russia, as well as more military assets moving into eastern europe and ukraine. while both sides emerged without any real victory, discussions did move forward on other issues. including the positioning of missiles that point at each other and how the two countries could carry out military exercises with more transparency. but it remains to be seen whether russia is taking this diplomacy seriously. or intends to invade ukraine regardless. we have to be prepared that russia was using this week of diplomacy and the meeting with the united states as a pretext for conflict. that they very well may walk away from these discussions and declare that diplomacy has failed. reporter: jake, we have just learned from numerous sources speaking to our colleagues that in the lead up to these talks just a few weeks ago in late december, the biden administration released another $200 million in military aid for ukraine. of course, that could go way up if russia decides to invade ukraine.
lawmakers blocking efforts to fix flooding problems as the sea swallows parts of their districts. welcome to the lead. i m pamela brown in for jake tapper today. we start with our money lead and an economic record the united states did not want to hit. data out today shows a key measure of inflation climbed to a 39-year high last month. simply purt, americans are payig a lot more for everyday goods than they were at this time last year. gasoline prices up 58.1%. energy costs 33.3% higher. and groceries an increase of 6.4%. president biden this afternoon saying he thinks we re at the peak of the crisis right now and that lower prices are on the way. but as cnn s phil mattingly reports, this new date creates a major roadblock for the rest of the president s economic agenda. every other aspect of the economy is racing ahead. it s doing incredibly well. president biden trying to highlight the positive as a complicated picture of the economy emerges. but inflation is aff
him are ridiculous. reporter: fresh signs of optimism are coarsing through the gop. following a big win in the governor s race and stunning finish in new jersey. yet those signs of strength have shined a brighter life in balancing the risks and rewards of embracing the former president. senate republican leader mitch mcconnell urged his party to spend more time talking about president biden. the key to 22 is to have a discussion with the american people about how they feel about the new administration and the democratic congress and what they re doing. so i think the election will be about the future, not about the past. reporter: trump s role in midterm election races and whether he runs for president again is a central question hanging over the party. at a weekend gop gathering in las vegas, that question was on the back burner. as former president mike pence and a parade of republicans made appearances. just 12 months away from a great republican comeback, and we
republican national committee censures the two republican members of congress january 6th committee members in part for participating in, quote, persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate discourse. is that how the republican party views the deadly violent assault on the capitol on democracy? the republican civil war over that dark day. that s ahead. and as the games begin, the chinese government cynically pushes an athlete from its muslim minority from lighting the torch, hoping you forget the genocide the chinese government is committing against that very same ethnic group. welcome to the lead. i m jake tapper. just in. former vice president mike pence moments ago directly took on his former boss, donald trump, and donald trump s outlandish, untethered claims about the election. take listen. i heard this week that president trump said i had the right to overturn the election. president trump is wrong. i had no right to overturn the election. the presiden
hello and a warm welcome to our viewers in the united states and all and the world. just ahead the administration s top finance officials triggered a dramatic show of dual pronged government force. every american should feel confident that their deposits will be there if and when they need them. and heavy snowfall is coming down and that will continue tuesday. it is just the historic decision of whether to charge a former president is expected soon. he speaks in a code and i understand the code because i ve been around him for a decade. live from london, this is cnn newsroom with max foster and bianca nobilo. it is tuesday, march 14, 8:00 a.m. here in london, 4:00 a.m. on the u.s. east coast. and 1:00 a.m. in california where at least 50 million americans are bracing for two separate storm systems. much of new england and parts of new york will be hit by a major nor easter. and in monterey county, a levee breech has added to the flooding there and so5,