Monday morning news: September 11, 2023

Biden in Vietnam » President Biden on Sunday announced what the White House calls a historic new trade agreement with Vietnam.

He spoke to reporters from Hanoi.

BIDEN: This is a new elevated status that will be a force for prosperity and security in one of the most consequential regions in the world.

Vietnam is elevating the United States to its highest diplomatic status alongside Russia and China.

The trade agreement emphasizes working together on things like rare earth minerals and semiconductors.

Biden flew to Vietnam after several days in India for the G20 Summit.

Biden - Haley on China » His administration is working hard to counter Chinese influence in the Asia-Pacific region. But the president also told reporters ...

BIDEN: I don’t want to contain China. I just want to make sure we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it’s all about.

He said he only wants the best for China.

Republican White House hopeful Nikki Haley on Sunday accused Biden of being too soft on the communist rival.

She said Beijing views Washington as an enemy and has been gearing up for war with the United States for years.

HALEY: You don’t send Cabinet members over to Chinas to appease them. You start getting serious with China and say we’re not going to put up with it.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visited Beijing last month right after her email was hacked from China.

U.S. long range missiles to Ukraine » The United States is reportedly close to sending long-range missiles to Ukraine.

That’s according to ABC News, which cited an official with knowledge of the plans.

The missiles could strike targets much farther away, soaring nearly nearly four times the distance of the American-made rockets Ukraine is currently firing.

But publicly, top U.S. officials say they’ve no final decision on sending the missiles.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken:

BLINKEN: It’s not only the weapons system itself. It’s - are Ukrainians trained on it? Are they able to maintain it? Can they use it effectively as part of their strategy?

Previously, the White House and Pentagon have said sending long-range missiles to Ukraine was off the table. They said if Ukraine used the missiles to strike targets on Russian soil, it could lead to a direct conflict between Moscow and the West.

Morocco aftershock » In Morocco, rescuers frantically dug through mountains of rubble on Sunday, hoping to find more survivors … after a devastating earthquake and aftershock.

More than 2,000 people are confirmed dead after a 6.8 magnitude quake rocked the country on Friday and a 3.9 magnitude aftershock struck yesterday.

Many Moroccans are pitching in, helping however they can.

GUERINA: We saw on the news that they need donation for blood, and I don't even think twice we just run to here, because it's one of the main things that, as a citizen is to help each other, especially like on conditions where there's people who are dying are at this moment we speak and they are needing help.

Trucks and helicopters carrying soldiers and aid workers have been rushing into the hardest-hit remote mountain towns.

Thousands of Moroccans whose homes are still standing have been sleeping on the streets since Friday for fear that the walls could cave in around them.

Drone attack in Sudan’s capital » Meantime, near Sudan’s capital city of Khartoum, a drone attack has killed dozens and wounded many more. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more on that story.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: Black smoke poured into the sky above a market just south of the city on Sunday.

The drone attack wounded more than a hundred people, at least 40 or them fatally.

It’s unclear who’s to blame, but the Sudanese military and the paramilitary group known as The Rapid Support Forces have been warring for months in a bloody power struggle.

Global watchdog groups say both sides have indiscriminately shelled and attacked civilian areas.

The United Nations reports that the roughly 5-month conflict has already killed thousands.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Youngkin on trans school policies » Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is speaking out about feuds in school districts over whether schools must notify parents if a child wants to identify as the opposite gender.

YOUNGKIN: A child can’t go on a field trip without parental consent. A child in school can’t get an aspirin or a Tylenol without parental consent. How in the world is it appropriate for a child to be guided and counseled by folks that are outside of their family.

California’s Democratic attorney general recently sued a school district in Southern California over its policy requiring schools to notify parents if their child wants to use an alternative name or pronouns.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Leveling up professionalism at law school. Plus, The Monday Moneybeat.

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