Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The latest from Brooklyn: “At least 10 people were shot and six others injured after a man wearing a gas mask opened fire and threw a smoke canister aboard a moving New York City subway train during rush hour Tuesday morning, authorities said.”
* Though the White House has largely avoided the term, President Joe Biden this afternoon used the word “genocide“ today for the first time in reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: “Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank — none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide a half a world away.”
* Troop movements: “The Ukrainian armed forces said in a statement Tuesday that Russian troops were ‘moving to areas of concentration’ in the direction of the Slobozhansky and Donetsk regions.”
* A rare Putin appearance: “Russian President Vladimir Putin called the situation in Ukraine a ‘tragedy’ on Tuesday, but defended Moscow’s invasion as a ‘noble’ mission that he said was going to plan.”
* Inflation: “U.S. inflation data hit a multidecade high last month amid surging gas prices and skyrocketing rents, climbing to 8.5 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday.”
* Not all of the inflation news was dreadful: “However, ‘core’ inflation, which excludes volatile food and gas prices, climbed 6.5 percent year-over-year and 0.3 percent month-over-month — slightly less than the figures expected by FactSet analysts.”
* A familiar name for Rachel Maddow Show viewers: “Western officials are calling for Russian authorities to release a prominent opposition activist and critic of the invasion of Ukraine after reports of his arrest emerged Monday. The activist, Vladimir Kara-Murza, has since been sentenced to 15 days in jail on the charge of disobeying a police order.”
* There can be no doubt that the White House is making every effort: “The Biden administration said Tuesday it plans to help boost the production and sale of ethanol-blended gasoline to alleviate pain at the pump as inflation skyrockets.” * Modi’s path is tough to predict: “President Joe Biden asked India’s Narendra Modi on Monday not to accelerate the buying of Russian oil as the U.S. and other nations try to cut off Moscow’s energy income following the invasion of Ukraine. The Indian prime minister made no public commitment to refrain from Russian oil, a source of tension with the U.S.” * Jan. 6 fallout: “A former police officer who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was found guilty of all six charges at his trial Monday.” * A regressive trend: “While Florida has been ground zero for this nationwide debate, 19 other states have introduced similar legislation that would prohibit how educators can talk about or teach LGBTQ issues in school this year, according to the Movement Advancement Project, or MAP, an LGBTQ think tank that has been tracking the bills.” 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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