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Jan. 6 committee not planning to subpoena members of Congress, sources say

March 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is not planning to issue subpoenas to members of Congress who are alleged to have information regarding the events leading up to and surrounding the attack, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.

While the panel had requested information from Republicans including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Reps. Scott Perry and Jim Jordan — all of whom swiftly rejected the requests — there have been no follow-up discussions with them about their cooperation, according to sources familiar with the panel’s work.

For a committee that’s been aggressive in its investigative efforts, moving ahead without compelling lawmakers to cooperate through a subpoena reflects a self-imposed limitation as committee members work to balance the legal, political and practical considerations.

In some cases, investigators don’t believe subpoenas are necessary, given information they have already obtained through other means, like witness testimony and evidence provided by other third parties, according to sources.

While such a move has not been formalized and sources caution that the committee’s plans could change, the emerging consensus is to proceed without taking this step.

Investigators have privately acknowledged that any efforts to try to enforce subpoenas would run into time constraints should Republicans take control of the House following the November midterm elections. Any potential subpoena to a lawmaker would likely face a complex and lengthy legal battle.

“The Select Committee is determined to get all relevant information and all options remain on the table,” a spokesperson for the committee told ABC News. “The committee’s investigation is uncovering new facts every day and we want to hear from all witnesses.”

The committee’s chairperson, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said the committee was studying whether it had the ability to issue subpoenas to their colleagues. Thompson told ABC News in December that he wasn’t sure if they would be able to force members to cooperate.

“If we subpoena them and they choose not to come, I’m not aware of a real vehicle that we can force compliance,” Thompson said.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a member of the committee, said on ABC News’ “This Week” in December that he “absolutely” thinks his colleagues should be subpoenaed to testify before the committee if necessary.

The committee has disclosed that several GOP lawmakers communicated with former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows before and during the Capitol attack, according to thousands of pages of emails and text messages Meadows turned over to the committee before he reversed course and refused to cooperate with the investigation.

Perry, a leader of the House Freedom Caucus who communicated with Meadows ahead of the attack, was the target of the committee’s first known request to a sitting Republican lawmaker.

The committee also said Perry played an “important role” in efforts to install former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark as attorney general in the days before the Jan. 6 attack, as Clark was pushing unproven claims of election fraud.

Some Republicans have also made it clear that if they regain power in the House following the upcoming midterms, they would seek retribution against Democrats and associates of President Joe Biden over the committee’s investigation.

“Joe Biden has eviscerated Executive Privilege,” Rep. Jordan wrote on Twitter after former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon was charged in November with criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena.

“There are a lot of Republicans eager to hear testimony from Ron Klain and Jake Sullivan when we take back the House,” Jordan wrote, referencing Biden’s chief of staff and national security adviser.

Russia ramps up missile strikes on Kyiv as ground forces stall: Pentagon Day 20 update

March 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(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 Tuesday on Day 20:

Russians step up missile strikes on Kyiv as ground forces stall

Russian forces have gained little ground in Ukraine over recent days, according to the Pentagon. The closest invaders to Kyiv have been stalled roughly 9 to 12 miles northwest of the city’s center for nearly a week. Other troops advancing on the capital from the northeast are still 12 to 19 miles out, where they’ve been for at least four days.

But while its ground effort on Kyiv has been largely halted, Russia has ramped up its bombardment of the city, hitting residential areas with long-range missiles more frequently.

The pattern is similar across the country, including in the port city of Mariupol, which is being isolated by Russian forces and is suffering heavy bombardment.

Russia has now launched more than 950 missiles against Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion, according to the official. This is up from an estimated 900 on Monday.

A war with many fronts

Russian troops remain on the outskirts of Kharkiv, where they continue to meet strong Ukrainian resistance, according to the senior U.S. defense official.

Last week the official said Russian forces were ” just outside the city” of Mykolayiv. In Monday’s update the official said the U.S. has seen no new movement toward or past the city.

Pentagon officials have speculated that Russian troops might intend to take Mykolayiv to put themselves in position for a ground attack on the key port city of Odessa while other troops launch an amphibious assault from the Black Sea.

While the U.S. has observed several Russian landing craft operating in the northern Black Sea, so far there are no signs of an imminent amphibious movement toward Odessa, the official said.

