Morning rundown: One year of war in Ukraine; China calls for ceasefire

KARAH RUCKER: TODAY MARKS ONE YEAR SINCE THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR BEGAN…AND TODAY…A NEW 2 BILLION DOLLAR SUPPORT PACKAGE IS ON ITS WAY TO UKRAINE FROM THE U.S. —

INCLUDING HIGH-TECH MILITARY EQUIPMENT AND AMMUNITION.

IN THE SAME STATEMENT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE — THE U.S. IS ALSO IMPOSING NEW SANCTIONS TO SLOW RUSSIA’S FUNDING.

THIS IS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR MARKS ONE YEAR

DMYTRO KULEBA | UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: “IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT RUSSIA TRIES AND HOW IT ATTEMPTS TO UNDERMINE INTERNATIONAL ORDER AND THE COALITION IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINE’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, IT FAILS ONE TIME AFTER ANOTHER. THE COALITION IS THERE.”

THE UNITED NATIONS HAS PASSED A NEW RESOLUTION WITH A 141 TO 7 VOTE DEMANDING RUSSIA TO WITHDRAW — TO END ITS ATTACKS ON UKRAINIAN CIVILIANS AND  INFRASTRUCTURE.

THE MEASURE PASSED IS MORESO A MESSAGE OF MUCH-GLOBAL-UNITY BACKING UKRAINE — AS IT’S NOT ENFORCEABLE IN INTERNATIONAL LAW.

THE RESOLUTION ALSO SEEKS TO HOLD RUSSIA ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY POTENTIAL WAR CRIMES.

THE WAR IS NOW GOING INTO ITS SECOND YEAR – WITH SOME WESTERN OFFICIALS ESTIMATING MORE THAN 100 THOUSAND CASUALTIES IN A YEAR’S TIME…INCLUDING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN CIVILIANS.

CHINA CALLS FOR A CEASEFIRE, PEACE TALKS

AS THE US ANNOUNCES A NEW ROUND OF MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE — CHINA HAS CALLED FOR A CEASE-FIRE BETWEEN UKRAINE AND MOSCOW —

UNVEILING A 12 POINT PROPOSAL TODAY TO MEDIATE AND END THE CONFLICT.

BEIJING HAS CLAIMED TO HAVE A NEUTRAL STANCE IN THE WAR – BUT HAS ALSO TOUTED ITS FRIENDSHIP WITH RUSSIA HAS NO LIMITS.

CHINA HAS ACCUSED WESTERN ALLIES — INCLUDING THE U.S. – OF PROVOKING THE CONFLICT BY PROVIDING UKRAINE WITH DEFENSE WEAPONS.

CHINA’S PROPOSAL URGES UKRAINE AND RUSSIA TO REOPEN DIALOGUE AND RESUME PEACE TALKS…AND THAT CHINA WILL PLAY A **CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE.

THE 12 POINT PAPER ALSO CALLS FOR WESTERN SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA TO END, MEASURES TO PREVENT ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS AND NUCLEAR FACILITIES, AND ENSURE GRAIN EXPORTS REMAIN UNINTERRUPTED.

NATO OFFICIALS HAVE ALREADY CAST SKEPTICISM ON CHINA’S EFFORTS TO MEDIATE AND END THE WAR IN UKRAINE – SAYING CHINA’S ALLIANCE WITH RUSSIA MEANS IT’S NOT A NEUTRAL MEDIATOR.

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: “CHINA DOESN’T HAVE MUCH CREDIBILITY BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONDEMN THE ILLEGAL INVASION OF UKRAINE. AND THEY ALSO SIGNED JUST DAYS BEFORE THE INVASION, AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN PRESIDENT XI AND PRESIDENT PUTIN ON A LIMITLESS PARTNERSHIP WITH RUSSIA.”

OVERHEATED WHEEL BEARING ON DERAILED TRAIN

FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS ARE RELEASING NEW DETAILS ABOUT THE TRAIN DERAILMENT IN OHIO EARLIER THIS MONTH. A PRELIMINARY REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD SHOWS THERE WERE MULTIPLE WARNING SIGNS BEFORE THE CRASH HAPPENED…BUT THE WORKERS *ON THE TRAIN* WEREN’T ALERTED.

THE REPORT FOCUSES ON AN OVERHEATED WHEEL BEARING ON THE TRAIN’S 23RD CAR.

THE REPORT SAYS SENSORS ALONG THE TRACK DETECTED THE TEMPERATURE ROSE BY 215-DEGREES IN A SPAN OF 30 MILES…

BUT DIDN’T REACH THE TEMPERATURE THAT WOULD TRIGGER ANY ALARM…UNTIL *JUST* BEFORE THE DISASTER.

