News Wrap: Voting in Russian-held areas of Ukraine concludes, pipeline leaks in Baltic Sea

Judy Woodruff:

In the day's other news: Voting concluded in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, and pro-Moscow officials say that all four voted to formally join Russia.

The announcement followed hours of counting ballots in hastily arranged referenda that much of the world had rejected. Ukraine's president also dismissed the vote in translated remarks to the U.N. Security Council

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President (through translator):

This is an attempt to steal the territory of another state. This is a very cynical attempt to force the male population in the occupied territory of Ukraine to mobilize into the Russian army in order to send them to fight against their own homeland.

Judy Woodruff:

Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev insisted that Moscow is not bluffing about its potential use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine.

Natural gas leaks along Russian pipelines in the Baltic Sea have triggered questions of possible sabotage. Video from Sweden showed gas bubbles boiling to the surface today above the Nord Stream pipelines. Monitors registered explosions before the leaks.

In Poland, the prime minister charged that it was clearly deliberate as he opened a new pipeline to bring in gas from Norway.

Mateusz Morawiecki, Polish Prime Minister (through translator):

Today, we faced an act of sabotage. We don't know yet all the details of what happened, but we see clearly that this is an act of sabotage, an act which likely means a further step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine.

Judy Woodruff:

Other officials in the Baltics suggested that Russia damaged its own pipelines to increase pressure on Europe for supporting Ukraine.

In Japan, a state funeral in Tokyo honored former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in July. He had already had a private funeral. Today's ceremony took place as thousands of protesters marched. They opposed Abe's pro-military record and the cost of the state funeral.

Back in this country, jury selection began for Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far right Oath Keepers, in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He and four others are accused of seditious conspiracy in one of the most serious cases arising from the riot. The trial in Washington, D.C., could take about five weeks.

The U.S. Senate this evening advanced a bill that funds the federal government through mid-December and prevents a government shutdown this weekend. That came after West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin dropped his provisions to streamline and speed up permitting for energy projects. Republicans had objected to those provisions.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY):

Our Democratic colleagues decided to put in extraneous partisan language, in fact, a poison pill. This extraneous poison pill is not related to keeping the government open. It was not negotiated across the aisle.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY):

Because American families should not be subjected to a Republican-manufactured government shutdown,Senator Manchin has requested and I have agreed to move forward and passed the recently filed continuing resolution legislation without the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022.

Judy Woodruff:

Republicans have roundly criticized Senator Manchin since August, when he helped to pass a major budget and climate bill that he had initially opposed.

Americans on Medicare will pay lower premiums next year for Part B, covering most doctor's visits and outpatient care. The 3 percent increase — or decrease, rather, is the first in a decade. The program administrator said today that it's due in part to unexpected savings on a pricey Alzheimer's drug and to other unspecified factors.

The Biden administration today announced a goal of ending hunger in the U.S. by 2030. The strategy calls for expanding benefits to help low-income Americans buy food and for promoting healthy eating and exercise.

Also today, the U.S. Transportation Department gave final approval to building the first nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations. The five-year project aims to install a station with high-speed charging ports every 50 miles along interstate highways.

And, on Wall Street, stocks had a mixed day, as recession worries hovered over the market. The Dow Jones industrial average lost another 125 points to close at 29135. The Nasdaq rose 26 points. The S&P 500 slipped seven.