Welcome to Thursday, February 24th, colleagues...

Putin announced in taped remarks Wednesday night that he is ordering a “special military operation” against Ukraine.

The invasion comes after Russia undertook a monthslong buildup of more than 150,000 troops on Ukraine’s border ― the largest in Europe since the end of World War II.

On Thursday morning, Moscow's Defense Ministry said the Russian military has destroyed 74 Ukrainian military facilities, including 11 airbases.

Ukrainian officials have told multiple media outlets that there are hundreds of casualties across Ukraine.

Russian forces are reportedly invading Ukraine from several lines of attack. There are reports of Russian troops crossing the border from occupied Crimea in the south and clashes at the Belarus border in the north where Russian forces have been conducting “exercises” with the Belarussian military for months amid the buildup. 

Biden is expected to address the nation Thursday afternoon about new sanctions against Russia.

How do you feel about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?

U.S. Moves More Troops & Aircraft to NATO's Eastern Front

The Pentagon on Tuesday announced several movements of troops and aircraft within Europe to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) eastern front to deter aggression against members of the alliance amid Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s borders. 

Among the American units already deployed to Europe that will be heading east will be an infantry battalion consisting of 800 troops from the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed in Vincenza, Italy, who will deploy to the Baltic region to support NATO allies Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. 

These movements are in addition to the two separate deployments totaling about 6,000 American troops and additional military assets to NATO countries in Eastern Europe that have been announced in recent weeks amid Russia’s invasion threat.

Do you support the deployment to NATO countries in Eastern Europe?

CBP Apprehended Over 153K Unauthorized Immigrants at the Southern Border in January

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released data last  Friday revealing that apprehensions of people entering the U.S. illegally at the Southern border continued at a record-setting pace in January that puts fiscal year 2022 on track to exceed the all-time high set in fiscal year 2021, which ended in September.

Over the first four months of FY2022, CBP has encountered 672,838 people attempting to enter the country illegally. That’s more than double the 296,450 apprehended in the first four months of FY2021. January was the 12th consecutive month with at least 101,000 apprehensions at the Southern border.

The number of unaccompanied minors apprehended in January was 8,777 ― a decrease from 11,893 in December; 13,934 in November; and 12,779 in October. If the current pace continues for the rest of FY2022, it would approach the all-time record total of unaccompanied minors apprehended in a fiscal year, which was 146,925 in FY2021.

Are you concerned about the rate at which people are attempting to enter the country illegally?

All the Memes Fit to Post

And, In The End...

Nacho sure who originated it, but...

Double dip,

—Josh Herman

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