It's 4:45 pm Thursday in Ukraine, what do we know?

Mariupol

What do we know in Ukraine?

• The Battle for Donbas has begun

• Vladimir Putin threatened ‘lightening fast’ reprisals against any western countries that aided Ukraine.  This comes after more than 40 countries convened at Ramstein Airbase earlier in the week to coordinate and streamline the delivery of weapons and aid to Ukraine

• The US and western allies have expanded their objectives from merely arming Ukraine so it can defend itself to assisting Ukraine in actively degrading the Russian military so it is no longer a threat to its neighbors

• German lawmakers voted overwhelmingly, 586-107, to supply Ukraine with “heavy weapons and complex [weapons] systems”

• The heaviest Russian attack continue in Kharkiv, Oblast, from the town of Izyum to the city of Kharkiv.  Ukrainian military officials say, despite the intense bombardments, Ukrainian troops are largely holding the line 

• Time Magazine’s cover story: an intimate portrait of Zelenskyy during wartime

Canadian Ukrainian Volunteer 🇺🇦🇨🇦✊🏻 @CanadianUkrain1

#Mariupol. #Azov and the Marines are still in the fight. Huah! Glory to #Ukraine

What else do we know?

• The US economy shrank by 1.4% in the first quarter of 2022. The contraction was the first since the early months of the pandemic and comes after a robust second half of 2021.  While the economy shrank, several underlying factors remain strong, such as low unemployment and consumer spending, but a slowdown is expected for much of 2022 globally 

• Here’s a fun Reuters story, that won’t send shivers down your spine at all, about Trump cultists in positions of authority, who have been caught tampering or attempting to tamper with voting machines

• California has imposed some of the strictest water restrictions in the state’s history, with reservoirs depleted and snowpack falling well short of normal levels.  The restrictions will affect resident statewide, from Sonoma to the East Bay to Los Angeles