Monday morning news: February 19, 2024

SOUND: [Ukraine war]

Ukraine retreats from front line » Ukrainian troops fought their way out of the eastern city of Avdiivka over the weekend, forced to fall back to avoid being surrounded by Russian forces.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba:

KULEBA: People on the front line, officers, soldiers who are texting and saying, “It’s bad. We need more ammunition.”

IGOR KONASHENKOV : [Speaking Russian]

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Moscow’s forces have taken full control of the city.

KONASHENKOV: [Speaking Russian]

He said the “liberation of Avdiivka” allowed Moscow’s forces to move the front line away from Donetsk, thereby making it safer from Ukrainian attacks.

Washington Ukraine aid » President Biden has told leaders in Ukraine that he’s confident that the United Congress will eventually approve funding for more military aid.

And he said for the U.S. to walk away from Ukraine now would be “contrary to everything we are as a country.”

BIDEN: The Ukrainian people have fought so bravely and heroically. They’ve put so much on the line.

Meantime, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers has unveiled a counter-proposal to a Senate bill passed earlier this month.

The $66 billion dollar package would fund about $48 billion dollars in military aid to Ukraine. But it would leave out the additional economic aid for the country that was featured in the Senate bill. The House version would also exclude funds for humanitarian aid.

It’s unclear if that bill will make it to the House floor for a vote. But GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday:

GRAHAM: I see a pathway forward now for Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel. I see a way to secure our border in a more simple fashion.

With regard to the U.S.-Mexico border, it seeks, among other things, to reinstall the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy for asylum seekers.

Mayorkas meets with Guatemalan president » Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met with Guatemala’s newly elected-president Bernardo Arévalo over the weekend to talk about the migrant crisis and fighting transnational crime.

The meeting came just days after House lawmakers voted to impeach Mayorkas over what they called a breach of public trust for refusing to enforce immigration laws. The Senate will hold an impeachment trial in the weeks ahead.

Alexei Navalny death / mourners detained » Mourners and demonstrators have gathered outside Russian embassies around the world to pay tribute to the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

DEMONSTRATORS: Navalny was quite a positive man. He was an optimist, and he told us not to give up. So, we need to be optimists and don’t give up.

Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken Russian critic was a symbol of freedom to many. He died in an Arctic penal colony on Friday. The Kremlin said the cause of the 47-year-old’s death was “sudden death syndrome.”

Navalny had been imprisoned on charges that the U.S. government said were works of fiction.

In Russia, police have detained hundreds of people for publicly mourning Navalny. They’re also scooping up flowers laid out in his honor.

Russia threat » The Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Mike Turner spoke with NBC’s Meet the Press about Russia’s development of a new anti-satellite weapon.

TURNER: The threat is very serious. Everyone who’s looked at this used the same language that I have, that it is a very serious threat. I’m very glad that the administration is beginning to take action. I met with Jake Sullivan, and he began to lay out a plan that would hopefully begin to address this.

Jake Sullivan is White House national security adviser.

Turner sounded alarms last week about a new intelligence report which is said to speak of Russian plans to test and launch anti-satellite weapons into space.

Analysts say such a weapon could have the potential to largely cripple U.S. military communications on the battlefield.

Trump, Haley campaign » Less than a week away from the South Carolina Republican primary vote, Donald Trump’s only remaining GOP rival, Nikki Haley is campaigning hard in the state where she was twice elected as governor.

HALEY: We are working every ounce of this state, because I think we have a country to save.

But Trump, with a 25-point lead in recent South Carolina polls, isn’t worried about the state or Haley. He’s focused squarely on President Biden, telling supporters in Michigan:

TRUMP: A vote for Biden is a vote for Biden is a vote to send tens of thousands of Michigan jobs to China and other places that we don’t want them to go.

Only 1 point separates Trump and Biden in recent national polls.

Lakewood Church » Houston’s Lakewood Church held a service on Sunday dedicated to praise and healing, a week after a shooter opened fire outside the church's sanctuary.

Pastor Joel Osteen:

OSTEEN: Let me tell you, the security plan worked. This person never got into the auditorium — a lot of other things. I won’t go into the details. But we believe in the power of God, but God gives us wisdom and understanding. He gives people skill and expertise.

He thanked the church’s security team.

The shooter, 36-year-old Genesse Moreno, was shot and killed by two off-duty police officers.

Two people were wounded, including Moreno’s 7 year old son. Osteen wiped away tears as he spoke and said he was praying for the boy.

The attacker had a history of mental illness and legal trouble.

I’m Kent Covington.

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