Military power mostly intact

Despite 20 days of heavy fighting and losses on the Russian and Ukrainian sides, both countries have roughly 90% of their combat power still intact, according to the official. For Russia, that’s counting only the forces Russian President Vladimir Putin committed to the invasion.

“We have seen no movement of Russian forces stationed elsewhere in Russia being deployed to the west to reinforce the [battalion tactical groups] the Russians already have in Ukraine,” the official said. “And we’ve seen no evidence of Russian efforts to flow in additional supplies from inside Russia or from elsewhere, but we have reason to believe the Russians are considering their resupply and manning options.”

There are also no indications at this point that Belarus is preparing to send troops of its own to join the invasion, the official added.

US weapons to Ukraine

Weapons from the United States and other nations continues to flow into Ukraine, including over the last 24 hours, the official said.

Anti-war protester who crashed Russian TV broadcast appears in Moscow court

March 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(MOSCOW) — Marina Ovsyannikova, the woman who crashed Russia’s state news broadcast Monday night to protest the war, was fined 30 thousand roubles, or around $280, and released on Tuesday.

Ovsyannikova ran onto the set of Russia’s main state news broadcast with an anti-war sign. She stood behind the anchor on the Channel One show with a sign that said “Stop the war” and “Don’t believe the propaganda. They’re lying to you here,” in English and Russian.

Ovsyannikova worked as an editor for Channel One, according to Russian human rights lawyer Pavel Chikov, who said he is now representing her.

Ovsyannikova appeared in a court in Moscow after her lawyers said they had been unable to locate her since she disappeared at the TV station.

“These were really difficult days in my life. I spent two days without sleep. The interrogation lasted more than 14 hours. I was not allowed to contact my friends and relatives. I was not provided with any legal assistance,” Ovsyannikova told reporters outside the courthouse. “I will give more comments tomorrow. Today I want to rest.”

Ovsyannikova is charged with an “administrative offense,” essentially a misdemeanor, that carries a fine but not a jail sentence, according to a reporter from the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

In English, Ovsyannikova answered a question outside the courtroom and said it wasn’t a surprise she was released since she has two children. Russian law means that, in general, mothers with dependent children should not be placed in detention for minor offenses.

Chikov wrote on Twitter that Ovsyannikova was detained after the protest and taken to a police station in Moscow. He said she has been charged with “discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.”

Novaya Gazeta said the court has told it Ovsyannikova is charged under Part 2 Article 20.2 — “organizing unauthorized public events” — which means she would face at most 15 days in jail and a fine.

She is not charged under Russia’s new “fake news” law that carries up to 15 years prison for spreading “false” information about Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Ovsyannikova also published a video online before her protest in which she explained her motivations for protesting. She said she has worked for the last few years for Channel One and that she is now “very ashamed” of working for “Kremlin propaganda.”

“I am ashamed that I allowed lies to be spoken from the TV screen. I am ashamed that I allowed the zombification of Russian people. Now ten generations of our descendants won’t wash off the disgrace of this fratricidal war. We’re Russian people, thinking, intelligent. It’s only in our power to stop this insanity,” she said.

Saudi Arabia’s human rights record may be overlooked over need for cheap oil, groups say

March 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — The mass execution of 81 people in one day by Saudi Arabia, condemned by activist groups as a “massacre,” has prompted fresh fears that the kingdom’s human rights record will once again be overlooked amid the global energy crisis.

Saudi Arabia’s ministry of interior said the men had been convicted of a wide range of crimes, from murder to membership of foreign terrorist organizations.

“Criminal groups have strayed from the path of truth, replaced it by desires, and followed the footsteps of Satan,” the interior ministry said in a statement. “This country … will not fail to deter anyone who threatens its security and the security of its citizens and residents.”

Amnesty International has led the calls for Saudi Arabia to abolish the death penalty in the wake of the mass execution, with some of the men executed for allegedly taking part in anti-government protests.

“This execution spree is all the more chilling in light of Saudi Arabia’s deeply flawed justice system, which metes out death sentences following trials that are grossly and blatantly unfair, including basing verdicts on “confessions” extracted under torture or other ill-treatment,” Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Saturday’s executions brought the country’s tally of executions to 92 this year, according to Amnesty International. The mass execution alone surpassed the total number of 67 executions that reportedly took place in 2021, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Legal charity Reprieve said all those executed “were tried, convicted, sentenced and executed in complete secrecy.”

