GOP leaders in the House released a list of 40 officials they plan to interview in their efforts to investigate the origins of COVID-19.

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

Midday rundown: COVID-19 origins, Russian prisoner swaps

Dec 14, 2022

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Ben Burke (Producer/Editor), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer)

The 10 year anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre; roadway dangers; and more Russian prisoner swaps. These stories and more highlight the midday rundown, aimed straight down the middle, for Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

GOP requests 40 officials to testify on COVID-19 origins

GOP leaders in the house are doing the groundwork preparing for the gavel come January. On Wednesday, leaders released a list of 40 officials that they plan to interview in their efforts to investigate the origins of COVID-19. The list includes top senior Biden administration officials and top scientists.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is among those expected to testify in the new year.

Prisoner swap between Russia, Ukraine

Another prisoner swap has taken place, this time between Russia and Ukraine, the swap resulted in the release of an American Air Force veteran, Suedi Murekezi, who says he was subjected to torture, electric shocks and beatings while being held in a basement in Russian captivity.

63 other Ukrainian prisoners of war were released.

The veteran had been living in Ukraine since 2018 and was captured by Russian forces after it invaded Kherson.

UN women’s body votes to remove Iran

A United Nations Council took a vote today to remove Iran from the Women’s Commission. This is just the latest rift between the U.S. and Iran. Ahead of Wednesday’s vote, Iran says their removal would prevent countries with different cultures from having a voice in international commissions.

The U.S. says Iran’s policies contradict the rights of women. A revolt is being led by protesters in Iran, spurred by the country’s treatment of women.

Iran recently publicly executed protesters.

“The regime has rounded up and detained thousands of people for their involvement in these protests. Many of them now face harsh sentences, including the death penalty in sham trials that lack any due process. We denounce this draconian treatment in the strongest terms,” State Department Spokesman Ned Price said.

Study highlights car crash victims under the influence

A large study from highway safety officials highlights the deadly consequences of being under the influence while on the roadways. The study found that more than half of people injured or killed in traffic collisions, had one or more drugs in their system, or they had alcohol above the legal limit.

Not only were drugs and alcohol found in their bloodstreams, but in 54% of car crash victims, THC was found. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana.

The study authors say the use of substances are impairing drivers at a time when traffic deaths in the U.S. have risen dramatically in recent years.

10 years since Sandy Hook massacre

“It was a decade ago that 26 people were killed at our school. And I think that realization is starting to hit us. Like 10 years. That’s a long time,” said Jackie Hegarty, who was in second grade at time of the Sandy Hook shooting.

Today, marks the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre. 20 first graders and six teachers were killed in the attack.

In the decade that followed, the Sandy Hook shooting would be just one of more than 900 school shootings in the U.S. The first grade victims at Sandy Hook would be in their junior year of high school.

Today, people are pausing to reflect and remember a tragedy that struck the core of our country 10 years ago.

America’s biggest problem is government

What are Americans calling their No. 1 problem? It’s not the cost of living. Although, that came in second. It’s also not crime, gas prices or the need for world peace. Americans say their problem is with the government.

That’s according to a new Gallup poll, where Americans voted the politics in the U.S. government as the number one problem in the country.

It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise since the government has been voted America’s top issue seven times in the past 10 years.

The poll also shows what Americans aren’t worried about. The environment was mentioned the least when it came to America’s problems. As for the morals of Americans, they’re not concerned about those either. That came in second to last.

Tags: Air Force, Anthony Fauci, COVID-19, House Republicans, Iran, Iran Protests, Kherson, Ned Price, Russia, Sandy Hook Elementary School, U.S. Air Force, Ukraine, United Nations, Veterans

KARAH RUCKER: TODAY MARKS THE TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE SANDY HOOK MASSACRE. AND A SHOCKING STUDY REVEALS THE DANGERS OF BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE ON ROADWAYS.THIS IS YOUR MIDDAY RUNDOWN AIMED DOWN THE MIDDLE WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

GOP REQUESTS 40 OFFICIALS TESTIFY ON COVID ORIGINS

GOP LEADERS IN THE HOUSE ARE DOING THE GROUND-WORK PREPARING FOR THE GAVEL COME JANUARY.

TODAY, RELEASING A LIST OF 40 OFFICIALS THEY PLAN TO INTERVIEW IN THEIR EFFORTS TO INVESTIGATE THE ORIGINS OF COVID-19.

THAT INCLUDES TOP-SENIOR BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS AND TOP SCIENTISTS.

DOCTOR ANTHONY FAUCI IS AMONG THOSE EXPECTED TO TESTIFY IN THE NEW YEAR.

PRISONER SWAP BETWEEN RUSSIA, UKRAINE

ANOTHER PRISONER SWAP, THIS TIME BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE, RESULTING IN THE RELEASE OF AN AMERICAN AIR FORCE VETERAN.

WHO SAYS HE WAS SUBJECTED TO TORTURE, ELECTRIC SHOCKS, AND BEATINGS WHILE BEING HELD IN A BASEMENT IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY.

