WASHINGTON — If it’s Monday ... The U.S.-Canadian bridge reopens after Canadian police clear trucker blockade. ... President Biden, in interview with NBC’s Lester Holt, criticizes NFL for lack of Black head coaches. ... Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., says he’ll be back at work in a few weeks. ... Early voting begins today in Texas primaries. ... U.S. racks up more medals in Winter Olympics. ... And the West Coast represents at last night’s Super Bowl — in more ways than one.
But first: We remain in a holding pattern on two huge stories — one global, the other domestic.
The first story: Russia’s likely/looming/imminent invasion of Ukraine.
In a pair of weekend phone calls, Biden told Russia’s Putin that there would “swift and severe” consequences if Russia invades, and he relayed to Ukraine’s Zelenskyy that the United States and allies would respond "swiftly and decisively" if that happens.
The second story: Biden’s upcoming Supreme Court pick, which he said he’d unveil by the end of this month.
On Friday, NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell reported on “Nightly News” that the president has narrowed his shortlist to three contenders — federal appeals Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, and district court Judge J. Michelle Childs.
And over the weekend at Camp David, O’Donnell added, Biden was expected to review the finalists’ writings and opinions, and in-person interviews could begin as soon as this week.
There’s been a temporary lull in the political news cycle.
But that seems destined to change in the coming days.
Tweet of the day
Data Download: The number of the day is … 13
That’s the number of National Football League franchises that have never hired a Black head coach (not including interim head coaches, according to NFL.com), a situation President Joe Biden commented on during his pre-Super Bowl interview with NBC’s Lester Holt.
“The commissioner pointed out — they haven't lived up to what they committed to,” Biden said.
“The whole idea that a league that is made up of so many athletes of color, as well as so diverse, that there’s not enough African-American qualified coaches to manage these NFL teams just seems to me that it’s a standard that they’d want to live up to. It’s not a requirement of law, but it’s a requirement, I think, of some, just, generic decency.”
Other numbers you need to know today:
15: The number of medals currently won by the U.S. Olympic team in China, six fewer than the leader, Norway.
57 percent: The share of parents of school age children in the new CBS News poll who said that they believed masks for school children should be mandatory (36 percent said optional and 7 percent said not allowed).
Midterm roundup
Early voting starts today in Texas ahead of the state’s March 1 primary. The Lone Star State has fewer competitive congressional seats after redistricting, but there are still a number of primaries to watch, including in Texas’ 28th District, where progressive attorney Jessica Cisneros is in a rematch against Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., endorsed Cisneros this morning.
And Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., traveled to Texas over the weekend to rally supporters for Cisneros and former Austin City Council member Greg Casar, who is running in the solidly Democratic, open 35th District.
Banning stock trading among members of Congress is becoming an issue on the midterm campaign trail, NBC’s Allan Smith and Sahil Kapur report, as legislation to do so picks up steam on Capitol Hill. And Democrats in governor’s and secretaries of state races are making protecting democracy central to their campaigns, NBC’s Henry Gomez and Jane C. Timm report.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., took sides in the GOP Senate primary in Missouri Saturday, backing Rep. Vicky Hartzler over a crowded field of Republicans.
Protect Ohio Values, a super PAC supporting “Hillbilly Elegy” author JD Vance in Ohio’s GOP Senate primary, recently launched a new ad backing Vance. The ad came after the group’s former pollster sounded the alarm about Vance’s standing in the race.
Two GOP senators facing primaries are up with new TV ads. Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford criticizes Biden in his new spot and Arkansas Sen. John Boozman’s new spot touts his endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
Ad Watch: McCormick’s conservative call-out
Pennsylvania Super Bowl-watchers may have heard an unexpected chant coming from their TV last night, thanks to Republican David McCormick’s new ad in his campaign for Senate. It was expected to run across NBC platforms during the big game, according to Fox News.
The ad features a compilation of negative headlines about the Biden administration, highlighting the withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan, illegal immigration, inflation and more. The sound of a crowd chanting the conservative, anti-Biden phrase, “Let’s go Brandon,” echoes in the background, before a text slate tells viewers, “this is so much bigger than Brandon.”
It’s not the first ad to feature the “Let’s go Brandon” chant — other Republicans, including Arizona GOP Senate challenger Jim Lamon, have used it too.
ICYMI: What else is happening in the world
The BBC reports that Ukraine’s foreign minister wants a meeting with Russia and other European nations to discuss the rising tensions and Russia’s border troop build-up.
The New York Times details Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s attempts to secure top recruits in key Senate races who would have some independence from Trump.
Politico profiles Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who helms the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is fighting his own party over congressional redistricting.
