Growing number of young women say abortion rights top election issue

Since the U.S. Supreme Court sent the issue of abortion back to the states in 2022, Democrats have mobilized to protect abortion rights while Republicans have worked to restrict the procedure on religious and moral grounds. The issue is motivating voters to go to the polls this election year. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more from Nevada. Videographer: Mary Cieslak

US police urged to embrace prevention to head off mass shootings, attacks 

The U.S. agency charged with protecting the life of the president of the United States and other high-ranking officials wants state and local law enforcement to do more to stop potential threats from escalating into violence.

And it is trying to show police agencies across the country exactly how to do it.

The U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) on Wednesday issued a new guide, encouraging law enforcement agencies to create specific units to address threatening behavior in cases where there are significant concerns, even though no laws have been broken.

The guide specifically calls for police agencies to set up what NTAC calls behavioral threat assessment units that can assess potential dangers and then provide resources to make sure individuals get help before they resort to violence.

“What our research has continuously found is that in many cases of mass violence or other forms of targeted violence, the attacker’s behavior was witnessed by community bystanders, some of whom sought to report their concerns to public safety officials,” said Lina Alathari, NTAC director, briefing reporters ahead of the guide’s release.

“Unfortunately, many communities lack the structured systems to receive, evaluate and respond to these reports in a way that would reduce the likelihood of a violent or tragic outcome,” she said.

NTAC’s plea for law enforcement agencies to find ways to be more proactive is not new.

A January 2023 report that analyzed 173 mass attacks carried out over a five-year period urged communities to make it easier for witnesses to report concerns and allow for earlier intervention from crisis counselors and social services.

But the latest guidance comes as national security officials are bracing for potential violence.

The Department of Homeland Security’s 2025 annual threat assessment, issued last month, warned, “The terrorism threat environment in the United States over the next year will remain high.

“The threat will continue to be characterized primarily by lone offenders or small cells motivated to violence by a combination of racial, religious, gender, or anti-government grievances; conspiracy theories; and personalized factors,” it added.

The Secret Service has itself responded to two unrelated attempts to assassinate former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, coming under criticism for its failure to prevent one of the would-be assassins from firing eight shots and injuring Trump before he was stopped. 

Investigators in that case have said the now dead 20-year-old gunman had spent months researching assassinations and saw the former president as a “target of opportunity.” 

The new guide, issued Wednesday, aims to show police agencies how to spot warning signs more quickly and find ways to intervene.

“We have seen historically that law enforcement in the United States may at times feel limited in what they can do when responding to reports of threats or other concerning behavior, particularly when that behavior does not involve criminal activity,” said NTAC Assistant Chief Steven Driscoll.

“This publication represents the most comprehensive guidance ever produced on how to adapt and operationalize the Secret Services Behavioral Threat Assessment model for use by state and local law enforcement agencies,” he said.

Some state law enforcement agencies have already adopted the Secret Service model.

North Carolina’s State Bureau of Investigation set up a behavioral analysis threat assessment unit following a 2018 shooting that killed 17 people in Parkland, Florida.

The unit works with other state agencies and the state’s university system to prevent potential attacks.

The state of Hawaii has likewise created a team to intervene in cases of potential violence. And there is a similar program in Washington, the U.S. capital.

“Behavioral threat assessment methodology has been proven effective in safeguarding community time and again,” Driscoll said. “Prevention happens successfully every day, and thankfully, these are stories that we never hear about, when everybody goes home safely.”

As an example, Driscoll pointed to a 2021 NTAC study that looked at 67 incidents in which attacks on schools were averted due to students and community members reporting warning signs so authorities could intervene before anyone got hurt.

Despite such successes, NTAC said it does not have any data on how many communities have behavioral threat assessment units. And officials worry that too many state and local law enforcement agencies lack access to programs that allow them to step in when a threat has been identified but no law has been broken.

Some federal funding, though, is available.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it has awarded almost $90 million through its Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program since 2020.

