The News & Guts Digest: a Serving of the Day’s Top News Stories with a Little Side of Commentary

Bracing For Impact

The first five days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine did not go as planned for Vladimir Putin’s forces. In the face of a determined Ukrainian resistance, the Russians failed to capture a major city, neutralize the Ukrainian air force, or topple the democratically elected government…

…A senior Pentagon official told reporters on Tuesday, the sixth day of the invasion, that Russian soldiers are so disenfranchised with their mission, that they’re actually sabotaging their own equipment and surrendering without a fight. Part of the problem for the Russians is that many of their soldiers are young and poorly trained conscripts. Russia’s progress is also compromised by fuel and food shortages. A 40-mile long Russian convoy is “literally out of gas” outside of Kyiv…

…The question now becomes – how far will the Russians go to assert their dominance? Will they stoop to the type of brutal and illegal behavior that has defined their wicked military operations in Syria, Chechnya, and elsewhere?

…Recent military activity on the ground paints a bleak picture. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, was relentlessly bombed on Tuesday. Apartment buildings and a public square were among the targets. And in Kyiv, a TV tower was hit with a Russian missile, killing five and temporarily knocking broadcasters off the air. A holocaust memorial was also damaged during the attack…

…The U.N. estimates that nearly 700,000 Ukrainians have fled their country. At least 136 civilians have died during the conflict…

…Yet, the Ukrainian resistance continues to show remarkable fierceness and resolve. Ukrainian officials have begun encouraging citizens to remove and alter street signs to confuse their occupiers. “Let’s help them get straight to hell,” wrote Ukraine’s government agency for roads in a Facebook post. Ukraine’s ministry of defense echoed that idea, encouraging citizens to “confuse and disorient the enemy who is illegally moving around Ukraine.”

…Meanwhile, citizens across the country have created Molotov cocktails to attack Russian forces. One brewery in Kviv has stopped making beer and is solely focused on crafting the explosive, DIY weapons…

…And even Ukrainian ex-pats are trying to sabotage the Russian war machine. Over the weekend, a Ukrainian mechanic living in Spain attempted to sink the super yacht of a Russian arms dealer…

Allies at the Pump

Russia is the world’s third largest oil producer and if it decides to withdraw some of its product from the global market, it can become significantly more expensive for consumers the world over to fill up their cars or heat their homes…

…To boost supply, the United States and several other top economies have agreed to tap into their strategic oil reserves. The International Energy Agency said 2 million extra barrels of oil will be made available every day for the next 30 days. Russia exports about 5 million barrels daily…

…It’s important to keep in mind that Russia’s economy is feeling the effects of severe sanctions, so the Kremlin is likely hesitant to tinker with their one reliable source of income. However, the Kremlin sometimes abandons rational thought, even if it hurts their own self-interest…

Meanwhile, in Texas

…The ACLU sued Texas on Tuesday on behalf of parents being investigated by a state agency for allowing their trans child to receive gender-affirming medical treatment…

…Late last month, Texas’ GOP governor, Gregg Abbott, ordered the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents for child abuse if they allowed their minor to seek approved treatments like puberty blockers or hormone therapy. In a letter explaining his edict, Abbott cited the legal opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Republican Ken Paxton…

…Ironically, one of the parents named in the lawsuit filed Tuesday works for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. She has been placed on administrative leave as her colleagues probe the intimate medical decisions of her family…

…Abbott and Paxton are both seeking re-election, and their attack on families with trans kids is widely viewed as a partisan political stunt…

Also Churning This News Cycle

… “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 for Democrats against the public safety rule that has fueled a red-versus-blue culture war,” writes NBC News.

… “Target says it will raise its minimum wage as high as $24 per hour this year, depending on the local market. Companies have been raising pay and benefits in an effort to keep and attract workers,” reports NPR.

… “Revelers decked out in traditional purple, green and gold came out to party on Fat Tuesday in New Orleans’ first full-dress Mardi Gras since 2020. The fun includes back-to-back parades across the city and marches through the French Quarter and beyond, with masks against COVID-19 required only in indoor public spaces,” reports The Associated Press.

And Finally…

… In a rare gesture of bi-partisan unity, House members from both parties posed for a photo with an American flag modified to include the Ukrainian colors. Good stuff: