June 13, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 110 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Reports say Russian forces are increasingly relying on long-range artillery bombardment and air strikes to continue what has been slow, but steady, progress in their campaign to take control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. [more]
• Russian forces this weekend destroyed a bridge over the Siverskyi Donets River, which links the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, cutting off a possible evacuation route for civilians, according to local officials. [more]
• A new report from the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air says Russia earned about $98 billion from fossil fuel exports during the first 100 days of its war in Ukraine, with the European Union being the top importer. [more]

JANUARY 6 | The Congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol is scheduled to hold its second public hearing this morning at 10am ET. Reports say today's hearing will focus on attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results that led up to the January 6 assault. [more]

GUN LEGISLATION | A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators yesterday announced an agreement on a framework that will be used to craft gun control measures that reports say have a good chance of becoming the first significant federal gun legislation to pass in Congress in decades. Among the framework's agreed-upon measures are expanded background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21, incentives for states to enact "red flag" laws that allow guns to be taken from persons considered to be potentially violent, and increased funding for school safety and mental health programs. [more]

GUN VIOLENCE | At least five people were killed and 27 injured in mass shootings in seven U.S. cities over the weekend, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as a single incident involving four or more victims. [more]

RIOT CONSPIRACY | Thirty-one members of the Patriot Front white supremacist group were arrested Saturday in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to riot after gathering in riot gear near the site of an LGBTQ pride event. [more]

U.S. WEATHER | An estimated 53 million people in the southwest U.S. are under excessive heat warnings following weekend temperatures that broke record highs in multiple states. Death Valley, California had the highest weekend temperature at 122 degrees, while both Palm Springs, California, and Phoenix, Arizona, reached 114 degrees. [more]

FUEL PRICES | The Lundberg Survey reported yesterday that the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. rose 39 cents over the past three weeks to $5.10 per gallon. [more]

NATO | NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that Turkey's concerns over Finland and Sweden's alleged support of Kurdish militants must be taken seriously. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the Nordic nations of supporting Kurdish militants deemed by Turkey to be terrorists and has said Turkey will veto their applications to join the NATO alliance. [more]

COVID-19 | An analysis released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday says that appropriately sized doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine appear to be safe and effective for children under the age of 5. [more]

MORE COVID-19 | Health officials in the Chinese capital Beijing have ordered a new round of COVID-19 testing for millions of residents following a new disease outbreak linked to a 24-hour bar known for its large crowds. [more]

SOUTH KOREA | Government reports say the ongoing trucker strike in South Korea -- now in its seventh day -- has cost South Korea's industrial sectors as much as $1.2 billion. An estimated 6,600 truckers are taking part in the strike, protesting high fuel prices and demanding minimum pay guarantees. [more]

CONGO | Reports today from the Democratic Republic of Congo say the M23 rebel group has seized control of the eastern town of Bunagana on the border with Uganda. [more]

AIR SAFETY | The U.S. Naval Air Forces has announced a one-day "safety pause" of its aircraft operations today to "review its risk-management practices and conduct training on threat and error management processes" following three recent crashes of military planes. [more]

WORLD TRADE | Pandemic preparedness, overfishing of the world’s seas, and food insecurity are among the topics headlining this week's 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Geneva. [more]

PORTUGAL | The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere says that 97% of Portugal is experiencing a severe drought after record-high temperatures and abnormally low levels of rainfall in May. [more]

LOBBYING | Retired Marine General John Allen resigned yesterday as president of the U.S.-based Brookings Institution think tank amidst the ongoing federal investigation into his alleged illegal lobbying on behalf of the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar. [more]

CRYPTOCURRENCY | Celsius Network, a major U.S. cryptocurrency lending company, today froze withdrawals and transfers between accounts in order to "stabilize liquidity and operations" amidst the ongoing pressures and uncertainties in the cryptocurrency market. [more]

TONY AWARDS | "A Strange Loop" won the award for Best Musical at last night's 75th Tony Awards. The award for Best Play went to "The Lehman Trilogy." [complete list of winners] [more]

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE | "Jurassic World: Dominion" led the weekend's North American box office returns with $143.4 million in ticket receipts, followed by "Top Gun: Maverick" with $50 million and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" with $4.9 million. [more]

BASKETBALL | Game 5 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for tonight in San Francisco. The best-of-seven series between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics is tied 2-2. [more]

HOCKEY | The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final on Saturday night to advance to the NHL Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche is scheduled for Wednesday. [more]

HORSE RACING | Mo Donegal came in first, followed by Nest and Skippylongstocking, at Saturday's running of the 154th Belmont Stakes. [more]

CAR RACING | Max Verstappen finished first at yesterday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, extending his Formula One championship lead. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ernesto Miranda in Miranda v. Arizona, affirming that constitutional guarantees against self-incrimination include restrictions on police interrogation of an arrested suspect. [more history]