OnPolitics: Pentagon to deploy 3,000 troops to Eastern Europe

The troops will be deployed to Germany, Poland and Romania amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

On Politics   Wednesday, February 2 OnPolitics: Pentagon to deploy 3,000 troops to Eastern Europe The troops will be deployed to Germany, Poland and Romania amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Happy Groundhog Day, OnPolitics readers! The national debt surpassed $30 trillion for the first time Tuesday, fueled in part by the coronavirus pandemic and what economists describe as years of unsustainable government spending that could have long-term consequences for every American. The mounting debt can impact the health and economic security of Americans in numerous ways – hitting their pocketbooks through higher interest rates, for example, or syphoning off government funding needed for other programs. What caused this massive debt? Economists attribute much of the spiraling debt to interest payments, growing health care costs and an aging population. The federal government also has spent $6 trillion over the past two years to help Americans recover from the financial fallout of COVID-19. Tax cuts that Republicans pushed through Congress in 2017, with the promise they would pay for themselves, are projected to add $1 trillion to $2 trillion to the federal debt over a decade, according to government estimates. It's Amy and Chelsey with today's top stories out of Washington. Pentagon to deploy 3,000 troops to Europe amid Russia-Ukraine tensions The Pentagon will deploy 3,000 troops to Germany, Poland and Romania as tensions rise with Russia over Ukraine, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Wednesday. The troops are not among the 8,500 placed on heightened alert last week to support a NATO quick-reaction force if it is activated, Kirby said. More troops have been placed on alert, according to Kirby, but he did not indicate how many. The 3,000 will bolster allied forces in Germany, Poland and Romania. They'll come from units in the USA and Europe. "These are not permanent moves," Kirby said. "They are designed to respond to the current security environment. Moreover, these forces are not going to fight in Ukraine. They are going to ensure the robust defense of four NATO allies." Why are troops being sent? The Pentagon estimated there are more than 100,000 Russian troops near the Ukrainian border. More have arrived in recent days, Kirby said. Russian President Vladimir Putin wants assurances that Ukraine will not be allowed to join NATO and other concessions from the West. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday the decision to move troops to Germany, Poland and Romania was not based on any events in the past couple of days and had been under discussion with allies for weeks. Real quick: stories you'll want to read • How Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH coalition was born: The civil rights leader's signature initiative transformed from MLK's Operation Breadbasket to People United to Serve Humanity. • Close competition for Fla. GOP primary: A new poll shows former president Trump and Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis are in for a tight race if either decides to run for president in 2024. • Winter Olympians walk political tightrope: Athletes in Beijing are encouraged to focus on the competition, despite China's human rights record. • President relaunches Cancer Moonshot initiative: Biden helmed the initiative, which aims to cut cancer deaths in half over the next 25 years, while Vice President. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for OnPolitics newsletter here.  Race, gender factor into decision on Supreme Court nominee Amid President Joe Biden's promise to nominate a Black woman to succeed Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer upon his retirement, a growing number of Republicans are accusing the president of unfairly focusing on race and gender in his selection. Biden's commitment, some say, was a political maneuver rather than a sincere gesture. Meanwhile, some Democrats say those critics are against adding diversity to the court. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told ABC over the weekend that Biden's handling of the nomination was "clumsy at best" because it "adds to the further perception that the court is a political institution." But experts argue the Supreme Court has always been a political institution. "The idea that race just started to be an issue when Joe Biden said 'I'm going to appoint a Black woman to the court' is nonsense," said Niambi Carter, a political scientist at Howard University, noting the overwhelming number of white, male justices who have filled the court's bench throughout its history. "It's always been a racial institution." During a meeting at the White House to officially announce Breyer's retirement, Biden said he would reveal his nominee by the end of February. Looking for more to read? USA TODAY reporter Nichelle Smith on growing up Black and proud "when Black was beautiful." — Amy and Chelsey Discover more with our newsletters: Get the latest headlines, things to do and more in your inbox. Sign up here.   FOLLOW US Problem viewing email? 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