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--:-- Georgia Howe: I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Monday, February 20th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- John Bickley: One year later, Kiev stands and Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you and the world stands with you.
--:-- Georgia Howe: President Biden paid an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Monday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky in a display of solidarity with a country still fighting what he called a, quote, brutal and unjust war.
--:-- John Bickley: Biden spent more than five hours consulting with Zelensky on next steps honoring the country fallen soldiers and seeing U embassy staff in the besieged country. The president also announced another half a billion dollars in funding. That announcement includes artillery ammunition for HIMARS and howitzers, more javelins, anti-armor systems, air surveillance radars to help protect Ukrainian people from aerial bombardments.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And thanks to bipartisan supporting Congress, This week, we're delivering billions in direct budgetary support, billions in direct budgetary support, which the government can put to use immediately and help provide for basic services of citizens.
--:-- John Bickley: China hit back on Monday against U.S. allegations that it may be providing Russia with non-lethal military assistance in its war on Ukraine, telling Washington to stay out of its relationship with the Kremlin. Wang Wenbin, deputy director of the Foreign Ministry Information Department of China, said China's position on Ukraine, quote, can be simply put as promoting peace talks.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This comes after Secretary of State Blinken said the following on NBC yesterday. China's trying to have it both ways. Publicly, they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine. But privately, as I said, we've seen already the provision of non-lethal assistance that does go directly to aiding and abetting Russia's war effort. And some further information that we are sharing today indicates that they are strongly considering providing lethal assistance to Russia.
--:-- John Bickley: North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of the country Monday in its second test launch in three days. The move prompted Japan to request an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. The launches continue an exchange that began Saturday and follow a year in which North Korea launched more than 70 missiles, the most ever.
--:-- Georgia Howe: South Korea's military said it detected two missile launches Monday morning, which were later confirmed by North Korean official media. Japan said both missiles landed in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone and that no damage to aircraft or vessels in the area was reported. But the missiles flew distances that suggest most of South Korea is in range.
--:-- John Bickley: A powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Turkey-Syria border region on Monday, two weeks after twin earthquakes devastated the region, causing vast devastation and killing tens of thousands of people. The quakes brought further despair to an already ravaged region of southern Turkey.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Santa Fe District Attorney's Office announced Monday it is dropping the gun enhancement charge against Alec Baldwin and the fatal shooting of cinematographer Helena Hutchins on the set of Rust in October 2021. That specific charge would carry a five-year sentence. Baldwin still faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter for the shooting. However, that crime would carry a lesser sentence of 18 months if convicted.
--:-- John Bickley: The amended complaint was filed late Friday.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says they've arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting death of Catholic Bishop David O'Connell. O'Connell was found dead with a single gunshot wound to his abdomen in his home on Saturday.
--:-- John Bickley: Michigan State University reopened for classes today, one week after three people were killed and five others were wounded in a mass shooting. Officials said Sunday that swiftly resuming classes makes sense for the two balance for the spring term.
--:-- Georgia Howe: U Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is calling out Norfolk Southern the rail operating company at the center of the hazardous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. In a three-page letter sent Sunday, Buttigieg accused the Atlanta-based company of repeatedly prioritizing profit over safety.
--:-- John Bickley: In the letter, the secretary made it clear that residents, quote, fear for their future, as do thousands of American communities and neighborhoods that sit along railway lines. This comes after FEMA, DHHS, and the CDC have all committed resources to help the hazard-struck area. But residents of the town and surrounding areas say it's too little, too late.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Arrowhead wine cellars in Erie, Pennsylvania, drove all the way down and donated water for our horses. Something that we can't rely on these big agencies to do, a complete stranger miles away donated that for us. So what a blessing that is.
--:-- John Bickley: Well, those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to our latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
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