Today’s edition of quick hits:
* At the U.N.: “Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday laid out atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine in a powerful speech to the U.N. Security Council from Kyiv. Zelenskyy said that he visited the city of Bucha near Kyiv on Monday and that the Russian military there had ‘searched for and purposely killed anyone who served our country.’”
* Sanctions: “The Biden administration plans to announce an additional sweeping sanctions package targeting Russia on Wednesday, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The package was organized in coordination with the G-7 and the European Union, the source said.”
* On a related note: “The European Commission on Tuesday proposed banning Russian coal as part of a new round of sanctions against the Kremlin for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.”
* Looking ahead, the Pentagon is measuring the expected duration of the war in Ukraine in years, not months: “In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the U.S. and its allies should be prepared to counter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe for ‘quite some time.’”
* Quite an acknowledgement out of Berlin: “German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, long an advocate of Western rapprochement with Russia, expressed regret for his earlier stance, saying his years of support for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline had been a clear mistake.”
* The latest school shooting: “A student at Erie High School in Pennsylvania was injured during a shooting Monday morning, and a person of interest fled, according to officials. Multiple shots were fired at the school shortly after 9:20 a.m., Erie’s Public Schools said in a statement.”
* The latest on Sunday’s mass shooting in Sacramento: “A man wounded in a mass shooting in Sacramento this past weekend was arrested Tuesday and accused of taking part in the mayhem, authorities said…. He’s the brother of the first suspect taken into custody, authorities in California’s capital city said, and remains under guard at the hospital.”
* New guidance from the CDC: “The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided more clarity on who should — or perhaps should not — consider getting a second Covid-19 booster vaccine, saying that a recent infection may in fact act as a ‘natural boost’ in immunity.” * And speaking of the CDC: “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky announced plans Monday to revamp the agency that has come under blistering criticism for its performance leading the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying, ‘it is time to step back and strategically position CDC to support the future of public health.’” * Reproductive rights: “Colorado just enacted a law that enshrines the right to have an abortion in the state, the latest left-leaning state that’s taken action to protect reproductive rights as the practice faces renewed efforts by conservatives to restrict its access.” * Expect a floor vote on this sometime before Friday afternoon: “The House Rules Committee voted along party lines Monday afternoon in recommending that a pair of former White House aides to former President Donald Trump face criminal charges for refusing to testify in the House’s investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.” 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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