How TPM Reader JO finds his joy:

Dahlia Lithwick puzzles over Judiciary Committee Democrats’ “chilling unwillingness to go to the mat” for Ketanji Brown Jackson:

I wanted to make sure you saw Cory Booker bringing Ketanji Brown Jackson to tears yesterday:

All signs continue to point to SCOTUS issuing a ruling this summer that could dismantle Roe, tossing the decision of whether or not individuals can obtain abortions into the salivating hands of Republican state elected officials.

I will note again that we should treat all these reports of troop movements and battles as tentative. Our ability to see what is happening is blurry at best. But I wanted to update you on my post below about Ukrainian counter offensives. At a Pentagon briefing today, reporters heard that Russian forces to the northwest of Kyiv have started building defensive positions. So they don’t seem to be going anywhere. However, to the east, where Russian forces were within 15 to 20 kilometers of the city center are now 55 kilometers away after a counter-offensive by Ukrainian Army forces.