“Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood.” – John Adams
THE DAY AT A GLANCE:
The State Department has concluded its investigation into the legality of the Russia-Ukraine War. Its discernment suggests Putin has committed war crimes, however, America is unsure whether or not to hold the influential world leader accountable.
U.S. Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack said,
We've been shocked by images of Russian forces and strikes hitting civilian sites in Mariupol, including the maternity hospital, a museum and an art school. The United Nations and other critical observers have confirmed hundreds of civilian deaths, and we believe that the exact civilian death toll will be in the thousands.
However, the ambassador, nor the State Department, suggested Putin will face consequences.
Today marks one month since the beginning of Russia's invasion.
Meanwhile, the US is preparing for Russian cyberattacks in the coming weeks. According to analysts, the most vulnerable industries include the financial sector, defense contractors, and oddly enough small businesses.
Justin Riley, CEO of cybersecurity company Impero Software said,
All sorts of American entities have been under scrutiny from Russia — from state, local, and federal governments to various companies — and there will be an uptick in cyberattacks in the next few weeks.
Russians will likely first go after the financial industry and defense-related companies but also small and medium businesses that don't think they are important enough to attack and therefore are also more vulnerable in terms of their lack of security preparedness.
Larger attacks are not expected due to the time and effort, usually numerous months, required to execute them.
President Biden will speak with world leaders in Brussels today to discuss the war and the international response.
As reported by the Washington Examiner,
Not all of Europe's leaders are prepared to weather the economic blowback that could arise from penalties on Moscow's energy exports, a source of significant revenue for Putin's regime.
The fissures reveal how far some countries are prepared to go to punish Russia for rolling its troops into Ukraine and are expected to be front of mind in Brussels amid the White House's five-alarm warnings of Putin's stepped-up chemical threats.
While the president has said it is up to each leader to determine a country's risk tolerance, Moscow's attacks on civilians could make it harder for some to argue a pass for Russia.
Ukraine has continued to request military assistance from the US and NATO.
As the war worsens the economic state of America, lawmakers are considering another round of stimulus checks. Other ideas included sending gas cards through the IRS, and energy rebates of $100 per month.
Meanwhile, California is attempting to address the situation on its own.
The stimulus checks will in no way ease inflation or present a long-term solution ot the growing issue.
As reported by Fox News,
Now, this change in the Fed's monetary policy caused Fannie Mae's Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group to reduce its projections for economic growth in 2022, according to its March commentary. The ESR Group now projects real GDP growth of 2.3% in 2022, down from its previous projection of 2.8%.
America's Future:
Continuing to look ahead, Americans will be expected to begin paying their student loans off in May after two years of forbearance during the pandemic. However, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York predicts some borrowers may face delinquency.
The upcoming end to the pause on student loan repayment has intensified Democrat lawmakers' calls for loan forgiveness. As reported by Fox News,
Although the Education Department has canceled about $16 billion worth of student debt since President Joe Biden took office, his administration has so far been unable to enact widespread forgiveness.
43 House Democrats have already requested President Biden extend the pause through 2022. Since the administation already extended it once this year, another extension is to be expected.
Last Laugh:
Return of the Seventies by Dave Whamond for Newsmax.
Thank you for reading today's brief.
