(NEW YORK) — Approximately 46,000 people died on U.S. roads last year, according to preliminary data from the National Safety Council.
That number is up 9% from 42,339 deaths recorded in 2020, and up 18% from 39,107 deaths in 2019, according to the nonprofit health and safety organization.
“This devastating news serves as yet another wakeup call for this country. We are failing each other, and we must act to prioritize safety for all road users,” Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, said in a press release. “One life lost in a preventable crash is tragic enough and more than 46,000 in one year is unacceptable.”
The report comes as traffic on roads nears pre-pandemic levels. According to the Federal Highway Administration, vehicle miles traveled in the first nine months of 2021 increased 11.7% from the same time in 2020.
The cause for the continuing rise in motor vehicle deaths is not yet known. Some experts say while fewer people were on roads in the beginning of the pandemic, reckless driving ran rampant.
“What we do know, at least preliminarily through some NHTSA studies at the beginning of the pandemic, is that people are speeding, they are not wearing their seatbelts, they are driving distracted and impaired as well,” Jane Terry, the vice president of government affairs at NSC, told ABC News.
A new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found an estimated 4% of drivers in the United States said they increased their driving during the pandemic. Those drivers tended to be younger and mostly male, AAA said.
That group also reported to engage in risky driving behaviors such as distracted driving, speeding, aggressive driving, substance-impaired driving and not using seatbelts, AAA’s report found.
In January, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg released a plan, the National Roadway Safety Strategy, to reduce road deaths across the country. The plan calls for nationwide design changes to roads and automatic emergency braking in passenger vehicles, among dozens of other initiatives — including a goal to reach zero deaths on American roadways.
“This is a national crisis,” Buttigieg said at the time. “We cannot and must not accept these deaths as an inevitable part of everyday life.”
(LONDON) — Prince William and Kate, the duke and duchess of Cambridge, went on a royal walkabout in Wales on St. David’s Day — a day to celebrate the patron saint of Wales.
On Tuesday, the couple visited Abergavenny and Blaenavon to learn about the importance of the agricultural industry to rural populations and how community organizations are providing support to young people while also celebrating the history of the region.
They kicked things off at Pant Farm, where they met with local businesses and a family-run farm. A video taken from their visit shows the duke and duchess petting goats.
📍 Pant Farm, Wales
Seeing first-hand the benefits that local businesses receive through their communities at this lovely family-run farm, promoting local produce and sustainable practices. pic.twitter.com/Rt6WGPCImD
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) March 1, 2022
William and Kate then continued their visit with a trip to Abergavenny Market, where they met with people selling locally grown produce.
The importance of community for local business is so vital as we met and heard from third, fourth and even fifth generations of family businesses welcoming customers. pic.twitter.com/OsPGG5CMEF
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) March 1, 2022
Wales is special to the royal couple, as it’s where they first lived as newlyweds. After their 2011 wedding, they rented a farmhouse in Anglesey.
Their visit comes as Queen Elizabeth is on the mend after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Over the weekend, the Daily Mail reported that the queen is feeling better and met with Prince William, Kate and their children. She also met with her other grandchild, Princess Beatrice and Beatrice’s baby daughter, Sienna.
The queen made her first virtual appearance since her diagnosis from Windsor Castle on Tuesday while meeting with Andorra ambassador Carles Jordana Madero and Chad ambassador Kedella Younous Hamidi.
(NEW YORK) — Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymr 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 02, 5:55 am
Putin’s fiercest critic Navalny calls for daily anti-war protests
Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is urging people in Russia and around the world to stage daily protests against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We — Russia — want to be a nation of peace. Alas, few people would call us that now,” Navalny said Wednesday in a series of posts on Twitter via his spokesperson. “But let’s at least not become a nation of frightened silent people. Of cowards who pretend not to notice the aggressive war against Ukraine unleashed by our obviously insane czar.”
“They say that someone who cannot attend a rally and does not risk being arrested for it cannot call for it. I’m already in prison, so I think I can,” he tweeted. “We cannot wait any longer. Wherever you are, in Russia, Belarus or on the other side of the planet, go to the main square of your city every weekday and at 2 pm on weekends and holidays.”
“Yes, maybe only a few people will take to the streets on the first day. And in the second — even less,” he added. “But we must, gritting our teeth and overcoming fear, come out and demand an end to the war. Each arrested person must be replaced by two newcomers.”
Navalny called on people to not just “be against the war” but to “fight against the war.”
“If in order to stop the war we have to fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves, we will fill prisons and paddy wagons with ourselves,” he tweeted. “Everything has a price, and now, in the spring of 2022, we must pay this price. There’s no one to do it for us.”
Navalny, the most prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, was imprisoned last year when he returned to Russia from Germany after recovering from an attempted assassination with nerve agent poisoning in Siberia. Russia has denied carrying out such an attack.
