Russia targets Ukrainian port after pulling out of grain deal: July 18 rundown

KARAH RUCKER: ONE DAY AFTER UKRAINE WAS ACCUSED OF TARGETING RUSSIA INFRASTRUCTURE –MOSCOW HITS BACK. THE KEY PORT FOR GRAIN EXPORT THAT FELL UNDER ATTACK THIS MORNING.

AND —THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING AFTER A PLANE LOSES AN EMERGENCY SLIDE MID-FLIGHT. THE RUNDOWN STARTS NOW. THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. 

BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.

TODAY IS MONDAY — JULY 17TH.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

RUSSIA TARGETS ODESA AFTER SUSPENDING GRAIN DEAL

NEW FALLOUT —  AFTER RUSSIA PULLED OUT OF ITS GRAIN DEAL WITH UKRAINE YESTERDAY.

RUSSIA HAS NOW TARGETED THE UKRAINIAN PORT CITY OF ODESSA — LAUNCHING SIX CRUISE MISSILES AND 25 EXPLODING DRONES THIS MORNING.

THE MISSILES AND DRONES WERE ALL SHOT DOWN — BUT DEBRIS AND SHOCK WAVES DAMAGED PORT FACILITIES AND RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS — INJURING ONE.

THIS ATTACK — AS WELL RUSSIA’S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE GRAIN DEAL — FOLLOWS AN APPARENT UKRAINIAN ATTACK ON THE KEY BRIDGE CONNECTING RUSSIA TO CRIMEA.

UKRAINE ATTEMPTED A DRONE STRIKE ON CRIMEA TODAY — BUT IT WAS FOILED BY RUSSIAN DEFENSE FORCES.

AS FOR THE GRAIN DEAL — THE KREMLIN SAID IT WILL BE SUSPENDED UNTIL MOSCOW’S DEMANDS TO LIFT RESTRICTIONS ON EXPORTS OF RUSSIAN FOOD AND FERTILIZER TO THE WORLD — ARE MET.

THE DECISION WAS WIDELY DENOUNCED BY WESTERN OFFICIALS MONDAY.

John Kirby | National security council spokesman: “Russia’s decision to resume its effective blockade of Ukrainian ports and prevent this grain from getting to markets will harm people all over the world. Indeed, we are already seeing a spike in global wheat, corn and soybean prices just today as a result of Russia’s suspension. We urge the government of Russia to immediately reverse its decision.”

FIRST PRETRIAL CONFERENCE IN TRUMP CASE

TODAY WILL SEE THE FIRST PRETRIAL CONFERENCE IN THE LANDMARK CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CONCERNING THE MISHANDLING OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS.

U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE AILEEN CANNON WILL DECIDE ON HOW CLASSIFIED INFORMATION WILL BE HANDLED IN THE CASE.

THE DATE OF THE TRIAL ITSELF COULD ALSO COME UP. 

WHILE PROSECUTORS HAVE PROPOSED THE TRIAL TO BEGIN IN DECEMBER, TRUMP’S LAWYERS HAVE SUGGESTED IT BE POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AS THE FORMER PRESIDENT SEEKS ANOTHER RUN IN THE WHITE HOUSE.

 TRUMP AND HIS AID WALT (NOT) NAUT HAVE PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO AN INDICTMENT THAT ACCUSED THEM OF STORING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS AT HIS MAR-A-LAGO ESTATE AND TRYING TO HIDE THEM FROM THE GOVERNMENT. 

PHOENIX HITS 110 DEGREES FOR 18TH STRAIGHT DAY

TWO LOCATIONS MORE THAN 6,000 MILES APART BY AIR ARE EXPERIENCING DANGEROUS WEATHER CONDITIONS AS THE SUMMER HEATS UP.    

THE SUMMER HEAT-WAVE IN PHOENIX ARIZONA HAS BEEN PERSISTENT —

TEMPERATURES HAVE HOVERED OVER 110 DEGREES —

FOR 18 DAYS STRAIGHT.

IT’S BEEN DEADLY —

AND THERE’S NO END IN SIGHT.

TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST AT 115 DEGREES OR ABOVE EVERY DAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

PHOENIX TIED THE RECORD ON MONDAY FOR THE LONGEST STREAK AT 110 DEGREES OR HIGHER AFTER HITTING ITS 18TH CONSECUTIVE DAY.

THAT RECORD IS EXPECTED TO BE BROKEN TODAY.

THERE WERE 12 HEAT-RELATED DEATHS IN THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY IN PHOENIX.

55 HEAT RELATED DEATHS SINCE THE START OF THE SUMMER.

GREECE WILDFIRES TEAR THROUGH COASTAL COMMUNITIES

MEANWHILE IN GREECE —

WILDFIRES HAVE FORCED THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES AS TWO LARGE BLAZES ARE TEARING THROUGH COASTAL COMMUNITIES —

A SEASIDE RESORT AREA HAS EVACUATED AS WILDFIRES GROW DANGEROUSLY CLOSE. WILDFIRES ARE COMMON IN GREECE IN THE SUMMERTIME.

FDA APPROVES RSV DRUG FOR INFANTS

THE FDA HAS APPROVED THE FIRST LONG-ACTING DRUG TO PROTECT INFANTS AND TODDLERS FROM THE RESPIRATORY VIRUS KNOWN AS RSV.

THE ANTIBODY PREVENTIVE THERAPY, CALLED BEYFORTUS, WAS APPROVED MONDAY FOR INJECTION FOR CHILDREN UP TO 2 YEARS OLD WHO ARE VULNERABLE TO SEVERE RSV.  

IN A STATEMENT, JOHN FARLEY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE FDA’S OFFICE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, SAID, QUOTE:

“TODAY’S APPROVAL ADDRESSES THE GREAT NEED FOR PRODUCTS TO HELP REDUCE THE IMPACT OF RSV DISEASE ON CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.”  

THE DRUG IS SAID TO BECOME AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES AHEAD OF THE UPCOMING COLD SEASON. RSV IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF HOSPITALIZATION IN INFANTS. LAST YEAR, HOSPITALS SAW A SURGE OF CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH THE VIRUS. 

EMERGENCY SLIDE ON UNITED PLANE ACCIDENTALLY DEPLOYS

AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION SLIDE FROM A UNITED AIRLINES PLANE FELL OFF MID-FLIGHT –ON ITS WAY TO CHICAGO O’HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

THE SLIDE WAS FOUND IN A NEARBY NEIGHBORHOOD IN SOMEONE’S BACK YARD.

MAINTENANCE WORKERS NOTICED THE SLIDE WAS MISSING AND REPORTED IT TO THE F-A-A. THE FLIGHT HAD JUST ARRIVED FROM SWITZERLAND.

THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING HOW THE EMERGENCY LANDING DEVICE WAS DEPLOYED.

AUSTRALIAN MAN AND DOG SURVIVE 3 MONTHS LOST AT SEA

A REAL-LIFE CASTAWAY HAS SURVIVED THREE MONTHS LOST AT SEA WITH HIS COMPANION — NOT WILSON THE VOLLEYBALL.

BUT BELLA — HIS DOG.

AN AUSTRALIAN SAILOR — TIMOTHY SHADDOCK BECAME LOST AT SEA AFTER STORM DAMAGED HIS BOAT AND WIPED OUT HIS ELECTRONICS.

SHADDOCK SAID THE TWO LONE-PASSENGERS — HIMSELF AND HIS FOUR-LEGGED FRIEND — SURVIVED ON RAW FISH — AND RAIN WATER — FOR NEARLY 100 DAYS.

IT WAS A “MEXICAN TUNA BOAT” THAT WOULD FIND THE VESSEL 12 HUNDRED MILES OFFSHORE — COMING TO THE TWO’S RESCUE.

THANKS FOR WATCHING STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS WHERE OUR MISSION IS TO BRING YOU UNBIASED, FACT-BASED REPORTING. 

AND WE ARE DOING JUST THAT.

TWO SEPARATE INDUSTRY WATCHDOGS CONFIRM S-A-N IS REPORTING RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. 

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UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S S-A-N.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER

HAVE A GREAT DAY!