Ukraine marks one year since Russian invasion began

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Friday 02.24.23

If you've looked at flights lately, you may have been taken aback by current ticket prices. The busy travel season is heating up, which means heightened demand and more expensive airfares. But if you time things right and target the "Goldilocks Window," there's a good chance you'll snag a deal -- even during the peak period. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.

By Alexandra Meeks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hands a flag to a serviceman during a ceremony dedicated to the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine

Today marks one year since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that despite all the hardships resulting from the war, 2023 will be a major turning point in the conflict. "It was a year of pain, sorrow, faith, and unity. And this year, we remained invincible. We know that 2023 will be the year of our victory," Zelensky said in a statement. Many residents have left the capital of Kyiv today, fearing a new wave of potential Russian attacks. Meanwhile, Ukraine has called on its allies to "redouble" their support at this "crucial stage of the war," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said today. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has vowed the US will do everything it could to get Ukraine the key equipment it needs, although he said F-16 fighter jets -- which Kyiv has requested -- were not "the key capability" needed for now.

Ohio toxic train

Federal officials released an initial report Thursday concluding that the toxic train wreck in East Palestine, Ohio, was completely preventable. The report found that one of the train's cars carrying plastic pellets was heated by a hot axle that sparked the initial fire, according to Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the safety board. As the temperature of the bearing got hotter, the train passed by two wayside defect detectors that did not trigger an audible alarm message because the heat threshold was not met at that point, Homendy explained. A third detector eventually picked up the high temperature, but it was already too late by then. The report outlined how investigators will continue examining procedures, practices and design prior to the train's derailment. So far, the investigation found no evidence the crew did anything wrong prior to the incident.

Extreme weather

A winter storm moving across the US is causing numerous power outages, flight cancellations and road closures -- and has put millions of people under weather warnings. More than 828,000 customers are without power this morning due to weather, according to PowerOutage.us. Millions of others are under various alerts across the West into the northern Plains, Great Lakes region, New York and New England. In a rare event, some areas of Southern California will be under blizzard warnings today, the National Weather Service said. Meanwhile, temperatures are rising across the Southeast, where at least 50 record highs were reported on Thursday. The dueling winter storm and southern heat wave created a stark 100-degree temperature difference between the Northern Rockies and the South earlier this week.

Voting rights

Minnesota's Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is poised to sign a bill that would speed up the right to vote for ex-felons. Walz is expected to sign the legislation, referred to as Restore the Vote by its supporters, into law as early as next week, his office said. The bill will restore the voting rights of thousands of convicted felons this summer once they leave prison, instead of after they complete parole. Once signed by Walz, the measure means Minnesota will join 21 other states that automatically restore the right to vote for some or all ex-felons upon their release from prison. But the bill hasn't been without legal challenges and contentious political debate. Removing obstacles to voting for former felons has been the subject of partisan bickering in some states because of the perception that this group of voters is more likely to support Democratic candidates.

Harvey Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein, the former Hollywood mogul already serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York, was sentenced in Los Angeles Thursday to an additional 16 years in prison for charges of rape and sexual assault. Prior to the sentence, Weinstein spoke in court and continued to deny any wrongdoing. "I never knew this woman, and the fact is she doesn't know me. This is about money," he said. "Please don't sentence me to life in prison. I don't deserve it," he added. The sentencing was the second for Weinstein on sexual assault charges since reporting by The New York Times and The New Yorker in 2017 revealed his alleged history of sexual abuse, harassment and secret settlements as he used his influence as a Hollywood power broker to take advantage of young women.

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President Joe Biden made a highly secretive trip to which country this week?

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