This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
No Manhattan Indictment
Former President Donald Trump will reportedly not be charged today by progressive Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. Daily Wire managing editor Greg Wilson told Afternoon Update:
<blockquote>According to a source close to the matter, the Manhattan Grand Jury is expected to reconvene Wednesday to continue to weigh charges against the former president. The decision was made as law enforcement officials, mostly in New York and D.C., are preparing for potential protests from both sides of the political aisle no matter which way it goes. Trump and his team have long denied any impropriety and argue that the legal precedent is on his side, even if he is indicted.</blockquote>
Russia Claims It Intercepted 2 U.S. B-52 Bombers
Russia says that one of its fighter jets intercepted two U.S. B-52 bombers over the Baltic Sea on Monday, a potential provocation that comes just days after Russian planes forced a U.S. drone into the Black Sea. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pearce told Afternoon Update:
<blockquote>According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a Russian Su-35 was scrambled toward the U.S. planes, which were headed toward Russia, but it returned to its base when the B-52s turned away. The statement was accompanied by footage the ministry said was shot from the Russian plane’s cockpit that appeared to show one of the two American jets. The incident came as Chinese President Xi Jinping was in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. It also followed two Russian nuclear bombers flying over the Sea of Japan for several hours just as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was visiting Ukraine.</blockquote>
Biden Signs COVID Origins Act
President Biden announced this week that he will be declassifying some intelligence related to the origins of the COVID pandemic, just days after Congress unanimously passed legislation forcing the issue. Daily Wire’s Tim Meads reported:
<blockquote>Biden signed Republican Senator Josh Hawley’s COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023 into law on Monday, saying that he shares Congress’ goal of releasing “as much information as possible about the origin of the virus.” However, Biden added that he may have portions of the intelligence redacted for the purpose of protecting U.S. national security. Hawley called the move a “huge victory for transparency,” adding that it’s “now time for accountability.” It’s unclear when the Origins report will be released.</blockquote>
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Los Angeles School Workers Strike
Los Angeles public school classes were canceled last minute due to a school worker union strike that began today. The union represents about 30,000 school custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and other school support staff. Even though this is a school worker strike rather than a teacher strike, LA’s major teacher&#8217;s union, United Teachers Los Angeles, joined in. That forced the school district to abruptly cancel classes this morning.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Tuesday stock photo

Tuesday Afternoon Update: No Manhattan Indictment, L.A. School Worker Strike, Biden Signs COVID Origins Act

Alvin Bragg

COVID

Donald Trump

General

Joe Biden

Los Angeles

Manhattan

Morning Wire

Podcast

Russia

Fox News war correspondent Benjamin Hall detailed the events leading up to his brush with death in Ukraine while covering the early days of Russia&#8217;s invasion of the country.
In the extended versions of Fox Nation&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/sacrifice-survival-story-from-front-line-detailing-benjamin-halls-journey-home-now-fox-nation">Sacrifice and Survival: A Story From the Front Line</a>,&#8221; the Fox News reporter talked about the day he and others on his team were hit by incoming fire on the outskirts of Kyiv, on March 14, 2022.
Hall said they had been filming in an abandoned area of the town when they heard shelling in the background. The team decided they were safe to proceed because it was far away — and just minutes later, they were hit by a deadly attack which killed, Fox News photojournalist Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra &#8220;Sasha&#8221; Kuvshynova.
&#8220;We came up to a checkpoint, there was nobody at the checkpoint, just three concrete barriers … just as we approached the first barrier, the first shell landed,&#8221; Hall recounted.
&#8220;About 30 yards in front of us, big explosion, Pierre immediately shouts very quickly, &#8216;reverse, reverse get backwards,&#8217; the Ukrainians who were driving couldn&#8217;t get into reverse, and then out of nowhere the second [shell] landed,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I went black at the point. I say black, it was like a death. I mean, I wasn&#8217;t just concussed, I was out. And out of nowhere, I just hear my daughter&#8217;s voice.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A year after Benjamin Hall was severely injured when his crew vehicle was struck by incoming fire in Ukraine, the Fox News correspondent has published a book, &#39;Saved: A War Reporter’s Mission to Make It Home,&#39; due to be released Tuesday <a href="https://t.co/GgyrRz7jSU">https://t.co/GgyrRz7jSU</a>
&mdash; Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) <a href="https://twitter.com/DEADLINE/status/1635340170378776576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hall said he then saw an image of his daughter urging him to get out of the car. So he did, and that&#8217;s when another shell struck the vehicle.
&#8220;I was out for a little bit and I wake up, first thing, I knew I was in trouble, and I was on fire and I had to stop that,&#8221; the reporter explained. &#8220;I&#8217;m rolling around, I&#8217;m hitting my legs, trying to get it out and I&#8217;m looking at myself and I&#8217;m bleeding from the head.&#8221;
&#8220;My leg is off, it&#8217;s dangling off, below the knee, the first thing I hear is Pierre say, &#8216;Don&#8217;t move, don&#8217;t move – Russian drones,'&#8221; he added. &#8220;I sat there for a while, tried my phone, there is no cell phone reception, so I&#8217;m just sitting there, complete bloody wreck, didn&#8217;t think I was going to die, didn&#8217;t think I would get stuck, I didn&#8217;t even feel that the injuries were too bad. I knew they were terrible, and the leg was gone, but I knew I was going home.&#8221;
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He&#8217;s since gone through close to 30 surgeries, lost a foot, a leg, and no longer has use of one of his hands and one eye. The reporter credits his wife, Alicia Meller, and their three young daughters for giving him the strength to keep moving forward.
&#8220;Credit to him, credit to the kids, they took it in their stride,&#8221; Meller said in the clip. &#8220;They&#8217;re not bothered by anything, they&#8217;re so proud of daddy&#8217;s robot leg. It&#8217;s just a different way of life.&#8221;
While the Fox Nation story goes into part of what Hall went through, he&#8217;s shared the full story in his new book &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Saved-Reporters-Mission-Make-Home-ebook/dp/B0BBGLXV7W">Saved: A War Reporter&#8217;s Mission to Make It Home</a>,&#8221; which hit shelves on March 14.

Photo credit Fox News Channel.

Fox News Reporter Benjamin Hall Details Brush With Death In Ukraine

Entertainment

Fox News

U.S.

Ukraine

The U.S. announced Monday that it will send <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a> an additional $350 million in ammunition, weapons, and military vehicles as Chinese President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/xi-jinping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xi Jinping</a> meets with Russian President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vladimir-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vladimir Putin</a> for peace talks in Moscow this week. 
As the U.S. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-ammunition-riverine-boats-91b4aa084c7e00bd7c93ef8b857b1509" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> its latest handout to the Ukrainians to bolster their war effort against Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that “the world should not be fooled” by Xi’s peace talks with Putin. Blinken claimed that China and Russia’s plan is to “freeze” territorial gains made by Russia since its invasion over a year ago. 
“The fundamental element of any plan for ending the war in Ukraine and producing a just and durable peace must be upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Blinken said, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-20/blinken-warns-of-a-xi-putin-peace-plan-to-freeze-russian-gains?srnd=premium">according</a> to Bloomberg. 
Xi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/xi-hails-new-era-as-he-arrives-in-moscow-in-bid-to-broker-ukraine-peace-deal">arrived</a> in Moscow Monday on a “mission of peace” signaling that China-Russia relations are growing stronger as the West lines up in opposition to Putin’s war in Ukraine. Blinken’s comments echo statements made by another Biden administration official last week regarding China’s peace talks with Russia. 
“While that sounds perfectly reasonable and it sounds like a good thing, a ceasefire right now would basically ratify Russia’s conquest,” U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. “Russia would basically be free to use that ceasefire to further entrench its positions in Ukraine, to rebuild their forces, refit them, re-man them, retrain them so that they can then restart attacks at a time of their choosing.”
So far, the Biden administration has sent around <a href="https://www.cfr.org/article/how-much-aid-has-us-sent-ukraine-here-are-six-charts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$50 billion</a> in military aid to Ukraine, including 31 Abrams tanks and advanced long-range missile systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed for the U.S. and its allies to give Ukraine fighter jets, but so far, the Biden administration has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/09/politics/ukraine-russia-poland-fighter-jets/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refused</a>. Blinken, however, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-ammunition-riverine-boats-91b4aa084c7e00bd7c93ef8b857b1509">pledged</a> America’s unwavering support for Ukraine on Monday, saying that Russia “could end this war today,” but until it does, “we will stand united with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
According to Monday’s <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3334472/dod-announces-additional-security-assistance-for-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a>, additional munitions the U.S. is sending to Ukraine include: 
<ul>
<li>Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">155mm artillery rounds;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">25mm ammunition;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs);</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">81mm and 60mm mortar systems and mortar rounds;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">AT-4 anti-armor weapon systems;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Grenade launchers, small arms, and associated ammunition;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Demolition munitions and equipment for obstacle clearing;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Mine clearing equipment;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Heavy fuel tankers;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Thermal imagery systems, optics, and laser rangefinders; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Riverine patrol boats; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Spare parts and other field equipment.</li>
</ul>
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Ukraine Ammunition

