More from Ben Burke
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UN: 500,000+ refugees have escaped Ukraine amid Russian invasion
According to multiple sources within the United Nations, including this tweet from High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi, more than 500,000 refugees have escaped Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. According to a UNHCR spokeswoman, most of those refugees have ended up in Poland (281,000), Hungary (84,500), Moldova (36,400), Romania (32,500) and Slovakia (30,000). The… -
Nuclear threats, peace talks highlight new week of Ukraine invasion
The new week of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began with peace talks between the two nations in Belarus. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said his country was seeking an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. The Kremlin declined to comment on what Russia was looking for out of the Monday peace… -
Relaxing mask recommendation, CDC says most don’t have to wear them
In a media telebriefing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it is relaxing its mask recommendation for most of the country. The video above includes clips from the telebriefing, as well as reaction from medical experts. The relaxation comes as the CDC updated its COVID-19 risk map to show 72% of the U.S.… -
Ukraine response to Russian invasion goes viral
As the world closely monitors the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainians and even the country’s president have gone viral on social media with their response. According to Belarus-based journalist Hanna Liubakova, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described himself as Russia’s top enemy. “The enemy marked me as target number one, and my family as target… -
Biden taps Ketanji Brown Jackson as the next Supreme Court justice
The White House and President Joe Biden confirmed Biden plans to nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson as the next Supreme Court justice. In a tweet, Biden described Jackson as “one of our nation’s brightest legal minds” and said she “will be an exceptional justice.” “Judge Jackson is an exceptionally qualified nominee as well as an historic… -
Ukrainians face bomb threats, martial law and a growing humanitarian crisis
Russia’s invasion into Ukraine has quickly turned deadly. Ukraine’s Health Minister reported that 57 people were killed and 169 wounded in the first day of fighting. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said: “These are among the darkest hours of Europe since the Second World War.” Dr. Emily Channell-Justice, a director at Harvard University’s Ukrainian… -
World rushes to condemn, sanction Russia over invasion of Ukraine
Residents and leaders of the world responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with near universal condemnation. Protests formed at Russian embassies around the world Thursday. According to OVD-Info, a rights group that tracks political arrests, over 1,600 protesters in Russia have been arrested. Over 900 of those have been arrested in Moscow. “My message to… -
As Russia invades Ukraine, China flies into Taiwan’s air defense zone
Taiwan’s defense ministry confirmed on Twitter that China flew nine planes into Taiwan’s air defense zone. None of the planes made it to Taiwan itself. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has flown into the air defense zone regularly over the last couple years. Thursday’s flight of nine planes pales in comparison to… -
Trump criminal investigation prosecutors resign, probe’s future uncertain
A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has confirmed two of his prosecutors who were in charge of his criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization have decided to resign. According to a New York Times report, Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz resigned after Bragg raised doubts about pursuing a case… -
Texas declares gender-affirming care ‘child abuse,’ investigation underway
In a letter, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) directed the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate gender-affirming care for transgender children in the state, calling it child abuse. The letter, written Tuesday, was informed by a declaration made by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton a day earlier. According to the declaration, “performing certain ‘sex-change’… -
UN report predicts 50% increase in wildfires worldwide by end of century
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) published a new report Wednesday, predicting a significant increase in wildfires around the world throughout the rest of the century. According to a press release on the report, titled “Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires,” the authors of the report expect “a global increase of extreme… -
China says ‘Taiwan is not Ukraine,’ accuses US of ‘creating fear and panic’
As two of the United States’ biggest foreign policy issues, some have compared the tensions between Russia and Ukraine to the tensions between China and Taiwan. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the two situations are not the same. Her comments came as Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called for the island… -
White House issues sanctions following Russian invasion of Ukraine
The White House has followed through on its threat to issue sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. President Biden announced the sanctions Tuesday afternoon, targeting two banks and several high-profile Russian individuals. The video above includes clips from President Biden’s announcement. Today, in close coordination with our Allies and partners, I am announcing…