🥁 Axios PM: Holocaust site hit

Plus: State of the Union spoiler | Tuesday, March 01, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Amazon   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·Mar 01, 2022 Good afternoon: Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 492 words, a 2-minute read.     1 big thing: Holocaust site hit Photo: CNN A Russian missile hit the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial site in Kyiv today, killing at least five people, Ukrainian officials said. President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted: "[W]hat is the point of saying 'never again' for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar?" "Between 1941 and 1943, the Nazis shot between 70,000 and 100,000 people at Babyn Yar, including almost the entire Jewish population of Kyiv," according to the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center. The Russians were targeting the nearby Kyiv TV tower, saying it was among the infrastructure used for "information attacks" from Ukraine's security services. A blast is seen in the TV tower, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, today. Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters The bottom line: A senior U.S. defense official told reporters that Russia's advance on Kyiv had stalled and that there were signs of flagging Russian morale, Axios' Zachary Basu and Dave Lawler report.     2. State of the Union spoiler The House chamber yesterday. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP Look for President Biden to be very tough on Vladimir Putin in tonight's State of the Union address (9 p.m. ET). Why it matters: The White House has scrambled to be sure he meets the moment. The president will point to the U.S. role in protecting democracy, before moving on to Americans' pocketbooks — how to grow the economy from the "bottom up and the middle out," as he puts it. The speech is built around four buckets: World stage: Biden will say "democracy will prevail" in Ukraine. Economy: He'll call for lowering costs for working families. COVID: He'll stress the U.S. is "in a new moment" of the pandemic and has the tools to contain the virus. The future of America: He'll point to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, his nominee for the Supreme Court, and vow to make inroads on immigration and climate. Share this story.     A message from Amazon "Amazon's health benefits start the day you sign on the dotted line"     Shortly after starting at Amazon, Carlton found out he had stage four prostate cancer. Getting health care benefits starting on day one helped him receive the care he needed when he needed it. Why it's important: Health care starts for Amazon employees and their families on day one. Learn about Carlton's story.     3. Catch up quick Photo: Emilio Morenatti/AP Above: Animal keeper Kirilo Trantin comforts an elephant at the Kyiv Zoo. "Europe's largest refugee crisis this century": About 677,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in neighboring countries. Go deeper. The U.S. will release 30 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as part of international plans to release 60 million barrels. Go deeper. The ACLU is suing to block a Texas directive that would have a state agency investigate parents for child abuse if they seek gender-affirming care for their children. Go deeper. Exclusive: A small group of Latino U.S. House members recently expressed "extreme concern" about a plan to potentially dispatch robot dogs along the U.S.-Mexico border, Axios' Russell Contreras reports.     4. 1 fun thing: So THAT'S what you look like! Photo: Glen Johnson/Axios Two years of mask mandates are finally lifting — and people who hadn't known each other in the Before Times are finally getting to see new faces. Axios politics editor Glen Johnson has gotten to know servers Ismael and Kenia during his regular visits to Farmers & Distillers in D.C. But he'd never seen their noses, mouths or smiles until Tuesday — the day D.C. lifted its mask mandate. They celebrated with a selfie — a smiling one.     A message from Amazon "This is the first time in my life I've only had to have one job"     A bigger paycheck and comprehensive benefits help Amazon employees like Mary Kate live better. "I've been able to seek treatment for a problem that I have had for a good 15 years but wasn't able to do anything about it because I didn't have the insurance," says Mary Kate. At Amazon, health benefits start on day one.   Like this email style and format? Bring the strength of Smart Brevity® to your team — more effective communications, powered by Axios HQ.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: