(NEW YORK) — Officials in every U.S. state and jurisdiction have now ended, or announced an end, to their indoor universal masking requirements.
Over the last month, states from coast to coast have moved to end mask mandates as coronavirus cases have plummeted. By the end of March, there will be no more statewide or school mask mandates in effect.
Although some districts may opt to still mandate mask use, many schools have already decided to drop the requirement.
On Tuesday, Hawaii, the nation’s lone indoor mask holdout, became the last state to end its universal mask mandate, effective March 25 at 11:59 p.m.
“We’re committed to moving the state forward and learning to live with COVID,” Gov. David Ige said during a press conference.
Although the Hawaii Department of Education wrote in a press release that face coverings will still be required indoors in Hawaii schools, State Epidemiologist Sarah Kemble later clarified in a press conference that the department’s recommendations are “guidance” for schools to take into consideration, as they create their own policies and requirements.
Officials in Washington, D.C., also announced on Tuesday that they are recommending that most people no longer wear masks indoors or outdoors at educational facilities, unless COVID-19 community levels are high.
If COVID-19 community levels are medium, people who are immunocompromised or at higher risk for severe COVID-19 are encouraged to wear a mask, or respirator, indoors, the new guidance states.
However, for many students, the change will not go into effect immediately, as D.C. public school officials said on Tuesday that they are still considering next steps.
“For the immediate future, masks are still required indoors at all DC Public Schools for students, staff, and visitors. We will engage our union partners on next steps and continue to communicate with the DCPS community about any decisions that are made,” Lewis Ferebee, chancellor of D.C. public schools, wrote in a tweet following the announcement.
The moves came shortly after Puerto Rico announced that it too would drop its universal requirement on Monday.
In addition, on March 11, Oregon and Washington will end their universal and school mask mandates, while California will also drop its school mask requirement.
The mass ending of mask requirements comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its recommendations for mask use and unveiled their new plan for determining COVID-19 risk in communities.
Under the new risk levels, approximately 90% of the U.S. population now lives in areas deemed to have low or medium threats to their local hospitals, and thus can stop wearing masks.
“Americans in most of the country can now be mask-free,” White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said in a briefing on the plan last week.
Many health officials have cautioned, however, that should there be a viral resurgence, mask requirements may have to return.
(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon has been providing daily updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Ukraine’s efforts to resist.
Here are highlights of what a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Tuesday:
Russian forces mostly still intact
Nearly all Russian forces arrayed at the Ukrainian border for the invasion have now gone in, according to the official. Despite losing troops, ground vehicles and aircraft in the fighting, the official estimated these forces remain roughly 95% intact.
Russian ground efforts stalled in the north
Russian troops approaching Kyiv have made little progress in recent days, according to the official.
“We continue to see Ukrainian resistance efforts slow down the Russians, particularly in the north,” the official said.
Another factor is that “they still seem to be plagued by logistics and sustainment challenges,” including fuel and food shortages, the official said.
The Pentagon also continues to see fighting and resistance against the Russian advance in the northern cities of Chernihiv and Kharkiv.
The farthest the main Russian force heading to Kyiv seems to have been able to reach is Hostomel Airport, a site of intense combat some 20 miles northwest of the city.
But their intent is clear, the official said: “We still have every reason to assess that their effort is to encircle and force the surrender of Kiev.”
A new Russian approach emerges
Further out than those advance troops, a Russian push toward the capital is emerging in the northeast, just above the town of Sumy, the official said. These troops are roughly 37 miles from Kyiv.
Russians try to “sow fear and confusion” in the city
While the main invading force has not reached Kyiv, the official was in “no position to refute” reports of minor, isolated skirmishes between Russian “reconnaissance elements” and Ukrainian forces inside the city.
“We think that these reports of street fighting in Kyiv are really the result of their efforts to sow fear and confusion and and try to set the stage for what could be coming later,” the official said.
Strikes on civilians continue
Russian air and missile attacks are increasing as their ground effort has been frustrated, according to the official.
“Whether intentionally or not, they’re hitting military and government infrastructure as well as residential areas and civilian targets,” the official said.
Russians see more success in the south
Russian troops advancing to the northwest out of Crimea are about 25 miles from Mykolayiv, the official said. The official noted that while there is speculation that the move on Mykolayiv is meant to put troops in position to attack the port city of Odessa from the north as amphibious troops assault from the coast, “we don’t see any evidence of amphibious landings” at this point.
On the Sea of Azov coast, Russian forces have isolated Mariupol and continue to bombard it with long-range attacks. Thousands of troops put ashore in an amphibious landing on the second day of the invasion are approaching the city from the southwest as more troops push down from Donetsk.
U.S.-Russia deconfliction line in working order
Last week Pentagon press secretary John Kirby announced it had set up a “deconfliction line” with Russia to “reduce the chances of miscalculations and try to bring down the tensions as that contested airspace over Ukraine now bumps up against NATO airspace.”
The senior defense official said that as of Tuesday, the two countries have used the line about a dozen times, but so far only for test calls to make sure “somebody’s picking up on the other end.”
A problem for any proposed no-fly zone
“Much of the airspace of Ukraine, north and south, is under some umbrella of Russian surface-to-air missile capability,” the official said.
(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.”
Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, don’t appear to have advanced closer to the city since coming within about 20 miles, although smaller advanced groups have been fighting gun battles with Ukrainian forces inside the capital since at least Friday.
Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Mar 08, 6:27 pm
Zelenskyy ‘personally grateful’ to Biden, Ukrainian president says in new address
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked President Joe Biden for additional sanctions taken against Russia on Tuesday, saying they will “significantly weaken the occupiers.”
The new measures include a ban on imports of oil, petroleum products, gas and coal from Russia. U.S. citizens are also now prohibited from investing in Russia’s fuel and energy sector.
“A ban on oil imports to the United States will weaken the terrorist state economically, politically and ideologically, because it is about freedom — about the future, about where the world will move,” Zelenskyy said, adding that he is “personally grateful” to Biden.
Zelenskyy also expressed gratitude to U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson for instating a similar ban, describing Johnson as “a man of his word, a sincere friend of Ukraine.”
-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou
Mar 08, 5:32 pm
US could tighten sanctions against Russia even more, experts say
Even with a series of harsh measures already taken on Russia, including a ban on Russian imports, the sanctioning of Russia’s central bank and the enactment of export controls, the U.S. could enact even tighter sanctions, several experts told ABC News.
The U.S. could push other countries to make commitments to decrease their reliance on Russian energy — which it and the U.K. are already beginning to do — and to increase their own production of oil and gas to lower the high energy prices Americans and Europeans are starting to face — and it could also get Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and others to increase their exports.
Other current sanctions the U.S. could tighten include imposing “full-blocking” sanctions, the harshest possible financial sanctions, on Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank. The U.S. has already done this for several other banks but has only put limited restrictions on Sberbank in order to limit the impact on the ordinary Russians who use the bank.
The U.S. could also put additional secondary sanctions on banks, put more restrictions on Russian goods, keep pursuing oligarchs and other Russian elites and sanction other Russian sectors such as minerals, chemicals, and coal.
The sanctions the West has already imposed have devastated the Russian economy at a rapid clip. They will continue to compound and inflict more pain on the Russian economy as they continue to play out, the experts said.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Mar 08, 4:41 pm
Coca-Cola, Pepsi become latest brands to cease operations in Russia
The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo have suspended business in Russia, the companies announced Tuesday.
“Our hearts are with the people who are enduring unconscionable effects from these tragic events in Ukraine,” the release states. “We will continue to monitor and assess the situation as circumstances evolve.”
Pepsi, which has ben operating in Russia for more than 60 years, “must stay true to the humanitarian aspect of our business,” CEO Ramon Laguarta wrote in a letter to PepsiCo associates.
“Our first priority continues to be the safety and security of our fellow Ukrainian associates,” Laguarta said. “We suspended operations in Ukraine to enable our associates to seek safety for themselves and their families, and our dedicated crisis teams in the sector and region continue to closely monitor developments in real time.”
Pepsi will also continue to provide aid to assist Ukrainians refugees in neighboring countries, including donating milk and refrigerators to relief organizations, and we’re ramping up production of foods and beverages in neighboring countries to meet the increased need, Laguarta said.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Mar 08, 4:11 pm
Americans won’t be asked to stay home to cut down on gas usage, White House says
The White House is not engaging in speculation about how high crude oil prices will spike but said Americans will not be asked to stay home to cut down on gas usage.
“We’re neither going to make a prediction, or – nor are we going to tell Americans to stay home,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
Some House Democrats, such Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Tuesday morning, have suggested that asking the federal government and private business to encourage working from home would ease the demand for fuel and help keep prices stable.
But Psaki dismissed the suggestion of ramping up work from home, as the administration has been working to move into the “endemic” phase of COVID-19, returning to more normalcy.
Upon arriving to Texas Tuesday afternoon, President Joe Biden told reporters that there’s little he can do about the soaring gas prices, blaming Russia for sparking the crisis.
“They’re gonna go up,” Biden said about gas prices after arriving in Fort Worth. “Can’t do much right now. Russia’s responsible.”
-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky
Mar 08, 3:58 pm
Russian forces 95% intact on Day 13 of invasion: US official
Despite losing troops, ground vehicles and aircraft in the fighting, Russia’s invading forces remain roughly 95% intact, a senior U.S. defense official said at a press briefing Tuesday.
Ukrainian resistance efforts are continuing to slow down Russian forces, particularly in the north, where they have not moved any closer to Kyiv’s city center since yesterday, the official said. Fighting and resistance against the Russian advance on Chernihiv and Kharkiv have been reported as well, the official said.
Russian air and missile attacks are increasing as the ground effort has been frustrated, and bombardment of the capital continues, he added. Much of the airspace of Ukraine, in the north and south, is under some umbrella of “Russian surface-to-air missile capability,” the official said.
“We still have every reason to assess that their effort is to encircle and force the surrender of Kyiv,” the official said.
In the south, Russians advancing to the northwest out of Crimea are about 25 miles out of Mykolayiv, the official said. Russian forces have isolated the city of Mariupol and continue to bombard it, he added.
In addition, Ukraine’s military is struggling to overcome shortages of fuel and food, he said.
The deconfliction line set up last Tuesday about has been used by the U.S. and Russia about a dozen times now, but so far only for test calls to make sure “somebody’s picking up on the other end.”
-ABC News’ Mattew Seyler
Mar 08, 3:35 pm
Officials ‘deeply concerned’ about staff and potential nuclear risks at Chernobyl
The safety of the hundreds of staff who are still on duty at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is becoming more precarious, according to multiple agencies.
About 210 personnel have on duty since Feb. 24, the day before Russian military forces entered the disaster site, and have not rotated out, according to the agency.
Nuclear material and facilities demand continuous coverage, which requires employees to operate on a rotation, fixed, or modified shifts, according to a publication from the U.S. Department of Energy. There are many psychological and physiological impacts that can affect work performance, safety, and security without an organization, the material states.
Today, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine told the IAEA that it is becoming increasingly urgent and important for the safe management of the site to replace the current personnel.
While the staff has access to food, water and medicine to a limited extent, the situation is worsening, Ukraine’s nuclear regulator told the IAEA.
“I’m deeply concerned about the difficult and stressful situation facing staff at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and the potential risks this entails for nuclear safety. I call on the forces in effective control of the site to urgently facilitate the safe rotation of personnel there,” Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, said in a statement Tuesday.
Ukraine’s nuclear regulator also asked the IAEA to lead the international support needed to prepare a plan for replacing the current team, which will include pausing the handling of nuclear material at the site, which includes decommissioned reactors as well as radioactive waste facilities
-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou
Mar 08, 3:29 pm
Starbucks suspends operations in Russia ‘immediately’
Starbucks announced Tuesday it will immediately suspend all its operations in Russia, condemning the “horrific attacks on Ukraine by Russia.”
“We continue to watch the tragic events unfold and, today, we have decided to suspend all business activity in Russia, including shipment of all Starbucks products,” the company’s chief executive officer, Kevin Johnson, said in a statement.
The company said its licensed partner agreed to immediately pause store operations and provide support for its nearly 2,000 workers.
“Through this dynamic situation, we will continue to make decisions that are true to our mission and values and communicate with transparency,” Johnson said.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Mar 08, 3:10 pm
McDonald’s to temporarily close restaurants, pause operations in Russia
McDonald’s announced Tuesday it is temporarily closing its restaurants and pausing operations in Russia, as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.
“The conflict in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Europe has caused unspeakable suffering to innocent people. As a System, we join the world in condemning aggression and violence and praying for peace,” the company’s chief executive officer, Chris Kempczinski, said in a statement.
McDonald’s employs 62,000 people in Russia, operating in 850 communities, the company said. It will continue paying salaries for all its employees in Russia.
“Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine,” said Kempczinski.
Kempczinski said it is impossible to predict when the company will be reopening its restaurants.
“We are experiencing disruptions to our supply chain along with other operational impacts. We will also closely monitor the humanitarian situation,” Kempczinski said.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Mar 08, 2:51 pm
Poland announces it is ‘ready’ to handover all its MIG-19 fighter jets
The Polish government announced Tuesday it is ready to immediately handover all its MIG-29 fighter jets to the U.S. and deploy them at the Rammstein Air Base in Germany.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the West and NATO to supply Ukraine with fighter jets.
Poland, in a statement, said it is ready to provide the MIGs free of charge and asked the U.S. to backfill them with used aircrafts with “corresponding capabilities.”
“The Polish Government also requests other NATO Allies – owners of MIG-29 jets – to act in the same vein,” Poland said in a statement.
A senior U.S. defense official said “we have seen the Polish government’s announcement and have nothing to offer at this time.”
-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou and Luis Martinez
Mar 08, 2:06 pm
Ukrainian intelligence claims Russian general has been killed in fighting near Kharkiv
Ukrainian intelligence claimed Tuesday that a Russian general was killed in fighting near the eastern city of Kharkiv. If confirmed, this would be the second general Russia has lost in Ukraine in a week, according to reports from Russian media last week.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency identified the general as Vitaly Gerasimov, chief of staff of the 41st Army.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency also published audio of an alleged intercepted phone call between two officers from Russia’s FSB intelligence agency discussing Gerasimov’s death.
Russia has not confirmed or denied the death.
The executive director of the open source group Bellingcat, Christo Grozev, said he had confirmed Gerasimov’s death with a Russian source. Grosev said Bellingcat had also identified the FSB officer in the alleged recording.
Last week, the 41st Army’s deputy commander, Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky, was confirmed by Russian media to have been killed.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Mar 08, 1:37 pm
Zelenskyy asks UK parliament to increase pressure of sanctions, make Ukrainian skies safe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to the U.K.’s parliament Tuesday, asking it to increase the pressure of sanctions and “make our Ukrainian skies safe.”
Zelenskyy has been asking NATO and the West to enforce a “no-fly” zone over Ukraine, but the U.S. and its allies have declined the request.
The Ukrainian president was greeted with rousing applause from members of the House, who stood before he spoke.
In his speech, Zelenskyy quoted Shakespeare, saying, “We have to be or not to be. This is a Shakespearean question. Not that I have the answer, but…Yes it is to be.”
He also paraphrased the words of Winston Churchill.
“We will not give up. We will continue fighting for our land whatever the costs. We will fight in the fields, in the seas, in the streets. We will fight on the banks of different rivers,” Zelenskyy said.
“We do not want to lose what we have,” Zelenskyy said.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Matt Gutman
Mar 08, 12:29 pm
European Commission releases proposal to make EU independent from Russian fossil fuels before 2030
The European Commission on Tuesday released its proposed plan to make the European Union independent from Russian fossil fuels before 2030, starting with gas.
The plan “will seek to diversify gas supplies, speed up the roll-out of renewable gases and replace gas in heating and power generation,” according to the European Commission.
This plan could reduce the EU’s demand for Russian gas by two-thirds before the end of the year, according to the European Commission.
“We must become independent from Russian oil, coal and gas. We simply cannot rely on a supplier who explicitly threatens us,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.
Von der Leyen said she would be discussing the Commission’s proposal with European leaders in Versailles later this week.
“Putin’s war demonstrates the urgency of accelerating our clean energy transition,” the European Commission wrote on Twitter.
Just before the invasion of Ukraine, the EU reported wholesale gas prices were around 200% higher than a year ago. The invasion aggravated the energy crisis even further.
The EU said it is reliant on imports of fossil fuels— gas, oil and coal— to meet its needs.
Last year, Russia provided around 45% of the EU’s total gas imports, 27% of the EU’s total crude oil imports and 46% of the EU’s hard coal imports, according to the European Commission.
-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou
Mar 08, 11:57 am
US announces ban on Russian oil imports, other energy products
The United States will ban imports of Russian oil and other energy products but will not be joined in doing so by European allies, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday.
“Today, I’m announcing the United States is targeting the main artery of Russia’s economy,” Biden told reporters during a press conference from the White House. “We’re banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy.”
Biden said the ban means the U.S. “will deal another powerful blow” to Russian President Vladimir Putin amid his invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The move is also expected to trigger sharply higher gasoline and other energy prices in the U.S. and worldwide.
“There will be cost as well here in the United States,” he added. “Republicans and Democrats understand, alike, understand that.”
The decision was made in “close consultation” with U.S. allies and partners around the world, particularly in Europe, according to Biden.
“Because a united response to Putin’s aggression has been my overriding focus, to keep all NATO and all the EU and our allies totally united,” he said. “We’re moving forward, understanding that many of our European allies and partner may not be in a position to join us.”
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson and Molly Nagle
Mar 08, 11:52 am
UK to phase out Russian oil by end of 2022
The United Kingdom will phase out the import of Russian oil and oil products by the end of the year, as part of its sanctions on Moscow for invading Ukraine, U.K. Buiness Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announced Tuesday.
“Beyond Russia, the vast majority of our imports come from reliable partners such as the US, Netherlands and the Gulf. We’ll work with them this year to secure further supplies,” Kwarteng said on his official Twitter account.
Kwarteng noted that while the U.K. “is not dependent” on Russian natural gas, as it only makes up 4% of the U.K’s supply, he is exploring options to “end this altogether.”
“The market has already begun to ostracise Russian oil, with nearly 70% of it currently unable to find a buyer,” he added.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Mar 08, 11:31 am
Ukrainian morning show host speaks to ABC News from bomb shelter
Yegor Gordeev, host of the Ukrainian television morning show Breaking with 1+1, said he and his coworkers have had to evacuate the studio during broadcast several times as air raid sirens ring out across Kyiv.
“I’m not in studio, I’m in bomb shelter,” Gordeev told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos during an interview Tuesday on Good Morning America.
“In Ukraine, we have no shows now, we have no TV channels now, we have only one big broadcast for controlled information to audience, for communication with audience for everything,” he added.
It was a bloody day in the Ukrainian capital, according to Gordeev. He said the Ukrainian Air Force shot down a Russian aircraft in the center of Kyiv early Tuesday morning, while a Russian rocket destroyed the city’s largest bakery, killing 30 people.
Gordeev said he hopes for peace in his home country but he’s “not sure.”
“In 21st century, it’s barbarian war,” he said in disbelief. “Putin is unstoppable.”
Mar 08, 10:21 am
Russian Defense Ministry claims Kyiv is ‘against’ evacuation of Ukrainians to Russia
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Tuesday that Ukrainian authorities are “categorically against” evacuating residents of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol to Russia.
“The authorities in Kyiv are continuing to categorically reject all main routes of evacuation from Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Mariupol to the territory of the Russian Federation,” Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the Russian National Defense Control Center, said at a briefing.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the Ukrainians only confirmed one of the 10 evacuation routes Russia proposed. The confirmed route is from the city of Sumy, through Poltava and to the border with Poland, Mizintsev said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed more than 2.5 million Ukrainians asked to be evacuated to Russia.
“Following the past day, 2,541,367 appeals from individual Ukrainian citizens, as well as foreigners made via various communication channels requesting to save and evacuate them from 1,917 settlements in Ukraine have already been processed in our database,” Mizintsev said.
The Russian Defense Ministry also claimed checkpoints in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova and Romania “were virtually ill prepared” to receive Ukrainian refugees.
“People are forced to leave their cars and walk on foot carrying their heavy bags. Lines are up to 40 kilometers long, and the crossing time is over two days,” Mizintsev said.
-ABC News’ Anastasia Bagaeva
Mar 08, 10:06 am
Vatican secretary of state speaks with Russia foreign minister
Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, spoke on the phone with the Russian foreign minister to convey Pope Francis’ “deep concern about the ongoing war in Ukraine.”
Parolin reiterated the pope’s “call for an end to armed attacks, for the securing of humanitarian corridors for civilians and rescuers, and for the replacement of gun violence with negotiation.”
The pope announced Sunday that he has dispatched two cardinals to Poland and Hungry. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski traveled to the Polish-Ukraine border to visit refugees and volunteers in shelters and homes, while Cardinal Michael Czerny will arrive in Hungry on Tuesday to visit reception centers for migrants arriving from Ukraine.
-ABC News’ Phoebe Natanson
Mar 08, 10:06 am
Vatican secretary of state speaks with Russia foreign minister
Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, spoke on the phone with the Russian foreign minister to convey Pope Francis’ “deep concern about the ongoing war in Ukraine.”
Parolin reiterated the pope’s “call for an end to armed attacks, for the securing of humanitarian corridors for civilians and rescuers, and for the replacement of gun violence with negotiation.”
The pope announced Sunday that he has dispatched two cardinals to Poland and Hungry. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski traveled to the Polish-Ukraine border to visit refugees and volunteers in shelters and homes, while Cardinal Michael Czerny will arrive in Hungry on Tuesday to visit reception centers for migrants arriving from Ukraine.
-ABC News’ Phoebe Natanson
Mar 08, 9:02 am
US says Russia seems to be observing cease-fire but unclear for how long
While the United States welcomes Russia’s declaration of a temporary cease-fire in several besieged areas of Ukraine, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Tuesday it remains unclear exactly how long Russian forces will hold fire.
“We think this is obviously a welcome step that the cease-fire seems to be being observed by the Russians. They don’t exactly have a good track record in that regard. So it’s welcome to see people are able to get out,” Kirby told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in an interview on Good Morning America.
“But,” Kirby added, “that cease-fire’s going to expire in a number of hours and so it’s yet to be seen how much more violent the shelling and the bombardments are going to get.”
While Ukraine has continued to call on NATO to establish a no-fly zone over the country — something Washington has already ruled out — along with more help from the U.S., Kirby said there are other steps being taken.
“We are accelerating and expediting the shipment of arms and materiel to Ukraine. In fact, another shipments arrived in eastern Europe just overnight and they will be sent in to Ukraine in the coming hours and days, and there’s more coming,” Kirby said. “And it’s not just the United States. Fourteen other nations are also providing security assistance to Ukraine to help them fight.”
But on the potential of the U.S. replacing Polish fighter jets, should Poland send theirs to Ukraine, Kirby said it was a “possibility” but was non-committal.
“We’re not going to stand in the way of another sovereign nation if they want to provide aircraft to the Ukrainian Air Force. Now that’s certainly their decision and we respect that,” he said. “This issue of whether we backfill it with American jets — we’re looking at that as a possibility here, but there’s an awful lot of logistical and financial issues that have to be dealt with on how that would happen. No decision has been made yet.”
When asked about the risk of a wider war if that happens, Kirby said: “That’s a possibility that we’re always looking at.”
“That’s certainly in the back of everybody’s mind, not just the United States but in NATO nations as well. You don’t want to escalate this conflict any bigger and any worse than it already is. You’re talking about Russia, a nuclear armed power. The consequences for escalating this conflict could be devastating, not just for the people of Ukraine but for the European continent,” he said.
Mar 08, 8:40 am
US to ban Russian oil imports, source says
The White House is expected to announce a ban on U.S. imports of Russian oil as soon as Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Mar 08, 8:26 am
Child died from dehydration in besieged Mariupol, Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that a child has died from dehydration in the besieged port city of Mariupol.
“Russia is for sure to blame for the deaths of people from airstrikes and in the blocked cities,” Zelenskyy said in a televised address. “But the responsibility is also on those who during these 13 days can’t make a decision in their offices in the West, an obviously necessary decision. Those who don’t secure Ukrainian sky from Russian murderers, who didn’t save our cities from airstrikes, these bombs and missiles, although they can.”
“We have been hearing promises about support for 13 days that the jets are about to arrive,” he added. “We have heard promises about securing humanitarian corridors. They didn’t work. We don’t have time to wait. People in Mariupol don’t have time to wait.”
Zelenskyy said trucks carrying humanitarian aid have been sent to Mariupol. He accused the International Committee of the Red Cross of “forbidding the use of its emblem on our cars,” but did not give further details. Videos posted to social media on Tuesday purportedly show vehicles heading to Mariupol from other Ukrainian cities bearing signs with a red cross, but it’s not clear who pasted them there.
“The drivers are heroes who understand they can be killed by Russian troops,” Zelenskyy said. “If you kill those people, the whole world will be the witness.”
Mar 08, 7:33 am
One million children among those who have fled Ukraine: UNICEF
Out of the more than two million people who have been forced to flee Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24, half of them are children, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder called it a “dark historical first.”
Mar 08, 7:15 am
Shell pledges to stop buying Russian oil and gas
Energy giant Shell announced Tuesday plans to withdraw from its involvement in all Russian hydrocarbons, including crude oil and natural gas, amid Russia’s unprovoked invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
“As an immediate first step, the company will stop all spot purchases of Russian crude oil. It will also shut its service stations, aviation fuels and lubricants operations in Russia,” Shell said in a statement.
Shell will immediately stop buying Russian crude oil on the spot market and not renew term contracts. The company will also change its crude oil supply chain to remove Russian volumes, but said “this could take weeks to complete and will lead to reduced throughput at some of our refineries.”
In addition, Shell will shut its service stations, aviation fuels and lubricants operations in Russia, and will start a phased withdrawal from Russian petroleum products, pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas.
The company apologized for buying Russian oil last week.
“We are acutely aware that our decision last week to purchase a cargo of Russian crude oil to be refined into products like petrol and diesel — despite being made with security of supplies at the forefront of our thinking — was not the right one and we are sorry,” Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said in a statement. “As we have already said, we will commit profits from the limited, remaining amounts of Russian oil we will process to a dedicated fund. We will work with aid partners and humanitarian agencies over the coming days and weeks to determine where the monies from this fund are best placed to alleviate the terrible consequences that this war is having on the people of Ukraine.”
