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

1. Aftershock strikes Morocco as death toll rises

A magnitude-3.9 aftershock struck Morocco on Sunday, one of a series of additional rumbles as the North African country begins searching for survivors of Friday night's devastating earthquake. The deadliest disaster in Morocco in more than a century, the earthquake leveled homes and buildings across numerous cities and sent people scrambling for cover. More than 2,000 people were killed, and officials said they expect that death toll to keep rising. The United Nations has estimated that a total of 300,000 people may have been affected by the initial earthquake. Many residents were reportedly sheltering in place due to the possibility of additional aftershocks hitting the region.

The Guardian The Associated Press

2. Approval of new Covid shots likely coming within days

A new round of Covid-19 vaccinations for the fall is expected to be approved by government bodies in the coming days, according to recent reporting. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to greenlight approval of a new Covid shot as early as next week, sources told NBC News. From there, the vaccines would have to be signed off on by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), something that is also likely to occur soon. The new shots are designed to target the latest Covid variants, including the XBB.1.5 omicron strain. The boosters are also expected to protect against various subvariants of omicron, drugmakers told NBC.

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The Associated Press NBC News

3. Hurricane Lee expected to restrengthen on its way to the coast

Hurricane Lee is expected to continue a rapid re-intensification on its way toward hitting the East Coast of the United States. While the storm had calmed down into a Category 1 hurricane heading into the weekend, Lee had restrengthened into a Category 3 storm by Saturday afternoon, and was expected to continue increasing its wind speeds. This puts the storm into a rare category of hurricane — one that has increased by 85 mph or more in just a single day. The hurricane is currently around 300 miles off the coast of the Leeward Islands, and is expected to pelt the East Coast of the United States with swells, rip currents and possible flooding.

CNN ABC News

4. Rishi Sunak lambasts China after allegations of spy in UK Parliament

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Sunday that he had raised "very strong concerns" with Chinese Premier Li Qiang about allegations of spying within the U.K. parliament. Sunak told reporters that he had talked to Li during the G20 summit, expressing concerns "about any interference in our parliamentary democracy, which is obviously unacceptable." The prime minister's lambasting comes after a political researcher was arrested this past March along with another man for allegedly spying on parliament for China, The Sunday Times reported. The meeting between Sunak and Li was reportedly unscheduled, but occurred soon after news of the alleged spy broke.

Bloomberg Politico

5. Police announce additional sightings of Pennsylvania escaped murderer

Pennsylvania State Police announced Saturday that there had been new sightings of Danelo Cavalcante, the convicted murderer whose escape from Pennsylvania's Chester County Prison has spawned a statewide manhunt. There were "two confirmed sightings of Cavalcante within the search area," state police said on Twitter, with officials noting that he was considered extremely dangerous. Police also released security camera footage that captured Cavalcante, noting that he had seemingly changed his appearance. The murderer, who was seen on prison camera footage crab-walking up a wall during his escape, has been on the run for 11 days. Officials are offering a cash reward for information leading to his arrest.

The Philadelphia Inquirer

6. Coco Gauff wins US Open to secure 1st Grand Slam title

Coco Gauff won the US Open women's championship on Saturday, as the American phenom defeated Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to secure her first Grand Slam title. The 19-year-old Gauff, who was the youngest American to reach the US Open final since Serena Williams in 1999, bested Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, winning 18 of 19 total matches at the tournament en route to an early but career-defining moment. "It means so much to me," Gauff told ESPN after the match. "I feel like I'm a little bit in shock in this moment." Gauff, who entered the final ranked world No. 6, became the first American to win a major tennis title since 2020.

ESPN USA Today

7. Catholic Church beatifies Polish family that hid Jews during Holocaust

The Catholic Church beatified a Polish family that was killed by Nazi officers for sheltering a Jewish family during the Holocaust. The beatification service was held by Catholic officials on Sunday for Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children in the Polish town of Markowa. The Ulma family, along with the eight Jews they were sheltering, was killed in the town in 1944 by the Nazis after their hiding of the Jews was discovered. One of the Ulma family members killed, Maria, was just 18 months old. The unprecedented beatification of the family is the last step among the Catholic Church's rites prior to sainthood.

Reuters

8. 2 New Sept. 11 victims identified ahead of anniversary

Two victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were identified by DNA testing, officials said Friday. The identification came three days prior to the 22nd anniversary of the attack, which killed thousands in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The man and woman, whose names were withheld at their family's request, were the 1,648th and 1,649th people to be identified by the New York medical examiner's office as Sept. 11 victims, the mayor's office said in a press release. The man was identified via DNA from remains recovered in 2001, and the woman from remains recovered in 2001, 2006 and 2013, the medical examiner's office said.

CNBC CNN

9. Conservative activist’s son convicted of Jan. 6-related charges

The son of a prominent conservative activist was found guilty on 10 charges for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department announced Friday. Leo Bren Bozell IV was found guilty of assaulting a police officer, destruction of government property, obstructing a preceding and other crimes. At least five of these are felony charges, and Bozell is now facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. Bozell allegedly led rioters through the Capitol building, including bringing a mob to various House offices and the Senate floor. Bozell is the son of Brent Bozell III, a conservative activist who has founded a variety of right-leaning organizations.

The Hill

10. Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis apologize for supporting Danny Masterson during sexual assault trial

Celebrity couple Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have apologized for sending letters in support of Danny Masterson during his sexual assault trial. In a message on Instagram posted Saturday, Kutcher and Kunis say they are "aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson." The pair added that they "support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so." Kutcher and Kunis had written letters to the judge supporting the character of Masterson, who had starred alongside the duo on "That 70's Show." Masterson was found guilty of raping two women and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

Variety