10 things you need to know today: September 10, 2022
Ukraine retakes railway hub as Kharkiv counteroffensive gains ground, Trump and DOJ nominate candidates for special master in Mar-a-Lago case, and more

Photo by Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Ukraine retakes railway hub as Kharkiv counteroffensive gains ground
Ukrainian officials on Saturday shared photos appearing to indicate that Ukraine had retaken the northeastern railway hub of Kupiansk, potentially trapping thousands of Russian troops. "Kupiansk is Ukraine. Glory to the armed forces of Ukraine," Ukrainian regional official Natalia Popova wrote on Facebook. This announcement comes as a Ukrainian counteroffensive continues to make gains near Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city located about 75 miles from Kupiansk. "As of now, the armed forces liberated and took control of more than 30 settlements in the Kharkiv region," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday night. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War estimated Saturday that Ukrainian forces had recaptured around 1,000 square miles of Russian-held territory.
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Trump and DOJ nominate candidates for special master in Mar-a-Lago case
Lawyers for former President Donald Trump and the Department of Justice each put forward a pair of candidates to serve as the special master who will be entrusted with reviewing documents seized last month during the FBI's raid on Mar-a-Lago. Trump and DOJ lawyers nominated the four candidates but failed to agree on who the special master should be, the proper scope of his or her work, or which side should bear the added expense in a joint filing Friday. The two sides told Judge Aileen Cannon, who granted Trump's request for a special master earlier this week, that they update her on their positions after the weekend.
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King Charles III pledges 'lifelong service' in 1st address since queen's death
King Charles III on Friday delivered his first address since officially becoming the United Kingdom's new monarch. In a pre-recorded, televised address, Charles expressed "profound sorrow" over the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, remembering her as an "inspiration," to whom his family owes "the most heartfelt debt." The king reflected that his mother's life was defined by her "profound personal commitment" to the people, also remembering her for her "warmth, humor, and an unerring ability always to see the best in people." He went on to "solemnly pledge myself throughout the remaining time God grants me to uphold the constitutional principles at the heart of our nation."
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Sotomayor blocks lower court order that would force Yeshiva University to recognize LGBT club
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor ruled Friday that Yeshiva University in Manhattan does not have to provide official recognition to an LGBT student club. Sotomayor's ruling comes after a state court ruled in June that the Jewish university was "an educational corporation" and therefore could not claim a religious exemption. Yeshiva called the decision "obviously wrong." Sotomayor stayed the state court ruling "pending further order of the undersigned or of the court," suggesting that the majority-conservative U.S. Supreme Court could take up the school's case. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities have all filed briefs supporting Yeshiva.
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New York finds poliovirus samples in 5 counties, prompting state of emergency
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has declared a state of emergency in response to rising concerns over poliovirus. Hochul made the declaration on Friday after state health officials found virus samples in 5 counties — Rockland County, Orange County, Sullivan County, New York City, and most recently, Nassau County. Officials traced the sample from Nassau County back to a case pinpointed in Rockland County on Long Island. This sample has provided evidence to support the risk of potential community spread. All of the samples have been deemed "samples of concern" as they are types of poliovirus that put people at risk of paralysis.
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Biden says he 'will be going' to Queen Elizabeth's funeral
President Biden said Friday that he plans to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who died Thursday at the age of 96. "Are you going to the queen's funeral, sir?" a reporter asked the president. "Yes. I don't know what the details are yet, but I will be going," he replied. Biden said Thursday that he would "probably" attend the funeral. He also paid a visit to the British Embassy with his wife, first lady Jill Biden, and signed a condolence book for the queen.
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Kim Jong Un says North Korea will launch nukes 'automatically' if he's killed in an attack
North Korean state media reported Friday that Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un had declared a new, more aggressive nuclear weapons policy. The authoritarian nation previously declared that it would only use its nuclear arsenal in response to an attack by foreign nations. The new protocol, passed into law by the country's tame parliament, allows North Korea to launch nuclear weapons preemptively if an attack against the country, its leadership, its nuclear arsenal, or other "important strategic objectives" is "judged to be on the horizon." The legislation also provides for nuclear weapons to be launched "automatically and immediately" if Kim is killed or incapacitated in an attack.
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Runners gather to 'finish' slain Memphis woman's route
Thousands of people in cities across the United States gathered Friday morning to for a combination vigil and running event in honor of Eliza Fletcher, the 34-year-old kindergarten teacher killed while jogging in Memphis, Tennessee, last week. "We created this run as [a] way to honor Liza and cope with our own feelings," organizers of the Memphis memorial run posted on Facebook. "This run is 8.2 miles taking a path she would regularly run ... Our goal is to stand up for the women in the Mid South and emphasize that women should be able to safely run any time of day." Police have charged Cleotha Abston, 38, with abducting and murdering Fletcher.
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Dow closes up 2.66 percent, ending three straight weeks of decline
The stock market rallied Friday, closing up for the week after three straight weeks of decline. The Dow rose 2.66 percent from Monday to Friday, while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 rose 4.14 percent and 3.65 percent, respectively. David Donabedian, the chief investment officer of CIBC Private Wealth U.S., said "this week's market recovery" shows that "favorable economic reports" could help soften the negative effects of further interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. Donabedian also said that he does not believe the market has bottomed out yet and that "the journey to the next bull market will take time, and will be marked by a series of set-backs and recoveries."
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Disney drops 1st look at Halle Bailey as Ariel in live-action The Little Mermaid
Disney has released the first trailer for its live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, revealing our first look at Halle Bailey as Ariel. The short teaser takes us under the sea and builds to a powerful rendition of the iconic song "Part of Your World." The footage was revealed amid Disney's D23 expo, where the entire "Part of Your World" scene was shown. Bailey took the stage to enthusiastic applause from the crowd. She described shooting the "Part of Your World" sequence over three days as the "most beautiful experience of my life." The Little Mermaid remake was directed by Rob Marshall, who previously helmed Disney's Mary Poppins Returns.