It’s Monday.
Happy President’s Day! Today is a relatively quiet day, but the news is still focused on Russia. Here are some highlights from today.
- former president trump First comment on death of Russian opposition leader alexei navalnycomparing the situation to his own ongoing legal troubles.
- The circumstances surrounding Navalny’s death and its aftermath raise questions about Russia and the president. Vladimir Putin.
- Ranked in a recent survey of presidential experts president biden As the 14th best president, president trump Came in last.
I kate martell A quick summary of this morning and what’s to come. Send tips, explanations, feedback, and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you?Sign up here.
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Russia is in the spotlight following the death of opposition leader alexei navalny .
Mourners are detained:At least 366 people were detained in Russia over the weekend for mourning Russian opposition leader alexei navalnydeath, according to
New York Times. The Associated Press photo above shows a man detained while laying flowers at the Navalny monument in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Navalny’s wife vows to fight against Putin: Yulia NavalnayaWidow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny she said to continue My late husband’s work and the battle with the Russian president Vladimir Putin .
excerpt:
“By killing Alexei, Putin killed half of me, half of my heart and soul. But I still have the other half, and that tells me that I have no right to give up.” she said in a video posted on her husband’s YouTube channel. 💻 watch video
/ Video translation details
Russian authorities are investigating : Investigation into Navalny’s death has been extended Amid suspicions of cover-up.
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➤ Notable differences in naval statements:
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former president trump
Until today, he had not publicly commented on Navalny’s death. he posted on his social platform
comparing the situation to his own ongoing legal troubles.
President Trump posts on Truth Social
: “With the sudden death of Mr. Alexei Navalny, I have become increasingly aware of what is happening in this country. It is slow and steady progress and the crooked radical left politics. Homes, prosecutors, and judges lead us down a path to destruction. Open borders, fraudulent elections, and wildly unfair court decisions are destroying America. We are in decline. The nation is a failed nation!”
Details about The Hill: Haley calls President Trump “weak” against Putin after Navalny’s death
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➤ Alexei Navalny’s last letter:
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new york times Excerpt obtained Letter from Russian opposition leader alexei navalnyI wrote this in my final months.
Abstract: “Trump. Indian food. Matthew Perry. And books, books, books. Excerpts from the letter obtained by The Times demonstrate Navalny’s vivacious spirit despite harsh prison conditions. ”
Navalny sent a letter to an acquaintance in August.: “If you asked me to feed you caviar tomorrow, I would feed you caviar. If you told me to strangle you in a cell, I would strangle you.”
Navalny had a sense of humor.:”[Navalny] In July, he wrote that no one can understand prison life in Russia ‘unless you go here’, adding with deadpan humor: “But you don’t have to be here.” ” Further excerpts and photos of Mr. Navalny’s letter
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➤ Articles about the state of the navy:
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“Most of Russia’s dissidents are either dead, in exile abroad, or in prison within the country. What happened now?’: AP
“The gravity of President Vladimir Putin’s threat is now beginning to emerge in Europe.”: new york times
“Documentary you should watch even after Alexei Navalny’s death”: “This Oscar-winning film is about a dissident in the aftermath of an attempt on his life. It played like a thriller at the time. It feels even colder today.” new york times
“Why Alexei Navalny’s legacy after news of his death is ‘one of tragedy’ for Russians”: PBS
“Navalny’s ominous warning to U.S. investors”
: The Hill editorial
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hill alexander bolton “Republican and Democratic senators who have worked with the Senate for many years… lindsay graham
[The R.S.C.]is outraged by his decision to oppose the $95 billion defense and foreign aid package. ”
why?
: “Senators who thought Graham was on their side, especially after he was berated on the Senate floor last year over a budget deal that included ‘not a dime’ in the Ukraine war. We feel like he pulled the rug out from under us.”
Why is Graham important in this discussion? : “The bill’s authors believed Mr. Graham’s support was essential to rallying a majority of Republican senators to vote in favor of the bill and to put as much pressure as possible on the Speaker.” mike johnson(R-Rabada) We will take it up on the House floor. With Graham voting no, the bill fell short of its goal even with 22 Republican yes votes, and is now considered unlikely to pass the House. ”
theory: Some see Graham’s move as a way to counter the former. president trump
The good side of.
The Democratic senator told The Hill:“He got sucked into Trump’s orbit and was so intent on protecting himself in South Carolina that he literally pushed his mother in front of a train to get where he needed to go. I hate saying that because I like that.”
one Republican senator told The Hill.: “Lindsay gets a pass on a lot of things because the answer is ‘It’s just Lindsay.'” But that doesn’t seem to be a good enough answer. He’s a very fickle person…it’s annoying. Hassle. Generally, when people arrive at a place, they expect to stay there. ”
More on what senators are saying about Graham privatelyvia The Hill
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🍫 celebrate: Today is National Chocolate Mint Day!
📊 get traction : Recent research on presidential expert ranks president biden As the 14th best president, president trumpIt was ranked last. (the hill)
Top 5:
No.1
: Abraham Lincoln
No.2 : Franklin D. Roosevelt
3rd place:George Washington
No.4: Theodore Roosevelt
No.5: Thomas Jefferson (Full list here)
♻️
This will not give you satisfaction with your recycling efforts.: A new report finds that very little plastic can be truly recycled. Growers have known this for decades, according to a report from the Center for Climate Health. (the hill)
🎭 “Jon Stewart is still as funny as ever. But the world has changed around him.”: Click here for Vox review of john stewartreturns to Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”
🔪 Kitchen utensils are my weakness : Washington Post becky crystalHere’s a list of our readers’ favorite 9 inexpensive kitchen tools that make cooking faster and easier. (washington post)
💳 There is a GoFundMe for Trump’s legal costs.
: “Investor’s wife starts GoFundMe to help former investor with funding.” president trump Legal costs are mounting following Friday’s ruling in a New York fraud case. ” So far, more than $469,000 has been raised. detail
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The House and Senate are absent. president biden andvice president harrisI’m in Washington DC, but there are no public events.
(always eastern)
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February 21st to 24th: “Anti-CPAC” summit in Washington DC detail
February 24th: South Carolina Republican presidential primary.
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