President Joe Biden speaks about Ukraine from the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin listen. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Joe Biden has announced that the United States would be delivering 31 Abrams Tanks to Ukraine as the country heads into a new phase of its war against Russia.
“With spring approaching, the Ukrainian forces are working to defend the territory they hold and preparing for additional counter-offensive,” President Biden said. “To liberate their land, they need to be able to counter Russia’s evolving tactics and strategy on the battlefield in the very near term.”
Biden explained that the tanks are some of the “most capable in the world,” they would improve Ukraine’s ability to fight in open terrain, and give them “an enduring capability to deter and defend against Russian aggression.”
The announcement was accompanied by Germany’s decision to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks to the nation as well.
“Germany supports Ukraine in defending against Russia’s aggression,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday. “We are supplying Leopard 2 tanks in close cooperation with our international partners.”
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the Biden administration following Wednesday’s announcement.
“It’s an important step on the path to victory,” Zelenskyy said on Twitter. “Today the free world is united as never before for a common goal — liberation of Ukraine.”
However, it will likely be months before any tanks are delivered to the front and Ukrainian troops get fully trained to use the complex weapons.
ABC is canceling its hit show 'Roseanne' after the sitcom's star Roseanne Barr made racist comments on Twitter. The company released a statement saying, "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show." Disney CEO Bob Iger chimed in to voice his support for ABC's decision. Barr has apologized for her comments about former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett.
Facebook is reportedly getting ready to launch its WhatsApp Pay service in India. The company could introduce the payment service across the country as soon as next week, according to Bloomberg. WhatsApp Pay was launched in February of this year and has received rave reviews. Around 200 million people already use WhatsApp's messaging service in India.
Budweiser is introducing a new beer to its Reserve Collection. Proceeds from the new Budweiser Freedom Reserve Red Lager will go towards helping veterans. Ricardo Marques, VP of marketing at Budweiser, joins Cheddar to explain why this is an important mission for the company.
Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was arrested last week on charges of rape and a criminal sex act but the New York District Attorney's office may have a difficult time convicting him, says former U.S. prosecutor Jonna Spilbor.
Political turmoil in Italy and U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports dragged down the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 by more than 1 percent on Tuesday. "It's kind of been the one-two punch," says Daniel Ives, chief strategy officer and head of technology research at GBH Insights.
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North Korean General Kim Yong-chol, often referred to as Kim Jong-un's right-hand man, will meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York later this week. This shows "a sense of willingness" on both ides to make the historic U.S.-North Korea summit happen, it's just a question of when, says Martyn Williams, a journalist at IDG News Service.
An Austrian privacy activist filed lawsuits against the tech giants as soon as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect at midnight, accusing the companies of failing to comply. "This is a very hard reality check for companies, not just abroad, but in the U.S.," says Andrew Rossow, internet attorney and Forbes contributor.
Kayleigh McEnany confirms to Cheddar's J.D. Durkin that Michael Cohen remains as Deputy Finance Chair of the RNC, despite being under criminal investigation. "We'll take it step by step, day by day," she says.
A day after President Trump canceled the North Korea summit, Kim Jong-un said he is still willing to sit down with the U.S. president "at any time." This outcome is what "good negotiating looks like," says Kayleigh McEnany, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee.
Though President Trump abruptly canceled his planned meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-un, there's still a possibility the summit could take place in the future if the two sides can tamp down their antagonism and agree to a framework for denuclearization.
