9/25

• Tropical Storm Ian is expected to hit Florida with hurricane-strength winds, putting Lower Keys under a tropical storm watch.
• Putin’s military mobilization has reportedly made drafting mistakes, such as recruiting fathers of underage children.
• Rihanna has signed to perform at the 2023 Apple Music Super Bowl (<3).
• A week after Fiona, many Puerto Rican residents are still without power and water.
• Italian far-right candidate Georgia Meloni is likely to win the election, which would establish Italy’s first far-right government since World War II.

9/26

• Hurricane Ian is now a Category 2 storm and could possibly escalate to a Category 4, reports the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.
• At least 17 people have been killed in a school shooting in Russia. The gunman wore a T-shirt with a red swastika and was armed with two weapons. He was a 34-year-old former student of the school and killed himself after.
• According to The Guardian, at least 41 people have died since the protests for Mahsa Amini started 10 days ago.
• The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), NASA’s first test of planetary deflection, has hit an asteroid called Dimorphos. The test aims to change the Dimorphos’ orbit, which can be used for possible threats on Earth in the future.
• Phil Waldron, a 2020 election conspiracy theorist, texted former President Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows about attempts to overturn the presidential election, revealed CNN. Georgia criminal prosecutors have additionally ordered Waldron and Meadows to testify in the grand jury investigation looking into those trying to reverse the election results. The Trump Administration has previously distanced themselves from Waldron, but these messages convey direct contact between Waldron and a former White House official.
• The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that Biden’s student loan cancellation plan will cost $400 billion.
• Cuba legalized same-sex marriage and voted to allow LGBTQ+ couples to adopt.

9/27

• Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has endorsed the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, which aims to prevent another Jan. 6 insurrection.
• More than 2.5 million Floridians have received an evacuation warning for Hurricane Ian. “I implore, I urge everyone that is in an evacuation zone that has been asked to evacuate — the time is now,” Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said, “There will come a point in time when local public safety officials will not be able to respond to your cry for help. You may be left to fend for yourself.”
• The Justice Department threatened Jackson officials that if they do not agree to fix the city’s drinking water supply, then legal action may be taken. Jackson has endured long-term issues with the water, but this summer, tens of thousands of people had no running water for weeks.
• The Pacific Legal Foundation, a conservative legal group, is suing the Biden Administration for an abuse of authority. The lawsuit plans to block the administration from canceling large amounts of federal student debt for millions of Americans.
• European authorities are investigating leaks occurring from two Russian natural-gas pipelines to Germany, which are currently closed. The leaks were discovered after pressure in the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines dropped suddenly on Monday. The leak has raised concerns about a probable sabotage operation, so the analysis will examine the safety of Europe’s energy infrastructure.
• Members of the Oath Keepers’ trial has started, which accuses the far-right extremist group of spending months attempting to use force to prevent the transfer of power to President Joe Biden.
• The University of Idaho warns faculty could be fired or receive jail time for promoting abortion in classes.
• Residents in the Russian occupied areas of Ukraine claim Russian soldiers pressured them to vote in an attempt to convince the public that there is support for Russia’s plan to annex parts of Ukraine.
• Many Virginian students participated in school walkouts to protested possible policies that could restrict transgender students if supported by school districts.

9/28

• A boat sank off Florida due to Hurricane Ian, leaving 3 rescued and 20 missing.
• The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has alerted American citizens to leave the country immediately.
• Russia denied the accusations regarding the Nord Stream gas leaks (see 9/27).
• The U.S. military claims troops shot down an Iranian drone in northern Iraq that was a potential threat to forces in the region.
• A shooting occurred on an Oakland school campus, injuring 6.

9/29

• The Danish Energy Agency used new data to allow scientists to estimate the amount of methane released from the Nord Stream leak. According to scientists on the U.S. Geological Survey’s Gas Hydrates Project, if all of the gas reaches the atmosphere, it would account for approximately 0.1% of annual global methane emissions. Luckily, the explosions may not have been enough to significantly affect climate change. Additionally, NATO stated that the leak was a result of sabotage, adding that the destruction of members’ infrastructure would be encountered with a collective response.
• While North Korea tested two ballistic missiles into the East Sea, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visited South Korea’s highly protected northern border only hours before. Vice President Harris’ tour plans to establish confidence in America’s alliance and reinforce the security alliance with Seoul.
• Grammy-winning rapper Coolio passed away at 59.
• The Senate passed a short-term government funding bill almost a day before the shutdown deadline on Friday night. The bill permits government funding until mid-December, which will extend the time to consider 2023 financing plans. Additionally, the bill contains over $12 billion directed towards Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
• Ginni Thomas testified for several hours in front of the House Select Jan. 6 committee.

9/30

• Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson took the judicial oath alongside those celebrating the first time a Black woman has been in a Supreme Court seat.
• Putin declared Russia’s annexation of over 15% of Ukraine, the largest annexation in Europe since World War II, and vowed to win the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Putin’s claim was rejected by Western countries, and the United States and Britain have revealed new sanctions on Russia, which targets firms and lawmakers.
• The warden of a West Texas immigration destino center was arrested after shooting two migrants, killing one.
• South Carolina is preparing for the predicted impact of Hurricane Ian, with 21 dead in Florida.
• The U.S. Department of Education has changed its requirements to qualify for President Biden’s student debt relief plan. The revised plan excludes approximately 800,000 borrowers.
• Judge Aileen M. Cannon rules that former President Trump’s lawyers do not have to state in court if they believe FBI agents lied about seized Mar-a-Lago documents.
• President Biden signed the government funding bill with only 11 hours to spare (see 9/29).
• At least 19 people were killed at Kaaj Education in Kabul, Afghanistan from a suicide bombing.

10/1

• The Notre Dame cathedral restoration is scheduled to be finished in 2024 on the fifth anniversary of the 2019 fire.
• The National Archives and Records Administration reported that some Trump administration documents have not been retrieved.
• At least 66 people in Florida and 4 people in North Carolina have died due to Hurricane Ian.
• The Ukrainian and Russian militaries continue to fight in Lyman, Ukraine, despite the Russian defense ministry’s assertions that their forces were leaving the territory.