Biden to meet with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy amid tensions over the use of U.S. weapons against Russia. Prosecutors allege that the suspect in the Gilgo Beach serial killings used a ‘’planning document.’’ And the woman who says she inspired the stalker character in “Baby Reindeer” sues Netflix for defamation.
Here’s what to know today.
Biden clashes with Russia — and Ukraine — over use of U.S. weapons ahead of Zelenskyy meeting
President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris today as the United States clashes with both its ally and the Kremlin over Kyiv’s strikes inside Russia using American weapons. Tensions between Kyiv’s allies and Moscow are at an all-time high after the decision to allow Ukraine limited use of Western-supplied weapons to strike military targets inside Russian border regions. Despite this shift, Kyiv’s troops remain outnumbered and outgunned and Zelenskyy is pushing for more.
He has already said the limited loosening of restrictions is not enough, with Ukraine thought to be eager to use other long-range U.S. weapons to hit deeper inside enemy territory. The new support for Ukraine has infuriated the Kremlin, however. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned this week he could deploy arms to countries that could strike the West in response, and said Washington and its partners were wrong to assume he would never use nuclear weapons.
The meeting follows the D-Day 80th anniversary events in Normandy, which Zelenskyy attended and where many leaders drew parallels between the landing operation to free Europe from Nazi domination 80 years ago and Ukraine’s current struggle against Russia.
The events were an opportunity for Western leaders to show solidarity, but embattled British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced outrage at home after leaving the events early to return to the campaign trail of an election he looks likely to lose. He has now apologized for what he said was a “mistake,” but not before his decision saw him assailed by his own allies, as well as his political enemies.
Bidens turn out for Hunter’s criminal trial
Hunter Biden’s gun trial in Delaware has prompted an outpouring of support from close friends and family as his father’s campaign keeps a distance.
“Of course the family is there en masse” one close family friend who has been in court with the Bidens every day told NBC News. “Imagine if this was your son, your brother. This is their family. Their beloved family.” The cast of allies inside the courtroom has included Hunter Biden’s sister, Ashley Biden, and several of his close friends.
The show of force began with first lady Jill Biden taking a seat in the courtroom behind her son each day until leaving to travel to France to attend a D-Day commemoration ceremony with Biden. The first lady then left less than 24 hours later to return to Wilmington ahead of her son’s trial resuming today, and she’s scheduled to return to Paris tomorrow for a state visit. The whirlwind transatlantic shuttling underscores the family’s concern about the toll Hunter Biden’s trial could take.
Netanyahu to address joint session of Congress next month
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24, two sources familiar with the date confirmed to NBC News.
The timing of the address comes after all four leaders in Congress issued a formal invitation to Netanyahu at the end of last month. Some Democrats have already indicated they plan to boycott the speech over Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza or have otherwise expressed concern that his address could deepen tensions in Congress.
Read more on the Israel-Hamas war:
- Classes may be over, but the campus antiwar movement has been showing no signs of slowing down for the summer. Activists from California to New York are continuing to demand that their schools divest from Israeli companies with ties to the war in Gaza, and some have started up new encampments.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told NBC News’ Lester Holt that “protecting the civilian population is a strategic imperative” in the Gaza Strip, an implicit criticism of Israel’s conduct of the war.
Suspect in Gilgo Beach serial killings may have started preying on women more than 3 decades ago
Rex Heuermann, the suspect in the Gilgo Beach serial killings, was charged with the murders of two more women, prosecutors in New York announced.
The remains of Sandra Costilla, one of two women Heuermann was charged with killing, were found in 1993 on the east end of Long Island, in South Hampton. The Costilla case is the oldest murder that prosecutors have linked to Heuermann. They say the 28-year-old woman was killed either Nov. 19 or 20, 1993, when hunters found her badly mutilated body. They say DNA from hairs found on her body matched Heuermann’s.
The remains of the five other women that Heuermann has been charged with killing were all found from about 2010 or later. He had been living a quiet life with his family, commuting from his home in Massapequa Park to his office in Manhattan since 1987, according to police. Prosecutors discovered a “planning document” they say was used to carry out the killings on his laptop. His next court date is set for July 30.
Alleged ‘Baby Reindeer’ inspiration sues Netflix for defamation
The woman who allegedly inspired the stalker character, Martha, in Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” is suing for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other claims.
Fiona Harvey told news presenter Piers Morgan last month that she was “forced” to come forward as the alleged inspiration for Martha after internet sleuths zoned in on her identity and began harassing her online. The lawsuit comes weeks after she made a public statement warning that she was preparing to take legal action against Netflix, in response to her belief that a director of public policy at the company called her a “convicted stalker.”
The lawsuit seeks a total of more than $170 million in damages for Harvey in addition to attorney’s fees. It describes the show’s title card, which read “This is a true story,” as the “biggest lie in television history.”
Politics in Brief
Justice Department: A federal judge ordered Steve Bannon to report to prison July 1 to begin a four-month prison sentence for defying subpoenas from the Jan. 6 Committee.
Capitol riot: Two officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 faced boos and walkouts by Republicans at the Pennsylvania state House as they visited the chamber.
RNC: The Republican National Committee has hired Ed Martin, a prominent supporter of the pro-Trump “Stop the Steal” movement, to serve as deputy policy director of the platform committee, which drafts the policies the party will run on in November.
Election 2024: The Vermont Republican Party is prohibited from backing a candidate with a felony conviction, according to the party’s publicly posted rules.
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Staff Pick: How A.I. is changing elections around the world
A politician brought back from the dead to endorse his friend’s run for office? That’s just one of the deepfake videos that have overwhelmed social media in what has been called India’s first AI election. We visited the Chennai studio of the man who made it, witnessing how easy it is to whip up an entirely fake campaign video with just a couple of pictures and a brief recording of someone’s voice. The technology he uses is advancing rapidly, with worrying implications for elections everywhere — including the United States.
— Mithil Aggarwal, Hong Kong reporter/producerNBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Ever wondered how often you really need to wash your jeans? NBC Select’s editors got answers from the experts. Plus, you may be separating your laundry the wrong way. Use these tips on how to clean every type of clothing.
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