[KARAH RUCKER]

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN TRAVELS TO CHINA AS HE LOOKS TO STRENGTHEN TIES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES

AND — SLOVAKIA’S PRIME MINISTER IS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED DURING AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS THURSDAY, MAY 16TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

AMID HIS COUNTRY’S WAR WITH UKRAINE, RUSSIA PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS TURNED TO ONE OF HIS CLOSEST ALLIES FOR SUPPORT – CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JIN pinG.

PUTIN ARRIVING IN BEIJING TODAY FOR A TWO-DAY STATE VISIT WITH THE CHINESE LEADER AS BOTH NATIONS FACE GROWING TENSIONS WITH THE WEST.

THE TWO LEADERS ARE EXPECTED TO SPEAK ON TOPICS INLCUDING UKRAINE, ASIA, ENERGY AND TRADE – AND CELEBRATE 75 YEARS SINCE THE SOVIET UNION RECOGNIZED THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

XI AND PUTIN SIGNED A JOINT STATEMENT DEEPENING THEIR STRATEGIC TIES – WITH XI SAYING CHINA WILL ALWAYS BE “A GOOD PARTNER” TO RUSSIA.

WHEN PUTIN VISITED IN FEBRUARY 2022 – JUST BEFORE THE START OF THE WAR WITH UKRAINE — CHINA AND RUSSIA DECLARED A “NO LIMITS” PARTNERSHIP.

THOUGH CHINA HAS CONTENDED IT IS NEUTRAL AS IT PERTAINS TO THE WAR, THE U.S. HAS RAISED CONCERNS THAT CHINA’S EXPORTS TO RUSSIA ARE AIDING THE KREMLIN IN THE CONFLICT.

CHINA HAS FIRED BACK – SAYING THE U.S. IS MAKING “GROUNDLESS ACCUSATIONS.”

PUTIN’S VISIT TO CHINA IS HIS FIRST FOREIGN TRIP SINCE HE WAS DECLARED THE WINNER OF RUSSIA’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION EARLIER THIS MONTH – A VICTORY THAT KEEPS HIM IN POWER UNTIL AT LEAST 2030.

THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE EUROPEAN NATION OF SLOVAKIA IS IN “VERY SERIOUS” BUT STABLE CONDITION THIS MORNING – AFTER AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT THAT WAS CAUGHT ON CAMERA.

POLICE TOOK DOWN THE 71-YEAR-OLD GUNMAN MOMENTS AFTER HE SHOT PRIME MINISTER ROBERT FICO (FEET-ZO) FIVE TIMES IN AN ATTACK GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SAY WAS “POLITICALLY MOTIVATED”.

THE SUSPECT HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN CHARGED AND faces up  to LIFE IN PRISON.

THE COUNTRY’S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAYING DOCTORS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STABILIZE FICO’S (FEET-ZO’S) CONDITION.

A HOSPITAL OFFICIAL SAYING THE PRIME MINISTER HAS UNDERGONE FIVE HOURS OF SURGERY AND WILL REMAIN IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.

THE SHOOTING WAS THE FIRST MAJOR ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON A POLITICAL LEADER IN EUROPE IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS.

THE U.S. MILITARY SAYS IT HAS ANCHORED THE TEMPORARY FLOATING PIER TO A BEACH IN GAZA THIS MORNING – WHICH WILL ALLOW MORE HUMANITARIAN AID TO ENTER THE WAR-TORN REGION.

US CENTRAL COMMAND SAYS TRUCKS WILL BEGIN TO MOVE AID — IN THE COMING DAYS.

ADDING u.s. TROOPS HAD ENTERED THE GAZA STRIP DURING THE INSTALLATION OF THE PIER.

ACCORDING TO U.S. OFFICIALS, HUNDREDS OF TONS OF AID ARE ALREADY PRIMED FOR DELIVERY AND THOUSANDS MORE are IN THE PIPELINE – WITH SOME ALREADY LOADED ONTO A SHIP WAITING AT a NEARBY PORT.

THE UNITED KINGDOM says ITS FIRST SHIPMENT OF AID TO BE DELIVERED BY THE PIER — INCLUDes thousands of TEMPORARY SHELTERS.

INITIALLY THE PIER IS EXPECTED TO ALLOW 90 TRUCKLOADS OF AID DAILY — WITH THAT NUMBER INCREASING TO 150  WHEN THE PIER IS FULLY OPERATIONAL.

A BARGE COLLIDED WITH A BRIDGE IN GALVESTON, TEXAS ON WEDNESDAY, LEADING TO AN OIL SPILL AND CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.

OFFICIALS REPORTING NO INJURIES — BUT THE “PELICAN ISLAND CAUSEWAY BRIDGE” REMAINS CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC.

VIDEO SHOWS PART OF A RAIL LINE ALONGSIDE THE BRIDGE COLLAPSED AFTER THE BARGE BROKE LOOSE AND DRIFTED — SLAMMING INTO THE BRIDGE.

THE U.S. COAST GUARD SAYS THE BARGE HAS STOPPED LEAKING, BUT THE EXTENT OF THE SPILL IS UNKNOWN.

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY AT GALVESTON HAS CLOSED IT CAMPUS THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

THE bridge CONNECTS PELICAN ISLAND, A POPULATION OF ROUGHLY 9-THOUSAND PEOPLE, TO GALVESTON.

ENGINEERS ARE ASSESSING THE DAMAGE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE BRIDGE CAN REOPEN.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, THE PRESUMPTIVE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE, HAVE AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN TWO PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES. TODAY, HOWEVER, THEY WILL BE PART OF TWO VERY DIFFERENT EVENTS.

TRUMP WILL BE BACK IN A NEW YORK COURTROOM AS HIS CRIMINAL TRIAL RESUMES FOLLOWING A DAY OFF. TRUMP’S FORMER LAWYER MICHAEL COHEN WILL RETURN TO the STAND TO FACE MORE CROSS-EXAMINATION FROM HIS LEGAL TEAM. TRUMP HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY IN THE CASE.

AT THE WHITE HOUSE — PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL MEET PLAINTIFFS FROM THE BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION CASE AND THEIR FAMILIES — THE LANDMARK 1954 SUPREME COURT RULING FOUND SEGREGATING CHILDREN IN SCHOOL BY RACE WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

IT WILL BE A DIFFERENT STORY FOR TRUMP AND BIDEN ON JUNE 27TH AND SEPTEMBER 10TH – AS BOTH HAVE AGREED TO FACE OFF IN TWO PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES ORGANIZED BY NEWS ORGANIZATIONS – NOT BY THE BIPARTISAN COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES WHICH HAS TRADITIONALLY SCHEDULED DEBATES IN THE FALL.

THE FIRST DEBATE WILL AIR ON CNN. THE SECOND ON ABC.

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FINALLY THIS MORNING – BACK IN MARCH, WE REPORTED HERE ON THE RUNDOWN THAT THE NFL WILL PLAY TWO GAMES ON CHRISTMAS DAY THIS YEAR. AND NOW WE KNOW WHERE YOU’LL BE ABLE TO WATCH THEM.

ON NETFLIX.

THE STREAMING SERVICE ANNOUNCING IT WILL CARRY BOTH GAMES ON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 25TH.

A FIRST FOR NETFLIX – AS THE COMPANY VENTURES MORE INTO LIVE SPORTS PROGRAMMING.

NETFLIX REPORTEDLY PAYING 75 MILLION DOLLARS PER GAME.

AS PART OF A THREE-YEAR DEAL WITH THE NFL, NETFLIX WILL AIR AT LEAST ONE CHRISTMAS DAY GAME IN 20-25 AND 20-26.

THIS YEAR’S DOUBLE-HEADER WILL SEE THE DEFENDING SUPER BOWL CHAMPION KANSAS CITY CHIEFS MEET THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS – FOLLOWED BY THE BALTIMORE RAVENS FACING THE HOUSTON TEXANS.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS THURSDAY.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!