The News & Guts Digest: a Serving of the Day’s Top News Stories with a Little Side of Commentary
An Unfair Fight
As Ukraine’s fierce resistance continues to frustrate Russian forces, Vladimir Putin’s military has adopted naked terror tactics, including the targeting of civilians desperate to flee heavily-contested areas…
…Ukrainian cities including Irpin, Mariupol, Volnovakha, and Mykolaiv are under siege. Apartment buildings are being shelled. Citizens are hiding in bomb shelters, where basic supplies like food, water, and medicine are running low. The New York Times reports, “fears were growing on Monday that thousands of Ukrainians could die in the coming days if urgent relief does not arrive soon and humanitarian cease-fires fail to take hold.”
…The World Health Organization confirmed that Russia has attacked at least 14 medical facilities in the past two weeks. “Attacks on health care violate international law and endanger lives. Even in times of conflict, we must protect the sanctity and safety of health care, a fundamental human right,” said the WHO in a statement.
…In Mykolaiv, the Russians fired cruise missiles at 5 a.m., killing at least eight soldiers sleeping in barracks. “They attacked our city dishonorably, cynically, while people were sleeping,” the regional governor said. However, Ukrainian forces repelled the attempted takeover and they remain in control of the city.
…The U.K. government released a report saying Putin’s increasingly devilish tactics are “an effort to break Ukrainian morale.”
…Over 1.7 million refugees have already fled Ukraine and the E.U. says that number will likely expand past five million. Russia on Monday offered to create “humanitarian corridors” within Ukraine that would allow for the outflow of the displaced, but most of the proposed corridors led to Russia and its ally Belarus, rendering the offer “unacceptable” to Ukraine officials…
…Delegations from Ukraine and Russia met for a third round of talks on Monday. The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian citizens would be allowed to leave Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv and Sumy. But Russia has violated ceasefires in the past and they are far from credible or trustworthy…
…Russia also laid out its draconian terms to end the invasion. It wants Ukraine to give up territorial rights to both Crimea and a large swath of land in the eastern part of the country. Russia also wants Ukraine to pledge never to join NATO…
…Meanwhile, Kyiv and Odessa are bracing for large-scale attacks. The Associated Press reports “In Kyiv, soldiers and volunteers have built hundreds of checkpoints, often using sandbags, stacked tires and spiked cables. Some barriers looked significant, with heavy concrete slabs and sandbags piled more than two stories high, while others appeared more haphazard, with hundreds of books used to weigh down stacks of tires. ‘Every house, every street, every checkpoint, we will fight to the death if necessary,’ said Mayor Vitali Klitschko”
…Gennadiy Trukhanov, the mayor of Odesa, told The Washington Post “The aggressor is not far from Odesa.” Trukhanov said he has a pistol at the ready…
…The Wall Street Journal reports that Russia is attempting to recruit guerillas from Syria to engage in urban warfare in Ukraine. The mercenaries would reportedly be paid $200 to $300…
…In the U.S., lawmakers reached a deal on Monday to further punish Russia for the invasion. The Washington Post reports, “Unveiled by the top lawmakers overseeing tax and trade on Capitol Hill, the new, bipartisan agreement would limit Russian energy imports, suspend normal trade relations between the U.S. and the Kremlin and task the Biden administration to seek Russia’s suspension from the World Trade Organization. The trade penalties would also apply to Belarus, a key Russian ally in the Ukrainian conflict, according to the four members of Congress who crafted the deal.”
The GOP Has Every Advantage and Still Might Blow It
For months, pundits and political commentators have presented a Republican takeover of the House and Senate in the 2022 midterms as a near fait accompli. Their argument was compelling: Biden’s popularity has been steadily declining, inflation has overshadowed an otherwise rosy economy, and in-fighting between progressives and moderates within the Democratic party has led to muddled messaging. Besides, the party in power is always vulnerable during a midterm election…
…But the GOP has struggled to capitalize on their advantages. For starters, it has failed to recruit several marquee names to enter the Senate race. Last week, Arizona’s GOP governor, Doug Ducey, said he would not challenge Democrat Mark Kelley for his senate seat. Likewise, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, a rising star in GOP circles, declined to run against incumbent Senator Maggie Hassan, a vulnerable Democrat who was elected with a barely-there majority.