And NTAC’s Alathari said the specialized units can be effective, even when people and resources are scarce.

“Behavioral assessment units are able to vary in size,” she said in response to a question from VOA. “An agency with limited resources to establish this kind of unit could begin with just a single designated violence prevention officer who maintains the responsibility of gathering information, information to manage situations that might revolve around potential violence.”

Georgia judge blocks ballot counting rule and says county officials must certify election results

ATLANTA — A judge has blocked a new rule that requires Georgia Election Day ballots to be counted by hand after the close of voting. The ruling came a day after the same judge ruled that county election officials must certify election results by the deadline set in law.

The State Election Board last month passed the rule requiring that three poll workers each count the paper ballots — not votes — by hand after the polls close.

The county election board in Cobb County, in Atlanta’s suburbs, had filed a lawsuit seeking to have a judge declare that rule and five others recently passed by the state board invalid, saying they exceed the state board’s authority, weren’t adopted in compliance with the law and are unreasonable.

In a ruling late Tuesday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote, that the so-called hand count rule “is too much, too late” and blocked its enforcement while he considers the merits of the case.

McBurney on Monday had ruled in a separate case that “no election superintendent (or member of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance.” While they are entitled to inspect the conduct of an election and to review related documents, he wrote, “any delay in receiving such information is not a basis for refusing to certify the election results or abstaining from doing so.”

Georgia law says county election superintendents — generally multimember boards — “shall” certify election results by 5 p.m. on the Monday after an election, or the Tuesday if Monday is a holiday as it is this year.

The two rulings came as early in-person voting began Tuesday in Georgia.

They are victories for Democrats, liberal voting rights groups and some legal experts who have raised concerns that Donald Trump’s allies could refuse to certify the results if the former president loses to Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in next month’s presidential election. They have also argued that new rules enacted by the Trump-endorsed majority on the State Election Board could be used to stop or delay certification and to undermine public confidence in the results.

In blocking the hand count rule, McBurney noted that there are no guidelines or training tools for its implementation and that the secretary of state had said the rule was passed too late for his office to provide meaningful training or support. The judge also wrote that no allowances have been made in county election budgets to provide for additional personnel or expenses associated with the rule.

“The administrative chaos that will — not may — ensue is entirely inconsistent with the obligations of our boards of elections (and the SEB) to ensure that our elections are fair legal, and orderly,” he wrote.

The state board may be right that the rule is smart policy, McBurney wrote, but the timing of its passage makes implementing it now “quite wrong.” He invoked the memory of the riot at the U.S. Capitol by people seeking to stop the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential victory on Jan. 6, 2021, writing, “Anything that adds uncertainty and disorder to the electoral process disserves the public.”

During a hearing earlier Tuesday, Robert Thomas, a lawyer for the State Election Board, argued that the process isn’t complicated and that estimates show that it would take extra minutes, not hours, to complete. He also said memory cards from the scanners, which are used to tally the votes, could be sent to the tabulation center while the hand count is happening so reporting of results wouldn’t be delayed.

State and national Democratic groups that had joined the suit on the side of the Cobb election board, along with the Harris campaign, celebrated McBurney’s ruling in a joint statement: “From the beginning, this rule was an effort to delay election results to sow doubt in the outcome, and our democracy is stronger thanks to this decision to block it.”

The certification ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Julie Adams, a Republican member of the election board in Fulton County, which includes most of the city of Atlanta and is a Democratic stronghold. Adams sought a declaration that her duties as an election board member were discretionary and that she is entitled to “full access” to “election materials.”

Long an administrative task that attracted little attention, certification of election results has become politicized since Trump tried to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 general election. Republicans in several swing states, including Adams, refused to certify results earlier this year and some have sued to keep from being forced to sign off on election results.

Adams’ suit, backed by the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, argued county election board members have the discretion to reject certification. In court earlier this month, her lawyers also argued county election officials could certify results without including certain ballots if they suspect problems.

Judge McBurney wrote that nothing in Georgia law gives county election officials the authority to determine that fraud has occurred or what should be done about it. Instead, he wrote, state law says a county election official’s “concerns about fraud or systemic error are to be noted and shared with the appropriate authorities but they are not a basis for a superintendent to decline to certify.”

The Democratic National Committee and Democratic Party of Georgia had joined the lawsuit as defendants with the support of Harris’ campaign. The campaign called the ruling a “major legal win.”

Adams said in a statement that McBurney’s ruling has made it clear that she and other county election officials “cannot be barred from access to elections in their counties.”

A flurry of election rules passed by the State Election Board since August has generated a crush of lawsuits. McBurney earlier this month heard a challenge to two rules having to do with certification brought by the state and national Democratic parties. Another Fulton County judge is set to hear arguments in two challenges to rules tomorrow — one brought by the Democratic groups and another filed by a group headed by a former Republican lawmaker. And separate challenges are also pending in at least two other counties.

 

Міненерго: Херсон і Миколаїв знеструмлені через технологічне порушення, роботи тривають

«Енергосистема залишається збалансованою. Однак постійні ворожі атаки призводять до пошкоджень, що ускладнюють її роботу», додали в міністерстві

Xi says China willing to be a partner, friend with the US

BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping said a successful partnership between China and the United States is an opportunity for the two countries to be enablers for each other’s development rather than an obstacle, according to state media on Wednesday.

“China is willing to be a partner and friend with the United States. This will benefit not only the two countries, but the world,” Xi said in remarks from a letter to the 2024 annual awards dinner of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, according to a CCTV news report.

Xi pointed out that China-U.S. relations are among the most important bilateral relations in the world, which have a bearing on the future and destiny of mankind, according to the letter.

The two countries have been at odds over national security concerns, ongoing trade spats as well as China’s actions in the South China Sea and intensified military drills around Taiwan.

Trade relations soured over the past year and have centered around issues including restrictions on electric vehicles and advanced semiconductors.

“China has always handled China-U.S. relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and has always believed that the success of China and the United States is an opportunity for each other,” Xi said.

Troops kicked out under ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ upgraded to honorable discharges

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon announced Tuesday that more than 800 military personnel have seen their service records upgraded to honorable discharges after previously being kicked out of the military under its former “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

It is the latest development over the decades to undo past discrimination against LGBTQ service members.

The 1951 Uniform Code of Military Justice’s Article 125 had criminalized consensual gay sex. In 1993, former President Bill Clinton modified the military’s policy to “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which allowed LGBTQ troops to serve in the armed forces if they did not disclose their sexual orientation.

That policy was repealed in 2011, when Congress allowed for their open service in the military. The 1951 UCMJ code was modified in 2013 to be limited to nonconsensual gay sex.

President Joe Biden in June announced he was issuing pardons to service members convicted under repealed military policies.

Under “don’t ask, don’t tell,” thousands of service members still saw their military service ended without an honorable discharge, meaning they did not receive the military benefits they would have otherwise, such as education benefits, and it also could have affected their ability to apply for jobs or loans.

Last year, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a review of cases of former service members who might have been affected by the policy.

The Pentagon estimates about 13,500 service members were released from military service under “don’t ask, don’t tell.” With the review and upgrades of the more than 800 troops announced Tuesday, the Pentagon said that about 96% of the 13,500 personnel affected by the policy had received an honorable discharge.

Not every case of the 13,500 needed review. Some of those personnel did not serve long enough to qualify for benefits, were released with an honorable discharge at the time, already had their discharges upgraded through other means, or did not qualify for an upgrade due to other violations.

“We will continue to honor the service and the sacrifice of all our troops — including the brave Americans who raised their hands to serve but were turned away because of whom they love. We will continue to strive to do right by every American patriot who has honorably served their country,” Austin said in a statement.

Voting rights groups seek investigation into Wisconsin text messages

madison, wisconsin — Voting rights advocates on Tuesday asked state and federal authorities to investigate anonymous text messages apparently targeting young Wisconsin voters, warning them not to vote in a state where they are ineligible.

Free Speech for People, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, made the request to the U.S. Department of Justice as well as the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The letter says that “thousands of young voters across Wisconsin” received the text message last week, including staff members at the League of Women Voters and students at the University of Wisconsin.

The text in question cites Wisconsin state law prohibiting voting in more than one place and says that violating the law can result in fines of up to $10,000 and 3.5 years in prison.

“Don’t vote in a state where you’re not eligible,” the text said.

Wisconsin is known for having razor-thin presidential elections. Four of the last six were decided by less than a percentage point. President Joe Biden won in 2020 by less than 21,000 votes.

At least one person who received the text posted it on the social media platform X.

The League of Women Voters, in its request for investigation, said that without prompt action “the sender may continue its efforts to frighten eligible young voters into not voting.”

Students attending college in Wisconsin can register to vote either at their home address or their one at school.

“But now, many students and other young voters are fearful that they will face criminal prosecution if they register and exercise their right to vote — because of a malicious, inaccurate text sent by an anonymous party,” the letter said.

The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment.

Wisconsin Department of Justice spokesperson Gillian Drummond said the department takes allegations of potential violations of election law seriously. She said the agency was reviewing the information in the request for an investigation and would assess “what, if any, follow-up is appropriate based on the facts and the law.”

University of Wisconsin System spokesperson Mark Pitsch said in an email that system officials were unaware of any security breach that may have resulted in leaked student contact information. He added that nothing has been reported to system officials about the text, and there was no indication how many students may have received it.

Riley Vetterkind, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Elections Commission, said in an email to The Associated Press that the commission can’t determine whether the text message violates state law because the commission hasn’t received a formal complaint about it.

However, he called the message “concerning” and said it certainly could leave recipients feeling intimidated. He urged recipients to contact law enforcement directly if they are worried about the message.

“We understand that these third-party text messages can be very frustrating for voters,” Vetterkind said. “We recommend voters rely upon official sources of election information, such as from state or local election officials. Voters are free to ignore these text messages since they are not sent or associated with an official source.”

The text message was sent as thousands of voters in Wisconsin are casting absentee ballots. As of Monday, nearly 240,000 absentee ballots had already been returned statewide.

Starting October 22, voters can start casting absentee ballots in person.

Wisconsin is one of the “blue wall” states along with Michigan and Pennsylvania that is key to winning for either Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris or Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Georgia judge rules county election officials must certify election results

ATLANTA, georgia — A Georgia judge has ruled county election officials must certify election results by the deadline set in law and cannot exclude any group of votes from certification even if they suspect error or fraud. 

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that “no election superintendent (or member of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance.”

While they have the right to inspect the conduct of an election and to review related documents, he wrote, “any delay in receiving such information is not a basis for refusing to certify the election results or abstaining from doing so.” 

Georgia law says county election superintendents, which are multimember boards in most counties, “shall” certify election results by 5 p.m. on the Monday after an election — or the Tuesday if Monday is a holiday as it is this year. 

The ruling comes as early voting began Tuesday in Georgia. 

Julie Adams, a Republican member of the Fulton County election board, had asked the judge to declare that her duties as an election board member were discretionary and that she is entitled to “full access” to “election materials.” 

Long an administrative task that attracted little attention, certification of election results has become politicized since then-President Donald Trump tried to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 general election. Republicans in several swing states, including Adams, refused to certify election results earlier this year and some have sued to keep from being forced to sign off on election results. 

Adams’ suit, backed by the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, argues that county election board members have the discretion to reject certification. In court earlier this month, her lawyers also argued that county election officials could certify results without including ballots that appear to have problems, allaying concerns of a board member who might otherwise vote not to certify. 

Judge McBurney wrote that nothing in Georgia law gives county election officials the authority to determine that fraud has occurred or what should be done about it. Instead, he wrote, the law says a county election official’s “concerns about fraud or systemic error are to be noted and shared with the appropriate authorities but they are not a basis for a superintendent to decline to certify.” 

Both sides in the fight over certification claimed McBurney’s ruling as a victory. 

The Democratic National Committee and Democratic Party of Georgia, with the support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, had joined the lawsuit as defendants and called the ruling a “major legal win.” 

Adams has said she was not given access to county election documents with enough time to consider them before the certification vote for elections earlier this year. She said in a statement that McBurney’s ruling has made it clear that she and other county election board members “cannot be barred from access to elections in their counties.” 

FEMA resumes door-to-door visits in North Carolina after threats tied to disinformation

Federal disaster personnel have resumed door-to-door visits as part of their hurricane-recovery work in North Carolina, an effort temporarily suspended amid threats that prompted officials to condemn the spread of disinformation. 

Over the weekend, reports emerged that workers with the Federal Emergency Management Agency could be targeted by militia as the government responds to Hurricane Helene. A sheriff’s office said Monday that one man was arrested during an investigation, but that the suspect acted alone. 

FEMA made operational changes to keep personnel safe “out of an abundance of caution,” agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said at a briefing Tuesday. FEMA workers were back in the field Monday, accompanied by Criswell, and she said disaster-assistance teams helping survivors apply for FEMA aid as well as state and local assistance will continue to go door-to-door. She emphasized that the agency isn’t going anywhere. 

“The federal family has been here working side by side with the state since Day One. These are people who put their lives on hold to help those who have lost everything,” Criswell said. “So let me be clear: I take these threats seriously.” 

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said he directed the state’s Department of Public Safety to coordinate law enforcement assistance for FEMA and other responders. He stressed the damage that internet rumors and falsehoods were causing and said officials may never know how many people won’t apply for assistance because of bad information. 

“There’s still a persistent and dangerous flow of misinformation about recovery efforts in western North Carolina that can lead to threats and intimidation, breeds confusion and demoralizes storm survivors and response workers alike,” Cooper said at the briefing. “If you’re participating in spreading this stuff, stop it. Whatever your aim is, the people you are really hurting are those in western North Carolina who need help.” 

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call Saturday about a man with an assault rifle who made a comment “about possibly harming” FEMA employees working in the hard-hit areas of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock in the North Carolina mountains. A man was charged with “going armed to the terror of the public,” a misdemeanor, and was released after posting bond. 

The sheriff’s office said it received initial reports that a “truckload of militia” was involved in the threat, but further investigation determined the man acted alone. 

FEMA has faced rampant disinformation about its response to Helene, which hit Florida on September 26 before heading north and leaving a trail of destruction across six states. 

Asked what might be fueling disinformation, Cooper said social media has become more extreme, but he also pointed to politics. 

“This is happening in the middle of an election where candidates are using people’s misery to sow chaos for their own political objectives — and it’s wrong,” he said. 

Former President Donald Trump and his allies have seized on the storm’s aftermath to spread false information about the Biden administration’s response in the final weeks before the election. Their debunked claims include false statements that victims can only receive $750 in aid, that emergency response funds were diverted to immigrants, that people accepting federal relief money could see their land seized and that FEMA is halting trucks full of supplies. 

Helene decimated remote towns throughout Appalachia, left millions without power, knocked out cellular service and killed at least 246 people. It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since Katrina in 2005. 

Terrie Daughtry, a volunteer handling therapy dogs Tuesday at a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Asheville, said threats and misinformation — including the militia rumors — made her feel unsafe for the first time in several trips to volunteer at disaster sites. 

“I’m not coming to risk my life with it all, to be shot or hurt or trampled because of lunacy,” said Daughtry, who volunteers with Therapy Dogs International. She said she previously traveled to help in the aftermath of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, floods in Virginia and tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama. 

She and another volunteer have been using their therapy dogs to calm people waiting in line to make FEMA claims. They hand out candy, let people pet the dogs and talk to people about their experiences. 

Despite the extra stress from the “absolutely ridiculous” threats and misinformation, Daughtry said she’s seen some amazing moments of human spirit. At one point on Monday, someone in line started playing a guitar and singing about having no water, she said. Eventually, the whole line sang along. 

“These are special people. They’re singing in horrible adversity,” she said. “It made me tear up being there, and it’s making me tear up now.” 

Посадовці США тиснуть на Зеленського в питанні мобілізації від 18 років – радник голови ОП

«Президент Зеленський не продавився, і продовжує переконувати політиків з обох партій давати зброю без зміни призовного віку» – Лещенко

US slaps sanctions on ‘sham charity’ fundraising for Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine

WASHINGTON — The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on what it said was a key international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which Washington has designated a terrorist organization.

The U.S. Treasury Department, in action taken with Canada, said in a statement it imposed sanctions on the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, accusing it of being “a sham charity that serves as an international fundraiser” for the PFLP. 

The PFLP, which has also taken part in the fight against Israel in Gaza, was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. in October 1997 and October 2001, respectively. 

The Treasury said PFLP uses Samidoun to fundraise in Europe and North America. The group’s activities were banned by Germany last year. 

“Organizations like Samidoun masquerade as charitable actors that claim to provide humanitarian support to those in need, yet in reality divert funds for much-needed assistance to support terrorist groups,” Treasury’s acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Bradley Smith, said in the statement. 

The Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network did not respond immediately to a Reuters request for comment. 

A member of the PFLP’s leadership abroad was also targeted with sanctions on Tuesday. 

Canada announced the listing of Samidoun as a terrorist entity on Tuesday. “Violent extremism, acts of terrorism or terrorist financing have no place in Canadian society or abroad,” Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said in a statement announcing the listing. 

The Treasury said the PFLP remained active in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, including participating in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage to Gaza, by Israeli tallies. 

More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive so far, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

DeSantis praises Milton recovery efforts as rising flood waters persist in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — While there’s still more work to do, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday praised Hurricane Milton recovery efforts, saying power has never been restored to so many so quickly after a major storm. 

“President (Ronald) Reagan used to say the most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’ There’s a lot of wisdom in that, but I don’t think The Gipper ever saw Florida respond to a natural disaster, because we get after it and we do make a difference,” DeSantis said at a news conference in front of a flooded road in Zephyrhills. 

There were still about 170,000 customers without electricity, rivers continued to rise in some flooded areas and the state was still providing free gas to residents struggling to top of their tanks. But DeSantis pointed out that more than 4 million customers had power restored less than a week after the Category 3 storm. 

At least 11 people died less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene inflicted major damage in Florida and other Southeastern states. The death toll from Helene is more than 240. While most gas stations were back up and running, the state still has 10 active fuel distribution centers providing free gas to residents. DeSantis said more than 2 million gallons had been distributed so far. 

As happened two years ago during Hurricane Ian, parts of central Florida on Tuesday were flooding almost a week after Milton made landfall due to the rising St. Johns River. 

In Seminole County, north of Orlando, crews closed roads along the shores of Lake Harney and Lake Jesup after several homes were flooded by the river. Since last Thursday, at least 15 people have been evacuated from homes in nearby Geneva and a neighborhood in Altamonte Springs located in a crook of the Little Wekiva River. 

Water levels along the St. Johns River were expected to crest later in the week. 

In Sumter County, home to the sprawling retirement community, The Villages, residents along the Little Withlacoochee River were being encouraged to evacuate as river levels rose. Residents who decided to evacuate were offered shelter at the Sumter County Fairgrounds.

American couple runs across Ukraine to raise funds, help residents during war

American couple Tyler and Nikki Chay are trying to keep the world’s focus on the war in Ukraine in their own unique way … by running … over 1,200 kilometers across Ukraine. From the Central Ukraine town of Khmelnytskyi, Tetiana Kukurika has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. (Camera: Sergiy Rybchynski ; Produced by: Vitaliy Hrychanyuk, Anna Rice)