This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click here.
Second American Killed In Sudan
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby confirmed this morning the death of a second American citizen in Sudan. In a statement to the press, Kirby said, “Although there are some reports of violence and sporadic shelling and firing, we’re glad to see that the levels of violence generally appear to have gone significantly down.”
“We urge both military factions to fully uphold the ceasefire and to further extend it,” he added.
The ceasefire has been in place since midnight on April 24.
Xi And Zelensky Phone Call
Xi Jinping, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, reportedly called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday to discuss the war and other international matters. Here with more is Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips:
The call between Xi and Zelensky was the first phone call between the two leaders since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. According to sources close to the call, Xi told Zelensky that China would not add “fuel to the fire” and encouraged Zelensky to end the conflict “politically.”
After the hour-long conversation … the Ukrainian president tweeted that he had a “long and meaningful call” while saying that particular attention was made to ending things through diplomacy. However, Zelensky stated that, “There can be no peace at the expense of territorial compromises while insisting that “the territorial integrity of Ukraine must be restored within the 1991 borders.”
Nuke Subs Head To South Korea
President Joe Biden welcomed his South Korean counterpart, President Yoon Sook Yohl, to the White House today for a state visit to celebrate the alliance between the two countries.
The two leaders also announced the “Washington Declaration” — a series of military and diplomatic policies aimed at deterring North Korea from attacking South Korea. The Biden administration will now deploy U.S. nuclear-armed submarines off the coast of South Korea — the first time in 40 years such submarines will be stationed there.
Debt Deal?
House Republicans are confident that they can pass Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s debt ceiling compromise bill on Wednesday, though eight GOP holdouts vow that they will not support the measure unless it is revamped to remove cuts to ethanol tax credits, according to Axios. Just five GOP “no” votes could tank the bill. McCarthy, for his part, says that the bill is just intended to open negotiations.
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Speaker Kevin McCarthy says his debt ceiling bill is a way to get to the negotiating table as the deadline looms. https://t.co/K4DXP87ChG pic.twitter.com/uLOTfcXlxq
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 26, 2023
Disney Sues DeSantis
Walt Disney World announced a lawsuit today against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, claiming that he has waged a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” against the company.
The federal lawsuit alleges that DeSantis led a campaign to punish Disney over its political views and that it was “orchestrated at every step” by the governor, ultimately threatening their business profit.
The governor’s office responded in a statement, saying the lawsuit is another attempt to undermine Florida voters. The statement went on to say they are “unaware of any legal rights that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state.”
Illinois Judge Rules Chicago Must Rehire And Pay Back Anti-Vax Employees
An Illinois judge ruled that the city of Chicago must rehire and pay back lost wages of unionized city employees who were fired or disciplined for violating COVID vaccination requirements. The Judge said that the city “failed and refused” to bargain in good faith with union leaders “over the effects of its decision to implement a COVID vaccine mandate.”
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