10 things you need to know today: July 2, 2023

1. Elon Musk imposes new read limits on Twitter

Twitter owner Elon Musk said Saturday that the social media platform would implement daily limits on the number of posts users can read. Musk, citing "extreme levels of data scraping" and "system manipulation" on Twitter, said the limits are only a temporary measure. For now, though, verified users will be able to read 10,000 tweets per day, while unverified users can read 1,000. New unverified accounts will be limited to just 500 tweets per day, Musk said. These figures were raised by Musk throughout the day as controversy ignited over the plan, with many users also reporting problems accessing the site. This marked the latest brush-up for the social media tool since Musk took over in 2022.

CNBC The Guardian

2. At least 2 dead and 28 injured during Baltimore mass shooting

At least two people died and 28 more were injured during a mass shooting at a block party in Baltimore on Sunday, officials said. The incident occurred around 12:35 a.m. in South Baltimore, where officers responded to "multiple calls of a reported shooting" and "located multiple shooting victims," Baltimore Police said in a press release. At least nine of the victims were transported to local hospitals, police said, with another 20 walking into the hospital themselves. Beyond the two deaths, at least three more victims remain in critical condition, police said. A motive for the shooting remains unclear, and the search for a suspect is ongoing, police said.

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The Baltimore Sun CNN

3. France sees 5th day of protests over police-involved death

France saw a fifth straight night of protests on Saturday over the police-involved shooting death of a 17-year-old. Compared to previous nights, there were fewer instances of violence during the protests, officials said, with the French Interior Ministry reporting 719 arrests, down from 1,300 the prior day. However, one notable incident occurred in the Paris suburb of L'Haÿ-les-Roses, when attacks drove a car into the home of the town's mayor, injuring his wife. The anger continues to boil over in France following the funeral of the teenager, Nahel, who was shot and killed by police last week during a traffic stop. The officer who allegedly shot Nahel is currently under investigation.

BBC News NPR

4. United Airlines to make changes to avoid disruptions, CEO says

United Airlines is planning to make changes in its flight operations in order to avoid major disruptions ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, United CEO Scott Kirby said Saturday. In a memo obtained by Reuters, Kirby wrote, "We must also do a better job of planning against the things that are outside our control so that we can be in a position to recover more quickly." Recent problems with United have raised concerns about the airline's ability to handle the influx of passengers, with this summer holiday season expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels. In June, United had to cancel 19% of its scheduled flights due to thunderstorms and equipment failures at an FAA facility.

Reuters

5. Zelensky says 21,000 Wagner troops have been killed in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that at least 21,000 Wagner Group troops have been killed in Ukraine. Zelensky made the assertion during a press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, while adding that an estimated 80,000 Wagner soldiers had been wounded. The Ukrainian president described the deaths as "enormous losses for the Wagner PMC," and called the group puppets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Army. Zelensky's claim comes just days after the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, launched an attempted rebellion toward Moscow. The uprising ultimately fizzled out following Belarusian negotiations but left lingering questions about Putin's grip on power.

The Kyiv Independent CNN

6. Another bus carrying Texas migrants arrives in Los Angeles

A bus carrying migrants from Texas arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday, becoming the second group of migrants sent to the city in recent weeks. According to reports, more than 40 people from South and Central America, including some children, were bussed from Texas immigration facilities. A spokesperson for the city of Los Angeles told The Hill the bus arrived with no prior notice, and officials had just one day to prepare for the passengers. The controversial busing program was started by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) last year, and has been mirrored by other GOP governors. Abbott has also had buses sent to other cities run by Democratic mayors, including New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

The Hill Los Angeles Times

7. Dutch king apologizes for country's role in slave trade

Dutch King Willem-Alexander apologized on Saturday for the Netherlands' historic role in the slave trade. The king expressed remorse during a speech marking the 160th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands. "I stand before you. Today, as your king and as a member of the government, I make this apology myself. And I feel the weight of the words in my heart and my soul," Willem-Alexander said, at times appearing to choke up. The king went on to ask forgiveness "for the clear failure to act in the face of this crime against humanity." His remarks come months after the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, also apologized for the country's slave trade past.

Politico The Washington Post

8. Children face solitary confinement in Illinois jail, ACLU alleges

Children as young as 11 are subjected to solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day at a juvenile detention center in Illinois, a new lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union alleges. The ACLU filed suit against the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center in southern Illinois, alleging unsafe conditions and deprivation of rights at the facility. Young children must ask staff permission to do menial tasks such as flushing a toilet and can sometimes go weeks without a school lesson, the ACLU alleges. Further allegations include the presence of mold on the walls and a lack of mental health professionals. The Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center has not commented on the lawsuit.

The Associated Press

9. UK press watchdog issues warning over Meghan Markle hate column

The U.K.'s press watchdog has issued a warning over a column in The Sun tabloid about Meghan Markle that was found to be sexist. The column was originally published this past December about Markle, the wife of Prince Harry. Penned by TV personality Jeremy Clarkson, the column imagined Markle being paraded naked through the streets while being pelted with feces, with Clarkson adding that he hated Markle "on a cellular level." Edward Faulks, chairman of the Independent Press Standards Organization, said the "imagery employed by the columnist in this article was humiliating and degrading toward the duchess," and that The Sun failed to meet its editorial standards by publishing it.

The Associated Press

10. ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ sees modest $24M opening

Harrison Ford has cracked the whip one final time on "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," but it appears the film won't be cracking any box office records. "Dial of Destiny" brought in just $24 million on its opening day, and is slated to have a three-day weekend box office opening around $60 million. This places it at the lowest end of projections from most analysts, though it is still likely enough to give the film the top spot at the box office this weekend. However, it also raises questions about the ability of star-power actors to put people in seats, especially when the film cost a reported $295 million to make.

Variety