(WASHINGTON) — The White House has begun a sweeping overhaul of its COVID strategy that will signal the nation is moving past crisis mode and into a more manageable phase in the pandemic, ABC News has learned.
The new strategy was expected to acknowledge that the virus — which has killed at least 936,162 Americans in the past two years — is less of an urgent threat to most Americans because of widespread access to vaccines, booster shots, and testing, as well as increasing availability of therapeutics.
At the same time, the White House on Wednesday began working behind the scenes with some of the nation’s most prominent pandemic experts to game out the various paths the virus could take to ensure the government is prepared.
In a private online meeting, Jeff Zients, the White House coordinator on the federal COVID response, led the group in discussing potential trajectories in the pandemic — from the best case scenario that the virus evolves into a mild flu-like illness, to the worst case that an aggressive new variant could evade effectiveness of the vaccine.
The overall consensus was that COVID has fundamentally altered U.S. public health.
“There’s no scenario where we say, ‘oh my gosh, let’s go back to normal,'” said one person involved in the effort.
The White House described Wednesday’s online meeting as part of a series of outreach efforts with governors and business leaders to discuss the pandemic. Included in Wednesday’s discussion were several former advisers to President Joe Biden during his transition after the election, but who had more recently called on the administration to shift gears and tackle COVID as part of the nation’s “new normal.”
Among those in attendance included Zients; David Kessler, Biden’s chief scientific adviser; Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist and medical ethicist with the University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Centers for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota; Dr. Luciana Borio, a former senior official at the National Security Council and former acting chief scientist at the Food and Drug Administration now with the Council on Foreign Relations; and David Michaels, an epidemiologist and former head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration now with George Washington University’s School of Public Health.
The meeting was confirmed by several people familiar with the effort, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on private White House meetings. Among the issues discussed were what resources the U.S. might need to ensure access to life-saving therapeutics and shoring up any vulnerabilities in the supply chain.
“We’ve seen things come down before only to be surprised,” one person said, describing the meetings as helping the administration to prepare for next steps.
Timing of the White House announcement of its updated COVID strategy was unclear as the Ukraine crisis escalated Thursday with Russia’s invasion. Biden had been expected to address aspects of the new COVID approach in his State of the Union address on March 1.
In a separate effort, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing new guidance intended to help local officials decide when it’s safe to pull back on restrictions, such as indoor masking mandates. Those updated recommendations, expected within the week, were expected to emphasize local hospital capacity and focus less on case counts when measuring a community’s ability to withstand increased COVID transmission.
“We must consider hospital capacity as an additional important barometer. Our hospitals need to be able to take care of people with heart attacks and strokes,” Walensky told reporters last week.
The shift comes as Biden and Democratic governors are under increasing pressure by voters fed up with restrictions due to the virus. Several states have moved preemptively to lift restrictions, even as the CDC continues to recommend indoor masking, particularly in schools.
According to a recent Gallup poll, more Americans disapproved of Biden’s handling of the virus — 52% — than those who approve. In recent weeks, Democratic strategists have advised party officials to shift their focus away from COVID and focus on curbing inflation instead.
Zients hinted at the upcoming shift in federal COVID strategy at a press briefing last week.
“We’re moving toward a time when COVID isn’t a crisis but is something we can protect against and treat,” Zients told reporters on Feb. 16.
Biden officials say the administration is still keenly aware of the balancing act involved. COVID-related hospitalizations are now nearing the lowest level since before the omicron surge — a positive sign that the nation has turned a corner in the two-year pandemic.
At the same time, concerns of another variant remain, as well as the lack of a vaccine available to children ages 4 and under. Data on a Pfizer pediatric vaccine for the population isn’t expected until April. Meanwhile, hospitalization rates for that age group are at its highest throughout the pandemic.
“We definitely are heading into a new phase of the pandemic,” said Julie Morita, executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation who has previously advised Biden on COVID.
But, “I think we’ve fallen into the trap of thinking that it was over prematurely in the past, and it’s just hurt us,” she added.
ABC News Sony Salzman, Cheyenne Haslett, Sasha Pezenik and Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.
According to the institute’s survey of known abortion providers in the U.S., 54% of abortions in 2020 were done by medication abortion, a process that involves taking two pills. The number marks a significant increase from the last survey, done in 2017, when medication abortions made up 39% of all abortions.
The increase in medication abortion comes as access to abortion in the U.S. has the potential to be dramatically altered this year. The Supreme Court is expected to rule this spring on a case that has the potential to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark case that made abortion a federally protected right in the U.S.
If Roe is overturned, more than half of the nation’s 50 states are prepared to ban abortion, according to a Guttmacher Institute report released last year.
At the same time, many states are already enacting restrictions on abortion access, including medication abortion.
More than one dozen state legislatures have introduced bans or restrictions on medication abortion so far this year, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Seven states have legislation pending that would ban the use of medication abortion, while five states are considering laws to prohibit the mailing of abortion pills and eight states are considering barring the use of telehealth to provide medication, according to Guttmacher.
Texas, which last year implemented an unprecedented six-week abortion ban, has already enacted a law restricting access to medication abortion, including banning the mailing of abortion-inducing drugs and narrowing the window in which physicians are allowed to give the medication to seven weeks.
Medication abortions were first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000. FDA guidelines advise that abortion-inducing pills are safe to use up to 70 days, or 10 weeks, after conception, though evidence shows it can be safe even later in pregnancy, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
In most cases in a medication abortion, mifepristone is taken first to stop the pregnancy from growing. Then, a second pill, misoprostol, is then taken to empty the uterus.
Of the two medications, mifepristone is more restricted by the FDA. Since 2011, the agency had applied a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) to mifepristone, preventing it from being distributed at pharmacies or delivered by mail like other prescription drugs.
In December, under the Biden administration, the FDA permanently lifted its restriction on mifepristone that required providers to dispense the drug in person, allowing it to be delivered by mail.
In its updated guidance online, the FDA cited the need to “reduce burden on patient access and the health care delivery system.”
Women still must obtain the pill through a certified health care provider though and the FDA’s decision is subject to state laws that can criminalize the practice.
Telemedicine for medication abortion is effectively banned in 19 states, which require a provider to be physically present when administering the pill, according Guttmacher.
Complications from at-home medication abortions are rare, happening in less than 1% of cases in one study of nearly 20,000 medication abortions, according to ACOG, which says medication abortion “can be provided safely and effectively by telemedicine.”
Proponents of the FDA’s decision to lift its restriction on mifepristone say that allowing greater access to medication abortion, including via telemedicine, gives more options to the people who need them the most.
Around 75% of abortion patients are low-income residents, and nearly 60% of U.S. women of reproductive age live in states where access to abortion is restricted, according to Guttmacher.
ABC News’ Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Yoga is practiced by tens of millions of people in the United States, but some practitioners are sounding the alarm about what they say is a dangerous spread of anti-science views, including around COVID-19.
Laura Rose Schwartz said she grew so disturbed by what she saw and heard that she left the yoga studio she opened in Virginia.
When she subsequently moved to California, Rose Schwartz said she ran into the same concerns there, too.
“With the pandemic, pretty immediately, I saw a lot of conspiracy theories floating around on social media among yoga and wellness practitioners, misconceptions about the vaccines,” she told Good Morning America. “It seems that anti-vax sentiment is very widespread within the yoga world.”
Cécile Simmons studies disinformation as a research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a nonprofit organization that studies disinformation and extremism. She wrote an essay last year about her surprise at finding conspiracy theories and disinformation in her local yoga class.
“During the pandemic, more and more yoga influencers have started spreading misleading claims about vaccination,” Simmons told GMA. “We have seen people who have embraced anti-vaccine views and who didn’t have them before.”
Derek Beres, co-host of the podcast “Conspirituality,” which tracks the yoga and wellness communities, said the spread of health misinformation in the yoga community is not new with COVID-19.
