The War Zone: Russia today fired another wave of missiles across Ukraine aimed at municipal power and heating systems. It’s unreported how many missiles reached their targets, but explosions were heard in  cities across the country, including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa.

  The government announced emergency power and heating interruptions.

  In this latest attack Russia launched an advance volley of less sophisticated weapons in order to deplete Ukrainian air defenses, followed by more powerful precision weapons.

  Ukraine would be greatly helped by the US Patriot anti-missile system, Russia yesterday warned that there will be consequences if the US gives them to Ukraine. “Such a step … would lead to an escalation of the conflict and increase the risk of direct involvement of the American army in hostilities,” warned Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. 

  Russia has threatened the US at every step during the war when Ukraine was supplied with such things as Stinger shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles and advanced artillery systems. The US is set to start delivering the Patriot systems next week, but it will take some time to teach the Ukrainians how to use them.

  Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman has repeatedly said that Patriot missile batteries in Ukraine would  be legitimate military targets, which is a non-threat because Russia everything in Ukraine is already a target. 

  The US throughout the war has stepped up the military capabilities provided to Ukraine, stopping short of long range offensive missiles.

Patriot Games: Three men convicted of lesser roles in a plot to kidnap Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 were sentenced to stretches of 7, 10, and 12 years in prison, although their multiple sentences could be consecutive. The conspiracy’s two primary ringleaders are set for sentencing before the end of the month.

  All are members of a militia group called the “Wolverine Watchmen.” They planned to break into Whitmer’s vacation home, kidnap her and take her at gunpoint to stand “trial” on charges of treason. The three sentenced yesterday were convicted of gang membership, firearm violations, and providing material support for terrorism.

Tweet This: Twitter, which Elon Musk claims he liberated as an unfettered platform for free speech, last night suspended the accounts of at least half a dozen journalists who had reported critical stories about Musk, including reporters from CNN, the New York Times, and The Washington Post. 

  NY Times technology reporter Ryan Mac, who wrote an article about Twitter suspending accounts that used public data to track the location of Musk’s private plane, was among those locked out.

  CNN reporter Donie O’Sullivan and former MSNBC host Keith Olberman are also among those silenced. A spokesman for the New York Times called the suspensions “questionable and unfortunate.”

  Ryan Mac appears to have immediately created an account under the name “Silenced Ryan Mac” and tweeted, “I have no email or communication from the company about the reason for suspension.”

  Elon Musk seems to be too sensitive for criticism. Let that sink in.

The Obit Page: Frances Hesselbein, the former chief executive of the Girl Scouts credited with taking the organization out of the “Betty Crocker era” of cooking badges into the modern world during the  1970s and ’80s, has died at age 107.

  The white, middle class membership of the Girl Scouts had dwindled during the turbulent 1960s and 70s. Hesselbein took over in 1976, set out to racially diversify the membership, and hired the designers Halston and Bill Blass to create new uniforms.  She then added programs exposing the girls to career opportunities, including such things as telecommunications and marine biology.

  Her model of change was ‘Tradition With a Future.”

The Spin Rack: Over President Biden’s objections, the Senate yesterday approved the final $858 billion military policy bill that rescinds the Pentagon requirement for troops to receive the coronavirus vaccine. But the bill also contains massive increase in military spending. — The House passed legislation to replace the capitol bust of Roger Taney, the Supreme Court justice who wrote the infamous Dred Scott decision, with one of Thurgood Marshall, the first Black person to serve on the court. The 1857 Dred Scott decision held that slaves were not citizens and had no legal rights. It basically confirmed the legality of slavery. — Claudine Gay, the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard, has been named to be the university’s first Black president, and the second woman to hold the job. — Former Texas police officer Aaron Dean was convicted of manslaughter yesterday for shooting and killing a Black woman through a rear window of her home in 2019. Dean was responding to a non-emergency call of an open door, failed to announce that the police were there, then went into the back yard of the home and shot Atatiana Jefferson through her window when he saw she was armed with a gun. He could  get up to 20 years in prison.  

Below the Fold: After touting another “major announcement,” Donald Trump reduced himself to comic book status yesterday, announcing his “official Donald Trump Digital Trading Card” collection with a picture of himself in superhero costume, cape, and “Trump Champion” belt.

 His website says, “For the first time ever, collect your own rare digital collectible Trading Card by Donald Trump.” And they’re only $99 each! 

  The cards feature Trump as a baseball player, race car driver, fighter pilot, and an astronaut. All the things he is not, although the fat golfer is accurate.

  And there’s a sweepstakes for buyers … win a round of  golf with #45, a private meeting, cocktails, and maybe a dinner in Miami.  Second prize is two dinners in Miami with Donald Trump.

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