Kim Jong Un meets with Vladimir Putin in Russia: The Morning Rundown, Sept. 13, 2023

LEADERS OF TWO U.S. ADVERSARIES MEET AS NORTH KOREA AND RUSSIA LOOK TO STRENGTHEN TIES

AND —

APPLE ANNOUNCES A MAJOR CHANGE COMING TO THE NEW IPHONE

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

KARAH NAME SUPER

THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS.

BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY — SEPTEMBER 13TH

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

AN ALLIANCE HAS BEEN STRENGTHENED BETWEEN NORTH KOREA AND RUSSIA

AFTER NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG UN TRAVELED TO MEET WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN IN PERSON.

KIM EXPRESSED “FULL AND UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT” FOR RUSSIA —

AND ENCOURAGED MOSCOW TO KEEP DEFENDING ITSELF IN WHAT HE CALLED A “SACRED FIGHT” IN UKRAINE.

THE TWO WORLD LEADERS MET FOR ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE HOURS ACCORDING TO LOCAL MEDIA REPORTS.

VIDEO POSTED BY RUSSIAN STATE MEDIA SHOW THE TWO SMILING AND SHAKING HANDS.

KIM JONG UN WAS GIVEN A TOUR OF RUSSIA’S LAUNCH PADS —

INSPECTING A RUSSIAN SPACEPORT BEFORE MEETING ONE-ON-ONE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

IT’S THAT CONVERSATION THAT HAS SPARKED CONCERNS FROM THE U.S. —

BELIEVING THERE IS A HIGH POSSIBILITY THE NORTH WILL SUPPLY RUSSIA WITH AMMUNITION TO USE IN UKRAINE.

NORTH KOREA MAY HAVE TENS OF MILLIONS OF ARTILLERY SHELLS AND ROCKETS THAT COULD GIVE RUSSIA’S ARMY A SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE.

THE MEETING CAME HOURS AFTER SOUTH KOREA REPORTED THE NORTH FIRED TWO BALLISTIC MISSILES TOWARD ITS EASTERN SEAS.

HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY HAS MOVED TO OPEN A FORMAL IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY INTO PRESIDENT BIDEN.

ON TUESDAY, MCCARTHY SAID ALLEGATIONS THAT BIDEN, WHILE VICE PRESIDENT, PROFITED OFF HIS SON HUNTER BIDEN’S FOREIGN BUSINESS DEALINGS ARE “SERIOUS” AND “CREDIBLE.” A WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN CALLED THE MOVE POLITICAL.

OUR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT RAY BOGAN WAS ON CAPITOL HILL AND INTERVIEWED SEVERAL LAWMAKERS TO GET THEIR TAKES ON THE INQUIRY.

YOU CAN FIND HIS REPORT AT S-A-N DOT COM.

JUST AS THE HOUSE OPENS ITS IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION —

A NEW REUTERS POLL PUBLISHED YESTERDAY SHOWS PRESIDENT BIDEN’S APPROVAL RATING —

IS HOLDING STEADY DESPITE THE NOISE.

BIDEN’S APPROVAL RATING EDGED UP TO 42 PERCENT THIS MONTH —

THE HIGHEST SINCE MARCH.

THIS IS LARGELY A SPLIT OPINION AMONG PARTIES —

80% OF DEMOCRATS APPROVE OF BIDEN WHILE 91 PERCENT OF REPUBLICANS DISAPPROVE.

WHILE BIDEN’S APPROVAL RATING REMAINS HIGH AMONG HIS PARTY —

ACCORDING TO A RECENT ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL.

MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF DEMOCRATS BELIEVE BIDEN – AT THE AGE OF 80 –  IS TOO OLD TO BE THEIR PARTY’S CHOICE FOR 2024.

FIVE FORMER MEMPHIS POLICE OFFICERS CHARGED IN THE DEATH OF 29 YEAR OLD TYRE NICHOLS IN JANUARY HAVE BEEN INDICTED BY A FEDERAL GRAND JURY ON CHARGES OF CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS.

U.S. ATTORNEY KEVIN RITZ ANNOUNCED THE FEDERAL CHARGES TUESDAY.

“The indictment alleges that the defendants unlawfully assaulted Mr. Nichols and failed to intervene in the unlawful assault. By doing so, they deprived Mr. Nichols of the right to be free from unreasonable force.”

THE FIVE FORMER OFFICERS WERE ALL INDICTED ON FOUR COUNTS – INCLUDING DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS THROUGH EXCESSIVE FORCE AND FAILURE TO INTERVENE.

THEY ALL HAVE PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO STATE FELONY CHARGES OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER.

THE DEFENDANTS ARE EXPECTED TO MAKE THEIR FIRST COURT APPEARANCE IN THE COMING DAYS ACCORDING TO U.S. ATTORNEYS.

THE CDC RELEASED ITS LATEST RECOMMENDATIONS TUESDAY ON THE COVID-19 VACCINE.

THE GOVERNMENT HEALTH AGENCY RECOMMENDS EVERYONE SIX MONTHS AND OLDER SHOULD RECEIVE THE UPDATED COVID BOOSTERS FROM EITHER PFIZER OR MODERNA —

HERE IS THE CDC DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT.

“WE HAVE MORE TOOLS THAN EVER TO PREVENT THE WORST OUTCOMES FROM COVID-19. CDC IS NOW RECOMMENDING UPDATED COVID-19 VACCINATION FOR EVERYONE 6 MONTHS AND OLDER TO BETTER PROTECT YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES.”

THE CDC RECOMMENDATION COMES AFTER THE FDA APPROVED THE TWO UPDATED VACCINES FOR PEOPLE 12 YEARS AND OLDER — MEANT TO TARGET NEW VARIANTS CURRENTLY CIRCULATING.

SHOTS FOR CHILDREN SIX MONTHS THROUGH 11 YEARS OLD ARE UNDER **EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION.**

THERE’S BEEN A SLIGHT UP TICK IN HOSPITALIZATIONS IN THE U-S FOR SEVEN WEEKS STRAIGHT.

BUT — CASES REMAIN SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW PREVIOUS SURGES.

AND COVID-RELATED DEATHS REMAIN NEAR AN ALL-TIME LOW SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC.

FOR A DETAILED REPORT ON THE DATA  — HEAD TO SAN DOT COM.

APPLE HAS UNVEILED ITS NEXT GENERATION OF IPHONES – AND THEY COME WITH SOME BIG CHANGES.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 11 YEARS, IPHONE USERS WILL NO LONGER NEED APPLE’S PROPRIETARY LIGHTNING PORT CABLES – AS THE COMPANY IS SWITCHING TO THE USB-C STANDARD THAT IS ALREADY BEING USED BY MANY ELECTRONICS– INCLUDING APPLE’S OWN MAC COMPUTERS AND IPADS – AS WELL AS NON-APPLE PRODUCTS.

THE SWITCH IS DUE TO A MANDATE BY THE EUROPEAN UNION THAT WILL REQUIRE SMARTPHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES TO HAVE THE USB-C PORT BY THE END OF 2024.

ALL FOUR VERSIONS OF THE IPHONE 15 WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER THIS FRIDAY AND GO ON SALE IN STORES NEXT WEEK – WITH PRICING REMAINING THE SAME – EXCEPT FOR A HUNDRED DOLLAR INCREASE FOR THE TOP-OF-THE-LINE MODEL — IPHONE 15 PRO MAX – NOW AT 12 HUNDRED DOLLARS.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES AS APPLE HAS REPORTED A MILD SLUMP IN IPHONE SALES.

THE COMPANY’S STOCK PRICE HAS DIPPED BY NEARLY 10% SINCE MID-JULY, DROPPING ITS MARKET VALUE BELOW THE THREE TRILLION DOLLAR THRESHOLD IT REACHED EARLIER THIS SUMMER.

FINALLY THIS MORNING, MCDONALD’S IS PHASING OUT A SIGNATURE FEATURE IN ITS RESTAURANTS – THE SELF-SERVE SODA MACHINES.

THE FAST FOOD CHAIN SAYS THE STATIONS WILL BE ELIMINATED AT ITS U.S. LOCATIONS BY 2032.

THE COMPANY SAYS THIS MOVE IS TO CREATE A CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS – WHETHER CONSUMERS ARE ORDERING THEIR FOOD THROUGH DELIVERY, DRIVE-THRU OR IN THE RESTAURANT.

MCDONALD’S HAS NOT SAID HOW THE MACHINES’ REMOVAL WOULD IMPACT DRINK REFILLS.

THE SWITCH COMES AS THE COMPANY IS SEEING A CHANGE IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR.  DIGITAL SALES – WHICH INCLUDE APP, DELIVERY AND KIOSK PURCHASES – ACCOUNT FOR ALMOST 40 PERCENT OF ITS SYSTEMWIDE SALES FOR THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2023.