Yahoo Sports OnPolitics: What does Russian President Vladimir Putin really want?
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Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday signed three decrees recognizing the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, two breakway regions of eastern Ukraine. Putin also decried any claims of Ukrainian sovereignty, calling it “madness.”
In response, President Joe Biden said Monday he will sign an executive order to sanction any Americans who invest in Donetsk or Luhansk. The order bans new investment, trade and financing to, from or in the regions, according to a statement from White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
"We have anticipated a move like this from Russia and are ready to respond immediately," Psaki said. "We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on next steps and on Russia’s ongoing escalation along the border with Ukraine."
The order is separate from promised sanctions Biden said he would impose on Moscow should Russia invade Ukraine.
It's Amy and Chelsey with today's top stories out of Washington.
What do we know about Vladimir Putin?
Putin remains an enigma even as he takes center stage in the current conflict facing eastern Europe.
The former KGB agent remains shackled to the prospect of a Soviet Union with Russia at the forefront, though countries in the region won independence from the overarching regime over 30 years ago.
But for reasons known primarily to him, an undeterred Putin seeks to lash the nations together by force.
"We do not understand fundamentally, none of us do, what is inside President Putin's head, and so we cannot make any guess about where this is headed," Julianne Smith, U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treat Organization, told reporters Tuesday.
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Voters get fewer choices as redistricting is drawn along partisan lines
New state congressional maps— the product of the once-a-decade redistricting that comes with each decennial census—are almost finished, and Democrats, who worried about losing nearly a dozen seats to Republicans, have done far better than expected.
But those victories for Democrats obscure a larger truth for voters: fewer competitive seats across the country. Experts warn that could mean an even more divisive Congress in the decade to come that will push Americans deeper into their political corners.
Some experts had predicted a Democratic bloodbath in the redistricting fight that would further complicate the party's ability to hold the House in the November midterms. But left-leaning gerrymanders in places like New York have balanced GOP-drawn maps in red states such as Texas.
An increasing importance on primaries: With fewer tossup districts, congressional elections increasingly are decided during the primary, pushing candidates to embrace the political extremes that resonate with the party faithful, experts said.
“Both parties certainly are guilty of it and both parties have drawn maps that are very anti-democratic, small d," Michael Li, chief counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice said. “Some people say this isn’t as bad as it could have been. But I think we deserve a democracy that’s better than a 'better-than-it-could-have-been' democracy.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What do we really know about Vladimir Putin?
