10 things you need to know today: February 15, 2023

1. Nikki Haley launches presidential campaign

Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor who served as former President Donald Trump's United Nations ambassador, released a video Tuesday announcing that she is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. She is formally launching her campaign Wednesday. Haley is the first candidate to enter the race against Trump, who was the only Republican to have started a 2024 presidential bid before Haley made it official. Haley's decision gives her a head start on other likely GOP hopefuls, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence. But the move has risks. Trump has a habit of harshly criticizing rivals, which could make Haley an early target for her former boss.

The State The Associated Press

2. Rescuers pull 9 more survivors from Turkey, Syria earthquake rubble

Rescuers on Tuesday pulled another nine survivors from the rubble of buildings that had collapsed more that 200 hours earlier in the massive earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria. The miraculous survivors included 17- and 21-year-old brothers in Turkey's Kahramanmaras province and a man and young woman in Syria. The death toll from the quakes surpassed 41,000 on Tuesday, and hopes faded that more people would be found alive after more than a week of near-freezing winter temperatures. Aid groups said their focus was shifting from rescue to providing aid to tens of thousands of survivors left without shelter or food. As anger mounts over the government's response, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged problems in the initial effort but said the government has taken control.

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CNBC The New York Times

3. Inflation slowed in January by less than predicted

Inflation slowed in January but less than expected, according to the consumer price index released Tuesday. Prices were up 6.4 percent in January compared with a year earlier, down slightly from 6.5 percent in December. It was the seventh straight month with a slower year-over-year inflation rate since a peak of 9.1 percent in June. On a monthly basis, prices jumped 0.5 percent from December to January, faster than the 0.1 percent increase the month before. "Core" inflation, which excludes volatile fuel and food costs, was 0.4 percent, the same as the month before. The report showed that the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes are helping to bring down inflation, but the central bank's goal of a 2 percent rate remains far off.

The Associated Press The New York Times

4. Authorities identify 3 students killed in MSU shooting

Michigan officials on Tuesday identified the three students killed in shootings at Michigan State University on Monday night. They were juniors Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner, and sophomore Brian Fraser. Anderson, 19, was an aspiring pediatrician. Verner, 20, a standout athlete in high school, was studying forensics. Fraser, 20, was studying business and was president of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Authorities identified the suspected gunman as Anthony McRae, although they said they had "no idea" what his motive was. The 43-year-old McRae was found dead after the shooting, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. McRae was charged with several gun-related offenses in 2019. He got probation and was barred from possessing a gun until May 2021.

Detroit Free Press Reuters

5. Japan 'strongly suspects' at least 3 Chinese balloons have flown over since 2019

The Japanese Defense Ministry said it "strongly suspects" Chinese spy balloons have entered the country's airspace at least three times since 2019, Reuters reported Tuesday. The balloons were detected in 2019, 2020, and 2021, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Japanese officials had contacted China to confirm what happened and prevent any future flights. "We will put more effort than ever into information gathering and surveillance activities against balloons, including unmanned ones for foreign espionage," the ministry said. It is unclear what made Japanese officials believe these balloons came from China.

Reuters Nikkei Asia

6. Feinstein announces retirement at end of Senate term

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced Tuesday that she won't run for reelection in 2024, clearing the way for what is expected to be an expensive fight for the seat. Feinstein plans to serve out her current term. In a storied career, Feinstein helped enact an assault weapons ban and release documents on CIA use of torture. The news of her retirement did not come as a surprise. Feinstein, 89, is the oldest senator, and she hadn't made any effort to raise funds for a campaign. In November she became the longest-serving senator in U.S. history. Democratic Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff have already launched bids to win the seat, and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) is expected to join them in the race.

Los Angeles Times USA Today

7. Court finds Russian linked to Kremlin guilty of insider trading

A federal court in Boston on Tuesday found Russian millionaire Vladislav Klyushin, who has ties to the Kremlin, guilty of participating in an insider trading scheme. Klyushin, 42, was arrested in Switzerland in 2021 after arriving in a private jet, before he was supposed to board a helicopter to fly on to a ski resort. Klyushin, who owns a Moscow-based information technology company that offered to detect vulnerabilities in computer systems, was charged with participating in a complex $90 million insider trading scheme that used earnings information stolen by hackers from numerous companies, including Microsoft. An attorney for Klyushin said he planned to appeal. Klyushin was one of 12 Russians charged with hacking Democratic Party email accounts in 2018.

The Associated Press

8. Pence to challenge subpoena by special counsel investigating Trump

Former Vice President Mike Pence plans to challenge a subpoena issued by the special prosecutor investigating efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to reverse Trump's 2020 loss in the presidential election. Pence will argue that the Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause protects him from having to testify, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with Pence's discussions about the issue. The clause shields members of Congress from having to answer questions in court about anything related to their legislative duties. Vice presidents serve as the president of the Senate. Legal experts say Pence's theory is novel but plausible, and it could take courts months to resolve the matter.

The Wall Street Journal

9. Trump supporter pleads guilty to Jan. 6, 2021, Taser attack on police officer

Far-right activist Daniel Rodriguez pleaded guilty Tuesday to shocking police officer Michael Fanone with a Taser on the Capitol steps during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Rodriguez, 40, admitted attacking Fanone as the officer, who suffered a heart attack and traumatic brain injury, was dragged down the stairs. Rodriguez boasted in a text to a Telegram group called Patriots 45 MAGA Gang that he "tazzed the f--- out of the blue." He will be sentenced May 16. Under a plea deal, he is expected to receive a penalty of either 6 1/2 to eight years, or eight to 10 years, depending on whether the assault is deemed to have happened while Fanone was under restraint.

The Washington Post

10. Production to resume on 'Rust' 16 months after deadly accident

The production company behind the troubled western Rust said Tuesday it will resume filming this spring. The production was shut down in October 2021 after actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set. Some of the original crew, including director Joel Souza, will return, and two safety officers will be added, Rust Productions said. "My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halyna's legacy and making her proud," said Souza, who was standing near Hutchins and was injured when Baldwin's prop gun, which was supposed to be loaded with dummy bullets, fired a live round during a rehearsal. The producers and Hutchins' family in October reached a proposed settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Los Angeles Times