10 things you need to know today: May 6, 2023

King Charles III on his way to his coronation in London.

(Image credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

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1. Charles III crowned at Westminster Abbey in historic ceremony
2. Ukraine destroys Russian missile using American defense system
3. Biden defends son ahead of possible tax charges
4. Fox asks Dominion Voting to probe for leaked Tucker Carlson texts
5. DeSantis signs bill allowing self-imposed Disney board to cancel previous agreements
6. Kentucky man sentenced to 14 years for Capitol insurrection
7. California reparations task force to vote on formal apology for slavery
8. Supreme Court halts execution of Oklahoma convict
9. Iran executes man convicted of terrorist attack that killed 25 people
10. 149th Kentucky Derby to be run, showing off the ‘Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports’

published 6 May 2023

1. Charles III crowned at Westminster Abbey in historic ceremony

King Charles III was crowned monarch of the United Kingdom on Saturday, during a generational ceremony steeped in pageantry and history. The coronation took place at Westminster Abbey in London, when Charles had St. Edward's Crown placed upon his head, at which point cries of "God Save the King" rang out. His wife Camilla was similarly crowned queen consort. Gun salutes were heard at 13 locations across the U.K. at the moment Charles was crowned. However, even as the coronation ushered in a new era for the British monarchy, there were numerous protests seen across the United Kingdom, as the pageantry and wealth of the day remained controversial given the rising cost of living in Europe.

Ukraine said Saturday that it had downed a Russian missile using the American-made Patriot defense system, which would mark the first time that the U.S. anti-air technology had successfully stopped a Russian attack. Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, wrote in a message on Telegram that the Ukrainians had "intercepted the 'unmatched' Kinzhal [missile]." Oleschuk added that the interception occurred on the night of May 4 in the skies over the capital, Kyiv. If confirmed, it would be the first successful use of the Patriot defense system since they arrived in Ukraine this past April. The United States had previously pledged to provide the systems to Ukraine, along with continued material support.

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President Biden defended his son Hunter on Friday as federal prosecutors reportedly neared a decision on whether to charge the president's son with tax and firearms violations, which would come following the conclusion of a years-long investigation at the behest of Republicans. In an interview with Stephanie Ruhle on MSNBC's The 11th Hour, Biden said, "My son has done nothing wrong," adding, "I trust him. I have faith in him." When Ruhle asked Biden if he was concerned about his son's charges potentially affecting his presidential campaign, Biden reiterated that he stood by Hunter and that it "[makes] me feel proud of him." The president's son has denied any wrongdoing, saying he acted "legally and appropriately."

Fox News on Friday asked Dominion Voting Systems to probe its company internally after text messages from fired Fox host Tucker Carlson were leaked. In a letter, lawyers for Fox wrote that documents relating to Carlson's texts as part of the company's recent lawsuit by Dominion "were disclosed to media organizations." The letter continues by asking Dominion's top brass to "investigate and confirm that you are not the source of these improper disclosures." Carlson was fired days after a settlement was reached forcing Fox to pay $787 million to Dominion for lying about the latter's use in disproven claims of voter fraud. "Nobody associated with Dominion shared these confidential materials with the press," Dominion responded in a statement.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill Friday allowing his handpicked board of supervisors at Walt Disney World to void prior agreements that the resort had signed with developers. The bill, which would effectively invalidate ongoing development deals at the park, was passed just a day earlier, and comes after DeSantis' self-imposed board voted to strike down the development plans, claiming they were unlawful. This new development comes as DeSantis continues his ongoing feud with Disney, as both the governor and the entertainment conglomerate have sued each other. Both Republicans and Democrats have criticized DeSantis for his fight against Disney, which is ramping up as the governor is likely to announce a run for president in the near future.

A Kentucky man was sentenced Friday to 14 years in prison for attacking police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. This marks the longest sentence so far among the hundreds of cases related to Jan. 6. Peter Schwartz was officially sentenced to 14 years and two months behind bars, followed by three years of supervision. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta called Schwartz a "solider against democracy," telling him he "took it upon yourself to try and injure multiple police officers that day." Schwartz was armed with a can of pepper spray at the Capitol and also threw a chair at officers while working to push past a line of cops defending the building.

California's first-of-its-kind reparations task force will conclude its work on Saturday by voting on whether or not to have the state issue a formal apology for slavery. The nine-member committee is expected to approve the apology as part of a series of proposals to provide compensation for African-Americans living in the state. The draft recommendation said that the apology from the California Legislature must "include a censure of the gravest barbarities" of the slave trade. While California entered the union as a free state, the reparations board has argued that the state has perpetuated the racist legacy of slavery that helped to marginalize Black communities. The proposal comes as San Francisco is also considering its own monetary reparations.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday granted a rare stay of execution for an Oklahoma death row inmate, after the state's attorney general said that he believes the man may now be innocent. Richard Glossip was scheduled to be put to death on May 18, but that has now been placed on hold following the high court's ruling. Glossip has been on death row since being convicted of a 1997 murder-for-hire killing of his boss, but has always maintained his innocence. While he was previously denied clemency by the Oklahoma parole board despite a high-profile public campaign, the Supreme Court stepped in after Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond asked the justices to stay his execution pending new evidence.

Iran on Saturday said that it had executed a man accused of perpetrating a deadly terrorist attack that killed 25 people. Habib Farajollah Chaab had been sentenced to death for allegedly leading the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz, which seeks a separate state in Iran's oil-rich province of Khuzistan. Members of this group were accused of opening fire during a military parade in 2018 that resulted in 25 deaths while also wounding 70 others. Chaab, a Swedish-Iranian national, had denied any involvement in the attacks, but was put to death after being deemed "corrupt on Earth" by Iranian officials. The Swedish foreign minister called Chaab's execution "an inhuman and irreversible punishment."

The Run for the Roses has arrived, as the 149th Kentucky Derby is scheduled to be run on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs. Dubbed "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports," the Derby represents the first leg of the three-pronged Triple Crown of Thoroughbred horse racing. The last few races have been marred by scandal and unexpected turns of events. This may be the case for this year's race as well, as one of the Derby's odds-on favorites, Forte, has reportedly been scratched from the competition following an injury during a morning run. Forte had been listed as the 3-1 favorite to win the race, which will now be run with only 18 horses.

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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 Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.