1 White House: "Extremely Dangerous Situation" Between Russia, Ukraine
The White House is warning about rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine – and suggests a Russian attack against Ukraine could be imminent. Press Secretary Jen Psaki calls it an “extremely dangerous situation.” "We believe we're now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack on Ukraine,” she told reporters at yesterday’s briefing. “I would say that's more stark than we have been.” Psaki maintains that Russia created the problem by massing troops on the border with Ukraine. And while Psaki warned about severe economic consequences if Russia invades Ukraine, she also noted that a diplomatic solution is still possible. Psaki's comments came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to Europe to engage allies in efforts to ease tensions.
2 Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests Are Now Available
It’s official, free at-home COVID-19 tests are now available, courtesy of the federal government. Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of four rapid antigen COVID-19 tests by going to COVIDtests.gov. There's a button to click on that leads to a Postal Service page where folks can enter their information and order their tests. There's a limit of one order per address – and that appears to be causing some issues – as the system won’t allow multiple households in apartment buildings to order tests. According to the White House, the tests will typically ship 'within seven to 12 days of ordering,’ which means they should start shipping out in late January. The CDC recommends testing five days after exposure to COVID-19 or as soon as symptoms occur.
3 War Of Words As 5G Rollout Hits A Snag
AT&T and Verizon are delaying the launch of 5G near some airports after airlines asked the Biden administration to intervene. The wireless companies will work with the aviation industry and the FAA to gather further information. Airlines have warned that hundreds of thousands of planes could be grounded this week over concerns that 5G cellphone signals will interfere with flight technology. That includes radar. A spokesperson for AT&T said they're "frustrated by the FAA's inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done, which is to safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting aviation services." White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki's take? “There’ll be lots of time to look back and see how we got here,” she notes. “And I know (the media) will do that, and, of course, that is understandable.”