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.”
* In related news: “A Texas district attorney’s office said Monday it dismissed the indictment against Lizelle Herrera, the woman who attracted national attention when she was arrested Thursday and charged with murder after authorities said she ‘caused the death of an individual by self-induced abortion.’” * Alabama’s latest step backwards: “Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed two bills Friday that target transgender young people and classroom discussion of LGBTQ identities. One of the bills makes it a felony for medical professionals to provide gender-affirming medical care people under 19.” * $2.7 million: “Congressional administrators and Capitol security officials have nearly doubled their estimate of the property damage caused by the Jan. 6 Capitol attack to $2.7 million, the Justice Department indicated in a Friday court filing.” * Remember We Build the Wall? “Brian Kolfage, an Iraq War veteran who launched a multimillion-dollar crowdfunding effort to build a private border wall, has agreed to plead guilty to fraud charges after prosecutors say he surreptitiously took hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fundraiser.” See you tomorrow.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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