(BURLINGTON, N.C.) — A North Carolina couple became first-time parents on “Twosday.”
Aberli and Hank Spear welcomed their first child — a girl they’ve named Judah Grace Spear — on Feb. 22, 2022, at 2:22 a.m. at Cone Health Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington, North Carolina.
“Everyone in the room, all the nurses were cheering and there’s excitement,” Aberli Spear told Good Morning America. “I was like, maybe it’s because she’s finally born. But then I looked at my husband and I asked him, ‘Wait, what time was she born?’ And he was like, ‘2:22.’ It was funny because we were in room two, and then find out her weight is 122 ounces. So we’re like, ‘OK!’”
Jessica Brown, a nursing director at the Women’s & Children’s Center at Alamance Regional, told GMA the numerology of Judah’s birth stood out to the hospital staff too. “We share in the excitement of every birth at the Women’s & Children’s Center at Alamance Regional, but when you come up with all two’s like this, it is very exciting.”
Aberli Spear said she had initially planned to be induced at the hospital on Feb. 20.
“We were asked to come in to be induced — her due date’s originally the 22nd — but just for blood pressure reasons, they wanted me to come in earlier,” she said. “And so they induced me but it took a while. We labored for 26 hours. She ended up coming on her due date, which is awesome.”
Baby Judah’s memorable arrival is especially sweet for Spear and her husband since at one point they were told they may never have children.
Aberli Spear, 27, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer, in 2014.
“My husband and I had been dating for three months before I was diagnosed … we were told if we got married, wanted to start a family or something, it’d be nearly impossible,” she said. “And so we went to the clinic to talk about freezing eggs and stuff, but it’s like, it’s really expensive and insurance doesn’t cover it so we didn’t do that either.”
Spear, who said she’d always wanted kids, decided to undergo chemotherapy and hope for the best. In 2020, six years after her initial diagnosis, she found out she had finally beat her cancer.
Her cancer journey helped inspire her daughter’s name as well.
“She got her name Judah because it means praise in Hebrew. So it’s kind of funny because I love numbers, love math and all that stuff so this is kind of icing on the cake for me,” Spear said.
Spear’s mom, Kristi Engelbrecht, also told GMA that despite all the “pain and suffering” that Aberli and Hank have endured, she’s excited to see what’s in store for their growing family.
The Spears are over the moon about their little one. “This is something that we didn’t think that we could achieve,” Aberli Spear said.
“She’s definitely a miracle baby,” she added.
As for Judah, Aberli Spear said she had a message for her baby girl: “I want her to know that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel, there’s always hope. God is always restoring, repairing and fulfilling your heart’s deepest desires, no matter what they are. He also has a sense of humor clearly. But it’s just, don’t give up hope.”
(NEW YORK) — President Joe Biden said the world is witnessing “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine” after weeks of escalating tensions in the region as he announced new economic sanctions on Russia Tuesday.
Biden’s remarks followed a fiery address from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Russian public on Monday evening, 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 (DNR and LNR) — prompting a set of sanctions from Western countries, including Germany halting approval of a major gas pipeline from Russia.
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 wrongdoing and reiterated its demands Tuesday that Ukraine pledge to never join NATO.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 23, 9:22 am
US sanctions to be met with ‘strong response,’ Russia warns
Russia warned Wednesday that the latest sanctions imposed by the United States “will be met with a strong response.”
“The round of sanctions announced by the United States Administration [already the 101st in a row] affecting the financial sector with the expansion of the list of persons against whom personal restrictions are imposed is in line with Washington’s ongoing attempts to change Russia’s course,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “There should be no doubt that the sanctions will be met with a strong response, not necessarily symmetrical, but well-grounded and sensitive for the American side.”
U.S. President Joe Biden announced Tuesday the latest sanctions, which he said would target two Russian banks, Russia’s sovereign debt and, starting Wednesday, the Russian elite and their relatives.
Feb 23, 9:06 am
Russia marks Defender of the Fatherland Day
Russia marked Defender of the Fatherland Day on Wednesday.
In a video message, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his fellow Russians on the public holiday and noted the importance of ensuring the country’s defense capability.
“Dear comrades, today ensuring the defense capability of our country remains the most important state task, and the armed forces serve as a reliable guarantee of national security, the peaceful and calm life of our citizens, and the stable, progressive development of Russia,” Putin said.
