Axios

Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued its official response to the United States' strike on a Syrian airbase in retaliation for the Assad regime's chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians. It reads, in part:

While previous initiatives of this kind were presented as efforts to combat terrorism, now they are clearly an act of aggression against a sovereign Syria. Actions undertaken by the US today inflict further damage to the Russia-US relations.

Russia claimed the U.S. has "totally distorted" the events in Syria, stating the Assad regime does not possess chemical weapons and blaming the deaths on "toxic land mines" created by rebel terrorists. It called the strike an attempt to divert international attention away from Mosul, where a U.S.-led bombing campaign against ISIS has led to the accidental deaths of hundreds of Iraqi civilians.

In addition, the statement also suspended the Memorandum of Understanding on Prevention of Flight Safety Incidents that coordinates U.S.-Russia communications regarding flight paths over Syria and called for an "emergency meeting" of the U.N. Security Council.

Shortly after Devin Nunes stepped aside from the Intel Committee's Russia probe, the House Ethics Committee announced that it would be investigating allegations that he "may have made unauthorized disclosures of classified information."

What this means: The Ethics Committee's internal concerns were serious enough that the truly bipartisan committee — it sits an equal number of Republicans and Democrats — determined that an investigation was warranted.

What the concerns might be: The Daily Beast's Nunes whisperer Tim Mak has a roundup: James Comey said during a House Intel hearing last month, "All FISA applications reviewed by the court and collection by us pursuant to our FISA authority is classified." So all of the "incidental collection" involving the Trump team that Nunes made the centerpiece of his impromptu March 22 press conference at the White House is still classified, even if it has been publicly reported.

And don't forget: None of this squares with Nunes' own statement announcing his recusal, which blamed the decision on "several leftwing activist groups" that he alleged "filed accusations against [him] with the Office of Congressional Ethics."

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes will temporarily step aside from the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the November presidential election, as well as Trump's campaign associates' ties to Moscow. The Ethics Committee announced its looking at whether Nunes "made unauthorized disclosures of classified information." Paul Ryan's statement today:

"It is clear that this process would be a distraction for the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russian interference in our election. Chairman Nunes has decided to step aside as the lead Republican on this probe, and I fully support this decision."

The probe will now be led by Reps. Michael Conaway, Trey Gowdy, and Tom Rooney.

Read the timeline on Devin Nunes and Trump's surveillance claims.

A picture depicting Vladimir Putin in false eyelashes and makeup was added to the Russian Justice Ministry's list of banned "extremist" materials, because it implies "the supposed nonstandard of sexual orientation of the president of the Russian Federation," according to the Guardian.

Why this matters: Images depicting Putin in drag have become more widespread in the years since Russia passed a law banning propaganda about "nontraditional sexual relations."