Mar 02, 5:19 am
‘You can’t stay neutral right now,’ Zelenskyy warns
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Wednesday that the international community “can’t stay neutral,” as the Russian invasion entered its seventh day.
“Neutral Switzerland has supported EU sanctions against Russian oligarchs, officials, the state, and companies. Once again – neutral Switzerland. So why do other countries wait?” Zelenskyy said in a televised address. “Our anti-war coalition has already been joined by those countries that Moscow was counting on a week ago. This is an extraordinary result. You can’t stay neutral right now.”
“We are in our homeland and there will be an international tribunal for waging the war against us,” he added.
Zelenskyy also praised his fellow Ukrainians for being “united.”
“During this time, we have truly become one,” he said. “Today you, Ukrainians, are a symbol of invincibility. A symbol that people in any country can become the best people on Earth at any moment.”
Mar 02, 4:37 am
Russia claims to have captured Ukrainian port city
Russia claimed Wednesday to have captured Ukraine’s southern port city of Kherson, the largest Ukrainian city to fall to Russian forces since the start of the invasion.
“Russian forces have taken full control of the Kherson regional center,” Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a press briefing Wednesday.
Russia-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine have also seized several cities and towns, advancing nearly 100 miles since launching the offensive, according to Konashenkov.
“Ukrainian servicemen will go home as soon as they make a written pledge not to take part in the hostilities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have “disabled” the instrument room of the the main television tower in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, “putting an end to information attacks on Russia,” according to Konashenkov, who noted that “no damage was done to residential buildings in the course of the strike.”
Konashenkov also claimed that Russian aircraft had delivered a “massive strike” on Ukraine’s military infrastructure on Wednesday.
“Sixty-seven sites have been hit,” he added. “In all, 1,502 elements of Ukrainian military infrastructure have been disabled in the course of the operation. These include 51 command and communications centers belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 38 S-300, Buk M-1 and Osa air defense missile systems and 51 radar stations.”
Mar 01, 10:59 pm
Boeing suspends all plane maintenance support for Russian airlines
The Boeing Company has suspended all parts, maintenance and technical support for Russian airlines as the conflict continues, the company announced Tuesday.
This is expected to have a significant impact on Russian carriers, as planes need constant maintenance.
“We have suspended major operations in Moscow and temporarily closed our office in Kyiv,” Boeing said in a statement. “We are also suspending parts, maintenance and technical support services for Russian airlines. As the conflict continues, our teams are focused on ensuring the safety of our teammates in the region.”
Mar 01, 10:56 pm
GOP points at Biden for Russian invasion in State of the Union response
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds implied Russia’s attack on Ukraine is connected to a lack of leadership from President Joe Biden in the Republican response to the State of the Union address, saying Biden has “sent us back in time” to the 1970s and ’80s, when the “Soviet army was trying to redraw the world map.”
Reynolds said Biden has failed on his promise to make America respected around the world once more and criticized Biden for the lead-up to the invasion, including waving sanctions against Russia and “focusing on political correctness.”
“Weakness on the world stage has a cost,” Reynolds said. “… We can’t project strength abroad if we’re weak home.”
Mar 01, 10:17 pm
‘Free world is holding Putin accountable,’ Biden says in SOTU address
In his first State of the Union address, President Joe Biden began by discussing the war in Eastern Europe and condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Biden invoked the strength of the Ukrainian people amid the attack, lauding the civilians who took up arms to defend their country and highlighting the work Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova has done on behalf of her people.
“She’s bright. She’s strong, and she’s resolved,” Biden said as first lady Jill Biden hugged Markarova.
Many lawmakers in attendance showed their support for Ukraine by wearing color-coordinated outfits and lapel pins in blue and yellow.
Biden described the invasion as “premeditated and totally unprovoked,” vowing, alongside NATO allies, to hold Putin accountable with sanctions on the Russian economy and Putin and the oligarchs themselves.
“When dictators do not pay a price for their aggressions, they cause more chaos,” Biden said. “They keep moving.”
Biden announced that American airspace would be closed to all Russian flights and pledged $1 billion in direct assistance to help “ease suffering” in Ukraine.
The president also “made clear” that while American forces would not go fight in Ukraine, he has mobilized the military to protect NATO countries.
“The United States and our Allies will defend every inch of territory that is NATO territory with the full force of our collective power,” he said.
Mar 01, 9:45 pm
Biden announces ban on Russian flights in US airspace
President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address announced the U.S. will ban Russian flights from its airspace, joining Canada and the European Union, which issued bans on Russian planes in their respective airspaces over the weekend.
“Tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights — further isolating Russia — and adding an additional squeeze on their economy,” Biden said.