…In addition, The Associated Press reports that “Republican candidates in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada are struggling to keep pace with Democratic fundraising” and that “a recent plan that would raise taxes on low-income Americans and seniors, released by the Republican Senate midterm chief, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, is putting GOP candidates in a difficult position across states like Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida.”
…Simultaneously, Biden’s popularity is growing as he deftly navigates a crisis in Ukraine. According to NPR, his approval rose 8 points in the last month…
…In addition, the GOP continues to fight a culture war that feels increasingly small-minded and petty in the context of an actual hot war overseas. Efforts to criminalize abortion and transgender care, in particular, have the potential to drive Democrats to the polls. And it doesn’t help that the GOP’s improbable standard bearer, Donald Trump, has recently expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin, a man who is becoming more and more of a pariah…
A Profile in Courage, a Profile in Cowardice
We published two video pieces today. One depicted the inspiring story of a little girl, Amelia, who is hiding in a bomb shelter in Kyiv. Despite the violence that is afflicting her city, the child was able to channel much needed joy and hope by performing a knock-out rendition of “Let it Go,” from Disney’s Frozen…
…Amelia’s viral moment reflects a vibrant, resilient Ukrainian spirt that has inspired the world. Despite overwhelming odds, the Ukrainians have stymied their Russian invaders. Their determination – and the relentlessness of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – has drawn much needed support. President Joe Biden deserves praise for rallying the West to a unified response, but Ukrainians deserve the lion’s share of the credit. Their astute use of social media, in particular, makes their plight impossible to ignore…
…And then there’s the second video we published, which is an ad from a GOP group that criticizes Trump’s admiration of Vladimir Putin. In the days before Putin invaded Ukraine, the twice-impeached former president called the Russian strongman “genius,” “pretty smart,” and “savvy.” The ad effectively juxtaposes Trump’s comments with brutal images from the war…
…Trump’s ill-timed praise of Putin reflects the type of moral rot that might have ended the career of a politician in an era when shame still mattered. But we’re in a post-shame America and the Republican Party seems to have a limitless tolerance for Trump’s many shortcoming, failures, and outright crimes.
…Former Attorney General Bill Barr, for instance, recently wrote that Trump “has neither the temperament nor persuasive powers to provide the kind of positive leadership that is needed.” Barr called Trump an “incorrigible” narcissist who lacks “self-control.” He said Trump’s lies about the 2020 election were dangerous.
… “Trump cared only about one thing: himself. Country and principle took second place,” Barr writes in his new memoir.
…Yet, appearing on Today, Barr said he’d vote for Trump in 2024 if he was the GOP nominee. “Because I believe that the greatest threat to the country is the progressive agenda being pushed by the Democratic Party, it’s inconceivable to me that I wouldn’t vote for the Republican nominee,” Barr said.
… ‘Inconceivable’ is an interesting word choice. During his time in office, Trump gleefully shattered just about every political norm, including the peaceful transition from one administration to the next. But GOP stalwarts like Barr are willing to stomach those abuses of power in the name of partisan loyalty. At this point, it’s hard to imagine what might sever ties between Trump and Republican elites.
Also Churning this News Cycle
… “The Supreme Court on Monday turned away a request from Pennsylvania prosecutors to review a state supreme court decision that overturned Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction, leaving the ruling from Pennsylvania’s high court that freed him from prison intact,” reports CBS News.
… “The official global death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 6 million on Monday — underscoring that the pandemic, now entering its third year, is far from over,” reports The Associated Press.
… “Defying guidance from the nation’s top infectious disease and pediatric health experts, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced Monday that the state will become the first in the nation to recommend that healthy kids not get vaccinated for COVID-19,” reports USA Today.
