September 13, 2023

UKRAINE | Today is day 566 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Russian authorities say two ships were damaged and 24 people were wounded this morning in a Ukrainian missile and sea drone attack on a shipyard in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol – site of the main base for Russia’s Black Sea fleet. [more]
• A new British defense intelligence update suggests that Russia may be rushing military units to Ukraine ahead of schedule in attempts to deal with the issue of “an over-stretched force along the front” as Ukraine continues its counteroffensive. [more]

BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY | Citing “allegations of abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said yesterday that he will direct the chairmen of the House Judiciary, Oversight, and Ways and Means committees to lead an impeachment inquiry into U.S. President Joe Biden and the Biden family. The White House called the move “extreme politics at its worst,” and reports suggest that McCarthy faced opposition from within his party to continue as Speaker and on legislative efforts if an impeachment inquiry was not pursued. [more]

U.S. INCOME, POVERTY, AND INSURANCE | According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau yesterday, the real median household income in the U.S. was $74,580 in 2022 – down from $76,330 in 2021. The official U.S. poverty rate was 11.5% in 2022, with 37.9 million people in poverty, according to the data, and 7.9% of people did not have health insurance at any time during the calendar year. [press release] [more]

COVID-19 | Following FDA approval of updated COVID-19 vaccines earlier this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday recommended their use in people 6 months of age and older yesterday. The new vaccines, which increase protection against the latest coronavirus variants, are expected to be available to the public later this week. [more]

TRUMP GEORGIA ELECTION TRIAL | In a court filing yesterday, prosecutors in the Georgia trial of former President Donald Trump and 18 others on charges of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state argued that all 19 defendants should be tried together for reasons of efficiency and fairness. [more]

TENNESSEE | Five former Memphis, Tennessee, police officers were charged with federal civil rights violations yesterday in connection with the January beating death of motorist Tyre Nichols. The five former officers are already facing state charges of second-degree murder and other offenses in the case. [more]

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | More than 20 tech industry leaders, including Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are scheduled to meet with a panel of U.S. senators today in Washington, DC, for a closed-door forum on artificial intelligence and possible directions for future AI-related legislation. [more]

LIBYA | Authorities in eastern Libya say more than 2,000 bodies have been recovered, more than 5,000 people are thought to have died, and an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 residents have been displaced in the city of Derna this week following extensive flooding caused by two nearby dams breaking in the wake of Mediterranean storm Daniel. [more]

RUSSIA AND NORTH KOREA | Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met today at a rocket launch facility in Siberia for talks that Putin said would focus on economic cooperation and humanitarian issues. Kim, who offered his country’s “full and unconditional support” for Russia’s fight to pursue its security interests, is thought to be seeking technology from Russia to advance North Korea’s satellite program, while Russia is believed to be seeking North Korean arms and ammunition for use in Ukraine. [more]

VIETNAM | The state-run Vietnam News Agency reports that at least 10 people were killed, and 50 others were injured, in a late Tuesday fire that broke out in a nine-story apartment building in the capital Hanoi. [more]

INDIA | Authorities in India’s southern Kerala state say some of the region’s schools, offices, and public transport have been closed as part of attempts to prevent the spread of a Nipah virus outbreak that has seen two deaths and more than 130 infections. [more]

NETHERLANDS | Climate activists blocked the major A-12 highway leading into the Dutch city of The Hague for a fifth straight day today in protest of government subsidies on fossil fuels. Reports say more than 3,000 protesters have been arrested in connection with the road blockages over the past four days. [more]

CANADA | Authorities in Alberta, Canada, say an E. Coli outbreak that has sickened at least 264 children has been linked to a kitchen that provides food to daycare centers in and around the city of Calgary. [more]

ARTS | Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, painter Vija Celmins, theater director Robert Wilson, sculptor Olafur Eliasson, and architect Diébédo Francis Kéré were announced as this year's recipients of Japan’s prestigious Praemium Imperiale awards for lifetime achievement in the arts yesterday. [more]

ENTERTAINMENT | Taylor Swift won nine awards at last night’s MTV Video Music Awards, including video of the year, artist of the year, song of the year, album of the year, and best pop artist. Among other awardees: rapper Diddy received the Global Icon Award and Shakira received the Video Vanguard Award. [full list of winners] [more]

FOOTBALL | The New York Jets have confirmed that the injury suffered by quarterback Aaron Rodgers in his debut with the team on Monday was a torn left Achilles tendon. Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, will miss the rest of the season. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1971, a revolt at New York's Attica Correctional Facility ended after a state police assault on the prison, in which 29 inmates and 10 hostages were killed. [more history]