The Russian leader was seen taking part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin wall in Moscow.
Feb 23, 6:24 am
Ukrainian military begins calling up 36,000 reservists
Ukraine’s military said Wednesday it has begun calling up some reservists in response to an order from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The military general staff said they will be calling up reservists aged 18 to 60 starting Wednesday.
The secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, said Wednesday that the number of reservists being called up was 36,000, most of whom he said already have combat experience.
On Tuesday, while signing a decree to call up some of Ukraine’s military reservists, Zelenskyy emphasized that it was not yet a full mobilization but just the “active reserve,” or troops with combat training.
Zelenskyy said the order was necessary because Ukraine’s military now needs to be at “heightened readiness” for any changes in the situation on the ground with Russia.
Feb 23, 6:17 am
Ukraine to declare nationwide state of emergency
The secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, announced Wednesday that a nationwide state of emergency will be declared due to the threat of a Russian invasion.
The declaration must be approved by the Ukrainian parliament before the state of emergency can go into effect for an initial 30 days. The move, which differs from the introduction of martial law, would allow local authorities across the country of 41 million people to put restrictions and heightened security measures in place, such as curfews and limits on movement.
Danilov said the state of emergency would be a “preventative” measure “so that the country preserves its calm, so that our economy works and our country works.” Any restrictions imposed under the declaration would likely vary from region to region, according to Danilov.
“Depending on situation on the ground in a particular area, the local bodies can impose various measures including curfews, only if needed,” Danilov said at a press conference Wednesday. “We won’t make people suffer unnecessarily but we must insure people’s safety.”
He then gave examples of what those restrictions could be: “It can the reinforcing of security around public order and critical infrastructure facilities. It can be certain limits imposed of the movement of transport. It can mean additional vigilance. It can be the checking of various documents for people.”
Danilov noted that the state of emergency would be imposed on all of Ukraine’s territory except for the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk because a special emergency status has been in place there since 2014, when pro-Russian separatists took control of some areas.
Feb 23, 5:33 am
Ukrainian right-wing volunteer battalion mobilizes
One of Ukraine’s far-right volunteer battalions announced Wednesday it is mobilizing to prepare to fight, amid fears of an imminent Russian invasion.
During Russia’s first invasion in 2014, the Ukrainian army was in disarray, prompting civilians to form volunteer battalions — many of them with right-wing ideologies. These highly motivated private armies — some funded by oligarchs — helped stem the fall of eastern Ukraine to Russia-backed separatists.
But once large-scale fighting had ended, the Ukrainian government moved the volunteer battalions back from the front line because they were seen as potentially provocative and problematic.
The so-called Right Sector is one of Ukraine’s most famous volunteer battalions. It’s made up of radical nationalists who played a crucial role in the 2014 revolution. In Russia, the group was made into a propaganda boogeyman.
The Right Sector’s return to the front line in eastern Ukraine will be used heavily by Russian propaganda. But it also shows how worried Ukrainians are getting, especially if more volunteer battalions start mobilizing.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, Right Sector said it is mobilizing its “assault brigade” due to the “high probability of the start of a full-scale invasion by the Russian army.”
“Our unit has already defended Ukrainian independence for 8 years from the occupiers,” the group said. “In the case of a full scale invasion we, as always, will be at the front of the fight.”
Feb 23, 4:29 am
Russia claims 100,000 refugees have fled eastern Ukraine
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed Wednesday that 100,000 refugees from two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine have arrived across the border in Russia.
The claim was unverified and highly improbable, as it appeared to be part of Russia’s intensifying efforts to spin an image of a major humanitarian crisis in the region to build a pretext for a possible invasion.
Russia-backed separatists have forced civilians living in the areas to evacuate despite the fact that there is no increased threat from the Ukrainian military. While thousands of people have been bused out of the region to Russia, the alleged figure of 100,000 appeared vastly exaggerated.
Russia’s claims have been accompanied by a barrage of false stories and staged videos of alleged attacks by Ukrainian forces, all of which have been blaring across Russian state media in recent days.
Feb 23, 12:03 am
Russia-backed separatists make ‘terror attacks’ claim as Russia continues to build pretext
Russian-controlled separatists are claiming two large “terrorist attacks” took place in their territory Tuesday night, as the separatists and Russia continue to intensify their efforts to create a pretext for a possible Russian attack.
