up pressure on the capital, Kyiv, and the U.S. and its allies prepared …
Discussion:
The Atlantic, Bloomberg, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Washington Examiner, Boston.com, NewsNation, ABC7, New York Post and Blue Virginia
RELATED:
Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:
Russia's new control tactic is the one Hannah Arendt warned us about 50 years ago … You don't need belief. All you need is confusion. — That's how authoritarian leaders manage to control the populace, the great German political philosopher Hannah Arendt once explained.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, New York Post and Associated Press
Marc Santora / New York Times:
Live Updates: Russian Forces Press Ukrainian Defenses on Multiple Fronts — The low rumble of heavy artillery fire echoed across Kyiv on Friday as Russian forces renewed their ground offensive and widened their aerial bombardment of Ukraine. President Biden will call for suspending normal trade relations with Russia.
Discussion:
HotAir, New York Post, WGN-TV, Washington Post, The Pulse, WFLA-TV, New York Times and WRAL-TV
Nic Robertson / CNN:
After over three decades of covering Russia, I leave in despair. One man has extinguished the bright hope many once felt — I leave Moscow angry and sad. — It feels like a passage out of darkness to light, but left behind are friends trapped in one man's tunnel vision.
Discussion:
Radio Free Europe/Radio …, DCCC, Raw Story and Insider
Matthew Lee / Associated Press:
As West tries to force Russia from Ukraine, endgame elusive
As West tries to force Russia from Ukraine, endgame elusive
Discussion:
New York Times, Mercury News, Washington Post, Passport Stamps, The Federalist, Al Jazeera, CBS News, Foreign Affairs, The Bulwark, 19FortyFive and Insider
David Brooks / New York Times:
This Is Why Putin Can't Back Down — Carl von Clausewitz famously asserted that war …
This Is Why Putin Can't Back Down — Carl von Clausewitz famously asserted that war …
Discussion:
CounterPunch, Reuters, Politico and Wide World of News
Zeke Miller / Associated Press:
US, allies to revoke ‘most favored nation’ status for Russia
US, allies to revoke ‘most favored nation’ status for Russia
Discussion:
Reuters, USA Today, globalnews.ca, CNN, Bloomberg, The Hill and The Everyman's newsletter
Evgeniy Maloletka / Associated Press:
Russians keep pressure on Mariupol; massive convoy breaks up
Russians keep pressure on Mariupol; massive convoy breaks up
Discussion:
Fox News, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Washington Examiner, MSNBC, Insider, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Daily Kos, No More Mister Nice Blog, CNN and RedState
Mikhail Zygar / New York Times:
How Vladimir Putin Lost Interest in the Present
How Vladimir Putin Lost Interest in the Present
Discussion:
New York Post, BizPac Review, Rolling Stone, Outside the Beltway, Mother Jones, Washington Post, Forbes, Mediaite, Democrats and National Review
Michael C. Bender / Wall Street Journal:
Biden, Democrats Lose Ground on Key Issues, WSJ Poll Finds — The president's handling of the Ukraine crisis hasn't boosted his overall political standing as voters worry about inflation — WASHINGTON—President Biden and his fellow Democrats have lost ground to Republicans on several …
Discussion:
The Hill, Los Angeles Times and Political Wire
RELATED:
Philip Klein / National Review:
Poll: Republicans Beat Democrats among Hispanics, at 27 Percent among Black Voters — There is a lot of grim news for President Biden and Democrats in the latest Wall Street Journal poll (Cliff Notes version is that while more Americans approve of his handling of Ukraine …
Discussion:
Townhall
Catherine Rampell / Washington Post:
Democrats are in denial about inflation — Inflation is spiking, and Democrats — who, rightly or wrongly, are poised to take the blame this November — appear to be in denial about it. — Consumer prices rose 7.9 percent in February from a year earlier, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.
Discussion:
The Hill, CNN, TheBlaze, New York Times, The Daily Caller and Just The News
Annie Karni / New York Times:
Bracing for Losses, Democrats Look to Biden for a Reset
Bracing for Losses, Democrats Look to Biden for a Reset
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Hill, BizPac Review, The Nation, UPI, ABC News, NPR, Associated Press, NBC 6 South Florida, Ballotpedia News, Regular Order, Supercreator and CBS Philly
David Siders / Politico:
Dems see midterm hope in Biden bounce
Dems see midterm hope in Biden bounce
Discussion:
HotAir, The Guardian, Washington Post, Insider and Washington Times
Claudia Grisales / NPR:
New clues emerge about the money that might have helped fund the Jan. 6 insurrection — Eight months into the investigation of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the financial story is one of the most closely held parts of the probe. But the House select committee has shared some clues through its subpoenas and court filings.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Josh's Newsletter, GOP.com and The Western Journal
RELATED:
Dylan Jackson / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Herschel Walker's business record reveals creditor lawsuits, exaggerated claims — Over the past two decades, creditors have alleged Walker's businesses owed millions in unpaid loans. — While football great Herschel Walker's bid for the U.S. Senate hinges on his celebrity …
Karen Gilchrist / CNBC:
Deutsche Bank defends decision not to exit Russia: It's not ‘practical’ right now — Deutsche Bank's CFO said Thursday it is not “practical” to close its Russia business, despite similar moves by major corporations seeking to distance themselves from the pariah state.
