Month: March 2022

President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that another $800 million in military aid will be approved for Ukraine; this after President Volodymyr Zelensky made an appeal for assistance before a joint session of Congress.  Biden said the military support will include 800 anti-aircraft systems, 9,000 anti-armor systems, 7,000 small arms, drones and other equipment.  Biden said in an address from the White House: ‘This could be a long and difficult battle. But the American people will be steadfast in our support of the people of Ukraine in the face of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s immoral, unethical attacks on civilian populations. We are united in our abhorrence of Putin’s depraved onslaught. And we’re going to continue to have their backs as they fight for their freedom, their democracy, their very survival.”

Biden’s announcement came just hours after Zelensky urged lawmakers to do more to help Ukraine. Presenting a video that showed graphic footage on the ground in Ukraine, Zelensky said: “Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people. To create a no-fly zone over Ukraine, to save people, is this too much to ask? Humanitarian, no-fly zone, something that Russia would not be able to terrorize our free cities. If this is too much to ask, we offer an alternative. You know what kind of defense systems we need, such as 300 and similar other systems. You know how much depends on the battlefield, on the ability to use aircraft. Powerful, strong aviation to protect our people.”

In his address, Zelensky directly asked Biden:“I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.”  His appeals came as negotiators resumed peace talks on Wednesday, where Zelensky said that discussions are coming along slowly and that they’re beginning to “sound more realistic.”

Editorial credit: BiksuTong / Shutterstock.com

The Texas Department of Public Safety announced Wednesday that a college van carrying the University of Southwest’s men’s and women’s golf teams collided head-on with a pickup truck in West Texas, killing nine people and injuring two. Among the casualties were six students and their coach, as well as the driver and passenger in the other involved vehicle.  University President Quint Thurman said in a statement: “We are still learning the details about the accident, but we are devastated and deeply saddened to learn about the loss of our students’ lives and and their coach.”

The crash killed Tyler James, USW’s golf coach who was driving the van at the time, as well as 38-year-old truck driver Henrich Siemens, of Seminole. Siemens’ passenger, a 13-year-old boy, also died in the collision. The USW students killed were Mauricio Sanchez, 19, of Mexico; Travis Garcia, 19, of Pleasanton, Texas; Jackson Zinn, 22, of Westminster, Colo.; Karissa Raines, 21, of Fort Stockton, Texas; Laci Stone, 18, of Nocona, Texas; and Tiago Sousa, 18, of Portugal.  Two other students, Dayton Price and Hayden Underhill, were transported to the hospital in critical condition.

USW is a private Christian university based in Hobbs, N.M. James was entering his first season as head coach of both the men’s and women’s golf teams  The team was headed to a tournament in Midland, Texas, on Thursday and was scheduled to play in a tournament at Midland College.

In a statement, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said: “We grieve with the loved ones of the individuals whose lives were horrifically taken too soon in this fatal vehicle crash near Andrews last night.” 

Editorial credit: carl ballou / Shutterstock.com

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed a bill in an unanimous voice vote that would make daylight savings time permanent, potentially putting an end to the twice-annual time changes. Called the Sunlight Protection Act, the bill will now go to the House, and if passed, will head to President Joe Biden’s desk for approval.  The federal legislation comes after around 30 states have passed legislation to make it daylight savings time year-round. If passed by the House and signed into law by Biden, the practice of changing the clocks will be ended across the United States.

The system began in the United States in 1918, and was originally put into place by Germany to conserve fuel during World War I.  Subsequently, the time change was adopted by the rest of Europe before being picked up by the United States in the Standard Time Act. Since then, Americans have changed their clocks twice every year under the assumption that it helps to conserve energy.

According to a Department of Transportation study from 1975, the United States used around one percent less energy during daylight savings time. However, a 2006 study in Indiana found that the opposite was true: rather than cutting down on energy usage, it actually increases by about one percent during daylight savings time months.

Supporters of daylight savings time credit the time change with helping to reduce crime as it increases daylight hours, making it harder for criminals to go undetected. It has also been credited with helping to reduce traffic accidents, as drivers are better able to see.  On the flip side, those in support of the Sunlight Protection Act say that it would help Americans to avoid the psychological consequences of daylight savings time, which has been shown by some research to exacerbate seasonal depression.

Editorial credit: ItzaVU / Shutterstock.com

White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Tuesday that President Joe Biden plans to travel to Brussels next week to meet with world leaders to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Psaki’s announcement confirmed speculation earlier in the week that Biden was in the early stages of planning a trip to Europe.

Psaki confirmed that Biden will take part in a NATO summit scheduled for March 24, during which NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said leaders will discuss the war in Ukraine and strengthening the allies’ defenses.  She added during a White House press briefing that the President “will also join a scheduled European Council summit to discuss our shared concerns about Ukraine, including trans-Atlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence and address other challenges related to the conflict” and that Biden prefers “face-to-face diplomacy” with the United States’ European allies.  Psaki declined to comment on whether Biden plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his trip to Europe.

Editorial credit: Chris Allan / Shutterstock.com

Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured while reporting near Ukraine’s capital, the network said Monday. Hall has been hospitalized, however it is not yet clear how he was injured or how severe his injuries are, according to the network.  Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said in a memo to employees: “Earlier today, our correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured while news gathering outside of Kyiv in Ukraine. We have a minimal level of details right now, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds.”

Hall’s injury comes just one day after another American journalist, Brent Renaud, was shot and killed in Ukraine. Renaud was killed and another journalist was wounded by Russian forces in the town of Irpin outside the capital of Kyiv as they were traveling to film refugees, according to the head of Kyiv’s regional police force.

The State Department Correspondents’ Association President Shaun Tandon said in a statement:  “We know Ben for his warmth, good humor and utmost professionalism. We wish Ben a quick recovery and call for utmost efforts to protect journalists who are providing an invaluable service through their coverage in Ukraine.”

Hall recently said on-air that reporting from Ukraine “is a lot like other stories that we’ve gone through in the digital age in which an image is taken and then played over and over and over again to create some kind of emotional response out of you, because that makes a profit for news companies. This is not the media trying to drum up some emotional response. This is absolutely what’s happening.  It is an absolute catastrophe. And the people caught in the middle are the ones who are really suffering.”

Editorial credit: Oleksandr Polonskyi / Shutterstock.com

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) – the second-largest public school district in the nation — said that it will be keeping a mask mandate in place, despite the end of California’s statewide mask mandate for indoor public places.

Monday, March 14th marked the first day students in California were able to attend school without having to wear a mask. However for over 600,000 students of LAUSD, the indoor mask mandate remains in place as a result of negotiations between the school district and its teachers’ union. LAUSD said it is still working with partners, including United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), to come up with a plan to shift from mask requirements to “strongly recommending” wearing masks indoors. Per a September 2021 agreement, any changes to the district’s health and safety protocols must be negotiated between both the district and the union.

LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said in a statement:  “I am 100 percent committed to upholding our science-based approach to COVID-19 protocols. I strongly support amending Los Angeles Unified’s previously negotiated agreements to align with current health guidance released by the State of California and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.  Los Angeles Unified continues to take a science-based approach to COVID-19 policy and is currently working with labor partners and other stakeholders to transition from required indoor masking to a strong recommendation for indoor masking.”

The teachers union said that LAUSD officials will meet with UTLA leaders again on March 16 to discuss the matter.

Editorial credit: wavebreakmedia / Shutterstock.com