June 13, 2024

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 251 of the conflict:

• Amidst ongoing consideration of a U.S-backed cease-fire plan for Gaza, reports say Israeli forces expanded operations around the city of Rafah today, advancing deeper into the city’s Al-Mawasi region, which Israel had previously designated as a humanitarian area. [more]
• Following this week’s death of a senior military commander in an Israeli airstrike, Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon said yesterday that they plan to intensify attacks along the Lebanon-Israel border in support of Palestinians in Gaza. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 840 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• At a summit in Italy today, leaders of the G7 group of wealthy democracies reportedly reached a provisional agreement to provide Ukraine with up to $50 billion in aid backed by profits from some $260 billion in frozen Russian assets. [more]
• On the sidelines of the G7 summit, U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are expected to sign a bilateral security agreement between their two countries. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan says the agreement will demonstrate ongoing U.S. resolve to support the people of Ukraine and help address their security needs. [more]

U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | Authorities in Ogle County, Illinois, say three sheriff’s deputies and one suspect were wounded in an exchange of gunfire yesterday afternoon while the deputies were responding to a report of a person inside a home threatening to kill themself or others. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released yesterday, consumer inflation was unchanged from April to May – the second straight month of no month-over-month increase in consumer prices. Compared to a year ago, consumer prices were up 3.3% in May – down from the 3.4% rate seen in April. Federal Reserve officials said yesterday that while there has been progress on lowering inflation, they anticipate cutting their benchmark interest rate just once this year. [more]

U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL | The House of Representatives voted, 216-207, along party lines yesterday to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress over his refusal to turn over audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview in his classified documents case. Reports note that a transcript of the recordings had been provided to Congress and that President Biden exerted executive privilege over the audio recordings. [more]

U.S. REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS | In a ballot opponents say is unnecessary, but that supporters say is important due to the effects of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote today on a measure that would guarantee the right for women to access in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments. [more]

PUERTO RICO | A state of emergency was declared for the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan yesterday after the latest in a series of power outages on the U.S. island territory left some 340,000 customers without electricity. [more]

U.S. IMMIGRATION | The American Civil Liberties Union and multiple immigrant advocacy groups filed a lawsuit yesterday seeking to block further implementation of President Joe Biden’s recent executive order that effectively halted asylum claim processing at the U.S. southern border. [more]

FLORIDA | Much of southern Florida remains under a flash flood emergency alert today following heavy rainfall yesterday that flooded roads, washed away vehicles, and disrupted travel. Additional heavy rain is expected for the region both today and tomorrow. [more]

HUNGARY AND E.U. IMMIGRATION | The European Court of Justice today ordered Hungary to pay a fine of 200 million euros for failing to comply with E.U. asylum rules in violation of a 2020 order from top E.U. judges. [more]

FRANCE AND IRAN | French national Louis Arnaud was release by Iranian authorities yesterday, some 20 months after being arrested for allegedly taking part in nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amin while in police custody. French President Emmanuel Macron notes that three French citizens remain imprisoned in Iran on similar charges and called on them to be released. [more]

CUBA AND RUSSIA | Ahead of previously announced military exercises, Russian warships arrived in Cuba yesterday, where they are expected to remain through the summer, according to U.S. officials. [more]

KUWAIT | India’s foreign ministry says at least 40 Indians were among the 50 people killed yesterday in a fire that spread through a residential building that housed foreign workers in the Kuwaiti city of Mangaf. [more]

ARGENTINA | Thousands of protesters clashed with police in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires last night following a vote by the country’s Senate to give provisional approval to two controversial bills that would, among other things, declare a one-year state of emergency and expand the powers of President Javier Milei over energy, pension, security, and other public sectors. [more]

CONGO | Local officials say at least 42 people were killed in an attack by suspected Islamic rebels yesterday in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province. [more]

GREECE | Greek authorities shut down afternoon access to the Acropolis and other archaeological sites in Athens for the second day in a row today due to ongoing high temperatures that are expected to reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). [more]

BASKETBALL | The Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks, 106-99, last night to take a 3-0 lead in the teams’ best-of-seven NBA Finals series. Game 4 of the Finals is scheduled for Friday in Dallas. [more]

FOOTBALL | Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame yesterday in a celebration that included team owner Robert Kraft’s announcement that Brady’s No. 12 jersey number was being officially retired. [more]

R.I.P. | Hall of Fame basketball player Jerry West, who the NBA confirmed yesterday was the player whose silhouette is depicted in the league’s logo, died yesterday at the age of 86. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1971, The New York Times began publishing the “Pentagon Papers” — a series of articles based on a study of secret U.S. involvement in Vietnam from World War II to 1967 that had been leaked to the newspaper by military analyst Daniel Ellsberg. The articles contributed to growing opposition to the Vietnam War in the United States. [more history]