Discussion:
Raw Story
RELATED:
Zeynep Tufekci / New York Times:
How Millions of Lives Might Have Been Saved from Covid-19 — This article is part of Times Opinion's reflection on the two-year mark of the Covid pandemic. Read more in a note from Alexandra Sifferlin, Opinion's health and science editor, in our Opinion Today newsletter.
RELATED:
Brianne Pfannenstiel / Des Moines Register:
National Democratic leaders draft proposal to reshape presidential calendar, threatening Iowa caucuses … WASHINGTON, D.C. — National Democratic leaders have drafted a proposal that could significantly reshape the party's presidential nominating process and put an end to Iowa's prized …
Discussion:
Raw Story
William Mauldin / Wall Street Journal:
Unfounded Russian Claims of Biological Weapons Research in Ukraine Stir Fears of Wider Risk — Western officials are concerned the accusations could serve as a pretext for Moscow to unleash chemical or biological weapons — Russian officials accused the U.S. of funding biowarfare efforts in Ukraine …
RELATED:
Edward Wong / New York Times:
U.S. Fights Ukraine Bioweapons Disinformation Pushed by Russia and China
U.S. Fights Ukraine Bioweapons Disinformation Pushed by Russia and China
Discussion:
The Guardian, ChinaDiction, The Wrap, Washington Post and Foreign Policy, more at Techmeme »
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
His reporting on the Kennedy assassination made him a legend. Then a press group looked into his past. … Merriman Smith was a distinguished White House correspondent for decades, but he cemented his place in journalism history on a bright afternoon in 1963.
Reuters:
EXCLUSIVE Facebook allows Ukraine war posts urging violence against invading Russians, Putin — Meta Platforms (FB.O) will allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Reason, Euractiv, New Statesman, Breitbart, Caitlin's Newsletter, The Verge, Metro.co.uk, One America News Network, The New Arab, Washington Post, Raw Story, Geoff's Newsletter, Big League Politics, CBS News, The Kyiv Independent, Engadget, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, РИА …, The Wrap, TheBlaze and Protocol, more at Techmeme »
Gabby Deutch / Jewish Insider:
Israel 'shouldn't exist as a Jewish state,' Amnesty USA director tells Democratic group — Paul O'Brien's comments follow an Amnesty International report accusing the Jewish state of committing apartheid — Following Amnesty International's recent report that accused Israel of “apartheid” …
Ruby Cramer / Politico:
The New Identity Politics of Eric Adams — NEW YORK — The contradictions of man are many, and Eric Adams has more than most. These mysteries of the self, whatever they might mean to the 8.8 million people of his city, however much they might fascinate or confuse, frustrate or delight, do not trouble the mind of the mayor.
Politico:
Judge warns special counsel over provocative court filing — A federal judge delivered a warning to special counsel John Durham on Thursday after recent court filings became fodder for pro-Trump media and prompted incendiary allegations from the former president himself.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Fox News and Washington Times
Noah Smith / Noahpinion:
Time for a Diplomatic Revolution — Cold War 2 is here, and the U.S. needs all the allies we can get. … Diplomatic revolutions are amazing things. In some ways, they're the pivot of history. It takes decades or even centuries for nations to rise and decline, but coalition formation …
Discussion:
BloombergQuint, Fábio's Newsletter, Bloomberg and The Atlantic
The Daily Beast:
Accused Russian Agent Gave to One Politician: Tulsi Gabbard — Russian-American national Elena Branson was indicted this week for lobbying for pro-Kremlin policies while not registered as a foreign agent. She gave to one U.S. politician. … Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman …
Discussion:
Honolulu Civil Beat and Raw Story
Andrew Stiles / Washington Free Beacon:
These Democratic Megadonors Made a $108 Million ‘Lucky Bet’ on Wall Street. Now the Feds Are Investigating. — Daily Beast owner Barry Diller, Lincoln Project patron David Geffen, and German prince Alex von Fürstenberg suspected of insider trading — Federal authorities …
Matt Taibbi / TK News:
Activism, Uncensored: The People's Convoy — From California to the Beltway, a wire-to-wire portrait of the American trucker protests — In a terrific piece of coast-to-coast video journalism, culminating in a story that's still live — the “Freedom Convoy,” an American version …
Ali Noorani / The Bulwark:
The Moral Clarity of Resettling Refugees — Steps the Biden administration must take to reclaim America's role as a world leader in accepting refugees. — More than 2 million Ukrainian refugees—including 1 million children—have fled the country in less than two weeks.
Discussion:
New Statesman and WXIX-TV
Sam Brodey / The Daily Beast:
Jeff Flake Got More Than He Bargained For—a Job Brokering Peace in Ukraine — Jeff Flake tried to save the GOP from Donald Trump. He's now one of the lead U.S. diplomats trying to save Ukraine from Vladimir Putin. — In his last job, Jeff Flake went to work every day with the risk …
Discussion:
Raw Story