Mar 08, 6:49 am
Two children among at least 21 killed by Russian airstrike in Sumy: Ukrainian officials
At least 21 civilians, including two children, were killed by a Russian airstrike in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Sumy on Monday night, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.
The strike hit a residential area of Sumy, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, which the regional prosecutor’s office said was still on the scene searching for victims Tuesday.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk called on Russian forces to maintain the agreed upon temporary cease-fire in Sumy and four other Ukrainian cities to allow civilians to evacuate Tuesday. She said Russian authorities have confirmed to the International Committee of the Red Cross that one evacuation route out of Sumy will be open, but Ukrainian officials are awaiting confirmation on the other routes they submitted.
Mar 08, 6:19 am
Over two million refugees have fled Ukraine: UNHCR
More than two million people have been forced to flee Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24, according to the latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Over 1.2 million of the refugees from Ukraine are in neighboring Poland, UNHCR figures show.
“Today the outflow of refugees from Ukraine reaches two million people. Two million,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said Tuesday in a post on his official Twitter account.
Mar 08, 5:36 am
Russia declares temporary cease-fire for humanitarian corridors in five Ukrainian cities
Russia declared Tuesday a temporary cease-fire in five besieged cities of Ukraine, including the capital, to let civilians leave.
“For safe evacuation of civilians from populated areas, a cease-fire is declared and humanitarian corridors are opening from Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Mariupol from 10:00 a.m. today,” Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a press briefing.
All five cities except Kyiv had sustained brutal, indiscriminate bombardment in recent days.
It’s the fourth attempt to hold fire and allow civilians to escape the onslaught since Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have been holding talks in recent days, and the Russian delegation has previously agreed to a temporary cease-fire and opening of humanitarian corridors in parts of Ukraine. But Russia has violated its own cease-fire and shelled evacuation points, while falsely accusing Ukraine of using people as human shields.
The hard-hit cities of Kharkiv and Mariupol were reported to be quiet Tuesday morning, with a local official telling ABC News that the center of Mariupol, a strategic port in the southeast, is not being shelled for the first time in days.
Ukraine said Russia has agreed this time to allow civilians to evacuate not only to Russia but also to other parts of Ukraine. Columns of buses and trucks with humanitarian aid are currently headed to Sumy, Mariupol and possibly other cities.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Russia has confirmed to the International Committee of the Red Cross that one route out of Sumy will be open. Vereshchuk said she hopes Russia will confirm routes for the other cities and also for the eastern city of Volnovakha. She warned Ukraine has information that Russia may have plans to disrupt the evacuations by leading civilians out of the agreed safe routes, in order to claim that Ukraine is not observing the agreement.
Petro Andrushenko, advisor to the mayor of Mariupol, said the city plans to evacuate people as long as Russian forces do not fire. A column of 60 buses and nine trucks of medical aid and food are headed to Mariupol now, and the hope is that at least 4,000 people can be evacuated via the buses plus an unknown number of private cars that will join the convoy, according to Andrushenko.
“If Russia doesn’t break it, we plan to evacuate people,” Andrushenko told ABC News via telephone Tuesday morning.
Mar 08, 2:05 am
World Bank approves $723 million in emergency support for Ukraine
The World Bank said its board approved a package of loans and guarantees for Ukraine totaling $723 million.
The funding will help the Ukrainian government pay for government services, “including wages for hospital workers, pensions for the elderly, and social programs for the vulnerable,” the bank said in a statement on Monday.
The bank said it’s preparing an additional $3 billion in support for Ukraine and neighboring countries, which have taken in more than 1.7 million refugees since the Russian invasion began.
“The World Bank Group is taking quick action to support Ukraine and its people in the face of the violence and extreme disruption caused by the Russian invasion,” World Bank President David Malpass said in a statement. “The World Bank Group stands with the people of Ukraine and the region. This is the first of many steps we are taking to help.”
The funding announced on Monday includes $350 million in supplemental loans, along with guarantees totaling $139 million from the Netherlands and Sweden, the bank said. Grant financing totaling $134 million will come from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania and Iceland. Japan is providing $100 million in additional financing, the bank said.
(NEW YORK) — The price for a gallon of gas has surged to a national high.
As of Tuesday morning, AAA said it costs an average of $4.17 for a gallon of gas, the highest price ever recorded.
Filling up a small car of gasoline will now cost you about $50, and GasBuddy predicts we could see the national average price soar to $4.25 a gallon by Memorial Day.
“I think it will probably happen even much sooner than that,” GasBuddy’s Head of Petroleum Analysis Patrick De Haan told ABC News, “potentially even by the end of the month, so gas prices continue to go up and defy expectations.”
So how can you keep the pain at the pump to a minimum? Here’s what the experts say:
Change the way you drive
Most cars achieve optimal fuel economy around 55 mph, according to GasBuddy. Driving too fast or too slow won’t give you the most bang for your buck.
AAA recommends reducing your speed if your trip takes you on the highway.
“Aerodynamic drag causes fuel economy to drop off significantly as speeds increase above 50 mph,” the group says.
Experts also said it is key to remember to accelerate gradually and ease up on the brake — braking suddenly or speeding up fast is hard on fuel economy. Cruise control can help you maintain the proper speed and save fuel.
Don’t skip the repair shop
Making sure that your car is properly maintained will ensure a problem with the vehicle isn’t using up more fuel than it should.
The biggest red flag is if the “check engine” light is illuminated.
In that case, “take your car to the repair shop as soon as possible,” AAA says. “This indicates a problem that is causing excessive emissions and likely reducing fuel economy.”
Another thing to stay on top of, according to experts, is your tires.
If your tires are underinflated, you won’t maximize your fuel savings.
Avoid idling and turn off that air conditioner
Even if it is cold out, do not idle your car for long periods. It does nothing but waste fuel.
“If your car will be stopped for more than 60 seconds, shut off the engine,” AAA recommends.
On the flip side, if it is hot out, try to minimize your use of air conditioning.
Keeping your windows down for a breeze will save you more fuel than running your AC.
Take advantage of apps that track prices
Many people use the app Waze for directions, but it also has a gas feature that can show you the nearest gas stations along with prices.
Gas stations near major exits and in bigger cities tend to be more expensive.
The app GasBuddy is another resource constantly updating gas prices in real-time. In addition, you can get alerts on deals sent to your phone.
Another app to check out is Gas Guru. It aims to help you find the cheapest gas prices with information straight from the oil price information service. The app lets you search by fuel grade and amenities as well.
