September 23, 2024

Monday briefing: Democrats keep Senate control; Biden meets with Xi Jinping; Charlottesville shooting; Dolly Parton; and more

Charlottesville #Charlottesville

© Jordan Robertson for The Washington Post 1

Democrats will keep control of the Senate.

  • The latest: Close races in Arizona and Nevada were called for Democrats this weekend. It gives the party at least 50 seats — a majority, with Vice President Harris’s tiebreaking vote — for the next two years.
  • What’s next? The Senate seat in Georgia is headed for a runoff election on Dec. 6.
  • What else to know: Control of the House remains up in the air. Many districts where votes are still being counted expected delays because of mail-in ballots.
  • 2

    Ukraine said it found evidence of Russian war crimes in a newly liberated city.

  • Where? Kherson, in the country’s south. Ukraine retook the city — the only regional capital seized by Russia since its invasion — on Friday, marking another major victory.
  • What Russia left behind: Evidence of atrocities and widespread damage to infrastructure, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who made a surprise visit to the city today.
  • 3

    President Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping this morning.

    © Provided by The Washington Post

  • What to know: This was their first face-to-face meeting as presidents. The three-hour sit-down took place in Bali, Indonesia, a day before a G-20 summit, a global forum of the world’s most powerful governments.
  • Why this matters: The relationship between the U.S. and China is at its lowest point in decades, which has huge economic ripple effects worldwide.
  • 4

    At least three people were killed in a shooting at the University of Virginia.

  • What we know: A gunman opened fire on the Charlottesville campus late last night, officials said. At least two other people were injured. None of the victims have been named.
  • The latest: The university identified a 22-year-old student as the suspect. Police were still searching for him as of this morning.
  • 5

    An explosion in one of Turkey’s busiest shopping districts killed six people.

  • What we know: The attack took place in one of Istanbul’s main pedestrian thoroughfares yesterday and injured at least 81 other people, authorities said.
  • The investigation: Police detained 46 suspects in connection with the attack, including a woman who they said had planted the explosives.
  • 6

    Your phone can now warn you before an earthquake hits.

  • How? It’s a new early-warning system called ShakeAlert. It can give you a few crucial seconds to drop, cover and hold on before an earthquake reaches your location.
  • How to get it: It’s active in California, Oregon and Washington state, and Alaska could be next. Find out how to turn on the alerts on Android and iPhones here.
  • 7

    Dolly Parton received $100 million from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

  • What to know: She’s the second winner of the Courage and Civility Award. The Queen of Country can give the money to any charity she wants. (Bezos owns The Post.)
  • Why this matters: Parton has spent years giving back. Her best-known program has gifted nearly 200 million books to children since 1995.
  • And now … an exciting reminder: The 7 is launching as a podcast this morning. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.

    Want to catch up quickly with “The 7” every morning? Download The Post’s app and turn on alert notifications for The 7 or sign up for the newsletter.

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