“Misinformation has spread in the yoga community for decades,” Beres told ABC News’ Kaylee Hartung. “There is a constant sense of this idea of sovereignty and yoga that I know better than the doctors. I know better than the system.”
Social media has furthered the spread of misinformation, according to Beres.
“It just allows disinformation to spread like nothing we’ve experienced before,” he said. “People are really confused because they see someone that they know and trust and they’re getting misinformation.”
According to Beres, disinformation can be hard to spot on social media. It can also be hard for people to know how to engage with people who deny the science around COVID-19 vaccines.
Beres’ advice is to “listen first and foremost.”
“Start asking them questions based on what they’re actually saying and actually make them self-reflect in the moment about the information they’re giving you,” he said. “It could be contentious, but you might open them up to other possibilities.”
To help counter the spread of misinformation in the yoga community, Yoga Alliance, an organization that describes itself as the largest nonprofit representing the yoga community, told ABC News it has created an “online resource center” with information on COVID-19.
“We are also working closely with public health experts to share timely and relevant information with the yoga community as we all continue to navigate these challenging times,” the Alliance said in a statement.
“We urge everyone in the yoga community, including practitioners, to stay vigilant and active in our shared responsibility by doing what we can to stop the spread of misinformation both online and in our communities,” the statement continued. “This includes only sharing information from credible sources such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and its peer agencies around the world, following science-backed recommendations from these organizations, reporting misinformation on social media platforms, and flagging misinformation when you see it.”
The Alliance continued: “In addition to the human toll, the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to small businesses like yoga teachers and studio owners. We believe that the fastest and most effective route to recovery lies in everyone working together, with the tools available to each of us, so that we can all put this pandemic behind us.”
(NEW YORK) — Russia’s military launched a long-feared invasion of Ukraine early Thursday, attacking its ex-Soviet neighbor from multiple directions despite warnings of dire consequences from the United States and the international community.
Thursday’s attacks followed weeks of escalating tensions in the region. In a fiery, hourlong speech on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was 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.
Russia has blamed Ukraine for stoking the crisis and reiterated its demands to NATO that Ukraine pledges to never join the transatlantic defense alliance.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 24, 11:09 am
Overnight curfew issued in Kyiv
An overnight curfew will be imposed in Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Residents must stay home between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., with only workers involved in critical infrastructure and services allowed out.
Kyiv’s metro is also now being used as a bomb shelter.
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 24, 10:19 am
Biden expected to announce new sanctions at 12:30
President Joe Biden is scheduled to speak at 12:30 p.m. ET, when he’s expected to announce new sanctions against Russia, the White House said.
-ABC News’ Mary Bruce
Feb 24, 10:09 am
Russian forces enter Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukrainian official says
Ukraine’s deputy interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, warned on Thursday afternoon that Russian and Belarusian troops have entered the deserted exclusion zone around the Chernobyl power plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident, located about 60 miles north of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Gerashchenko said Ukrainian forces are putting up an intense resistance. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone begins almost immediately below Ukraine’s border with Belarus.
Gerashchenko expressed concerns that artillery could hit the reactor if fighting were to approach it, causing radioactive nuclear dust to spread over the region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces “are trying to seize” the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
“Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated,” Zelenskyy said in a post on his official Twitter account Thursday. “This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.”
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 24, 10:04 am
Russia claims it’s destroyed 74 Ukrainian military facilities
Russian airstrikes have destroyed 74 ground targets belonging to the Ukrainian military thus far, including 11 airfields, three command centers and a naval base, Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said Thursday.
Some 18 radio-locating stations for anti-aircraft missile systems were also destroyed, according to Konashenkov.
However, Konashenkov noted that the strikes are not being carried out against social facilities at Ukrainian military garrisons, such as homes, residential buildings and barracks, in order to avoid casualties among servicemen and their families.
Meanwhile, he said a Russian assault aircraft crashed due to a “pilot error” in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
“The pilot safely ejected and is at his military garrison now,” Konashenkov added.
Pro-Russian separatist militias in Donbas continue a counteroffensive on the Ukrainian Armed Forces with fire support from the Russian army, according to Konashenkov.
-ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova
Feb 24, 9:15 am
Biden convenes National Security Council
U.S. President Joe Biden met with the National Security Council on Thursday morning in the Situation Room to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine, according to a White House official.
Biden was already scheduled this week to participate in a virtual meeting of the G7 leaders to discuss the ongoing situation as well as priorities of the German G7 presidency year.
In the early afternoon Thursday, Biden will address the nation directly on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and announce “further consequences” that the United States and its allies will impose on Russia “for its unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine,” according to the White House.
Feb 24, 8:33 am
US troops in Poland will be deployed to border checkpoints with Ukraine, source says
U.S. Army soldiers in the 82nd Airborne Division in Poland will be deployed to the checkpoints at the border with Ukraine to help with a possible surge in the flow of traffic, a military source with direct knowledge told ABC News on Thursday.
Their new mission is a change from their previous one of solely to “deter and assure,” as a full-scale Russian invasion is now underway in neighboring Ukraine.
With Ukraine’s airspace shut down, the source said they expect traffic at border checkpoints to increase significantly, including citizens of NATO member states. However, estimates on the number of potential refugees was unclear.
There are currently 5,200 U.S. troops currently in Poland, with another 300 en route from Germany. Although they are on slightly higher alert, there was no expectation of any engagement with the Russian forces attacking Ukraine.
Feb 24, 8:05 am
At least five killed in Ukrainian military aircraft crash, officials say
A Ukrainian military aircraft carrying 14 people crashed in the Kyiv region on Thursday, killing at least five of them, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The crash sparked a fire that has since been extinguished. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, the ministry said in a statement posted to its official Facebook page.
Feb 24, 7:52 am
US oil tops $100 a barrel
U.S. crude oil prices topped $100 a barrel on Thursday morning, sending gasoline prices to an average of $3.54 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures plunged. Dow futures were down more than 700 points ahead of the opening bell.
The developments came amid ongoing attacks on Ukraine by Russia, the world’s third-largest oil producer.
Feb 24, 7:31 am
Ukraine temporarily disconnects from Russian, Belarusian energy systems
Ukraine’s energy system has temporarily cut itself off from the power grids of neighboring Russia and Belarus, according to Ukrainian transmission system operator Ukrenergo.
Ukrenergo said in a statement Thursday that the country’s system is now functioning independently and will continue to do so for the coming days as it tests for a future connection to the European network of transmission system operators.
The European Union’s ambassador to Ukraine, Matti Maasikas, took to Twitter to say the “controlled disconnection” was “perfect timing” and that the system is “operating autonomously under normal conditions.”
“The assets of the main network are currently functioning without interruptions,” Maasikas tweeted.
Feb 24, 6:52 am
At least 40 killed, several dozen injured in Ukraine, official says
At least 40 people have been killed Thursday in Russia’s attack on Ukraine, according to Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Arestovich told ABC News that several dozen others have been injured so far.
Feb 24, 6:37 am
Russia says it’s establishing military censorship of media
Russia appears to be establishing military censorship of media coverage of its invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, or Roskomnadzor, warned Thursday that all Russian media outlets are required to use information exclusively from official Russian sources while covering the military operations in eastern Ukraine.
“Roskomnadzor informs media outlets and information resources that they are required to use information received exclusively from official Russian sources in their materials and reports covering the special operation in the Luhansk and Donetsk people’s republics,” the agency said in a statement.
Roskomnadzor warned that publishing knowingly false information will result in an administrative fine of up to 5 million rubles (about $60,000).
“The number of unverified and untrue reports published by media outlets and other online information resources has considerably grown in recent hours,” the agency added.
Feb 24, 6:04 am
Russia tells Ukraine it’s ‘never been an enemy’
Russia’s parliament speaker claimed Thursday that the “sole purpose” of the country’s invasion of Ukraine “is to secure peace,” saying “Russia has never been an enemy.”
“I am calling on Ukrainian citizens: We have always deemed you to be a fraternal people. The sole purpose of what our country is doing is to secure peace,” State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said in a statement. “We are asking you to step aside and do not take part in any mobilization campaigns proposed by the Kyiv authorities. They are not independent, all orders come from Washington and Brussels.”
Volodin also urged Ukrainian Armed Forces to lay down their weapons, saying the orders given from Kyiv are criminal and serve the interests of NATO and the United States. He noted that Russia and Ukraine share history, culture and religion.
Feb 24, 5:41 am
Russia attacking Ukraine from north, east, south, Zelenskyy says
Russian forces are attacking Ukraine “from the north, east and south,” according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Our soldiers are heavily fighting, the aggressor suffered heavy losses,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the Ukrainian public from Kyiv on Thursday morning. “We have wounded soldiers.”
He added that the Ukrainian military “is giving and will give weapons to everyone who is able to defend out country.”
The Ukrainian president also announced that his country has “cut diplomatic ties with Russia.”
“Ukraine is defending its freedom,” he said. “Citizens of Russia will choose today their own way. Time for you to come out and protest this war with Ukraine.”
Just hours before Russia launched the early morning invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbor, a senior Pentagon official told ABC News: “You are likely in the last few hours of peace on the European continent for a long time to come. Be careful.”
Feb 24, 4:49 am
Three Ukrainian border guards are first reported deaths from Russian attack
At least three Ukrainian border guards were killed near the southern port city of Skadovsk on Thursday morning after a commandant’s headquarters was shelled by a Russian helicopter, according to Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service.
They are the first reported deaths after Russia launched military operations in Ukraine early Thursday.
An unknown number of personnel were also wounded, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said in a statement on its official Facebook page, noting that the border guards in the area were still fighting.
Feb 24, 3:26 am
EU urges Russia to ‘immediately cease’ attack on Ukraine
Leaders of the European Union are urging Russia to “immediately cease” its attack on Ukraine, saying “such use of force and coercion has no place in the 21st century.”
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprecedented military aggression against Ukraine,” European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement Thursday. “By its unprovoked and unjustified military actions, Russia is grossly violating international law and undermining European and global security and stability. We call on Russia to immediately cease the hostilities, withdraw its military from Ukraine and fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.”
They noted that EU leaders will meet later Thursday “to discuss the crisis and further restrictive measures that will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia for its action.” They said von der Leyen “will outline a further sanctions package being finalized by the European Commission and which the Council will swiftly adopt.”
In on-camera statements Thursday, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, pledged to “adopt a stronger package, the harshest package of sanctions we have ever implemented.”
Von der Leyen added that the EU “will not let President Putin tear down the security architecture that has given Europe peace and stability over the past decades.”
“Ukraine will prevail,” she said.
Feb 24, 2:41 am
Pro-Russian separatists claim to be taking territories in eastern Ukraine
Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region claimed Thursday that their forces are taking over Ukrainian government-controlled territories amid a Russian invasion.
Ivan Filiponenko, a representative of the military department of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, said in a statement that militia units have begun “artillery preparation and an operation to liberate the temporarily occupied territories.”
Meanwhile, Eduard Basurin, a spokesman for the militia of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, told Russia’s Interfax news agency that “forces are delivering strikes on positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along the entire line of contact, using all weapons that are available to them.”
Separatist leaders want to control all of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in Donbas. But they currently only have about a third, with the rest controlled by Ukraine.
Feb 24, 2:03 am
Russia claims to have neutralized some of Ukraine’s military infrastructure
Russia claimed Thursday to have neutralized some of Ukraine’s military infrastructure amid an attack on the country.
“The military infrastructure of air bases of Ukraine’s Armed Forces has been rendered inoperable,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement. “Air defense systems of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been suppressed.”
The Russian defense ministry further alleged that Ukrainian forces on the border “are offering no resistance to Russian units.”
Meanwhile, a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed that five Russian planes and a helicopter had been shot down.
“Reports of foreign media on a Russian aircraft allegedly downed on the Ukrainian territory have nothing to do with the reality,” the Russian defense ministry said Thursday.
ABC News could not independently verify the claims on either side.
Feb 24, 1:28 am
State Department suspends consular operations in Lviv
In a new security alert, the State Department said it has suspended its consular operations in Lviv in western Ukraine amid “reports of Russian attacks on targets in a number of major Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mariupol and others.”
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv previously suspended operations on Feb. 12.
“The U.S. government will not be able to evacuate U.S. citizens from Ukraine,” the warning stated.
The State Department advised U.S. citizens to shelter in place and issued instructions on actions to take if a loud explosion is heard or if sirens are activated.
“Further Russian military action can occur at any time without warning. U.S. citizens throughout Ukraine are strongly encouraged to remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness,” the warning read. “Know the location of your closest shelter or protected space. In the event of mortar and/or rocket fire, follow the instructions from local authorities and seek shelter immediately. If you feel that your current location is no longer safe, you should carefully assess the potential risks involved in moving to a different location.”
Feb 24, 1:11 am
Russian, Belarusian troops attacking Ukraine from Belarus
Ukraine’s border service said Russian and Belarusian troops are now attacking from Belarus.
Ukraine’s border came under attack from artillery, tanks and small arms around 5 a.m. local time from Russian troops “with the support of Belarus,” the border service said in a statement.
The attack is happening along much of Ukraine’s northeast border, including the Chernigiv and Zhitomirsky regions that are directly north of Kyiv.
There are reports of casualties.
Feb 24, 1:00 am
Ukrainian president declares martial law
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law in the country Thursday, saying Russia has launched an “unjustified, false and cynical invasion.”
“There are strikes on military and other important defense facilities, attacked border units, the situation in the Donbas has degraded,” Zelenskyy said in a statement Thursday morning. “The Armed Forces, all special and law enforcement agencies of the state are on alert. The National Security and Defense Council is working in an emergency mode.”
“Civilian citizens of Ukraine should stay at home,” he added. “Warn your loved ones about what is happening. Take care of those who need help. All thoughts and prayers with our soldiers.”
Martial law allows military authorities to temporarily take over government functions, generally during a time of emergency.
The announcement came as reports of explosions and air raid sirens in cities across Ukraine rolled in and as Russian-controlled separatists, in a breakaway region of eastern Ukraine known as Donbas, say they have launched a full-scale offensive to retake what they claim is their territory there.
Feb 24, 12:44 am
Zelenskyy asks for global response, talks to Biden
In a new video statement denouncing the Russian attacks on his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it’s not only the fate of Ukraine that’s being decided.
“Ukrainians will never give their freedom and independence to anyone. Only we, all citizens of Ukraine, have been determining our future since 1991,” Zelenskyy said. “But now the fate of not only our state is being decided, but also what life in Europe will be like.”
The Ukrainian president stressed the need for a global response, stating that what remains of international law “depends on the world’s honest and just response to this aggression.”
President Joe Biden and Zelenskyy spoke over the phone around midnight ET, when Zelenskyy asked Biden to “call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin’s flagrant aggression and to stand with the people of Ukraine,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden said he told Zelenskyy that the U.S. condemned the attack, and he also briefed him on the steps the U.S. is taking “to rally international condemnation.”
Biden also reiterated in the statement that he will meet with G-7 leaders Thursday and plans to impose “severe” sanctions on Russia.
“We will continue to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” he said.
In the video, Zelenskyy implored citizens to stay home.
“Warn your loved ones about what is happening,” he said. “Take care of those who need help.”
Feb 24, 12:11 am
US senators call for harsher sanctions following Russian attack
Senators on both sides of the aisle are calling on the administration to turn up the pressure on Russia following its attack on Ukraine.