(LVIV, Ukraine) — As millions of people flee Ukraine amid intensifying attacks from Russia, inside a state-run orphanage in Lviv, dozens of children remain.
The children, who range in age from 3 to 16, have already fled war-torn Eastern Ukraine to make it to Lviv, where they are expected to stay through the war.
The principal of the orphanage, Svitlana Havryliuk, told ABC News’ Matt Gutman that if the fighting approaches, the children will take refuge in the orphanage’s bomb shelter. She said the children have already been through too much and need stability, instead of fleeing again.
At the orphanage, which has nearly double its usual population, the children play with toys, watch Paw Patrol, and do enrichment activities with volunteers.
Anna Borshchuk, who was studying political science in college before the conflict, now volunteers with the children.
“I think just time spending with them, being with them is the most important,” she told ABC News. “Not like maybe money, not other games, but just being with them.”
Before the war, 100,000 children in Ukraine were being raised in institutions, according to government statistics, a United Nations Children’s Fund spokesperson told ABC News.
Many of the institutions are located in hot spots, according to the spokesperson, who added that many of the children in institutions, such as boarding schools and orphanages, have disabilities.
These institutions are being evacuated without proper monitoring of the children’s situation, according to UNICEF.
The children sheltering in the Lviv orphanage panic and sob when they hear sirens, according to Havryliuk, who said the children need love and qualified social workers.
“During the first day, it was horrible,” she said. “Probably every child was yelling shouting, screaming, and it was impossible to go downstairs to the bomb shelter.”
Describing how she and volunteers calm the children down, Havryliuk added, “If a child is terrified, you have to stay calm. Then you give them a hug and then he calms down.”
While in non-war times some of the children would be adopted by families, including those in the United States, those adoptions have been put on hold.
Jennifer Mitchell, a mom of eight, including three children adopted from Ukraine, is a co-founder of Host Orphans Worldwide, a U.S.-based organization that matches host families in the U.S. with Ukrainian children.
While Host Orphans Worldwide does not facilitate adoptions, about 75% of kids in its program end up getting adopted by people in the U.S., according to Mitchell. She said Ukraine has a high number of U.S. adoptions because it has both one of the shortest wait times for international adoption and one of the largest populations of children in need.
Mitchell and her husband were in the process of adopting a 12-year-old girl in an orphanage in Eastern Ukraine, but they have not spoken to her in over a week.
With no end in sight to the conflict with Russia, Mitchell said she fears the end result for children in Ukraine.
“The orphan crisis in Ukraine was already bad and this, it’s just going to be a humanitarian emergency,” she said. “It is horrific.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told ABC News they are “closely monitoring the situation” while also continuing to communicate with adoption service providers.
“We understand how difficult this situation is for families pursuing parenthood through adoption in Ukraine,” the spokesperson said. “We strongly encourage prospective adoptive parents to not travel to Ukraine at this time and for those currently in Ukraine to depart immediately if it is safe to do so using any commercial or other privately available ground transportation options.”
“Prospective adoptive parents should remain in regular contact with their own adoptions service provider,” the spokesperson continued.
According to the spokesperson, prospective adoptive parents may contact the Office of Children’s Issues directly at Adoption@state.gov, and visit the State Department’s website for more information.
(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation.”
Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, don’t appear to have advanced closer to the city since coming within about 20 miles, although smaller advanced groups have been fighting gun battles with Ukrainian forces inside the capital since at least Friday.
Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Mar 09, 5:19 am
Ukraine says humanitarian corridors confirmed with Russia, Red Cross for Wednesday
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said six humanitarian corridors have been agreed with Russian officials and confirmed with the International Committee of the Red Cross to operate during a temporary cease-fire Wednesday.
According to Vereshchuk, the evacuation routes for civilians are open from towns north of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, where there has been heavy fighting, as well as from the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol, where an evacuation failed yesterday. Another route goes from the town of Izium near hard-hit Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and another from the eastern city of Volnovakha, where civilians have been trying to evacuate for several days. Another route leads from northeastern city of Energodar, where shelling caused a fire at Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant last week.
Vereshchuk said Russian officials had sent a letter to the Red Cross confirming the routes and a cease-fire for Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time. She called on Russia to keep to its commitment and not to violate the cease-fire, as she said it did in Mariupol and Volnovakha on Tuesday.
“We ask Russian forces to commit to their obligations and keep the ceasefire till 9 p.m. as agreed,” Vereshchuk said in a statement Wednesday morning.
Vereshchuk noted that an orphanage with 55 children and 26 staff also needs to be evacuated from Vorzel, a town just north of Kyiv.
“The evacuation of them will be done as a separate special operation,” she said.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement Wednesday that it has discussed the interaction on the Ukraine track with the Red Cross.
Mar 08, 9:59 pm
Biden calls family of US Marine detained by Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden called the parents of Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine who has been detained in Russia for nearly three years and whose case has gotten renewed attention amid the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
The president spoke to Joey and Paula Reed after an event in Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday, according to the White House.
On the call, the president reiterated his commitment to doing everything he can to bring their son home, to staying in close touch with them through his national security team and to finding a time to meet in person, the White House said.
A Reed family spokesperson also confirmed to ABC News that Biden called them to apologize for not being able to stop and meet them in person.
The family says they have been asking to meet with the president for several months to help free Reed, a Texan who they say has been denied treatment for suspected tuberculosis, and specifically asked to meet the president in Texas on Tuesday but were denied.
Reed and another former Marine, Paul Whelan, have spent years in Russian custody on charges that their families and American officials say were fabricated by Russia in order to seize them as bargaining chips.
Joe Cavaretta/Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — There is growing pushback among the health care community over Florida’s decision to advise against vaccinating healthy children for COVID-19, with an increasing number of health officials coming forward to strongly criticize the move.
On Monday, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo announced his state would become the first in the country to make such a formal recommendation.
“The Florida Department of Health is going to be the first state to officially recommend against the COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children,” Ladapo said at the end of a 90-minute roundtable discussion in West Palm Beach, Florida, hosted by Gov. Ron DeSantis, aimed to close the curtain on the “COVID theater once and for all.”
However, criticism swiftly followed, coming from many of the nation’s leading health officials.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, and its Florida chapter, called the decision “irresponsible,” reasserting that the COVID-19 vaccine is still the nation’s “best hope for ending the pandemic.”
“The Surgeon General’s comments today misrepresent the benefits of the vaccine, which has been proven to prevent serious illness, hospitalizations and long-term symptoms from COVID-19 in children and adolescents, including those who are otherwise healthy,” American Academy of Pediatrics Florida Chapter President Lisa Gwynn said in a statement Monday.
