This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.

PART I (8:43 - 8:43) An Ominous Turn in the War of Ukraine: Russia Threatens Use of ‘Tactical Nuclear Weapons’ — How Far is the US Willing to Go to Aid Ukraine?

PART II (15:59 - 15:59) ‘Then the Eyes of Both were Opened, and They Knew That They Were Naked’: The Morality of Knowledge After the Fall — You Can’t Unknow What You Now Know

PART III (18:14 - 18:14) ‘The History of the World Includes Very Few Retired Dictators’: The Predicament of Vladimir Putin and Danger of an Autocrat Backed into a Corner

• How Seriously Should We Take Putin’s Nuclear Threat in Ukraine? by New York Times (Ross Douthat)

PART IV (22:9 - 22:9) Who Would Globally Police Russia and Hold It Accountable for Its Crimes? The Failure of the United Nations Was There from the Beginning

PART V (26:11 - 26:11) The Shifting Political Tectonic Plates in Europe: Conservatives Win Italian Elections Likely Resulting in First Woman to Lead Italy’s Government