November 9, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 258 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• The U.N. General Assembly has reportedly scheduled a vote for next week on a measure that would call for “damage, loss, and injury” caused by Russia in Ukraine to be tracked and for Russia to pay war reparations. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding. [more]
• Ukrainian officials said yesterday that they hope reports of forced deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia will be addressed by G20 leaders at their summit next week in Indonesia. [more]

U.S. ELECTIONS | Control of both houses of Congress remains unclear this morning following yesterday’s midterm elections. Associated Press tracking currently shows 48 Senate seats for both Republicans and Democrats, and 199 seats for Republicans in the House, compared to 172 for Democrats. [more]

U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | Police in Seattle, Washington, say one student was killed in an apparent targeted shooting attack at the city’s Ingraham High School yesterday and that a suspect in the shooting has been arrested. [more]

MARIJUANA | Ballot initiatives that would allow possession and use of marijuana were passed in Maryland and Missouri yesterday, while similar measures were rejected in Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota. [more]

ABORTION | Voters in the U.S. states of Michigan, California, and Vermont yesterday approved measures to enshrine abortion and reproductive rights into their state constitutions, while the results of abortion-related ballot measures in Kentucky and Montana remain unclear. [more]

FLORIDA | Tropical Storm Nicole is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane today as it approaches the eastern coast of Florida. The storm was located about 270 miles east of West Palm Beach early this morning, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 4am update. [more]

POWERBALL | Reports say a winning ticket for this week’s record-setting $2.04 billion Powerball lottery drawing was sold in Southern California after more than three months of drawings without a winner for the lottery's top prize. [more]

BELGIUM | Major trade and labor unions in Belgium have joined together to take part in a nationwide strike today over wage increase issues. Train and air travel have been significantly impacted, as have operations at supermarkets and shopping centers. [more]

COVID-19 | Health officials in China have imposed lockdowns on some 5 million residents of the southern Chinese manufacturing hub city of Guangzhou following a new surge in COVID-19 infections. Affected residents have been ordered to stay home through at least Sunday, with limited allowances for one member of each family to leave the home to purchase necessities. [more]

NORTH KOREA | Japanese and South Korean officials say North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile into the sea off its eastern coast today. Reports say the low trajectory of the missile could indicate that it is a newer model designed to evade missile defenses. [more]

SPACE | NASA has again postponed the launch of its Artemis I space rocket as Tropical Storm Nicole approaches Florida. NASA officials are reportedly targeting next Wednesday for the launch. [more]

CRYPTOCURRENCY | Values for Bitcoin and Ether, the two leading cryptocurrencies, fell sharply yesterday following news of the financial instability of the major cryptocurrency exchange FTX. [more]

LAYOFFS | Facebook parent company Meta announced today that it plans to let go some 11,000 employees, or about 13% of its workforce, in a cost-saving move prompted by increased costs and a weak market for advertising. [more]

R.I.P. | Guitarist Jeff Cook, co-founder of the country music group Alabama, died yesterday at his Florida home at the age of 73. Cook disclosed in 2017 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. [more]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL | The latest College Football Playoff rankings were released yesterday, with Georgia at No. 1, followed by Ohio State, Michigan, and TCU. [full list] [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | Long a symbol of the Cold War, the Berlin Wall, erected in 1961 and eventually extending 28 miles to divide the western and eastern sectors of Berlin, was opened by the East German government on this date in 1989. [more history]