The War Room: explosions rocked Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine today after Russia fired a new volley of missiles. One person was killed and two wounded in the capital city.

  These strikes came a day after the  Biden administration announced that it will send 31 M1 main battle tanks to Ukraine. 

  This was a decision President Biden was reluctant to make for fear of aggravating further conflict with Russia, but the US and NATO countries came to the conclusion that it is critical to stand firm. “Putin expected Europe and the United States to weaken our resolve,” Biden said at the White House “These tanks are further evidence of our enduring, unflagging commitment to Ukraine and our confidence in the skill of Ukrainian forces.”

  This follows Germany’s announcement that it will send some of its widely used Leopard tanks. That’s an opening for other countries to send Leopards as well, with as many as 105 tanks overall committed to Ukraine from several countries. “Germany has really stepped up,” Biden said.

  The US tanks may not be delivered for weeks, or even months, and will require months of training for the crews. They might not get there in time to fight off a Russian spring offensive. “The key thing now is speed and volume,” Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelensky said. “The speed of training of our military, the speed of supplying tanks to Ukraine. The volume of tank support.”

Most Foul: Trial began yesterday for Alex Murdaugh, an influential South Carolina lawyer and scion of a rich family accused of murdering his wife and son eighteen months ago to hide financial crimes.It’s the perfect tabloid murder case.

  Prosecutors say that the 54-year-old Murdaugh shot his son Paul, 22, with a shotgun and killed his wife, Maggie, 52, with a rifle. “They were shot at close range and they did not have defensive wounds,” Prosecutor Creighton Waters said. As for the gun that killed Mrs. Murdaugh, “It was a family weapon,
Waters said, although the rifle in question is missing.

  Waters also said the prosecution has a raincoat coated with gunshot residue and that Murdaugh called and texted his wife after he had killed her. The defense described Murdaugh as a “loving” husband and father.  

  The exact sequence of events on the night of the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh has been a subject of intense scrutiny. The killings took place at the family’s hunting property on June 7, 2021. Murdaugh told police he came across the scene after visiting his mother and called 911. Waters in his opening statement told the jury that cellphone records and video will tell a different story about where Murdaugh was at the time of the murders.

  Murdaugh has also been charged with 70 counts of financial crimes and defrauding victims of $9 million.

Voodoo Medicine: Among the shakeups and creation of House committees under Republican control, extremist members of a new Coronavirus investigating panel pledge to get to the bottom of it all.

  Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, who once said “Jewish space lasers” were trying to kill Santa Claus, tweeted, It’s time to reveal the truth on the origins of COVID, the authoritarian Democrat response, vaccines, and Fauci’s NIAID involvement in gain-of-function research.

  Texas virus conspiracy monger Ronny Jackson said, “Every LIE told to us by Fauci will be revealed. Every LIE about the vaccine will be revealed. Every LIE that was used to LOCK YOU DOWN will be unearthed. We will reveal the TRUTH!”

  One thing that’s true is that 1,130,962 Americans have died of Covid.

The Spin Rack: The Newport News, Virginia school teacher shot by a 6-year-old student plans to sue the school district. Abby Zwerner’s lawyer said school administrators were warned three different times the day of the January 6th shooting that the child had a gun at school. — A 600 square mile shelf of ice has broken away in Antarctica. Scientists say cracks were discovered 10 years ago and the event is not related to climate change. — Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but not representing their countries,  the International Olympic Committee announced.  — Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, announced that it will restore Donald Trump to use of the two social platforms. He was banned after the January 6^th insurrection. Twitter restored Trump in November, but he has not appeared.

Below the Fold: The latest thing to get the right wing upset about “woke” culture is not transgender treatment, critical race theory, gas stoves, or even M&M characters with less sexy shoes. It’s the video game console, the Xbox

  The announcement by tech giant Microsoft that it is going to make the game console more energy efficient has ultra conservatives comparing it to gun control. One Fox News host accused Microsoft of trying to indoctrinate children in environmentalism. 

  Ted Cruz, the Texas senator for whom no social controversy is too small, tweeted, “First gas stoves, then your coffee, now they’re gunning for your Xbox.” He’s not worried that children are playing “Gears of War,” “Zombie Army,” “Red Dead Redemption,” and “Mortal Kombat.” He’s outraged that they might do it with less electricity.

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