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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with President Joe Biden and address Congress Wednesday in his first trip outside his country since Russia began its violent invasion of Ukraine in February. Also in the news: A brewing pre-Christmas blizzard could could strengthen into a bomb cyclone and a House committee has voted to release some of Donald Trump’s tax returns.
????????♀️ I’m Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. The winter solstice is here and soon the days will be getting longer.
Now, here we go with Wednesday’s news.Zelenskyy to meet Biden, address Congress as war rages on
Biden invited Zelenskyy to Washington to reinforce that the U.S. “stands with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” according to a senior Biden administration official who discussed the trip on the condition of anonymity.
One thing to know: During their meeting, Biden will commit $2 billion in additional U.S. security assistance to send Patriot antimissile batteries to Ukraine amid the bombardment of cities by Russian missiles and drones.
Zelenskyy’s joint address to Congress, set for later in the evening, comes as lawmakers prepare to vote on an additional $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine. The U.S. has provided about $68 billion in military, economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since violence between it and Russia renewed.
Congressional leaders unveiled a $1.7 trillion spending package early Tuesday that includes another large round of aid to Ukraine, a nearly 10% boost in defense spending and roughly $40 billon to assist communities across the country recovering from drought, hurricanes and other natural disasters.
The war wages on: Russian forces fired 76 missiles across Ukraine on Friday striking the capital Kyiv in one of the biggest attacks of the war.
The war wages on: Russian forces fired 76 missiles across Ukraine on Friday striking the capital Kyiv in one of the biggest attacks of the war.Dreaming of a white Christmas?
It could be a white Christmas for several northern states in the U.S. this year, with as many as 16 forecast to see snow during the holiday. Much of the country has already felt the effects of an extraordinary winter snowstorm that began the week leading up to Christmas, and while the storm is expected to pass by Christmas Eve, snow and freezing temperatures will still be in the forecast through the weekend. The winter storm system could create treacherous holiday travel conditions in the meantime as the strengthening pre-Christmas blizzard could become a bomb cyclone. Read more
Snow will be in much of the U.
