Summary

In our news wrap Wednesday, President Joe Biden has put Russian President Vladimir Putin on notice after the two men held a two-hour virtual summit Tuesday, saying that the U.S. will impose strong new sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine. It came as Russian troops have been building up along the Ukrainian border (see map in For More).

• China warned that the U.S. will "pay the price" for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. French authorities have reportedly arrested one of the suspected killers of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was also a resident of the United States. The U.S. House of Representatives moved to clear the way for raising the national debt ceiling (see explainer in For More below).


• Workers at Kellogg cereal plants have rejected a five-year contract between management and 1,400 workers over payment and benefits. That announcement today means a two-month strike continues. The company says that it will now hire permanent replacement workers.


• The U.S. formally returned a 3,500-year-old clay tablet to Iraq today after it and thousands of other antiquities were looted during the 1991 Gulf War. It bears part of the Epic of Gilgamesh from the ancient Sumerian civilization.

Five Facts

Directions: Choose one or two stories (or the whole news summary!) to record the Five Facts questions here as well as the focus and media literacy questions below.

• Who are some of the individuals or groups of people mentioned in the news summary?


• What stories are covered?


• Where do some of the stories take place? (find Ukraine-Russia map here )


• When did those stories occur?


• Why do you think these items are *newsworthy?

( newsworthy — an event or fact interesting enough to be reported in the news)

Focus Questions

Kellogg workers say the company's long-term aim is to eliminate the solid pay and benefits they've won in past contracts, which management at Kellogg denies. Do you think the Kellogg workers should continue to strike until they get what they think is a fair contract? Why or why not? See background explainer on the strike here . Media literacy : The news summary broadcast leads with the anchor saying, "President Biden has put Russian President Vladimir Putin on notice tonight..." How do you think news sources in Russia are summarizing the call? (You can look up a few to check.)

For More

1. You may want to discuss the following question: What is the debt ceiling and what does it have to do with World War I? Take a look at this quote here. Do you think there should be a debt limit or debt ceiling?

"It is important to understand that the debt ceiling is not actually a limit on spending, but a limit on the Department of the Treasury’s ability to borrow money to pay the debt it already owes. This has its roots in World War I, when President Woodrow Wilson wanted Congress to authorize increased borrowing for the war effort. Congress passed the Second Liberty Bond Act of 1917, which established a limit, or debt ceiling, of $11.5 billion, with congressional approval required for any further increase. Congress has increased the debt limit dozens of times since then."

— Council on Foreign Relations

2. Map of Ukraine and Russia:

 

Courtesy: Reuters

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