As the Ukrainian military presses on with its successful ground offensive, the Russian military appears to be taking a gamble. Russian troops in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine are advancing and putting themselves at risk of being surrounded by Ukrainian forces. And, this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin promoted Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov to army general. Kadyrov, a long-time ally of Putin, is known for his inflammatory remarks and abysmal human rights record. Also, US President Joe Biden is offering pardons to thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law. In some ways, the US is unique in its approach to cannabis policy. Plus, Haiti requests international assistance to quell the violence there.