December 19, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 298 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian authorities say at least two people were injured, one infrastructure site was damaged, and private homes were destroyed when 23 Russian attack drones, 18 of which were shot down, were launched at Kyiv overnight. [more]
• Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit Belarus today, where reports say joint military exercises involving Russian and Belarusian forces are set to begin. [more]

JANUARY 6 | The House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol is scheduled to hold what is expected to be its final public hearing today at 1pm ET. The committee is expected to vote during the hearing to make non-binding criminal and civil charge referrals against former President Donald Trump and others to the Justice Department. [more]

TEXAS | El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser declared a state of emergency for the city on Saturday to allow access to additional resources ahead of an expected surge in migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border when the COVID-related Title 42 border restrictions expire on Wednesday. [more]

U.S. HOMELESSNESS | Citing data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development showing that about 582,000 people were counted as homeless in the U.S. earlier this year, the Biden administration announced a new “2022 All In” strategy today to reduce homelessness in the U.S. by 25% by 2025. [full strategy document] [more]

CALIFORNIA | Recently-installed Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said yesterday that a new program launching Tuesday will start moving homeless people in the city from tent encampments into hotels and motels. [more]

MAINE | Reports say at least 55,000 households in Maine remained without power last night following weekend snowstorms that dropped more than 27 inches of snow in some areas. [more]

CANADA | Officials in Canada’s Ontario province say at least five people were shot and killed by a yet-unidentified gunman late last night at a condominium unit in the Toronto suburb of Vaughan. The gunman was killed in a shootout with police and the motive behind the shooting is under investigation. [more]

THAILAND | Reports say more than 30 sailors remain missing after a Thai naval ship sank in rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand yesterday. At least 75 of the warship’s crew members have been rescued so far, according to military officials. [more]

U.K. AMBULANCE STRIKE | Reports say the U.K. government will dispatch some 1,200 military troops to fill in for ambulance drivers and crew members who are scheduled to take part in a one-day strike over pay issues this Wednesday. [more]

PAKISTAN | Officials in Pakistan say at least one counter-terrorism officer was killed, and several others are still being held hostage, after a group of Pakistani Taliban detainees overpowered their guards and took control of a counter-terrorism center in the city of Bannu yesterday. Negotiations to end the hostage standoff are still ongoing. [more]

NORTH KOREA | The state-run Korean Central News Agency reports that North Korea launched a test satellite yesterday as part of final-stage tests in the development of the country’s first spy satellite. [more]

BIODIVERSITY | Representatives from about 190 countries to the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada, agreed early this morning on a plan to protect 30% of land and water considered important for biodiversity by 2030. The draft agreement also calls for raising $200 billion for biodiversity efforts by 2030. [more]

TWITTER | More than 17 million people voted in an online poll conducted by Twitter CEO Elon Musk this weekend asking whether he should step down as head of the company. 57.5% of respondents said Musk, who purchased the social media company for $44 billion in October, should step down. [more]

WORLD CUP | Argentina claimed the 2022 World Cup championship in Qatar yesterday, beating defending champion France on penalty kicks, 4-2, after regular and extra play ended with a 3-3 tie. Argentina’s Lionel Messi was awarded the Golden Ball trophy as the tournament’s best player, while France’s Kylian Mbappé received the Golden Boot for scoring the most goals in the tournament.   [more]

NFL | With the largest-ever comeback in NFL history, the Minnesota Vikings, who trailed 33-0 at halftime, defeated the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, 39-36. [more]

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE | "Avatar: The Way of Water" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $134 million in receipts, followed by "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," and "Violent Night." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1966, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the Outer Space Treaty, an international treaty binding the parties to use outer space only for peaceful purposes. [more history]