August 1, 2023

UKRAINE | Today is day 523 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Russian officials say a Ukrainian drone downed by electronic countermeasures crashed into a skyscraper in Moscow this morning, causing damage, but no casualties. Russia has characterized recent drone attacks on Moscow as a reflection of limited Ukrainian success in its counteroffensive in Ukraine, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the war is “gradually coming back to Russian territory." [more]
• Russian military officials say five Ukrainian sea drone attacks on Russian naval and civilian ships in the Black Sea were thwarted overnight. Reports say the drone attacks are the first against Russian ships in deep waters. [more]

U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | According to an ABC News report published yesterday, at least five people were killed, and another 56 were wounded, in at least nine mass shootings over the weekend. The report notes that there have been 419 mass shootings — those involving four or more victims — in the U.S. so far in 2023. [more]

U.S. OIL SPILLS | The Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that Belle Fourche Pipeline Company and Bridger Pipeline LLC have agreed to pay $12.5 million in civil penalties to resolve claims related to oil pipeline spills in Montana and North Dakota in 2015 and 2016. [more]

U.S. SPACE FORCE | President Joe Biden has reportedly decided to maintain the U.S. Space Force’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, reversing a Trump administration decision to move the headquarters to Alabama. [more]

OKLAHOMA | A group of parents, church leaders, and a public education non-profit organization filed a lawsuit in Oklahoma yesterday aimed at blocking the establishment of what would be the U.S.’ first publicly funded religious public charter school. The St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School was approved by Oklahoma’s Statewide Virtual Charter School Board earlier this year. [more]

IDAHO | U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill yesterday temporarily blocked the state of Idaho from prosecuting physicians who refer patients to out-of-state abortion providers, saying such actions by the state would violate medical providers’ right to free speech. [more]

U.S. AND HUNGARY | Reports say the U.S. imposed new travel entry restrictions on Hungarian passport holders today over security concerns related to allegations of nearly one million people having been granted Hungarian passports without sufficient identity verification. The new restrictions reduce the period of travel authorization from one year to one and limit visitors to a single entry into the United States. [more]

CHINA | Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reports that at least 11 people have died, and 27 others remain missing, amidst widespread flooding in the mountainous regions surrounding Beijing following days of heavy rains. [more]

NIGER | In a joint statement, the military governments of Mali and Burkina Faso said today that “any military intervention against Niger will be considered as a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali.” The statement follows last week’s military coup in Niger and France’s announcement today that it plans to evacuate its citizens from the African nation. [more]

TYPHOON KHANUN | The approach of Typhoon Khanun toward Japan’s southwestern island of Okinawa has prompted government office and store closures, as well as the cancellation of some international flights from Naha airport. The storm, currently located southeast of Okinawa, had surface winds of about 100 mph (162 kph) this morning. [more]

TAIWAN | Taiwanese legislators approved changes to the island territory’s sexual harassment laws this week in a special session, establishing harsher penalties, giving victims longer to report incidents to authorities, and expanding related workplace requirements. [more]

INDIA | Authorities at India’s National Disaster Response Force say at least 16 workers were killed today when a giant crane collapsed at a bridge construction site in the Mumbai suburb of Thane. [more]

U.K. HOUSING | U.K. mortgage lender Nationwide reports that British house prices fell 3.8% in July, compared to the year-ago period — the largest year-over-year drop since 2009. [more]

VEHICLE RECALL | Ford Motor Co. has announced the recall of some 870,000 full-sized F-150 trucks due to issues that could cause the vehicles’ electronic parking brake to engage unexpectedly. The recall applies to some 2021 through 2023 model year F-150 trucks with single-pipe exhaust systems. [more]

MOST VALUABLE COMPANIES | According to a Reuters report, the top five most valuable companies in the world by market capitalization at the end of July were: Apple, Microsoft, Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Alphabet, and Amazon. [more]

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP | The United States advanced to the knockout stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup with a 0-0 draw with Portugal this morning, finishing second in Group E. The Netherlands won the group, beating Vietnam 7-0 today. [more]

R.I.P. | Paul Reubens, best known for his comedic character Pee-wee Herman and the award-winning shows that featured the character, died Sunday night at the age of 70 after a multi-year battle against cancer, according to a statement from his publicist. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1944, the final entry was recorded in the diary of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who spent two years in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. [full diary available online] [more history]