Actors Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher pledge $3 million in donations to aid Ukraine



Ukrainian-born actress Mila Kunis and her husband, Ashton Kutcher, have pledged to donate up to $3 million to aid Ukrainian citizens fleeing from their war-torn country as Russia continues its deadly invasion.

What are the details?

In a Thursday video shared to his Twitter account, Kutcher and Kunis said that they were "proud" of Kunis's heritage and intended to provide aid for Ukrainian refugees.

“I was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine in 1983. I came to America in 1991," Kunis explained. "I have always considered myself American, a proud American, I love everything that this country has done for myself and my family. But today, I have never been more proud to be a Ukrainian."

Kutcher added, “And I’ve never been more proud to be married to a Ukrainian."

“The events that have unfolded in Ukraine are devastating. There is no place in this world for this kind of unjust attack on humanity,” Kunis continued, and vowed to match up to $3 million in donations for refugee relief via GoFundMe.

Fox News reported that the funds will be distributed to necessary causes through Flexport.org and Airbnb.org, which have been assisting needy and fleeing Ukrainians.

“While we witness the bravery of the people of the country that she was born in we’re also witness to the needs of those who have chosen safety," Kutcher explained. "We’re raising funds to support a relief effort that will have immediate impact and supply much needed refugee and humanitarian aid in the area. The principal challenge right now is logistics. We need to get housing, and we need to get supplies and resources into the area."

Kunis added, "The people of Ukraine are strong and brave but being strong and brave doesn’t mean you’re not worthy of support. We need to support the people of Ukraine. Please help us."

Standing with Ukraine means supporting Ukrainians. #StandWithUkraine (1/2)https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-ukraine\u00a0\u2026
— ashton kutcher (@ashton kutcher) 1646350981
#StandWithUkraine (2/2)pic.twitter.com/3njMN01dHJ
— ashton kutcher (@ashton kutcher) 1646351693

Media ticked over White House plan to charge reporters $170 for COVID-19 test every time they enter



The White House plans to roll out a new policy starting Monday that would charge journalists $170 to take a COVID-19 test every time they enter the grounds, and reporters in the press corps and beyond are not happy about it.

What are the details?

The Washington Post revealed the plan, reporting that the Biden administration is getting pushback from media outlets large and small who are unhappy about being asked to pay the government what could amount to tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege of doing their jobs.

But the Biden administration says the tests are just too expensive for the White House to keep paying.

The outlet pointed out:

Until now, the cost of testing has been borne by the White House. But officials there contend that the cost of maintaining the testing regime for nearly a year has strained its budget. So it wants to shift the burden onto news organizations: No test, no entry to the White House.

Reporters from across the country also expressed their frustrations and dismay over the new policy on social media.

Max Tani of The Daily Beast tweeted, "I think part of 'bringing truth and transparency back to the briefing room' is not making it prohibitively expensive for smaller outlets with tight budgets to go to the White House."

I think part of “bringing truth and transparency back to the briefing room” is not making it prohibitively expensiv… https://t.co/Qjvr8kiWn1
— Max Tani (@Max Tani)1614372358.0

Mississippi Free Press reporter Ashton Pittman criticized the Biden administration for what he believed was two bad decisions in the same day, writing, "It's GREAT that the president doesn't call journalists 'fake news' or 'the enemy of the people.' But between apparently deciding to let MBS off the hook for murder and now trying to make journalists pay $170 per visit to the @WhiteHouse? This is madness."

It's GREAT that the president doesn't call journalists "fake news" or "the enemy of the people."But between appar… https://t.co/0aWRs3u4fQ
— Ashton Pittman (@Ashton Pittman)1614381051.0

Pittman argued further, "Not all outlets can afford that, but on principle it's antithetical to the free press-public servant relationship to make journalists pay for access." He added, "We need transparency, not admission fees."

Some Twitter users hailed the White House's decision, expressing hope that smaller outlets — namely conservative outlets OANN and Newsmax — might be priced out of attending press briefings under the new policy.

Tim Murtaugh, the former communications director for President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign, explained, "Put another way: A small news outlet with one White House reporter, paying $170 for each virus test, would pay:

$170/day

$850/week

$3,400/month

$40,800/year.

That's a lot for the privilege of covering Biden. Only bigger outlets could swing it."

Put another way:A small news outlet with one White House reporter, paying $170 for each virus test, would pay:💥… https://t.co/9Hjxabk2T5
— Tim Murtaugh (@Tim Murtaugh)1614384227.0