Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Martial law announcement: “President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday that Russia would impose martial law in the four regions in Ukraine he illegally annexed last month, as his military struggles to maintain its grip on territory amid Ukrainian advances.”
* Let no one say this guy isn’t trying: “President Biden expanded his efforts on Wednesday to blunt the pain of rising gas prices and reduce America’s exposure to global energy markets, which have become more volatile because of provocative actions by Russia and Saudi Arabia.”
* Turmoil in London: “British Prime Minister Liz Truss described herself as ‘a fighter and not a quitter’ Wednesday as she faced down a hostile opposition and fury from her own Conservative Party over her botched economic plan. Yet the grim faces of her ruling Conservative Party’s lawmakers behind her in the House of Commons suggested that Truss faces an uphill struggle to save her job.”
* Here’s hoping they fail: “A Wisconsin organization promoting taxpayers’ rights asked the Supreme Court Wednesday to halt implementation of President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, just two days after the administration began accepting online applications for debt relief from borrowers.”
* If members of Team Trump assumed their preferred special master would be a political ally, now they know better: “The special master reviewing materials seized by the F.B.I. from former President Donald J. Trump’s compound in Florida expressed skepticism on Tuesday about early claims by Mr. Trump’s lawyers that certain documents were privileged and thus could be withheld from a Justice Department investigation.”
* Good: “The Biden administration is providing Cuba with $2 million in funding for emergency relief to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the State Department announced Tuesday. The aid is in response to a rare request for emergency assistance Cuba’s government made last month, after the Category 3 hurricane plowed through the western part of the island.”
* Aid to farmers: “The federal government announced Tuesday a program that will provide $1.3 billion in debt relief for about 36,000 farmers who have fallen behind on loan payments or face foreclosure.”
* True: “The Secret Service’s mishandling of Jan. 6 demands a reckoning.”
* A striking report: “More than 500 retired U.S. military personnel — including scores of generals and admirals — have taken lucrative jobs since 2015 working for foreign governments, mostly in countries known for human rights abuses and political repression, according to a Washington Post investigation.”
* Spectacular: “As if the Pillars of Creation could get any more iconic. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured a fresh view of a famed celestial sight: the stunning star-forming region known as the Pillars of Creation. The image, teeming with newborn stars and revealing new details of the region’s haunting spires of dust and gas, was released Wednesday. It is the latest cosmic portrait from the Webb observatory, building on the telescope’s already impressive collection.”
See you tomorrow.