10 things you need to know today: November 20, 2022

At least five people were killed and 18 more were injured Saturday evening when a gunman opened fire in a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, police said. The incident reportedly began around midnight, when law enforcement began receiving numerous 911 calls from inside the club notifying them of an active shooter. Police added that the suspected shooter was in custody, but did not elaborate on a possible motive. The nightclub, Club Q, said in a statement on social media that it was "devastated by the senseless attack on our community." Officials said an investigation into the shooting was ongoing. 

The Twitter account of former President Donald Trump was reactivated by the company's CEO, Elon Musk, on Saturday evening. The social media company's new owner announced in a tweet that he would be reinstating Trump following the conclusion of an online poll, in which respondents favored 51.8 to 48.2 percent to allow the former president back on Twitter. Trump had previously been barred from the platform after Twitter said he was complicit in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol due to his inflammatory rhetoric. However, Musk, who purchased Twitter for $44 billion just a few weeks ago, had previously vowed to allow Trump back online, though the former president has said he may not use his account. 

A slate of nations, including the United States, agreed to a landmark United Nations-backed deal to create a specialized fund for underdeveloped nations. The deal, which was formulated at the COP27 climate talks, was agreed to by all sides on Sunday, and established a "loss and damage" fund for third-world countries that face hardships due to climate-led issues. This includes natural disasters that have been heightened by the effects of climate change and carbon emissions. While many of these countries have borne the brunt of these natural disasters, particularly smaller island nations, developed countries such as the U.S. have historically pushed back against establishing this type of fund. 

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to begin Sunday in Qatar, with the eyes of the sporting world descending on the small Middle Eastern nation. While the tournament takes center stage in the headlines, this year's World Cup is likely the most controversial in history due to Qatar's alleged poor record on human rights. This notably includes issues surrounding the building of Qatari infrastructure in the decade since the games were awarded, in which thousands of migrant workers reportedly died helping construct new stadiums. Despite these numerous controversies leaving a cloud over the games, FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the decision to have the games in Qatar, calling Western critics "hypocritical."

A new USA Today/Ipsos Poll published Sunday found that President Biden had seen a rise in support amongst Democrats to run for a second term, likely due to the significantly better-than-expected performance during the recent midterm elections. The number of Democratic voters polled who believed the president could win in 2024 stood at 71 percent, up from just 60 percent who felt that way in August. Meanwhile, former President Trump, who recently announced another bid for the White House, saw a dip in his support, with 75 percent of Republicans polled saying he could win the next election. While high, this number is lower than the 82 percent who felt the same before the midterms. 

A new report published Saturday claims that a former anti-abortion leader was notified of the outcome of a Supreme Court case in 2014 prior to its public announcement - eight years before the leaked decision to overturn Roe v. Wade put heightened scrutiny on the Court. Rev. Rob Schenck, who previously led an evangelical group in Washington, D.C., was reportedly told of the ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby through Associate Justice Samuel Alito. According to a letter written by Schenck to Chief Justice John Roberts, he was able to use this knowledge to prepare public relations materials. Alito has denied any connections to the incident, while Roberts has not responded to the accusation. 

Naomi Biden, the granddaughter of President Biden, married Peter Neal on Saturday afternoon in a private ceremony at the White House. The wedding, which was closed to the press and attended only by friends and family, took place on the South Lawn, and marked the latest in a long history of weddings to take place at the White House. While the ceremony was a celebration of the 20-something couple, the wedding notably took place just one day prior to President Biden's 80th birthday. Much attention has been placed on the president's age since he took office, but sources told CNN that his advanced years were not something he wanted to highlight. 

A massive snowstorm continued to blanket western New York state with frigid winter weather, as people across the region attempted to dig out from record snowfall. In Buffalo, the epicenter of the storm, certain areas of the city saw record snowfall more than six feet high. While residents were able to spend much of Saturday clearing paths through the snow, the National Weather Service on Saturday night issued a warning that heavy snow and high winds would likely pummel the area once again heading into Sunday. At least two people have reportedly died from cardiac incidents related to clearing snow. 

Following a suspected terrorist bombing in Istanbul last week that left at least six people dead, Turkey on Sunday said it had conducted a series of airstrikes against Kurdish bases in Iraq and Syria. According to Turkish military officials, the targets of the airstrikes were bases used by Kurdish militia to launch terrorist attacks. The Turkish government blamed one of these militia groups, the PKK, for the bombing in Istanbul, though the group has continually denied this. The violence is also likely to cause tensions beyond the Middle East, as NATO member Turkey has declined to ratify Finland and Sweden as members, claiming they are harboring Kurdish terrorists. 

Vice President Harris began a visit to the Philippines on Sunday in an effort to reset relations among one of the United States' most notable former colonies. The vice president flew to the capital city of Manila to meet with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and is also planning on making a number of other stops within the country. Despite the strenuous history between the United States and the Philippines, the nation remains the oldest American treaty-based alliance in Asia, and Harris embarked on a tour of the country to try and strengthen economic ties. The two nations also held talks regarding escalating Chinese tensions in the disputed South China Sea.