The ban will apply to “operations of all aircraft owned, certified, operated, registered, chartered, leased, or controlled by, for, or for the benefit of, a person who is a citizen of Russia,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration. “This includes passenger and cargo flights, and scheduled as well as charter flights, effectively closing U.S. air space to all Russian commercial air carriers and other Russian civil aircraft.”
The ban will be “fully effective” by the end of the day Wednesday, the FAA said.
Mar 01, 9:12 pm
Lawmakers working to court ambassadors, diplomats ahead of UN vote to condemn Russia
While all eyes in Washington are on President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, some lawmakers have been working the phones to rally support at the United Nations for a resolution before the General Assembly to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and call for a peaceful resolution.
Working with the United States Mission to the United Nations, Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee have identified more than a dozen countries to target and called for ambassadors and key diplomats to leverage relationships to build more support for the nonbinding resolution.
“This has been a way for Congress to really play an important role working with the executive branch in getting this done and showing the world that Russia’s actions are illegal and should be condemned,” Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, a senior member of the committee that is leading the effort, told ABC News.
The vote “is an opportunity for countries to take a stand, and it’s especially a chance for the United States to demonstrate leadership among the nations of the world,” he said.
“President Biden and his administration, and now Congress, I believe, have demonstrated our ability to marshal our allies to condemn something the world has worked for decades to root out — which is a sovereign nation invading another,” Castro said.
Republicans have also been working to build support for the measure in the General Assembly, Castro said.
Mar 01, 8:35 pm
Ukrainian foreign minister addresses reports of racism
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed the accounts of racism at the border by people of color attempting to flee, tweeting Tuesday, “Ukraine’s government spares no effort to solve the problem.”
Germany Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also addressed the reports of racism and discrimination during a powerful speech at the U.N. Assembly on Tuesday.
“Every refugee must receive protection, no matter what their nationality, no matter what their religion, no matter of the color of their skin,” Baerbock said.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden tonight delivered his first State of the Union address with a main theme of how the U.S. is responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As he spoke, Russian strikes were killing civilians, forces were massing near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and Russian President Vladimir Putin showed no sign of backing down.
Here is how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Check back for updates.
Mar 01, 11:29 pm
Iowa Gov. Reynolds delivers GOP response
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds criticized Biden for leading the country on the “wrong track” with his foreign and domestic agenda in her GOP response to his State of the Union address.
“Even before taking the oath of office, the president told us that he wanted to ‘make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.’ He’s failed on both fronts,” she said.
Reynolds attacked Biden on his administration’s foreign affair policies, inflation and handling of the border. “They’ve refused to protect you,” she said.
Reynolds touted her conservative leadership in schools as a launch pad into Republican talking points on parental rights when it comes to children’s education.
“It was the right choice and 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 it has never been more important to say out loud, parents matter.”
ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa
Mar 01, 11:13 pm
‘The state of the union is strong, because of you’: Biden concludes speech with optimistic outlook
Biden ended his State of the Union speech with an optimistic perspective.
“The State of the Union is strong, because you, the American people, are strong,” he said. “I know there is simply nothing beyond our capacity.”
Biden reiterated that America has turned every crisis it faced into an opportunity. He said he was confident the country would meet any new challenge that arises.
“We are stronger today than we were a year ago,” the president said. “And we will be stronger a year from now than we are today.”
Mar 01, 11:10 pm
Rep. Lauren Boebert booed after she yells out at moment Biden mentions his dead son
In an ill-timed moment, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., shouted at the president, blaming him for the deaths of the 13 U.S. servicemembers killed in an attack at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan last summer, as Biden spoke about veterans exposed to burn pits developing “cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin.”
“You put them in, 13 of them!” she yelled.
But her words came out just as the president was about to mention the death of his son, Beau Biden, an Iraq War veteran who died from brain cancer in 2015.
“I know,” Biden began, attempting to reference Beau. But before he could get the sentence out Boebert shouted.
The members in the chamber immediately booed her.
“One of those soldiers was my son, Major Beau Biden,” the president continued. “I don’t know for sure if the burn pit that he lived near, that his hooch was near in Iraq and earlier than that, in Kosovo is the cause of his brain cancer, the diseases of so many other troops. But I am committed to finding out everything we can.”
Boebert later addressed the moment on Twitter, saying, “When Biden said flag draped coffins I couldn’t stay silent. I told him directly he did it. He put 13 in there. Our heroic servicemen and women deserve so much better.”
ABC News’ Mariam Khan
Mar 01, 10:43 pm
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
Mar 01, 10:32 pm
Moving forward safely in the pandemic
On the pandemic, Biden outlined four “common-sense” steps the U.S. is taking to “move forward safely”:
1. Vaccines and treatments: “We will never give up on vaccinating more Americans,” Biden said. He also discussed progress on anti-viral treatments and announced a “test to treat” initiative for COVID-positive Americans to obtain Pfizer pills free of charge.
