For WORLD Radio, I’m Kent Covington.
Time ” The Buffalo-area blizzard is one for the record books rivaled only in recent memory by the Arctic blast more than four decades ago. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz:
POLONCARZ: The blizzard of ’77 lasted longer, three days of terrible conditions. They were two days of terrible conditions. But the ferocity of the storm was worse than the blizzard of ’77.
The death toll from a Buffalo-area blizzard rose to 27 on Monday. Nationwide, the winter storm has killed at least 49 people.
First responders in upstate New York worked through Christmas and into Monday to rescue people from cars and some homes without power buried under feet of snow. Governor Kathy Hochul:
HOCHUL: We’ve been through many wars together, and this blizzard is the one for the ages. It is certainly the blizzard of the century.
The dead around Buffalo were found in their cars, homes and in snowbanks.
Soko drones » South Korea sent fighter jets immediately after North Korean drones violated its airspace.
The military also responded by firing warning shots and launching attack helicopters to shoot down the drones.
There were no immediate reports of civilian damage on the ground in South Korea. But tensions were so high that authorities suspended flights at both Seoul airports for an hour.
It was the first incursion of the North into the airspace of the South in five years.
Ukraine ” Ukraine wants the United Nations to moderate a peace summit in two months, around the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba on Monday…
KULEBA: Every war ends as a result of actions carried out on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.
But he says how much they can achieve at the table remains to be seen. And indeed, he doubts that Russia will participate in a UN-led summit.
Kuleba stressed that Ukraine will not negotiate directly with the Kremlin until Russia faces a war crimes tribunal.
China-Taiwan » China’s military sent 71 fighter jets and seven ships toward Taiwan in a 24-hour show of force. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.
JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: The aggressive display came after Beijing expressed anger over Taiwan-related provisions in an annual US defense spending bill.
From Sunday to Monday morning, China sent planes across the Taiwan Strait into Taiwanese airspace.
Beijing claims Taiwan is Chinese property and has intensified its military harassment of the island in recent years.
For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.
TikTok Ban Push » On Capitol Hill, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are increasingly sounding alarm bells about a popular Chinese-owned social media app.
Congress just passed legislation banning the use of TikTok on federal government devices. But Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis said Monday…
MALIOTAKIS: The real discussion will be in the next Congress on whether to ban this platform generally in the United States. There are over 100 million American TikTok users.
Intelligence officials say the Chinese government can access the personal information of users in the United States and run influence campaigns by controlling the content users see.
COVID-19 in China » Meanwhile, in China, the communist government is removing another pandemic restriction. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.
KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: The Chinese government will no longer require passengers arriving from abroad to quarantine for more than a week after arriving in China.
That China appears to be giving up on its zero COVID policy and its draconian lockdowns, which have damaged its economy.
The government abruptly removed many of its pandemic restrictions earlier this month, sparking widespread outbreaks that flooded hospital emergency rooms and funeral homes.
Amid lockdowns, many residents have not developed natural immunity. And experts question the effectiveness of Chinese COVID vaccines.
For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.
I’m Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org.
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