“The evidence is clear that when people are vaccinated, they are significantly less likely to get very sick and need hospital care. There is widespread consensus among medical and public health experts about the life-saving benefits of this vaccine,” Gwynn said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have also been vocal in their support of pediatric COVID-19 vaccinations, stressing to parents that real-world data has demonstrated that vaccines are safe and effective at protecting children against severe disease, as well as against potential long-term consequences from the virus.
“Children can get sick from COVID, and some get very sick,” AAP President Dr. Moira Szilagyi said. “The virus is still circulating in Florida. … It is irresponsible to advise parents not to vaccinate their children against this virus.”
The Infectious Diseases Society of America also issued a strong statement in opposition to the move, which the organization described as “disturbing.”
“The Florida Surgeon General’s decision to recommend against COVID-19 vaccination for healthy children flies in the face of the best medical guidance and only serves to further sow distrust in vaccines that have proven to be the safest, most effective defense against severe COVID-19 disease, hospitalization and death,” Dr. Daniel P. McQuillen, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America said in a statement on Tuesday, further suggesting that Florida’s decision “put politics over the health and safety of children.”
“Vaccinating eligible children against COVID-19 not only protects them, but it also protects their classmates, friends and vulnerable family members from a virus that has left nearly 1 million people in the United States dead in its two-year wake,” McQuillen added.
Among the other voices in the chorus of concerns is Dr. David R. Nelson, president of UF Health and senior vice president for health affairs at the University of Florida, where Ladapo is a professor.
In a statement released Tuesday, Nelson pointed to the widespread support for COVID-19 vaccinations in children among health experts.
“UF Health and the UF College of Medicine note that while children are generally at lower risk than adults for more serious consequences of COVID-19, the risk is not zero, and the vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective, with a very low risk of adverse outcomes,” Nelson said.
Nelson noted that although at times, there can be a “significant disagreement” in the public discourse surrounding COVID-19, “the principle of scientifically sound, evidence-based medical decisions” remains critical.
“Vigorous intellectual discussion around competing opinions is at the heart of the marketplace of ideas we celebrate and is a time-honored way to advance truth. That is no less the case here,” he wrote.
Nelson also underscored the fact that Ladapo’s role as the state’s surgeon general is entirely separate from his faculty position at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki also denounced the state’s decision, telling reporters that Florida’s decision was “absolutely not” a good policy.
“It’s deeply disturbing that there are politicians peddling conspiracy theories out there and casting doubt on vaccinations, when it is our best tool against the virus and the best tool to prevent even teenagers from being hospitalized,” Psaki said during a press briefing Monday.
However, the Florida Department of Health doubled down on their support of the surgeon general’s announcement, telling ABC News in a statement that “healthy children likely have no benefit from receiving the currently available COVID-19 vaccine.”
“It is essential for health care practitioners to analyze existing data on the COVID-19 vaccine alongside parents when deciding to vaccinate children,” Ladapo said in a statement Tuesday. “Based on currently available data, the risks of administering COVID-19 vaccination among healthy children may outweigh the benefits. That is why these decisions should be made on an individual basis, and never mandated.”
ABC News’ Dr. John Brownstein and Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.
(PHILADELPHIA) — A Philadelphia police officer who fatally shot a 12-year-old boy after the boy allegedly fired into an unmarked police car and fled on foot will be fired, authorities said Tuesday.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw announced that the officer will be suspended for 30 days, starting Friday, after which she intends to dismiss him for violating the department’s “use-of-force directive.”
“Based off of the evidence that I reviewed, it was clear that the use-of-force policy was violated,” Outlaw said during a press briefing.
The officer was one of four plainclothes officers in an unmarked car conducting surveillance in South Philadelphia on March 1 shortly before 7:30 p.m. when the shooting occurred, police said.
The officers approached two juveniles — a 17-year-old boy who they wanted to question and the 12-year-old boy — with the car’s emergency lights on, according to Outlaw.
The younger boy allegedly fired at the car, striking the passenger side rear window, police said. One of the officers was struck in the eye by glass after a bullet went through the car’s window, police said.
Two other officers then returned gunfire, shooting once each, before the suspect fled on foot with the firearm, Outlaw said. An officer gave chase and fired his gun twice, striking the boy in the back, she said.
The 12-year-old boy, identified by authorities as Thomas Siderio, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, police said.
“It’s tragic that we have trigger-pullers as young as 12,” said Outlaw. “And it’s tragic that we had one of our own, again, go against everything who we say we are. There are no winners here.”
None of the four officers have been identified by the department due to safety concerns, the commissioner said.
The officers were placed on administrative duty following the shooting, police said. The department did not have any further information Tuesday on the status of the other officers due to the ongoing investigation.
The 17-year-old was taken into custody following the shooting. He was later released and not charged, Outlaw said.
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is conducting a criminal investigation into the shooting. No charges have been filed at this time.
“The death of a child is always a tragedy, and in this instance, a factually complex and deeply troubling one based on preliminary investigative information,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement.
“Philadelphians are owed a comprehensive and transparent accounting of all activity surrounding the circumstances of young Thomas Siderio’s death and an unbiased and thorough investigation,” he continued. “When it is appropriate for us to do so, we will disclose findings of our currently active investigation and decision on whether or not to pursue any criminal charges.”
Siderio’s family filed a civil lawsuit against the four officers involved in the shooting on Thursday, their attorney, Conor Corcoran, told ABC News.
“This 12 year old was murdered at point blank range by a Philadelphia police officer,” he said in an email to ABC News.
He said the commissioner was “correct” in firing the officer in question, but disputed that the boy had a gun.
“They are claiming that young TJ possessed or fired a gun, when my information indicates that the body still has its fingernails, and so no gunpowder residue testing was performed,” Corcoran said.
(WASHINGTON) — The House is set to vote as soon as Wednesday on a bill that would codify the Biden administration’s ban on the import of Russian oil and energy products into the U.S., review Russia’s access to the World Trade organization and strengthen the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act so that the U.S. can further sanction Russia.
The vote would be remarkably fast-paced for legislation — bypassing the usual legislative process in a clear indication that lawmakers want to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. And while it has support from both Democrats and Republicans, some Republicans have been lashing out at the Biden administration for its decision to ban Russian oil imports amid a chorus of bipartisan calls to do so.
Republicans, while they commended the administration for its decision to ban Russian oil, quickly turned critical of gas price hikes, as some members of the House accused Biden of allegedly turning his back on U.S. oil and gas production as the administration potentially weighs making oil deals with Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.
“First of all: President Biden, stop begging dictators to produce the energy that we need here in America. Don’t go to Russia. Don’t go to Iran. Don’t go to Venezuela when the answer is right beneath our feet. It’s time for President Biden to say yes to American energy,” House Republican Whip Steve Scalise told reporters during a press conference.
One after another, House Republicans took turns to criticize the administration.
