Monday morning news - March 21, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Zelensky condemns Russian ‘war crimes’ in Mariupol » Ukrainian leaders say Russia’s violent siege of the port city of Mariupol will go down in history for war crimes committed against citizens.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova.

MARKAROVA: We're hearing all these horrific reports about targeting the school, the art school with four hundred people hiding in the basement. And what happens in Mariupol is- is an epitome of war crime.

It’s unclear how many injuries or deaths resulted from the bombing of that art school.

The people of Mariupol have suffered the worst of the war. If Russia fully captures the city, it would link Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014 to eastern territories controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.

And attacks continue on other Ukrainian cities, including the capital. The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, is heard here through a translator…

KLITSCHKO: There is a kindergarten nearby, and here is a large crater. The building is destroyed. The windows are blown out completely, cars are burned down.

The United Nations says 10 million Ukrainians have had to flee their homes. Most are taking refuge elsewhere in Ukraine, while 3.5 million refugees have fled the country.

Maryland, Georgia suspend state gas tax » Gas prices, nationally, are still hovering around an all-time high at $4.25 per gallon on average. But prices are down significantly in at least two states. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: In Maryland, drivers are getting a little relief at the pump. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan on Friday announced a bipartisan measure to pause the state’s gas tax for 30 days. That’ll save drivers about 36 cents per gallon for regular unleaded.

Fellow Republican Governor Brian Kemp announced a similar gas tax freeze in Georgia through the end of May. That should lower gas prices by 29 cents per gallon there.

And governors and lawmakers in several other states are pushing similar measures.

But not all governors back the idea. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, says she’ll likely veto a bill to pause the state gas tax for six months. She’s calling for the federal government to suspend the national gas tax instead.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Fauci: New virus strain could lead to more cases but wave unlikely » A new sub-variant of the COVID-19 omicron strain is spreading in Europe and Asia.

Top White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci told ABC’s This Week it could spark an uptick in new cases here in the United States.

FAUCI: It has a degree of transmission advantage over the original omicron, but not a multi-fold advantage. So it’s about 50 to 60 percent more transmissible.

He said it could take over as the dominant strain here, but he does not expect a major surge or a second omicron wave.

Currently new cases stand below 30,000 per day. That’s the lowest level since last July.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says there is no reason to be worried about another wave, but there is every reason to be prepared.

MURTHY: Our focus should be on preparation, not on panic. And if we get people these tools, vaccines, boosters, treatments, then we can actually get through waves that may come and go.

Murthy said vaccines remain the first line of defense, but he added that new COVID treatments could help prevent another future spike in hospitalizations and deaths.

Trains halt across Canada as union workers strike » Thousands of rail cars are standing still in Canada today with more than 3,000 CP Rail workers on strike.

The union and CP Rail blamed each other for a work stoppage Sunday.

The dispute will impact supply chains that are already being hammered by ongoing effects of the pandemic and newer challenges related to the invasion of Ukraine.

All the disruptions have pushed inflation to a three-decade high.

CP and the union have been negotiating since September, with wages and pensions a sticking point.

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

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