1 White House Still Believes Russia Could Attack Ukraine At Any Time
The White House still believes Russia could attack Ukraine at any time. Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters an attack could come in many forms and layers. And while she allows that the "door continues to be open to diplomacy,” she also noted that widespread cyberattacks in Ukraine are right out of Russia's playbook. Psaki also expressed skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim about withdrawing some troops from the Ukraine border. Not only have the U.S. and NATO not been able to verify the claim, and in fact, say that Russia’s added about seven-thousand soldiers to striking positions. The new estimates put the number of Russian troops readying at the border at more than 150-thousand. Russia has publicly said they are willing to talk about de-escalation, but the U.S. official said that privately, the country is preparing for war. Meantime, Psaki said the U.S. has been in touch with allies and oil suppliers about how a Russian invasion may affect global energy prices.
2 CDC Examining Mask Mandates, Considering Dropping
The CDC Director says things are moving in the right direction as the COVID Omicron wave diminishes. And while there are reports that the CDC is prepping to relax mask guidelines as early as next week, Dr. Rochelle Walensky doesn’t seem so sure. Speaking during a briefing, Dr. Walensky said the CDC is still assessing whether to relax mask guidelines. Dr. Anthony Fauci said booster shots continue to provide high levels of protection. The NIH veteran noted that top health officials are assessing whether a second booster shot may be recommended in the coming months. Top White House COVID adviser Jeff Zients said the U.S. is moving toward a time when the deadly virus is "not a crisis." He also noted the government has shipped roughly 200-million free rapid COVID test kits to American households. If you haven’t gotten yours and want one, free test kits can still be ordered online at www.CovidTests.gov.
3 Nasty Winter Weather Moves East
Intense winter weather is likely across large swaths of the country today and into tomorrow, with snow expected from the central Plains to southerm Michigan. In some areas, up to a foot could fall, bringing high winds and changing into freezing rain and sleet. Dubbed “Winter Storm Miles” by the Weather Channel, parts of the mid-South and Southeast are at risk for winds and tornadoes today, including Tennessee and Alabama. Heavy rains will increase the risk for flash flooding, from southern Illinois and Western New York down into parts of the southern Appalachians. As the mess moves into New England, a changeover from rain to sleet/ice, then snow.