THAT’S WHEN THE ENGINEER HIT THE BRAKES…BUT THE BEARING FAILED.

LAWMAKERS WILL USE THIS REPORT AS THEY LOOK TO POSSIBLY ADD NEW REGULATIONS TO PREVENT ANOTHER DERAILMENT.

43,700 FISH ESTIMATED DEAD

THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES HAS ALSO UPDATED THE NUMBER OF DEAD FISH FOUND AFTER THE DERAILMENT.

WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY ESTIMATED TO BE 35 HUNDRED FISH AND OTHER AMPHIBIANS KILLED — HAS NOW JUMPED TO 43 THOUSAND.

REMNANTS OF WINTER BLAST ACROSS COUNTRY

ROBERT INSLEY | TRUCK DRIVER: “THERE WAS A BIG TRUCK OVER HERE. HE COULDN’T GET UP THE HILL. ANOTHER TRUCK WAS THERE. COULDN’T GET UP THE HILL. THEY GOT CHAINS ON. SO I PARKED IT HERE. I HAD TO WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK. THAT’S THE SAFEST THING, YOU KNOW. I’VE BEEN UP ALL NIGHT LONG. I’M TIRED, YOU KNOW.”

WINTER WEATHER IS AFFECTING MANY REGIONS OF THE U.S. TODAY – THE AFTERMATH OF HEAVY SNOWFALL AND ICE STORMS IMPACTING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.

700 THOUSAND HOMES IN MICHIGAN WERE WITHOUT POWER FRIDAY MORNING AFTER WHAT A UTILITY PRESIDENT CALLED A “HISTORIC” ICE STORM.

PORTLAND OREGON RECORDED ITS SECOND HEAVIEST SNOW DAY ON RECORD WITH OVER 10 INCHES.

SOME MINNESOTANS HAD TO DIG THEMSELVES OUT FROM AS MUCH AS 21 INCHES OF SNOW.

BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WERE TO BLAME FOR MORE THAN 8 THOUSAND CANCELED OR DELAYED FLIGHTS ON THURSDAY.

THE STORM LARGELY MOVED TO THE EAST — WHERE SNOW AND ICE ARE SUPPOSED TO TAPER OFF TODAY – ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

ANTITRUST SUIT JEOPARDIZES ADOBE, FIGMA MERGER

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS PREPARING AN ANTITRUST LAWSUIT TO BLOCK ADOBE’S 20 BILLION DOLLAR ACQUISITION OF START-UP COMPANY FIGMA.

THAT’S ACCORDING TO A BLOOMBERG REPORT CITING AN UNNAMED SOURCE.

THE DEAL WAS ANNOUNCED BACK IN SEPTEMBER – IT WOULD BE ONE THE LARGEST TAKEOVERS OF A SOFTWARE START-UP.

FIGMA IS USED BY COMPANIES TO DESIGN APPS AND WEBSITES. ADOBE PLANNED TO USE THE ACQUISITION AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PICK UP TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE ITS OWN EXISTING PROGRAMS IN THE CREATIVE CLOUD.

ADOBE PLANS TO CLOSE THE FIGMA DEAL THIS YEAR. THE ANTITRUST LAWSUIT COULD BE FILED AS SOON AS NEXT MONTH ACCORDING TO BLOOMBERG.

BEN THE BEAR ESCAPES ZOO ENCLOSURE

BEN THE BEAR WAS ASKING ZOO-GOERS AT THE SAINT LOUIS ZOO TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY – WHILE HE ENJOYED A STROLL OUTSIDE OF HIS ENCLOSURE.

THE CURIOUS BEAR WAS DETERMINED TO REACH FREEDOM – TEARING THROUGH STAINLESS STEEL CLIPS SECURING HIS ENCLOSURE.

THOSE CLIPS ARE RATED TO WITHSTAND 450 POUNDS OF RESISTANCE – BUT IT WAS NO PROBLEM FOR BEN.

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME BEN HAS BEEN CAUGHT PERUSING THE ZOO GROUNDS.

BEN ESCAPED JUST EARLIER THIS MONTH! BOTH TIMES THE ZOO HAD TO TRANQUILIZE THE BEAR TO GET HIM BACK INTO ITS ENCLOSURE.

THE ZOO IS NOW HAVING TO CONSULT WITH AN ADVISORY GROUP TO DETERMINE BETTER METHODS TO KEEP BEN IN HIS HABITAT.