“Of the dozen cases we do know about, at least a quarter were tortured into making false confessions to terrorism offenses after taking part in pro-democracy demonstrations,” Reprieve director Maya Foa told ABC News.

The Saudi ministry of foreign affairs did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Just days after the mass execution, which prompted international condemnation, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is traveling to Saudi Arabia amid concerns about the global energy supply following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Johnson will meet with leaders in the UAE before traveling to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, on Wednesday.

“The U.K. is building an international coalition to deal with the new reality we face,” the prime minister said in advance of the visit. “The world must wean itself off Russian hydrocarbons and starve Putin’s addiction to oil and gas. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are key international partners in that effort. We will work with them to ensure regional security, support the humanitarian relief effort and stabilize global energy markets for the longer term.”

Asked about the executions ahead of Johnson’s trip on Tuesday, a Downing Street spokesperson told ABC News: “The U.K. is firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country as a matter of principle. The government will be raising this with the authorities in Saudi Arabia.”

Reprieve, however, warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could cause world leaders to turn a blind eye at Saudi Arabia’s latest human rights violations for the sake of securing lower fuel prices.

“Mohammed Bin Salman is betting that the West will look away because it would rather fund his blood-soaked petro-state than Putin’s war machine,” Reprieve’s Foa said.

Michelle Bachelet of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said investigations of the execution “indicate that some of those executed were sentenced to death following trials that did not meet fair trial and due process guarantees, and for crimes that did not appear to meet the most serious crimes threshold, as required under international law.”

She expressed concerns that Saudi Arabia’s “extremely broad definition of terrorism, including non-violent acts” leads to “criminalizing people exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

The 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul, as well as theongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen, exacerbated by the war between the kingdom and Iran-backed Houthi rebels, have prompted renewed calls from human rights groups to reconsider the West’s historic alliance with Saudi Arabia.

“We must not show our revulsion for Vladimir Putin’s atrocities by rewarding those of Mohammed Bin Salman,” Foa said. “Striking a deal with Saudi Arabia now, despite this mass execution, would virtually guarantee that more people whose only crime was to challenge the status quo will be executed.”

Democrats push to close gender gap on Equal Pay Day

March 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic Women’s Caucus gathered Tuesday morning to highlight the gender pay gap on Equal Pay Day.

“They call this Equal Pay Day, but I like to call it ‘Unequal Pay Day’ because that’s the message that we are conveying today,” said Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif.

Formerly known as National Pay Inequity Awareness Day, the day — which fluctuates year to year — was first recognized in 1996 by the National Committee on Pay Equity. It is the date by which women’s average full-time wages catch up to men’s from the previous year. This year, it falls right in the middle of Women’s History Month.

“It’s not acceptable for me to see my sisters in the workplace, and getting paid less,” said House Democratic Women’s Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich. “So I want you to know, I will talk about this every year, but hopefully next year — I keep hope alive — next year, we’ll be saying we finally got it right.”

“And I will end with a statement that I know my speaker is going to say again, but when women succeed, America succeeds,” Lawrence added.

Women on average currently make 83 cents for every dollar earned by men — but that figure differs based on race.

Speier noted that “African American women are making 58 cents on the dollar and Latina women are making 49 cents on the dollar.”

“The pay gap reflects outright discrimination as well as barriers that women face in accessing good-paying jobs and meeting caregiving responsibilities — including a lack of affordable child care, paid family and medical leave and fair and predictable scheduling — which often prevent women from joining and staying in the workforce,” President Joe Biden wrote in a proclamation recognizing the day.

The Office of Personnel Management will also propose a regulation to “address the use of prior salary history in the hiring and pay-setting process for Federal employees,” according to a fact sheet released Tuesday by the Biden administration.

Ahead of an event Tuesday evening with the Bidens, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the White House at the Equal Pay Day Summit.

“Our economy just has not been working as it should for the women of our nation,” she said.

“If we are going to continue to grow our economy and to be competitive and lead the world in the 21st century, we simply cannot afford to leave half of our workforce behind,” Harris said. “To build an economy that works for all of us, we must build an economy that works for women. That is one of our administration’s central missions.”

