
Biden hopes for Ukraine de-escalation in call with Putin
CNN
President Joe Biden is speaking Thursday with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the hopes of defusing an unremitting crisis on Russia's border with Ukraine.
Putin requested the telephone call this week for reasons US officials said were not precisely clear. Biden and Putin last spoke on December 7 in a video conference that ended with a pledge to restart diplomatic discussions -- but no indication Russia was preparing to deescalate.
Since then, as many as 100,000 Russian troops have remained amassed at the Ukrainian border, despite warnings from Biden and European leaders of serious consequences should Putin move ahead with an invasion. US officials also say Moscow is engaged in a massive disinformation campaign meant to undermine Ukraine's government ahead of that country's national elections.

Janet Mills and her allies are counting on a gender gap to narrow Platner’s wide lead ahead of the June 9 primary to decide who will face incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. They are betting that the unfiltered style that has brought Platner widespread attention as someone who could help Democrats reach young men will backfire with women.

As a shrinking number of Transportation Security Administration agents work to keep hourslong security lines moving despite not being paid, President Donald Trump stepped into the fray Saturday, announcing he will send Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to airports by Monday if Congress doesn’t agree to a plan to end the partial government shutdown.