The separatists claimed explosions went off at a TV tower and near a trolley bus depot, and they released video afterward they claim shows emergency workers looking at damage.
The claims are highly suspect, and they came amid a barrage of fake reports of supposed Ukrainian attacks that are being swiftly debunked.
The claims also came as Ukraine released video showing heavy artillery fire from separatists hitting a village called Chastiya — which means “happiness” — on the Ukrainian side of the frontline. The video appears to show rockets striking a house.
Artillery fire also hit a power station nearby yesterday.
It appears the Russian-controlled separatists have intensified their fire onto Ukrainian positions in the hope of stoking return fire and creating an impression of a general escalation.
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — Opening arguments will take place Wednesday in the trial for the sole Louisville, Kentucky, police officer charged in connection to the “no-knock” search warrant raid that killed Breonna Taylor.
Brett Hankison is charged with three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment of Taylor’s neighbors. He allegedly fired shots that endangered three people who were inside an apartment directly behind Taylor’s.
Hankison was fired from the Louisville Police Department after the March 2020 shooting.
Hankison is the only officer charged in connection with the incident and no officers have been charged with shooting Taylor.
The deadly shooting took place shortly after midnight on March 13, 2020. Taylor, a 26-year-old Black medical worker, was asleep at home with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker.
Officers arrived and executed a “no-knock” search warrant as part of an investigation into a suspected drug operation, allegedly linked to Taylor’s ex-boyfriend.
Walker, who claims he thought the officers were intruders, fired one gunshot, striking an officer in the leg. In response, police opened fire, and Taylor was shot multiple times. No drugs were found in Taylor’s apartment.
Hankison has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
Two other officers involved were also fired from the police department: the officer who fired the shot that killed Taylor per a ballistics analysis and the officer who prepared the search warrant.
(NEW YORK) — Wall Street is jittery as tensions continue to escalate between Russia and Ukraine.
On Tuesday, stocks were down, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing 482.57 points lower, a decrease of 1.42%. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also took a hit, falling 44.11 points and 166.55 points, respectively.
“People are feeling it in their 401(k)s and in their retirement savings,” says ABC News’ Rebecca Jarvis.
But, she notes, consumers are also feeling the impact of the crisis overseas at the pump.
“[P]rices up overnight again, now $3.54 a gallon is the national average — up 20 cents over the last month,” Jarvis says. “And we were already dealing with inflation coming into this — that is why the market has been jittery for some time, and it continues to feel jittery and cautious.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s opening bell, stock futures were up across the board.
(NEW YORK) — Gas prices are continuing to soar with no relief in sight.
The national average price per gallon now stands at $3.53, the highest it’s been since 2014, and experts expect that number to keep going up.
So what can you do to save some money the next time you need to fill up your tank? ABC News’ Gio Benitez appeared on Good Morning America Wednesday to share some tricks you can use at the pump:
(WASHINGTON) — More than two decades before becoming a top contender to be President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, a young Ketanji Brown Jackson sat across from Justice Clarence Thomas, reportedly perplexed by how someone of his background — not so different from her own — could have developed such a conservative bent.
“I don’t understand you,'” Jackson, who clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer from 1999 to 2000, remembered thinking, according to a 2007 biography of Thomas, Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas.
“‘You sound like my parents. You sound like the people I grew up with.’ But the lessons he tended to draw from the experiences of the segregated South seemed to be different than those of everybody I know,” the book, by authors Kevin Merida and Michael Fletcher, said Jackson thought as she and Thomas shared lunch.
Jackson acknowledged doing an interview for the book during her confirmation hearings last year for the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Her reported candid reflection offers a glimpse into how she perceived Thomas, a polarizing figure who may soon be her colleague, and illustrates what could be a compelling new wrinkle to the court’s makeup.
If Biden taps Jackson for the role, as many commentators expect, it will be the first time two African Americans share the bench. Experts say the dissonance between Jackson, 51, and Thomas, 73, may present a fresh opportunity to explore racial identity, experience and expectations.
“We’re now going to actually see at least one layer of the diversity of Black political thought in the United States — it’s going to be on display for the world to see,” said Leah Wright-Rigueur, a professor in public policy at Harvard University. “That’s a really big deal.”
Some Black legal scholars ABC News spoke to noted why Jackson and other Black Americans who share in her cultural experience might be puzzled by Thomas’ conservative judicial philosophy, which critics say has encouraged policies that have disenfranchised minority communities.
Yvette Simpson, an ABC News contributor and CEO of Democracy for America, a progressive political action committee, characterized Jackson’s observation of Thomas as “an honest reflection from someone who was trying to understand a man who grew up in one world and seems to be emulating something totally different.”
Experts point out that Thomas’ background and upbringing bears similarities to the one that molded Jackson. Both were raised in middle- or working-class Black families in the South and attended predominantly white institutions — including Ivy League law schools.
“[Jackson] recognizes Clarence Thomas … there’s a familiarity there,” said Wright-Rigueur. “They have a very similar trajectory and very similar experiences, and yet, they come to such radically different spaces politically and ideologically.”
As the court’s longest-serving justice, Thomas has emerged in recent years as possibly the most visible Black conservative in the country. Notoriously sparing in his comments from the bench in his earlier years, Thomas boasts an unblemished record of siding with the conservative block in politically charged cases. In the past few years, he’s become one of the most loquacious justices and, as the court’s senior justice, is given the privilege of asking the first questions at oral arguments.
Data shows Thomas’ views conflict with a large cross-section of Black voting behavior in America. In the 2020 presidential election, for example, Biden landed 92% support from Black voters — a figure consistent with previous national voting sentiments.
But Black voters’ overwhelming support for Democrats “obscures a much more complicated story,” said Wright-Rigueur. The Pew Research Center found in 2020 that a quarter of Black Democrats characterize their views as conservative.
“There’s a kind of everyday conservatism that runs right through Black communities,” she said. “It’s just that their conservatism rarely translates into partisan support for the Republican Party.”
A senior Republican Party official, who is African American, told ABC News that Thomas’ conservative disposition has been unfairly scrutinized during his time on the high court bench because he contradicts Black political norms.
“There is a notion out there that if a Black person’s thought pattern, or vote, or disposition is not liberal, then it’s wrong. … If Clarence Thomas makes an opinion and it happens to be conservative, it is automatically thought to be against the Black community just because it’s conservative and not liberal,” the official, who declined to be named, said.
“It’s a sad state when your Blackness is questioned just because of your political affiliation,” the official continued, adding that Thomas’ conservatism is consistent with his values, which are derived from his southern African-American upbringing.
Gender also plays a role, experts said. Conservatism in Black communities is more common in Black men, polling shows — Black women are the most consistent Democratic voting bloc of any demographic. Having a Black woman on the Supreme Court will mark a notable shift in the panel’s dynamic, experts said.
“The differences in the lived experience of Black women in this country feels really significant or important to note,” said Karundi Williams, executive director of Re:Power, a progressive training group. “This person will bring a different lens by which she will rule and advance our country forward. And I think that that’s wrapped up in the significance of this appointment.”
Some experts wondered whether the presence of a Black woman on the court might alter Thomas’ staunchly conservative interpretation of the law — one way or the other. As the lone Black voice on the court for so long, Thomas may have reveled in cultivating a streak of independence.
“When you’re the only one, it does something to you — there’s a protectionism that Thomas has demonstrated,” Simpson said. “I wonder if, when a Black woman joins the court, Thomas digs in — or if she causes him to challenge the way he thinks about the world.”
Biden has indicated that he would start interviewing prospective candidates for the upcoming vacancy as soon as last week, but the White House has yet to release details on his shortlist. Biden has pledged to announce his nomination by the end of February.
In an interview with NBC News earlier this month, Biden said he’s done a “deep dive” on “about four people” who have already seen “thorough background checks” as he keeps an eye on replicating the qualities of the retiring Breyer.
“I’m not looking to make an ideological choice here,” Biden said. “I’m looking for someone to replace Judge Breyer with the same kind of capacity Judge Breyer had, with an open mind, who understands the Constitution, interprets it in a way that is consistent with the mainstream interpretation of the Constitution.”
The symbolism and historic nature of Biden’s choice will far outweigh the nominee’s relationship with Thomas, compelling as it might be, experts said. Not only will the new justice break an important barrier, but after three decades of Thomas as the sole Black presence, a new voice more in line with the overwhelming views of that demographic will usher an important new era of representation on the court.
“Ten years ago, the idea of two Black people being on the on the Supreme Court at the same time was laughable — it just wasn’t going to happen,” Wright-Rigueur said. “And now it’s actually happening, so we actually get to see [the diversity of Black political thought] play out.”
(WASHINGTON) — The National Guard Bureau said on Tuesday night that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved requests for 700 National Guard members to aid Washington ahead of the arrival of at least three separate trucker convoys.
Those convoys plan to head to the Washington area to potentially disrupt traffic beginning Wednesday.
About 400 members of the D.C. National Guard and 300 members from outside of the district will support traffic control. None will carry firearms “or take part in law enforcement or domestic-surveillance activities,” according to the National Guard Bureau.
Trucker convoy protests are expected to continue through early March, before and after Biden’s first State of the Union address on March 1.
Protestors are traveling from California, Pennsylvania and elsewhere to voice concerns about a myriad of issues, from COVID-19 vaccine mandates to domestic oil production. The convoys are coming just weeks after similar protests in Canada’s capital, Ottawa, and on the U.S.-Canada border paralyzed traffic and trade.
Officers from Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department will increase patrols on Feb. 22 through March 5, shortly after the State of the Union, according to an internal MPD message obtained by ABC News. The department will also have two rapid response teams ready.
On Tuesday, district officials sent a push alert warning residents of potential disruptions to traffic this week. Sources told ABC News that fencing outside of the Capitol is expected to be raised on Wednesday.
Bob Bolus Towers & Truckers for America is one of three convoys expected to begin their journey to Washington this week. All groups have said they will be coming to the D.C. area, but they stopped short of saying they would be in downtown Washington, alluding to plans to disrupt traffic in Maryland and Virginia.
Convoy leader Bob Bolus, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, told ABC News affiliate WJLA-TV on Tuesday that he plans to travel from Scranton, Pennsylvania, to protest in Virginia and Maryland. He told WJLA he planned to stay out of Washington, but, unlike at the protests in Ottawa, he doesn’t plan to instruct his convoy to camp out on the highway. Instead, he plans to cause gridlock on Interstate 495.
“We’re not camping on the Beltway. We’re gonna have our voices heard and let them understand this is only the tip of the iceberg,” Bolus told WJLA.
He also said that if he doesn’t have enough support, he will scrap his plans to protest at the last minute.
Another group, The People’s Convoy, is set depart from Adelanto, California, on Wednesday for an 11-day journey to the beltway area. That group is calling for the Biden administration to end the COVID-19 National Emergency and to lift all mask and vaccine mandates.
The People’s Convoy, like Bolus, said in a statement that it “will abide by agreements with local authorities, and terminate in the vicinity of the DC area, but will NOT be going into DC proper.”
“With the advent of the vaccine and workable therapeutic agents, along with the hard work of so many sectors that contributed to declining COVID-19 cases and severity of illness, it is now time to re-open the country,” the group wrote in the statement.
The American Truckers Freedom Convoy, a group funded by “The Great American Patriot Party” political action committee, said it will travel beginning March 1. Its convoys will arrive in the Washington area from California, Georgia and Ohio. They are currently fundraising for their upcoming effort.
Traffic in the city could be disrupted by the convoys, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee said on Friday.
“I think we have to be realistic about, you know, what we could potentially see there will be disruptions to traffic … And I think we need to be very candid with the public about what some of the expectations based upon what we’ve seen in Ottawa, what some of those things could be that we might see here in the District,” Contee said.
However, Contee noted Washington is different than Ottawa when it comes to rerouting due to protests: “We have alternative modes of transportation. People love to bike in our city. People love to walk in our city.”
(NEW YORK) — President Joe Biden said the world is witnessing “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine” after weeks of escalating tensions in the region as he announced new economic sanctions on Russia Tuesday.
Biden’s remarks followed a fiery address from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Russian public on Monday evening, 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 (DNR and LNR) — prompting a set of sanctions from Western countries, including Germany halting approval of a major gas pipeline from Russia.
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 wrongdoing and reiterated its demands Tuesday that Ukraine pledge to never join NATO.
Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:
Feb 23, 6:17 am
Ukraine to declare nationwide state of emergency
The secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, announced Wednesday that a nationwide state of emergency will be declared due to the threat of a Russian invasion.
