Friday morning news - April 22, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Biden announces heavy artillery, other weapons for Ukraine » President Biden on Thursday pledged an additional $1.3 billion in aid to Ukraine.

$800 million of that will go to Ukraine’s military.

BIDEN: This package includes heavy artillery weapons, dozens of howitzers, and 144,000 rounds of ammunition.

U.S. soldiers will be training Ukrainian troops on those weapons.

Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said what they’re sending is exactly what’s needed for the new battle in Ukraine’s east.

KIRBY: We believed, but more critically, the Ukrainians believed that they needed additional artillery firepower.

President Biden said the weapons will be sent—quote—“directly to the front lines of freedom.”

As part of that package, the United States will also provide another $500 million in direct economic assistance. That will go to help pay government salaries, pensions and other programs.

That raises the total U.S. economic support to $1 billion since Russia’s invasion began.

Putin declares victory in Mariupol » Meantime, Vladimir Putin is declaring victory in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the violent siege a liberation.

PESKOV: Mariupol has been liberated. Today, the minister of defense reported that there is an opportunity to start restoring peaceful life, to bring back the residents.

But many residents never left. Instead, thousands have been trapped inside the shattered city without power … and with limited access to food, water and medicine.

As for the remaining Ukrainian soldiers in the city, a few thousand are estimated to be holed up at a sprawling steel plant. Putin says the plan now is to simply starve them out.

He has ordered his forces to seal off the area—quote— “so that not even a fly comes through.”

Ukraine says Moscow is falsely claiming victory and it is not giving up on defending Mariupol.

DHS extends vaccine requirements for entry at Mexico, Canada borders » The Department of Health and Human Services has again extended a vaccine mandate for those crossing U.S. borders. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: The United States will maintain its stance that people crossing into the country from Mexico or Canada must be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The agency did not give an expiration date for the mandate. Migrants must provide documentation to show they’ve received a U.S.-approved vaccine.

President Biden today announced a Ukrainian sponsorship program designed to discourage refugees from entering the country through the Mexican border. Under the program, refugees must have a sponsor in the states, be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and pass background checks. Then they can apply for a two-year temporary protected status.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate (anytime) » The Biden administration is appealing a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and other transportation earlier this week.

After the ruling, most airlines and airports, many public transit systems, and even ride-sharing companies dropped their mask requirements.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said he doesn’t think masks are necessary on flights with heavily filtered air.

KIRBY: An airplane, particularly because of the airflow on an airplane, is literally the safest place you can be indoors and be around other people.

But the CDC said it believes a transportation mask order “remains necessary for public health.”

WHO reports big drop in global COVID cases » The World Health Organization is reporting a big drop in the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide. WORLD’s Anna Johansen Brown has more.

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN, REPORTER: The WHO says global cases fell by nearly a quarter last week. That continues a downward trend that started late last month.

The UN agency reported just over 5.5 million cases for the week. That was down 24 percent from the week before.

Cases dipped in every region but not in every country. The United States has seen a slight uptick in recent weeks.

After dipping below 30,000 daily cases in late March, new U.S. cases have crept up to just under 40,000 per day.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen Brown.

CNN’s streaming service shutting down a month after launch » CNN is shutting down its new streaming service less than a month after launching it.

AUDIO: I’m Anderson Cooper, and we have a new show on CNN+ That’s a little more relaxed.

The shutdown is a spectacular flameout for a venture that had attracted media stars like Chris Wallace and Alison Roman and was seen as a way to attract a new generation of news consumers.

It launched March 29th, shortly before the network’s new corporate parents took over. The new leaders of Warner Bros. Discovery considered CNN+ an ill-conceived idea. The subscription-based service will stop streaming at the end of this month.

Some CNN+ employees will be shifted within the network. Others will be laid off.

I’m Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org. 

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