Missile hit on Poland:Â U.S. officials believe that the Russian missile that crossed into Poland and exploded on Polish territory did so as a result of being shot down by a Ukrainian defense system and was not deliberately shot at Poland by the Russians. However, the investigation into precisely what happened continues. The members of NATO would be obligated to come to the defense of NATO member Poland if it were attacked by another country.
Flight to moon underway:Â NASA’s Space Launch Systems rocket, designed to be used on missions to the moon, was successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral this early morning. It carried an Orion space capsule with three mannequins on board to simulate astronauts. The Orion capsule is now on its way to the moon, where it is due to enter orbit.
NY Post puts Trump on p. 26:Â Rupert Murdoch’s media outlets continue their campaign of denigrating Donald Trump, who they once hailed as a hero. In reporting on Trump’s announcement last night that he’s running for president in 2024, instead of making it the page one big headline story, the New York Post this morning said in a small banner at the bottom of page one, “Florida Man Makes Announcement — see page 26.”
Scott wants to replace McConnell:Â Florida’s Republican Senator Rick Scott says he will try to unseat Sen. Mitch McConnell as Senate Minority Leader. Scott blames McConnell for the expected Republican red wave not materializing in the off-year election. McConnell says he has the support to continue serving as minority leader.
Climate disasters:Â A study by the nonprofit Rebuild by Design finds that 90% of U.S. counties experienced a federally proclaimed disaster that relates to the climate between 2011-2021. Some counties had as many as 12 disasters during that time. In 2021 alone, the U.S. experienced 20 separate climate disasters that resulted in at least a billion dollars in damage each with more than 688 direct or indirect fatalities.
Target’s income down 49.2%:Â The retailer Target this morning reported that its third quarter 2022 sales were $26.5 billion, growing 3.4% compared with the third quarter last year. Operating income was $1 billion in third quarter of 2022, down 49.2% percent from the approximately $2 billion in the third quarter of 2021. Target said it is going to become more efficient and cut costs over the next two to three years in order to save $2 to $3 billion in expenses.
Photo by Mike Mozart / Flickr Creative Commons