In addition to the summit, Harris met with current and former members of the U.S. Women’s Soccer team to talk about equal pay,after they settled their equal pay lawsuit with U.S. Soccer.

Harris praised the women for their work on the field and also for raising awareness of the fight for equal pay.

“Obviously, you all have been champions in terms of your skills and your dominance in terms of women’s soccer. But we are here today because you also have been leaders on an issue that affects most women and has affected most women in the workforce and it’s the issue of pay equity,” Harris said.

Harris and the players spoke about their fight, and the things they fought for beyond just compensation including playing surfaces, massage therapists and even things as simple as bagels after practice.

While the vice president tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday, she did not attend the evening Equal Pay Day event “out of an abundance of caution” after her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, tested positive, according to the vice president’s office.

The wage gap is an immediate problem that leads to less money in women’s pockets but that it also has cumulative effects, according to Sarah Jane Glynn, a senior adviser with the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau.

She noted that women are less likely to have retirement savings and more likely to solely rely on Social Security and end up living in poverty in their old age.

The Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau released a report Tuesday titled, “Bearing the Cost: How Overrepresentation in Undervalued Jobs Disadvantaged Women During the Pandemic,” which discusses the impacts of COVID-19 on women’s place in the workforce.

“The industries that women were in had the most significant job losses,” Glynn said. “So that’s a big part of the reason why we saw much higher unemployment numbers for women and why women experienced the majority of job losses during 2020.”

During the morning press conference, Speier brought up the need to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which addresses wage inequity based on gender. The bill passed in the House but has stalled in the Senate.

And the speakers expressed hope that the fight for equal pay will soon be a thing of the past.

“We, as women in this country, we know we add value to our economy, to our communities, to the overall safety of this country,” Lawrence said. “And we demand the respect and to be valued by paying us a wage that is equal.”

ABC News’ Molly Nagle contributed to this report.

Doug Emhoff, husband of Kamala Harris, tests positive for COVID-19

March 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, the husband of Kamala Harris, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the vice president’s office.

“Earlier today, the Second Gentleman tested positive for COVID-19,” Sabrina Singh, deputy press secretary for the vice president, said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Vice President will not participate in tonight’s event [on Equal Pay Day]. The Vice President tested negative for COVID-19 today and will continue to test.”

Asked if Biden is being tested again this evening given his proximity to Harris earlier, the White House pointed out that isn’t required by COVID protocols.

Biden, as far as we know, was last tested on Sunday, and was negative.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Victims of Seattle crane collapse to receive more than $112 million

March 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Victims of Seattle crane collapse to receive more than 2 million

(SEATTLE) — Three people who were injured and the families of two people killed after a crane collapsed on a Seattle construction site in 2019, will receive $112 million in a settlement, David Beninger, a lawyer for one of the victims told ABC News Tuesday.

The crane fell from the construction site which included a Google office building in the South Lake Union neighborhood in April 2019 as it was being dismantled, killing four people.

Lawsuits filed by families of two of the victims killed in the collapse and three who were injured, were consolidated into one case in the King County Superior Court, involving multiple firms involved in the construction site where the crane collapsed.

In the Monday verdict, a jury found four of the construction companies negligent, but only three of the companies’ negligence resulted in the death of Sarah Wong and Alan Justad, and injury of Brittany Cadelina, Ali Edriss and Sally Beaven.

While the jury found GLY Construction, the company that leased the crane, negligent, it was not found responsible for the deaths and injuries.

The other companies named in the lawsuit are Morrow Equipment, which owned and leased the crane to the construction project and provided expertise for the building and dismantling of the crane; Northwest Tower Crane Service, which was in charge of setting up and dismantling the crane; and Omega Morgan, a mobile crane subcontractor.

The jury attributed 45% of the negligence to Northwest Tower Crane, 30% to Omega Morgan and 25% to Morrow Equipment.

The jury awarded the victims more than $150 million in damages, but Morrow Equipment Company did not participate in the trial as it is in discussions regarding other agreements with the victims, according to Beninger.

Wong’s estate, her parents and sibling are to receive a combined $54.15 million. Nineteen-year-old Wong, a student at Seattle Pacific University, was a passenger in a car when parts of the crane struck it causing her fatal injuries.