U.S. Sending Another $350 Million To Ukraine; Blinken Warns, ‘World Should Not Be Fooled’ By China-Russia Peace Talks

U.S. Sending Another $350 Million To Ukraine; Blinken Warns, 'World Should Not Be Fooled' By China-Russia Peace Talks

Antony Blinken

Putin

Ukraine-Russia War

World

Xi Jinping

Russian President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vladimir-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vladimir Putin</a> made a surprise trip on Saturday to Mariupol, a Ukrainian city his forces captured last year.
Reports say Putin <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/19/putin-mariupol-visit-occupied-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flew in by helicopter</a>. Video from Russian media showed Putin driving a car through after dark, visiting buildings, and meeting with residents.
Russian state news service TASS said it was Putin&#8217;s first-ever visit to Donbass, a region in eastern Ukraine, and while there, he <a href="https://tass.com/politics/1590801" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received a report</a> from Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin about efforts to rebuild the port city within the eastern region.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a surprise visit to the devastated city of Mariupol. This is his first visit to the partly-captured Donbas region of eastern Ukraine since Moscow&#39;s 2022 invasion. <a href="https://t.co/D7AFwv6MHF">pic.twitter.com/D7AFwv6MHF</a>
&mdash; DW News (@dwnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1637473342230872068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;In particular, the report concerned the construction of new residential districts, social and educational facilities, utility infrastructure and medical centers,&#8221; said the Kremlin press service.
Word of Putin&#8217;s visit came about one day after the International Criminal Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-international-criminal-court-issues-arrest-warrant-for-vladimir-putin-for-abducting-children-war-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued an arrest warrant</a> for Putin for alleged war crimes during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in particular the abduction of children.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, <a href="https://twitter.com/Podolyak_M/status/1637416418139418624" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chastised Putin in a post to Twitter</a>.
&#8220;The criminal always returns to the crime scene,&#8221; said. &#8220;As the civilized world announces the arrest of the &#8216;war director&#8217; (VV Putin) in case of crossing its borders, the murderer of thousands of Mariupol families came to admire the ruins of the city &amp; graves. Cynicism &amp; lack of remorse.&#8221;
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Russia began what it called a “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, in an ongoing conflict that has led to tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of people.
Early on in the fight, Moscow’s forces managed to seize roughly a quarter of Ukraine, but the Ukrainians have been able to fend off their advance with the support of a coalition of countries led by the United States that has sent Ukraine billions of dollars of lethal aid and levied waves of sanctions against Russia.
Multiple media reports have characterized Mariupol, which is located in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance as it was the site of fierce fighting during the early months of the war and the site of particularly visceral devastation, including a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/09/europe/gallery/mariupol-hospital-bombed/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bombed-out maternity hospital</a>.
Russian forces seized control of Mariupol in May after defeating Ukrainian fighters who were <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/22/1100582879/fate-of-2-500-ukrainian-pows-from-steel-plant-stirs-concern" target="_blank" rel="noopener">holding out in a steel plant</a>.
Putin <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/putin-finalizes-annexation-of-ukrainian-regions-as-russian-forces-struggle-to-maintain-control" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed off</a> on the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, including Donetsk, in October. Shortly after, the United Nations overwhelmingly approved a resolution demanding Moscow reverse course on its &#8220;<a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129492" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempted illegal annexation</a>.&#8221;

Vladimir Putin in Mariupol

Putin Visits Russian-Occupied Mariupol

Global Politics

Vladimir Putin

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on Friday for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova for alleged war crimes committed during Russia&#8217;s war in Ukraine.
Putin &#8220;is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation,&#8221; the court <a href="https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-and">said</a> in a statement.
The court said there are &#8220;reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, (i) for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute), and (ii) for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission, and who were under his effective authority and control, pursuant to superior responsibility (article 28(b) of the Rome Statute).&#8221;
While charges have been filed, it is unlikely that a trial at The Hague will happen since Russia is not a member of the ICC and the court does not proceed with trials if the defendant is not present, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/17/europe/icc-russia-war-crimes-charges-intl/index.html">CNN</a>.
In order for a trial to take place, Russia would either have to hand over Putin, which is not likely to happen, or officials would have to wait for Putin to leave Russia and hope they can nab him somewhere else, which is also not likely to happen.
The other official charged, Lvova-Belova, is Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation.
According to the ICC, Lvova-Belova &#8220;is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute).&#8221;
&#8220;There are reasonable grounds to believe that Ms Lvova-Belova bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute),&#8221; the statement added.
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This report has been updated to include additional information.

RUSSIA-POLITICS

The International Criminal Court Issues Arrest Warrant For Vladimir Putin For Abducting Children, War Crimes

The Department of Defense released video footage Thursday morning of the incident in which two Russian fighter jets harassed a U.S. military drone over international waters — leading to a collision and the complete loss of the drone.
&#8220;Two Russian Su-27 aircraft conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept with a U.S. Air Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance unmanned MQ-9 aircraft operating within international airspace over the Black Sea on March 14, 2023,&#8221; U.S. European Command said in a statement. &#8220;Russian Su-27s dumped fuel upon and struck the propeller of the MQ-9, causing U.S. forces to have to bring the MQ-9 down in international waters.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a> US army published the footage from the drone incident with Russia over the Black Sea <a href="https://t.co/ney41fNjGb">pic.twitter.com/ney41fNjGb</a>
&mdash; Guy Elster (@guyelster) <a href="https://twitter.com/guyelster/status/1636303898267746307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A previous statement from U.S. European Command on Tuesday said that the two jets had repeatedly harassed the drone while the drone was &#8220;conducting routine operations in international airspace.&#8221;
“U.S. and Allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace and we call on the Russians to conduct themselves professionally and safely,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, commander, U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa.
The statement said that the incident followed a “pattern of dangerous actions” by Russian pilots while interacting with U.S. and Allied aircraft over international airspace that could “lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation.”
“U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa routinely fly aircraft throughout Europe over sovereign territory and throughout international airspace in coordination with applicable host nation and international laws,” the statement added. “In order to bolster collective European defense and security, these missions support Allied, partner, and U.S. national objectives.”
Nikolai Patrushev, Russian Security Council Secretary and the former chief of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), said that the Russian military was going to try to recover the $32 million drone out of the Black Sea.
“The Americans keep saying that they are not participating in hostilities,” Patrushev claimed during a press conference. “This is yet another confirmation that they are directly involved in these events, in the war.”
General Mark Milley said Wednesday that the U.S. does not consider the incident an act of war. “Incidents happen,” Milley <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/incidents-happen-gen-milley-wont-consider-russia-dropping-u-s-drone-an-act-of-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “And clearly we do not seek armed conflict with Russia and I believe at this point we should investigate this incident and move on from there.”

U.S. Drone

U.S. Releases Footage Showing Russian Jets Harassing Drone Before Collision

Drones

National Security

U.S. Military

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) suggested that the Biden administration needed to start shooting down Russian military aircraft after a Russian-provoked incident on Tuesday led to the destruction of a U.S. military drone over international waters.
U.S. European Command <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russian-fighter-jet-collides-with-u-s-military-reaper-drone-over-black-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that two Russian fighter jets were harassing a $32 million unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea when one of the fighter jets clipped the propeller of the drone, forcing the U.S. to down the drone in the body of water.
“They shot down our drone,” Fox News host Sean Hannity <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/tv/lindsey-graham-suggests-shooting-down-russian-planes-in-response-to-downing-of-unmanned-u-s-drone/">said</a> to Graham during an interview Tuesday night. “What should our answer be?”
“Well, we should hold them accountable and say that, ‘If you ever get near another U.S. asset flying in international waters, your airplane will be shot down,&#8217;” Graham responded. “What would Ronald Reagan do right now? He would start shooting Russian planes down if they were threatening our assets. American foreign policy’s in free-fall.”
“Weakness breeds provocation. They know they can get away with it. Mexico is blaming us for the fentanyl crisis and Joe Biden is like a deer in the headlights. He needs to up his game quickly,” Graham continued. “So President Biden, you’re the Rodney Dangerfield of world leaders. Nobody respects you. And if you don’t change your game and up your game, we’re gonna have World War III.”
The statement from U.S. European Command added that both of the Russian Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless manner that was environmentally unsound and demonstrated a “lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional.”
“Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, commander, U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa. “In fact, this unsafe and unprofessional act by the Russians nearly caused both aircraft to crash.”
“U.S. and Allied aircraft will continue to operate in international airspace and we call on the Russians to conduct themselves professionally and safely,” Hecker added.
The statement said that the incident followed a “pattern of dangerous actions” by Russian pilots while interacting with U.S. and Allied aircraft over international airspace that could “lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation.”
“U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa routinely fly aircraft throughout Europe over sovereign territory and throughout international airspace in coordination with applicable host nation and international laws,” the statement added. “In order to bolster collective European defense and security, these missions support Allied, partner, and U.S. national objectives.”

Senate Environment Committee Hearing On Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

Senator Graham Suggests Shooting Down Russian Military Aircraft After Jet Collides With U.S. Drone

Conflicts

Lindsey Graham

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky&#8217;s attempt to have a telecast appearance at the upcoming Oscars was reportedly rejected for the second year in a row by the awards show.
Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/volodymyr-zelensky-ukraine-oscars-appearance-russia-1235547499/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that powerful individuals in Hollywood pled with the Academy to include Zelensky in the 95th Academy Awards this Sunday on ABC, but the effort was denied.
The report said that the Academy Awards rejected Zelensky last year, but for woke reasons, specifically over &#8220;concerns that Hollywood was only showering Ukraine with attention because those affected by the conflict are white&#8221; while &#8220;ignor[ing] wars around the globe that impact people of color.&#8221;
While Zelensky made a remote appearance at the Berlin Film Festival last month, he was rejected from the most recent Toronto Film Festival because the organization “does not comment on discussions with dignitaries, government officials or international embassies.”
Public support in the U.S. for Ukraine&#8217;s fight against Russia has waned in recent months amid a seemingly never-ending stream of U.S.-taxpayer money being sent to Ukraine and critics who say the Biden administration has had a weak and incompetent response to the invasion. Some have argued that the administration&#8217;s delayed response in supporting Ukraine has actually prolonged the war and increased costs on U.S. taxpayers.
“It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and not do,” Biden told reporters a month before Russia invaded. “But if they actually do what they’re capable of doing with the forces amassed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia if they further invade Ukraine.”
Biden&#8217;s remarks were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-has-to-issue-statement-cleaning-up-bidens-disastrous-remarks-on-russia-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">widely viewed</a> as giving a &#8220;green light&#8221; for President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine.
Zelenksy urged the U.S. and western powers to enact sanctions against Russia before the invasion and to send military hardware before the fighting started in an effort to prevent the invasion from ever occurring.
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After the invasion happened, Zelensky <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zelensky-appears-to-take-shot-at-biden-the-worlds-most-powerful-forces-are-watching-from-afar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took a shot</a> at the U.S. for only responding to the invasion by enacting sanctions.
“This morning we are defending our state alone. Like yesterday, the world’s most powerful forces are watching from afar,” he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/ukraine-president-throws-shade-biden-us-afar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “Did yesterday’s sanctions convince Russia? We hear in our sky and see on our earth that this was not enough.”
Zelensky’s comments come as Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-on-russia-invading-ukraine-nobody-expected-the-sanctions-to-prevent-anything-from-happening" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that “no one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Press Conference In Kyiv

Oscars Deny Zelensky’s Request To Appear On Broadcast For Second Year In A Row: Report

Oscars Deny Zelensky's Request To Appear On Broadcast For Second Year In A Row: Report :+1: 1

Celebrities

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Volodymyr Zelensky

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iran</a> has reportedly sent an estimated 100 million bullets and 300,000 shells to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> to aid it in its war in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a>.
Iran sent the supplies via two Russian-flagged cargo ships that sailed from Iran in January, according to U.K.-based <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/irans-alleged-ammunition-for-russias-war-in-ukraine-the-secret-journey-of-the-cargo-ships-accused-of-supplying-invasion-12828039" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sky News</a>. The shipment contained ammunition for rocket launchers, mortars, and machine guns to refill Russia’s depleted stores.
“Iran sent two cargo ships to the combat zone in Ukraine, carrying approximately 200 new shipping containers that contained ammunition for the Russian fighting in Ukraine,” a security source told Sky News. “Two hundred containers on two ships are capable of carrying this amount of munitions.”
In addition to the munitions, Iran sent roughly 10,000 flak jackets and helmets to Russia.
“Russia pays for the ammunition in cash and by doing so, bypasses the western sanctions on it, ignoring the sanctions on Iran,” the source told Sky News.
Another expert told Sky News that the estimated amount of munitions seemed high, though he did not contradict that Iran may be supplying Russia in its war against Ukraine.
U.S. officials have previously accused Iran of shipping drones to Russia that were later used in strikes on Ukrainian targets. Officials have found debris of downed drones that looks “indistinguishable” from attack drones and unmanned aerial vehicles from Iran.
Supplying drones to Russia gives Iranian arms dealers a chance to showcase their product in action and market it to allied nations, according to a U.S. official.
“They are getting to see it used on a mass level,” an official told the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-iran-politics-defense-intelligence-agency-drones-fecf53c964f09e24bd9a187715ac8598" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> last month. “It’s a process for them. Iran is able to see this feedback and make adjustments.”
The report of Iran’s involvement comes as U.S. officials have expressed concern over China potentially becoming more involved in the war. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned last month that such action from China would further strain U.S.-China relations.
“The concern that we have now is, based on information we have, that they’re considering providing lethal support,” Blinken <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/19/china-may-be-on-brink-of-supplying-arms-to-russia-says-blinken" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CBS’s Face the Nation last month. “And we’ve made very clear to them that that could cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship.”
China and Russia have grown closer in recent years. Chinese President Xi Jinping <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/30/asia/china-xi-russia-putin-video-meeting-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met</a> with Russian President Vladimir Putin virtually in December. The two world leaders touted shared goals and a strengthening alliance afterward.
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Beijing said in a statement afterward that China and Russia should “strengthen strategic coordination” and “inject more stability into the world.” Putin described relations between Moscow and Beijing as “the best in history.”
“We share the same views on the causes, course and logic of the ongoing transformation of the global geopolitical landscape,” Putin said. “In the face of unprecedented pressure and provocations from the West, we defend our principled positions and defend not only our own interests, but also all those who stand for a truly democratic system and the right of countries to freely determine their own destiny.”

Ebrahim Reisi, Vladimir Putin

Iran Ups Weapons Shipments To Russia With Millions Of Rounds Of Ammo: Report

China

Iran

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who alleged last month that undercover U.S. Navy divers planted remotely triggered explosives on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, burst into laughter after hearing the New York Times claim that a &#8220;pro-Ukranian group&#8221; carried out the attack.
&#8220;What? That can&#8217;t be true,&#8221; Hersh said, according to a Disclose.tv <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1633510436095107087">tweet</a>. &#8220;They can&#8217;t be that stupid. Are they that stupid?&#8221;
According to the Times, U.S. intelligence officials suggested an unnamed &#8220;pro-Ukranian group&#8221; carried out last September&#8217;s attack on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea, which linked natural gas from Russia to Western Europe. Sweden and Denmark reported severe damage to the pipelines in September as natural gas spewed toward the surface.
Officials said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky or the national government were not involved in the attack and declined to disclose additional information surrounding the new intelligence obtained. The anonymous officials cited by the Times offered no specifics on the shadowy group they said blew up the pipeline but insisted the attack did not involve the U.S. or United Kingdom.
&#8220;Oh my God — &#8216;Intelligence suggests Ukranian &#8230;,'&#8221; Hersh said before dissolving into laughter. &#8220;Oh, my God. Oh my God.&#8221;
Hersh published an extensive report on Substack alleging undercover U.S. Navy divers planted explosives on the pipeline during training exercises last summer.
Based on an unnamed source&#8217;s testimony, the report claimed that President Joe Biden viewed the pipelines as an avenue through which Russian President Vladimir Putin could weaponize his country&#8217;s natural gas supply for his territorial ambitions.
White House spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the notion that the United States destroyed the pipelines was “false and complete fiction,” while CIA spokesperson Tammy Thorp said the claim was “completely and utterly false” when asked for comment by Hersh.
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Some European officials said Russia may have destroyed its own pipelines; others <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-carlson-fuels-suspicion-u-s-behind-nord-stream-sabotage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blamed</a> the United States.
The twin Nord Stream pipelines have been at the center of geopolitical strife since the Russia-Ukraine war began more than a year ago. Months into the conflict, Russia nixed shipments through Nord Stream 1 as a retaliatory measure against Western Europe, while Germany blocked the adjacent Nord Stream 2 from initiating shipments days before the war started.
Just before the war began, President Joe Biden warned &#8220;there will no longer be a Nord Stream 2&#8221; if Russia crossed the Ukrainian border and insisted to a journalist that &#8220;we will be able&#8221; to bring an &#8220;end&#8221; to the system.
The commander-in-chief initially waived sanctions against the Russian-owned company behind Nord Stream 2, although he reimposed sanctions shortly before the invasion started.
After Nord Stream 2 was destroyed, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the phenomenon a &#8220;tremendous opportunity&#8221; to end European reliance on Russian energy supplies. Even though the pipelines were not pumping natural gas, protesters in Germany had been calling for the energy flow to resume as electricity prices increased more than twentyfold. Crippling the pipelines eliminated the possibility of Germany lifting sanctions in time to import natural gas for the winter.
Hersh, an investigative journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for exposing the clandestine My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War, reportedly plans on publishing a new investigation about Nord Stream.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve written a couple of things about it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;m going to write something next week about it, and that&#8217;s the way I do it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
UPDATE &#8211; U.S. journalist Seymour Hersh says, &quot;they can&#39;t be that stupid&quot; in reaction to NYT&#39;s article claiming a &quot;pro-Ukrainian group&quot; carried out the Nord Stream attacks. <a href="https://t.co/SB2RK9Xekk">pic.twitter.com/SB2RK9Xekk</a>
&mdash; Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) <a href="https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1633510436095107087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ben Zeisloft contributed to this report.

