Ukrainian Jews expressed outrage Thursday after Russian troops entered their country on a self-declared mission of “denazification” after claims that Kyiv was actively carrying out war crimes against its own citizens.

Not just Ukraine: 'Putin uses Iran to make America look weak.' LISTEN
President Vladimir Putin stated in an address to the Russian people on Thursday morning that “the purpose of this operation is to protect people who, for eight years now, have been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kyiv regime.

“To this end, we will seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, as well as bring to trial those who perpetrated numerous bloody crimes against civilians – including against citizens of the Russian Federation,” he said, condemning “far-right nationalists and neo-Nazis in Ukraine.”

Shortly after the speech, the Ukrainian government's official Twitter account posted a depiction of Adolf Hitler proudly caressing the face of Putin. It wrote: "This is nto a 'meme,' but our and your reality right now."

Ukrainian Jews expressed outrage Thursday after Russian troops entered their country on a self-declared mission of “denazification” after claims that Kyiv was actively carrying out war crimes against its own citizens.

Not just Ukraine: 'Putin uses Iran to make America look weak.' LISTEN
President Vladimir Putin stated in an address to the Russian people on Thursday morning that “the purpose of this operation is to protect people who, for eight years now, have been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kyiv regime.

“To this end, we will seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, as well as bring to trial those who perpetrated numerous bloody crimes against civilians – including against citizens of the Russian Federation,” he said, condemning “far-right nationalists and neo-Nazis in Ukraine.”

Shortly after the speech, the Ukrainian government's official Twitter account posted a depiction of Adolf Hitler proudly caressing the face of Putin. It wrote: "This is nto a 'meme,' but our and your reality right now."

Faced with a humanitarian crisis along the Rio Grande, pressured by conservative rivals and chided by right-wing cable pundits, Gov. Greg Abbott decided last fall to move thousands of troops to the border as quickly as possible. And the Texas Military Department, which oversees the state’s National and State Guard branches, did all it could to comply — with haste.

Never before has Texas — or any other state — involuntarily activated so many troops under state active duty authority for such a long-term mission. Nor has it been done so quickly.....

During a two-month period beginning in September, Operation Lone Star ballooned from a lean 1,000-volunteer outfit to a mandatory mobilization of up to 10,000 members of the Texas Military Department. According to a senior Guard leader’s leaked comments during a virtual town hall for unit leaders, they’re expecting the current wave of troops to be there for a year, and they’re preparing for yet another wave of deployments......

The National Guard is primarily staffed by part-time troops who have civilian jobs, lives and families. Sometimes they’re called to full-time duty by the federal government. Those deployments are often yearlong missions, but Guardsmen are alerted months ahead of time so they can get their affairs in order — and troops alerted less than 120 days prior to deployment usually can’t be forced to go.

The deployment came at a politically fraught moment for a governor whose popularity was sagging as he took fire over his handling of two crises — the COVID-19 pandemic and a February 2021 winter storm that caused the state’s power grid to collapse, leaving millions without electricity or heat for days.

In May, Abbott faced his first major challenge from his right flank after former state Sen. Don Huffines of Dallas, a millionaire with money to spend, announced his entry in the 2022 gubernatorial primary. Two months later, Huffines was joined by Allen West, the former U.S. representative from Florida and chair of the Republican Party of Texas. Both blasted Abbott for failing to secure the border.

Opponents of Abbott’s recommendation (not officially a law) say it will allow trans children to be outed and parents to face charges for supporting them. Additionally, the letter says medical professionals could also face repercussions for not reporting any gender-affirming care given to children.

One of Abbott’s fiercest opponents is his current rival for the Texas governorship. In a tweet Wednesday, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke said:

“Foster kids have been forced to sleep on the floor in Abbott’s CPS system where harm to children is “overlooked, ignored or forgotten.” Texas leads the nation in uninsured kids. Now @GregAbbott_TX is cruelly and obsessively bullying children. Texas kids deserve so much better.”

BETO O’ROURKE

The ACLU said Wednesday that Abbott’s letter and Paxton’s opinion “have no legal effect” and “can’t override the constitutional rights of Texas families.” The organization further commented that no U.S. court has ever found gender-affirming care to be tantamount to child abuse.