News Wrap: Maui receives $95 million grant to strengthen electrical grid

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In our news wrap Wednesday, the White House announced a grant of $95 million to strengthen the electrical grid on the island of Maui following the wildfires there, a federal judge ruled Rudy Giuliani defamed two Georgia election workers by accusing them of ballot fraud in the 2020 vote and the U.S. says intelligence shows Putin is trying to buy weapons from North Korea for the war in Ukraine.

Amna Nawaz:

The White House announced a grant of $95 million to strengthen the electrical grid on the island of Maui in Hawaii. It will come from last year's infrastructure law.

There have been questions about whether downed power lines sparked the Maui wildfire that consumed Lahaina. The fire killed 115 people, with more than 300 still missing.

A federal judge in Washington ruled today that Rudy Giuliani defamed two Georgia election workers by accusing them of ballot fraud in the 2020 vote. The default judgment came after the Trump lawyer and adviser failed to turn over required documents. The judge also ordered Giuliani to pay more than $130,000 in legal fees for his accusers.

The two sides in the Russia-Ukraine war traded heavy aerial assaults overnight. The Ukrainians launched what appeared to be their biggest drone barrage yet, hitting airports and military planes inside Russian territory. Russian video caught the explosions from afar.

The attacks reportedly hit six regions and lasted more than four hours. Moscow accused Kyiv's Western allies of helping.

Maria Zakharova, Spokeswoman, Russian Foreign Ministry (through interpreter):

Ukrainian drone attacks on civilian objects confirm the terrorist essence of the Kyiv regime once again. It's clear that Ukrainian drones weren't able to fly those distances without assistance from Western satellite information.

Amna Nawaz:

In the meantime, Russian drones and missiles lit up the sky over Kyiv in the biggest bombardment of Ukraine's capital in months. By daybreak, smoke was still rising, and officials reported two deaths.

U.S. officials say new intelligence shows Russian leader Vladimir Putin is actively trying to buy weapons from North Korea for the war in Ukraine. The White House disclosed today that Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on have now exchanged letters about an arms deal.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby spoke about that in an off-camera briefing.

John Kirby, NSC Coordinator For Strategic Communications:

He's going to North Korea to try to get artillery shells and the basic materials, so that he can continue to shore up his defense industrial base. There is no other way to look at that than desperation and weakness.

Amna Nawaz:

Also today, North Korea fired two more short-range ballistic missiles into the sea. That came hours after a U.S. strategic bomber flew over the Korean Peninsula during military drills.

The Kremlin conceded today that a plane crash that killed Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin could have been foul play. U.S. officials have suggested it was retaliation for his short-lived mutiny two months ago. Prigozhin was buried yesterday in his hometown of St. Petersburg. The site quickly brought out mourners paying their respects.

Back in this country, former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick will not be tried on charges that he sexually assaulted a teenage boy in 1974. A psychologist testified today at a Massachusetts hearing that McCarrick has dementia. Both sides agreed, and the judge dismissed the case.

McCarrick is 93 years old. He was defrocked in 2019 after a Vatican investigation found he molested adults and children for decades.

The Labor Department proposed today that another 3.6 million salaried workers will be eligible for overtime. It affects those making less than $55,000 a year. That's up nearly $20,000 from the current threshold. The Obama administration tried something similar, but business groups defeated it in court.

And, on Wall Street, stocks managed fractional gains. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 37 points to close at 34890. The Nasdaq rose 75 points, and the S&P 500 added 17.

Still to come on the "NewsHour": students respond to the shooting at the University of North Carolina and the trauma of gun violence; Judy Woodruff delves into the connection between partisanship and the decline of local news; Frances Tiafoe shares his roller-coaster journey to becoming one of the top tennis players in the world; plus much more.

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