Tower, this is Rally Air 274.We're seeing something directly ahead.It's... I don't know how far.It's a light, I think.
Rally Air 274, you said a light?We don't see any aircraft opposite your position.Can you confirm that you're en route and not looking at first light?
Tower, whatever it is, it's getting brighter.I think it's getting closer, Tower.Please advise.
This is Sign Off, a branded podcast from L.A.Times Studios and paid for by Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment in support of the film, I.S.S.Only in theaters January 19th.
Welcome back to TB13 WNEC Chicago's Sunday Night News.I'm Maria Mason.
The National Guard expanded its footprint in the Chicagoland area today, offering assistance to outlying communities affected by the ongoing wave of cyber attacks against banks, pipelines, and other sensitive targets across the U.S.
Our final segment tonight concludes our series on Chicago's new generation of great minds.
Dr. Kira Foster may only be 32, but she's one of just a few hundred who've traveled to space, and one of even fewer to live and work on the International Space Station.
Already on board the ISS, where she'll be working alongside Russian and American astronauts on a series of experiments that... I apologize.I'm hearing over my earpiece that Now?Oh, okay.This is WNEC News in Chicago.
I'm Maria Mason, and we're coming to you in the aftermath of a pair of explosions that took place an unspecified distance off the east and west coasts of the United States some five minutes ago.
The blasts have caused disruptions to power on both coasts, which is why I'm joining you here instead of the national news team at WNEC's flagship in New York.
Okay, the Department of Defense has confirmed these blasts were the result of low-yield nuclear warheads detonated at high altitude.
I'm being told we have audio of air traffic control at Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., and the cockpit of Express International Flight 191 moments after they witnessed the explosion over the Atlantic.
We verified this audio was recorded and leaked to the press by a tower employee.
1-9-1, say again.1-9-1.Do we have 1-9-1 on radio?
Welcome back.This is WNEC Chicago.I'm Maria Mason.We're joined on the phone by WNEC's Philip Jeong in Washington.
Philip, are you there?I am.I am.Maria?I am.I'm sorry.It's Thursday. There's a lot happening, and it's happening very fast.I can tell you sources in President Davis' administration have confirmed the missiles were launched from Russia.
This is the most shocking in this recent series of escalations in Russia.
Philip, can you take us through how those escalations led here?
Two weeks ago, the U.S.and multiple NATO allies suffered a series of massive cyber attacks. Classified documents were stolen and leaked.Banking systems, power grids, and supply chain logistics were all compromised.The U.S.
linked a virus that shut down natural gas pipelines across the nation to a server farm in St.Petersburg, but Russian President Muratov has denied any connection to the attacks, and there's been no reaction from Russia about these detonations.
When can we expect a statement coming from President Davis?
No one knows.She was rushed aboard Air Force One following the blast, but there's no word on where she's being taken or if we can expect an announcement of some kind before the plane lands.
I will say members of Congress I've spoken to haven't been willing to say what a U.S.response could look like.Many admitted they don't know, but several did call tonight's action an act of war.
All right, I think we've lost Philip for the moment.Hopefully he'll be back with word on what... What?
Welcome back.If you're anywhere near a cell phone, you know the government just issued a nationwide lockdown.People are being told to shelter in place, to stay off the roads, not to travel home.I'm being told we have audio of a...
Representative Anna Patton is the frontrunner to challenge President Davis in the upcoming election.She was speaking at a political action conference in Florida earlier tonight when the detonations occurred.
She made a potentially significant statement, and we have that now.
We were attacked tonight on American soil by Russia.But we've been under attack for weeks.And where's President Davis been? What's she done about it?And does anyone think anything is going to be different after tonight?
It's time we start talking about what's going on.And I don't just mean here or tonight.Listen, there is going to be a change at the top in the Russian government.We have reason to believe that the President is on his way out.
And the United States is going to need a leader who can stand up to an aggressive, resurgent Russia.President Davis has got to go.
WNEC has been working to confirm Representative Patton's assertion that a coup may be underway in Russia.And we're going to Ian Reyes live from Moscow with a statement from Russian President Muradov.Ian?
Yes, hello.Are we through?Can you hear me?Muradov?Yeah.Are we live?We're live?All right. Moments ago, President Muratov began giving an unannounced address from inside the Kremlin, where you can probably hear it in the background now.
He acknowledged an attempted coup is taking place, referring to the group behind this action as far-right extremists.
He said some of its members are officials in the Russian government, and that they're behind the cyberattacks and tonight's nuclear detonation.
Okay, here you're not he's saying these are terrorists who do not speak for But strike at the soul of Russia and we will put them down and restore order before they Before they can further harm Russia's position on the world is dominant.Press.
Identificates.Yes.So Maria, he's going on.Maria, we have some officials.In.
Constantly getting pulled off the air is going to make people panic. Welcome back.Again, we apologize for the continued disruptions.Some of this is just beyond our control.I'm being told we have Philip Zhang in Washington.Philip?
Maria, members of the press were told to expect a statement from President Davis from a remote studio a few minutes ago.
We're here watching a feed awaiting the president's arrival when we see aides starting to scramble around the studio, and then the feed just goes dark.
No one.No one.People are speculating it has to do with the news out of Russia, but honestly, no one knows.In the last maybe five minutes, we've seen a lot of staff leave this building.
No one's talking, no one's willing to say if they've heard something, if that's why they're all leaving.You can see it's a lot emptier here than before, but I just I don't know.
Please stay on the line with us, Philip, if something changes.We've been told to shelter in place without any context.We've had to rely on stolen audio to learn who's responsible for this attack.
We've been waiting on a statement addressing what's happened tonight for two hours. I know this isn't how this should be done, but if anyone in the Davis administration knows anything about what's going on, call, tell us.
If something's happening or going to happen, if we're in danger or, we need to know.We can't do this job without you and people at home can't know what to do or prepare for without us.So we all need each other right now.
I'm being told we have Ian back.Ian, are you there?You're all right?
Okay, hello, Maria, do I have... I'm not sure if you can hear me.I want to play for you some audio we recorded from a program on Russia's R1 cable news.Now, R1 is known for using talking points direct from the Kremlin.It's a propaganda outlet.
You're hearing the voice of Victor Antonov, a former member of Russia's Senate.He's R1's star anchor and a close friend of President Muratov. which makes what he's saying more alarming.
But we're hearing reports from sources inside the Kremlin that the coup may have succeeded.President Baratov, his cabinet staff, anyone known or thought to be loyal to him are supposedly being rounded up and detained.
We have no... I don't know what official confirmation of something like this looks like, but whether the coup succeeded As of now, it's a threat to Russian lives.We need to stand behind our president.
We're back?We are, uh... We're trying to gather reactions to the audio you just heard from R1 Cable News. That noise in the background is the sound of our crew leaving to be with their families, friends.
This wasn't what I expected to be doing, talking about all of this to all of you, but... We have a phone call.We're going live.We're going with live right now.This, you're hearing it now.
The caller identified themselves as a member of the White House Chief of Staff's office.That, uh, I'm not sure whose voice we're hearing or what they're speaking about, but they may be talking to President Claire Davis.
Madam President, control over the ISS gives us a strategic foothold we can't get any other way.
Okay.We now know that is President Claire Davis.They're talking... I think they're talking about the International Space Station?I don't know.I don't understand much.
I don't like it any more than you do.But we're kidding ourselves if we think Russia hasn't given the same instructions to its people on board.Before this escalates... Do it.
Give the order.Take control of the station.You're on the air.You're being watched.
Is that, they're gone?What we, we've just heard audio from the president, but it, they were discussing some sort of order for the astronauts on board the ISS, but I'm not sure what they, oh my God.
We're receiving word there are an unknown number of nuclear warheads in the air projected to impact the central northern United States.The expected time of impact is seven minutes from now.You need to shelter in place.
Everyone needs to do... There is no... How do we know what this means?Are we all... How many missiles?Does anyone... Is the fallout going to... Brian?Brian, where's Charlie?Putter?Charlie, honey?
This is not a test.A nuclear ballistic missile threat is inbound to Ward County, North Dakota targeting Minot Air Force Base.Shelter in place immediately until further notice.This is not a test.
A nuclear ballistic missile threat is inbound to Ward County, North Dakota targeting Minot Air Force Base.Shelter in place immediately until further notice.
This has been Sign Off, a branded podcast from L.A.Times Studios and paid for by Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment in support of the film, I.S.S.Only in theaters January 19th.
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