Wednesday morning news: February 15, 2023

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kristen Flavin. 

Balloon/objects latest » Senators say they still have questions about unknown objects in U.S. skies, even after a classified briefing on Tuesday.

U.S. officials say three of the objects shot down last week over North America posed less of a threat than the Chinese spy balloon, which floated over the United States earlier this month.

Senator Marco Rubio:

RUBIO: If it's not a danger, then why they'd shoot these things down? There is a reason why we restrict who can fly where and when so things don't crash into each other. If we have things flying over our airspace, that is not ours, did not coordinate with us, it doesn't belong to us. That is the definition of danger

The incidents have sparked internet rumors about government conspiracies and lawmakers are calling on President Joe Biden to set the record straight.

Senator James Risch:

RISCH: It’s really important that the nation hear from the president of the United States on this and just as importantly, the world should hear from the president on this.

Biden has ordered National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to form an interagency team to study so-called unidentified aerial objects that pose safety or security risks.

Milley on Ukraine » Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley sounded off Tuesday on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine following a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels.

MILLEY: While Russia has waged this war for far too long, they will not outlast the Ukrainian people, nor the allies and partners that met today.

Milley added that Russia is paying a heavy price on the battlefield even as it makes slow progress in the Donbas region.

Ukraine’s allies have pledged more weapons and support, but did not offer to send the fighter jets that Ukraine has requested.

MSU shooting aftermath » Students and faculty at Michigan State University are mourning classmates killed by a gunman who had no apparent connection to the school.

ROZMAN: He was not a student, faculty, or staff current or previous.

That’s deputy campus police chief Chris Rozman, who also said investigators have not identified a motive for the shooting.

Three students died and five were injured Monday night when the 43-year-old shooter opened fire in two campus buildings. He was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

MSU students spoke of the terror they felt as the campus went on lockdown.

AUDIO: For the whole time, for those two hours that I was sitting crunched under a desk that I was crying, thinking I was literally going to die, um, yeah, I had no information. Nobody was telling me anything.

The Michigan State campus is closed to all classes and activities today.

Inflation » A new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows annual inflation eased slightly in January.

The Consumer Price Index rose by 6.4 percent last month compared to last January, down from 6.5 percent in December.

Rising food, shelter, and energy costs drove the year-over-year increase, while other core prices saw a smaller jump.

Financial analyst and adviser David Bahnsen.

BAHNSEN: The reason that core goods prices went up so much and have now come back down, is because of the supply chain related problems, which are very much on their way to being righted.

Economists had predicted a smaller increase in inflation than the report revealed.

The Federal Reserve has not ruled out future interest rate hikes as it works to lower inflation to about two percent.

Earthquake latest » Aid is pouring in from around the globe for earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria.

AUDIO: [in Spanish] We arrived here on Saturday …

Julian Hidalgo leads a Spanish canine search and rescue team. He said rescuers are still finding people alive in the rubble in Antakya, Turkey—the city historically known as Antioch.

In Syria, Saudi Arabia’s eighth planeload of relief supplies landed on Tuesday. Help is also on the way from the United Arab Emirates, which plans to send $100 million for relief efforts.

Meanwhile, The death toll from last week’s earthquakes is now over 40,000. Many survivors lack shelter and basic sanitation.

Nikki Haley launches campaign » HALEY: I'm Nikki Haley, and I'm running for President…

Republican Nikki Haley has officially entered the 2024 race for the White House. She announced her campaign Tuesday.

Former President Donald Trump has already kicked off his 2024 campaign and President Joe Biden is expected to announce his reelection bid soon.

Haley has served as governor of South Carolina and the U-S ambassador to the United Nations.

Rain in Kenya » RUTO: We pray for rain, Heavenly Father.

Kenyan President William Ruto led a national day of prayer on Tuesday.

The country is experiencing one of the worst droughts in decades as the region faces a sixth consecutive failed rainy season.

Kenyans gathered in the national stadium in Nairobi to pray for God to send rain.

RUTO: We pray that you shall give us, open the heavens for us so that we can have plenty so that our farms can produce.

The East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development estimates that the drought has affected 50 million people.

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

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