Justad’s estate and his three daughters will receive a combined $39.15 million. Seventy-one-year-old Justad was in his car when parts of the crane landed on top of the vehicle.

Cadelina and Edriss will each receive $9.2 million and Beaven will receive $975,000, according to Beninger and amounts awarded by the jury.

“Northwest Tower Crane Service respects the verdict of the jury and thanks them for their service in this trial. Northwest Tower Crane changed its practices immediately after this tragic accident and continues to strive to make safety its top priority,” an attorney for Northwest Tower Crane Services said to ABC News in a statement, declining to comment any further.

Attorneys for the Wongs, Cadelina and Omega did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Idaho lawmakers pass 6-week abortion ban styled after Texas law

March 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(BOISE, Idaho) — A bill that seeks to prevent most abortions from occurring in Idaho has just passed in the state legislature and is heading to the governor’s desk.

The bill is the first in the country to be modeled after the recent law passed in Texas that bans abortions after six weeks, before many women know they’re pregnant.

Idaho’s bill prohibits abortions after six weeks and allows the father, grandparents, siblings, uncles or aunts of the fetus to sue a medical provider who performs the procedure.

Family members can sue for a minimum of $20,000 within four years of an abortion. While a rapist wouldn’t be allowed to sue, their family members could.

The state House of Representatives passed the bill Monday night 51-14, almost exclusively along party lines, after the state Senate passed the bill earlier this month.

“This bill makes sure that the people of Idaho can stand up for our values and do everything in our power to prevent the wanton destruction of innocent human life,” state Rep. Steven Harris, a Republican and the bill’s sponsor, said in a statement following the vote.

The bill is now heading to Republican Gov. Brad Little’s desk to await his signature.

Little signed a similar “fetal heartbeat” bill into law last year that bans abortions after a fetus’ heartbeat is detected, and he is expected to sign this one as well.

The governor’s office did not reply to ABC News’ request for comment.

There are a few differences between the Idaho bill and the Texas law.

Both allow for exceptions in the case of a medical emergency, but the Texas law does not allow for exceptions in cases of rape or incest whereas the Idaho bill does allow for such exceptions.

However, women who want an abortion under those exceptions are required to file a police report and show it to the medical provider before the abortion.

Another difference between the two pieces of legislation is that the Idaho bill only allows for certain family members of the fetus to sue the medical provider who performed the abortion, but the Texas law allows almost any private citizen to sue any Texas doctor who performs an abortion, intends to perform an abortion or helps a woman receive an abortion.

Kim Clark, senior attorney at Legal Voice — a non-profit organization advocating for the legal rights of women, girls and LGBTQ people in the Northwest — said this could lead to women in abusive relationships being further harassed by their partners.

“This essentially makes the state complicit in intimate partner violence,” Clark told ABC News. “Allowing a member of the person’s family to bring a claim, that could include an abuser where the survivor hasn’t reported the assault.”

She continued, “When women are unable to access abortion care, rates of homicide or harm to other children can skyrocket.”

A November 2021 study from Tulane University in New Orleans found more pregnant women die by homicide every year than other pregnancy-related causes.

Compared to non-pregnant women of the same age, pregnant women were 16% more likely to die by homicide, the study found.

Chelsea Gaona-Lincoln, the Idaho programs manager for Legal Voice, said she doesn’t think lawmakers are trying to prevent unwanted pregnancies, pointing out that the Idaho House on Monday night also voted down a bill that would allow women to receive a six-month maximum supply of contraceptive prescriptions, up from three months.

“The same body voted down a contraception bill that would allow women to get birth control for up to six months,” she told ABC News. “They don’t really care about preventing unwanted pregnancies. This is about political control.”

Russia-Ukraine live updates: Thousands evacuate Mariupol during pause in attacks

March 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(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, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance, coming within about 9 miles as of 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.

For previous coverage please click here.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Mar 15, 1:42 pm
Refugee numbers reach 3 million

Over 3 million refugees have now fled Ukraine, according to Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Over 1.5 million of those refugees are children, according to UNICEF spokesperson James Elder.

Mar 15, 1:26 pm
Thousands of civilians evacuate Mariupol during pause in attacks

A pause in Russian attacks on the besieged city of Mariupol has allowed for about 2,000 private vehicles to evacuate civilians on Tuesday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereschuk said.

