September 1, 2023
UKRAINE | Today is day 554 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:
- Russian officials say Ukrainian drone attacks targeting the regions of Kursk, Belgorod, and Moscow in western Russia were intercepted overnight, with no major damage or injuries reported. [more]
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced today that Russian President Vladimir Putin will host Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday for talks centering on potential paths for resuming the deal that allowed the safe shipment of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports. [more]
HAWAII | Governor Josh Green said yesterday that authorities in Hawaii have opened multiple investigations into alleged violations of an emergency order prohibiting unsolicited offers to buy property in the areas of Maui affected by recent wildfires. [more]
JANUARY 6 | Former far-right Proud Boys group leaders Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl were sentenced to 17 and 15 years in prison, respectively, yesterday for their roles in the January 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol. Sentencing for former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, but was rescheduled to next week because the judge in Tarrio’s case was ill. [more]
TRUMP GEORGIA ELECTION TRIAL | Attorneys for former U.S. President Donald Trump filed paperwork in Georgia yesterday entering a not-guilty plea for Trump in connection with charges alleging he conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state. Trump attorneys also filed a motion seeking to separate his trial from those of his 18 co-defendants in the case. Additionally, the judge overseeing the trial said yesterday that court proceedings in the case will be livestreamed and allowed to be televised. [more]
ARKANSAS | A federal judge yesterday temporarily blocked a new Arkansas state law that would require minors to have parental permission to create new social media accounts. The law was scheduled to take effect today and would have been the first implementation of such a restriction in the U.S., though other states have passed similar measures that are due to be implemented later. [more]
TEXAS | Reversing a lower court decision, the Texas Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the state’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors can take effect today. [more]
U.S. SENATE | In a follow-up to Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell experiencing an episode of apparently being unable to speak earlier this week, a statement was released by Congressional medical staff saying that McConnell has been medically cleared to continue with his work schedule. [more]
SUPER TYPHOON SAOLA | The approach of Super Typhoon Saola has prompted major business, school, and transportation closures, as well as evacuations, in Hong Kong and southern China. The storm, which had sustained winds of about 130 mph early this morning, is expected to make landfall late Friday night or Saturday morning. [more]
ISRAEL AND WEST BANK | Reports say a Palestinian man was killed by Israeli forces during a raid on the home of a suspected gunman today in the West Bank town of Aqabah. The clash comes one day after an Israeli soldier was killed when a Palestinian truck driver rammed his vehicle into a military checkpoint. [more]
G-20 | Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today that Russia will block the final declaration of this month’s G-20 summit in New Delhi, India, unless the declaration reflects Russia’s position on Ukraine and other crises. [more]
NOBEL PRIZES | Citing a need to counter what he called a global trend in which “dialogue between those with differing views is being reduced,” Vidar Helgesen, executive director of the Nobel Foundation that administers the prestigious awards, announced yesterday that representatives from Russia, Belarus, and Iran have been invited to this year’s Nobel Prize events, reversing a previous ban. [more]
GERMANY | German digital industry association Bitkom said today that digital and industrial espionage, sabotage, and theft of equipment and data will cost German companies an estimated $224 billion, or about 206 billion euros, in 2023. [more]
BASEBALL | The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a grand slam last night to lead the Braves to an 8-7 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and become the first player in Major League Baseball history with 30 home runs and 60 stolen bases in a single season. [more]
R.I.P. | Jack Sonni, former guitarist for the rock band Dire Straits, has died at the age of 68, according to a social media post by the band yesterday. [more]
TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1923, the 7.9-magnitude Great Kantō earthquake struck Japan's Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area, killing an estimated 142,800 people. [more history]