USA – Journalism – Seymour Hersh

‘They Can’t Be That Stupid’: Journalist Slams NYT For Claiming U.S. Officials Suggested Pro-Ukraine Group Attacked Nord Stream Pipelines

Investigative Journalist Slams New York Times For Claiming U.S. Officials Suggested Pro-Ukraine Group Attacked Nord Stream Pipelines

New York Times

Nord Stream Pipeline

U.S. Navy

Russian President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vladimir-putin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vladimir Putin</a> likely views a long war in Ukraine as his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cia-director-belittles-putins-ambitions-in-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best chance to achieve victory</a>, said a top Biden administration spy chief on Wednesday.
More than a year after Russia&#8217;s full-scale invasion began, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-spy-chief-responds-to-balloon-controversy-were-going-to-see-more-of-this" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines</a> testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee that there is a &#8220;grinding attritional war in which neither side has a definitive military advantage&#8221; over the other.
&#8220;If Russia does not initiate a mandatory mobilization and identify substantial third-party ammunition supplies, it will be increasingly challenging for them to sustain even the current level of offensive operations in the coming months, and consequently they may fully shift to holding and defending the territories they now occupy,&#8221; Haines said.
&#8220;In short, we do not see the Russia military recovering enough this year to make major territorial gains,&#8221; Haines continued, speaking for the U.S. intelligence community. &#8220;But Putin most likely calculates that time works in his favor and that prolonging the war including with potential pauses in the fighting may be his best remaining pathway to eventually securing Russian strategic interests in Ukraine, even if it takes years.&#8221;
Russia began what it called a &#8220;special military operation&#8221; in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a> on February 24, 2022, in a conflict that has led to tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of people. Early on, Moscow&#8217;s forces managed to seize <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/russia-ukraine-war-key-events-year-russia-invaded/story?id=97255331" target="_blank" rel="noopener">roughly a quarter of Ukraine</a>, but the Ukrainians have been able to fend off their advance with the support of a coalition of countries led by the United States that has sent Ukraine billions of dollars of lethal aid and levied waves of sanctions against Russia.
Though there is bipartisan support for Ukraine, some Republicans in Congress are increasingly eager to cut the flow of aid. A group of House Republicans <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-introduce-bill-calling-for-halting-us-aid-to-ukraine-2023-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently introduced a non-binding resolution</a> calling for an immediate stoppage of U.S. financial support and a peace agreement between the warring factions.
Haines appeared before the Senate on Wednesday along with other intelligence community leaders, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CIA</a> Director William Burns and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> Director Christopher Wray, to testify about their new global threat assessment.
The <a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ATA-2023-Unclassified-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest version of the assessment</a>, which is released annually, says there is &#8220;real potential for Russia’s military failures in the war to hurt Russian President Vladimir Putin’s domestic standing and thereby trigger additional escalatory actions by Russia in an effort to win back public support.&#8221;
Russian leaders have so far avoided actions that would broaden the Ukraine conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders, but the &#8220;risk for escalation remains significant,&#8221; the assessment says. Russia &#8220;probably does not want a direct military conflict with U.S. and NATO forces, but there is potential for that to occur,&#8221; it adds.

Avril Haines

Biden Spy Chief Warns Of Putin Seeing Advantage In Long Ukraine Conflict

Director of National Intelligence

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
East Palestine Payouts
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced Monday that Norfolk Southern — the company at the center of the disastrous derailment in East Palestine — will pay “millions” for its error. Along with the train company, the Biden administration has received a lot of criticism for its handling of the disaster, including from Ohio Senator J.D. Vance (R):
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JD Vance torches Biden admin response to Ohio disaster: &#39;Total catastrophic failure&#39; <a href="https://t.co/gxXqL1shjJ">pic.twitter.com/gxXqL1shjJ</a>
&mdash; Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) <a href="https://twitter.com/IngrahamAngle/status/1632002619488043011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Newsom Goes To Mexico
California Governor Gavin Newsom is drawing fire from critics for vacationing in Baja, Mexico. This comes as his state battles severe weather and power outages. Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips told The Morning Wire&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afternoon Update</a> the following:
<blockquote>Last week, California was pummeled by historic snowstorms leaving many stranded in their homes and desperate for help — especially in the San Bernardino Mountain region. On Thursday, Newsom left the state for a “personal trip” to Baja California — a day after he declared a State of Emergency in 13 of the state’s counties. On Sunday, his office announced that Newsom had returned to California. While Newsom was away, rescue workers saved at least 150 people unable to leave their homes due to the heavy snowfall. First responders are delivering food and providing meals for many who are unable to travel to grocery stores either due to business closures or blocked roadways. More storms are expected to drop mounds of snow and precipitation onto the state in the days ahead.</blockquote>
&#8220;Blackout Rage Gallons&#8221; Threaten College Kids
The University of Massachusetts-Amherst is warning other schools of a new viral trend, started on TikTok that encourages college students to chug so-called “blackout rage gallons,” or BORGS — a potent mix of alcohol, flavoring, electrolytes, and water. UMass students had to call for the ambulance at least 28 times, and neighboring towns had to help Amherst deal with the binge drinking over the weekend.
Ukrainian Pilots Trained In America
Two Ukrainian pilots are in the U.S. for operations related to military training of U.S. aircraft — including F-16s. The Daily Wire&#8217;s Tim Pearce reported on the Afternoon update &#8220;that Congressional and Pentagon officials have told NBC news that the two pilots are currently in Tucson where their skills are being tested in flight simulators. The goals here are to improve the pilots’ skills and evaluate how long a proper training program could take. Ten additional Ukrainians have been approved by Congress for additional assessments as early as this month&#8221;
&#8220;Officials say that these training sessions will help the U.S. advise Ukraine’s military on how to better use the equipment it already has,&#8221; Pearce added.
Left-Wing Rioters Arrested
A night of fire and violence at the future site of a police training center in Atlanta on Sunday led to the arrests of 35 people, according to authorities. Here with more is Daily Wire Reporter Daniel Chaitin:
<blockquote>Police said a group of “violent agitators” wearing all-black clothing attacked the construction area of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which critics have dubbed “Cop City.” People threw large rocks as well as Molotov cocktails during the clash, and some construction equipment caught fire. Police said 35 people were detained and authorities released a list showing 23 individuals, most of whom are from out of state, had been charged with domestic terrorism, a felony that could land them in prison for decades. Among those arrested and charged was Thomas Jurgens, an attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center.</blockquote>
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Walgreens Won&#8217;t Sell Abortion Pill In 21 States
The pharmaceutical giant Walgreens is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walgreens-wont-distribute-abortion-pill-in-21-states-spokesperson-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defending itself</a> after it announced that it will not sell or distribute an Abortion Pill in 21 States, either by mail or via retail. For more, here’s Daily Wire reporter Brandon Drey:
<blockquote>The states that Walgreens won’t be selling the pills include Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, and Montana, where the drug is legal. The decision followed a letter from 20 Republican attorneys general last month warning that doing so would violate state law. A spokesperson for the company said recently “This is a very complex and in flux area of the law, and the company is “taking that into account” as it seeks FDA certification to sell the drug. Walgreens will still sell it where it is legal.</blockquote>
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

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Monday Afternoon Update: East Palestine Payouts, Anti-Cop Rioters Arrested, Newsom Bails To Baja

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