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IMPORTANT
| | |  | Going Nuclear | NATO Summit Draws Support Closer to Ukraine Amid Threats If Russia deploys nuclear weapons in Ukraine, NATO is ready. That’s the message from headquarters in Brussels after Russian President Vladimir Putin amplified threats of escalation in recent weeks. One unidentified official said a nuclear strike would “almost certainly be drawing a physical response from many allies, and potentially from NATO itself.” The warning comes as NATO allies pledge advanced air defense weapons to bolster Ukraine’s arsenal. The NATO summit Wednesday is “historic,” Ukraine officials said. It comes just days after Russian strikes rained down on Kyiv and other major cities in Ukraine, killing at least 19 people. (Sources: Reuters, BBC) |
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|  | Recess Is Over | Mar-a-Lago Witness Spills Ahead of Jan. 6 Committee Broadcast Former U.S. President Donald Trump personally directed an employee to move boxes of documents into his Florida residence after being subpoenaed in May, the witness has told investigators. The employee is working with the Department of Justice to reveal more evidence of Trump and his team’s movements ahead of the raid in August — movements corroborated by new security video footage. It comes as the Jan. 6 House Select Committee prepares to reveal further evidence on Thursday of what Trump knew on the day of the insurrection. No witnesses will testify, but the committee says it has collected plenty of evidence and testimony. (Sources: WaPo, CNN) |
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|  | Finger Pointing | Saudi Arabia Says Biden Asked for Delay in Oil Cut The kingdom, the leading oil producer among OPEC nations, said U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration “suggested” a one-month delay to production cuts announced earlier this month. The cuts were agreed to by OPEC+, a body that includes Russia. While the Saudi Foreign Ministry didn’t specify next month’s U.S. midterm elections, a month’s delay would reach early November and would ensure supply until after polls close on Nov. 8. The allegation comes days after Biden vowed “there will be consequences” for the fledgling U.S.-Saudi Arabia relationship, while other Democrats pushed for an immediate pause on all dealings with Jeddah. (Sources: AP, Reuters) |
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|  | Racism Furor | Disgraced L.A. City Council President Resigns Nury Martinez is out. Public protests and President Biden called for the council president to resign after recordings of her making racist comments to fellow council members were released Sunday night. In a statement issued Wednesday, Martinez said it was with a “broken heart” that she resigned from “the community I grew up in and my home.” Fellow council members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León, who can be heard on the tape laughing as Martinez verbally attacks the adopted Black child of a white council member, are yet to comment on their futures but also face calls to resign. (Sources: Yahoo, LA Times) |
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|  | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: Borders. Ukraine has downplayed threats from Russian ally Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko this week committed to joint deployments with Russia against Ukraine but has not promised troops on the ground. (Source: Politico) Poll day. Vanuatuans will choose between six former prime ministers as well as incumbent Bob Loughman in a snap election in the Pacific archipelago nation. Seven women are also vying for spots in the all-male parliament. (Source: France24) Bad Medicine. Indian public health officials have shut down production of a cough syrup believed to have killed at least 69 children in Africa. Investigations are continuing. (Source: Al Jazeera) |
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INTRIGUING
| | | Drive On | A Space-Age Solution to an Electric Vehicle Problem From outer space to your near-future garage. “Subcooled flow boiling” cables, under development in a NASA project led by Purdue University, will increase the charge carried through cables onboard aircraft and reduce the amount of hardware needed in orbit. By increasing cable capacity, charging will become 4.6 times faster. NASA is eyeing one use back on earth: electric vehicles. With the push to turn American drivers from gas-powered to electric cars, there is worry that the current electricity grid would not be able to support mass charging. The new cables, said the space agency, could be the solution. (Source: The Hill) |
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| | | Fake News | Americans Fear a Polarized Nation Rife With Misinformation Three-quarters of Americans say misinformation is dividing the country and leading to a rise in extreme political views, a survey from the Pearson Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found. Americans, regardless of political affiliation or race, are concerned that polarization is leading to more hateful behavior and violence. But there are upsides: Around 75% of adults said they have decided against sharing content on social media to avoid spreading misinformation, are increasingly wary of sources and try to read widely to avoid fake news. “It’s all about getting clicks, not the truth,” one Republican respondent said. (Source: AP) |
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| | | Pay Up, Shut Up | Connecticut Has Its Revenge on Alex Jones’ Sandy Hook Lies Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay $965 million in damages to the families of five children and three educators killed in the Sandy Hook massacre, a Connecticut jury ruled on Wednesday. Jones has repeatedly said the tragedy was faked and accused mourners of being “crisis actors.” It follows a similar ruling made in Texas ordering Jones to pay $50 million. “I just don’t see how he winds up anything but basically broke now for the rest of his life,” former U.S. attorney Harry Litman said. Jones has slammed the court, saying it’s a conspiracy by Democrats. (Sources: The Guardian, Variety) |
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| | | | | Pumpkin Season | Minnesota’s Mammoth Gourd Sets New Record Travis Gienger must have known he was on to a good thing when he drove his 2,560-pound pumpkin from his home in Minnesota cross country to California. The long road to the 49th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, in Half Moon Bay, near San Francisco, was one of luxury for the gourd: Gienger wrapped it in plastic and wet blankets to protect it from the elements. It was all worth it when Gienger broke the U.S. record — held for just a week by a grower in New York. It’s Gienger’s second win at the Pumpkin Weigh-Off after an impressive showing in 2020. (Source: USA Today) |
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| | | Line, Sinker | Would-Be Cheating Fishermen on the Hook for Felony Charges Cheating at last month’s Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament in Cleveland is “not only dishonorable but also criminal,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said. Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky allegedly stuffed walleyes with lead balls to sweep the contest. But when the fish came in far heavier than similar hauls, the jig was up. “We got weights in fish!” tournament director Jason Fischer yelled in a video of the incident. While the duo was immediately disqualified, cheating to win the nearly $30,000 purse has prosecutors circling. The pair were indicted Wednesday on felony charges of cheating and attempted grand theft. (Source: NYT) |
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