This is in addition to the 160 private vehicles that evacuated residents during a lull on Monday.

Russian attacks impeded previous efforts to get civilians out and to allow for humanitarian supplies to be brought in. The Mariupol City Council reported Sunday that 2,187 residents had been killed since the start of the invasion. Vereschuk said last week that the city was “beyond a humanitarian disaster,” with most roads destroyed, little communication with the outside and no power, gas or heat.

Mar 15, 1:14 pm
NATO leaders to meet March 24

NATO leaders will meet on March 24 to address the Russian invasion, NATO’s “strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted.

-ABC News’ Conor Finnegan

Mar 15, 1:06 pm
Russian TV anti-war protester fined and released

Anti-war protester Marina Ovsyannikova has been fined and released after crashing a Russian state news broadcast.

She told reporters she was interrogated for more than 14 hours and said she’d provide more comments on Wednesday.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Mar 15, 12:16 pm
Fox News cameraman killed in Ukraine

Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski has been killed in Ukraine, according to Fox News.

Zakrzewski, 55, was newsgathering with correspondent Benjamin Hall on Monday in Horenka, outside of Kyiv, when their vehicle was hit by incoming fire, the network said.

Hall was injured and hospitalized in unknown condition.

“Pierre jumped in to help out with all sorts of roles in the field – photographer, engineer, editor and producer and he did it all under immense pressure and with tremendous skill,” a statement from Fox News PR said. “He was a professional, he was a journalist, and he was a friend. We here at the Fox News Channel want to offer our deepest condolences to Pierre’s wife, Michelle, and his entire family.”

Mar 15, 11:34 am
US, EU, UK expand sanctions targeting Russia

The European Union Council on Tuesday imposed a fourth package of economic and individual sanctions, including restricting the export of luxury goods to Russia and banning new investments in Russia’s energy sector.

Sanctions also target “key oligarchs, lobbyist and propagandists pushing the Kremlin’s narrative on the situation in Ukraine,” the Council said in a statement.

“The aim of the sanctions is that President Putin stops this inhuman and senseless war,” Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in a statement.

The United Kingdom is expanding sanctions targeting over 300 people including former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and oligarchs with an estimated worth of more than $94 billion.

The U.S. is also expanding sanctions, including against Russian Ministry of Defense officials.

The State Department is also implementing a new visa ban policy against Russian officials who have “cracked down on Russian citizens who have taken to the streets to protest their government’s brutal campaign in Ukraine” and “are responsible for suppressing dissent in occupied areas of Ukraine.”

In retaliation for sanctions from the U.S., Russia’s foreign ministry has announced personal sanctions against President Joe Biden and many top administration officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The sanctions also target Biden’s son, Hunter, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou, Tanya Stukalova, Patrick Reevell and Conor Finnegan

Mar 15, 7:51 am
Two killed in strike on Kyiv neighborhood

Two people were killed on Tuesday morning after Russian forces shelled residential areas in Kyiv, officials said.

The sound of large explosions echoed across Kyiv before dawn from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes. The shelling ignited a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in the Svyatoshyn neighborhood.

Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a downtown subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade, saying trains would no longer stop at the station.

Mar 15, 5:51 am
Residents protest in Russian-occupied cities: UK military

Residents of Kherson, Melitopol and Berdyansk, cities occupied by Russian forces, have held “multiple” demonstrations protesting the occupation, the U.K. Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.

Protests in Kherson came as Russia may be making plans for a “referendum” to legitimize the region as a Russian-backed “breakaway republic,” similar to Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea, the Ministry said.

“Further protests were reported in the city yesterday with Russian forces reportedly firing warning shots in an attempt to disperse peaceful protesters,” the Ministry said.

Russia is likely to “make further attempts to subvert Ukrainian democracy,” the update said.

“Russia has reportedly installed its own mayor in Melitopol following the alleged abduction of his predecessor on Friday 11 March,” the update said. “Subsequently, the Mayor of Dniprorudne has also reportedly been abducted by Russian forces.”

Mar 14, 9:56 pm
Latest talks with Russia went ‘pretty good,’ will continue tomorrow, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy updated the status of negotiations with Russia in his latest address Monday, saying the latest talks went “pretty good” and will continue tomorrow.

