10 things you need to know today: January 22, 2023

(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

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1. At least 10 people killed during mass shooting in Los Angeles
2. FBI finds additional classified documents during search of Biden's home
3. White House chief of staff Ron Klain expected to resign
4. France and Germany seek to overcome differences over Ukraine war
5. Israeli PM Netanyahu fires key Cabinet ally at behest of Supreme Court
6. Peru closes famed Machu Picchu indefinitely as protests grow
7. At least 13 killed following building collapse in Aleppo, Syria
8. Time's Up to cease current operations, use all resources for legal fund
9. Over $600M in assets seized from FTX founder
10. Chiefs, Eagles both advance to respective conference championships

published 22 January 2023

1. At least 10 people killed during mass shooting in Los Angeles

At least 10 people were killed and 10 more injured during a mass shooting in a Los Angeles-area ballroom dance club on Saturday night, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. The incident occurred in the L.A. suburb of Monterey Park around 10:30 p.m., when a gunman opened fire in the club following a celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Police said the conditions of those injured ranged from stable to critical, but no further details have been provided. The suspect remains at large in what is one of the deadliest mass shootings in the history of California. The shooting was the fifth in the U.S. this month.

At least six additional items, including documents marked "classified," were found by the FBI this past week at the Wilmington, Delaware home of President Biden, White House officials said Saturday. Bob Bauer, the president's personal attorney, said that during the 13-hour search, which took place on Friday, "DOJ took possession of materials it deemed within the scope of its inquiry, including six items consisting of documents with classification markings and surrounding materials, some of which were from the president's service in the Senate and some of which were from his tenure as vice president." White House sources told NBC News that the search was prompted not by the FBI, but at the behest of the Biden administration itself.

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White House chief of staff Ron Klain is expected to resign his position in the coming weeks, it was reported Saturday. Klain, 61, has been President Biden's right-hand man since he took office nearly two years ago to the day, making him the longest-serving chief of staff of a Democratic president. The job reportedly involves high stakes and pressure, and sources from the White House said that Klain had been talking about leaving around the midway point of Biden's term. His exit is reportedly part of a "reconfiguring" of the president's team ahead of the 2024 election, in which Biden is expected to announce his candidacy.

France and Germany are seeking to put aside their differences in strategy over the Ukrainian war with a day of talks in Paris on Sunday. Germany's entire Cabinet is in the French capital for a series of joint meetings to discuss a wide range of issues, including energy and security matters. One-time enemies during World War II, but friends in recent decades, the two countries have both contributed weapons and funding to Ukraine. However, France has seemed more willing in recent weeks to continue providing assistance to Ukraine, something that Germany has shown more reluctance to do.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired one of his top allies, Aryeh Deri, from all Cabinet positions on Sunday, following the orders of the Israeli Supreme Court to do so. The Court had said that it was "unreasonable" to appoint Deri to any government positions due to his prior criminal convictions. The Court additionally cited a statement from Deri last year in which he pledged to retire from public office. In a statement, Netanyahu said he was "compelled, with a heavy heart" to dismiss Deri after the Court's ruling. The forcible removal of one of his top allies will continue to cause tension between the Court and Netanyahu, who is seeking a wide swath of judicial reforms in Israel.

The Peruvian government on Sunday indefinitely closed the famous tourist site Machu Picchu amidst ongoing violence and protests that have befallen the country. Government officials announced that they had closed the 15th-century Incan citadel, along with the path leading up to it, to protect both tourists and Peruvian citizens. Hundreds of people ended up stranded at the base of the attraction after it was closed off, though they have now been rescued. The closure of Machu Picchu is the latest development in a series of government efforts to stop the violence in Peru, which has been ongoing for weeks following the ousting of former President Pedro Castillo after a self-coup attempt.

At least 13 people were killed when a five-story residential building collapsed on Sunday in the Syrian city of Aleppo. State media said rescue workers were still digging through the rubble in search of survivors, though it is unknown how many they expect to recover. The building, located in a neighborhood of Syria's second-largest city, collapsed due to a series of water leakages that destroyed its foundation, officials said. The building is the latest to collapse in Syria in recent years amidst shelling by Russian forces until rebels were driven out of the country six years ago. The Syrian government has blamed the slow rebuilding effort on Western sanctions.

The nonprofit group Time's Up will cease its official operations by the end of January and instead direct its remaining funds to legal defenses, it was reported Saturday. The organization, which works to combat sexual harassment and raise money for victims of sexual violence, was formed in 2018 in response to the Me Too movement that spread throughout Hollywood in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. However, the group has been mired in controversy since 2021 after it was revealed that Time's Up leaders had connections with then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was himself plagued by numerous allegations of harassment. The group's three remaining board members will also step down.

The federal government has seized more than $600 million in assets from Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of collapsed crypto exchange FTX, it was revealed in a new court filing. The seizures are part of the ongoing case against Bankman-Fried, who is accused of fraud and conspiracy for allegedly stealing billions of dollars from FTX's investors and customers. According to prosecutors, the seizures included a wide swath of cash in various banks, as well as millions of shares from the financial services company Robinhood. The most recent acquisition came this past week, when the government seized more than $94 million from Bankman-Fried that was held in a single bank.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles advanced to the AFC and NFC Championship games, respectively, with over their opponents on Saturday. The Chiefs bested the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20 in a tight game, despite an injury to their star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. He was still able to go 22 for 30 and threw for 195 yards to help the Chiefs move on. The Eagles, the last unbeaten team during the regular season, dominated the New York Giants 38-7. Philadelphia took a 28-0 lead in the first half and never looked back, with quarterback Jalen Hurts going 16 for 24 and throwing for 254 yards. Both teams will now have a chance to advance to Super Bowl LVII in February.

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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.