memeorandum: Russia's Effort to Avoid Default Undermined by New U.S. Sanction (Bloomberg)

10:45 AM ET, April 5, 2022

Top Items:

Ukraine Live Updates: E.U. Moves to Ban Russian Coal; Zelensky to Address U.N. — The European Union said it was also working to ban Russian oil. As Ukraine's president prepared to speak to the Security Council, U.S. and European allies vowed to hold Russia accountable for the reported killings of hundreds people in a Kyiv suburb.

Discussion: Bloomberg, Reuters, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, Florida Politics, UPI, Euractiv, Althouse and Newsweek

New York Times:

Satellite images show bodies lay in Bucha for weeks, despite Russian claims. — An analysis of satellite images by The New York Times rebuts claims by Russia that the killing of civilians in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, occurred after its soldiers had left the town.

Discussion: Insider, Al Jazeera, Digby's Hullabaloo, nationalinterest.org, Hackwhackers, The Guardian, Trends Journal, Balloon Juice, Raw Story, The Daily Beast, RedState, Talking Points Memo, Task & Purpose and Political Wire

Bloomberg:

Russia's Effort to Avoid Default Undermined by New U.S. Sanction — Russia's efforts to avoid a sovereign default took another blow after the U.S. Treasury halted dollar debt payments from the country's accounts at U.S. banks. — The decision further complicates Russia's attempts …

Discussion: HotAir, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, CNBC, Reuters, EU NEIGHBOURS east and Russia's War on Democracy

William Saletan / The Bulwark:

Who's Soft on Russia? Meet the Republican Anti-Ukraine Caucus! — The Republicans who love Russia and hate America. — After years of defending a pro-Putin American president and dismissing Russia's interference in American elections, Republicans have returned to their old shtick: accusing Democrats of being soft on Russia.

Discussion: Associated Press, nationalinterest.org and Raw Story

Associated Press:

Live updates | Putin warns on nationalizing Russian stakes — MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any move by foreign countries to nationalize Russian stakes in companies would be “a double-edged sword.” — “We are already hearing statements from officials …

Discussion: HotAir and France 24

Walter Russell Mead / Wall Street Journal:

Biden's Ugly Options in Ukraine — Pushing to defeat Russia has high risks and costs, but so do the alternatives. — We are only six weeks into Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine, but the conflict has already settled into a familiar pattern. Both sides often go into wars with a theory of victory …

Discussion: CBS News

Presidential Office of Ukraine:
There is ample evidence that it is Russian troops who destroy peaceful cities, torture and kill civilians - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Discussion: New York Times, Axios, BBC, The Daily Wire, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg, Mariia Kravchenko and The Daily Beast

Michael Weiss / New Lines Magazine: Exclusive: How Russia Evades Sanctions via Syrian Loan Schemes

Washington Examiner:
Biden has gone wobbly on Ukraine

Discussion: MSNBC

Anthony Capaccio / Bloomberg:
U.S. Drones for Ukraine Will Include Latest Tank Killers

Discussion: The Hill and Washington Examiner

Cathy Young / The Bulwark:
The Bucha Atrocities and the Kremlin Apologists

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Morning Shots, New York Times, The Dispatch, Reuters, Politico, HotAir, Washington Post, Overtime, Discourse Blog, ABC News and Washington Examiner

Washington Post:
Ukrainian villagers describe cruel and brutal Russian occupation

Discussion: New York Times and bellingcat

Associated Press:

Trump aide seeking NH House seat voted in 2 states in 2016 — CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A former Trump administration official now running for Congress in New Hampshire voted twice during the 2016 primary election season, potentially violating federal voting law and leaving him at odds …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story and Political Wire

Emma Roth / The Verge:

Twitter will appoint Elon Musk to its board of directors — Musk is limited from buying more than 15 percent of Twitter's stock — Twitter is appointing Tesla CEO Elon Musk to its board of directors, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Musk will serve as a class II director until 2024.

Christopher Hutton / Washington Examiner:

Elon Musk pushes for Twitter edit button after becoming largest shareholder — Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a push for a Twitter edit button a day after becoming the company's largest stakeholder, prompting speculation about his efforts to influence Twitter's future.

Discussion: pjmedia.com, Politico, Financial Times, Associated Press, Raw Story, WAVY-TV, The Daily Wire, Election Law Blog, Mashable, New Republic, Bloomberg and Vault, more at Techmeme »

Martin Pengelly / The Guardian:

'I didn't win the election': Trump admits defeat in session with historians — The ex-president also said that Iran, China and South Korea were happy Biden won, adding that ‘the election was rigged and lost’ — Donald Trump has admitted he did not win the 2020 election. — “I didn't win the election,” he said.