Zelenskyy also addressed Russian troops, telling them they would be treated “decently” should they surrender.

“On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I give you a chance — chance to survive,” Zelenskyy said. “You surrender to our forces, we will treat you the way people are supposed to be treated. As people, decently.”

Zelenskyy also thanked the producer at a Russian state news channel who appeared on camera behind an anchor and held up an anti-war sign. She was later arrested.

“I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth,” he said. “To those who fight disinformation and tell the truth, real facts to their friends and loved ones. And personally to the woman who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war.”

How to talk to kids about the war in Ukraine

March 15, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — In a digital age, children have access to around-the-clock news coverage of frightened refugees, gunfire and talk of a nuclear attack.

Many American parents are wondering how media coverage of the war in Ukraine may be impacting their children.

“We tend to believe that children are not aware of what’s happening, but in fact they are,” said Dr. Stephenie Howard, a licensed clinical social worker and assistant professor at Norfolk State University.

“They’re always listening. They pick up on bits and pieces of information and they’re left to put the pieces together by themselves, which can be worse,” she added.

Although the events in Ukraine are a continent away, children in the U.S. might experience vicarious trauma, which happens when people are impacted by someone else’s adversity even if they do not directly experience it themselves. Children may also misinterpret public crises often in ways that are unexpected.

“Kids will hear about these things. Their fears and worries may be distortions of the reality … and when there’s this much coverage, they might think there’s a war in their own city,” Dr. David Schonfeld, director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, told Good Morning America.

Below are five steps parents can take to help children navigate turbulent times.

1. Initiate the conversation.

Experts agree that families should feel empowered to ask about their child’s understanding of an event, correct misinformation and provide reassurance.

Schonfeld, who recently published an article for the American Academy of Pediatrics on this subject, recommends starting the conversation as soon as children are old enough to talk.

“It may very well be a one- or two-minute conversation with a 6-year-old where you say, ‘Did you hear anything about the fact that in the country far away from here called Ukraine, there’s a war?” Schonfeld said.

Added Dr. Micki Burns, a licensed psychologist and chief clinical officer at Judi’s House, an organization that provides grief counseling for children and families: “Come into that conversation and allow your child to drive the direction that it goes in… and allow them to teach us what’s going to be most helpful to them.”

When talking to your child, focus on active listening. There is often a tendency to try to “fix” scary situations, but it is important to avoid providing false promises. Give developmentally appropriate answers to their questions and remind them that you will help keep them safe.

2. Monitor for signs of stress or anxiety.

Children at different ages may process scary events on the news in different ways. Some may show changes in appetite, sleeping habits, or seem withdrawn. Dr. Kimberly Clinebell, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Western Psychiatric Hospital, adds that young child may even regress.

If you notice concerning changes in your child’s behavior, talk to their pediatrician as they can often help explore these behaviors and connect your child to mental health providers.

3. Check in with your own emotional well-being.

“The first thing for all parents in all situations is to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself. I know it’s such a cliché but … put the oxygen mask on yourself first before you go to help your children,” said Burns.

Self-care can look like many things, like taking a break from news coverage.

“I just tell people if you’re watching, viewing, listening to or reading [the news] and you’re not feeling reassured and you’re not learning practical new information, then unplug,” said Schonfeld.

Reducing exposure to graphic videos and images can be protective for both you and your child.

4. Model compassionate behavior.

It is also critical for parents to recognize that wartime can bring about misunderstandings and prejudices surrounding different groups of people. Many Americans have family in Russia and Ukraine.

“There’s a tendency for us to say things which are really discriminatory because we think it’s safe among friends. But we really don’t know all of the history of all of our friends and acquaintances,” said Schonfeld.

He recommends modeling kind words, especially during tense times.

5. Identify practical ways to help with the crisis abroad.

Lastly, watching conflict unfold on TV can make kids feel helpless.

“Try to think of ways to make a positive impact in the world, whether that’s with Ukraine or some other way that they feel like their passions and their skills could be put to good use,” said Dr. Maria Rahmandar, an adolescent medicine professor at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Sophia Gauthier, MD, is a pediatric resident physician at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia as well as a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit.

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