“Never should we think that foreign oil is better than American independence when it comes to energy,” Rep. Yvette Herrell of New Mexico said.
“We’re sleeping in the bed that we made,” Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas said. “That’s what happens when you allow energy policy to be dictated by children in Europe, by woke investors on Wall Street, and by politicians who actually think that electric passenger vehicles are going to solve an energy crisis and the climate crisis.”
“We don’t need to be buying Russian energy, but we don’t need to be buying Iranian energy or Venezuelan energy. We need to produce energy of all forms and all types here in the US and do it better than anybody else in the world,” Westerman added.
Rep. August Pfluger of Texas said Biden should meet with oil and gas executives and companies while he is down in Texas today.
“In addition to his pre-planned meetings, what he should be doing is meeting with oil and gas executives and companies,” Pfluger said. “Instead of calling on terrorist regimes to fulfill our needs, what he should be doing is calling on the domestic producers who know better than anybody else in the world, how to produce the supply of energy that not only we need, but that our partners and allies around the world need.”
“The president’s first phone call should have been to the mayor of Midland, Texas, not to Maduro,” he added.
On the House floor Tuesday, Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy hit Biden for shuttering the Keystone XL pipeline last year.
“Democrats want to blame surging prices on Russia. But the truth is, they’re out of touch policies are why we are here in the first place. On Day 1, the President canceled the Keystone Pipeline and stopped new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters. Then, he gave the green light to Putin’s pipeline,” McCarthy said.
“If we want to lower prices and protect the environment, we must prioritize American energy independence. We have the natural resources under our feet. We have the best workers in the world: drilling the wells, building the pipelines, running the rigs, and extracting the gas in the cleanest way possible,” he said.
“We just need politicians who will get out of the way,” he added.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the energy legislation in a letter sent to democrats Tuesday. Her announcement to codify a ban comes on the heels of President Joe Biden’s announcement earlier Tuesday to ban Russian oil and energy imports.
Pelosi last week forcefully threw her weight behind a potential oil ban and at the time, signaled legislation would be imminent.
“Because this legislation is an urgent imperative – both morally and for our security interests – the House will consider this legislation on the floor today. It is our hope that we have a strong, bipartisan vote,” Pelosi said in a letter sent to Democrats.
The bill would ban the import of Russian oil and energy products into the United States, take steps to review Russia’s access to the World Trade Organization, and reauthorize and strengthen the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act so that the United States can impose further sanctions on Russia.
It’s unclear if the House bill would forward in the Senate.
“We first have to see what the House passes, and then we’ll discuss things with the administration and find the best way to make sure that the oil import ban is tight and tough,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday.
House Democrats commended Biden’s announcement and rebuffed criticisms that the administration only acted after lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation to force its hand.
“I don’t think that anything has created any pressure,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries told reporters Tuesday morning.
“He’s been very clear-eyed and transparent with the American people all along the way,” Jeffries said of Biden. “I’m very confident in President Biden’s continued leadership and I don’t think anyone has pressured him into doing anything.”
The decision to ban Russian oil and energy imports is likely to cause more pain at the pump for Americans, which lawmakers are keenly aware of.
Jeffries acknowledged the high gas prices Americans are currently facing and vowed that the Democratic Party would do what it can to relieve the pressure on wallets.
“It’s certainly my hope that my Republican colleagues won’t continue to play politics with an existential crisis for Ukraine, for Europe, for the West and for democracy because that is what is at stake right now. And we have to apply maximum pressure on Vladimir Putin and Russia until it ceases and desists with respect to its aggression and the slaughtering of innocent individuals in Ukraine. It may be some sacrifice that is required across the world,” Jeffries said.
“Certainly, we are seeing incredible sacrifice by the Ukrainian people,” he added.
Jeffries also hinted that the administration could potentially ask Americans to work from home for the time being to help ease the gas crisis and avoid the daily commute.
Asked if he thinks the federal government and businesses should consider changing their policies, even as the COVID crisis has eased up, Jeffries said: “I don’t want to comment on any specific steps that the administration may be contemplating, but I think everything should be on the table in terms of an all-hands-on-deck approach. It’s not just an all of government moment. It’s an all of America moment.”
But White House press secretary Jen Psaki made clear Tuesday that the White House isn’t about to ask Americans to cut down on their gas consumption.
“Well, we’re neither going to make a prediction…nor are we going to tell Americans to stay home,” Psaki said.
ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Trucker protesters against COVID vaccine mandates and restrictions met Tuesday with a pair of Republican lawmakers for two hours on Capitol Hill.
Republican Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Ted Cruz of Texas spoke with a small group of protesters from “The People’s Convoy,” who said they won’t end their now three-day long circuit along the D.C. beltway — traveling around 55-60 miles per hour along the often congested corridors of Maryland and Virginia — until they sit down with other members of Congress and their demands for the rollbacks of a national state of emergency and vaccine mandates are met.
Convoy truckers are also asking for congressional hearings on the origins of the pandemic along with an investigation into state and federal COVID responses.
“We’re gonna keep looping the beltway until heard,” said convoy organizer Brian Brase. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re not gonna leave. We’re gonna keep doing what we’re doing until we start getting more meetings like we just had today.”
Most COVID restrictions have been lifted across the country, with Washington D.C. last week eliminating vaccine and mask mandates in the city. New York City on Monday dropped its mask and vaccine requirements.
Still, the convoy, attempting to emulate the trucker convoy that shut down a major bridge in Ontario, Canada, has been traveling cross-country from California since late February.
“‘The People’s Convoy’ continues that legacy,” said Cruz, who is fully vaccinated. “They want government to leave them the hell alone.”
One point of contention for protestors who spoke during a roundtable discussion is that while COVID mandates are being rolled back, health care workers and members of the military have already been dismissed and discharged for refusing to get vaccinated.
“This is how it’s affecting our communities, our loved ones back home and we’re on the road working,” Brase said.
The convoy aimed to reach the nation’s capital last week. After adding participants and gaining national attention, it stopped 70 miles outside the city at the Hagerstown Speedway in Maryland.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told ABC News that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved requests from Capitol Police and Homeland Security to extend National Guard support at traffic control points in D.C. through Wednesday.
“These are people that are fighting for freedom. It’s just that simple,” Johnson said. “We’ve already seen tears here. I didn’t expect that, it doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Later on Tuesday, Florida Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene, along with Thomas Massie, R-Ky., hosted an invitation-only discussion with a separate group of around 100 truckers.
“The People’s Convoy” also met with Republican lawmakers for an additional roundtable discussion with Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and a handful of other members of the House Transportation Committee.
“I’ve cried multiple times through this journey. I lost my son in September and I’m still a part of this because that’s how much I believe in this, even though I didn’t want to get out of bed,” Brase said through tears.
