memeorandum: U.S. to resume diplomatic operations in Ukraine (Missy Ryan/Washington Post)

7:35 AM ET, April 25, 2022

Top Items:

U.S. to resume diplomatic operations in Ukraine — IN POLAND, NEAR THE BORDER WITH UKRAINE — The United States will resume diplomatic operations in Ukraine this week for the first time since Russia's invasion began in February, U.S. officials said. — Diplomats will return to the western city of Lviv …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, NPR and Associated Press

Matthew Lee / Associated Press:

In Kyiv, Blinken and Austin announce aid, diplomatic surge — NEAR THE POLISH-UKRAINIAN BORDER (AP) — The United States announced new military assistance for Ukraine and a renewed diplomatic push in the war-ravaged nation as President Joe Biden's secretary of state and Pentagon chief completed a secrecy-shrouded trip to Kyiv.

Discussion: CNN, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, Fox News, Al Jazeera and Honolulu Star-Advertiser

United States Department of State:

Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin's Travel to Ukraine — The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price: — Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visited Kyiv, Ukraine yesterday to demonstrate the United States' unwavering commitment …

Discussion: Politico, Bloomberg, KyivPost and CNSNews

New York Times:

Ukraine Live Updates: U.S. Says It Wants Russian Military ‘Weakened’ — Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said he wanted to make sure that Russia would not be able to “do the kinds of things that it has done” in the invasion or rebuild its capacity. It reflected an increasingly emboldened stance by the Biden administration.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Bloomberg, HotAir, AI Supremacy, KyivPost, Aearnur's Newsletter, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Metro.co.uk, Voice of America and The Guardian

Simon Lewis / Reuters:

Blinken, Austin pledge return of U.S. diplomats, more security assistance on Kyiv visit — Washington's top diplomat and defense secretary both visited Kyiv on Sunday, and used the first official U.S. visit to Ukraine since Russia invaded two months ago to announce a gradual return …

Discussion: Insider, NBC News, Bloomberg, CNSNews, Washington Examiner, Cyprus Mail and The Guardian

Cara Lombardo / Wall Street Journal:

Twitter Re-Examines Elon Musk's Bid, May Be More Receptive to a Deal — Two sides are meeting Sunday to discuss takeover bid, people familiar with the matter say — Twitter Inc. is re-examining Elon Musk's $43 billion takeover offer after the billionaire lined up financing for the bid …

Discussion: Reuters, Protocol, Fortune, Townhall, Winvesta Crisps, Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Western Journal, Mediaite, TMZ.com, The Daily Wire, Puck, Bloomberg, Engadget, TheBlaze, RedState, OutKick, The Gateway Pundit and Washington Post

New York Times:

Twitter in Advanced Talks to Sell Itself to Elon Musk — The company's 11-member board was negotiating with Mr. Musk into the morning on Monday over his offer to buy the social networking service and take it private. — Give this article- - - Read in app

Discussion: The Times of Israel, Mashable, Al Jazeera, The Wrap, CNN, Robert Reich, The Hill, Newsbusters, Fortune, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Wire, Just The News, Althouse and Occupy Democrats, more at Techmeme »

Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Withholds Sanctions on a Very Close Putin Associate: His Reputed Girlfriend — Officials have a sanctions package ready, but they continue to weigh the potential backlash for blacklisting the 39-year-old former Olympic gymnast — Several weeks have passed since the U.S. and its allies …

Politico:
Heavy weaponry pours into Ukraine as commanders become more desperate

Discussion: Politico, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Washington Post, KyivPost, WTOP News and The Guardian

Financial Times:
Putin abandons hopes of Ukraine deal and shifts to land-grab strategy

Discussion: Insider, The Times of Israel, ABC News and Al Jazeera

Wall Street Journal:
Top U.S. Officials Meet With Zelensky in Kyiv

Discussion: New York Times, The RL Report, Axios, NBC4 Washington, Euractiv, Washington Post, The Hill, The New Arab, Al Jazeera, Forbes, Raw Story, Associated Press, CNBC, The Hill, globalnews.ca, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Radio Free Europe/Radio … and Wide World of News

Associated Press:
Live updates | Ukraine: Civilians in steelworks beg for aid

Discussion: NPR, Associated Press, Al Jazeera and The Daily Beast

Erin Cunningham / Washington Post:
How Russia's war in Ukraine is dividing the Orthodox Christian world

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Cyprus Mail, Politico and Insider

Cristina Gonzalez / Politico:

Special edition: Macron beats Le Pen in French presidential election — Created with Sketch. — In this special edition, we analyze the result of the French presidential election and its implications for France and for Europe. — The show features highlights from an election-night discussion …

John Leicester / Associated Press:

Loss is victory for far-right in France's election — One of the headlines from the presidential election in France is that the far-right has come out of the cold and gone mainstream — PARIS — The far-right has gone mainstream in France. — That's the headline from the landmark showing …

Discussion: The Forward

Washington Post:
France's Macron wins presidency, holding off Le Pen's far-right threat to upend Europe and relations with Russia

Olivier Faye / Le Monde.fr: A tepid victory for Emmanuel Macron

Ben Hall / Financial Times: Victory for Macron is not an instant cure for all France's ills

Wall Street Journal:

Pandemic Border Policy Could Complicate Covid Relief, Ukraine Bills — Congress returns to face two major funding requests from the Biden administration — WASHINGTON—When Congress returns this week, a pandemic-era immigration policy could complicate efforts to pass further coronavirus relief legislation …

Discussion: CNN, NPR and Politico

Associated Press:

Hunter Biden is prime target if Republicans win Congress — WASHINGTON (AP) — Intelligence officials had gathered to brief select members of Congress on future threats to U.S. elections when a key lawmaker in the room, No. 3 House Republican Elise Stefanik of New York …

Discussion: New York Times, The Hill, Wide World of News and HotAir

Karol Markowicz / New York Post:
Biden's decline is obvious to everyone but the press

Discussion: The Daily Wire

Associated Press:
Warren slams McCarthy as ‘liar’ and traitor' over Jan 6 tape

Katie Dowd / SFGATE:

Inept 'People's Convoy' chased out of Bay Area by egg-throwing kids — The dreams of the “People's Convoy” quickly died in the Bay Area after a critical tactical error: turning onto a street with a Safeway and a group of bored kids. — The trucker convoy, which aimed to emulate …

Discussion: HuffPost, Occupy Democrats, Rolling Stone, Raw Story and Mercury News

Charles Homans / New York Times:

A Crusade to Challenge the 2020 Election, Blessed by Church Leaders — Some evangelical pastors are hosting events dedicated to Trump's election falsehoods and promoting the cause to their congregations. — Give this article- - - Read in app — COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. …

Discussion: Raw Story

Craig Mauger / Detroit News:

Michigan Senate candidate: ‘A family should be a White mom, White dad and White kids’ — Lansing — Randy Bishop, a right-wing Michigan radio host who filed last week to run for the state Senate, said on his show last month that TV commercials were attempting to make him feel guilty because he thinks families should be all White.

Discussion: Michigan Advance and Raw Story

Will Bunch / The Philadelphia Inquirer:

The real reason today's Republican Party hates corporations like Disney — It's kind of a shame that one of the great myths of my baby boomer childhood — that the late Walt Disney had frozen himself so he could spring back to life, Sleeping Beauty-like, after humankind had cured cancer — turned out to be an urban myth.