November 4, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 253 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last night that about 4.5 million Ukrainian residents have been temporarily disconnected from the electrical grid under emergency power conservation schedules prompted by continued Russian targeting of electrical infrastructure sites. [more]
• In response to a statement yesterday by a Russian-installed administrator of the Kherson region that Russian forces are likely to withdraw from the western bank of the Dnipro River, Ukrainian officials warned that the statement could be part of efforts to set a trap for advancing Ukrainian forces. [more]
• Reuters cites unnamed sources as saying G7 nations and Australia have agreed to set a fixed price when they finalize a price cap on Russian oil in the coming weeks instead of adopting a floating rate. [more]

NEW JERSEY | The FBI’s Newark, New Jersey, office yesterday released a statement warning of credible information it had received about a broad threat to synagogues in the state, prompting some localities to increase police presence around houses of worship. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | Economists surveyed by data provider FactSet expect today’s Labor Department jobs report for October to show that the U.S. added 200,000 jobs last month — down from 263,000 in September. Also due for release today, the department's employment report is expected to show an increase in unemployment to 3.6% in October, up from 3.5% in September. [more]

U.S. HEALTHCARE SECURITY | A report released yesterday by Senate Intelligence Committee chair Mark Warner warns of ongoing cybersecurity threats to the healthcare industry and estimates that 45 million people were affected by cyberattacks on the healthcare sector in 2021. [more]

PAIN MANAGEMENT | The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday released updated guidance on prescribing opioids for chronic and acute pain. CDC officials say the new clinical practice recommendations are replacing guidelines from 2016 to make them more flexible. [full guidance] [more]

TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS | Amidst the ongoing New York state fraud investigation of the Trump Organization, Judge Arthur Engoron yesterday ordered that an independent monitor be appointed to oversee portions of Trump Organization operations to prevent what the New York attorney general's office described as "ongoing fraudulent activities.” [more]

CLIMATE | The 27th annual Conference of the Parties of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change — or COP27 — summit opens Sunday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and is expected to focus on the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adaptations to the impacts of climate change, and commitments to finance climate-related action in developing countries.  [more]

PAKISTAN | Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan was shot in the leg yesterday during an apparent assassination attempt in which one person was killed and at least 10 were others wounded. Khan was hospitalized and is reported to be in stable condition. [more]

NORTH KOREA | More than 180 North Korean warplanes were detected flying in the country’s airspace today in what is thought to be a show of strength in response to ongoing U.S.-South Korean joint air force drills, according to the South’s military leadership. While no interactions have been reported, South Korea scrambled 80 of its own warplanes in response to the North’s activity. [more]

GERMANY AND CHINA | German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Beijing today for meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. [more]

U.K. ECONOMY | In its latest inflation-fighting move, the Bank of England yesterday raised its key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point to 3%. Bank governors warned that the U.K. is facing its longest recession ever, with economic downturn expected to last through mid-2024. [more]

RENEWABLE ENERGY | The World Bank announced yesterday that it will provide $497 million in grants and loans to South Africa to decommission the coal-fired Komati power plant and convert it to wind- and solar-powered renewable energy production. [more]

TWITTER | Reports say social media company Twitter, which was recently purchased by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, is expected to lay off up to half its workers when company job cuts are announced later today. [more]

PAYPAL | Shares in online payment company PayPal fell as much as 11% in after-hours trading yesterday after the company cut its annual revenue growth projections in anticipation of broad economic downturns. [more]

NFL | The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Houston Texans, 29-17, last night to improve to 8-0 for the first time in franchise history. [more]

BASEBALL | The Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-2, last night to take a 3-games-to-2 lead in the World Series. [more]

NBA | The Brooklyn Nets yesterday suspended star player Kyrie Irving for at least five games for failing to “unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs.” The move follows a week of controversy following a social media post by Irving linking to a documentary seen as antisemitic. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen. [more history]