1/ The Biden administration warned that Russia could be preparing to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine after Russian officials accused the U.S. of funding “secret biological experiments” at laboratories in two Ukrainian cities. The State Department responded to the allegations, warning that “Russia is inventing false pretexts in an attempt to justify its own horrific actions in Ukraine.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki added that Russia’s accusations were “preposterous,” saying “Russia has a history also of inventing outright lies like this.” (Washington Post / NBC News / New York Times / Associated Press / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

2/ The 2020 Census missed 18.8 million Americans – the biggest net undercount in three decades. The Census Bureau said that while the overall population total of 323 million was accurate, it undercounted the number of Hispanic, Black, and Native American residents and overcounted white and Asian residents. Census results are used to guide voting districts, congressional representation, and the allocation of an estimated $1.5 trillion in federal funds each year for health care, education, transportation, and other public services. (New York Times / Politico / NPR / Washington Post)

3/ The Consumer Price Index rose by 7.9% over the past year – the fastest pace of annual inflation in 40 years. The Labor Department also reported that inflation rose 0.8% from January to February – up from the 0.6% increase from December to January – reflecting the higher cost of gasoline, food, and shelter. The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, is expected to announce the first of a series of interest rate hikes next week aimed at slowing inflation. (Bloomberg / Politico / CNBC / New York Times / Wall Street Journal)

4/ TSA will extend its travel mask mandate for airplanes and other public transportation through mid-April. The mandate will extend at least through April 18 while the CDC works “with government agencies to help inform a revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation...