10 things you need to know today: December 17, 2023

1. Putin rejects Biden’s claim that Russia will attack NATO

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday that he has "no interest" in attacking NATO if his country were to gain control of Ukraine, rebuking statements on the matter from President Joe Biden. The U.S. president previously said that Putin wouldn't stop at Ukraine and would attack NATO countries, leading to potential armed conflict between the U.S. and Russia. In an interview with Russian state media, Putin called Biden's claim "complete nonsense," adding that Russia had "no reason, no interest — no geopolitical interest, neither economic, political nor military — to fight with NATO countries." Biden has consistently warned that allowing Putin to annex all of Ukraine would have dire consequences for global affairs. Politico, Reuters

2. Israel ramps up bombardments of Gaza overnight

Israeli forces continued bombing large swaths of the Gaza Strip overnight Sunday, killing at least 40 additional people, Palestinian officials said. The bombs killed at least 24 members of a single family when they fell on a house in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Palestinian state radio said, adding that the area suffered "tank, air and naval bombardment." The ramping-up of attacks by Israel comes as the country's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has persisted in his claims that Hamas must be bombed into submission in order to save Israeli hostages. Israeli officials held talks on Friday with Qatar, the nation that helped mediate the prior hostage releases. Reuters

3. American and British navies shoot down attack drones over Red Sea

U.S. and U.K. naval vessels shot down at least 15 attack drones over the Red Sea on Saturday, the respective militaries said. The navies are in the area as part of an effort to mitigate the risk from Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have been attacking container ships throughout the region. Officials from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said their warships had shot down 14 drones from "Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," while British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said the Royal Navy destroyed a drone that was "targeting merchant shipping." The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have been attacking civilian ships in order to increase pressure on Israel to stop its bombardment of Gaza. The Guardian, Al Jazeera

4. Top strategist for DeSantis’ super PAC resigns

Jeff Roe, the chief strategist for the super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential run, resigned from his position Saturday night. Roe's resignation came following a report in The Washington Post that detailed deep turmoil between DeSantis, his campaign team and his super PAC, Never Back Down. "I cannot in good conscience stay affiliated with Never Back Down given the statements in The Washington Post today," Roe wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Roe had been running DeSantis' Iowa operations in the lead-up to the state's caucus. His resignation represents a major blow to the Republican candidate's presidential run, which has been besieged by consistently low poll numbers. The Washington Post, NBC News

5. Activision Blizzard to pay $54M settlement over workplace discrimination suit

Video game publisher Activision Blizzard agreed to pay $54 million on Friday to settle a lawsuit alleging the company discriminated against women in the workplace. The company agreed to the settlement with the state of California that will see at least $46 million of the money go to a fund for affected women, the state said in a statement. The Microsoft-owned company had been sued by California's civil rights division, which alleged that it participated in sexual harassment, retaliation and discrimination against its female employees. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick reportedly stated that he was aware of the misconduct allegations but that relevant information was kept from the company's board. CNBC, The Wall Street Journal

6. Chile heads to polls in referendum to replace dictatorial constitution

Chileans headed to the polls Sunday in a referendum that would fundamentally alter the law of the land. If passed, the referendum would replace Chile's current constitution, which has been controversial given that it was passed by the dictatorial regime of Augusto Pinochet in 1980. A push to replace the document has been in the works in Chile for years, but some have expressed concerns over the new draft constitution, which is based on the tenets of American conservatism and would shift the country's laws further to the right. "Unexpectedly, they managed to write an even worse constitution," one Chilean, Gustavo Gatica, told The New York Times. BBC, The New York Times

7. Thousands in Australia urged to evacuate amid flooding in Queensland

Thousands of Australians in the state of Queensland were urged to move to higher ground Sunday as the region prepared to see major flooding. The flooding, a result of typhoon-level rainwaters after Tropical Cyclone Jasper recently made landfall in the area, is expected to surpass previous flood records for the state. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the area of Cairns was already "dealing with significant flooding," and Queensland state Premier Steven Miles said there were "significant concerns" for families in the region. "We’ve seen rainfall in some places of almost 600mm with more to come," Miles said. "There are currently 10,500 people without power." The Guardian

8. Confederate memorial to be removed from Arlington National Cemetery

A Confederate memorial will be removed from Virginia's Arlington National Cemetery in the coming days, officials said Saturday. The decision came despite a push from more than 40 GOP lawmakers to try and save the memorial and is part of a recent effort by Arlington to erase Confederate-era symbolism from its grounds. The memorial in question depicts a bronze woman meant to represent the South, as well as a Black woman depicted as a "mammy" and a slave following his owner into battle. Virginia's Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, disagreed with the decision and said he would be relocating the statue. An exact date for the removal of the statue has not been revealed. The Associated Press, The Washington Post

9. Quaker Oats recalls granola products over salmonella risk

Quaker Oats is recalling a number of its granola-based products due to a risk of salmonella contamination, the company said Friday. The Food and Drug Administration published a full list of the recalled products, which includes numerous varieties of Quaker Oats' boxed granola and granola bars. Quaker Oats said in a statement that hadn't had any confirmed reports of illnesses as a result of the contaminated products, and that the recall was precautionary. Any consumers who purchased the products in question should not eat any of them, disposing of them instead. Quaker Oats also set up a line where consumers may request information on reimbursement. USA Today 

10. Boston Tea Party reenacted in celebration of 250th anniversary

Revelers celebrated one of the American Revolution's most iconic moments on Saturday as New England commemorated the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. Hundreds of historical re-enactors, dressed as colonial-era members of society, tossed more than 2,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor as thousands of people watched from the shore. The actual Boston Tea Party was a protest that occurred on Dec. 17, 1773, by Massachusetts rebels known as the Sons of Liberty who were protesting taxes implemented on the colonies by the British Empire. The event was led by iconic Founding Fathers such as Paul Revere, Sam Adams and others. Boston Herald