November 17, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 266 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced today that the agreement with Russia allowing grain shipments from Ukraine has been extended for 120 days. Guterres also noted that the U.N. is “fully committed to removing the remaining obstacles to exporting food and fertilizers from the Russian Federation,” referring to an additional agreement that has not yet been finalized. [more]
• NATO and Polish officials have confirmed that the missile that killed two people in a village in eastern Poland this week was likely a Ukrainian air-defense missile fired in response to ongoing Russian airstrikes. [more]

U.S. ELECTIONS | Republicans secured their 218th seat in the House of Representatives last night, ensuring their control of the lower chamber of Congress for the next two years. Current House Speaker and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has announced that she will address plans for her leadership future later today. [more]

DOMESTIC TERRORISM | A newly released report from the U.S. Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee says the threat level of domestic terrorism continues to rise, that the FBI and DHS are not adequately tracking and reporting on such threats, and that social media facilitates the spread of violent and antigovernment content. [full report] [more]

WISCONSIN | Darrell Brooks Jr., the man convicted of driving his vehicle through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in November 2021, killing six people and injuring dozens of others, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole yesterday. [more]

MARRIAGE LEGISLATION | The U.S. Senate, with support of 50 Democrats and 12 Republicans, voted yesterday to advance the Respect for Marriage Act, which would protect same-sex and interracial marriages under federal law. A final vote on the bill is expected as early as this week. [more]

LOS ANGELES | Reports say at least 25 police recruits were injured in Los Angeles, California, yesterday when they were struck by a car while on a fitness run. Police are investigating the cause of the accident. [more]

OBAMA FOUNDATION | Former U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to announce today that the Obama Foundation Leaders program, which has operated in the Asia-Pacific, African, and European regions since 2018, is being expanded to include the United States. [more]

IRAN | Iranian state television reports that at least five people were killed, and several others wounded, yesterday when a gunman opened fire at a bazaar in the city of Izeh in southwestern Iran. [more]

MYANMAR | Authorities from Myanmar’s military-controlled government announced today that 5,774 prisoners, including four foreigners, will be released from custody as part of an amnesty program to mark the country’s National Victory Day. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners human rights organization says more than 16,000 people have been detained on political charges in Myanmar since the country’s military coup in 2021. [more]

MIGRATION | The leaders of Austria, Hungary, and Serbia held talks in Belgrade yesterday aimed at the development of plans and cooperation to curb illegal migration into Serbia via the so-called Balkan route. [more]

NORTH KOREA | South Korean and U.S. officials say North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile into the waters off its east coast today. The missile launch came hours after North Korean officials condemned recent statements about continued military cooperation by the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. [more]

U.K. ECONOMY | British Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt is scheduled to present Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s national budget plan before the House of Commons today. Media reports say up to 30 billion pounds in spending cuts and 24 billion in tax increases are expected to be part of the emergency budget statement. [more]

STARBUCKS | Reports say workers at more than 100 Starbucks coffee shops in 25 U.S. states are planning to take part in a one-day strike today over pay, scheduling, and staffing issues. [more]

LAB-GROWN MEAT | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday issued an official safety approval for UPSIDE Foods’ chicken meat product grown from animal cells in laboratories. Additional regulatory steps will be required before the product is made available to consumers. [more]

LITERATURE | Author Tess Gunty won the 2022 National Book Award for fiction last night for her novel “The Rabbit Hutch. The award for nonfiction went to Imani Perry for “South to America,” and John Keen won the poetry award for “Punks: New and Selected Poems.” [full list of winners] [more]

BASEBALL | Houston Astros’ Justin Verlander and Miami Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara were named unanimous 2022 Cy Young Award winners last night as the best pitchers in the American League and National League, respectively, by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1869, after 10 years of construction, the Suez Canal opened in Egypt, providing the shortest maritime route between Europe and the lands lying around the Indian and western Pacific oceans. [more history]