Biden says west is united on Ukraine | First Thing

Virtual meeting between western powers comes as the US put 8,500 troops on alert and UK warns of unprecedented sanctions' against Russia

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Good morning.

Joe Biden has said there was total" unity among western powers after crisis talks with European leaders on how to deter Russia from an attack against Ukraine, as 8,500 US troops are put on high alert.

Who else was on the call? The leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Poland and the EU also took part in the crisis talks.

What has the impact been like in the US? Learning losses have been seen in the US, including in California, Colorado, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Maryland.

Can you give an example of this? Yes. In Texas, two-thirds of children in grade 3 (age eight to nine) tested below their grade level in math in 2021, compared with half of children in 2019.