The declaration must be approved by the Ukrainian parliament before the state of emergency can go into effect for an initial 30 days. The move, which differs from the introduction of martial law, would allow local authorities across the country of 41 million people to put restrictions and heightened security measures in place, such as curfews and limits on movement.
Danilov said the state of emergency would be a “preventative” measure “so that the country preserves its calm, so that our economy works and our country works.” Any restrictions imposed under the declaration would likely vary from region to region, according to Danilov.
“Depending on situation on the ground in a particular area, the local bodies can impose various measures including curfews, only if needed,” Danilov said at a press conference Wednesday. “We won’t make people suffer unnecessarily but we must insure people’s safety.”
He then gave examples of what those restrictions could be: “It can the reinforcing of security around public order and critical infrastructure facilities. It can be certain limits imposed of the movement of transport. It can mean additional vigilance. It can be the checking of various documents for people.”
Danilov noted that the state of emergency would be imposed on all of Ukraine’s territory except for the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk because a special emergency status has been in place there since 2014, when pro-Russian separatists took control of some areas.
Feb 23, 5:33 am
Ukrainian right-wing volunteer battalion mobilizes
One of Ukraine’s far-right volunteer battalions announced Wednesday it is mobilizing to prepare to fight, amid fears of an imminent Russian invasion.
During Russia’s first invasion in 2014, the Ukrainian army was in disarray, prompting civilians to form volunteer battalions — many of them with right-wing ideologies. These highly motivated private armies — some funded by oligarchs — helped stem the fall of eastern Ukraine to Russia-backed separatists.
But once large-scale fighting had ended, the Ukrainian government moved the volunteer battalions back from the front line because they were seen as potentially provocative and problematic.
The so-called Right Sector is one of Ukraine’s most famous volunteer battalions. It’s made up of radical nationalists who played a crucial role in the 2014 revolution. In Russia, the group was made into a propaganda boogeyman.
The Right Sector’s return to the front line in eastern Ukraine will be used heavily by Russian propaganda. But it also shows how worried Ukrainians are getting, especially if more volunteer battalions start mobilizing.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, Right Sector said it is mobilizing its “assault brigade” due to the “high probability of the start of a full-scale invasion by the Russian army.”
“Our unit has already defended Ukrainian independence for 8 years from the occupiers,” the group said. “In the case of a full scale invasion we, as always, will be at the front of the fight.”
Feb 23, 4:43 am
Ukrainian military begins calling up some reservists
Ukraine’s military said Wednesday it has begun calling up some reservists in response to an order from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The military general staff said they will be calling up reservists aged 18 to 60 starting Wednesday.
On Tuesday, while signing a decree to call up some of Ukraine’s military reservists, Zelenskyy emphasized that it was not yet a full mobilization but just the “active reserve,” or troops with combat training.
Zelenskyy said the order was necessary because Ukraine’s military now needs to be at “heightened readiness” for any changes changes in the situation on the ground with Russia.
Feb 23, 4:29 am
Russia claims 100,000 refugees have fled eastern Ukraine
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed Wednesday that 100,000 refugees from two Russia-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine have arrived across the border in Russia.
The claim was unverified and highly improbable, as it appeared to be part of Russia’s intensifying efforts to spin an image of a major humanitarian crisis in the region to build a pretext for a possible invasion.
Russia-backed separatists have forced civilians living in the areas to evacuate despite the fact that there is no increased threat from the Ukrainian military. While thousands of people have been bused out of the region to Russia, the alleged figure of 100,000 appeared vastly exaggerated.
Russia’s claims have been accompanied by a barrage of false stories and staged videos of alleged attacks by Ukrainian forces, all of which have been blaring across Russian state media in recent days.
Feb 23, 12:03 am
Russia-backed separatists make ‘terror attacks’ claim as Russia continues to build pretext
Russian-controlled separatists are claiming two large “terrorist attacks” took place in their territory Tuesday night, as the separatists and Russia continue to intensify their efforts to create a pretext for a possible Russian attack.
The separatists claimed explosions went off at a TV tower and near a trolley bus depot, and they released video afterward they claim shows emergency workers looking at damage.
The claims are highly suspect, and they came amid a barrage of fake reports of supposed Ukrainian attacks that are being swiftly debunked.
The claims also came as Ukraine released video showing heavy artillery fire from separatists hitting a village called Chastiya — which means “happiness” — on the Ukrainian side of the frontline. The video appears to show rockets striking a house.
