(BRUNSWICK, Ga.) — A federal jury found Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan guilty of several counts in the Ahmaud Arbery hate crimes case.
The U.S. District Court panel of eight white people, three Black people and one Hispanic person received the case on Monday.
The men pleaded not guilty to one count of interference of rights and attempted kidnapping. The McMichaels were each charged with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
The McMichaels and Bryan were already convicted in state court of murdering the 25-year-old Black jogger and are serving life sentences. The McMichaels were not given the possibility of parole.
Wednesday marks two years since Arbery was killed.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.8 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 935,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 64.7% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 22, 10:36 am
Carnival Cruise Line eases mask mandates
Carnival has joined Royal Caribbean and Norwegian in easing mask mandates onboard cruises, announcing that masks will be recommended, but not required beginning March 1.
Norwegian previously announced it will drop its mask requirement for vaccinated passengers starting March 1. Royal Caribbean said it will reopen indoor mask-free areas for fully vaccinated travelers on Feb. 14.
-ABC News’ Mina Kaji
Feb 22, 9:02 am
Moderna researching combination vaccine for COVID booster, flu shot, RSV vaccine
Moderna said it’s in the early stages of research for a combination vaccine that would combine three vaccines into one: a COVID-19 booster, a flu vaccine and an RSV vaccine.
There is no current vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV, a virus that causes mild symptoms in most adults but can be deadly for older adults and young children. This new study will only test the vaccine in adults over 60.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates RSV kills 14,000 Americans over 65 each year.
Feb 22, 6:25 am
Queen Elizabeth cancels virtual engagements
Buckingham Palace on Tuesday canceled some of Queen Elizabeth’s virtual engagements, saying the monarch continues to have mild COVID symptoms.
“As Her Majesty is still experiencing mild cold like symptoms she has decided not to undertake her planned virtual engagements today, but will continue with light duties,” palace officials said in a statement.
The palace announced on Sunday that the Queen, 95, tested positive.
(BRUNSWICK, Ga.) — A federal jury has reached a verdict in the Ahmaud Arbery hate crimes case.
The U.S. District Court panel of eight white people, three Black people and one Hispanic person deliberated received the case on Monday.
The panel weighed the evidence against Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan, who were all convicted in state court of murdering the 25-year-old Black jogger.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Two storms are wreaking havoc on roads as they push from the West Coast to the East Coast with heavy snow, ice and rain.
As many as 98 vehicles crashed along a one-mile stretch of snowy Interstate 84 in Oregon on Monday, according to Oregon State Police. The largest crash involved between 15 and 20 cars and trucks, police said.
Blowing snow also shut down roads in North Dakota.
On Tuesday, the first storm will bring another 6 to 12 inches of snow to the upper Midwest and Great Lakes.
Freezing rain is also possible for the Midwest. An ice storm warning has been issued in Michigan, where flooding is ongoing as ice and snow melt.
Heavy rain and flooding could stretch from Alabama to Vermont, while tornadoes and damaging winds are possible in the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio River Valleys.
Meanwhile, the second storm will move through California and the Southwest Tuesday bringing low elevation snow to the Los Angeles and San Diego areas.
In the Rockies, up to 20 inches of snow is possible.
This second storm will then bring ice to Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas on Wednesday and Thursday. A winter weather alert has been issued for Dallas.
As this storm moves into the Northeast Thursday night into Friday, heavy snow, ice and rain are expected along the Interstate 95 corridor. Significant snow and ice accumulation could stretch from New York’s Hudson Valley to Boston.
(NEW YORK) — The United States continues to warn that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region, with President Joe Biden telling reporters Friday he’s “convinced” Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade.
More diplomacy seemed possible, though, with Biden agreeing “in principle” Sunday to meet with Putin, as long as Russia didn’t invade, but the Kremlin on Monday said talk of a summit was “premature.”
On Monday, Putin said he would decide by the end of the day whether to recognize Russian-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, which the U.S. said he could use as a pretext for an invasion.
While the U.S. says some 190,000 Russian troops and separatist forces are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, Russia has denied any plans to invade and reiterated its demands that the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
Here’s how the news developed Monday. All times Eastern:
Feb 21, 9:32 pm
US to announce new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday
The Biden administration plans to impose additional sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, a White House official told ABC News.
“We plan to announce new sanctions on Russia tomorrow in response to Moscow’s decision and actions today,” the official said.
The U.S. is consulting with allies and partners now on the way forward, the White House official and a spokesperson for the State Department told ABC News.
Among those consultations was a conversation Secretary of State Antony Blinken had with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba Monday night — ahead of their in-person meeting Tuesday in Washington — in which they spoke about the necessity for tough sanctions on Russia.
The spokesperson described Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions on Monday as “a major escalation” and “another indication that Russia is seeking war, not diplomacy.”
Earlier on Monday, President Joe Biden tweeted a photo of himself signing an executive order to authorize limited sanctions in response to Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of two regions in eastern Ukraine.
Feb 21, 9:17 pm
US diplomats in Ukraine moved to Poland for their safety
U.S. embassy staff that remained in Ukraine in Lviv have been moved to Poland for the night for security reasons, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Monday.
The diplomats “will spend the night in Poland,” Blinken said, but their departure may be open-ended. They “will regularly return to continue their diplomatic work in Ukraine and provide emergency consular services,” Blinken added, without offering more details.
As the U.S. has done for weeks, Blinken urged U.S. citizens to depart the country immediately amid the threat of a Russian invasion “at any moment.” Commercial flights could soon be “severely” restricted, Blinken warned, because of “any Russian military operations.”
The State Department has stationed support teams near the Ukrainian border in Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova, along with the U.S. citizen welcome center it opened in Poland last week, Blinken said.
Feb 21, 9:06 pm
Top Democrats echo GOP calls for tougher sanctions on Russia
Democrats are now joining Republicans in the call for stricter sanctions against Russia in the wake of President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is calling for “crushing sanctions” if “any additional Russian troops or proxy forces cross into Donbas.”
“There must be tangible, far-reaching and substantial costs for Russia in response to this unjustified act,” Menendez said.
