Your Wednesday Briefing

More tanks for Ukraine

The Biden administration plans to send up to 50 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, U.S. officials said yesterday, in what would be a major step in arming Kyiv as it tries to seize back its territory from Russia. It could take years before those tanks reach Ukraine, but the announcement would clear the way for Germany and other countries to send their battle tanks.

The plan to send the Abrams tanks comes after a testy confrontation last week, during a NATO defense chiefs’ meeting, over the refusal by Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, to send Leopard tanks, which many military experts believe could be a decisive weapon in Ukrainian hands.

German officials have privately insisted that the country would send the tanks only if the U.S. agreed to send its own M1 Abrams tanks. Publicly, American and German officials have denied that the two issues were linked, but the German news media reported last night that Scholz had decided to send the tanks. The chancellor will address Parliament today.

In other news from the war: Several top Ukrainian officials were fired yesterday amid a ballooning corruption scandal, the biggest upheaval in the country’s government since Russia’s invasion began 11 months ago.

Can Germany be a great military power again?

When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, German military planners began to consider the sudden possibility of a large land war in Europe — one that would require German soldiers to defend European territory. Those fears have grown more acute, resulting, last year, in the announcement of plans for the largest jump in German military spending since World War II.

Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, skepticism of the merits of military strength had enabled a long post-Cold War process of disarmament in Germany. Now, German leaders are vowing to transform the country into a military power capable of taking responsibility for Europe’s security. But German society, in which the country’s Nazi past looms large, remains hesitant.

The fact that German soldiers have repeatedly been implicated in high-profile cases of right-wing extremism has not helped ease this discomfort. Russian propagandists were clearly trying to hit a nerve when they responded to Germany’s current plans by suggesting that the country was returning to Nazism.

Background: Every recent U.S. administration tried, and mostly failed, to get the Germans and other European allies to strengthen their militaries and meet the NATO defense-spending target of 2 percent of gross domestic product, a goal Germany has long undershot.

California reels from mounting gun violence

The death toll from two mass shootings in California in the last few days rose to at least 18 people. Those tragedies were only two in a series of shootings this month in a state that, overall, has some of the nation’s lowest mortality rates from gun violence, as well as some of its toughest gun laws.

In Northern California, a 66-year-old man was in custody after the shooting deaths of seven people on Monday. An eighth victim was hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Officials said the suspect, Zhao Chunli, was an employee at one of the locations of the shootings. And in Southern California, investigators continued their search for a motive in the massacre on Saturday night at a ballroom dancing venue in Monterey Park.

The cases, which bracketed celebration of the Lunar New Year, claimed the lives largely of immigrant victims: older Asian Americans at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, and Asian and Latino agricultural workers around Half Moon Bay. The suspects in those two shootings were immigrant Asian men in their 60s and 70s — a rare age bracket for assailants in mass shootings.

Context: Just over a week ago, in an attack that the authorities compared to a drug-cartel-style execution, six people were shot dead in rural central California. And on Monday night, one person was killed and seven people were wounded in a gun battle in Oakland.

THE LATEST NEWS

Around the World

• Chris Hipkins has been sworn in as the new prime minister of New Zealand. Already, he is attempting to put distance between himself and his high-profile predecessor.

• Hundreds of thousands of Chinese people poured their life savings into apartments that were put on pause when a real estate boom came to a sudden halt.

• Sixty-seven journalists were killed last year around the world, the most deaths in five years, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in its annual report.

• Juan Carrito, a beloved Italian bear who once raided a bakery, was killed in a traffic accident.

Other Big Stories

• The Justice Department sued Google, accusing it of illegally abusing a monopoly over the technology behind online advertising.

• Aides to Mike Pence, the former U.S. vice president, found a small number of documents with classified markings at his residence during a search last week.

• Though the cases may be markedly different, the discovery of classified documents at President Biden’s private home complicates the Justice Department’s case against Donald Trump.

• The Pentagon is racing to increase its production of artillery shells by 500 percent within two years.

Science Times

• The Earth’s core may be reversing its spin. We’re not sure why.

• Developing nations are struggling to cover the costs of expensive medical therapies.

• What do we owe lab animals? Some experts have suggested repayment through adoption or donation.

• Apes communicate through gestures. Test whether you can read their body language with our quiz.

• With the Webb telescope launched and the Higgs boson discovered, a committee of physicists will consider what question should be tackled next. “The multiverse gives me a headache,” one said. “But it may be the most important idea of our time.”

A Morning Read

At the world’s most elusive surfing event, the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, a local lifeguard, Luke Shepardson, beat out the top pro surfers for the trophy.

“I’ve got to get back to the tower,” Shepardson, who collected his prize in his uniform, said after a brief celebration. “I got to get back to the tower to make sure everyone is OK until the end of the day.”

SPORTS NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC

Qatar is trying to buy into the Premier League: After the World Cup, the focus now for Qatar is on investing in Tottenham or Manchester United.

LIV Golf’s TV deal with The CW, explained: The Saudi-backed golf league’s agreement comes with plenty of geopolitical issues and ratings questions. Here’s what to make of the unusual pairing.

Gareth Bale to play in PGA Tour event: Bale, 33, will play next month at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California, just a month after his retirement from professional soccer.

From The Times: Mikaela Shiffrin made skiing history, securing the 83rd World Cup victory of her career, the most of any female skier in the history of the sport. At the Australian Open, Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul squared off in the first all-American Grand Slam quarterfinal in 16 years.

ARTS AND IDEAS

Oscar nominees

In a year when moviegoers returned en masse to big-budget spectacles — and skipped nearly everything else — Oscar voters yesterday spread nominations remarkably far and wide.

The sci-fi movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once” led with 11 total nominations, while some of its stars received acting nods. “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “All Quiet on the Western Front” were tied for second, with nine nominations each. The drama “Tár” received a best picture nod, and the blockbuster sequels “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” were also recognized in the category.

Here’s a full list of the nominees, the biggest snubs and surprises and our critics’ picks. The 95th Academy Awards will be held in Los Angeles on March 12.

PLAY, WATCH, EAT

What to Cook

Twenty-four soup recipes to get you through the winter.

What to Read

In “The Aftermath,” Philip Bump explores life after the baby boomer generation.

Fashion

How to pack for a work trip.

Now Time to Play

Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Alphabet that gave us the word “alphabet” (five letters).

And here are today’s Wordle and the Spelling Bee.

You can find all our puzzles here.

That’s it for today’s briefing. Thanks for joining me. — Natasha

P.S. My colleague David Dunlap explained how The Times keeps reporters safe when they cover deadly viruses.

“The Daily” is on the classified documents found in President Biden’s home.

You can reach Natasha and the team at [email protected].