“The commission charged with enforcing Alaska’s campaign finance laws has lifted all limits on donations to candidates for governor, state legislative seats and municipal races — a decision that could allow a huge wave of cash to flow into Anchorage elections next month and state elections in August,” the Anchorage Daily News reports.
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Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out. You would be doing your country – and the world – a great service.”
— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), on Twitter.
Florida Lawmakers Vote to Ban Abortions After 15 Weeks
“Florida legislators voted to ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy on Thursday, a move that would severely restrict access to the procedure in a state that for decades has been a refuge for women from across the South,” the New York Times reports.
“The bill — modeled after a similar abortion ban in Mississippi that the U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to uphold — now heads to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis as part of a sweeping push by Republicans to put the state at the forefront of the nation’s culture wars.”
Washington Post: “The 15-week ban makes no exception for rape, incest or human trafficking.”
Radiation Levels Normal at Ukraine Nuclear Plant
Two White House officials said their latest information shows “no indications of elevated levels of radiation” at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power complex in Ukraine, CNN reports.
Washington Post: “The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog soon said the blaze had not affected ‘essential’ equipment and that Ukraine’s regulator reported no change in surrounding radiation levels.”
Fire Breaks Out at Nuclear Power Plant In Ukraine
“The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine is on fire, according to Dmytro Orlov, the mayor of the nearby town of Energodar,” CNN reports.
Washington Post: “Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, warned on Twitter that the fallout could be worse than the 1986 meltdown at Chernobyl if the flames aren’t extinguished.”
“A government official also told the Associated Press that elevated levels of radiation were already being detected near the site.”
How Ukraine Stopped Putin’s Hope of Quick War
Wall Street Journal: “Russia’s bid to seize the airport embodied its military planners’ ambitious assumptions that Ukrainian defense would collapse under overwhelming firepower. Russian officials and propagandists have for years boasted that Moscow’s forces could overrun its smaller neighbor in days.”
“But the resistance by Ukraine’s army and soldiers such as Lt. Kharchenko, backed by volunteer fighters, has slowed the Russian advance, halting it entirely in the area around Hostomel Airport after a day of back-and-forth fighting. The airport standoff has emerged as the key to Ukrainian resistance and one big reason Russian forces have become bogged down so far.”
Illinois Democrats Keep Their Distance from Madigan
“After decades operating in the shadow of Michael Madigan, Illinois Democrats on Wednesday sought to distance themselves from the longtime House speaker and state party chairman after he was indicted on federal corruption charges, even as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office acknowledged the governor had spoken with investigators working the case,” the Chicago Tribune reports.
Kimberly Guilfoyle Subpoenaed by Select Committee
“Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancée of Donald Trump Jr., who provided fundraising assistance for the Jan. 6 rally, was subpoenaed to testify and provide documents to the special House committee investigating the Capitol attack,” USA Today reports.
Punchbowl News: “Guilfoyle is required to turn over documents to the select committee by March 11 – next Friday – and appear for a deposition on March 15.”
“Guilfoyle cut off an interview with the committee last week after she was upset by the presence of elected officials. She wanted the meeting to be staff only.”
Melania Trump Event Called Off
“A Florida fund-raiser planned for April that was to feature Melania Trump has been called off after state regulators there concluded that the company working with the former first lady to organize the charitable event had not properly registered to solicit contributions,” the New York Times reports.
“Tickets were put on sale for as much as $50,000 for a VIP table, with the money, she said, slated to provide scholarships to children emerging from foster care.”
Ex-Fox News Producer Charged With Working for Oligarch
“Jack Hanick, a onetime producer at Fox News, has been indicted on charges of working for a sanctioned Russian oligarch to establish TV networks in Russia and in other European countries,” Variety reports.
Russian Businessman Puts $1 Million Bounty on Putin
Russian businessman Alex Konanykhin has placed a $1 million bounty on Vladimir Putin’s head and urged the country’s military officers to arrest him, The Independent reports.
Russia’s Debt Rating Slashed to ‘Junk’ Status
Ratings agencies Fitch and Moody’s downgraded Russia by six notches to “junk” status, saying Western sanctions threw into doubt its ability to service debt and would weaken the economy, Reuters reports.
GOP Lawmaker Rants About Jewish Women’s Sex Lives
Kentucky state Rep. Danny Bentley (R) invoked Jews and the Holocaust as he made false claims about the origins of a medication used to induce abortions, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports.
“Bentley falsely said RU-486, or Mifepristone, one of two pills taken to induce abortion, was developed during World War II and was called Zyklon B, the gas that killed millions of Jews in the Holocaust.”
“Bentley then opined on his perception of the sexual habits of Jewish women.”
DeSantis Fundraising Off Video of Him Scolding Students
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) “is fundraising off a recent viral video depicting the Republican governor bluntly asking a group of high school students to take off their masks ahead of a public event, which drew outrage among Democrats,” Politico reports.
Russia and Ukraine Agree to Limited Cease Fire
“Ukraine and Russia say they have agreed to temporary local cease-fires to create ‘humanitarian corridors’ so civilians can be evacuated and food and medicine can be delivered,” the Washington Post reports.
RT America Shuts Down
“The production company behind the American version of the Russian state-funded network RT laid off most of its staff on Thursday,” CNN reports.
Jon Stewart on Tucker Carlson
Comedian Jon Stewart ripped into Fox News host Tucker Carlson on the Sway podcast.
Said Stewart: “When you deal with such a dishonest propagandist — and that is what he is — there’s nothing you can take out of context, because none of it is real.”
He added: “He’s admitted when he’s cornered, he lies. It’s all a game and a performance. I mean, honestly, I have no idea what the fuck that guy believes, truly.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“He’s generally more optimistic than I am… It’s a good thing! He likes people more than I like people.”
— Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, comparing his outlook to President Biden.
