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BIDEN’S BOUNCE
By Laura Santhanam, @LauraSanthanam ([link removed])
Health Reporter and Coordinating Producer for Polling

Joshua Barajas, @Josh_Barrage ([link removed])
Senior Editor, Digital

In the 24 hours after delivering his State of the Union address on March 1, President Joe Biden’s approval rate rose to 47 percent, according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll ([link removed]) .

This bump is up 8 percentage points from 39 percent two weeks ago. This is a rare occurrence for a president, said Lee Miringoff, who directs the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. Since 1978, post-State of the Union approval rating boosts of 4 percentage points or more have happened only six times, he said; three were for former President Bill Clinton.
Image by Megan McGrew/PBS NewsHour

Biden’s boost amounts to “a pretty impressive rebound in Biden’s overall support,” said political scientist Lara Brown, a professor at George Washington University. Compared to mid-February, the percentages of Democrats and independents who approve of the president gained 10 points or more.

For months, enthusiasm for Biden had slipped even “among his own partisans,” Brown said, but the public in the U.S. has found common ground over Russia’s war in Ukraine. This bump also comes at a time when confirmed coronavirus infections have plummeted nationwide and unemployment has shrunk.

“Democrats are rallying behind him,” she said, with nine out of 10 saying they back Biden in this latest poll.

In his State of the Union address, Biden denounced Putin’s actions ([link removed]) in Ukraine.

“Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson: When dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos,” the president said. “They keep moving. And the costs and threats to America and to the world keep rising.”

More findings from our latest poll ([link removed]) :
* About half of the U.S. public – 52 percent – said they support how Biden is handling the situation in Ukraine. Two weeks ago, when Russia had yet to invade, that number was much lower. Roughly a third said they approved of his leadership on the looming crisis.
* Eight out of 10 U.S. adults support the economic sanctions targeting Russia, and a slightly smaller majority is willing to go a step further – 69 percent said they support the sanctions even if they result in higher energy prices at home. This poll came before Biden announced a ban onRussian oil exports ([link removed]) .
* People also fear escalating tension and Russian retaliation. Seventy percent of U.S. adults said they are concerned that Russia’s war in Ukraine could lead to nuclear warfare. And 78 percent are worried about Russian cyberattacks against the U.S. and a broader war spreading across Europe.

Up until today, there was a key area missing from the escalating sanctions against Russia: energy.

That changed today when Biden announced a ban ([link removed]) on Russia oil imports to the U.S. The move answered pleas from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for Western leaders to cut off the imports.

Europe’s dependency on Russia, which is the largest provider of natural gas to the continent, is also a factor in this situation. Europe relies on imports for 90 percent of its gas and 97 percent of its oil products, the Associated Press noted. The U.K. – no longer a part of the EU – pledged to phase out Russian oil ([link removed]) by the end of 2022.

But will the rest of Europe join?

Considering the continent’s dependency on Russian oil and gas – not any time soon.

But today, EU officials announced their “REPowerEU” plan, which seeks to reduce consumption of Russian gas by two-thirds before the end of the year. The European Commission released a Q&A about the joint action here ([link removed]) .

EU officials are expected to discuss the plan at an emergency summit Thursday ([link removed]) in France, CNN reported.

More on Ukraine:
* Watch: In Biden’s announcement today about the ban, he also warned that U.S. gasoline prices will rise further ([link removed]) .
* One Big Question: Now that there is a U.S. ban on Russian oil, what could that mean for Russia and the world? ([link removed]) Remember: The U.S., unlike Europe, isn’t deeply reliant on energy it imports from Russia. In other words, a ban would be much more effective if European nations joined the embargo. At the same time, a ban would be much more painful for Europe ([link removed]) .
* Explainer: There are growing calls for the U.S. and NATO to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine. But what is a no-fly zone, and how would it work ([link removed]) ? So far, Western leaders have rejected the idea. Experts have also warned that it would broaden ([link removed]) the conflict ([link removed]) .
* A Closer Look: How did we get to this moment? The NewsHour's Ali Rogin looks at the history of Ukraine and its people's road to political independence ([link removed]) .


#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Tess Conciatori, @tkconch ([link removed])
White House Producer

Today is International Women's Day. People around the world marked the day, which was first officially recognized in 1911 ([link removed]) , by celebrating the social, economic, and political achievements of women.

The global day is also a reminder that women and girls are still fighting for equal treatment ([link removed]) around the world. The United Nations first recognized the day in 1975. International Women’s Day falls in March, which is also Women’s History Month.

Our question: Which U.S. president issued the first proclamation that declared the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week? Make sure to include the year of the proclamation as well.

Send your answers to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Last week, we asked: Which president had the longest written State of the Union address?

The answer: Jimmy Carter ([link removed]) . The key word here was “written.” At 33,667 words, Carter’s 1981 speech is the longest written State of the Union address in U.S. history.

Congratulations to our winners: Dorothy Jayne, Jim Brydon and Dean M. Gottehrer!

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.

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