October 28, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 246 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency says it will inspect two locations in Ukraine that Russia alleges are possibly being used by Ukrainian researchers to produce radioactive “dirty bombs.” Ukraine has denied the Russian allegations and suggested that Russia may be using them to cover for its own production of such weapons. [more]
• Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat claimed today that Ukraine has shot down more than 300 Iranian Shahed-136 drones used by Russian forces in the war. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | Commerce Department data released yesterday shows the U.S. gross domestic product grew at a 2.6% annualized rate in the July-September quarter, with the expansion driven largely by increased exports. The third-quarter GDP growth follows declines of 1.6% and 0.6% in the first and second quarters of 2022, respectively. [more]

HAWAII | Increased frequency of earthquakes at the summit of the Mauna Loa volcano has prompted authorities to warn the Big Island’s residents that an eruption could take place in the near future. Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, last erupted in 1984. [more]

JANUARY 6 | Albuquerque Head, 43, of Kingsport, Tennessee, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison yesterday for his actions during the January 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol in which he dragged a police officer into the crowd of rioters and held the officer down while he was beaten and tased. [more]

BROADBAND INTERNET | U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced yesterday that his department will provide $795 million in grants and loans to expand high-speed internet access in rural communities in 24 states. [more]

U.S. MORTGAGES | The average interest rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage in the U.S. rose to 7.08% this week — up from 6.94% the previous week and the first average above 7% since 2002 — according the mortgage company Freddie Mac. [more]

NEW YORK | Laura Kavanaugh was sworn in yesterday as the new head of the New York City Fire Department. Kavanaugh, who has served in the department for more than a decade, is the FDNY’s first-ever female commissioner. [more]

IRAQ | The Iraqi parliament voted yesterday to approve the country’s new cabinet, ending a year-long stalemate marked by protests and political unrest. Reports note that the new cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, is the first since 2005 that does not include members from the political bloc of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. [more]

BRAZIL | The run-off election for Brazil’s presidency between former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and current President Jair Bolsonaro will take place on Sunday. A final debate between the two candidates is scheduled for today. [more]

NICARAGUA | Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said yesterday that new U.S. sanctions imposed this week on Nicaragua will drive more migrants from his country to the U.S. border. [more]

EUROPEAN CLIMATE | The European Commission and EU member nations reportedly reached an agreement yesterday to ban the sale of new gasoline- and diesel-powered cars and vans by 2035. Formal approval of the plan by the EU Parliament and member states will be required for the measures to take effect. [more]

NORTH KOREA | According to a statement from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea today. The launches, the North’s first in two weeks, come amidst concerns that North Korea is preparing to conduct nuclear tests. [more]

PHILIPPINES | Government officials in the Philippines say at least 31 people have died in the country's southern regions due to flooding and landslides brought on by heavy rains ahead of Tropical Storm Nalgae, which is expected to make landfall late tonight. [more]

JAPANESE ECONOMY | The administration of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced an economic stimulus package today aimed at reducing the impacts of inflation and growing the nation’s economy. The $490 billion package includes subsidies for households, private-sector funding, and other government fiscal measures. [more]

CHINA | Health officials in Shanghai, China, have reportedly ordered the mass COVID-19 testing and temporary lockdown of all 1.3 million residents of the city’s Yangpu district starting today. [more]

PAKISTAN | Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to lead a caravan of vehicles on a week-long journey to the capital Islamabad starting today in a move aimed at forcing the government to call early elections. [more]

TWITTER | Multiple news outlets cite unnamed sources as saying that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter ahead of today’s court-mandated deadline to complete his $44 billion purchase of the social media company and that Musk has fired Twitter’s CEO, CFO, and chief legal counsel. [more]

TECH EARNINGS | Amazon reported lower than expected third-quarter revenue of $127.1 billion yesterday — up 15% from the year-ago period, but lower than forecast. Also yesterday, Apple reported quarterly revenue of $90.1 billion — up 8% from the same period last year. [more]

BASEBALL | Starting pitchers for tonight’s 2022 World Series opening game are Justin Verlander for the Houston Astros and Aaron Nola for the Philadelphia Phillies. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1886, U.S. President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated the Statue of Liberty—a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States. [more history]