Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Alexander Dvornikov has a history of targeting civilians: “Russia’s reported appointment of Gen. Alexander Dvornikov to take over operations in Ukraine marks what some military analysts see as an indication that the war could be set to enter a brutal new phase as Moscow readies a major offensive in its neighbor’s east.”
* Following up on an earlier item: “President Joe Biden on Monday announced new restrictions on homemade guns known as ‘ghost guns,’ as well as a new nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.”
* The race much of the world is watching: “Incumbent Emmanuel Macron will face far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in a winner-takes-all runoff for the French presidency, after they both advanced Sunday in the first round of voting in the country’s election to set up another head-to-head clash of their sharply opposing visions for France.”
* A big guilty plea: “Charles Donohoe, a member of Proud Boys leadership charged in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to obstruct Congress and assaulting police officers.”
* Keep an eye on this one: “Ali Alexander, a prominent organizer of pro-Trump events after the 2020 election, has agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation of the attack on the Capitol last year, the first high-profile political figure known to have offered assistance to the government’s newly expanded criminal inquiry.”
* It’s never good when a country’s youngest and most educated citizens flee: “Hundreds of thousands of professional workers, many of them young, have left Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, accelerating an exodus of business talent and further threatening an economy targeted by Western sanctions.”
* Following up on a story we recently discussed: “The Idaho Supreme Court temporarily blocked Friday the state’s recently enacted six-week abortion ban, a local NBC affiliate reports.”