He also announced that starting next week Americans would be able to order even more free rapid tests at.
2. Preparing for new variants: Biden said instead of months or years, we’ll be able to deploy new vaccines “within 100 days.”
3. Ending shutdowns: Biden stressed the importance of people working in offices safely and keeping schools open. “The vast majority of federal workers will once again work in person. Our schools are open. Let’s keep it that way,” he said.
4. Vaccinating the world: Biden said the U.S. has so far sent 475 million vaccine doses worldwide, “and we won’t stop.”
(WASHINGTON) — The nation and the world will be watching tonight when President Joe Biden delivers his first State of the Union address at 9 p.m. ET with a main focus expected to be on how he and the U.S. are responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
As he is set to speak, Russian strikes are killing civilians, forces are massing near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no sign of backing down.
Biden is expected to highlight his leadership in the allied response and call on Americans to deal with higher gasoline prices in order to help defend democracy.
On the domestic front, he will also address the inflation that is driving his job approval rating at just 37% and highlight progress in dealing with the pandemic that allows many mask mandates to be dropped, including, symbolically, in the House chamber as he makes his high-profile speech.
Here is how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Check back for updates.
Mar 01, 9:38 pm
‘He has no idea what’s coming,’ Biden says of Putin
Biden addressed the severe sanctions the U.S. and its allies have imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, saying they have made Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “$630 billion war fund worthless.”
“Tonight I say to the Russian oligarchs and the corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime, no more,” Biden said.
The president further announced that the U.S. will be closing off its airspace to all Russian flights, “further isolating Russia and adding an additional squeeze on their economy.”
“He has no idea what’s coming,” Biden said of Putin.
Mar 01, 9:31 pm
Show of support for Ukraine on display
Members of Congress are showing solidarity with Ukraine during the State of the Union address, from their clothing to Ukrainian flags in the chamber.
Among those wearing blue are House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and First Lady Jill Biden, whose office confirmed to ABC News she was wearing blue tonight in support of Ukraine. In another sign of support for Ukraine, the first lady has an embroidered appliqué of a sunflower, the national flower of Ukraine, sewn to the sleeve of her dress near her wrist, according to the White House.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., sported traditional Ukrainian garb.
Mar 01, 9:24 pm
Ukraine at top of address
Biden kicked off his first State of the Union addressing the conflict in Ukraine.
“Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the very foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways,” Biden said. “But he badly miscalculated. He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met with a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined.”
He introduced the ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Oksana Markarova, who received a standing ovation from the crowd. She was seated with First Lady Jill Biden, holding a small Ukrainian flag.
The Ukrainians’ “fearlessness, their courage, their determination, literally inspires the world,” Biden said to applause.
Mar 01, 8:44 pm
Biden departs White House
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden left the White House just a few moments ago for the short drive up Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol, where the president will deliver his first State of the Union address tonight.
Biden did not respond to a shouted question asking if Russian President Vladimir Putin has committed war crimes in Ukraine.
-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez
Mar 01, 8:44 pm
Biden to call for more policing funding, not defunding the police
Biden tonight will touch on his plan to address crime and make the case for more community-based policing, rather than defunding the police, a White House official told ABC News.
“He’ll make clear that the answer is not to defund the police, it’s to put more police — with better training and more accountability — out to take back our streets and make our neighborhoods safer,” the White House official said. “And he’ll talk about the steps his administration has taken — and will continue to take — to advance that accountability and rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
Biden will also call on Congress to address gun violence, and pass “common-sense” gun violence legislation that will save lives, according to the official.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Mar 01, 8:27 pm
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
Mar 01, 7:56 pm
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.
Mar 01, 7:54 pm
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
Mar 01, 7:23 pm
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.”
Mar 01, 7:17 pm
Biden to announce new ‘test-to-treat’ program for COVID-19 pills
The president will announce a new “test-to-treat program” for COVID-19 during his State of the Union address tonight, his chief of staff said during an interview on CNN.
“Because we’re getting millions of these new Pfizer pills, we’ll be able to test people in drugstores, and if they test positive, immediately give them medicine that prevents hospitalization, free of charge,” Ron Klain said.
“And so we’re taking the next steps to make sure that COVID does not control our lives, that we can get this country closer to being back to normal,” he added.
Klain did not give any more details on how the program would work, such as if people would need a prescription.
The Biden administration has purchased 20 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral therapy, Paxlovid, although the pill is not expected to be widely available until later this spring. The current plan calls for gradually ramping up to 10 million doses by the end of June and another 10 million by the end of September.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson and Anne Flaherty
Mar 01, 7:15 pm
Biden seen in Ukrainian colors ahead of address
Hours before delivering his first State of the Union address, Biden was photographed sporting a blue and yellow tie, the colors of Ukraine.
Biden was wearing the tie while on a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “to discuss our continued support for Ukraine” amid Russian aggression, he said in a Twitter post.
It is unclear what the president will ultimately wear during his address, though several members of Congress have announced plans to wear blue and yellow ribbons in support of Ukraine.
Mar 01, 5:57 pm
House Republicans: ‘The State of the Union is in crisis’
Ahead Biden’s first State of the Union address, House Republicans claimed the “state of our union is in a crisis,” which they say is directly caused by Biden and House Democrats’ “failed far-left socialist agenda.”
“Tonight, President Biden will try to rewrite history of the past year and pass the buck instead of taking responsibility for the failures of his radical far-left Democrat agenda,” the third-ranking House Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik said at a press briefing Tuesday.
Republicans are holding Biden personally responsible for several issues, from inflation to high gas prices to supply chain issues to the invasion of Ukraine.
“The war on Ukraine represents one of the greatest foreign policy failures in modern history,” Stefanik said. “For months, President Biden failed to engage in meaningful deterrence against Russian aggression.”
Ukrainian-American Rep. Victoria Spartz gave an emotional plea calling for the Biden administration to do more to help Ukraine.
“This is not a war, this is a genocide of the Ukrainian people,” Spartz, who represents Indiana, told reporters. “They want to be free people. They want to be with the West.”
-ABC News’ Mariam Khan
Mar 01, 5:52 pm
Biden on his plan to fight inflation
Biden will discuss his plan to fight inflation, which he says will aim to lower both costs and the deficit, according to an excerpt of his State of the Union address released by the White House.
“We have a choice. One way to fight inflation is to drive down wages and make Americans poorer. I have a better plan to fight inflation,” he said in the prepared remarks.
“Lower your costs, not your wages. Make more cars and semiconductors in America. More infrastructure and innovation in America. More goods moving faster and cheaper in America. More jobs where you can earn a good living in America. And, instead of relying on foreign supply chains — let’s make it in America,” the speech continues.
“Economists call it ‘increasing the productive capacity of our economy,'” the president said in the prepared remarks. “I call it building a better America.”
Mar 01, 5:45 pm
Biden to say war in Ukraine was ‘premeditated and unprovoked,’ highlight strong NATO alliance
Biden will call out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name in his State of the Union address, saying that Putin’s actions in Ukraine have solidified the NATO alliance, according to an excerpt of his prepared remarks released by the White House.
“Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home,” Biden is expected to say. “Putin was wrong. We were ready.”
-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez
Mar 01, 5:39 pm
Biden to signal new phase in pandemic
President Joe Biden tonight will shy away from any suggestion of “mission accomplished” when it comes to the pandemic, or even that the virus had morphed into an “endemic” state — a term reserved to describe a virus that persists but is mostly predictable — a White House official told ABC News.
Instead, the official described the president’s speech as noting the nation is now able to “move forward safely in a way in which COVID no longer disrupts our lives the way it has previously.”
The president also will “emphasize the need for the U.S. to remain vigilant in the face of an unpredictable virus, including by preparing for future variants,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details in advance of the speech.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty
Mar 01, 4:56 pm
Manchin, hours before, reiterates ‘There is no Build Back Better,’ wants Biden to address inflation
In advance of tonight’s speech, Sen. Joe Manchin reiterated his long-held view that has blocked Biden’s domestic agenda, saying, “There is no Build Back Better.”
“What we should be looking at is what we can do and what we have done,” the West Virginia Democrat said.
He told reporters he wants Biden to talk about inflation and about energy independence instead.
“Inflation is basically destroying the country as we know it from the standpoint of making it harder on the people they were trying to help — so we have to get energy under control,” Manchin said. “And next of all, be energy independent. Putin has weaponized energy, so shouldn’t we be using energy to counter what he’s been doing?”
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin
Mar 01, 3:14 pm
Biden to stress leadership on Ukraine
President Joe Biden’s 9 p.m. ET speech, to be carried live on national television and seen around the world, will be delivered just days after Russia invaded Ukraine — and days after he nominated the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court.
But he’ll also be speaking to Americans suffering from historic inflation as the nation continues to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.
With his job approval at an all-time low of 37%, Biden faces the difficult task of balancing their pain with his desire to reap the political benefits of his legislative wins so far — a massive COVID relief package and a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure — while also demonstrating his leadership on one of the greatest threats to European stability since World War II.
(WASHINGTON) — The nation and the world will be watching tonight when President Joe Biden delivers his first State of the Union address at 9 p.m. ET with a main focus expected to be on how he and the U.S. are responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
As he is set to speak, Russian strikes are killing civilians, forces are massing near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no sign of backing down.
