
Is Putin creating a pretext for war?
CNN
Russian President Vladimir Putin is a man who likes to keep his options open, and the Ukraine crisis is no exception: As the Kremlin leader signals his willingness to engage on the diplomatic front, he is also bolstering a case for war.
Take the situation in Donbas, the territories in eastern Ukraine partly controlled by Russian-backed separatists. In a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday, Putin dropped the "g" word to describe the situation there.
"According to our estimates, what is happening in the Donbas today is genocide," Putin said.

Another conference call. This was what strategy looked like on Andrew Cuomo’s mayoral campaign: A small circle of aides and advisers listening to longtime aide Melissa DeRosa, who denied working on his campaign in public but whom all involved knew was running things, as she pressed them about early voting numbers showing the Zohran Mamdani surge was real.

The area of the rural Cascades near Leavenworth, Washington, is so majestic, they call it the Enchantments. Cold, clear water from the wilderness lakes flows into Icicle Creek, where it rushes over sparkling rocks. But the tranquil beauty that draws campers and hikers from all over the country was shattered a month ago by the murders of three little girls only yards from the creek.