Sen. Chris Coons, a close ally of President Joe Biden and a senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for “significant” action to be taken against Russia.
“The time for taking action to impose significant costs on President Putin and the Kremlin starts now,” Coons said late Monday, adding that the U.S. must “swiftly” join NATO allies and European Union partners “to impose forceful new sanctions on Russia.”
Feb 21, 9:26 pm
Zelenskyy says Ukraine is ready to defend itself
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that he considers the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize two separatist regions as independent to be a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
“According to Article 51 of the UN Charter, Ukraine reserves the right to individual and collective self-defense,” the president said. “We can well distinguish between provocations and attacks by the aggressor’s troops.”
Zelenskyy said Russia’s decision constitutes a de facto exit from the Minsk agreements, which attempted to end the fighting in the East but was vaguely written. Its interpretation is disputed by both sides.
The president noted that he initiated an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council and the Normandy 4 — Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia.
He added that Ukraine was committed to diplomacy but noted that they are ready to defend the country.
There’s no need to panic, Zelenskyy said, adding that he is “committed to a peaceful and diplomatic path,” but also noting that it’s not 2014, it’s 2022. “This is another country, another army,” he said.
We are not afraid of anything or anyone,” Zelenskyy said. “We owe nothing to anyone. And we will not give anything to anyone.”
Feb 21, 7:20 pm
UN Security Council to meet in open session on Ukraine
The United Nations Security Council will meet Monday at 9 p.m. ET on the unfolding crisis in Ukraine.
Ukraine, which requested the meeting, will be allowed to participate even though it is not a member of the council.
The U.S., U.K., Albania, Ireland, France, Norway, Mexico and France — all current or permanent members of the council — backed the meeting, a U.S. official told ABC News.
Russia, as council president, is responsible for scheduling meetings. With so many countries in favor, it likely could not have blocked this one.
In its letter requesting the meeting, Ukraine accused Russia of “ongoing aggravation of the security situation,” violating “Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity – the fundamental principles enshrined in the Article 2 of the UN Charter” and endangering “international peace and security,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by ABC News.
Feb 21, 6:58 pm
Republicans criticize Biden administration’s handling of Ukraine crisis
Top House Republicans are criticizing the Biden administration for its handling of the evolving crisis in Ukraine.
The ranking members on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Armed Services Committee released a joint statement Monday, saying it was a “dangerous mistake” by the administration to say it will impose sanctions on Russia if and only if they invade Ukraine — and not before.
They also said the sanctions previewed by the White House thus far “are the definition of impotence,” calling for forceful sanctions to be imposed starting now.
No. 3 House Republican Elise Stefanik (R-NY) tweeted Monday that Biden is “unfit” to be commander-in-chief.
“Joe Biden is unable to stand up to Putin,” she tweeted. “He is unfit to be our Commander-in-chief.”
A growing group of GOP senators are also calling for the Biden administration to severely sanction Russia for Putin’s decision to recognize Russian-backed separatist territories.
Sen. Lindsey Graham is also intensifying calls for sanctions with a series of tweets calling into question the “will” of the administration to act.
“It’s clear that after the debacle in Afghanistan, every thuggish figure on the planet is licking their chops, including the Iranians and the Chinese,” Graham tweeted. “I stand ready, willing and able to work with the Biden Administration to impose the most crushing sanctions possible on the Russian economy. The question is whether the Biden Administration has the will and determination to do so.”
House Republican Rep. Liz Cheney said that Russia’s actions on Monday, including the recognizing and ordering of troops into Ukraine separatist regions, qualifies as an invasion, saying the Biden administration must impose “crippling” sanctions now.
“Russia has invaded Ukraine,” Cheney tweeted. “The Biden Administration and our allies must impose full set of crippling sanctions now.”
Feb 21, 7:01 pm
Putin questions Ukraine’s legitimacy as a country
In his speech Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin questioned Ukraine’s historical legitimacy as a country and made clear he will not tolerate it pulling away from Russia.
Putin said he considers the current government in Kyiv to be illegitimate, describing it as “those that seized and cling to power” and engaging in a long, detailed exposition arguing that modern Ukraine was a Soviet creation.
Putin lambasted the leaders of Ukraine’s 2014 revolution and accused the country’s government of being entirely under the control of the West, saying the revolution had led to “terror” and economic failure.
At one point, Putin challenged Ukraine’s efforts to break away from its Soviet past, implying that if wanted to do that it should accept being dismembered.
“You want decommunization? Well, decommunization suits us very well,” Putin said. “Let us show you what real decommunization means for Ukraine.”
The implication was that a pro-Western “nationalist” elite has hijacked Ukraine and is trying to pull it away from Russia and should therefore be removed.
Putin then painted modern Ukraine as ungrateful, immature and accused it of taking advantage of Russia, which he represented as having tried to be the benevolent senior partner.
“Russia did everything to preserve Ukraine’s territorial,” Putin said.
Feb 21, 7:25 pm
Russia preparing for invasion ‘in coming hours or days,’ US official says
Russia is continuing to prepare for an invasion into Ukraine “in coming hours or days,” a senior U.S. administration official told reporters on a call Monday.
The big question now is whether Putin’s move to put security forces on the ground in the separatist region constitutes an invasion in the eyes of the west, therefore triggering the severe sanctions Western countries have been threatening.
The administration is still “observing and assessing” exactly what Russia is doing, the official said, adding that there will likely be more sanctions on Tuesday.
When pressed by reporters on whether Putin started an invasion or triggered sanctions with his move on Monday, the official responded that Russian troops have been in the region for years.
The senior administration official heavily criticized the speech Putin made Monday as making “clear his true design,” which was to persuade Russian citizens to “justify war.”
“This wasn’t a speech just about Russia’s security,” the official said. “It was an attack on the very idea of a sovereign and independent Ukraine. He made clear that he views Ukraine historically as part of Russia and made a number of false claims about Ukraine’s intention that seems designed to excuse possible military action. This was a speech to the Russian people to justify a war. In fact, he once again explicitly threatened one.”
