As intelligence agencies begin to predict the fall of Kyiv, it’s clear—as we’ve long known—no military rescue is coming for the govt of Ukraine.
Western allies have imposed more sanctions, but so far have not agreed to impose a SWIFT ban on Russia or target Putin personally.
A few countries, notably Poland and Ireland, have begun to make preparations to accept Ukrainian refugee flows.
My sense is the US has been, in some respects, heavily constrained by the divisions among European allies, with NATO countries like Germany and Italy having far more accommodating views toward Russia, and the imperative to retain unity in the alliance.
The US and UK have had their turn and France is currently speaking at the UNSC meeting; news of Putin's speech hasn't reached the floor yet.
The US, UK, France, and Ireland have all spoken again denouncing Russia and pledging to support a resolution condemning the military campaign against Ukraine (which Russia will obv veto.)
Ukraine’s representative, speaking again, calls on the Russian ambassador to relinquish his duties as chair. “There is no purgatory for war criminals. They go straight to hell, Ambassador,” he concludes.
“Carey R. Dunne and Mark F. Pomerantz, submitted their resignations after the new Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, indicated to them that he had doubts about moving forward with a case against Mr. Trump, the people said.” nytimes.com/2022/02/23/nyr…
Carey Dunne argued the appellate cases seeking Trump’s financial records for this investigation before the Second Circuit and the Supreme Court. He did a really good job.
The letter from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that urges investigations of parents of trans children attaches a legal opinion signed by Texas AG Ken Paxton that analogizes consenting to gender reassignment procedures for one’s minor child to Munchausen by proxy. gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/…
This isn’t some stray reference in a larger discussion. It’s the core argument of the Paxton opinion for treating parental consent to gender reassignment procedures as criminally culpable, and the authors return to it repeatedly.
But the analogy obviously doesn’t work.
Munchausen by proxy is an old term for a disorder that manifests in the *intentional falsification* of physical or mental signs and symptoms to deceive medical professionals and obtain unnecessary medical treatment. Intentional deception is at the core of the disorder.