“President Biden has already imposed an initial tranche of sanctions, and it is now time for us to up the pain level for the Russian government,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a statement.
“I urge the Biden administration to respond swiftly and in concert with our allies to impose crushing economic sanctions on Kremlin officials, Russian entities and other actors involved int his attack on Ukraine,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said.
“America and our allies must answer the call to protect freedom by subjecting Putin and Russia to the harshest economic penalties, by expelling them from global institutions, and by committing ourselves to the expansion and modernization of our national defense,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said.
While a handful of Republicans knocked the administration for not imposing pre-invasion sanctions, those jabs are largely being overwhelmed by calls for unity among NATO allies.
“There is no justification for this assault and I call for the administration to lead the world in a unified response,” Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman said.
Feb 24, 12:00 am
Reports of Russian troops crossing border into Ukraine, ballistic missiles
There are reports that Russian troops have now crossed the border in eastern Ukraine, close to the city of Kharkiv, as explosions in the area continue.
Ukraine’s deputy interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, told media the troops crossed near Kharkiv. A former senior adviser to Ukraine’s government also confirmed the reports, saying he was informed by the president’s office, while Ukraine’s main newswire agency, UNIAN, has also reported the news.
Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second largest city and is only about 20 miles from the border with Russia. However, it is not next to the separatist-controlled areas.
Ukrainian authorities also said that Kyiv and multiple cities east of it have been stuck by ballistic missiles. Gerashchenko said at least seven cruise missiles or ballistic missiles hit a military aerodrome near Kyiv that is home to fighter jets. It appears that the missiles have largely struck targets on the outskirts of the city so far.
Russia’s defense ministry said it is striking Ukrainian air bases, military infrastructure and air defenses across the country but said it will not target Ukrainian cities themselves.
The ministry said “high-precision” missiles are being used.
Reports of explosions also continue to come in from Odessa, Dnipro and Mariupol.
(NEW YORK) — Russia’s military launched a long-feared invasion of Ukraine early Thursday, attacking its ex-Soviet neighbor from multiple directions despite warnings of dire consequences from the United States and the international community.
Thursday’s attacks followed weeks of escalating tensions in the region. In a fiery, hourlong speech on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was 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.
Russia has blamed Ukraine for stoking the crisis and reiterated its demands to NATO that Ukraine pledges to never join the transatlantic defense alliance.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 24, 10:19 am
Biden expected to announce new sanctions at 12:30
President Joe Biden is scheduled to speak at 12:30 p.m. ET, when he’s expected to announce new sanctions against Russia, the White House said.
-ABC News’ Mary Bruce
Feb 24, 10:09 am
Russian forces enter Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukrainian official says
Ukraine’s deputy interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, warned on Thursday afternoon that Russian and Belarusian troops have entered the deserted exclusion zone around the Chernobyl power plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident, located about 60 miles north of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Gerashchenko said Ukrainian forces are putting up an intense resistance. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone begins almost immediately below Ukraine’s border with Belarus.
Gerashchenko expressed concerns that artillery could hit the reactor if fighting were to approach it, causing radioactive nuclear dust to spread over the region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces “are trying to seize” the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
“Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated,” Zelenskyy said in a post on his official Twitter account Thursday. “This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.”
-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell
Feb 24, 10:04 am
Russia claims it’s destroyed 74 Ukrainian military facilities
Russian airstrikes have destroyed 74 ground targets belonging to the Ukrainian military thus far, including 11 airfields, three command centers and a naval base, Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said Thursday.
Some 18 radio-locating stations for anti-aircraft missile systems were also destroyed, according to Konashenkov.
However, Konashenkov noted that the strikes are not being carried out against social facilities at Ukrainian military garrisons, such as homes, residential buildings and barracks, in order to avoid casualties among servicemen and their families.
Meanwhile, he said a Russian assault aircraft crashed due to a “pilot error” in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
“The pilot safely ejected and is at his military garrison now,” Konashenkov added.
Pro-Russian separatist militias in Donbas continue a counteroffensive on the Ukrainian Armed Forces with fire support from the Russian army, according to Konashenkov.
-ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova
Feb 24, 9:15 am
Biden convenes National Security Council
U.S. President Joe Biden met with the National Security Council on Thursday morning in the Situation Room to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine, according to a White House official.
Biden was already scheduled this week to participate in a virtual meeting of the G7 leaders to discuss the ongoing situation as well as priorities of the German G7 presidency year.
In the early afternoon Thursday, Biden will address the nation directly on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and announce “further consequences” that the United States and its allies will impose on Russia “for its unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine,” according to the White House.
Feb 24, 8:33 am
US troops in Poland will be deployed to border checkpoints with Ukraine, source says
U.S. Army soldiers in the 82nd Airborne Division in Poland will be deployed to the checkpoints at the border with Ukraine to help with a possible surge in the flow of traffic, a military source with direct knowledge told ABC News on Thursday.
Their new mission is a change from their previous one of solely to “deter and assure,” as a full-scale Russian invasion is now underway in neighboring Ukraine.
With Ukraine’s airspace shut down, the source said they expect traffic at border checkpoints to increase significantly, including citizens of NATO member states. However, estimates on the number of potential refugees was unclear.
There are currently 5,200 U.S. troops currently in Poland, with another 300 en route from Germany. Although they are on slightly higher alert, there was no expectation of any engagement with the Russian forces attacking Ukraine.
Feb 24, 8:05 am
At least five killed in Ukrainian military aircraft crash, officials say
A Ukrainian military aircraft carrying 14 people crashed in the Kyiv region on Thursday, killing at least five of them, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The crash sparked a fire that has since been extinguished. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, the ministry said in a statement posted to its official Facebook page.
Feb 24, 7:52 am
US oil tops $100 a barrel
U.S. crude oil prices topped $100 a barrel on Thursday morning, sending gasoline prices to an average of $3.54 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures plunged. Dow futures were down more than 700 points ahead of the opening bell.
The developments came amid ongoing attacks on Ukraine by Russia, the world’s third-largest oil producer.
Feb 24, 7:31 am
Ukraine temporarily disconnects from Russian, Belarusian energy systems
Ukraine’s energy system has temporarily cut itself off from the power grids of neighboring Russia and Belarus, according to Ukrainian transmission system operator Ukrenergo.
Ukrenergo said in a statement Thursday that the country’s system is now functioning independently and will continue to do so for the coming days as it tests for a future connection to the European network of transmission system operators.
The European Union’s ambassador to Ukraine, Matti Maasikas, took to Twitter to say the “controlled disconnection” was “perfect timing” and that the system is “operating autonomously under normal conditions.”
“The assets of the main network are currently functioning without interruptions,” Maasikas tweeted.
Feb 24, 6:52 am
At least 40 killed, several dozen injured in Ukraine, official says
At least 40 people have been killed Thursday in Russia’s attack on Ukraine, according to Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Arestovich told ABC News that several dozen others have been injured so far.
Feb 24, 6:37 am
Russia says it’s establishing military censorship of media
Russia appears to be establishing military censorship of media coverage of its invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
The Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, or Roskomnadzor, warned Thursday that all Russian media outlets are required to use information exclusively from official Russian sources while covering the military operations in eastern Ukraine.
“Roskomnadzor informs media outlets and information resources that they are required to use information received exclusively from official Russian sources in their materials and reports covering the special operation in the Luhansk and Donetsk people’s republics,” the agency said in a statement.
Roskomnadzor warned that publishing knowingly false information will result in an administrative fine of up to 5 million rubles (about $60,000).
“The number of unverified and untrue reports published by media outlets and other online information resources has considerably grown in recent hours,” the agency added.
Feb 24, 6:04 am
Russia tells Ukraine it’s ‘never been an enemy’
Russia’s parliament speaker claimed Thursday that the “sole purpose” of the country’s invasion of Ukraine “is to secure peace,” saying “Russia has never been an enemy.”