Feb 21, 6:58 pm
UK to announce new sanctions against Russia
The U.K. will announce new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday “in response to their breach of international law and attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Monday.
Earlier in the day, Truss said the recognition of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic as independent states “demonstrates Russia’s decision to choose a path of confrontation over dialogue.”
“We will not allow Russia’s violation of its international commitments to go unpunished,” Truss said.
The decision to recognize Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine was an “ill omen” and a flagrant breach of international law, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
Johnson spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday evening. Johnson outlined “his grave concern at recent developments in the region” and told Zelenskyy “that he believed an invasion was a real possibility in the coming hours and days,” according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
“The leaders agreed that the West needed to support Ukraine in the event of an invasion but should continue to pursue a diplomatic solution until the last possible second,” the spokesperson said.
Feb 21, 5:47 pm
Treaty will allow Russia to build military infrastructure on Ukraine territory
Russia has published the mutual defense treaty it has concluded with the separatist regions.
The “friendship, cooperation and mutual aid” treaty states that the two will come to each other’s defense in the case of attack and authorizes Russia to build military infrastructure on the separatist territory — inside an internationally recognized part of Ukraine.
The treaty also says that Russia and the separatist forces will guards its borders jointly, meaning Russian forces will openly deploy along the frontline.
It lays the ground for a substantial open Russian military deployment into the separatist territory, where a lot of covert Russian troops were already located.
Feb 21, 5:21 pm
The U.S. administration has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to head to Lviv, in the western part of the country, for his safety, a U.S. official told ABC News.
Feb 21, 5:49 pm
Biden, Macron and Scholz ‘strongly condemned’ Putin’s decision, White House says
President Joe Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday afternoon, in which all three leaders “strongly condemned” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize separatist regions in Ukraine as independent, the White House announced in a statement.
“The leaders strongly condemned President Putin’s decision to recognize the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine as ‘independent,'” the statement read. “They discussed how they will continue to coordinate their response on next steps.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also condemned Putin’s decision, stating, “This further undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, erodes efforts towards a resolution of the conflict, and violates the Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party.”
Feb 21, 4:41 pm
Putin orders Russian military to assist in “maintaining peace” in separatist regions
In the decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin recognizing independence for two Russian-controlled separatist regions in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, Putin ordered Russia’s Defense Ministry to assist the separatist forces in “maintaining peace.”
This degree gives Russia’s military a basis to openly enter the regions.
The decree specifies that Russia’s forces should maintain the “peace” before the formal signing of a treaty of “friendship, cooperation and mutual aid” between Russian and the “republics.”
The decree also orders Russia’s foreign ministry to begin establishing diplomatic relations with the two separatist “republics.”
“In connection with the appeal of the head of the Donetsk’s People’s Republic, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is to ensure before the conclusion of the agreement, named in point three of the present Decree, the fulfilment by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of the People’s Republic of Donetsk the function of maintaining the peace,” the decree reads.
Feb 21, 6:02 pm
Leaders call for UN Security Council meeting
French President Emmanuel Macron is calling for an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting and “targeted European sanctions” in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing recognition of independence of two Russian-controlled separatist regions in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
“This is clearly a unilateral violation of Russia’s international commitments and an attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty,” the Elysée Palace said.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is “greatly concerned” by Putin’s decision, which he considers to be a violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, a spokesperson said.
“The United Nations, in line with the relevant General Assembly resolutions, remains fully supportive of the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders,” the spokesperson said. “The Secretary-General urges all relevant actors to focus their efforts on ensuring an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, preventing any actions and statements that may further escalate the dangerous situation in and around Ukraine and prioritizing diplomacy to address all issues peacefully.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had called for a U.N. Security Council meeting earlier in the day. The U.S. is now backing the call, with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield saying in a statement that the U.N.’s highest body “must demand that Russia respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a UN Member State.”
“We must all stand with Ukraine in the face of this brazen attempt to usurp Ukraine’s sovereign territory,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “There can be no fence-sitters in this crisis.”
Feb 21, 3:54 pm
Biden responds with sanctions
President Joe Biden will issue an executive order banning “new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine,” the White House said, in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin recognizing the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, two Russian-controlled separatist regions in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
“This E.O. will also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in the statement. “We will also soon announce additional measures related to today’s blatant violation of Russia’s international commitments.”
Psaki added, “These measures are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with Allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine.”
Biden spoke to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for 35 minutes while Putin was giving his address, a White House official confirmed. Biden then spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to a White House official.
Feb 21, 3:33 pm
Putin says he’ll recognize separatist regions as independent
Russian President Vladimir Putin in an address to the Russian people announced recognition of the two Russian-controlled separatist regions in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.
“I believe that it’s necessary to take a decision that has long been coming — to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donesk’s People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic,” Putin said.
Putin also made a menacing warning to Ukraine’s government, telling it to “immediately cease all military action” near the separatist regions or else they will face “full responsibility” for further consequences and bloodshed.
Putin’s address laid an aggrieved vision of Russia’s post-Soviet relations with the West and questioned the historical underpinnings of Ukraine’s statehood. Putin said Ukraine was infected with the “virus of nationalism” and blamed Ukrainian politicians and the West for allegedly cynically drumming up divisions.
Putin denounced Ukraine’s 2014 revolution, saying it had not led to the developed “Western” direction it promised, instead claiming it had led to “terror” and to economic failure.
Putin also said he believed that the West would impose sanctions on Russia regardless of what happens.
“A pretext for the next sanctions attack will always be found. Or fabricated. There is one goal to contain the development of Russia,” he said.
The European Commission in a statement said it will react to Putin’s decision to recognize the separatist regions with sanctions “against those involved in this illegal act.”
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU Commission, condemned Putin’s decision on Twitter, calling it “a blatant violation of international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the #Minsk agreements.”
United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson also condemned Putin’s announcement, saying, “This is plainly in breach of international law — it’s a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine. … It is a repudiation of the Minsk process and the Minsk Agreements.”
