State of the Union: Biden rebukes Putin, praises brave Ukrainians, offers 'unity agenda'
"We are stronger today than we were a year ago," the president said.
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.
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Heightened security on Capitol grounds
The nation's capital has ramped up security ahead of Biden's first State of the Union address tonight.
Up to 700 National Guard troops have been made available to assist local law enforcement, and a controversial inner-perimeter fence once again surrounds the U.S. Capitol.
The U.S. Capitol Police have also been working in tandem with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies on a "security plan to prevent any disruption to the important work of Congress," Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said in a statement earlier this week.
-ABC News' Noah Minnie
For more live coverage
For more live coverage of the State of the Union, head to FiveThirtyEight, which is providing updates on Biden's address as well as the Texas primary election.
"Given the current state of affairs, both foreign and domestic, tonight is a big night for the president," writes FiveThirtyEight politics reporter Alex Samuels.
US to announce ban on Russian carriers from its airspace
Biden is expected to announce tonight that the U.S. will ban Russian carriers from its airspace, a person familiar with his remarks told ABC News.
Canada and the European Union have also issued similar bans following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
-ABC News' Ben Gittleson
GOP shares response ahead of Biden's remarks
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is expected to hit Biden on inflation, foreign policy and school reopenings in the GOP response to tonight's State of the Union, according to an excerpt of her speech released by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
"Instead of moving America forward, it feels like President Biden and his party have sent us back in time to the late '70s and early '80s. When runaway inflation was hammering families, a violent crime wave was crashing on our cities, and the Soviet army was trying to redraw the world map," she said in the prepared remarks.
Keeping schools open "is only the start of the pro-parent, pro-family revolution that Republicans are leading in Iowa and states across this country," she said.
"Republicans believe that parents matter. It was true before the pandemic and has never been more important to say out loud: Parents Matter," she continued. "They have a right to know, and to have a say in, what their kids are being taught."
-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa
Justice Breyer in spotlight
Biden took a few moments to thank retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer for his service on the bench and asked the justice to stand and be recognized.
Breyer has been one of the most loyal attendees of State of the Union addresses over the past 20 years -- and tonight he was clearly touched by the presidential tribute.
Biden then immediately pivoted to his nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill that seat.
“Since she’s been nominated, she’s received a broad range of support," Biden said.
-ABC News' Devin Dwyer and Justin Gomez