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Good morning. You’re reading The Loop, a quick recap of today’s headlines so far Wednesday 16 November. Thank you for joining us.
Right now, Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 9:06 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
Coming up: Could Artemis I finally get off the ground?
Ground crews at Kennedy Space Center have begun fueling NASA’s next-generation moon rocket for its debut launch.
The flight will kick off the US space agency’s Artemis program 50 years after the last Apollo moon mission.
The 32-story-tall Space Launch System rocket is due to lift off from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 1:04am EST on Wednesday (just after 5pm this evening AEDT) to send his Orion capsule on a 25-day trip around the moon and back. without astronauts on board.
On Monday, NASA managers gave the go-ahead to proceed with preparations for the flight after 10 weeks beset by multiple engineering difficulties, back-to-back hurricanes and two excursions that took the spacecraft from its hangar to the launch pad .
16 minutes ago, Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 8:51 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
Right to: Craig Foster chose the Australian Republic Movement
Human rights defender and ex-footballer Craig Foster has been elected as the new president of the Australian Republic Movement.
The 53-year-old replaces Peter Fitzsimons, who has left the role after seven years.
Foster represented Australia in 29 international competitions and in recent years has become an advocate for asylum seekers and multiculturalism.
24 minutes ago, Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 8:42 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
Happening now: Search continues for two missing in floodwaters
The search continues for two missing people in Eugowra as Forbes residents brace for the highest flood level the town has seen in 70 years.
Hundreds of people and more than 1,000 properties are covered by a city evacuation order issued early yesterday morning, after flash flooding caused the river to rise faster than expected.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast levels similar to the 1952 flood, with the Lachlan River expected to reach 10.8 meters later today.
40 minutes ago, Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 8:26 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
Overnight: Beyonce makes history (again) with nine Grammy nominations
Beyonce leads the nominations for the 2023 Grammy Awards with nine nominations for her latest album Renaissance.
It brings her total nominations to 88, tied for the most with none other than husband Jay-Z.
Kendrick Lamar continues on this year’s most nominated list with eight nominations for Mr Morale & The Big Steppers, including Album of the Year, with Adele and Brandi Carlile nominated seven times each.
51 minutes ago, Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 8:16 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
ICYMI: Several SA schools remain closed
Let’s go back to home ground for a while.
Nine public schools and pre-schools across South Australia will be closed for the third day in a row today due to persistent power outages and storm damage.
Some nurseries and primary schools in Blackwood, Clarendon, Coromandel Valley, Elizabeth Vale, Reynella and Morphett Vale will remain closed after Saturday’s wild storms.
Parents have been asked to keep an eye out for updates on closures from their schools directly and to stay tuned to the Department for Education’s Facebook page.
All public institutes are now open with the higher level exams to go ahead as scheduled today.
56 minutes ago, Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 8:11 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
key event
Developing story: Russia denies its missiles hit Polish territory
The Russian Defense Ministry has denied reports that Russian missiles have hit Polish territory, calling them a “deliberate provocation aimed at escalating the situation.”
“There was no attack on targets near the Ukrainian state border with Poland with Russian means of destruction,” the defense ministry said in a statement, adding that the debris found at the scene “has nothing to do with to do with Russian weapons.”
Reports with Reuters
1 hour ago Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 8:06 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
Just in: Biden asks Congress for more than $37 billion in new emergency aid for Ukraine
US President Joe Biden has asked Congress for more than $37 billion in new emergency aid to Ukraine.
The request comes as Republicans are poised to take control of the House after the midterm elections.
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who is on the verge of becoming speaker, has warned that Republicans will not support writing a “blank check” for Ukraine if they win the majority.
1 hour ago Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 8:01 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
key event
Just in: Multiple charges against Harvey Weinstein dropped by judge
A Los Angeles judge has dropped four of 11 sexual assault charges against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein after prosecutors said they would not proceed with charges involving one of his accusers.
High Court Judge Lisa Lench dismissed two counts of forcible rape and two counts of forced oral copulation against the 70-year-old.
Prosecutors mentioned only four women Weinstein is accused of assaulting during their opening statements three weeks ago, leaving out the accuser identified in an indictment as Jane Doe No. 5, but kept the charges in place and left open the possibility of the woman testifying.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has not explained why they chose to leave the woman out of the trial.
The remaining charges against Weinstein, who is serving a 23-year sentence for a New York conviction, are two counts of rape and five counts of sexual assault.
He has pleaded not guilty and said he had no non-consensual sex.
Reports with AP
1 hour ago Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 7:49 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
Just in: Zelenskyy calls Russian missile attack an ‘act of genocide’
1 hour ago Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 7:45 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
key event
Developing story: Trump appears to be going ‘full steam ahead’ with ‘big announcement’
Donald Trump’s “big announcement,” which is expected to be about his 2024 presidential bid, is coming soon.
US correspondent Barbara Miller is at Mar-a-Lago, where the announcement will be made, and says there is nothing so far to suggest the announcement will be delayed:
“There’s a sense that Donald Trump might think, by announcing early, he could protect himself from possible indictments that the Department of Justice might be considering. This is about the documents he brought to Mar-a-Lago, or on Jan. 6 . There could be a Sensation he’s trying to avoid. This allegation becomes a lot more political if Donald Trump actually declares it. So things are heating up here across the water at Mar-a-Lago before ‘this ad’.
1 hour ago Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 7:36 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
Developing story: Pentagon won’t confirm details on Polish missile deaths
The Pentagon says it cannot confirm reports that Russian missiles have crossed into Poland near the Ukrainian border.
“We are aware of press reports alleging that two Russian missiles have struck a location inside Poland near the border with Ukraine,” spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told a news conference.
“I can tell you that we have no information at this time to corroborate these reports and that we are looking into it further.”
A senior US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation, earlier said the missiles had crossed into NATO member Poland.
Polish firefighters reported that two people had died in an explosion in Przewodow, a town in eastern Poland near the border with Ukraine.
Reports with AP
1 hour ago Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 7:30 p.m
By Kelsie Iorio
Developing story: Missile crosses into Poland after major attack in Ukraine
US officials say a Russian missile has crossed the border into Poland, killing two people.
Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller did not immediately confirm the report from a senior US intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation, but said that the leaders were holding an emergency meeting due to a “crisis situation”.
The strike in Ukraine and its neighbors has caused widespread blackouts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at least 85 missiles had been fired, “most of them at our energy infrastructure.”
Reports with AP