U.S. and world news for March 23

No attorney-client privilege: The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. has ordered Trump Attorney Evan Corcoran to turn over to Justice Department prosecutors his notes and other records regarding Donald Trump’s possession of classified and other government documents at Mar-a-Lago. Corcoran said he was protected by attorney-client privilege, and didn’t have to provide anything to the prosecutors. The Justice Department argued that attorney-client privilege could be pierced because there is evidence that he was used in the commission of a crime. Corcoran drafted a letter to the government that was signed by another trump attorney saying that all government documents held by Trump had been returned, which was not true.

Rocket fails: A rocket launched from Cape Canaveral last night by the company Relativity Space failed to reach orbit when an engine malfunctioned. The two-stage 110-foot-tall rocket that was sent aloft from the Launch 16 complex in Florida was built using many parts that had been made on a gigantic 3D printer at Relativity’s plant in California. This was the third time a rocket made by Relativity failed to reach orbit.

DeSantis expands ban: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is the leading contender against Donald Trump for the Republican Presidential nomination, is proposing to extend the ban in Florida’s schools on talking about sexual orientation to cover all grades. It now only applies to kindergarten through third grade. Florida’s Board of Education is expected to approve the expansion in a couple of weeks. It’s known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

Warning from Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s deputy Dmitry Medvedev this morning warned that the threat of the war in Ukraine turning into a nuclear war is growing. He charged that the U.S. and NATO are trying to destroy Russia and that relations between Russia and the West are the worst they’ve ever been.

Interest rates: The Bank of England today raised interest rates in the United Kingdom (UK) by a quarter of a point to 4.25% in another attempt to slow inflation. This follows yesterday’s quarter-point rate increase by the U.S. Federal Reserve, bringing the Fed’s rate to 5%. Inflation in the UK hit 10.4% last month compared with about 6% in the U.S.

Ford’s electric vehicle: Ford said this morning it expects to lose about $3 billion this year on its electric vehicle, Ford Model e. That would be up from a $2.1 billion loss for 2022. Overall, however, Ford says its company-wide earnings before interest and taxes were $10.4 billion for 2022.

Cover photo of Dmitry Medvedev via Kremlin.ru / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons