Biden taps US oil reserves to bring down gas prices

Plus, Putin authorizes martial law in Ukraine. Biden draws from US oil reserves to fight rising gas prices; Putin declares martial law in occupied Ukraine. Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.   TOP NEWS The US to release 15 million barrels of oil reserves Alex Wong/Getty Images - President Joe Biden announced the December release of 15 million barrels from the US strategic reserve to help keep gas prices down. [[New York Times / Alan Rappeport](] - This completes the 180 million barrels he directed be released in March after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent energy prices soaring. [[USA Today / Maureen Groppe](] - Recently, OPEC+ countries announced production cuts of 2 million barrels a day, which raised fears of a surge in US gas prices. [[CNN / Phil Mattingly and Sam Fossum](] - However, experts say Biden’s announcement is unlikely to lower prices at the pump. The US consumes 20 million barrels of oil daily. [[NBC News / Lauren Egan](] - Biden also asked oil companies not to raise prices and urged them to pass some of their high profits on to consumers. [[NPR / Dustin Jones](] - There are now about 400 million barrels left in the reserves. The administration plans to replenish resources when prices fall to around $67-$72 a barrel. [[Politico / Ben Lefebvre](] 📍 If you read just one story Vox’s Jonathan Guyer explains why the OPEC+ oil production cuts should not surprise the Biden administration. [[Vox / Jonathan Guyer](] [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Putin declares martial law in occupied Ukraine - President Vladimir Putin said Russia would impose martial law in four regions Moscow illegally annexed in Ukraine. [[Washington Post / Robyn Dixon](] - Putin didn’t offer immediate details. But the decision, effective Thursday, will likely grant local authorities power to restrict travel and increase censorship in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. [[AP](] - The announcement comes after Ukraine handed Russia a series of military defeats that have seen the Kremlin escalate missile and drone strikes. [[Reuters / Mark Trevelyan](] - Meanwhile, as many as 60,000 Russians evacuated Kherson as Ukraine mounts a counteroffensive to take back the region. [[BBC / Paul Kirby and Paul Adams](]   Support our journalism Reader contributions help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a one-time gift today. [Yes, I'll make a gift](   MISCELLANEOUS Actress Anna May Wong, who rose to prominence in the 1920s, will be the first Asian American featured on US currency. [[NPR / Ashley Ahn](] - Hurricane Ian triggered an increase in flesh-eating bacteria cases in Lee County, Florida. [[ABC News / Meredith Deliso](] - A group of Wisconsin taxpayers asked the Supreme Court to block the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program after a lower-level court dismissed their case. [[CNN / Katie Lobosco](] - Former President Donald Trump will be deposed Wednesday in writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit. She alleges he raped her in the mid-1990s. [[NBC News / Summer Concepcion](] VERBATIM “My message to oil companies is this: You’re sitting on record profits and we’re giving you more certainty, so you can act now to increase oil production.” [[President Biden’s message to oil companies / NBC]([News](   LISTEN TO THIS Why is everyone getting food allergies? In the past few decades, the rate of food allergies in both children and adults has dramatically increased. What’s causing this rise, and what can we do about it? [Listen now ▶](   Read more from Vox [Democratic optimism about the midterms is fading]( [Oops, we forgot to fix the supply chain]( [Why do labs keep making dangerous viruses?]( [Silicon Valley is starting to cave to European regulators]( [Let’s go down the rabbit hole of Taylor Swift conspiracy theories]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=sentences). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.