It's Thursday morning, what do we know?
Zelenskyy's addresses the Ukrainian parliament and Southwest woes continue
What do we know in Ukraine?
On Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, for the final time this year. The address took place behind closed doors and was delayed 90-minutes because of an air raid alert. Some excerpts from the speech:
“Ukraine is on its way to the victory that generations of our people dreamed of. Our children are dreaming about it now. Our parents and grandfathers dreamed about it, too. What was not achieved before will be achieved now”
“This is possible thanks to the fact that for the first time in centuries, we have national unity, our own functioning state, and the general unity of the world”
“A year ago, it seemed impossible that our state would have Patriot air defense systems. But now we have such an agreement. This is a special sign of trust in Ukraine. This is a true alliance with the U.S”
You can read more about Zelenskyy’s parliamentary address in the Kyiv Independent here
Some key facts and statistics since the war began in late February:
According to Ukrainian estimates, somewhere between 8,300 and 33,000 civilians have been killed since the war began, with another 40,000 casualties
According to the Ukrainian government, 10,000 troops have been killed in action. The United States puts the total dead and wounded in combat at 100,000
According to United States’ estimates, Russian killed and wounded total more than 100,000. The U.S. estimates about 20,000 Russian troops have been killed and about 80,000 have been wounded
Since the initial Russian invasion. Ukraine has liberated approximately 1800 cities, towns and settlements
Since the war began, Ukraine has been granted status as a European Union candidate
Since the war began, Sweden and Finland, longtime holdouts, have applied for NATO membership. Admission is expected early in 2023, pending the resolution of Turkish objections
What do we know?
The United States announced Wednesday that all travelers arriving in the country from China will be required to present a negative Covid-19 test. In a statement from the CDC, officials cited the lack of reliable data from Chinese authorities—who have stopped publishing any information related to infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths—as well as an absence of information regarding new Covid strains that may have emerged as a result of the surge in cases
Barry Croft Jr, who was convicted in August for his part in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, was sentenced to 19 years in prison on Wednesday. The sentence came a day after another plot ringleader, Adam Fox, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Both men were members of the far-right Three Percenters militia. In both cases, prosecutors had sought life sentences but the 19 and 16 year sentences imposed by the judge are the longest so far of those involved in the kidnapping plot
Travel woes continued for passengers of Southwest Airlines on Wednesday and will continue at least through today and very likely into the new year. Southwest preemptively canceled about 60% of its flights scheduled for today, after canceling a similar number yesterday and even more the day before. In all, about 11,000 Southwest flights have been canceled since late last week. The airline’s failures have affected travelers nationwide, stranding Southwest passengers in Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando, San Diego, Denver and a dozen more locations. Stranded passengers report that the airlines is yet to issue refunds and many say they have no idea where their luggage is and no way to find it
The National Guard went door-to-door around Buffalo on Wednesday, checking on the welfare of people who lost power during the weekend storm. City officials remain concerned that more people may have died from the frigid temperatures over the weekend. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said, “We are fearful that there are individuals who may have perished, living alone, or people who are not doing well.” As of Wednesday night, the death toll in western New York had risen to 30
Anne Donnelly, the Republican DA for Nassau County on Long Island, has opened an investigation into Jew-ish, gay-ish Rep.-elect George Santos. Donnelly released a statement to Newsday on Wednesday afternoon, saying, “The numerous fabrications and inconsistencies associated with Congressman-Elect Santos are nothing short of stunning. The residents of Nassau County and other parts of the third district must have an honest and accountable representative in Congress. No one is above the law and if a crime was committed in this county, we will prosecute it."
I’ve never been a fan of the cult that’s arisen around Greta Thunberg, but credit where it’s due:
