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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The timing of this attack hardly seems coincidental: “Russia’s missile attack on Thursday on targets across Ukraine, damaged energy facilities and caused power outages in several regions, a reminder of a Russian air campaign on infrastructure last winter that sought to break Ukrainians’ will by plunging them into cold and darkness.”
* On a related note: “President Joe Biden plans to announce an additional U.S. aid package to Ukraine on Thursday as part of his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.”
* Zelenskyy was also on Capitol Hill: “President Volodymyr Zelenskyy worked to shore up U.S. support for Ukraine on a whirlwind visit to Washington on Thursday, delivering an upbeat message on the war’s progress while facing new questions about the flow of American dollars that for 19 months has helped keep his troops in the fight against Russian forces. The Ukrainian leader received a far quieter reception than the hero’s welcome he got last year, but also won generally favorable comments on the aid he says he needs to stave off defeat.”
* Here’s hoping Poland will change its posture after its upcoming elections: “Poland is no longer arming Ukraine as it is focusing on building up its own stocks of weapons, the prime minister said on Wednesday, as Warsaw’s stance toward Kyiv shifts just weeks before an election. Poland is only carrying out previously agreed arms deliveries to Ukraine, a government spokesman said on Thursday, amid souring bilateral relations due to a grain dispute just weeks before a Polish parliamentary election.”
* Protected status: “Under pressure from politicians and protesters in New York City, the Biden administration on Wednesday is making all Venezuelans who have lived in the United States since July eligible for temporary protected status, giving more than 200,000 migrants who crossed the border without legal documentation the right to obtain work authorization and live in the country without fear of deportation.”
* Murdoch’s exit: “Rupert Murdoch, the Australian press baron who reshaped conservative media in his image, plans to step down as chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp. He will become chairman emeritus of the two corporations, Fox Corp. announced in a news release. His older son, Lachlan Murdoch, will become the sole chairman of both the firms.”
* Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California tried to suggest to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg that seasonal change and climate change are the same thing. That didn’t go well.
See you tomorrow.