Russia strikes Kyiv after agreeing to talks, Saudi airport attack, DHS voter visits blocked
Russia hits Kyiv hours after the Kremlin agrees in principle to new peace talks, a deadly attack on Saudi Arabia's Dammam airport, a judge limits Homeland Security's election door-knocking in nine states, Minnesota's final governor debate, and the Dream take a 2-1 WNBA Finals lead.
Russian ballistic missiles and drones hit Kyiv overnight into Thursday, killing one person and wounding 22, according to Ukrainian authorities. On Wednesday, after Vladimir Putin met U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin agreed "in principle" to resume three-way talks with the U.S. and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy backed new talks.
Russia saysKremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said Moscow is in principle ready to resume talks with Washington and Kyiv, but said Ukrainian and European proposals had little substance.
Ukraine saysZelenskyy said Kyiv supports proposals for a ceasefire and an end to the war; Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote that appeasement will not stop the war, only strength will.
An attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday evening killed one person and injured eight, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said. It did not say who carried out the attack or what kind of attack it was, and said damage was being assessed. Earlier Wednesday the U.S. ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia.
Late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín of the Northern District of California barred the Department of Homeland Security from election-related field operations and interviews involving people officials know or suspect are U.S. citizens in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin, until polls close on Election Day. She paused the order until 5 p.m. Friday so the government can seek an appeal. She found the practice likely violates the Voting Rights Act's protections against intimidation.
The administration saysJustice Department lawyers argued the government has authority to investigate potential noncitizen voting and that blocking the investigations "would damage the public interest, not serve it."
The plaintiffs sayNurses' unions, San Francisco, Santa Clara County and Voto Latino say the home visits intimidate citizens; their lawyer at Protect Democracy says DHS "built its lists on bad data."
Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Republican Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth met Wednesday night in Rochester for their final debate before the Nov. 3 election. They clashed over fraud in state programs, abortion, gas prices and Boundary Waters mining. Gov. Tim Walz is not seeking a third term, and either candidate would be Minnesota's first woman governor.
Lisa Demuth (Republican) saysDemocrats failed to fix fraud in state programs; people convicted of fraud would go to jail and be barred from state social services programs under her administration.
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat) saysShe would have addressed fraud sooner and would order a "top to bottom audit," fixing or getting rid of programs that don't work.
The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday at a sold-out State Farm Arena. Angel Reese had 21 points and 12 rebounds. Atlanta leads the best-of-seven series 2-1 and is two wins from its first WNBA championship.
