Russian launches massive strike on Ukraine capital; Sky-high proposal ends in arrests

Russia pounds Ukraine with attacks on Kyiv

This morning, more than a dozen Ukrainians are dead and others trapped in the rubble

Plus, the death toll from the Venezuela earthquakes now surpasses 2,000, but tens of thousands are still missing one week later

And they made it to the top of the spire of the Empire State Building, Kist

and the guy apparently proposed how the two daredevils climbed to nearly 1,500 feet

before getting arrested. The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world

These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow. Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli

We begin this morning with a new large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says search and rescue efforts are underway after at least 13 people were killed in explosions that shook the capital of Kiev overnight

in too early this morning. He says Moscow used more than 70 missiles and 500 drones to attack

buildings and civilian infrastructure across the city, including an ambulance station and a hotel

Damage is reported in every district in Kiev, with the Darnitsky district hit the hardest

Officials say part of a nine-floor apartment building there collapsed. Rescue crews are still

looking for people thought to be trapped under the rubble, including a 15-year-old girl and her

family. Reuters reports that Russia's defense ministry claimed the strikes hit key military

plants in Kiev and that the Kremlin's top spokesman warned there would be more to come

One week after two powerful earthquakes rocked Venezuela, some 50,000 people remain unaccounted

for. According to official tallies, at least 2,295 people have died from the devastating quakes that

knocked down hundreds of buildings across the country. But with so many collapsed buildings

still unexcavated, experts say the real death toll is likely significantly higher

One forensic pathologist told CNN the current count is not even a third of the actual number The U Geological Survey says there a high chance tens of thousands of people died

in the back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes. Frustration is mounting among Venezuelans over the government's response

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has publicly accused the government of downplaying the destruction

Machado, who fled Venezuela after winning a presidential election that was stolen by

now ousted leader Nicolas Maduro, has been trying to return to her home country since the quakes

but her efforts have been repeatedly blocked. A senior U.S. official told Axios she's adding

quote, needless drama to the situation and accused her of grotesque political opportunism

Meanwhile, Democratic Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro says ICE is still trying to deport children

and families to Venezuela despite the catastrophe. In a post on social media Wednesday, Castro claimed that children and families

were woken up in the middle of the night just hours after the earthquakes

and sent to Arizona on their way to Venezuela before ultimately being returned to the Texas detention facility they started out in

Former CIA Director John Brennan is suing the Trump administration, demanding they preserve records of their investigations into him

Brennan has been under investigation for months in Florida with Trump administration officials, including former director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, accusing him of being part of a group of Obama appointees that committed a treasonous conspiracy about Russian interference in the 2016 election

Brennan claims he is the victim of a vindictive prosecution and is accused of, quote, phantom criminal conduct

The court filing states, President Trump has been condemning and calling for Director Brennan's prosecution for years

Administration officials from the acting attorney general to the FBI director and the counselor overseeing the Brennan investigations have been publicly declaring Director Brennan a criminal not only before securing a conviction in court but even before a full investigation and an indictment So far no comment from the White House

The FBI says it is working to figure out which ransom notes are legitimate

five months after the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie. Investigators say they've received several notes since somebody abducted the 84-year-old mother

of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie from her Tucson, Arizona home in the early hours of February 1st

They believe two of the notes sent within the first two weeks after Guthrie disappeared are legitimate

Others could potentially be, while some are believed to be attempted extortion

The FBI did not specify how many notes have come in, but Tucson TV station KOLD says it received two

One demanding millions in Bitcoin in exchange for Nancy Guthrie's return, and another that said she had died

TMZ says it also received a note. Investigators were able to recover home security video of the night Guthrie vanished without her phone or essential medication

but so far have not been able to identify the masked intruder

Did you see this? Two climbers reached the top of the Empire State Building's antenna or spire on Wednesday

nearly 1,500 feet above Midtown Manhattan. They unfurled a black banner about love and peace

then appeared to get engaged before specially trained officers got up there and arrested them

The message from police was shorter. Well, you can't be up here. The climbers go by Angela Nikolaou and Ivan Birkus

Police identified them by their formal names, Angelina Nikolaou and Ivan Kuznetsov

The two are known for high-rise stunts around the world and were featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary

Skywalkers, A Love Story. News helicopter videos showed them dressed in black

wearing masks and balancing on the structure without tethers or ropes or nets

After several minutes on the structure, they collected the banner and started down

Videos showed one of them getting on one knee on a lower platform The two then kissed and hugged Police sent an emergency services unit to the building They cleared the observation deck as officers responded

Body cam video showed officers climbing up to meet the couple before arresting them

on burglary, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespass, as well as other charges

Police say the banner was recovered. It was not immediately clear how the pair reached the top

which rises above the building's public areas. The Empire State Building said the stunt was unauthorized, but tenants and visitors were never in danger

The building also noted its observation deck offers a more practical way to make a memorable proposal

By the way, watching this on national TV yesterday, I can tell you I was getting dizzy just watching the helicopter coverage

Wow. I mean, they were way, way up there. How dangerous. Finally this morning, it's win and advance time at the World Cup

It's the knockout round, and the Americans came up big Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina

Fans packed the stadium in Santa Clara, California, many downing red, white, and blue

Ful Balagan put the Americans up at the 45-minute mark of the contest, scoring the first goal of the game

But less than 20 minutes later, he became a bit of a villain. The refs giving Balagan a red card for a foul on a Bosnian player as both men lunged for the ball

and the American's cleat struck the back of the other player's calf. Still, with just 10 players on the field, the Americans were able to increase their lead

as Malik Tillman sent a beautiful shot into the net off a free kick

The U.S. advances to the round of 16 for the first time since 2002 in a match against Belgium on Monday

Balogun, by the way, is suspended for that game. Unbiased Updates is the fastest, fairest few minutes of news

You can watch us anytime at SAN.com or on the app or join our growing audience on Spotify

We thank you for making us part of your morning routine. Those are your Unbiased Updates for this Thursday

We'll see you back here tomorrow. For all of us here at Straight Arrow, I'm Craig DeGrelly. Good to see you again. Have a great day