“I think it’s a very ill omen and a very dark sign,” Johnson said, adding, it’s “yet another indication that things are moving in the wrong direction in Ukraine.”
Feb 21, 1:47 pm
Putin told France, Germany he intends to sign decree recognizing separatist regions: Kremlin
Shortly before he was set to speak to the Russian people, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz via phone that he intends to sign a decree recognizing the two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement to Russian media.
The Kremlin said Putin informed them about the “outcomes” of his security council meeting and noted that the separatist “republic” had sent appeals asking for recognition due to unverified reports of “military aggression by the Ukrainian government, with massive shelling of the territory of Donbas, as a result of which the civilian population is suffering.”
This comes amid a barrage of false reports from Russia and the separatists of supposed Ukrainian attacks. In the last few days, Russia has also made dubious claims of shells falling on Russian territory as Russia builds a pretext for a possible attack on Ukraine, under the guise of coming to the aid of the separatists.
Scholz condemned the plans to recognize the separatist regions, a spokesperson said, calling it a “stark contradiction to the Minsk Agreements for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine” and “a unilateral breach of these agreements on the part of Russia.”
“During the talks, the [German] Chancellor called on the President of the Russian Federation to immediately de-escalate and withdraw the amassed forces from the border with Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.
Feb 21, 12:40 pm
Putin to address Russian people
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a national TV address shortly. This comes after Putin said he would decide today whether to recognize Russia-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said, in response to Putin’s possibly recognizing the separatist regions, he has convened his national security council and has held “urgent consultations” with the presidents of France and Germany.
France and Germany are the guarantors of the Minsk agreement and the Normandy Format, which all sides agree Russia will exit if it recognizes the separatist regions.
Feb 21, 10:51 am
Putin says he’ll decide today whether to recognize Russian-controlled separatist regions
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a national security council meeting that he will make a decision today whether to recognize the Russian-controlled separatist regions in Ukraine as independent.
This came after Putin called an unplanned meeting of his national security council and, in an unusual move, broadcast the meeting live on state TV. The security council unanimously advised Putin he should recognize the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk and Lugansk. That would open a path to Russia annexing them, as it did Crimea in 2014.
Feb 21, 10:42 am
Biden meeting with national security team
President Joe Biden is meeting Monday with his national security team, the White House confirmed.
Seen arriving at the White House shortly after 10 a.m. were: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley, Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and CIA director William Burns.
Feb 21, 9:37 am
Russia claims to destroy 2 Ukrainian armored vehicles amid fears of pretext to attack
Russia has claimed to have destroyed two Ukrainian armored vehicles and killed five Ukrainians it claimed crossed into Russian territory, in unverified reports as Russia appears to be intensifying efforts to build a pretext to attack Ukraine.
Russia’s military and its FSB intelligence service claimed a Ukrainian “sabotage and reconnaissance group” was detected Monday morning near a village close to the border in the Rostov region that neighbors the two Russian-controlled separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine has denied the Russian claim and it comes amid a barrage of false reports and staged videos from Russia and the separatists of supposed Ukrainian attacks. In the past three days, Russia has also made dubious claims of shells falling on Russian territory as Russia builds a pretext for a possible attack on Ukraine, under the guise of coming to the aid of the separatists.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytryo Kuleba publicly denied the Russian claims, on Twitter calling Russia a “fake-producing factory.”
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 21, 9:19 am
Leader of Russian-backed separatists calls on Putin to recognize separatist regions as independent: Russian media
The head of the Russian-controlled separatists in eastern Ukraine is calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize the separatist regions as independent of Ukraine, Russian media is reporting.
Denis Pushilin, the leader of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk, is also asking Putin to consider making a treaty on mutual military defense.
Recognition would open a path to Russia potentially annexing the regions and possibly openly sending troops there.
The Russian parliament last week voted to appeal to Putin to recognize the two separatist self-proclaimed republics, though Putin initially signaled he wouldn’t do so immediately.
The two self-proclaimed separatist People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk were formed after Russia stoked conflict in the Russian-speaking region of Donbas in 2014, sending troops in covertly to help establish the regions.
In the last week Russia and the separatist regions have dramatically escalated tensions, accusing Ukraine of an imminent attack and building a pretext for Russian intervention.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 21, 8:33 am
Likelihood of diplomatic solution ‘diminishing hour by hour’
National security adviser Jake Sullivan told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” Monday that President Joe Biden is prepared in principle to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin if there is no invasion, but that unfortunately, an invasion still seems likely.
“President Biden made clear all along he’s prepared either way. He’s prepared to engage in high level diplomacy to resolve this peacefully and he’s equally prepared to rally our allies and partners to impose costs and consequences on Russia should they choose to invade,” Sullivan said.
“He indicated to the French president yesterday in principle he would be prepared to meet with Putin if President Putin stood down from his invasion,” Sullivan said. “We can’t say anything other than indications on the ground look like Russia is still moving forward.”
Sullivan indicated the window for diplomacy will remain open until more significant military action is seen, but that the window gets smaller as time goes on.
“We never give up hope on diplomacy until the missiles fly or the tanks roll,” Sullivan said. “We’ve been working hard for months with our allies and partners to get Russia to sit down in a serious way at the table, even as recently as yesterday the president indicated his readiness to do that. Russia has not shown the same kind of willingness on their side. The likelihood there’s a diplomatic solution given the troop movements of the Russians is diminishing hour by hour.”
Asked if sanctions will be enough to stop Russia without sending U.S. forces to Ukraine, Sullivan said the U.S. is determined to impose sanctions in the long-term to strangle Russia’s ambitions without the use of ground forces.
-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky
Feb 21, 5:27 am
Talk of Biden-Putin summit ‘premature,’ Kremlin says
The Kremlin has said it is still “premature” to talk about a summit between President Joe Biden and President Vladimir Putin, though it didn’t rule out that one could take place.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Sunday said Biden and Putin have agreed “in principle” to meet, provided Russia did not invade Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the possibility of a meeting after speaking with both leaders on Sunday, amid intense diplomatic efforts to try to dissuade Putin from launching an invasion the U.S. fears could come this week.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that for now there’s only an agreement for Russia and the U.S. to speak at a lower level, between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister. That meeting is scheduled for this week.
