Monday morning news - April 11, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Ukraine bracing for Russian offensive in eastern region » Ukraine’s military is lining up more firepower as the country braces for a major Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko told ABC’s This Week.

KLITSCHKO: Whatever Russia is planning to do, we have our strategy, and this strategy is based on the confidence that we will win this war, and we will liberate our territories.

Experts say Russia could launch a new full-scale offensive in the east within days. And the Kremlin has reportedly appointed a new general to lead the attack.

Alexander Dvornikov is one of Russia’s most seasoned commanders.

The 60-year-old general gained prominence as head of the Russian forces that fought in Syria in 2015 to shore up dictator Bashar Assad’s regime.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the move is not a good sign.

PSAKI: Putting a general in charge who is responsible for the brutality and the atrocities we saw in Syria shows that there's going to be a continuation of what we have already seen on the ground in Ukraine, and that’s what we are expecting.

Russian forces led by Gen. Dvornikov destroyed whole cities while dropping barrel bombs that targeted civilians.

The West says the Russian military has already committed war crimes, including airstrikes on hospitals and a missile attack that killed 52 people at a train station on Friday. That’s in addition to the devastation of Mariupol and atrocities that came to light as Russian soldiers withdrew from the outskirts of Kyiv.

West sends more weapons to Ukraine » The West is sending more weapons to Ukraine as it tries to beat back the Russian invasion.

The U.S. government says it continues to rush defensive weapons to Ukraine. National security adviser Jake Sullivan:

SULLIVAN: We have developed plans to deliver those as rapidly as possible. Some have been delivered. Others are in the process of being delivered. And we will continue to work aggressively to get Ukraine what it needs to strengthen its hand on the battlefield and to strengthen its hand at the bargaining table.

Slovakia is supplying a powerful S-300 air defense system. The United States will replace that by sending a Patriot missile defense system to Slovakia.

But many in Ukraine are urging the West to stop placing limits on weapons it supplies for example, withholding fighter jets. Ukrainian Parliament member Kira Rudik:

RUDIK: We need the heavy weapons. We need the jets that we have been asking continuously. It will be very hard to win without them.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend in Kyiv to talk about what Ukraine needs to win the war. The two leaders were also seen touring the streets of the now-quiet streets capital city.

Texas Lt. Gov. fires back at White House over plan to bus migrants to Washington » Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick fired back at the White House on Sunday over the state’s plan to start busing migrants to Washington D.C.

Thousands of migrants cross the border into Texas each week. Republican Governor Greg Abbott says Democrats in Washington are ignoring the problem, so his state will start dropping many of those migrants off on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

The White House is calling it a “publicity stunt.” But Patrick said on Sunday …

PATRICK: Well, I don’t think it’s a gimmick. I think this is — you’re seeing the first step of a constitutional showdown between the governor and the legislature in the state of Texas and the federal government.

That showdown comes as the CDC prepares to lift Title 42. That's a pandemic measure that allows the government to limit who crosses into the country. The White House says Title 42 is an emergency pandemic measure, not an “immigration authority.” Jen Psaki said on Sunday …

PSAKI: It’s an authority given to the CDC, actually by Congress, to make a determination about whether it should still stay in place.

But GOP Congressman Jim Jordan countered …

JORDAN: You can’t say COVID is so serious still, we need billions of more dollars of American tax money, and at the same time say we’re getting rid of Title 42, which is the only thing keeping a chaotic situation from getting worse.

The CDC is set to end Title 42 on May 23rd. Republicans say that will further throw open the floodgates at the southern border.

Maryland Democrats override governor to expand abortion access » Democratic lawmakers in Maryland over the weekend overrode the state’s Republican governor to expand access to abortion. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher reports.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: Until now, only physicians could legally perform abortions in Maryland. State lawmakers passed a bill that authorizes nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and physician assistants to do the procedure.

Gov. Larry Hogan on Friday vetoed that measure. He said the legislation “endangers the health and lives of women by allowing non-physicians to perform abortions.”

But just a day later, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly overrode his veto.

The bill crates a—quote—“abortion care training program” with an annual price tag of $3.5 million.

It also requires most insurance plans to cover abortions without cost.

The measure comes at a time when the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing protections for the unborn across the country.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

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

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