🇷🇺🇺🇦 CIA Director Bill Burns was reportedly dispatched to Russia earlier this week to warn Russian military officials against carrying out any military operations against neighboring Ukraine.

The Biden administration deployed Burns to Moscow as American officials grew increasingly concerned about the number of Russian service members and artillery being moved to Ukraine's northern border, according to the CNN report.

Moscow has rejected any suggestion that its military operations are meant to be taken as a threat, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov previously stating that Russia "is not threatening, and does not pose a danger to anyone."

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⚡️ Heavy police presence reported at California mall placed on lockdown

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⚡️ Majority of US House votes to greenlight $1 trillion Infrastructure bill in a 228-206 vote, clearing the way for the bill to be signed into law by President Joe Biden.

⚡️ Multiple deaths reported at Travis Scott’s Astroworld music festival in Houston, Texas

Unconfirmed reports suggest that a number of attendees suffered from heart attacks

❗️ Multiple ambulances were present at the sold-out concert, with the Houston Fire Department saying that CPR was performed on at least two people.

It remains unclear as to what caused the reported deaths and heart attacks.

⚡️Authorities confirm 8 deaths at Astroworld Festival

❗️The second day of the music event, which kicked off on Friday, has been cancelled

⚡️Houston Fire Department Chief Sam Pena confirmed that 11 of those hospitalised were in cardiac arrest.

“At around 9 or 9:15, the crowd began to compress toward the front of the stage, and that caused panic, and people were getting injured,” Pena said.

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❗ The Astroworld Festival's Twitter account released a statement on the tragedy

✍ Congressmen Mike Rogers and Mike Turner urged the White House in a letter to send additional weaponry to Ukraine, ramp up intelligence sharing with Kiev, and deploy the US military to the Black Sea area to “deter” Russia and stop a potential “invasion” of the Eastern European country by Moscow

❗Biden hails passage of infrastructure plan as 'monumental step forward'

Biden says I feel confident we will have enough votes to pass build back better plan

A video showing Curtis Sliwa, the former New York City mayor hopeful, being hit by a cab four days before the mayoral election, has emerged online

Travis Scott 'devastated' by 'tragic loss of life' at Astroworld festival

Read the full statement