The war in Ukraine escalated on Wednesday with Russian forces capturing Kherson, a strategically important city and the first to be overcome since the invasion began last week.

It probably goes without saying that this is just the latest in a series of developments that merit our attention. So today I’ll be pointing you to our latest coverage of the crisis as well as stories of its impact on California and beyond.

To start, today’s front page of The New York Times features articles about the thousands of Ukrainians sheltering in the Kyiv subway and the alarm spreading across Eastern Europe as Russia seeks to reclaim a sphere of influence lost at the end of the Cold War.

Our reporters stationed in Russia also wrote about the reality of war dawning on that country’s citizens.

You can keep up with Ukraine breaking news here, or sign up for a nightly email from The Times about the conflict.

And now for some stories that are particularly relevant to California readers:

• California’s Russian investments: A bipartisan group of California lawmakers said this week that they planned to file legislation to get rid of the state’s Russian investments. The state has more than $1 billion in Russian investments, mostly in its pension fund, The Associated Press reports.

• Climate change and gas prices: I recommend this Times article about the ways that the war is complicating efforts to slow down global warming, just as scientists warn of intensifying hazards.

  President Biden barely mentioned his climate goals in the State of the Union speech Tuesday evening. And gas prices are soaring globally — on Wednesday, the average cost of a gallon of fuel in California reached $4.87, an all-time high.

  As my colleagues explain, the climbing oil and gas prices are a boon to those who extract and sell the very products that drive fatal heat waves, wildfires and sea level rise.

• Escaping Ukraine with a newborn: The Los Angeles Times profiled a Costa Mesa couple who traveled to Ukraine to retrieve their newborn daughter, just as war was breaking out. Read how they fled.

• Resources: CapRadio in Sacramento assembled a list of California organizations supporting Ukraine, as did The Los Angeles Times. NBC Los Angeles also wrote about a group in Agoura Hills helping disabled people escape the war-torn country.

What we’re eating

How to cook salmon.

Where we’re traveling

Today’s tip comes from Carolyn Zutler, who recommends Mercey Hot Springs, east of Salinas:

“I had no idea this place — less than 70 miles from my home in Fresno — existed until anxiety over a possible recurrence of breast cancer caused me to search for hot springs near me. Hidden in the eastern foothills of the coastal range, this tiny rustic haven beckoned. Passing almond trees in blossom and then entering the starkly beautiful foothills made the drive an adventure of its own.

An afternoon of silence, other than the wind in the trees and soaking in healing water, was the respite I needed. Camping and tiny cabins were available for longer visits.”

Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We’ll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter.

Tell us

Join The Times for a free online event on Wednesday with two of the nation’s most prominent Covid-19 experts.

Dr. Bob Wachter and Dr. Monica Gandhi, both at the University of California, San Francisco, have worked throughout the pandemic to explain the risks of Covid-19. And often, they have disagreed.

See event details here.

And before you go, some good news

The day after being born, she clocked in at 5 feet 10 inches and weighed 143 pounds.

That’s the new baby giraffe at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert. Giraffes are considered “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The calf, whose name the zoo hasn’t yet released, was up and walking within an hour of her birth, according to the zoo. See some adorable photos of her.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Soumya

P.S. Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Like sharks compared to trees, in Earth’s biological history (5 letters).

Briana Scalia and Mariel Wamsley contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com.

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