Crypto News: Another school massacre, Putin’s troops advance: Weekend Reads

As anger and sorrow spread after the massacre of 19 students and two teachers at a Texas elementary school, US politicians quickly shifted to well-worn positions, and Democrats signaled any steps to curb gun violence may be limited because of Republican stonewalling.

The National Rifle Association opened its annual convention in Houston. But even with falling revenue, fierce legal challenges and renewed criticism for defending access to weapons that are devastating American communities, the millions of dollars it funnels into US politics mean it still carries hefty political clout.

Russian troops made steady advances in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. That prompted calls from Kyiv for its allies to send more weapons, including long-range missiles to target Moscow's superior artillery and other heavy weapons supporting the offensive.

Government officials in China are being whipsawed between contrasting orders from the top two leaders. In India and Pakistan, deadly heatwaves are providing a glimpse of what global warming may bring to the rest of the planet in years to come.

Delve into these and more of Bloomberg's top political stories from the past seven days in this edition of Weekend Reads. — Michael Winfrey

A woman embraces two children outside Willie de Leon Civic Center in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday. Photographer: Eric Thayer/Bloomberg

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NRA Converges on Houston as Nation Mourns Slain Schoolchildren
The NRA's annual meeting kicked off with speakers dropping out, pressure from the mayor to cancel, and protests planned outside. Stacie Sherman and Mark Niquette report on the meeting of the lobby group that is the driving force preventing gun control.

Gun-Right Fights Move to the States, Amid Little Federal Action
The NRA has won the fight over gun rights in Washington — for now. With the US Senate far from the 60-vote majority either side needs to drive legislative change, the federal government is limited to executive orders, shifting the battleground to state courts and capitols, Neil Weinberg writes.

There were 214 mass shootings in the US in the first 145 days of the year. While these tragedies feel unique to America, gun violence is a huge issue in many other countries — just none that the US would consider a peer.

Russian Wins in Eastern Ukraine Spark Debate Over Course of War
After steady advances in Donbas, Russian artillery and air power advantages are leading to fears of a breakthrough and ever strident Ukrainian calls for more powerful weapons. As Marc Champion and Aliaksandr Kudrytski write, military analysts are sharply divided on how to interpret Russia's progress.

Russian Land Mines Mean Northern Ukraine Can't Return to Normal
Russian troops may have withdrawn from northern Ukraine but the land mines they scattered are preventing a return to life as usual. Rosalind Mathieson and Andrea Dudik speak to boxer-turned-Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko about how unexploded ordnance is killing Ukrainians.

European Leaders in Davos Decry Russia Using Food as 'Blackmail'
President Vladimir Putin is using food as a weapon by bombing grain warehouses, blocking Ukranian ships filled with wheat and hording Russia's own food exports, European leaders said as they met in Davos, Switzerland. Natalia Drozdiak reports the measures are causing global food prices to skyrocket and leaving fragile countries at risk of famine.

Resuming Ukrainian grain shipments will be time consuming given challenges that include mine-clearing in Black Sea ports and the need for cooperation from the very country that kicked off the war.

Putin said he's willing to facilitate grain and fertilizer exports if sanctions against Russia are lifted. The US rejected the proposal.

Europe's Push to Punish Putin Is Falling Short of the Rhetoric
Diplomats and officials are increasingly frustrated that the European Union may be reaching the limits of the short-term pain it can inflict on Russia. John Follain and Alberto Nardelli explain that members are failing to deliver on promises to hit President Vladimir Putin where it hurts: the lucrative energy industry.

Johnson Urges Missiles for Ukraine to Hit 'Crocodile' Putin
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged in an interview with Bloomberg that Ukraine receive further military support. The needed weapons include long-range multiple rocket launch systems, Kitty Donaldson reports.

Best of Bloomberg Opinion

Boris Johnson Is Looking Beyond Partygate But More Hurdles Loom
Johnson survived another roller coaster week, but stored up more trouble for his government and his ruling Conservative Party. Emily Ashton and Kitty Donaldson lay out how, after the UK leader escaped without a major rebellion as "partygate" came to a head, the Tories have opted — for now — to keep the man nicknamed "the greased piglet" in place.

Xi-Li Discord Paralyzes Officials Responsible for China Economy
Chinese Communist Party officials charged with implementing policies on the ground are stuck in a dilemma as President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang pursue diverging tacks on the economy and Covid-19. On the one hand, Xi continues to push for a Covid Zero approach, but Li is urging his cadres to hit growth targets.

India's Protectionist Moves Spark Concern That Rice May Be Next
India's curbs on wheat and sugar exports sent shock waves through global markets and marked an escalation in food protectionism. Pratik Parija and Vrishti Beniwal look into how rice, the one staple that's helping keep the world food crisis from getting worse, could now be at risk.

Latin America's Age of Discontent Faces Test in Colombia Vote
When Colombians vote Sunday, they may join the the anti-establishment mood sweeping Latin America and abandon the pro-business Washington-centered model they've embraced for decades. As Andrea Jaramillo and Matthew Bristow write, presidential frontrunner and former guerrilla Gustavo Petro has tapped into a yearning for radical change.

Key Explainers of the week

And finally … Temperatures in India typically peak in May before the monsoon rains, but this year they hit well above 40C (104F) two months early. Chris Kay and Pratik Parija report how climate scientists' dire predictions are already playing out in parts of India and Pakistan, providing a look at what awaits the rest of us as the rest of the world also gets hotter.