Zelenskyy visits Washington:Â Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visits Washington today to meet with President Biden and make a speech to a joint meeting of Congress. Zelenskyy’s visit comes as Congress is considering a new package of more than $44 billion in aid for Ukraine.
Trump tax returns to be made public:Â The House Ways and Means Committee is going to make six years of Donald Trump’s tax returns public. The returns are expected to be released in a few days after data such as Social Security numbers and bank account numbers are redacted. The committee last night released two reports on the tax returns, which found at least 10 areas the committee believes the IRS should examine. These included whether deductions for charitable contributions were legitimate, whether loans to Trump’s children actually were gifts disguised as loans to avoid paying taxes and whether backup documentation exists to demonstrate that deductions were legitimate. The committee reported that Trump’s returns showed financial losses in four of the six years, which contrasts with the public image Trump had presented as having a highly profitable business empire.
Trump’s IRS ignored law:Â The House Ways and Means Committee says that during the Trump Administration, the IRS did not follow the law that requires tax returns filed by sitting presidents and vice presidents to undergo mandatory audits. The committee reports that it was only when the committee’s Chairman Richard Neal asked for copies of Trump’s returns that the IRS, that same day, started auditing Trump’s returns filed while he was in the White House.
Earthquake cleanup:Â About 30,000 electric customers along the northern coast of California in Humboldt County remained without power overnight as a result of damage caused by yesterday’s 6.4 magnitude earthquake. Two deaths as a result of what were described as medical emergencies were attributed to the earthquake. There were more than a dozen injuries reported along with extensive property damage.
Taliban enforces ban:Â Enforcers for the Taliban were on the campuses of colleges in Afghanistan this morning to enforce a new ruling by the Taliban’s leaders blocking women from obtaining a college education. The schools had been ordered to start keeping women out as soon as possible.
Arctic weather across the U.S.:Â The National Weather Service warns that a strong arctic high-pressure system is expected to roll over the Great Plains, the Midwest and into the Southeast today, tomorrow and Friday. The storm is forecast to bring blizzard conditions in the North and heavy rains in the South. The weather is likely to cause wide disruptions to holiday travel. Coastal areas of the Northeast are expected to get heavy rain tomorrow and Friday.
