State of the Union: Biden rebukes Putin, offers 'unity agenda'

"We are stronger today than we were a year ago," the president said.

Last Updated: March 1, 2022, 4:48 PM EST

President Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union address as Russian strikes were killing civilians, forces were massing near Ukraine's capital Kyiv and Russian President Vladimir Putin showed no sign of backing down.

Latest headlines:

Here is how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Check back for updates.
Mar 01, 2022, 4:48 PM EST

Here's how to watch Biden's address tonight

ABC News Live will stream from Capitol Hill throughout the day, with live coverage of the State of the Union address beginning at 8 p.m. ET and a roundtable with Houston voters on what they hope to hear from the president’s speech. At 11 p.m. ET, ABC News Live will feature lawmakers from both sides of the aisle reacting to the speeches.

ABC News Digital will have an up-to-the-minute live blog, key takeaways focusing on main themes, an analysis of the speeches’ political implications and full transcripts of and reaction to the remarks.
-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart

Mar 01, 2022, 4:17 PM EST

Biden will not be wearing a mask tonight

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Fox News that Biden will not be wearing a mask when he enters the House chamber, following new guidance, she said, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When he spoke to a joint session of Congress last year, all were required to wear masks, but on Sunday the U.S. Capitol physician said masks were now optional because Washington, D.C., was at a low-risk level.

The move to remove the mask mandate at the Capitol ahead of Biden's speech highlights the quickly evolving conditions of the pandemic and how eager some Democrats, including the president himself, are about projecting a "return to normalcy."
-ABC News' Mariam Khan

Mar 01, 2022, 3:52 PM EST

Biden to call on Congress to pass 'unity agenda'

Biden will call on Congress to pass a "unity agenda," comprising several initiatives that have been historically popular on both sides of the aisle, an administration official said on a call with reporters Tuesday morning.

While the call went on to highlight one example of the unity agenda -- mental health care -- the term is notable. The "unity agenda" could be the reframing of his stalled Build Back Better proposal -- Biden picking and choosing portions of that package his administration believes could pass with bipartisan support.

Biden will call for mental health initiatives, in the context of worsening mental health due to the pressures of the pandemic. One especially notable one: Due to mounting evidence that social media plays a major role in mental health challenges for young people, Biden will call on Congress to strengthen social media privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to kids and demand technology companies stop collecting personal data on children, an administration official said.
-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky

Mar 01, 2022, 3:42 PM EST

Some House members to wear blue and yellow in support of Ukraine

Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos, on Capitol Hill this morning for interviews with local TV stations, told reporters that many members will wear blue and yellow colors tonight in support of Ukraine.

Members of Congress will be wearing blue and yellow ribbons with their pins to show solidarity with Ukraine, at the State of The Union address at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., March 1, 2022.
Devin Dwyer/ABC News

During President Donald Trump's address in 2020, dozens of female members of Congress wore "suffragist white" -- intended to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, granting American women the right to vote.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan