Democrats pushed Wednesday to secure US aid for Ukraine, following a day of humiliating legislative setbacks for Republicans that underlined congressional dysfunction on key areas of domestic and international policy. House Republicans were embarrassed by back-to-back defeats Tuesday on impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and an aid package for Israel that raised questions over the party's ability even to count votes and corral its fractious rank-and-file.

GOP STRUGGLES IN TRYING TO GOVERN, PLEASE TRUMP

The White House said Wednesday that Vladimir Putin should not be given another mouthpiece to justify his war in Ukraine, after right-wing US talk show host Tucker Carlson interviewed the Russian president. The former Fox News host and a vocal opponent to US military aid for Kyiv, traveled to Moscow for Putin's first interview with a Western journalist since Russia's February 2022 invasion. Carlson has not said when the interview will be broadcast but said it will be free to watch.

SEE WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID ABOUT PUTIN, CARLSON

Pour yourself a drink and raise a glass because the spirits industry has once again outplayed beer and wine, securing the top spot for the second year running, according to the latest report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the US (DISCUS). Spirits retained their lead with a modest 0.2% growth, raking in a staggering $37.7 billion in revenue by a margin of 0.4% over beer and a whopping 26.1% over wine.

SEE A CHART SHOWING THE TOP-SELLING SPIRITS IN THE US

What are the most popular spirit brands sold in the US and worldwide?

Wednesday's answer: "Pirates of the Caribbean" is Disney's top-grossing movie series, with five films earning more than $4.5 billion worldwide.