Zelenskyy demands more of Biden and state GOP still fighting over 2020

An impassioned Zelenskyy demands more from Biden

• An exhausted-looking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke over a video link to an extraordinary gathering of the U.S. Congress, invoking the most horrific moments in American history to argue the case for imposition of a "no-fly" zone – a request he surely knew would be rejected – or at least more military hardware, stiffer sanctions and additional steps to prevail against what he described as an assault on the world's democratic values.

• "We are fighting for Europe and the world and our lives in the name of the future," he said with emotion. "I’m addressing President Biden. You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace."

• A few hours later, Biden announced $800 million in additional aid to Ukraine, although the White House continued to rule out imposing a no-fly zone or providing more jet fighters to the Ukrainians. He has warned those steps would risk a direct confrontation with Russian forces that could spark World War III. Biden also called Putin a "war criminal" for the first time.

Republican schism over the 2020 election spills over as Speaker Vos meets with a group pushing to decertify the vote

• Robin Vos said he gathered a group pushing to overturn Biden's victory to hear their case for the idea of decertifying the 2020 election, which Vos and legal scholars have maintained is an illegal fantasy. But a growing number of Republicans in the party's base agree it should happen. And Wednesday's episode instead gave the idea more legitimacy to the supporters who traveled to the Capitol and called the meeting productive.

• Vos left the closed meeting after more than an hour and told reporters after he believes there was "widespread fraud" in the 2020 election, despite findings of the Legislature's audit bureau and the conservative Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty showing otherwise.

• Rep. Timothy Ramthun, who has entered the Republican field for governor, told reporters assembled outside the meeting that Vos could be committing a crime by not advancing legislation to decertify the 2020 vote. "I've tried to do my best to get this on the front burner, to get closure. That's all I've wanted," Ramthun told reporters. "You should be in there too. That's freedom of the press. That's truth and transparency. Open, honest government and right now, we're witnessing that's not the case." Vos asked Ramthun to leave the meeting.

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The Money

COUTURE: After 'twists and turns' the last 10 years, construction for the Couture high-rise apartment tower on Milwaukee's lakefront is finally accelerating. “We’re going to pour a typical floor every four days, so we’re going to be rolling,” developer Rick Barrett said. “I think it will shock people once we get above the fence line.”

KOHLS: Another activist investor, Engine Capital, is encouraging Kohl's Corp. to sell as Hudson Bay is reportedly interested in buying the company.

The Fun Stuff

CHEFS: Milwaukee's Amilinda, Diplomat and Bavette chefs are finalists in the James Beard Awards.

WEEKEND: Four things you should probably do this weekend in Milwaukee.

The Games

PACKERS: Za'Darius Smith is signing with the Ravens and Green Bay is moving on from punter Corey Bojorquez in a salary-cap move.

BREWERS: Here's the Brewers spring training TV and radio broadcast schedule.

BUCKS: The Bucks' big three lead the way late to beat the Kings, 135-126.

Around Wisconsin

GREEN BAY: Georgia-Pacific will shut down the 121-year-old Day Street Mill in phases over the next 18 months.

STURGEON BAY: A superyacht owned by a Russian oligarch that was built in Sturgeon Bay's Palmer Johnson shipyard in 2013 is among a number of yachts and other assets seized by foreign governments in the past two weeks as part of the sanctions implemented because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

MINING: A Canadian company has submitted documents indicating its interest in conducting exploratory drilling at two well-known deposits in central Wisconsin.

Today in Wisconsin History

The name of Milwaukee County's airport, what is today Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, was changed on March 17, 1941, to Billy Mitchell Field in honor of the city's famous aviation pioneer, General William Mitchell.

Today's Weather

A high of 56 but then things get ugly on Friday with a high of 36 and a wintry mix.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Zelenskyy demands more of Biden and state GOP still fighting over 2020