Good morning.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) formally endorsed Joe Biden’s re-election campaign on Wednesday at the union’s national community action program conference in Washington DC.
Both Biden and the former president, Donald Trump, who won the New Hampshire primary this week, have courted the union and supported its successful strike action against the big three automakers last year. Biden became the first sitting president to walk a picket line in support of the union.
“Joe Biden bet on the American worker while Donald Trump blamed the American worker,” the UAW president, Shawn Fain, said. “If our endorsement must be earned, Joe Biden has earned it.”
“Donald Trump is a scab. Donald Trump is a billionaire and that’s who he represents,” Fain said. “This election is about who will stand up with us and who will stand in our way.”
How influential is the UAW? It has 40,000 members. It is based in Detroit, Michigan, a key swing state where, according to one poll conducted at the end of 2023, Trump is edging out Biden 39% to 37%.
How did Trump try to court the union? In September, Trump said Fain was “a good man … he’s got to endorse Trump”. He also attacked electric vehicles and claimed, in office, “we will drill baby drill” and support gas engines.
What did Biden tell the UAW conference? On Wednesday, Biden talked up his pro-labor credentials, saying: “The union movement in America is important because it produces the best skilled workers in the world”. He added: “During my presidency, we opened 20 auto factories and more than 250,000 auto jobs all across the country.”
Poll finds 35% of Americans believe Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians
A poll from the Economist/YouGov found 35% of Americans say Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, with 36% saying it is not and 29% undecided. The figures were even higher when accounting for age and politics, with 49% of people aged 18-29, and 49% of Democrats, seeing Israel’s actions as genocide.
The polling, taken from 21 to 23 January, comes as the international court of justice (ICJ) prepares to deliver on Friday an interim ruling on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, and a separate lawsuit against Joe Biden’s administration for “failing to prevent genocide” advances.
Meanwhile, the US state department was forced on Wednesday to “deplore” the attack on the UN’s Khan Younis training centre, after the UNRWA building sheltering about 800 people was hit by Israeli tank shelling, killing at least 12 and injuring 75.
What is the latest in Gaza? The Israeli army says it has “encircled” the southern city of Khan Younis after two days of heavy fighting. The city is crowded with 88,000 residents and about 425,000 displaced people, with many trapped sheltering in hospitals. “Everyone in Gaza is hungry,” the UN secretary general said Wednesday.
How many Palestinians have been killed? More than 25,700, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say, since the 7 October attack that saw 1,200 in Israel killed. About 85% of the 2.3 million people in Gaza have been displaced and face hunger and disease.
What is happening off the coast of Yemen? Two ships owned by Maersk’s US subsidiary sought US navy support after hearing explosions. Houthi militants are continuing their attacks on commercial shipping – which they say is in solidarity with Palestinians.
Russia accuses Kyiv of shooting down plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war
Russia has accused Kyiv of shooting down a large military transport plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war to an exchange on Wednesday, after a crash in the Belgorod region that killed everyone onboard.
Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied that it hit the plane but said Moscow had created a “deliberate threat to the life and safety” of its PoWs by failing to warn Kyiv to deconflict the airspace before the swap.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, called for full clarity over the crash, accusing Moscow of “playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war”.
Meanwhile, fighting continues with 58 combat clashes on the frontlines, Ukrinform reports. A drone attack on Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa injured one person and started a fire, the regional governor said.
What are the details of the crash? Russia says the Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft, which was filmed crashing and exploding, was carrying 65 Ukrainian PoWs, six crew and three Russian servicemen. Russia says all were killed.
How is funding for Ukraine’s war effort going? The UK defence secretary and Germany’s finance minister have called on other countries to increase funding to support Ukraine.
What has been the impact on Russia since its invasion? According to Ukrainian figures, Russia has suffered almost 380,000 killed or injured as the war enters its 701st day.
In other news …
Argentinian demonstrators staged their largest show of opposition to far-right president Javier Milei’s radical attempt to reshape the South American country, with a nationwide strike and tens of thousands of marchers hitting the streets on Wednesday.
Ohio was accused of inflicting “great pain” as it blocked trans youth from receiving gender-affirming care, with the state senate overturning a gubernatorial veto on Wednesday.
The French parliament is debating plans to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right, with several parties pushing to protect the voluntary ending of pregnancies after Roe v Wade was overturned.
Boeing’s embattled chief executive said the company’s planes fly only when “100% confident” of safety, after a wheel falling off a 757 passenger jet while awaiting takeoff added to Boeing’s troubles.
Saudi Arabia will allow its first alcohol sales in 72 years, available in the capital’s Diplomatic Quarter in the teetotal kingdom.
Stat of the day: 8% annual drop in fossil fuel CO2 emissions helps EU produce lowest since early-1960s
The European Union pushed fossil fuel CO2 emissions down to their lowest level in 60 years, after pumping out 8% less in 2023 than 2022. That is according to an analysis from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea). More than half of the drop in emissions came from the use of cleaner electricity, such as dams and nuclear power – and with record levels of solar panels and wind turbines built in 2023. The CO2 fall “should be celebrated” but “more must be done to wean the EU off fossil fuels”, said a Crea analyst, Isaac Levi.
Don’t miss this: five women share their miscarriage stories
Up to one in five known pregnancies end in miscarriage, but despite its ubiquity, the experience is rarely discussed, writes Ava Macha. A recent Guardian callout asked readers about having a miscarriage in the US. Almost all indicated that understanding the statistical frequency of miscarriages – they occur in 10%-20% of known pregnancies – did not lessen the trauma they felt iafterwards. We selected five of those testimonies – from women in Montana, Illinois, Washington, New Jersey and Wisconsin.
Climate check: devastating Amazon drought worsened by climate crisis
The climate crisis turned the drought that struck the Amazon rainforest in 2023 into a devastating event, a study by the World Weather Attribution team found. Decreasing rainfall and increased heat in the Amazon made the drought about 30 times more likely than pre-industrial times. The drought was the worst recorded in many places and hit the maximum “exceptional” level on the scientific scale. Without planet-warming emissions from the burning of oil, gas and coal, it would have been far less extreme, analysts said.
Last Thing: Cute! 100 adorable photos taken by readers
From Hello Kitty toys to silly emojis, contemporary culture has fallen hard for all things adorable. A London exhibition opening today explores how cuteness has become such a dominant force. To celebrate the opening of Cute at Somerset House, the Guardian asked readers to send in photos of the cutest thing they have ever seen – and the overwhelming majority seem to be animals. Start your day with these 100 cute photos, from a baby brown bear to a fur seal to a donkey named Pop Tart.
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