Morning rundown: Zelenskyy in DC; Trump’s tax returns to be released

KARAH RUCKER: TAX RETURNS OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ARE BEING RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC. BUT FIRST…UKRAINE’S PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY WILL BE IN WASHINGTON TODAY

THIS IS YOUR MORNING RUNDOWN AIMED DOWN THE MIDDLE WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

ZELENSKYY TO VISIT BIDEN IN WASHINGTON

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY WILL BE MEETING WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN AND CONGRESS TODAY IN HIS FIRST FOREIGN TRIP SINCE RUSSIA INVADED IN FEBRUARY.

THE MEETING COMES AS CONGRESS IS POISED TO PASS 45 BILLION DOLLARS IN ADDITIONAL MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE.

IF IT PASSES…U.S. FINANCIAL SUPPORT WOULD SUPPORT 100 BILLION DOLLARS SINCE THE START OF THE WAR.

ZELENSKYY WILL GIVE A SPEECH TO CONGRESS TODAY AND HOLD A JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN.

STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW TODAY’S AGENDA AND BRING YOU UPDATES AS THEY OCCUR.

FATE OF TITLE 42 STILL IN LIMBO

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ULTIMATELY WANTS THE SUPREME COURT TO END TITLE 42. JUST NOT YET.

THE WHITE HOUSE IS ASKING FOR AT LEAST A ONE WEEK EXTENSION CITING MORE TIME IS NEEDED TO PREPARE FOR THE PROJECTED SURGE OF MIGRANTS ONCE THE ORDER LIFTS.

THE EXTENSION REQUESTS COMES AS THE WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL TRAVEL TO MEXICO NEXT MONTH FOR A MEETING WITH NORTH AMERICAN LEADERS.

VOICE OF: JOHN KIRBY | NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESPERSON: “I don’t want to get ahead of where we are with respect to Title 42, but I would just say generally Mexico and Canada, quite frankly, they’ve been great partners when it comes to migration. And I fully expect that at this summit next month that those that the three leaders will be talking about ways to strengthen that cooperation writ large.”

TITLE 42 WAS SUPPOSED TO LIFT TODAY BEFORE THE INTERVENTION OF THE SUPREME COURT THIS WEEK. NOW IT’S UP TO THE JUSTICES TO DECIDE THE FATE OF TITLE 42.

UNTIL THEY MAKE A DECISION…TITLE 42 WILL REMAIN IN PLACE.

CONGRESS TO RELEASE TRUMP TAXES

REP. RICHARD NEAL | (D) MASSACHUSETTS: “The clerk will report the tally. Mr. Chairman, on this vote, I have 24 yeas, 16 nos. They’re being 24 ayes and 16 nos, the motion to submit the committee report to The House as agreed to and the documents are ordered reported to The House.”

THE HOUSE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S TAX FILINGS WILL NOW RELEASE TRUMP’S TAX RETURNS LIKELY GOING BACK SIX YEARS.

THE COMMITTEE VOTING TUESDAY NIGHT TO RELEASE THE RECORDS AFTER MAKING REDACTIONS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

THE COMMITTEE RELEASED OF SUMMARY OF WHAT THE TAX RETURNS CONSIST OF. THE REPORT INDICATES TRUMP PAID 1.1 MILLION DOLLARS IN TAXES IN HIS FIRST THREE YEARS AS PRESIDENT. THEN PAID ZERO INCOME TAX AFTER REPORTING A 4.8 MILLION DOLLAR LOSS IN 2020.

CRITICS OF THE TAX RELEASE SAY IT OVERTURNS DECADES OF PRIVACY PROTECTIONS. WHILE SUPPORTERS ARGUE ALL PRESIDENTS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO MANDATORY TAX AUDITS.

REP. RICHARD NEAL | (D) MASSACHUSETTS: “I think that it’s fair to say that there’s going to be broad support for this, I believe, in The House and the Senate. This takes care of ending any potential confusion or chicanery as it relates to the audit program.”

ELON MUSK SEARCHES FOR TWITTER CEO

ELON MUSK TOOK TO TWITTER TUESDAY NIGHT TO SAY HE WILL RESIGN AS TWITTER’S CEO ONCE HE FINDS SOMEONE QUOTE “FOOLISH ENOUGH TO TAKE THE JOB.”

AFTER THAT, MUSK SAYS HE WILL RUN THE SOFTWARE AND SERVERS TEAM.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME MUSK HAS RESPONDED TO A POLL CONDUCTED OVER THE WEEKEND ASKING TWITTER USERS WHETHER OR NOT HE SHOULD BE CEO.

THE VOTE CONCLUDED WITH 57% OF USERS SAYING HE SHOULD STEP DOWN.

TALIBAN BARS WOMEN FROM COLLEGES

WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO PURSUE A HIGHER-EDUCATION IN THE TALIBAN’S LATEST RULING AGAINST WOMEN’S RIGHTS.

THE RULING-GOVERNMENT SAYS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY…UNIVERSITIES WILL NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM CLASSES AND CAMPUSES.

THE TALIBAN HAS ALSO BANNED GIRLS FROM MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, BANNED MOST EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN, AND ORDER THEM TO WEAR HEAD-TO-TOE CLOTHING IN PUBLIC.

THE MOVE — DRAWING REBUKE FROM THE U-S.

NED PRICE | STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: “Afghanistan is already losing more than $1 billion per year in contributions that women could be making to the economy. Now, the Taliban have imposed these losses on the Afghan people for an indefinite future. Furthermore, the Taliban have permanently sentenced Afghan women to a darker and more barren future without opportunity.”

THE TALIBAN-RULE WAS STOPPED FOR 20 YEARS WHILE THE U.S. WAS OVER THERE.

BUT THE TALIBAN RECLAIMED LEADERSHIP…FOLLOWING AMERICA’S DEPARTURE FROM AFGHANISTAN LAST YEAR.

AIRLINES ADJUST AHEAD OF BAD WEATHER

WE’RE NOW ON THE EVE OF AN ARCTIC BLAST PROJECTED TO BRING FEELS-LIKE TEMPERATURES DEEP INTO THE NEGATIVES FOR MUCH OF THE NORTH AND MIDWEST.

SNOW, STRONG WINDS, BLIZZARDS, AND FREEZING TEMPS WILL RAIN DOWN ON MUCH OF THE U.S BEGINNING THIS EVENING AND LASTING THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY.

MORE THAN 70 MILLION PEOPLE ARE UNDER A WINTER WEATHER ALERT.

MAJOR AIRLINES ARE ALREADY REBOOKING FLIGHTS FOR TRAVELERS IN ANTICIPATION OF FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS.

FLIGHT CANCELLATION FEES ARE BEING WAIVED BY MOST MAJOR AIRLINES…FOR THOSE RETHINKING THEIR HOLIDAY TRAVEL PLANS DUE TO BAD WEATHER.