Thursday morning news: April 27, 2023

Biden-SoKo » President Biden has responded to North Korea’s nuclear chest-beating with a stark warning.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: A nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners is unacceptable and would result in the end of whatever regime were to take such an action.

His remarks from the White House came as Biden welcomed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol who told reporters:

SUK YEOL: Our two leaders have decided to significantly strengthen extended deterrence of our two countries against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

The leaders announced plans to dock U.S. nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in more than 40 years to bolster training between the two countries, and to improve intelligence sharing.

Debt limit » Meantime, on Capitol Hill:

SOUND: [The yeas are 217. The nays are 215. The bill is passed.]

The House narrowly passed Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s debt ceiling bill… which aims to raise the U-S’s borrowing limit by $1.5 trillion while slashing government spending.

But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says it’s dead on arrival in his chamber.

CHUCK SCHUMER: The speaker should drop the brinksmanship, drop the hostage taking, come to the table with Democrats to pass a clean bill to avoid default. Time is running out.

President Biden says he’s happy to meet with Speaker McCarthy, but insists he will not agree to spending cuts as a condition for raising the debt ceiling.

FBI shooter report » A government report states that active shooter incidents killed or wounded more than 300 people in the U.S. last year. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: The FBI says the death toll from active shooters in 2022 was 100 people, with more than 200 injured. That’s the most in five years.

The FBI defines an active shooter as someone actively engaged in trying to kill people in a populated area. Not all active shooter incidents involve fatalities.

The number of active shootings in 2022 dropped by almost 20 percent compared to the year before, but the casualty count spiked by nearly 30 percent.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Xi-Zelenskyy » Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping over the phone on Wednesday for the first time since Russia invaded.

After the call, Zelenskyy appointed a new ambassador to Beijing to bolster diplomacy with China.

ZELENSKYY: [Speaking Ulrainian]

Zelenskyy said China could use its political influence to restore peace and Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry says it will send an envoy to Ukraine to facilitate peace talks.

Xi Jinping says China will not sell weapons to Russia but has stopped short of denouncing Russia’s invasion.

Sudan » Two Americans have died amid fighting in Sudan. The two warring generals maintained a delicate cease-fire while people were evacuated.

National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby:

KIRBY- We urge both military factions to fully uphold this cease-fire and to further extend it.

The US government has evacuated and shut down its Embassy in Sudan, and Kirby says it will try to help any civilians that want to leave.

The violence in Sudan has reportedly killed nearly 300 civilians this far.

Disney sues DeSantis » Disney is suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, claiming he’s violating the company’s free speech rights. WORLD’s Anna Johansen Brown explains.

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN: Just over a year ago, Disney publicly opposed a parental rights law under pressure from LGBT activists.

At the time, the company enjoyed unprecedented control over its own private government with power to, among other things, approve its own construction permits.

It also received large subsidies. And DeSantis said that meant Florida taxpayers were essentially funding Disney’s political speech.

The governor and GOP lawmakers then replaced Disney’s private government with a state-appointed oversight board.

But at the 11th hour, the Disney-controlled board signed an agreement granting the company near-complete control for decades to come, rendering the incoming board powerless.

The new board called the agreement illegal self-dealing and voided the contract.

Disney filed a lawsuit minutes later, accusing DeSantis of a "targeted campaign of government retaliation."

For WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen Brown.

I’m Kent Covington. Straight ahead: Rivals battle for control in Sudan. Plus, China’s attempts to be the new Middle East peacemaker.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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