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The 17th day in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling a "war of annihilation" saw rising casualties, Russian forces coming within roughly 15 miles of the capital and the continued battering of the strategically important Southern port city of Mariupol.

Driving the news: Newly released satellite imagery showed the fires and significant damage to residential buildings in Mariupol where, earlier on Saturday, Russian forces shelled a mosque that was sheltering more than 80 people, including children, the Ukrainian government said.

The latest:

• Russian forces besiege Mariupol on 17th day of invasion
• Biden approves $200 million in defense assistance for Ukraine
• Harris: "When democracy is threatened anywhere, it threatens us all"
• Russian forces bomb a mosque in Mariupol as attacks continue in Kyiv
• Fears mount over human trafficking of Ukrainian refugees
• Some Native Americans see kinship with Ukraine
• Zelensky warns of "new stage of terror" in latest video

The mystery of how SARS-CoV-2 may cause brain fog or other neurological symptoms in some people is driving new global research.

Why it matters: Roughly 79 million Americans contracted COVID-19 in the first two years of the pandemic. While most survived, many are grappling with long-term symptoms, or long COVID, that affect the brain and other body systems.

Pharmacies that say they've been a linchpin in the U.S. pandemic response are pressing for key regulatory changes and higher payment rates to cement their enhanced role in patient care.

Why it matters: Pharmacies have become fixtures of pandemic life through testing, vaccinations and, increasingly, dispensing antivirals. But pharmacists say they're being shortchanged, because they can't prescribe COVID pills and receive prohibitively low fees to dispense them.

From Axios Finish Line, here's a stat to savor: America was the world's most generous country this past decade, according to the Charities Aid Foundation's World Giving Index, which surveyed 1.3 million people in 125 countries.

• Not only do we give money, but 72% of Americans help strangers and 42% of us volunteer.
• We grew more generous during the pandemic: 2020 and 2021 donations each topped 2019.

The first installment of the next phase of our Hard Truths series explores what's being tried to solve the problems of race and elections.

Nick Fuentes, identified as a "white supremacist" in Justice Department filings, made headlines last week for hosting a white nationalist conference in Florida. His father is also half Mexican American.

The big picture: Fuentes is part of a small but increasingly visible number of far-right provocateurs with Hispanic backgrounds who spread racist, antisemitic messages.

We're filling our lives with so much junk that the U.S. now has more self-storage facilities than McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger Kings, Starbucks and Walmarts combined. That's around 50,000 storage complexes.

Why it matters: We're overstuffed. And all that stuff often brings a lot more stress than joy.

Tools to sidestep internet restrictions have surged in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and the government's decision to block some social media services, including Facebook.

Why it matters: Finding ways around Russia's internet blockade could enable its citizens to stay connected to the rest of the world and gather information from sources beyond state-owned outlets.

Democrats are testing the potential for a reset with voters around Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and President Biden's handling of the crisis.

Driving the news: At House Democrats’ conference in Philadelphia this week, lawmakers made the case for Biden’s resurgence and for Americans’ shared sacrifice — including paying higher gas prices — to protect democracy.

Lobster prices have soared so much that restaurants are either giving their customers sticker shock, or taking them off the menu entirely.

Why it matters: The lobster price shock isn't just a supply problem or just a demand problem. It reflects both — and is a microcosm of the U.S. economy.

Indigenous people across North America are rallying around Ukrainians, seeing in them the spirit of their own ancestors who resisted powerful invaders seeking land grabs.

The big picture: Tribes in the U.S. and Canada are condemning Russia's invasion, launching relief funds and food and clothing drives, and educating members about their own histories and little-known connections to Ukrainians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of "a new stage of terror" in a video posted to Telegram on Friday night, referencing the abduction of the mayor of Melitopol by Russian forces.

Driving the news: The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the kidnapping of Mayor Ivan Fedorov a war crime, according to a statement posted to Facebook on Friday.

Travis County District Judge Amy Clark Meachum on Friday issued a statewide temporary injunction against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's (R) directive, which ordered the state to investigate parents for child abuse if they seek gender-affirming care for their children.

Driving the news: A supervisor for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services testified on Friday that investigators were required to prioritize cases involving parents of transgender children but were prohibited from closing them if they determined that the case likely did not involve child abuse, according to media reports of video footage from a state district court hearing.