Biden is expected to highlight his leadership in the allied response and call on Americans to deal with higher gasoline prices in order to help defend democracy.
On the domestic front, he will also address the inflation that is driving his job approval rating at just 37% and highlight progress in dealing with the pandemic that allows many mask mandates to be dropped, including, symbolically, in the House chamber as he makes his high-profile speech.
Latest headlines:
Biden on his plan to fight inflation
Biden to say war in Ukraine was ‘premeditated and unprovoked,’ highlight strong NATO alliance
Biden to signal new phase in pandemic
Iowa Gov. Reynolds to deliver GOP response
Biden says he’ll discuss ‘determination’ to keep allies on same page over Russian sanctions
Here is how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Check back for updates.
Mar 01, 7:17 pm
Biden to announce new ‘test-to-treat’ program for COVID-19 pills
The president will announce a new “test-to-treat program” for COVID-19 during his State of the Union address tonight, his chief of staff said during an interview on CNN.
“Because we’re getting millions of these new Pfizer pills, we’ll be able to test people in drugstores, and if they test positive, immediately give them medicine that prevents hospitalization, free of charge,” Ron Klain said.
“And so we’re taking the next steps to make sure that COVID does not control our lives, that we can get this country closer to being back to normal,” he added.
Klain did not give any more details on how the program would work, such as if people would need a prescription.
The Biden administration has purchased 20 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral therapy, Paxlovid, although the pill is not expected to be widely available until later this spring. The current plan calls for gradually ramping up to 10 million doses by the end of June and another 10 million by the end of September.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson and Anne Flaherty
Mar 01, 7:15 pm
Biden seen in Ukrainian colors ahead of address
Hours before delivering his first State of the Union address, Biden was photographed sporting a blue and yellow tie, the colors of Ukraine.
Biden was wearing the tie while on a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “to discuss our continued support for Ukraine” amid Russian aggression, he said in a Twitter post.
It is unclear what the president will ultimately wear during his address, though several members of Congress have announced plans to wear blue and yellow ribbons in support of Ukraine.
Mar 01, 5:57 pm
House Republicans: ‘The State of the Union is in crisis’
Ahead Biden’s first State of the Union address, House Republicans claimed the “state of our union is in a crisis,” which they say is directly caused by Biden and House Democrats’ “failed far-left socialist agenda.”
“Tonight, President Biden will try to rewrite history of the past year and pass the buck instead of taking responsibility for the failures of his radical far-left Democrat agenda,” the third-ranking House Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik said at a press briefing Tuesday.
Republicans are holding Biden personally responsible for several issues, from inflation to high gas prices to supply chain issues to the invasion of Ukraine.
“The war on Ukraine represents one of the greatest foreign policy failures in modern history,” Stefanik said. “For months, President Biden failed to engage in meaningful deterrence against Russian aggression.”
Ukrainian-American Rep. Victoria Spartz gave an emotional plea calling for the Biden administration to do more to help Ukraine.
“This is not a war, this is a genocide of the Ukrainian people,” Spartz, who represents Indiana, told reporters. “They want to be free people. They want to be with the West.”
-ABC News’ Mariam Khan
Mar 01, 5:52 pm
Biden on his plan to fight inflation
Biden will discuss his plan to fight inflation, which he says will aim to lower both costs and the deficit, according to an excerpt of his State of the Union address released by the White House.
“We have a choice. One way to fight inflation is to drive down wages and make Americans poorer. I have a better plan to fight inflation,” he said in the prepared remarks.
“Lower your costs, not your wages. Make more cars and semiconductors in America. More infrastructure and innovation in America. More goods moving faster and cheaper in America. More jobs where you can earn a good living in America. And, instead of relying on foreign supply chains — let’s make it in America,” the speech continues.
“Economists call it ‘increasing the productive capacity of our economy,'” the president said in the prepared remarks. “I call it building a better America.”
Mar 01, 5:45 pm
Biden to say war in Ukraine was ‘premeditated and unprovoked,’ highlight strong NATO alliance
Biden will call out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name in his State of the Union address, saying that Putin’s actions in Ukraine have solidified the NATO alliance, according to an excerpt of his prepared remarks released by the White House.
“Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home,” Biden is expected to say. “Putin was wrong. We were ready.”
-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez
Mar 01, 5:39 pm
Biden to signal new phase in pandemic
President Joe Biden tonight will shy away from any suggestion of “mission accomplished” when it comes to the pandemic, or even that the virus had morphed into an “endemic” state — a term reserved to describe a virus that persists but is mostly predictable — a White House official told ABC News.
Instead, the official described the president’s speech as noting the nation is now able to “move forward safely in a way in which COVID no longer disrupts our lives the way it has previously.”
