Wednesday morning news: March 12, 2025

Ukraine » The United States is restoring military aid to Ukraine after Ukrainian leaders said they’re ready for a ceasefire. The news came out of more than seven hours of meetings in Saudi Arabia.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday:

RUBIO:  Today we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict in a way that's enduring and sustainable and accounts for their interests, their security.

The plan calls for a 30 day pause in fighting, which could then be extended.

White House National Security Advisor Michael Waltz said they also—his words, “got into substantive details on how this war is going to permanently end.”

WALTZ: …  what type of, uh, guarantees they're going to have for their long term security and prosperity. But also really looking at what it's going to take to finally end the horrific fighting.

President Trump said now it will be up to the Kremlin.

TRUMP:  Now we have to go to Russia and hope President, hopefully President Putin will agree to that also.

There was no immediate reaction from the Russian government. Special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow later this week.

House funding vote » At the Capitol, the House has passed legislation to avert a partial government shutdown and fund federal agencies through September.

AUDIO: On this vote, the yeas are 217. They nays are 213. The bill is passed. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

One Republican voted “no,” and one Democrat voted “yes.” It was an otherwise straight party line vote.

In the Senate, the bill will need support from at least eight Democrats to get it to President Donald Trump’s desk. Congress has until Friday to pass a funding bill to avert a shutdown.

Trade war » A potential escalation in the mounting U.S.-Canada trade war was diffused on Tuesday.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford had announced a new surcharge on energy coming into the United States. The White House, in turn, announced it was doubling tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada. But President Trump last night said he had spoken to Ford.

TRUMP: He has called and he said he’s not going to do that.

And, in turn, the U.S. will not double the steel and aluminum tariffs after all.

Other U.S. tariffs announced last week on many Canadian and Mexican imports remain in place. Trade talks continue between Washington and the neighboring countries.

NTSB presser on jet/chopper crash » Roughly six weeks after a deadly mid-air collision in the nation’s capital, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy is calling for changes in the skies over Reagan National Airport.

She said over the past several years there were 85 close calls in the area leading up to the January collision.

HOMENDY:  The existing separation distances between helicopter traffic operating on Route 4 and aircraft landing on Runway 33 are insufficient and pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he'll adopt the NTSB's recommendations.

A U.S. Army helicopter collided with a commercial jet on January 29th near Reagan National Airport, killing 67 people.

Israel latest » Israel is sounding the alarm about what it says is ethnic cleansing taking place right now in Syria.

Late last year, insurgents from the Islamist group HTS overthrew Syrian leader Bashar Assad.

Israel Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel says HTS represents a new jihadist threat along Israel's border.

HASKEL: When we say we are concerned about the security on the Syrian border, it means that we are concerned about those jihadist monsters committing a massacre, an ethnic cleansing of Jews and Druze within our borders.

Hundreds of civilians were killed over the weekend amid clashes in Syria's ongoing civil war.

I’m Kent Covington.

Still ahead: Congress is up against another funding deadline. We’ll have a look at that on Washington Wednesday. Plus, World Tour.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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