“I am calling on Ukrainian citizens: We have always deemed you to be a fraternal people. The sole purpose of what our country is doing is to secure peace,” State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said in a statement. “We are asking you to step aside and do not take part in any mobilization campaigns proposed by the Kyiv authorities. They are not independent, all orders come from Washington and Brussels.”
Volodin also urged Ukrainian Armed Forces to lay down their weapons, saying the orders given from Kyiv are criminal and serve the interests of NATO and the United States. He noted that Russia and Ukraine share history, culture and religion.
Feb 24, 5:41 am
Russia attacking Ukraine from north, east, south, Zelenskyy says
Russian forces are attacking Ukraine “from the north, east and south,” according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Our soldiers are heavily fighting, the aggressor suffered heavy losses,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the Ukrainian public from Kyiv on Thursday morning. “We have wounded soldiers.”
He added that the Ukrainian military “is giving and will give weapons to everyone who is able to defend out country.”
The Ukrainian president also announced that his country has “cut diplomatic ties with Russia.”
“Ukraine is defending its freedom,” he said. “Citizens of Russia will choose today their own way. Time for you to come out and protest this war with Ukraine.”
Just hours before Russia launched the early morning invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbor, a senior Pentagon official told ABC News: “You are likely in the last few hours of peace on the European continent for a long time to come. Be careful.”
Feb 24, 4:49 am
Three Ukrainian border guards are first reported deaths from Russian attack
At least three Ukrainian border guards were killed near the southern port city of Skadovsk on Thursday morning after a commandant’s headquarters was shelled by a Russian helicopter, according to Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service.
They are the first reported deaths after Russia launched military operations in Ukraine early Thursday.
An unknown number of personnel were also wounded, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said in a statement on its official Facebook page, noting that the border guards in the area were still fighting.
Feb 24, 3:26 am
EU urges Russia to ‘immediately cease’ attack on Ukraine
Leaders of the European Union are urging Russia to “immediately cease” its attack on Ukraine, saying “such use of force and coercion has no place in the 21st century.”
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprecedented military aggression against Ukraine,” European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement Thursday. “By its unprovoked and unjustified military actions, Russia is grossly violating international law and undermining European and global security and stability. We call on Russia to immediately cease the hostilities, withdraw its military from Ukraine and fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.”
They noted that EU leaders will meet later Thursday “to discuss the crisis and further restrictive measures that will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia for its action.” They said von der Leyen “will outline a further sanctions package being finalized by the European Commission and which the Council will swiftly adopt.”
In on-camera statements Thursday, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, pledged to “adopt a stronger package, the harshest package of sanctions we have ever implemented.”
Von der Leyen added that the EU “will not let President Putin tear down the security architecture that has given Europe peace and stability over the past decades.”
“Ukraine will prevail,” she said.
Feb 24, 2:41 am
Pro-Russian separatists claim to be taking territories in eastern Ukraine
Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region claimed Thursday that their forces are taking over Ukrainian government-controlled territories amid a Russian invasion.
Ivan Filiponenko, a representative of the military department of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, said in a statement that militia units have begun “artillery preparation and an operation to liberate the temporarily occupied territories.”
Meanwhile, Eduard Basurin, a spokesman for the militia of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, told Russia’s Interfax news agency that “forces are delivering strikes on positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along the entire line of contact, using all weapons that are available to them.”
Separatist leaders want to control all of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in Donbas. But they currently only have about a third, with the rest controlled by Ukraine.
Feb 24, 2:03 am
Russia claims to have neutralized some of Ukraine’s military infrastructure
Russia claimed Thursday to have neutralized some of Ukraine’s military infrastructure amid an attack on the country.
“The military infrastructure of air bases of Ukraine’s Armed Forces has been rendered inoperable,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement. “Air defense systems of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been suppressed.”
The Russian defense ministry further alleged that Ukrainian forces on the border “are offering no resistance to Russian units.”
Meanwhile, a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed that five Russian planes and a helicopter had been shot down.
“Reports of foreign media on a Russian aircraft allegedly downed on the Ukrainian territory have nothing to do with the reality,” the Russian defense ministry said Thursday.
ABC News could not independently verify the claims on either side.
Feb 24, 1:28 am
State Department suspends consular operations in Lviv
In a new security alert, the State Department said it has suspended its consular operations in Lviv in western Ukraine amid “reports of Russian attacks on targets in a number of major Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mariupol and others.”
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv previously suspended operations on Feb. 12.
“The U.S. government will not be able to evacuate U.S. citizens from Ukraine,” the warning stated.
The State Department advised U.S. citizens to shelter in place and issued instructions on actions to take if a loud explosion is heard or if sirens are activated.
“Further Russian military action can occur at any time without warning. U.S. citizens throughout Ukraine are strongly encouraged to remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness,” the warning read. “Know the location of your closest shelter or protected space. In the event of mortar and/or rocket fire, follow the instructions from local authorities and seek shelter immediately. If you feel that your current location is no longer safe, you should carefully assess the potential risks involved in moving to a different location.”
Feb 24, 1:11 am
Russian, Belarusian troops attacking Ukraine from Belarus
Ukraine’s border service said Russian and Belarusian troops are now attacking from Belarus.
Ukraine’s border came under attack from artillery, tanks and small arms around 5 a.m. local time from Russian troops “with the support of Belarus,” the border service said in a statement.
The attack is happening along much of Ukraine’s northeast border, including the Chernigiv and Zhitomirsky regions that are directly north of Kyiv.
There are reports of casualties.
Feb 24, 1:00 am
Ukrainian president declares martial law
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law in the country Thursday, saying Russia has launched an “unjustified, false and cynical invasion.”
“There are strikes on military and other important defense facilities, attacked border units, the situation in the Donbas has degraded,” Zelenskyy said in a statement Thursday morning. “The Armed Forces, all special and law enforcement agencies of the state are on alert. The National Security and Defense Council is working in an emergency mode.”
“Civilian citizens of Ukraine should stay at home,” he added. “Warn your loved ones about what is happening. Take care of those who need help. All thoughts and prayers with our soldiers.”
Martial law allows military authorities to temporarily take over government functions, generally during a time of emergency.
The announcement came as reports of explosions and air raid sirens in cities across Ukraine rolled in and as Russian-controlled separatists, in a breakaway region of eastern Ukraine known as Donbas, say they have launched a full-scale offensive to retake what they claim is their territory there.
Feb 24, 12:44 am
Zelenskyy asks for global response, talks to Biden
In a new video statement denouncing the Russian attacks on his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it’s not only the fate of Ukraine that’s being decided.
“Ukrainians will never give their freedom and independence to anyone. Only we, all citizens of Ukraine, have been determining our future since 1991,” Zelenskyy said. “But now the fate of not only our state is being decided, but also what life in Europe will be like.”
The Ukrainian president stressed the need for a global response, stating that what remains of international law “depends on the world’s honest and just response to this aggression.”
President Joe Biden and Zelenskyy spoke over the phone around midnight ET, when Zelenskyy asked Biden to “call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin’s flagrant aggression and to stand with the people of Ukraine,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden said he told Zelenskyy that the U.S. condemned the attack, and he also briefed him on the steps the U.S. is taking “to rally international condemnation.”
Biden also reiterated in the statement that he will meet with G-7 leaders Thursday and plans to impose “severe” sanctions on Russia.
“We will continue to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” he said.
In the video, Zelenskyy implored citizens to stay home.
“Warn your loved ones about what is happening,” he said. “Take care of those who need help.”
Feb 24, 12:11 am
US senators call for harsher sanctions following Russian attack
Senators on both sides of the aisle are calling on the administration to turn up the pressure on Russia following its attack on Ukraine.
“President Biden has already imposed an initial tranche of sanctions, and it is now time for us to up the pain level for the Russian government,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a statement.