Peskov seemed to suggest that an agreement on a meeting between Biden and Putin would depend on the outcome of those talks.
“I can say that an understanding has been reached that we need to continue the dialogue at the level of ministers,” Peskov told reporters on Monday. “But to talk about some kind of concrete plans about organizing any summits is for now premature.”
Contacts between Biden and Putin can be arranged quickly, if necessary, he said.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 20, 10:28 pm
US alleges Russia making list of Ukrainians ‘to be killed or sent to camps’
The United States has obtained information of potential Russian operations against Ukrainian targets as part of a potential invasion, including targeted killings, kidnappings, detentions and torture, the U.S. alleged in a letter to the United Nations obtained by ABC News.
“We have credible information that indicates Russian forces are creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation,” U.S. Ambassador Bathsheba Nell Crocker wrote to Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.
That includes the “likely use” of lethal measures to “disperse peaceful protesters or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance from civilian populations,” Crocker wrote.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken alluded to this during his remarks to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, telling his fellow diplomats, “Conventional attacks are not all that Russia plans to inflict upon the people of Ukraine. We have information that indicates Russia will target specific groups of Ukrainians.”
In addition, sources told ABC News last Tuesday that the U.S. believed Russia aimed to move into Kyiv to decapitate the Ukrainian government and install their own.
But this new letter goes further, saying Russia “would likely target those who opposes Russian actions, including Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons.”
Ambassador Michele Sison, the top U.S. diplomat for international organizations, is headed to Geneva this week to meet Bachelet at the U.N. headquarters there, the State Department announced Sunday.
“The United States is gravely concerned that a further Russian invasion of Ukraine would produce widespread human suffering. In light of OHCHR’s important mandate and its reporting presence in Ukraine, we wish to share this information with you as an early warning that a further Russian invasion of Ukraine may create a human rights catastrophe,” Crocker added in the letter.
-ABC News’ Conor Finnegan
Feb 20, 8:46 pm
Biden, Putin agree to summit
U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to hold a summit proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron. The leaders both accepted the summit “in principle,” with one major condition: that Russia does not invade Ukraine.
“As the president has repeatedly made clear, we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Sunday evening.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov are set to meet Thursday. During their meeting, they will prepare “the substance” of the summit, according to a statement from the French government. Macron “will work with all stakeholders to prepare the content of these discussions” as well.
Macron spoke with Putin twice Sunday, both before and after he called Biden for a brief 15-minute phone call.
“We are always ready for diplomacy,” Psaki said. “We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.”
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Feb 20, 7:49 pm
US State Department gives more info on Moscow safety alert
A State Department spokesperson said the alert published Sunday warning Americans to avoid crowds and stay alert in places frequented by tourists and Westerners was issued “out of an abundance of caution,” stopping short of tying it directly to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
“In recent days a number of Russian media outlets have reported on a spate of bomb threats being made against Russian public buildings, including metro stations, in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and elsewhere,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“The U.S. Department of State has no greater responsibility than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas,” they said. “Out of an abundance of caution, and in line with our commitment to providing U.S. citizens with clear and timely information so they can make informed travel decisions, we published this alert.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States continues to warn that Russia could invade Ukraine “any day” amid escalating tensions in the region, with President Joe Biden telling reporters Friday he’s “convinced” Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade.
More diplomacy seemed possible, though, with Biden agreeing “in principle” Sunday to meet with Putin, as long as Russia didn’t invade. But the Kremlin on Monday said talk of a summit was “premature.”
In an address to the Russian public on Monday evening, Putin announced he is recognizing the independence of two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region: the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, or DNR and LNR.
The U.S. swiftly responded to Putin’s announcement with sanctions. The White House said Biden will issue an executive order banning “new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine.” The order “will also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine,” according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who said the U.S. “will also soon announce additional measures related to today’s blatant violation of Russia’s international commitments.”
While the U.S. says some 190,000 Russian troops and separatist forces are estimated to be massed near Ukraine’s borders, Russia has denied any plans to invade and reiterated its demands that the U.S. and NATO bar Ukraine from joining the military alliance.
Here’s how the news is developing Tuesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 22, 7:40 am
Germany halts approval of pipeline as part of sanctions against Russia
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Tuesday that his country will halt its approval of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Germany to Russia, in response to Russia’s recognition of two separatist areas in eastern Ukraine and amid fear of further possible aggression.
“The situation today is fundamentally different,” Scholz said at a press conference in Berlin.
Scholz said he has asked Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action to take a step that blocks certification of the Nord Stream 2. That means the pipeline, which is already built, cannot go into operation for now.
The Nord Stream 2 linking Russia to Europe by circumventing Ukraine has been highly controversial, with Germany accused of allowing Russia to construct a geopolitical weapon enabling Moscow to pressure Europe using gas supplies. Last year, Ukraine and the United States were pushing to stop the project but Germany refused.
The decision to halt the pipeline’s certification serves as a major sanction against Russia amid growing fears of an invasion of neighboring Ukraine and immense pressure on Germany to act. Earlier Tuesday, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called on Germany to include the Nord Stream 2 in Europe’s sanctions on Russia.
“At this stage, in addition to initial sanctions, it is now important to prevent further escalation and thus another catastrophe,” Scholz said. “That is what all our diplomatic efforts are aimed at.”
The move may amount to a huge blow to Russia, which has already stoked a gas crunch in Europe by having its state-owned energy company Gazprom deliver the bare minimum of gas despite severe shortages. Gazprom has continued to do that in recent weeks and could go further, and Germany is particularly vulnerable. During a press conference last week, Scholz repeatedly refused to explicitly say if he would be willing to halt the Nord Stream 2.
However, by suspending the pipeline’s certification, Germany dangles the possibility it could be resumed if Russia doesn’t make further aggressions against Ukraine. It’s unclear how Russia will respond to a continent that it knows is overly reliant on Russian energy.