63 OTHER UKRAINIAN PRISONERS-OF-WAR WERE RELEASED.

THE VETERAN HAD BEEN LIVING IN UKRAINE SINCE 2018 AND WAS CAPTURED BY RUSSIAN FORCES AFTER IT INVADED KHERSON.

UN WOMEN’S BODY VOTES TO REMOVE IRAN

A UNITED NATIONS COUNCIL WILL TAKE A VOTE TODAY ON WHETHER IRAN SHOULD REMAIN PART OF AN INTERNATIONAL COALITION THAT PROMOTES GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS.

THE U.S. IS LEADING THE MOTION TO TRY AND REMOVE IRAN FROM THE WOMEN’S COMMISSION. JUST THE LATEST RIFT BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.

AHEAD OF TODAY’S VOTE, IRAN SAYS THEIR REMOVAL WOULD PREVENT COUNTRIES WITH DIFFERENT CULTURES FROM HAVING A VOICE IN INTERNATIONAL COMMISSIONS.

THE U.S. SAYS IRAN’S POLICIES CONTRADICT THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN.

A REVOLT IS BEING LED BY PROTESTERS IN IRAN, SPURRED BY THE COUNTRY’S TREATMENT OF WOMEN.

IRAN RECENTLY PUBLICLY EXECUTING PROTESTERS.

NED PRICE | STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: “THE REGIME HAS ROUNDED UP AND DETAINED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THESE PROTESTS. MANY OF THEM NOW FACE HARSH SENTENCES, INCLUDING THE DEATH PENALTY IN SHAM TRIALS THAT LACK ANY DUE PROCESS. WE DENOUNCE THIS DRACONIAN TREATMENT IN THE STRONGEST TERMS.”

STUDY: CAR CRASH VICTIMS UNDER THE INFLUENCE

A LARGE STUDY FROM HIGHWAY SAFETY OFFICIALS HIGHLIGHTS THE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES OF BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE WHILE ON THE ROADWAYS.

THE STUDY FOUND THAT MORE THAN HALF OF PEOPLE INJURED OR KILLED IN TRAFFIC COLLISIONS HAD ONE OR MORE DRUG IN THEIR SYSTEM, OR THEY HAD ALCOHOL ABOVE THE LEGAL LIMIT.

NOT ONLY WERE DRUGS AND ALCOHOL FOUND IN THEIR BLOODSTREAMS, BUT SO WAS THC, THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT IN MARIJUANA, IN 54 PERCENT OF CAR CRASH VICTIMS.

THE STUDY AUTHORS SAY THE USE OF SUBSTANCES ARE IMPAIRING DRIVERS AT A TIME WHEN TRAFFIC DEATHS IN THE U.S. HAVE RISEN DRAMATICALLY IN RECENT YEARS.

TEN YEARS SINCE SANDY HOOK MASSACRE

JACKIE HEGARTY | SECOND-GRADER AT TIME OF SANDY HOOK SHOOTING: “IT WAS A DECADE AGO THAT 26 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AT OUR SCHOOL. AND I THINK THAT REALIZATION IS STARTING TO HIT US. LIKE TEN YEARS. THAT’S A LONG TIME.”

TODAY MARKS THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MASSACRE. 20 FIRST GRADERS AND SIX TEACHERS WERE KILLED IN THE ATTACK.

IN THE DECADE THAT FOLLOWED, THE SANDY HOOK SHOOTING WOULD BE JUST ONE OF MORE THAN 900 SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN THE U.S.

THE FIRST GRADE VICTIMS AT SANDY HOOK WOULD BE IN THEIR JUNIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL.

TODAY PEOPLE ARE PAUSING TO REFLECT AND REMEMBER A TRAGEDY THAT STRUCK THE CORE OF OUR COUNTRY TEN YEARS AGO.

AMERICA’S BIGGEST PROBLEM IS GOVERNMENT

WHAT ARE AMERICANS CALLING THEIR NUMBER ONE PROBLEM? IT’S NOT THE COST OF LIVING ALTHOUGH THAT CAME IN SECOND. IT’S ALSO NOT CRIME…GAS PRICES…OR THE NEED FOR WORLD PEACE. OUR PROBLEM IS WITH THE GOVERNMENT.

THAT’S ACCORDING TO A NEW GALLUP POLL, WHERE AMERICANS VOTED THE POLITICS IN OUR GOVERNMENT AS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM IN THE U.S.

IT PROBABLY SHOULDN’T COME AS A SURPRISE SINCE THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN VOTED AMERICA’S TOP ISSUE SEVEN TIMES IN THE PAST TEN YEARS.

WHAT ARE AMERICANS NOT WORRIED ABOUT?

THE ENVIRONMENT WAS MENTIONED THE LEAST WHEN IT CAME TO AMERICA’S PROBLEMS.

AND AS FOR THE MORALS OF AMERICANS, WE’RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE EITHER. THAT CAME IN SECOND TO LAST.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, WHERE WE STRIVE TO DELIVER JOURNALISM WITHOUT AGENDA.

Midday rundown: COVID-19 origins, Russian prisoner swaps