The Washington Post explains how the Ukraine capital’s outgunned defenders have kept Russian forces at bay. And it has a story about a woman who’s trying to get back into the besieged city of Mariupol to help her trapped family. The Hill explains why many states are flush with tax revenue, two years after the onset of the pandemic. Marine plastic pollution is a big problem — and, Vox argues, some efforts to deal with it may actually be doing more harm than good. The NCAA is making new moves to address inequities between the women’s and men’s basketball tournaments. A USA Today columnist says it’s a start — but that much more needs to be done.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.