(NewsNation) — Ahead of his visit to Washington D.C., Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo this week for a one-on-one interview, reiterating that U.S. support was key for his country to have a chance of winning the war against Russia.

“The world is very fragile, and Russia’s president’s wishes are very ambitious. But as long as Ukraine is holding up, the world is safe,” he said.

More than 300 days have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine. Zelenskyy said part of the reason his country has fought dauntlessly is because of the aid it has received from other countries, including the United States.

In his interview, Zelenskyy talked about that support, and if he fears it could change with a new political power in control of the House of Representatives.

In response to some questions, Zelenskyy spoke to Cuomo with the help of a translator. Other times he answered questions directly in English.

He also explained why it’s important for the world not to forget that the war is still ongoing.

The interview was conducted in the early hours of Monday and parts of the interview were aired on “CUOMO” Tuesday evening. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Cuomo: Mr. President, thank you for joining us. I know the security situation is very sensitive. There were massive bombings in Kyiv. Just around the time of this interview, what can you tell us?

Zelenskyy (via a translator): As for today, there are no surprises. Russian aggression is still continuing. There were 34 strikes with our Iranian drones on and electrical grid of our country, as well as the capital Kyiv and the Kyiv region. The electrical crews are still working on those issues, as well as the water supply or heat for civilians, but we’re trying to deal with those challenges.

Cuomo: What do you know about the number of casualties from today’s bombings? And how much of the country is without power?

Zelenskyy (via a translator): There are injured but no casualties for now. The reason I’m saying “for now” is because the rescue crews are working under the rubble of those buildings, where our national emergency response teams are working. That’s we will be able to tell the exact number of casualties after the rescues are complete, only once they clear the scene.

In general, I could say that something like this is happening on a daily basis. Russian artillery is striking Kherson. Right after we occupied the region they kept striking. They pushed back to the other side of the Dnipro River bank and that’s when they started to strike Kherson again. Over there, dozens are killed every day. Unfortunately, this is an ongoing tragedy.

Cuomo: How important are the U.S. Patriot missiles in defending against these attacks? And what do you understand about how soon they will get to you?

Zelenskyy (via a translator): The Patriot system is the most effective, those are the best ones. We talked to President Biden, and we’re working through this issue. Everything is complicated, however, I know that both of our countries are working closely so that Ukraine has a chance to have one of the most powerful and modern air defense systems.

Cuomo: Do you have any sense of timing?

Zelenskyy (via a translator): Honestly, we would have liked to receive them yesterday, maybe even the day before yesterday. It would be best not to have those strikes at all, to have prevented them in the first place. But today, we believe the sooner the better. We’re working just on that, and I’m thinking that President Biden and I can come to a resolution on this.

Cuomo: Do you still believe that Ukraine is only the first and that people who think they are safe right now may not be if Ukraine does not win this war?

Zelenskyy (via a translator): We’re like a fortress, a wall in Russia’s way. They are ambitious people, but I cannot call them human beings, to be honest. Forgive me, but what they’re doing to our people is not humane. That is why I’m sure that Europe is dependent on how strong we are. The world is very fragile, and Russia’s president’s wishes are very ambitious. But as long as Ukraine is holding up, the world is safe. I’m sure that in their ambitions they see Moldova and other countries of the former Soviet Union. And I’m sure Poland, Romania and other countries where the Soviets were predominant.

Cuomo: Why do you say Ukraine will not attack inside the Russian border, even though you are being attacked by Russia.

Zelenskyy (via a translator): We are not interested in making strikes inside Russian territory. We’re defending ourselves, we’re not offensive against Russia. We’re only offensive against them on our territory. We’re occupying our territories according to international law. This war today is on our territory only, and Donbas and Crimea are part of Ukraine. We’re fighting only for what is ours.

Cuomo: What do you want people to know about how much is still at risk?

Zelenskyy (answering in English): My straight message is it’s really a big mistake to think that this war is over. That is a big mistake because our soldiers are great people, as well as the people who work in the electricity industry, who are against (Russian forces) each day, against Iranian drones and lose their lives. We are still losing our people, we lose Ukrainians. You can’t say that the war is over because Russia, the Kremlin and its president always want to come back because it’s his ambitious plan. I don’t think that it’s a healthy plan.

So we have to be strong. We can’t be strong without the wall. We can’t be strong without the United States, President Biden, as well as Congress’ two parties’ support. Without Americans — just ordinary people — without their understanding of what’s going on in Ukraine, we will not win. It will be very difficult, it will be too long. In a very long war, it’s difficult to find who is the winner when you lose people each day. We want peace, and that’s why we are fighting for our houses, our children, and our families. If you really want to understand what’s going on in Ukraine, please come and see. We still fight, and it’s still difficult for us but we are staying strong.

Cuomo: Are you worried that when the Republicans take over in the United States Congress, Ukraine may not receive the same support it is getting now?

Zelenskyy (answering in English): Of course, everybody in Ukraine worries about it, because we need support. But, I think politics is politics, and war for freedom is a different case. It’s not about elections, it’s something more important, more ambitious for the next generations. So we can’t speak politically about the war in Ukraine. You can do it during the elections. But now everything is over. I think and I really believe that Ukraine will have bipartisan support. I think Republicans will support us, as we got from the Democratic Party.

Cuomo: Do you see an end to the war in sight?

Zelenskyy (via a translator): Of course. I’m confident if we’re consistent and strong — even if there are moments of stagnation and pauses in the war — I’m confident if we’re tough, we will be moving forward believing in our victory. And I think Russian leaders, troops and military contractors would not be able to handle it. It is essential that Ukraine has world support. That’s very important.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022.

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Congress in a moving Wednesday speech.
• His visit to the US is his first international trip since Russia invaded in February.
• “Against all odds and doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine didn’t fall. Ukraine is alive and kicking, he said. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a historic visit to Washington, DC, on Wednesday, in his first international trip since Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of his country in late February.

News of Zelenskyy’s trip to Washington, a risky journey involving significant security concerns, broke on Tuesday. Zelenskyy’s visit, which included a meeting and press conference with President Joe Biden, came a day after the Ukrainian president met with troops on the frontline in a city that Russia has tried and failed to capture for months.

“It’s good to have you back,” Biden said to Zelenskyy at the White House, welcoming the Ukrainian leader for the first time since September 2021.

“It’s an honor to be by your side in the united defense against what is a brutal, brutal war that is being waged by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” Biden said to his Ukrainian counterpart.

“The Ukrainian people continue to inspire the world,” Biden added. “I mean that sincerely — not just inspire us, but inspire the world with their courage.”

—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 21, 2022

Zelensky delivered an emotional address to Congress on Wednesday evening, thanking US politicians for their prior assistance and aid, while invoking his country’s need for further military and financial help.

“Your money is not charity. It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way,” he said. 

Entering the House chamber to a rare minutes-long standing ovation from both sides of the aisle, Zelenskyy compared Ukrainians’ ongoing defiance to the Battle of the Bulge, which saw American troops and the Allied line withstand the final German offensive in World War II amid brutal winter conditions.

Some right-wing lawmakers repeatedly remained seated during abrupt standing ovations and bursts of applause, reporters in the room noted. 

He railed against “Russian tyranny” and presented confidence in Ukraine’s ability to withstand further attacks.

“Against all odds and doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine didn’t fall. Ukraine is alive and kicking, he said. 

“The Ukrainian people will win too, absolutely,” Zelenskyy added.

Zelenskyy’s speech came after the Ukrainian president joined Biden for a joint press conference on Wednesday afternoon, during which the latter reaffirmed ongoing support to Ukraine from the US.

The Ukrainian president told reporters that he was grateful for US assistance and emphasized that the two countries are fighting for “common victory against this tyranny.”

“I really want win together,” he said, before correcting himself. “Not ‘want.’ Sorry. I’m sure.”

The war in Ukraine has been disastrous for the Russian military

Russia is estimated to have suffered roughly 100,000 casualties so far. Russian forces have also been losing ground in the face of a Ukrainian counteroffensive, including in Ukrainian territories that Putin illegally annexed in September.

Putin on Tuesday made a rare admission that the war is not going well, pointing to an “extremely difficult” situation in the occupied territories. Last month, Russian forces treated from Kherson — the first major city Russia captured after invading — in one of the most humiliating moments in the war for Moscow to date.

But Ukraine has also sustained serious losses on myriad levels, including personnel and vital infrastructure. Kyiv has been heavily reliant on Western military aid throughout the war, and Zelenskyy continues to ask for more assistance.

Zelenskyy’s visit came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $1.85 billion in additional military assistance to Ukraine, which includes a Patriot missile battery for the first time. Blinken in a statement said the Patriot system is “capable of bringing down cruise missiles, short range ballistic missiles, and aircraft at a significantly higher ceiling than previously provided air defense systems.” For months, Ukraine has been urging Western powers to provide it with more advanced weaponry such as the Patriot air defense system.

President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022.

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Zelenskyy’s visit comes as US lawmakers discuss sending more aid to Ukraine

The Ukrainian leader’s trip to Washington also came as lawmakers discuss a massive federal government spending bill that includes roughly $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine.

Top Republicans like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have offered full-throated support to providing more assistance to Ukraine. But a number of congressional Republicans in recent months have expressed opposition to the levels of aid provided to Kyiv by the US, citing economic concerns. 

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky assailed Senate GOP leaders for agreeing to the latest tranche of Ukraine aid already baked into the year-end spending deal. 

“We don’t really have any money to send Ukraine. We have to borrow it from China,” Paul said of his concerns about deficit spending.

As for Zelenskyy, Paul took a no-hard-feelings approach to shutting off any additional aid. “He’s battling against an aggressive neighbor and we wish him luck,” Paul told Insider. “But my obligation is to try to preserve the national security of this country. And I think giving money away that we don’t have is not a good way to ensure our national security.”

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri didn’t pan Zelenskyy or even Senate Democrats for pursuing whatever resources they can on the Ukraine front. Instead he trained his fire at Senate GOP leaders.

“I think the Senate Republicans have boosted it beyond what the White House asked for,” Hawley said of his leadership’s willingness to keep sending money overseas.

He also mused about how the high-profile visit, meant to show strength between the two nations, could actually expose the US’s poor organizational skills.

“It would be ironic, wouldn’t it, if we had a government shutdown because we had to stop for a joint session of Congress,” Hawley said of the Zelenskyy’s fly-in possibly upending the sprint to try and sew up federal budgeting for the year.

As lawmakers in Washington debate over aid to Kyiv, it’s remains unlikely that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will occur in the foreseeable future. Russia has demanded that its authority over the territories Putin illegally annexed be recognized before talks can occur, even though Russian forces do not fully occupy or control these regions. Ukraine has also been clear that it will not agree to any peace deal that would see it cede territory to Russia. Meanwhile, the fighting rages on in Ukraine, as Putin continues to make nuclear threats and Russia repeatedly targets civilian areas. 

The Patriot system firing in Greece in November 2017 as part of a NATO exercise.

Sebastian Apel/U.S. Department of Defense, via AP

• The US announced on Wednesday that it would provide Ukraine with a Patriot air-defense system.
• The Patriot is seen as a vital weapon to counter Russia’s attacks with missiles and aircraft.
• The Patriot system is highly capable, but officials caution that there’s only so much it can do.

The US on Wednesday announced that it was sending a Patriot missile-defense battery to Ukraine, fulfilling a longstanding request from Kyiv to counter ongoing attacks by Russian aircraft and missiles.

The Patriot is considered one of the most capable long-range air-defense systems in service and as vital to defending Ukraine’s military and civilians, but officials and experts caution that there is only so much the Patriot itself can do to fend off that aerial assault.

The Patriot battery and accompanying munitions are part of a $1 billion package announced on Wednesday as a presidential drawdown, meaning its contents will be pulled directly from US stocks. It is only the latest air-defense weapon that the US has committed to Ukraine. Washington has previously pledged to send National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, Hawk air-defense systems, and Avenger air-defense systems.

While the decision to send the Patriot to Ukraine is a milestone, it will be some time before it is in use in Ukraine. A senior US defense official told reporters on Wednesday that there is not “a precise date” for when the battery would be transferred and acknowledged that there would be “a several-month training process.”

A Bundeswehr combat-ready Patriot missile system at a military airport in Germany on March 17.

Axel Heimken/picture alliance via Getty Images

Training ranges from 13 weeks for the Patriot launch-system operator to 53 weeks for the system repairer. Ukraine could speed that up by sending troops who are trained on its other air-defense systems, but the US official said Wednesday that how many would be trained and where they would be trained was still undetermined.

“The training will begin very soon, and again, it will take several months, and the training is the limiting timeframe here,” the official said. “The Ukrainians will have to complete the training in order to be able to field the system, and it’s the Ukrainians who are operating the system, so that’s absolutely essential.”

A Patriot battery typically has eight launchers, each capable of firing four to 16 interceptor missiles depending on the type being used. Each battery has support equipment, like a radar system and a power supply, and is staffed by about 90 troops, though only three are needed to operate it once deployed.

Patriot interceptors have operational ranges from a few dozen miles to roughly 100 miles and can reach altitudes of about 80,000 feet. The interceptors can be used against a variety of targets, including cruise missiles, aircraft, and drones, but are not cheap, costing a few million dollars each.

US officials have raised concerns about using Patriot interceptors against the relatively cheap drones that have proliferated on battlefields around the world, including in Ukraine.

“The high cost per missile and the relatively small number of missiles in a battery means that Patriot operators cannot shoot at every target,” according to Mark Cancian and Tom Karako, military experts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Japan soldiers set up Patriot missiles at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo in April 2012.

JIJI PRESS/AFP/GettyImages

“High-value Russian aircraft and ballistic missiles would be appropriate targets. Shooting $4 million missiles at $250,000 Russian cruise missiles might be justified if those missiles would hit sensitive targets. Shooting a $4 million missile at a $50,000 Iranian Shahed-136 drone would probably not,” Cancian and Karako wrote this week.

Officials speaking on Wednesday declined to discuss how Ukraine would employ the Patriot system but stressed that it was meant to be part of a larger air-defense network.

“There is no silver bullet. Our goal is to help Ukraine strengthen a layered, integrated approach to air defense that will include Ukraine’s own legacy capabilities as well as NATO-standard systems,” the senior defense official said. “Patriot will complement a range of medium- and short-range air-defense capabilities” that have been provided by the US and its allies.

While the Patriot battery would cover a small area and is suited for a limited range of targets, it does have value as a signal of US commitment to Ukraine, Cancian and Karako wrote.

Speaking alongside President Joe Biden on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the Patriot, calling it “the strongest element of this package” and “something that will strengthen our air defense significantly.”

“This is a very important step to create secure airspace for Ukraine, and that’s the only way we would be able to deprive the terrorist country of their terror attack to strike our energy sector, our people, and our infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said, speaking through a translator.

Far right radio show host Alex Jones appears on a video screen during a hearing of the January 6 committee on July 12, 2022.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

• The January 6 committee released the transcript of its interview with Alex Jones on Wednesday.
• The far-right radio host pleaded the fifth to almost all of the questions asked by investigators.
• He also misspelled his own middle name, stating he was “so stressed out, I can’t even spell it.”

The House January 6 committee released a transcript of its January 2022 interview with far-right conspiracist theorist and InfoWars host Alex Jones on Wednesday, confirming that he had extensively asserted his Fifth Amendment rights under questioning from investigators.

Jones attended the “Stop The Steal” rally in Washington, DC, that preceded the assault on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and was reportedly a key organizer of the rally. He was originally served a subpoena by the committee in November 2021.

The InfoWars host appeared to be under stress during the exchange with investigators, misspelling his own middle name when asked to provide it at the very beginning of the examination.

“Could you please spell your middle name for the record?” an investigator, whose identity was redacted in the report, asked Jones.

“You guys know what my name is. It’s on the record,” Jones shot back.

“I’m just asking for the court reporter,” the investigator replied.

“E – m — I’m so stressed out, I can’t even spell it for you,” he replied, at which point his lawyer, Norm Pattis, stepped in to spell his name.

“E – m – i – r – c,” Jones is recorded as replying, apparently misspelling “Emerick,” his middle name.

A portion of Alex Jones’ testimony to the January 6 committee.

Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol

Jones had previously said that he had pleaded the Fifth nearly 100 times during his testimony, and the rest of the 40-page transcript confirms that he used the right — which allows defendants to decline to answer questions in order to avoid self-incrimination — extensively.

“On advice of my counsel, I’m asserting my Fifth Amendment right to remain silent,” Jones replied to questions that ranged from whether he believed he was exposed to criminal prosecution, his connections to “Stop The Steal” organizer Ali Alexander and his attendance of large-scale protests in Washington following the 2020 presidential election, 

At one point, he accused, without evidence, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, a member of the committee, of forging documents.

“Because Adam Schiff forges documents,” said Jones when asked to confirm that he would not address questions about the events of January 5 and 6, 2021. He added: “I don’t trust Congressman Schiff. He’ll forge stuff.”

He then continued, eventually prompting the intervention of his lawyer.

“I want to tell you guys everything, but I don’t trust Congressman Schiff,” he said, before turning to his lawyer: “I don’t even know how to control this stuff, Norm. It’s a different system than I have.”

Jones later said on his radio show after the examination that investigators “were polite, but they were dogged.”

Separately, Jones was recently ordered to pay nearly $1 billion in compensatory damages to the families who lost loved ones in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting after falsely claiming for years that the shooting was a “false flag” to allow the government to restrict gun ownership.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the U.S. Congress on Wednesday that the tens of billions of dollars of aid it had approved to help it fight a Russian invasion was not charity, but an investment in global security.

In his first visit out of his country since the war began in February, Zelenskiy told lawmakers in the soaring House of Representatives chamber that he hoped they would continue to support Ukraine on a bipartisan basis – a major point as Republicans are due to take the majority in the House on Jan. 3.

“Your money is not charity,” Zelenskiy said, clad in the khaki fatigues that have been his public uniform throughout the 300 days of conflict. “It is an investment in the global security and democracy.”

Zelenskiy’s arrival was greeted with multiple raucous ovations in the nearly full chamber. Three members held up a large Ukrainian flag as he walked in.

“It is a great honor for me to be at the US Congress and speak to you and all Americans. Against all doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine did not fall. Ukraine is alive and kicking,” said Zelenskiy.

“We defeated Russia in the battle for the minds of the world,” he said.

Following a meeting at the White House with Democratic President Joe Biden, Zelenskiy’s speech needed to resonate with the bipartisan audience, including House Republicans, who have voiced increasing skepticism about continuing to send tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine.

Zelenskiy joined a long list of world leaders to address joint meetings of the Senate and House, a tradition that began in 1874 with a visit by Hawaiian King Kalakaua and included almost legendary wartime visits by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, as well as kings, queens and one pope.

House members and senators from both parties leaped repeatedly to their feet to cheer lines from Zelenskiy’s speech in English such as, “Ukraine holds its lines and will never surrender,” as Zelenskiy likened his country’s battle against Moscow’s forces to great battles of World War Two and even the American Revolution.

Planning for Zelenskiy’s speech began in October, according to an aide to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, when she met with Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. Pelosi was attending the First Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform in Zagreb, Croatia, at the time.

Exactly 300 days after Russian troops invaded and amid intensified rocket attacks that have left Ukrainian cities in ruins, Zelenskiy arrived knowing that the Senate and House control America’s purse strings.

His timing was perfect, as Congress is on the verge of approving an additional $44.9 billion in new emergency military and economic assistance, on top of some $50 billion already sent to Ukraine this year.

Daniel Fried, former U.S. ambassador to Poland and a fellow at the Atlantic Council, said Zelenskiy’s trip demonstrated that he and Biden share a belief that the United States, despite its faults, is leader of the free world.

Zelenskiy, Fried said, “didn’t go to Berlin, Brussels, London or Paris” for his first trip abroad since the start of the war.

The 44-year-old Zelenskiy, a former comedian and actor, also visited Washington on a day that the Senate overwhelmingly confirmed a new ambassador to Russia.

The optics of Zelenskiy’s welcome as a defender of democracy carried a message far deeper than military aid. It was meant to signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the United States and its NATO allies remain steadfastly behind Ukraine, despite recent signs of impatience among some Republican lawmakers over the rising cost.

For Zelenskiy, whose wartime olive fatigues have become globally recognized, the House overlooked a rule that normally requires men to wear a jacket and tie inside the chamber.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, on his first wartime foreign visit, used an address to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday to warn that the Ukraine war will shape the world for generations and no country can hope to be safe if it stands aside.

Seeking more U.S. support for Kyiv’s war effort, Zelenskiy, wearing his trademark olive green pants and sweater, earlier met President Joe Biden at the White House, who urged Americans and the world to keep backing Kyiv in 2023, when congressional approval for aid will be harder to secure.

The United States has sent about $50 billion in assistance to Kyiv as Europe’s biggest land conflict since World War Two drags on, killing tens of thousands of people, driving millions from their homes and reducing cities to ruins.

But some Republicans, who will take control of the House of Representatives from Democrats on Jan. 3, have expressed concerns about the price tag. They could hold up billions of dollars in war aid starting next month.

“This struggle will define in what world our children and grandchildren will live and then their children and grandchildren,” Zelenskiy told a joint session of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

“The world is too interconnected and interdependent to allow someone to stay aside and at the same time to feel safe when such a battle continues.”

Members of Congress stood, cheered, applauded and shook Zelenskiy’s hand as he entered the chamber, with several wearing the colours of the Ukrainian flag, blue and yellow.

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the United States would provide another $1.85 billion in military aid for Ukraine including the highly advanced Patriot air defence system to help it ward off barrages of Russian missiles.

But some hard-line Republicans have urged an end to the aid for Ukraine, instead calling for an audit to trace how the money previously allocated has been spent.

Zelenskiy has repeatedly called on the West to supply more advanced weaponry, ranging from modern battle tanks to missile defence systems, but Western allies have been cautious, keen to minimise any risk of provoking wider conflict with Russia.

Zelenskiy earlier meet Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives.

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Veronica Rubio, a middle school librarian in Pico Rivera, Calif., felt like she was experiencing a miracle as she selected free books for her students—young adult fiction, Spanish language titles and Star Wars-themed books—at a recent AFT Reading Opens the World event. “It’s like a dream,” Rubio said. “I don’t want to wake up.”

In many ways, that book giveaway was the fulfillment of one dream and the start of another. This time last year, the AFT pledged to distribute 1 million free books to educators, students and their families to promote the joy of reading as part of our Reading Opens the World campaign. We gave away the 1 millionth book in Pico Rivera—and announced that our union will give away another 1 million books to continue to work toward creating a nation of joyful and confident readers.

Amid an alarming rise in efforts to ban and censor books, we are giving away books that are both mirrors and windows—titles that reflect students’ own identities and experiences, introduce them to the experiences of others, and inspire them with compelling stories and characters. Our goal is for students to love to read and to read well.

The challenge of helping all children read well has been exacerbated by misunderstandings of the science of reading, by conflicts over the best way to teach students to read and, recently, by the pandemic. The AFT has worked to improve reading instruction with research-based reading resources and courses that have helped tens of thousands of educators teach reading more effectively.

But it all starts with books and the joy that comes from kids having books of their own that they are excited to read. I will never forget a visit to McDowell County, W.Va., one of the poorest counties in the United States. I offered a book to a boy who clutched it to his chest, grinned and said, “I’m going straight home to put this in my library.” I asked him what other books he had in his library. Bubbling with excitement, he said, “This is the first one!”

And then there was Rafi, a student I met as we distributed books to schools in Puerto Rico. We took turns reading a bilingual book about Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. As I read in English and he read in Spanish, we acted out the words, smiling and laughing with each other, connected by a story.

Our book distributions are as varied as the books themselves. AFT members distributed free books at back-to-school events in Scranton and Syracuse, Nashua and New Haven, Lynn and Lowell, and many more places. The Detroit Federation of Teachers gave out 10,000 books by African American authors at a Juneteenth event. The Montana Federation of Public Employees distributed books at tribal schools. In New York, the AFT and the Public Employees Federation donated $5,000 worth of books to the Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center. The AFT and the United Federation of Teachers have hosted book events throughout New York City’s boroughs, with lines often snaking for blocks. And our events in Yonkers and Albany featured books, bands and bouncy houses. All these events offer fun and research-based tips for families to support literacy.

I am so grateful for the work AFT members do to heal, help, educate and make a difference in people’s lives. And I am angered by the baseless attacks they endure, particularly the attacks on educators, who have risen to the overwhelming challenges of teaching during the pandemic and meeting students’ surging needs. The truth about teachers stands in stark contrast to critics who denigrate them and blame teachers and their unions for a pandemic and other factors outside their control—yet do nothing to help.

The last few years have been hard on everyone. Reading not only helps kids improve their literacy skills but can provide respite, connection, growth and pleasure. Take it from Mason, a seventh-grade student from Macomb County, Mich., who said, “I don’t know what happened to me, but I hated reading before. This year, my teacher had all these books and I just wanted to read constantly and now I love it.”

Reading truly opens the world, and it paves the way for dreams to be realized. That is why we do what we do—donating 2 million free books in two years to children, families and educators across America to help us become a nation of joyful and confident readers. Join the AFT in making that a reality at aft.org/read.

The post Reading opens the world appeared first on The Forward.

Utility crews worked through a second day on Wednesday to restore electricity, gas service and running water to thousands of homes and businesses left without basic necessities by an earthquake that rocked the extreme northern coast of California.

At least 17 quake-related injuries have been reported, along with two deaths associated with the magnitude 6.4 tremor, which struck before dawn on Tuesday offshore Humboldt County, some 250 miles (400 km) north of San Francisco Bay.

Two elderly individuals counted as fatalities were determined to have had pre-existing health conditions and died as a result of medical emergencies they suffered during or just after the quake, preventing life-saving care from reaching them in time, the county sheriff’s office said.

Property inspections also continued a day after the quake, with at least 30 homes and a grocery store declared structurally unsafe from quake damage, officials said.

Most of the damage occurred in the hard-hit town of Rio Dell, whose 3,400 residents remained without running water on Wednesday, the county sheriff’s office reported. There were also reports of multiple gas line ruptures, including one blamed for a structure fire.

In the immediate aftermath of the quake on Tuesday, electricity was knocked out to some 79,000 homes and businesses countywide, but by Wednesday afternoon utility crews had restored power to all but about 1,700 customers, according to the electric grid tracking website PowerOutage.us.

The quake-battered bridge just outside the nearby town of Ferndale and the main route into that community were still closed as road crews continued making repairs.

Humboldt Sheriff William Hosnal proclaimed a local emergency on Wednesday, allowing the county to seek state and federal reimbursement for damage repairs and other disaster-related costs. The cities of Eureka and Rio Dell have done likewise.

On Tuesday night, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Humboldt County to support emergency response efforts there.

Humboldt County, a largely rural area a two-hour drive south of the Oregon border, is known for its redwood forests, local seafood, lumber industry and dairy farms. It also is a region where seismic activity is not uncommon, though the latest quake caused greater disruption than others in recent years.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, aiming to persuade Republican lawmakers to continue to fund his country’s defense against Russia.

“It is a great honor for me to be at the US Congress and speak to you and all Americans. against all doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine did not fall. Ukraine is alive and kicking,” said Zelenskiy, who received a standing ovation when he walked into the chamber.

“We defeated Russia in the battle for the minds of the world,” he said.

Three members held up a large Ukrainian flag during the ovation.

Following a meeting at the White House with Democratic President Joe Biden, Zelenskiy’s speech needed to resonate with a bipartisan audience of U.S. lawmakers, including House of Representatives Republicans, who have voiced increasing skepticism about continuing to send tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine.

Zelenskiy joined a long list of world leaders to address joint meetings of the Senate and House, a tradition that began in 1874 with a visit by Hawaiian King Kalakaua and included almost legendary wartime visits by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, as well as kings, queens and one pope.

It will also mark one of the last times Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, presides over the chamber as Speaker of the House, before Republicans take the majority on Jan. 3 and she returns to the rank and file of her caucus.

Planning for Zelenskiy’s speech began in October, according to a Pelosi aide, when she met with Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. Pelosi was attending the First Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform in Zagreb, Croatia, at the time.

Exactly 300 days after Russian troops invaded and amid intensified rocket attacks that have left Ukrainian cities in ruins, Zelenskiy arrived knowing that the Senate and House control America’s purse strings.

His timing was perfect, as Congress is on the verge of approving an additional $44.9 billion in new emergency military and economic assistance, on top of some $50 billion already sent to Ukraine this year.

Daniel Fried, former U.S. ambassador to Poland and a fellow at the Atlantic Council, said Zelenskiy’s trip demonstrated that he and Biden share a belief that the United States, despite its faults, is leader of the free world.

Zelenskiy, Fried said, “didn’t go to Berlin, Brussels, London or Paris” for his first trip abroad since the start of the war.

The 44-year-old Zelenskiy, a former comedian and actor, also visited Washington on a day that the Senate overwhelmingly confirmed a new ambassador to Russia.

The optics of Zelenskiy’s welcome as a defender of democracy carried a message far deeper than military aid. It was meant to signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the United States and its NATO allies remain steadfastly behind Ukraine, despite recent signs of impatience among some Republican lawmakers over the rising cost.

When he walked through the House chamber’s double-wooden doors – which had to be barricaded against rioting supporters of then-President Donald Trump nearly two years ago – the cheers were accented by some lawmakers wearing blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Pelosi regularly wears a U.S. and Ukraine flag pin. She noted in an appearance with Zelenskiy ahead of his speech that her father, Representative Thomas D’Alesandro, was present for Churchill’s first address to Congress in 1941, early in World War Two.

Many of the House’s 435 members and the Senate’s 100 attended the speech.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sported a yellow tie and blue suit. In a Senate speech he described Zelenskiy as “a leader who is fighting for his life, fighting for his country’s survival and fighting to preserve the very idea of democracy.”

For Zelenskiy, whose wartime olive fatigues have become globally recognized, the House overlooked a rule that normally requires men to wear a jacket and tie inside the chamber.

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