“I urge the Biden administration to respond swiftly and in concert with our allies to impose crushing economic sanctions on Kremlin officials, Russian entities and other actors involved int his attack on Ukraine,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said.
“America and our allies must answer the call to protect freedom by subjecting Putin and Russia to the harshest economic penalties, by expelling them from global institutions, and by committing ourselves to the expansion and modernization of our national defense,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said.
While a handful of Republicans knocked the administration for not imposing pre-invasion sanctions, those jabs are largely being overwhelmed by calls for unity among NATO allies.
“There is no justification for this assault and I call for the administration to lead the world in a unified response,” Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman said.
Feb 24, 12:00 am
Reports of Russian troops crossing border into Ukraine, ballistic missiles
There are reports that Russian troops have now crossed the border in eastern Ukraine, close to the city of Kharkiv, as explosions in the area continue.
Ukraine’s deputy interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, told media the troops crossed near Kharkiv. A former senior adviser to Ukraine’s government also confirmed the reports, saying he was informed by the president’s office, while Ukraine’s main newswire agency, UNIAN, has also reported the news.
Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second largest city and is only about 20 miles from the border with Russia. However, it is not next to the separatist-controlled areas.
Ukrainian authorities also said that Kyiv and multiple cities east of it have been stuck by ballistic missiles. Gerashchenko said at least seven cruise missiles or ballistic missiles hit a military aerodrome near Kyiv that is home to fighter jets. It appears that the missiles have largely struck targets on the outskirts of the city so far.
Russia’s defense ministry said it is striking Ukrainian air bases, military infrastructure and air defenses across the country but said it will not target Ukrainian cities themselves.
The ministry said “high-precision” missiles are being used.
Reports of explosions also continue to come in from Odessa, Dnipro and Mariupol.
(LONDON) — Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall, has described it as a “great honor” that Queen Elizabeth requested that she be known as queen consort when her husband, Prince Charles, becomes king.
“Well of course it’s a great honor,” Camilla said in a new BBC interview, her first since Queen Elizabeth made the request public on Feb. 5, the eve of her Platinum Jubilee. “It couldn’t be anything else.”
When Charles and Camilla married in 2005 there was some debate as to what title Camilla, a divorcee, would take when Charles became king. At the time of their wedding, a spokesperson for the couple suggested she would take the title princess consort.
Queen Elizabeth’s request, made in a letter to mark her 70 years on the throne, was the first time the 95-year-old queen had publicly addressed her daughter-in-law’s role in the future monarchy.
Queen consort is the title given to the spouse of a king, and under U.K. law, whoever is married to a king would immediately become that and be known as queen. There was some concern when the couple married the public might resent Camilla being known as Queen Camilla, which is why this princess consort title was suggested.
Over the past nearly two decades, Camilla has transformed her image and gained the public’s respect with her commitments to causes, and devotion to the royal family and Charles.
She spoke to the BBC from Clarence House to highlight one of the many causes she has taken on as a royal — ending violence against women. Camilla said gaining the tile of queen consort will help her raise the profile of issues like that on which she works.
“It does help it,” she said. “I’m going to keep on with theses causes. You know, if I start something like this, I’m not going to give up mid-channel.”
“I’m just going to keep going to try and help people like Diana,” said Camilla, referencing Diana Parkes, whose daughter was killed by her estranged husband in 2010. “I hope I should be doing it for a lifetime.”
Parkes, who joined Camilla for the BBC interview, started a foundation, the Joanna Simpson Foundation, named after her daughter, which helps young people affected by domestic violence. Camilla first met Parkes in 2016, according to the BBC.
“I was so deeply shocked,” Camilla said of her first meeting with Parkes. “I don’t think in those days I really knew that much about domestic abuse because it was … a very hush-hush subject and it was a taboo subject, so to actually sit there and have somebody talking about, well, I’ll never forget that moment.”
“And I don’t think I would be as involved in it now, if I hadn’t met you,” Camilla said to Parkes.
Camilla, making her first in-person public appearance since testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, said she wants to see a culture change when it comes to violence against women, noting the change starts at an early age.
“I think children at school have got to be taught respect,” she said. “We have got to go back to the beginnings and just build up this idea that you have to have respect for human beings. It’s lack of respect. It’s treating women like chattels and people thinking they can get away with it.”
(NEW YORK) — U.S. stock futures are down ahead of Thursday’s opening bell amid ongoing attacks on Ukraine by Russia.
As of 8:30 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down more than 800 points.
Meanwhile, U.S. crude oil prices topped $100 a barrel on Thursday morning, sending gasoline prices to an average of $3.54 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
Russia, which announced early Thursday that military operations have begun in Ukraine, is the world’s third-largest oil producer.
(SAN ANTONIO, Texas) — The reward for Lina Sardar Khil, the girl who went missing in San Antonio, Texas, last December has increased to $250,000 as police ask the public for any information regarding Lina’s whereabouts.
Lina turned 4 on Feb. 20.
On Lina’s birthday, the Islamic Center of San Antonio announced that it increased a $120,000 reward for any information on Lina to $200,000. Meanwhile, Crime Stoppers of San Antonio has offered $50,000 for information resulting in the arrest or indictment of a suspect accused of involvement in Lina’s disappearance, bringing the latest total to $250,000.
Pamela Allen, who is representing the Khil family, told ABC News that Lina’s family had held out hope that she would be found to celebrate her fourth birthday at home.
“Her light is missing from her family and community. Our continuous prayer is that she will be back in the arms of those that love her,” Allen said.
Allen is the CEO of Eagles Flight Advocacy and Outreach, one of the local organizations and nonprofits that has been assisting in the search for Lina.
San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus tweeted on Saturday that there has been “no pause” in the efforts to find Lina.
“SAPD continues to work with the FBI to find Lina Sardar Khil who went missing on Dec 20. The investigation is on-going. Pls report any info no matter how insignificant you may think it is,” he wrote, urging the public to call SAPD Missing Persons Section on 210-207-7660.
San Antonio Police told ABC News on Friday that Lina’s disappearance is still a “missing person investigation.”
Asked if there are any updates on Tuesday, police did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Lina was last seen on Dec. 20, 2021 at a park on the 9400 block of Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio between 4:30 p.m. and 5:10 p.m., according to police. The park is near the family’s home at the Villa Del Cabo apartment complex.
Lina’s family is part of an Afghan refugee community in San Antonio. They arrived in the United States in 2019 and speak Pashto.
Lina’s mother, Zarmeena Sardar Khil, is pregnant with her second child. She spoke with FOX 29 in San Antonio through a translator earlier this month.
“We all have the same pain, it doesn’t matter that I am from Afghanistan, I have a different culture, different religion. What we have in common is the pain of motherhood as a human, is the same as all people,” she said.
Lina has brown eyes and straight, brown hair, and was last seen wearing a black jacket, red dress and black shoes, according to police.
Last month, Allen’s organization shared a newly surfaced photo taken by a family member of Lina the day she disappeared in hopes that details about Lina’s jewelry could assist the public in identifying her.
In the photo, which was obtained by ABC News, Lina appears to be wearing blue bangle bracelets on one wrist and gold-toned bangles on the other. She is also wearing small gold earrings and an article around her neck that Allen said is known as the Taweez, which is etched with verses from the Quran and is usually worn for protection.
Police are urging anyone with information regarding Lina or her whereabouts to come forward and contact the missing persons unit in San Antonio at 210-207-7660.
(NEW YORK) — As the United States faces a growing mental health crisis among young people, spurred on by the coronavirus pandemic, a nonprofit organization focused on mental health in schools is increasing its efforts thanks to a $15 million donation from Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
Scott, who has so far donated billions of dollars in her pledge to give the majority of her wealth back to society, gave the $15 million donation earlier this month to the JED Foundation, which works with high schools and colleges across the country.
The money, the largest single donation in the JED Foundation’s history, will allow the foundation to scale its work to reach over 12 million students, according to JED Foundation CEO John MacPhee.