The president also will “emphasize the need for the U.S. to remain vigilant in the face of an unpredictable virus, including by preparing for future variants,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details in advance of the speech.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty
Mar 01, 4:56 pm
Manchin, hours before, reiterates ‘There is no Build Back Better,’ wants Biden to address inflation
In advance of tonight’s speech, Sen. Joe Manchin reiterated his long-held view that has blocked Biden’s domestic agenda, saying, “There is no Build Back Better.”
“What we should be looking at is what we can do and what we have done,” the West Virginia Democrat said.
He told reporters he wants Biden to talk about inflation and about energy independence instead.
“Inflation is basically destroying the country as we know it from the standpoint of making it harder on the people they were trying to help — so we have to get energy under control,” Manchin said. “And next of all, be energy independent. Putin has weaponized energy, so shouldn’t we be using energy to counter what he’s been doing?”
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin
Mar 01, 3:14 pm
Biden to stress leadership on Ukraine
President Joe Biden’s 9 p.m. ET speech, to be carried live on national television and seen around the world, will be delivered just days after Russia invaded Ukraine — and days after he nominated the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court.
But he’ll also be speaking to Americans suffering from historic inflation as the nation continues to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.
With his job approval at an all-time low of 37%, Biden faces the difficult task of balancing their pain with his desire to reap the political benefits of his legislative wins so far — a massive COVID relief package and a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure — while also demonstrating his leadership on one of the greatest threats to European stability since World War II.
(AUSTIN, Texas) — The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department for Family and Protective Services and Governor Greg Abbott for implementing a directive to investigate parents that provide gender-affirming care to transgender children.
In a Feb. 22 letter, Abbott ordered the DFPS to investigate gender-affirming care among youths in the state following an official declaration from state Attorney General Ken Paxton who also called it “child abuse.”
The DFPS promptly announced that it would comply with Paxton and Abbott’s directive. The department told ABC affiliate KVUE there were no investigations into such alleged “child abuse” before Abbott’s directive.
DFPS Commissioner Jaime Masters is also listed as a defendant in the complaint.
Representatives for DFPS, Masters and Abbott did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.
The lawsuit, led by the ACLU and Lambda Legal, calls the move “lawless and dangerous.”
According to the complaint, Jane Doe, a DFPS employee, allegedly “was placed on leave from her employment because she has a transgender daughter with a medical need for treatment of gender dysphoria.”
Following the issuance of the gender-affirming care directive, Jane Doe had allegedly asked for clarification from her supervisor about how the Abbott letter would affect DFPS policy, the complaint read.
Jane and John Doe are the parents of 16-year-old Mary Doe, who is transgender.
According to the ACLU’s complaint, “some doctors and other providers have discontinued prescribing medically necessary treatment for gender dysphoria to transgender youth” as a result of Abbott’s directive.
“The actions taken by Defendants have already caused severe and irreparable harm to families across the state of Texas, including the Doe family, and have put medical and mental health providers in the impossible position of either following their legal and ethical professional responsibilities or facing criminal prosecution or civil and professional repercussions under Texas law,” the complaint reads.
The Texas legislature has previously tried to limit gender-affirming care and legally declare it “child abuse” but it has failed to pass any of its bills into law.
“There is no doubt that these procedures are ‘abuse’ under Texas law, and thus must be halted,” Paxton said previously in a statement.
He added, “The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has a responsibility to act accordingly. I’ll do everything I can to protect against those who take advantage of and harm young Texans.”
Organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, Texas Pediatric Society, National Association of Social Workers and more have denounced the governor’s directive.
“This harmful directive leaves families seeking gender-affirming care in Texas with nowhere to turn,” Moira Szilagyi, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a statement following Abbott’s announcement. “Pediatricians could be investigated for child abuse by simply providing evidence-based, medically necessary services. Gender affirming care is not abuse. Politics has no place in the exam room. All children deserve access to the care they need.”
Five Texas district attorneys also pushed back on Abbott’s directive in a signed letter, saying they “will not irrationally and unjustifiably interfere with medical decisions made between children, their parents, and their medical physicians.”
The White House has also slammed Abbott’s decisions.
“The Texas Attorney General’s attack on loving parents who seek medical care for their transgender children is dangerous to the health of kids in Texas and part of much larger trend of conservative officials cynically attacking LGBTQI+ youth to score political points,” a White House spokesperson told ABC News last week.
(WASHINGTON) — While President Joe Biden is laying out his agenda for the U.S., he and some members of Congress will be sending a message of support to Ukraine as it fights back invading Russian forces.
Several House and Senate members will be wearing a ribbon in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag on their congressional pins during the speech.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be wearing a pin with a combination of the Ukrainian and U.S. flag.
Some of those in Congress will demonstrate their support beyond their lapels.
Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., sported a blue suit and yellow blouse on Tuesday. She told reporters that more members will be wearing those colors during the president’s speech.
“We must do everything we can to preserve our democracies from those that wish to hurt them,” Bustos tweeted.
Earlier in the day, the White House tweeted a photo of Biden on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Biden wore a blue and yellow tie.
There will be at least one Ukrainian official on hand during the president’s remarks, according to the White House.
First lady Jill Biden invited Oksana Markarova, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, as a guest. She will be sitting in the viewing box with the first lady; the second gentleman, Douglas Emhoff; the president’s sister, Valerie Biden Owens; and eight other VIPs.
ABC News’ Mariam Khan and Devin Dwyer contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address will be a remarkable scene: A maskless president speaking to more than 500 invited lawmakers packed cheek-to-jowl in the historic House chamber, also allowed to go without masks so long as they got tested first.
Case numbers and hospitalization levels have plummeted. Three-fourths of U.S. adults are now fully vaccinated with a growing number of people getting boosted. Rapid tests are finally widely available. And life-saving therapeutics including new anti-viral pills are growing in supply.
With such optimism on public display, Biden’s address will signal a new phase in the pandemic. It also will be a tacit acknowledgement that the virus, at any moment, could come roaring back to life.
Officials told ABC News that Biden on Tuesday would shy away from any suggestion of “mission accomplished” or even that the virus had morphed into an “endemic” state — a term reserved to describe a virus that persists but is mostly predictable.
Instead, a White House official described the president’s speech as noting the nation is now able to “move forward safely in a way in which COVID no longer disrupts our lives the way it has previously.”
The president also will “emphasize the need for the U.S. to remain vigilant in the face of an unpredictable virus, including by preparing for future variants,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details in advance of the speech.
That the nation is “moving forward safely” probably isn’t the bumper sticker slogan Democrats were hoping for in a midterm election year. But it’s also a much more honest assessment of a virus that’s still widely circulating globally and which has killed at least 945,688 Americans despite aggressive efforts to contain its spread.
Biden’s speech will be in juxtaposition to last year’s Fourth of July speech in which he declared the nation was close to its “independence” from the virus. But pockets of the country refused to get vaccinated last summer, giving rise to fresh waves of COVID hospitalizations in the fall and winter, eventually shuttering classrooms and workplaces.
Accordingly, the White House has been revising its COVID strategy and meeting privately with some of the nation’s top pandemic experts to consider paths the virus might take. Instead of counting primarily on getting more Americans vaccinated and moving past the virus, Biden’s new strategy would acknowledge that Americans might experience COVID in waves in the year to come and that the federal government’s role would be to blunt its impact by shoring up supplies of booster shots, rapid tests and effective therapeutics.
Details of that strategy were expected as early as this week. Biden was expected to touch on that new strategy only broadly Tuesday night.
Also, last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new guidance for masks that factors in hospitalization capacity as much as it looks at new COVID case numbers and new COVID hospitalizations. The result is that based on current data more than 70% of Americans forgo masking indoors, including in schools, according to CDC guidance.
As if to remind the public of COVID’s reach, just hours before Biden’s speech Tuesday night, three Democrats — Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Alex Padilla of California and Suzan DelBene of Washington — announced they had tested positive. Several Republicans said they wouldn’t attend because they objected to having to take the PCR tests in the first place.
“We’ve seen things come down before only to be surprised,” one person said, describing the meetings as helping the administration to prepare for next steps.
ABC News reporter Mariam Khan contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The nation and the world will be watching tonight when President Joe Biden delivers his first State of the Union address at 9 p.m. ET with a main focus expected to be on how he and the U.S. are responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
As he is set to speak, Russian strikes are killing civilians, forces are massing near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no sign of backing down.
Biden is expected to highlight his leadership in the allied response and call on Americans to deal with higher gasoline prices in order to help defend democracy.
On the domestic front, he will also address the inflation that is driving his job approval rating at just 37% and highlight progress in dealing with the pandemic that allows many mask mandates to be dropped, including, symbolically, in the House chamber as he makes his high-profile speech.
Latest headlines:
Biden to stress leadership on Ukraine
Here is how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Check back for updates.
Mar 01, 3:14 pm
Biden to stress leadership on Ukraine
President Joe Biden’s 9 p.m. ET speech, to be carried live on national television and seen around the world, will be delivered just days after Russia invaded Ukraine — and days after he nominated the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court.
But he’ll also be speaking to Americans suffering from historic inflation as the nation continues to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.
With his job approval at an all-time low of 37%, Biden faces the difficult task of balancing their pain with his desire to reap the political benefits of his legislative wins so far — a massive COVID relief package and a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure — while also demonstrating his leadership on one of the greatest threats to European stability since World War II.