Discussion: Raw Story, Hackwhackers and Insider

Julian E. Zelizer / The Atlantic:
What I Learned When Trump Tried to Correct the Record

Discussion: Raw Story, Washington Examiner, Mediaite and Insider

Politico:

POLITICO Playbook: Why Biden's base is in distress — DRIVING THE DAY — Democrats are desperately trying to understand what's roiling the electorate heading into a brutal midterm environment. — HIT Strategies has been conducting weekly focus groups to find out in real time how Americans are processing events in 2022.

Discussion: Townhall, RedState and NRCC

Elena Schneider / Politico:

How election conspiracy theories turned local politics ‘toxic’ in one Wisconsin city — GREEN BAY, Wis. — For the second time since Election Day 2020, uniformed police officers will be on duty when ballot counting begins in Green Bay's local elections. — It's the result of tension building …

Daniel Nichanian / Bolts: Fake Trump Elector Is Running in Wisconsin This Week, Alongside Other Big Lie Supporters

Fox News:

Ron Klain solicited money from Hunter Biden for VP residence in 2012, emails show: ‘Keep this low low key’ — Klain told Hunter ‘raising money for the Residence now is bad PR’ — Hunter Biden probe has DOJ in ‘untenable’ position, case for a special counsel is ‘absolutely clear’: Turley

Discussion: New York Post, Breitbart, Townhall and BizPac Review

New York Post:
Hunter Biden grand jury witness was asked about deal with Chinese firm - and ‘the big guy’

Discussion: RedState, Power Line, Wide World of News, Washington Examiner, Human Events and Notes from the Twilight Zone

Politico:

GOP Rep. Fred Upton to retire — Rep. Fred Upton, one of the longest-tenured Republicans in the House of Representatives, has decided to retire rather than seek reelection in 2022. — Upton was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump in January 2021 …

Discussion: Washington Post and Fox News

Ben Adler / Yahoo News:

Republican-controlled states have higher murder rates than Democratic ones: study — 46th and current president of the United States — Republican politicians routinely claim that cities run by Democrats have been experiencing crime waves caused by failed governance …

Michelle Fox / CNBC:

Inflation fears force Americans to rethink financial choices — 76% of Americans worry inflation will force them to rethink financial choices: CNBC survey — Surging inflation has Americans reconsidering how they spend their money. — The Consumer Price Index, which measures …

Discussion: Zandar Versus The Stupid

Jeff Amy / Associated Press:

Stacey Abrams reaches millionaire status before 2nd campaign — ATLANTA (AP) — When Democrat Stacey Abrams first ran for Georgia governor in 2018, her lackluster personal finances and a hefty bill from the IRS gave Republicans fodder to question how she could manage a state budget when she struggled with her own debts.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Elizabeth Nolan Brown / Reason:

California Can't Mandate Diversity on Corporate Boards — Plus: Prayer on football field faces SCOTUS, Mike Tyson's ear-shaped edibles banned in Colorado, and more... Law “violates the Equal Protection Clause of the California Constitution on its face,” says judge.

Discussion: Ohio Capital Journal

Stephanie Akin / Roll Call:

Facing criticism, Tim Ryan defends anti-China ad in Ohio Senate race — Asian American super PAC says he's stoking hate to stir up base — Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan is not backing down as he faces blowback from some in his party for an ad in his Senate campaign that repeatedly blames China for workers' economic woes.

Discussion: The Hill

Oren Liebermann / CNN:

US tested hypersonic missile in mid-March but kept it quiet to avoid escalating tensions with Russia — The US successfully tested a hypersonic missile in mid-March but kept it quiet for two weeks to avoid escalating tensions with Russia as President Joe Biden was about to travel to Europe …

Discussion: Political Wire

Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Wants More Oil From Canada but Not a New Pipeline to Bring It — White House still opposes Keystone, but other options could include shipping more oil by rail or expanding pipeline capacity along existing routes — Biden administration officials are seeking ways to boost oil imports from Canada …

Politico:

Jackson confirmation battle rejuvenates Doug Jones — Doug Jones became a so-called Supreme Court sherpa in the most quintessentially Washington way possible. — The day after Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement announcement, a reporter emailed Jones to ask whether the White House …

Discussion: The Blue State Conservative, Washington Post, Ace of Spades HQ, CNN, CBS News, Florida Politics, Washington Times, NBC4 Washington, Morning Consult and WAVY-TV

Kate Briquelet / The Daily Beast:

Victim: Epstein Shared Hotel Suite With Bill Clinton and Worried About Being Poisoned — STRANGE BEDFELLOWS — Juliette Bryant was approached in a Cape Town bar and asked if she'd like to meet the former president and Jeffrey Epstein. It was the beginning of her personal nightmare.

Discussion: Raw Story

Aaron Schaffer / Washington Post:

The FBI is spending millions on social media tracking software — Good morning! See any interesting contracting records? Send them my way: aaron.schaffer@washpost.com. — Below: Lawmakers blast a reported review of a major U.S. cyber policy, and crypto scams are multiplying.