“We’re aiming for large, wide-scale impact across the country and her gift is going to is going to help us get there more quickly,” MacPhee told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “Our goal is to triple the number of students that we are covering.”
Scott’s donation, which is unrestricted, meaning the foundation can use it any way it sees fits, comes at a time of “greater than ever” need amid the pandemic, according to MacPhee
“Students have not been in school and now they’re coming back and the schools are just overwhelmed,” he said. “You could also argue that schools are less equipped to be able to actually provide [mental health] support than they were before COVID-19, so we’re hearing just a tremendous need.”
Washington, D.C., and Idaho have one school psychologist for every 500 students, according to a report released last week by The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of organizations focused on mental health supports in schools. In some states — including West Virginia, Missouri, Texas, Alaska, and Georgia — there is only one school psychologist per over 4,000 students, according to the report.
In the last months of 2021, the U.S. surgeon general warned of a growing mental health crisis among young people, and organizations representing child psychiatrists, pediatricians and children’s hospitals declared a national emergency for youth mental health.
“I’m deeply concerned as a parent and as a doctor that the obstacles this generation of young people face are unprecedented and uniquely hard to navigate and the impact that’s having on their mental health is devastating,” U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in testimony before senators in December.
As the rates of anxiety and depression among young people increase, schools, where young people spend most of their days, can provide a unique safety net in identifying kids who are struggling and offering support, according to MacPhee.
The JED Foundation focuses on more than just making sure schools have mental health professionals on hand. The goal of the foundation’s efforts, according to MacPhee, is to make mental health awareness and support part of the culture of schools.
“Everyone in the school, everyone in the community has a role to play to support the mental health and well-being of young people,” he said. “It’s a culture of caring where there is really no wrong door, so it is everyone’s responsibility to notice and support someone who might be struggling.”
In New Jersey, the JED Foundation partnered with a high school in need of changing its mental health culture after two alumni died by suicide their freshman year of college.
The high school, Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, New Jersey, sought out the JED Foundation’s help at the urging of a parent, according to Dr. Jessica Verdicchio, the school’s supervisor of wellness and equity.
“We are a pretty high-achieving district and there’s a lot of pressure surrounding college and the kind of college that you go to and a lot of anxiety around academics and academic pressure,” said Verdicchio. “Our school community was not naïve to the fact that we have and have had challenges.”
Verdicchio said the school’s partnership with the JED Foundation came at just the right time.
“We have seen a pretty huge increase of students who are seeking out services even from last year to this year,” she said. “It’s been quite busy, just making sure that our students feel heard and feel supported, but also connecting them to other resources, sometimes outside of school, and having conversations with families and students.”
When the school started working with the JED Foundation last year, it created an interdisciplinary group of students, parents, teachers, administrators and alumni, led focus groups and conducted surveys to identify areas of change, according to Verdicchio.
Over the past year, the school has launched a speaker series for parents on topics including substance abuse and mental health. It has also trained the entire 1,300-member student body in identifying students who are struggling with mental health and knowing what to do about it, according to Verdicchio.
The school now also does quarterly mental health check-ins with each student and follows up to make sure they are connected with a counselor if they are struggling.
In addition, students formed a Wellness Club, which gives them even more of a role and a voice in mental health support at school, according to Verdicchio.
“Our students really like to have their voices heard,” she said. “They have tons of ideas on how we can continue to support the mental health of students, and I love hearing what they feel like works and what doesn’t.”
Verdicchio said that mental health awareness is now a “part of the fabric of our school.”
“With the JED partnership, what it’s allowed us to do is have a very clear vision of how this is supposed to work and make sure that not just pockets of people are trained, but that our whole staff is trained, and that we’re offering parent training and infusing language regarding mental health and how to cope and how to ask for help as part of the fabric of our school,” she said. “It’s allowed our school as a whole to feel supported.”
How to make sure schools support kids’ mental health
One of the “silver linings” of the coronavirus pandemic, according to MacPhee, is that it has sparked a greater conversation around mental health and kids, particularly in schools.
Part of the change comes from parents who should feel empowered to make sure their kids’ school is a healthy environment, according to MacPhee.
Here are four tips from MacPhee on how parents can get involved to support schools:
1. Ask for the schools’ plan to support mental health. “Every school should have a written plan of how they’re supporting students’ mental health and how they’re reducing suicide,” said MacPhee, noting that schools should have plans to improve mental health.
2. Know the mental health resources available at your child’s school, including mental health professionals on staff and trainings available to staff, students and parents, recommends MacPhee. “In addition to the academic support and the college guidance, parents should be asking about mental health supports as well,” he said.
3. Make sure the school administration supports mental health efforts. “The message to school leadership is that this needs to be a priority, and they control its success by making it a priority of the school,” said MacPhee.
4. Ask how parents can get involved. “Mental health should be a focus of the parent teacher association and other parent groups that are in the community,” said MacPhee.
(NEW YORK) — Russia announced early Thursday that military operations have begun in Ukraine, kicking off a long-feared attack on its ex-Soviet neighbor.
After weeks of escalating tensions in the region, Ukraine took steps to brace for a possible Russian invasion, declaring a nationwide state of emergency and calling up 36,000 military reservists. Meanwhile, a number of nations around the world, including the United States, have announced economic sanctions against Russia.
Thursday’s attack followed a fiery, hour-long speech from Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the week, when the leader announced he was 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. In the days leading up to the invasion, U.S. officials estimated that some 190,000 Russian troops and pro-Russian separatist forces were massed near Ukraine’s borders.
Russia has blamed Ukraine for stoking the crisis and reiterated its demands to NATO that Ukraine pledges to never join the transatlantic defense alliance. While the full scope of the military operations was unclear, Putin said in a televised address early Thursday that his “plans do not not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories,” but he also warned outside countries not to interfere.
Here’s how the news is developing Thursday. All times Eastern:
Feb 24, 6:04 am
Russia tells Ukraine it’s ‘never been an enemy’
Russia’s parliament speaker claimed Thursday that the “sole purpose” of the country’s invasion of Ukraine “is to secure peace,” saying “Russia has never been an enemy.”
“I am calling on Ukrainian citizens: We have always deemed you to be a fraternal people. The sole purpose of what our country is doing is to secure peace,” State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said in a statement. “We are asking you to step aside and do not take part in any mobilization campaigns proposed by the Kyiv authorities. They are not independent, all orders come from Washington and Brussels.”
Volodin also urged Ukrainian Armed Forces to lay down their weapons, saying the orders given from Kyiv are criminal and serve the interests of NATO and the United States. He noted that Russia and Ukraine share history, culture and religion.
Feb 24, 5:41 am
Russia attacking Ukraine from north, east, south, Zelenskyy says
Russian forces are attacking Ukraine “from the north, east and south,” according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Our soldiers are heavily fighting, the aggressor suffered heavy losses,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the Ukrainian public from Kyiv on Thursday morning. “We have wounded soldiers.”
He added that the Ukrainian military “is giving and will give weapons to everyone who is able to defend out country.”
The Ukrainian president also announced that his country has “cut diplomatic ties with Russia.”
“Ukraine is defending its freedom,” he said. “Citizens of Russia will choose today their own way. Time for you to come out and protest this war with Ukraine.”
Just hours before Russia launched the early morning invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbor, a senior Pentagon official told ABC News: “You are likely in the last few hours of peace on the European continent for a long time to come. Be careful.”
Feb 24, 4:49 am
Three Ukrainian border guards are first reported deaths from Russian attack
At least three Ukrainian border guards were killed near the southern port city of Skadovsk on Thursday morning after a commandant’s headquarters was shelled by a Russian helicopter, according to Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service.
They are the first reported deaths after Russia launched military operations in Ukraine early Thursday.
An unknown number of personnel were also wounded, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said in a statement on its official Facebook page, noting that the border guards in the area were still fighting.
Feb 24, 3:26 am
EU urges Russia to ‘immediately cease’ attack on Ukraine
Leaders of the European Union are urging Russia to “immediately cease” its attack on Ukraine, saying “such use of force and coercion has no place in the 21st century.”
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprecedented military aggression against Ukraine,” European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement Thursday. “By its unprovoked and unjustified military actions, Russia is grossly violating international law and undermining European and global security and stability. We call on Russia to immediately cease the hostilities, withdraw its military from Ukraine and fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.”
They noted that EU leaders will meet later Thursday “to discuss the crisis and further restrictive measures that will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia for its action.” They said von der Leyen “will outline a further sanctions package being finalized by the European Commission and which the Council will swiftly adopt.”
In on-camera statements Thursday, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, pledged to “adopt a stronger package, the harshest package of sanctions we have ever implemented.”
Von der Leyen added that the EU “will not let President Putin tear down the security architecture that has given Europe peace and stability over the past decades.”
“Ukraine will prevail,” she said.
Feb 24, 2:41 am
Pro-Russian separatists claim to be taking territories in eastern Ukraine
Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region claimed Thursday that their forces are taking over Ukrainian government-controlled territories amid a Russian invasion.
Ivan Filiponenko, a representative of the military department of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, said in a statement that militia units have begun “artillery preparation and an operation to liberate the temporarily occupied territories.”
Meanwhile, Eduard Basurin, a spokesman for the militia of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, told Russia’s Interfax news agency that “forces are delivering strikes on positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along the entire line of contact, using all weapons that are available to them.”
Separatist leaders want to control all of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in Donbas. But they currently only have about a third, with the rest controlled by Ukraine.
Feb 24, 2:03 am
Russia claims to have neutralized some of Ukraine’s military infrastructure
Russia claimed Thursday to have neutralized some of Ukraine’s military infrastructure amid an attack on the country.
“The military infrastructure of air bases of Ukraine’s Armed Forces has been rendered inoperable,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement. “Air defense systems of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been suppressed.”
The Russian defense ministry further alleged that Ukrainian forces on the border “are offering no resistance to Russian units.”
Meanwhile, a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed that five Russian planes and a helicopter had been shot down.
“Reports of foreign media on a Russian aircraft allegedly downed on the Ukrainian territory have nothing to do with the reality,” the Russian defense ministry said Thursday.
ABC News could not independently verify the claims on either side.
Feb 24, 1:28 am
State Department suspends consular operations in Lviv
In a new security alert, the State Department said it has suspended its consular operations in Lviv in western Ukraine amid “reports of Russian attacks on targets in a number of major Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mariupol and others.”
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv previously suspended operations on Feb. 12.
“The U.S. government will not be able to evacuate U.S. citizens from Ukraine,” the warning stated.
The State Department advised U.S. citizens to shelter in place and issued instructions on actions to take if a loud explosion is heard or if sirens are activated.
“Further Russian military action can occur at any time without warning. U.S. citizens throughout Ukraine are strongly encouraged to remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness,” the warning read. “Know the location of your closest shelter or protected space. In the event of mortar and/or rocket fire, follow the instructions from local authorities and seek shelter immediately. If you feel that your current location is no longer safe, you should carefully assess the potential risks involved in moving to a different location.”
Feb 24, 1:11 am
Russian, Belarusian troops attacking Ukraine from Belarus
Ukraine’s border service said Russian and Belarusian troops are now attacking from Belarus.
Ukraine’s border came under attack from artillery, tanks and small arms around 5 a.m. local time from Russian troops “with the support of Belarus,” the border service said in a statement.
The attack is happening along much of Ukraine’s northeast border, including the Chernigiv and Zhitomirsky regions that are directly north of Kyiv.
There are reports of casualties.
Feb 24, 1:00 am
Ukrainian president declares martial law
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law in the country Thursday, saying Russia has launched an “unjustified, false and cynical invasion.”
“There are strikes on military and other important defense facilities, attacked border units, the situation in the Donbas has degraded,” Zelenskyy said in a statement Thursday morning. “The Armed Forces, all special and law enforcement agencies of the state are on alert. The National Security and Defense Council is working in an emergency mode.”
“Civilian citizens of Ukraine should stay at home,” he added. “Warn your loved ones about what is happening. Take care of those who need help. All thoughts and prayers with our soldiers.”
Martial law allows military authorities to temporarily take over government functions, generally during a time of emergency.
The announcement came as reports of explosions and air raid sirens in cities across Ukraine rolled in and as Russian-controlled separatists, in a breakaway region of eastern Ukraine known as Donbas, say they have launched a full-scale offensive to retake what they claim is their territory there.
Feb 24, 12:44 am
Zelenskyy asks for global response, talks to Biden
In a new video statement denouncing the Russian attacks on his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it’s not only the fate of Ukraine that’s being decided.
“Ukrainians will never give their freedom and independence to anyone. Only we, all citizens of Ukraine, have been determining our future since 1991,” Zelenskyy said. “But now the fate of not only our state is being decided, but also what life in Europe will be like.”
The Ukrainian president stressed the need for a global response, stating that what remains of international law “depends on the world’s honest and just response to this aggression.”
President Joe Biden and Zelenskyy spoke over the phone around midnight ET, when Zelenskyy asked Biden to “call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin’s flagrant aggression and to stand with the people of Ukraine,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden said he told Zelenskyy that the U.S. condemned the attack, and he also briefed him on the steps the U.S. is taking “to rally international condemnation.”
Biden also reiterated in the statement that he will meet with G-7 leaders Thursday and plans to impose “severe” sanctions on Russia.
“We will continue to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” he said.
In the video, Zelenskyy implored citizens to stay home.
“Warn your loved ones about what is happening,” he said. “Take care of those who need help.”
Feb 24, 12:11 am
US senators call for harsher sanctions following Russian attack
Senators on both sides of the aisle are calling on the administration to turn up the pressure on Russia following its attack on Ukraine.
“President Biden has already imposed an initial tranche of sanctions, and it is now time for us to up the pain level for the Russian government,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a statement.
“I urge the Biden administration to respond swiftly and in concert with our allies to impose crushing economic sanctions on Kremlin officials, Russian entities and other actors involved int his attack on Ukraine,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said.
“America and our allies must answer the call to protect freedom by subjecting Putin and Russia to the harshest economic penalties, by expelling them from global institutions, and by committing ourselves to the expansion and modernization of our national defense,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said.
While a handful of Republicans knocked the administration for not imposing pre-invasion sanctions, those jabs are largely being overwhelmed by calls for unity among NATO allies.
“There is no justification for this assault and I call for the administration to lead the world in a unified response,” Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman said.
Feb 24, 12:00 am
Reports of Russian troops crossing border into Ukraine, ballistic missiles
There are reports that Russian troops have now crossed the border in eastern Ukraine, close to the city of Kharkiv, as explosions in the area continue.
Ukraine’s deputy interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, told media the troops crossed near Kharkiv. A former senior adviser to Ukraine’s government also confirmed the reports, saying he was informed by the president’s office, while Ukraine’s main newswire agency, UNIAN, has also reported the news.
Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second largest city and is only about 20 miles from the border with Russia. However, it is not next to the separatist-controlled areas.
Ukrainian authorities also said that Kyiv and multiple cities east of it have been stuck by ballistic missiles. Gerashchenko said at least seven cruise missiles or ballistic missiles hit a military aerodrome near Kyiv that is home to fighter jets. It appears that the missiles have largely struck targets on the outskirts of the city so far.
Russia’s defense ministry said it is striking Ukrainian air bases, military infrastructure and air defenses across the country but said it will not target Ukrainian cities themselves.
The ministry said “high-precision” missiles are being used.
Reports of explosions also continue to come in from Odessa, Dnipro and Mariupol.
