10 things you need to know today: July 10, 2023

Biden speaks to the press with American and British flags behind him

President Biden does not believe there is "unanimity in NATO" about whether to extend membership to Ukraine

(Image credit: Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

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1. Biden: Ukraine is not yet ready for NATO membership
2. Heavy rains flood parts of New York, killing at least 1 person
3. Yellen hails 'step forward' in tense China ties during Beijing trip
4. Drone strike kills ISIS leader in Syria
5. Schumer calls on FDA to investigate caffeine levels in influencer-backed energy drink
6. Pennsylvania police search for murder suspect who escaped from jail
7. PGA board member resigns, citing Saudi deal
8. Allisen Corpuz wins US Women's Open
9. India will overtake U.S. as world's No. 2 economy by 2075, Goldman projects
10. Powerball jackpot rises to an estimated $650 million

published 10 July 2023

1. Biden: Ukraine is not yet ready for NATO membership

President Biden does not believe there is "unanimity in NATO" about whether to extend membership to Ukraine, telling CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an interview that aired Sunday that the country will need to wait until the war with Russia is over. "I think we have to lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO," Biden said, adding that qualifications that need to be met include "democratization." The United States and its NATO allies will continue to give Ukraine weapons for the war, Biden said, and he told Zakaria it was a "difficult decision" to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, but the country is running out of ammunition and needs the controversial armaments.

Flash flooding from heavy rains washed out roadways, bridges and homes in New York's Hudson Valley on Sunday, and at least one person died and others are missing, officials said. The epicenter of the storm was West Point, home to the U.S. Military Academy, where 8 inches of rain fell Sunday. But "life threatening" floods could strike parts of New York City and northeastern New Jersey, the National Weather Service warned, and "a considerable flood threat with a high risk of excessive rainfall is expected across much of New England" by Monday. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for Orange and Ontario counties and urged drivers to stay off the roads. "The amount of water is extraordinary," she said.

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Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen concluded a high-stakes visit to Beijing on Sunday that had included 10 hours of marathon talks with top Chinese economic officials, including her counterpart Vice Premier He Lifeng. Her first real interactions with Chinese President Xi Jinping's newly installed economic team were "direct, substantive and productive," Yellen said in a press conference Sunday, and her visit marked a "step forward" in the Biden administration's efforts to stabilize rocky relations between the world's top two economies, though "significant disagreements" still divide the countries.

A U.S. drone strike targeted and killed Islamic State leader Usamah al-Muhajir Friday in Syria, U.S. Central Command said in a statement Sunday. Earlier in the day, as the MQ-9 reaper drones were looking for al-Muhajir, they were harassed by Russian military jets. This lasted for about two hours, and it was shortly after this that the drones hit al-Muhajir while he was riding his motorcycle near Aleppo, a U.S. defense official told The Associated Press. "We have made it clear that we remain committed to the defeat of ISIS throughout the region," said Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command. It does not appear that any civilians were killed in the strike.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is asking the Food and Drug Administration to launch an investigation into PRIME, an energy drink with elevated levels of caffeine. "One of the summer's hottest status symbols for kids is not an outfit or a toy — it's a beverage," Schumer said Sunday. "But buyer and parents beware, it's a serious health concern for the kids it so feverishly targets." PRIME launched in 2022, and is backed by YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI. The sugar-free beverage has 200 milligrams of caffeine per 12 ounces, the equivalent of roughly six cans of Coke. Too much caffeine can lead to heart problems, anxiety, and digestive issues, and the drink has been banned from schools in the United Kingdom and Australia. PRIME representatives said they offer another drink called PRIME Hydration, which is caffeine-free, and PRIME itself is labeled as "not recommended for children under 18."

A murder suspect who escaped from the Warren County Jail in Pennsylvania is still on the loose, Pennsylvania State Police said Sunday. The suspect, 34-year-old Michael Burham, used bedsheets he tied together to scale down from the jail's roof. Burham is a self-taught survivalist, authorities said, and during their search they have found supplies and camp sites he may have used. He could be in the Allegheny National Forest, and it is possible he now has a firearm. "Anyone in this situation becomes more desperate over time," Lt. Col. George Bivens, a deputy commissioner for the Pennsylvania State Police, said. "He's not going to be able to get a lot of rest. We're going to push hard until we find him." Burham was arrested by the FBI in May, after alleging kidnapping an elderly couple in Pennsylvania and sexually assaulting an individual in Jamestown, New York.

Randall Stephenson, former chairman of AT&T, resigned from the PGA Tour's policy board, saying he had "serious concerns" about the PGA's controversial recent partnership with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and its rival LIV Golf league, The Washington Post reported Sunday. Stephenson, who joined the board in 2012, specifically cited Saudi Arabia's killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan's June 6 announcement of the deal with the Saudi sovereign wealth fund stunned the golf world, including the PGA board and players. Stephenson said he would have resigned June 12 except Monahan went on a monthlong medical leave. The agreement, which still needs approval from the PGA's 10-member board, is facing scrutiny from the Justice Department and Congress.

Allisen Corpuz won the U.S. Women's Open Sunday at Pebble Beach, earning her first LPGA title. The 25-year-old from Honolulu ended the tournament with a three-under-par 69, winning by three shots over Charley Hull and Jiyai Shin, and was the only player to break par all four days. With this win, Corpuz becomes the first U.S. Women's Open champion at Pebble Beach Golf Links, and will take home a $2 million check.

India, the world's fifth-largest economy by gross domestic product (GDP), will jump to the No. 2 position in the next 50 years, Goldman Sachs economists predict. Thanks largely to its progress in technology and innovation, investments in infrastructure, and a large pool of young workers, India will leapfrog Germany, Japan and the U.S. by 2075, coming in second only to China, according to a report by Goldman Sachs Research's India economist Santanu Sengupta. According to Goldman's projections, China will have a GDP of $57 trillion in 50 years versus India's $52.5 trillion and the U.S.'s $51.5 trillion.

With no winners on Saturday, the Powerball jackpot for Monday's drawing is up to an estimated $650 million. The jackpot was last hit in April, and Monday's top prize is the ninth largest in Powerball history. The odds of winning Monday's jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338, Powerball said, and if there is a winner, they will be able to select an annuitized prize or a lump sum payment estimated at $328.3 million. The largest-ever Powerball jackpot was hit in November 2022, when a California resident won $2.04 billion. Powerball drawings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, with tickets available in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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