News Wrap: Defense Secretary Austin makes surprise visit to Ukraine

Read the Full Transcript

• Geoff Bennett:

  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a surprise visit to Ukraine today, in a bid to keep money and weapons flowing to its military.

  Ukrainian officials say they fear foreign aid will dry up as the Israel-Hamas war diverts global attention. Austin's arrival marked his first to Kyiv since April last year. He pledged to President Zelenskyy that American support will not waver.

  Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense: I wanted to reassure the leadership that the United States of America will continue to support Ukraine. And so we talked about the things that we're going to continue to do to make sure they have what they need to be successful on the battlefield.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Austin also announced another $100 million in U.S. military aid for Ukraine, including air defense interceptors and anti-tank weapons.

  A federal appeals court ruling today could curb enforcement of the federal Voting Rights Act. The St. Louis panel upheld a lower court finding that only the U.S. Justice Department may sue under the landmark law. For decades, most cases, from redistricting to voter I.D., have been filed by private groups. The case is expected to wind up before the Supreme Court.

  President Biden turned 81 today, at a time when his age has become a growing issue in polls as he faces reelection. He joked about it during an annual Thanksgiving event, but otherwise left it to top aides to argue that his decades of experience are a positive.

• Karine Jean-Pierre, White House Press Secretary:

  As they say, the proof is in the pudding, right? The president has used his experience to pass more bipartisan legislation in recent time than any other president. That's just a fact.

  I would put the president's stamina, the president's wisdom, ability to get this done on behalf of the American people against anyone, anyone on any day of the week.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Mr. Biden is the oldest sitting president in U.S. history. His leading Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump, is now 77.

  Lawyers for Mr. Trump urged a federal appeals court today to revoke a gag order against him. It bars statements against prosecutors, witnesses, and court staff in his election interference case in Washington. He says it's about free speech. Prosecutors say it's about intimidation.

  The Commission on Presidential Debates has announced three face-offs for next fall's general election campaign. They will be at Texas State University, Virginia State University, and the University of Utah. President Biden has not said if he will debate. The chair of the Republican National Committee says the commission is biased, so the GOP should boycott the events.

  Commuters in Los Angeles finally have some good news. A mile-long stretch of Interstate 10 reopened today, well ahead of schedule. It had been damaged 10 days ago by an arson fire fueled by material stored beneath the elevated freeway. Officials had initially said the repairs would take three to five weeks.

  And on Wall Street, the holiday week got off to a good start. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 203 points to close at 35151. The Nasdaq rose 159 points. The S&P 500 added 33.