Friday morning news: July 21, 2023

U.S.-Russia sanctions » The White House on Thursday hit Russia with a new round of sanctions. The penalties will impact roughly 120 firms and people around the world that are helping prop up Russia’s aerospace and military sectors.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby:

KIRBY: In coordination with our G7 partners, we have put in place now the largest set of sanctions and export control actions ever imposed on a major economy.

The sanctions target dozens of Russian mining, technology and munitions firms as well as banks. They also hit companies in the UAE and Kyrgyzstan that export technology to Russia.

Ukraine-Russia strikes » Meantime, in Ukraine …

SOUND: [blast]

Ukrainian troops fired artillery shells at Russian positions around the eastern city of Bakhmut. Russian soldiers have largely occupied the city since May.

But elsewhere, Moscow’s forces pounded cities in the south with drones and missiles for a third straight day.

KONASHENKOV: [Speaking Russian]

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Russia’s military targeted—quote “Infrastructure for fuel and ammunition depots.”

The strikes killed at least two people in Odesa and wounded 19 in the nearby city of Mykolaiv.

Wagner group » The Russian mercenary Wagner Group is training thousands of soldiers in Belarus on NATO’s doorstep near the country’s border with Poland.

PRIGOZHIN: [Speaking Russian]

Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin reportedly told his troops there that they will continue their training in Belarus before receiving their orders. It’s unclear if they’ll return to battle in Ukraine.

Russia banished Prigozhin after a short-lived nonviolent uprising against the Russian military establishment earlier this year.

Many Wagner Group soldiers have followed their leader to Belarus. 10,000 are expected to be in the country in the near future.

Home sales » Sales of existing homes fell in June to the slowest pace since January, and yet, houses don’t seem to be getting any cheaper. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin explains.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: The National Association of Realtors says existing home sales fell 3.3% last month from May. And sales are down 23% through the first half of this year.

Rising interest rates have had a chilling effect on sales, but it remains a seller’s market.

That’s because the number of homes available remains near a historic low.

The national median sales price fell by just under 1% from a year earlier. But from May to June of this year, home prices rose once again, reaching the second-highest level on record.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Swedish embassy » The Iraqi government is expelling Sweden’s ambassador to Iraq after authorities in Stockholm gave a protester permission to burn a copy of the Quran.

The demonstrator stomped on the book during a protest on Thursday, but stopped short of burning it.

Hundreds of Iraqi demonstrators stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad early Thursday morning ahead of the planned demonstration. No embassy staff were injured, and several protesters were arrested.

Swedish officials say criticizing religion is part of free speech, even if it is offensive to those who practice the religion.

DeSantis and Tuberville » A Republican presidential contender is throwing his support behind GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville’s blockade on military officer promotions over a military abortion policy. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has that story.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: Senator Tuberville says he’ll end his blockade when the Biden Defense Department ends its controversial practice of paying for the travel expenses of service members crossing state lines to seek an abortion.

And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said he supports the senator’s efforts. The White House hopeful said it’s inappropriate to use tax dollars to fund abortion tourism. He vowed that if elected, that practice will “Go out the window.”

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

I'm Anna Johansen Brown.

Straight ahead: Culture Friday with John Stonestreet. Plus, Reviving obsolete phrases in this month’s Word Play.

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