Feb 22, 7:12 am
Ukraine doesn’t believe Russia will mount ‘large-scale’ invasion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday he won’t introduce martial law for now because his government doesn’t believe that Russia will mount a “large-scale” invasion.
“We believe that there won’t be a war, a powerful one, against Ukraine and there won’t be a large-scale escalation from Russia,” Zelenskyy said during a joint press conference in Kyiv with his Estonian counterpart. “If there will be, we will impose martial law.”
Zelenskyy also revealed that he’s considering breaking off diplomatic relations with Russia over its recognition of two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. He said a proposal to do so has been put forward by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he said he’s looking at it but has not yet made a decision.
The Ukrainian president also called for Western countries to impose sanctions fast against Russia, saying the situation is developing “very quickly” and that the “first steps” of Moscow’s aggression have already been made. Zelenskyy said sanctions should include fully stopping the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia to Germany.
“The reaction must as quick,” he noted. “Sanctions policy is more a powerful policy which can really have an effect on the probable escalation from Russia. Don’t wait for it to happen, because already the first steps of this aggression are done. We believe that legally the aggression has already been done.”
Feb 22, 7:01 am
Kremlin calls Western reaction ‘predictable’
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that the reaction of Western countries to Russia’s recognition of two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine is “predictable.”
“As for the reaction, it was predictable, foreseeable,” Peskov told reporters during a daily call. “We will continue to work and to patiently put across our arguments.”
Peskov also claimed not to know anything about possible deployments of Russian “peacekeepers” into the areas overnight and made a comment that suggested the Kremlin may consider the legitimate territory of the separatists to include large parts of eastern Ukraine currently not in their control.
Separatists in the self-declared People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk only hold about a third of the territory they claim in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. The fear is Russia might now back those claims and use it as a pretext to make a larger land grab and destroy Ukrainian forces.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Peskov said the Kremlin recognizes the separatist areas “in those borders which they have declared for themselves, when these two republics were declared.”
But when asked to clarify, Peskov added: “In those borders, in which they exist and were declared. And were declared and exist.”
When pressed if that meant within the “present borders” of the separatist areas, Peskov refused to answer, saying he had nothing more to add.
Peskov also said that Russia’s recognition of the areas means the issue of the Minsk agreement is “now off the agenda.” He said any negotiations going forward will focus only on Russia’s demands for security guarantees that Ukraine not join NATO.
Peskov noted that the United States has not contacted the Kremlin since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Monday his recognition of the two separatist areas as independent, but that Moscow was “open to diplomatic contacts.”
What happens next, he said, is “up to our opponents.”
Feb 22, 6:09 am
Russian parliament ratifies friendship treaty with separatists areas of eastern Ukraine
Russia’s parliament voted Tuesday to ratify a friendship treaty with two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine.
Lawmakers also added an amendment that brings the Treaty of Friendship into force immediately. The treaty includes a mutual defense pact, which establishes that Russian troops will jointly guard the borders of the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, in a breakaway region of eastern Ukraine known as Donbas.
Lawmakers were still discussing the decrees that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on Monday night recognizing the two areas as independent. Both the upper and lower chambers of Russia’s parliament are expected to vote soon on whether to ratify the orders.
It remains unclear exactly what borders Russia will recognize for the areas. Separatist leaders of the self-declared People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk want to control all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Donbas. But they currently only have about a third, with the rest controlled by Ukraine.
Some Russian officials have suggested Moscow may adopt the position that the separatist areas should include the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions, thus raising fears that Russian troops will use force to expand the borders.
Feb 22, 5:49 am
Top Russian officials dismiss the West’s sanctions
Top Russian officials on Tuesday morning dismissed new sanctions being imposed by Western countries for Moscow’s recognition of the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine.
In an interview with state-owned television channel Russia-24, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the country was already “used to” sanctions and that more would be imposed regardless of what Moscow does.
“That our [Western] colleagues are trying to push the blame on Russia for the failure of the Minsk agreements, we also understand,” Lavrov said. “Our European, American, British colleagues won’t stop and won’t calm down as long as they haven’t exhausted their possibilities for the so-called punishment of Russia.”
“They already threaten all possible sanctions. Hellish, or as they say there, ‘the mother of all sanctions,'” he added. “Well, we’re used to this. The president already noted our position, we know that sanctions will be introduced all the same, in any case. With a basis, without a basis.”
Meanwhile, the speaker of Russia’s parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, echoed Lavrov’s sentiments during an ongoing session of the lower house, known as the State Duma.
“Yes, sanctions hinder our development. But they would happen anyway. They would happen anyway even if that decision hadn’t been taken,” Volodin told lawmakers, adding that there are “more important problems.”
“Yesterday, our president stopped a war,” he said. “It’s not a question of territory — it’s a question of the lives of millions of citizens.”
Feb 22, 5:10 am
US embassy staff return to Ukraine after spending night in Poland
U.S. embassy staff who remained in Ukraine will return to the country on Tuesday after spending the night in Poland amid fears of a Russian invasion, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.
Personnel will return to the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, where they had relocated operations from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. But they are poised to move back to Poland at any point, the official said.
Feb 22, 4:58 am
Russia-backed separatists claim Ukraine is still staging attacks
Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have continued to accuse Ukrainian government forces of attacks.
The separatists in a breakaway region known as Donbas made another unverified claim Tuesday morning that three civilians were killed by a roadside bomb.
Separatist leaders posted photographs of a burned-out minivan on a road in their territory that they alleged was the vehicle blown up by a Ukrainian “diversionary group.” The claim is unverified and resembles other allegations that have been rapidly debunked.
Meanwhile, a top separatist military commander accused Ukrainian government forces of continuing to shell the area.
The latest claims raise the possibility that Russia is still building a pretext to launch an attack on Ukrainian government troops, even after recognizing the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent.
Feb 22, 4:33 am
‘World cannot be silent,’ Ukrainian defense minister warns
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov took to Twitter early Tuesday to dismiss Moscow’s recognition of the Russian-controlled breakaway areas in eastern Ukraine, saying the move amounts only to a recognition of the Kremlin’s “own aggression.”
“We remain confident and calm,” Reznikov tweeted. “We are ready and able to defend ourselves and our sovereignty.”
But he also issued a warning: “World cannot be silent.”
“Sanctions?” he tweeted. “Another brick in the wall? New Berlin Wall?”
Feb 22, 2:54 am
Putin’s recognition of separatists’ independence is ‘shameful act,’ Blinken says
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken early Tuesday called Russia’s move to recognize separatist regions in Ukraine as independent a “predictable” act.
“Russia’s move to recognize the ‘independence’ of so-called republics controlled by its own proxies is a predictable, shameful act,” he said on Twitter.
Blinken is scheduled to meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Washington on Tuesday.
Feb 22, 2:03 am
Blinken speaks with Ukraine’s Kuleba ahead of Tuesday meeting
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone on Monday with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, noting the Biden administration’s “swift response” to Russia’s decision to recognize Ukraine’s separatists’ regions as independent.
“They discussed the strong measures we announced today in response and reiterated that additional steps would be forthcoming,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement late Monday.
Blinken and Kuleba are scheduled to meet on Tuesday in Washington.
Kuleba earlier said he spoke with Blinken about sanctions.
“I underscored the need to impose tough sanctions on Russia in response to its illegal actions,” Kuleba said on Twitter.
Feb 21, 11:58 pm
Ukrainian envoy says UN is infected with ‘virus’ spread by Kremlin
After the Russian envoy spoke at the U.N. Security Council’s emergency meeting Tuesday night, Ukraine’s envoy began his remarks by saying he was afraid to take off his mask not because of COVID-19 but “because of the virus that has so far no vaccine — the virus that hates the United Nations and the virus that is spread by the Kremlin.”
That “virus” has infected the U.N. and threatens to kill it, Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said in a stark warning.
“The United Nations is sick, that’s a matter of fact,” he said. “It’s been hit by the virus spread by the Kremlin. Will it succumb to this virus? It is in the hands of the membership.”
Kyslytsya warned it’s not just the U.N. that he believes is under threat. During his remarks, he held up a paper that had a copy of the Kremlin’s decree recognizing Russian-backed “breakaway” provinces from Georgia in 2008 and the decree issued Monday recognizing the separatist Donetsk and Luhansk, showing how they’re almost the exact same.
“Copy, paste. Copy, paste. No creativity whatsoever. The copying machine in the Kremlin works very well. Who is next among the members of the United Nations? The question is open,” he said.
Kyslytsya demanded that Russia “cancel” and remove “additional Russian occupation troops” in Ukrainian territory, and he insisted, “The internationally recognized borders of Ukraine have been and will remain unchangeable regardless of any statements and actions by the Russian Federation.”
“We are committed to a peaceful and diplomatic path, and we will stay firmly on it. We are on our land. We are not afraid of anything or anyone. We owe nothing to anyone, and we will not give away anything to anyone,” he said.
Feb 21, 11:48 pm
Ukraine highlights importance of global response to Russia
Ukraine called for “painful sanctions” against Russia in a statement released by its foreign ministry, noting that how the world responds may greatly influence Russia’s next move.
“Further decisions and steps of the Russian Federation largely depend on the world’s reaction to today’s events,” the statement read. “Therefore, we insist on imposing painful sanctions against Russia in order to send a clear signal of the inadmissibility of further escalation. It is time to act to end Russia’s aggression and restore peace and stability in Europe.”
The country reiterated that it is ready to defend itself, stating that it “understands Russia’s intentions and its desire to provoke Ukraine. We take into account all risks and do not succumb to provocations.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is currently in Washington and meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.
Feb 21, 11:21 pm
Russian envoy dismisses criticisms, blames Ukraine in Security Council meeting
In remarks during an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia dismissed “highly emotional” criticisms of Russia and said nothing has changed on the ground, while also blaming Ukraine for the decisions President Vladimir Putin’s decisions made earlier in the day.
Nebenzia dismissed “unfounded panic about an impending Russian invasion of Ukraine” — as Russian troops prepare to come across the border — and painted Russia as a pacifist hero that welcomed refugees who were forced onto buses by Russian-led separatists.
“We’ve just heard a number of highly emotional statements, categorical assessments, and far-reaching conclusions,” he said during the emergency meeting. “I’ll leave the direct verbal assaults against us unanswered. Now it’s important to focus on how to avoid war and how to force Ukraine to stop the shelling and provocations against Donetsk and Luhansk.”
Russian-controlled separatists are responsible for the shelling and for staging the provocations, but Nebenzia worked to portray Ukraine as the aggressor and Russia as the force preventing war, despite it essentially seizing Ukrainian territory.
(WASHINGTON) — Twenty-eight days, three forms, and several calls — that’s what Pam Gaskin says it took for her to finally be able to cast her ballot in Texas. The 74-year-old has voted by mail for nearly a decade, but this year, she says a typically easy process turned into a “nightmare.”
“It’s like being in a maze. You don’t know which way to turn,” she told ABC News’ Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott.
Texas Republicans passed a sweeping election overhaul bill last year which includes adding new requirements for mail-in voting, expanding access to partisan poll watchers, and banned drive through and 24-hour voting, which was largely utilized by Harris County. Now, with Texas voters heading to the polls for the nation’s first primary, the impact of the state’s new and strict election law is being felt for the first time.
“Jim Crow 2.0,” Gaskin called the new law. “These laws were meant to stop certain classes and categories of people from voting.”
Gaskin and her husband, John, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, were denied mail-in ballots twice. One reason: For the first time, voters are required to submit their Social Security number or driver’s license number. The problem? The new law says the ID number or other information provided must match the information they used when they first registered to vote.
For Gaskin, that was 46 years ago.
“I’m 74 years old. I can barely remember what I ate yesterday. So, I certainly didn’t remember what I put on my application,” Gaskin said.
She’s not alone. Thirty percent of mail-in ballots were rejected or marked for rejected in Harris County, which includes Houston, when the law first went into effect. After the county gave voters like Gaskin the opportunity to correct the problem, the number lowered to a 13.45% rejection rate, according to ABC News.
It took three forms, 28 days, several calls, and a whole lot of guessing before Gaskin’s mail-in ballot was finally accepted. But she worries other voters won’t go through the lengths she did to vote.
“It makes you kind of think, is it worth it? And one of the reasons I’m talking to you, is I want everybody who can hear me say this, to hear this. It is worth it. It is worth it. Don’t give up. Don’t give in,” she said.
Texas Republicans insist the new law protects the integrity of elections. However, there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, and the office of former Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs, who oversaw the 2020 election and was appointed by the Republican governor, even called the election “smooth and secure.”
Still, in a state former President Donald Trump won handily, some voters say the new changes give them more security in the election system.
“I have more confidence,” Jan Riley, a Houston voter told ABC News. “I don’t want any fraud.”
Nineteen states have passed laws making it tougher for people to vote and 27 states are considering similar legislation, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
More than half of the legislation being considered targets mail-in voting.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.8 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 935,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 64.7% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Tuesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 22, 6:25 am
Queen Elizabeth cancels virtual engagements
Buckingham Palace on Tuesday canceled some of Queen Elizabeth’s virtual engagements, saying the monarch continues to have mild COVID symptoms.
“As Her Majesty is still experiencing mild cold like symptoms she has decided not to undertake her planned virtual engagements today, but will continue with light duties,” palace officials said in a statement.
The palace announced on Sunday that the Queen, 95, tested positive.
(NEW YORK) — A New Mexico infant is happy, healthy and thriving after beating the odds.
Jari Lopez was just 9 inches and weighed only 11.5 ounces, lighter than an average loaf of bread, when he was born at 24 weeks on Feb. 22, 2021.
The micro preemie now has the honor of being the smallest neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) survivor from Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque.
“Really small for his gestational age”
Amber Higgins, Jari’s mother, told ABC News’ Good Morning America that she started seeing a specialist during her pregnancy after her 20-week ultrasound showed that Jari was smaller than normal.
“I saw the specialist and they said that he was still measuring really, really small for his gestational age, so they went ahead and admitted me to the hospital at 23 weeks and I think like, four or five days, just to monitor him daily and do an ultrasound every single day,” she recalled.
It was around this time that doctors told Higgins and her husband Julian Lopez that their baby had a 30% chance of surviving.
“I was pretty scared … I don’t think I realized how serious it was until then,” Higgins said.
A couple days later, Higgins was told it was time to deliver her baby.
“He was still really small, then he started to have some reverse blood flow and his heart rate was dropping here and there. And then I started to have high blood pressure, which they took as a sign of preeclampsia. So they just said that it was best to go ahead and do an emergency C-section at 24 weeks,” Higgins said.
Dr. Jennifer Anderson, a medical director at Pediatrix Neonatology of New Mexico and a neonatologist, was the doctor on call at Presbyterian that day.
“Most babies born or almost all babies born at 24 weeks will need to be put on a breathing machine, will need to [be] intubated or have a deep breathing tube placed and put on a machine to help them breathe,” Anderson told GMA. “And our concern for Jari was, because he was so, so small – he was measuring less than the third percentile, 325 grams, 11 and a half ounces is really, really tiny – I think it’s almost impossible to imagine how small that is. But the equipment only comes so small and so having a breathing tube that was going to be small enough to be able to pass into Jari’s breathing tube, we were just really worried that we weren’t going to have one small enough to fit.”
Fortunately, a nurse practitioner was able to get Jari intubated without a hitch.
“One of our excellent nurse practitioners was able to pass a breathing tube in and put Jari on the breathing machine really quickly after he was born,” Anderson said. “I think we all did a big sigh of relief that the breathing tube fit because we knew that that was going to be his first challenge. And then when we got him kind of stabilized, that’s when I went over to Amber to talk to her and her husband to let them know … that this was going to be a long road for Jari.”
A remarkable beginning
Jari stayed on the breathing machine for about a month-and-a-half and had to remain in the NICU for 127 days, where a team of doctors, nurses and various therapists cared for him and monitored his growth and development. While in the NICU, he had to get multiple transfusions and surgery to repair inguinal hernias but didn’t have any major problems like bleeding into the brain or heart conditions and didn’t need other surgeries like eye surgery, which can be common for babies born so young.
Higgins said she was focused on Jari during much of the time he was in the NICU.
“I was just trying to get through it and trying to help him any way that I could, just being there every day. I don’t think I really thought about how small he actually was until like, now. I look back and I’m like, wow, he was like, really, really small,” she said.
After four months, Jari was cleared for discharge in June.
“He ended up going home on just a little bit of oxygen which is very, very common because we live at about a mile high,” Anderson said of the elevation in New Mexico’s largest city. “So at our altitude, a lot of our premature babies go on oxygen, and he went home on a multivitamin and that was it.”
She added, “His course was remarkably smooth for a baby born this little and this early.”
Jari today
A year later, Jari is now 2 feet tall and about 16 pounds.
Higgins said her firstborn is “real feisty.”
“He gets really excited about some stuff. And then he’s really active too. He moves around quite a bit,” she said, adding, “We’re just still working on catching him up developmentally because he’s more around how old he was supposed to be. But other than that, is perfectly fine.”
Anderson said Jari’s journey has been amazing to witness.
“We see a lot of small babies but he was tiny. And all of us around his bedside was like wow, you know, he’s really little and to see him now, for our whole team, it’s the best feeling in the world to see him now with his chubby cheeks, turning 1, and knowing how far he came,” she said.
Higgins said Jari will get three birthday celebrations to mark his very special first birthday.
She added that she and her husband felt it was important to share Jari’s story with the world.
“We wanted to get his story out there because he was so small. We spent a long time in the NICU and it was lonely,” she said. “The odds weren’t really in his favor so it’s nice to put his story out there and give people hope, who are also having a hard time in the NICU. Maybe their baby’s condition is different, but it gives them hope because he was so small, and he made it.”