Artillery fire also hit a power station nearby yesterday.
It appears the Russian-controlled separatists have intensified their fire onto Ukrainian positions in the hope of stoking return fire and creating an impression of a general escalation.
(NEW YORK) — The world will soon experience a steep increase in the number of devastating wildfires as a result of human activity, according to new research released by the United Nations Environment Programme.
Climate change and land-use change are projected to make wildfires more frequent and intense, with extreme fires expected to rise 14% globally by 2030, 30% by the end of 2050 and 50% by 2100, according to the report released Wednesday.
“Wildfires and climate change are mutually exacerbating,” the report states.
Wildfires are made worst by climate change through increased drought, higher temperatures and low relative humidity, while climate change is made worse by wildfires after they ravage “sensitive and carbon-rich” ecosystems such as rainforests.
“This turns landscapes into tinderboxes, making it harder to halt rising temperatures,” the authors wrote.
Extreme wildfire risk will become so widespread that even the Arctic and other regions previously unaffected by wildfires could be in peril of burning, according to the report. In addition, wildlife and their natural habitats will not be spared, pushing many species closer to extinction.
For instance, billions of domesticated and wild animals, including a large portion of the koala population, were estimated to have been wiped out during the bushfires that began in Australia at the end of 2019.
The increase of wildfires will also have social consequences on communities, as the world’s poorest nations will be disproportionately affected, according to the U.N. People’s health will be directly affected by the inhalation of wildfire smoke, and the costs of rebuilding areas struck by wildfires can be beyond the means of low-income countries.
The pollutants from frequent wildfires can also lead to soil erosion, causing more problems for waterways, and leave highly contaminated waste behind, the report states.
Governments are not prepared for the disastrous consequences these infernos will leave in their wake, the authors wrote.
The report calls for a radical change in government spending on wildfires, shifting their investments from reaction and response to prevention and preparedness.
“Because fires are so interdisciplinary and across so many different sectors and impact society, culture and climate and the vegetation, it’s essential that fire [management] actually be pushed within an agenda,” Glynis Humphrey, a fire ecologist at the University of Capetown and one of the authors of the report, told reporters at a press conference Monday.
Governments should adopt a new “Fire Ready Formula,” dedicating two-thirds of spending for planning, prevention, preparedness and recovery, with one-third left for response, the authors wrote.
The report also calls for stronger international standards for the safety and health of firefighters to minimize the risks they face before, during and after operations.
(COPENHAGEN, Denmark) — Duchess Kate arrived in Denmark Tuesday for a rare solo overseas trip and wasted no time showing her fun side.
Kate, 40, whizzed down a slide while visiting the Lego Foundation PlayLab at University College Copenhagen.
“In the spirit of where I am, I had to do it,” a laughing Kate said after she emerged from the slide.
Kate’s visit to Denmark, her second official visit there as a royal and her first overseas tour since 2019, is focused on children and specifically young children ages 5 and under.
The duchess, a mom of three young kids, is touring the country to learn more about how Denmark has become a model for early childhood development, according to Kensington Palace.
Kate has made early childhood development a focus of her royal work. In 2021, she launched the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood, which she said is designed to “raise awareness of why the first five years of life are just so important for our future life outcomes, and what we can do as a society to embrace this golden opportunity to create a happier, more mentally healthy, more nurturing society.”
Kate’s trip to Denmark marks the first time she has brought the work of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood “to the international stage,” according to Kensington Palace.
In addition to visiting the Lego Foundation PlayLab, Kate spent time Tuesday with first-time parents and researchers from the Copenhagen Infant Mental Health Project at the University of Copenhagen and visited the Copenhagen’s Children’s Museum.
Kate’s two-day trip to Denmark is also a chance for the future queen consort to highlight the ties between Britain and Denmark.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee this year, while Denmark’s Queen Margrethe is celebrating her Golden Jubilee. The two monarchs have both recently been touched by COVID-19, with Queen Margrethe now recovered from a mild case of the virus and Queen Elizabeth currently experiencing “mild, cold-like” symptoms after recently testing positive for the virus, according to Buckingham Palace.
On Wednesday, Kate will receive an official welcome to Denmark from Queen Margrethe and will join the queen’s daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Mary, in a visit to a project that supports women and children affected by domestic violence.
