July 6, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 133 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian military officials estimated today that about 36,500 Russian troops have been killed in fighting in Ukraine since February 24. [more]
• Russia's lower house of parliament has approved a draft law allowing for "special measures" in industry to support the Russian military in Ukraine. Under the proposed law, the government would be able to enforce longer working hours and impose contracts on certain enterprises linked to what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. [more]
• European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said today that the EU needs to make emergency plans for a potential complete cessation of Russian gas exports as the war in Ukraine continues. [more]

ENERGY | Reports say the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which takes oil from Kazakhstan to the Black Sea and is responsible for handling about 1% of global oil, has been ordered to suspend operations for 30 days by a Russian court, though oil is reported to be flowing through the pipeline this morning. [more]

HIGHLAND PARK | Authorities have charged Robert Crimo III with seven counts of murder in connection with the Fourth of July parade shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, on Monday. Reports say an AR-15-type rifle was used in the shooting and that Crimo had been able to purchase multiple weapons legally despite having been the subject of police contact twice in 2019 for threats of violence and suicide. [more]

TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS | Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor investigating the conduct of former President Donald Trump and his allies surrounding the 2020 election, said yesterday that she intends to subpoena U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and other members of the Trump campaign legal team to testify before a special grand jury. [more]

U.S. VOTING | In a lawsuit filed yesterday, the U.S. Department of Justice says a new Arizona law requiring people who use a federal form to register to vote to provide additional proof of citizenship is in direct conflict with the 1993 National Voter Registration Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and that the law should be nullified. Supporters of the law in Arizona say it would boost election security. [more]

GUN REGULATION | Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan ordered state police yesterday to suspend the requirement that applications for permits to carry handguns include a "good and substantial reason" as justification. The move comes after the recent Supreme Court ruling against a similar requirement in New York. [more]

U.S. IMMIGRATION | Arguments are scheduled to be heard today before a federal appeals court in New Orleans on the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program -- or DACA -- which prevents the deportation of people brought into the U.S. as children. A federal judge declared the program illegal last year, but left it intact pending appeal. [more]

AUSTRALIA | As many as 85,000 Sydney-area residents remain under evacuation orders today due to ongoing flooding in the region -- up from 50,000 on Tuesday. Officials say flood waters have started to recede in some areas, but that the danger from the floods remains high. [more]

EUROPEAN MIGRATION | International police agency Europol announced today that 39 people have been arrested in France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands as part of a coordinated action against migrant smuggling across the Channel from France to Britain. [more]

U.K. POLITICS | At least 13 members of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government have resigned in the past day amidst criticisms of his leadership and handling of crises. Among those who have resigned are Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who said they could no longer serve under Johnson's leadership. [list of resignations] [more]

JAPAN | Reports say more than 15,000 people in Japan were taken to hospital by ambulance in June due to heatstroke or heat exhaustion as the country experienced record-high temperatures for the month. [more]

NIGERIA | About 600 inmates escaped from a prison in the Nigerian capital of Abuja last night following an attack on the facility by what officials say were Islamic extremist forces. Reports say about half of the escapees have been recaptured. [more]

COVID-19 | New rounds of mass COVID-19 testing have been ordered in both Shanghai and Beijing following the detection of disease cases in the Chinese cities. [more]

VAPING | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has temporarily suspended its order for products from the electronic cigarette company Juul to be pulled from the market. The FDA issued the sales ban on June 23, but a federal appeals court blocked its implementation the next day. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | Anne Frank and her family went into hiding in Amsterdam on this date in 1942 and lived in a secret annex—an experience documented in her diary, which became a classic of war literature—until their capture on August 4, 1944. [more history]