Tipsheet: Crises keep travel-hungry Biden close to White House

View in your browser     Crises keep travel-hungry Biden close to White House BY ALEX GANGITANO AND BRETT SAMUELS   President Biden wants to leave Washington more and promote his policies directly to the American people, but outside circumstances — such as the resurgence of the pandemic or the threat of war between Russia and Ukraine — keep pulling him back to the White House. The president went to Ohio this week, an important state for Democrats in the upcoming midterms, but he faced questions on if he should have taken the trip at all after warning that Russia could invade Ukraine in the next several days. Biden in a press conference in mid-January lamented that he hadn’t traveled the country to meet face-to-face with voters enough in his first year in office. Weeks later, he’s still struggling to expand his travel schedule. Read the full story here     Harris warns of 'unprecedented' sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine BY MORGAN CHALFANT   Vice President Harris in a speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday sought to convey total unity among the United States and its allies in imposing harsh sanctions on Russia should it choose to invade Ukraine. Read the full story here     G-7 countries call on Russia to choose diplomacy, 'substantively' reduce troops BY CAROLINE VAKIL   The foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G-7) countries on Saturday issued a joint statement urging Russia to choose the path of diplomacy and “substantively withdraw” its troops near the Ukrainian border. Read the full story here     5 things to know about the Russia-Ukraine crisis BY SARAKSHI RAI   President Biden on Friday said he's "convinced" Russian President Vladimir Putin has made up his mind to move forward with an invasion of Ukraine. Read the full story here       Biden request for COVID-19 funds faces resistance from lawmakers BY PETER SULLIVAN   The Biden administration's request for $30 billion in additional funds to fight COVID-19 is facing resistance from lawmakers. Read the full story here     FDA considering second COVID-19 booster in coming months BY MAUREEN BRESLIN   Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials are "very carefully" considering second booster doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, according to The Wall Street Journal. Read the full story here     Democrats hit 30-year high for House retirements BY CRISTINA MARCOS AND MIKE LILLIS   The number of House Democrats not seeking reelection this year has hit a 30-year high — a bleak benchmark reflecting frustrations with the gridlock on Capitol Hill, the toxicity of relations between the parties and the challenges facing Democrats as they fight to keep their slim majority in the lower chamber.  Read the full story here     GOP senator faces challenge on Trump credentials BY JORDAIN CARNEY   GOP Sen. John Boozman (Ark.) voted with former President Trump more than 91 percent of the time and snapped up an early 2022 endorsement and a donation from his PAC. Read the full story here     Ocasio-Cortez claps back after Tucker Carlson refers to her as 'entitled white lady' BY CAROLINE VAKIL   Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) rebuked Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Twitter after he referred to her as a “rich, entitled white lady” during a Friday segment on his show. Read the full story here     Vulnerable Afghans stranded in limbo six months after fall of Kabul BY REBECCA BEITSCH   Six months after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, the thousands of Afghans left behind in the evacuation or scattered across the globe after the chaotic exit have little hope of reaching the U.S. Read the full story here     High gas prices are a bad problem; suspending the gas tax is a bad solution BY THOMAS AIELLO   OPINION l The gas tax holiday is nothing more than a short-term gimmick that would benefit the interests of incumbent politicians running for reelection rather than benefit their constituents. Read the full story here     'What-aboutism' — Ruling against Trump leaves more questions than answers on free speech BY JONATHAN TURLEY   OPINION l A "one-of-a-kind case." Judge Amit Mehta's description of the litigation against four principal speakers at the Jan. 6 Trump rally may have been as much a prayer as a portrayal. As famed Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "Hard cases make bad law” — and the litigation against President Trump and his associates is a hard case that just proved Holmes right. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Shelling in east Ukraine, Russia nuclear drill raise tension BY LORI HINNANT AND JIM HEINTZ Hundreds of artillery shells exploded along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists, and thousands of people evacuated eastern Ukraine, further increasing fears Sunday that the volatile region could spark a Russian invasion. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Fringe scheme to reverse 2020 election splits Wisconsin GOP BY REID J. EPSTEIN False claims that Donald J. Trump can be reinstalled in the White House are picking up steam — and spiraling further from reality as they go. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Trump properties in talks to host lucrative Saudi golf events at two resorts BY JOSH DAWSEY AND JONATHAN O'CONNELL The former president’s courses at Doral and Bedminster could strike a deal with a new league backed by the kingdom, which stands accused of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and other human rights abuses. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Workplace harassment undermines Pentagon spying in Europe, documents say BY JESSICA DONATI AND WARREN P. STROBEL  Pentagon intelligence officers allege they struggle with toxic bosses, say some colleagues spy on each other. Read the full story here     Reuters: Canadian police make final push to end weeks-long protest in capital BY STEVE SCHERER Canadian police on Sunday are making possibly the final push to clear the capital city of demonstrators who have paralyzed it by parking and camping on the streets for more than three weeks to protest against pandemic restrictions. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet   You Might Like       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©1998 - 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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