Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. |
 | | The storm's winds swept through the streets of Tampa.Hilary Swift for The New York Times |
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1. Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida, threatening catastrophic damage. |
Forecasters said they were expecting "extremely dangerous" rains and winds in the coming hours along the state's southwestern coast and stretching far inland. Our maps are tracking the storm's path. |
More than a million utility customers were without power, and several cities along the coast were experiencing flooding. Ian's winds were so strong that it pushed much of the water out of Tampa Bay, leaving it less than a foot deep in some areas. |
 | | "Last week, Russia escalated the invasion of Ukraine to a whole new level," Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission's president, said.Virginia Mayo/Associated Press |
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2. The E.U. moved to impose new sanctions on Russia for escalating the war. |
The measures would cap the price of Russian oil, ban the import of more Russian items and blacklist several individuals determined to be responsible for what the officials called "sham" referendums in occupied regions of Ukraine. It was unclear whether Hungary would agree to the sanctions. |
Also in Europe, the E.U.'s top diplomat said the leaks in the Nord Stream gas pipelines were the result of "a deliberate act." Several European officials are blaming Russia. |
From Ukraine, The Times obtained recordings of thousands of intercepted calls made by Russian soldiers as they tried to take Kyiv in the opening weeks of the war. The calls offer inside accounts of battlefield failures and civilian executions as the troops excoriated their leaders. "Putin is a fool," one Russian soldier said. |
 | | "The purpose of these purchases will be to restore orderly market conditions," the central bank said in a statement.Maja Smiejkowska/Reuters |
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3. The Bank of England intervened in financial markets in an attempt to stop a sell-off. |
The central bank said it would buy British government bonds on "whatever scale is necessary" to calm the market, a significant and unusual intervention after the new government's fiscal plans sent borrowing costs soaring. |
 | | President Biden's new national strategy emphasizes making healthful food more accessible.Sarah Silbiger for The New York Times |
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4. President Biden unveiled a plan to end hunger in the U.S. by 2030. |
The president's plan, which comes as food prices are rising sharply, aims to expand access to healthy food through a mix of philanthropic programs and regulatory actions. The effort hinges on more than $8 billion in public and private sector commitments to combat hunger, including at least $2.5 billion to be invested in start-ups looking for solutions to food insecurity. |
But some of Biden's most ambitious proposals, such as expanding food stamps, would require action in Congress. It is not clear how quickly some of the proposals could take effect. |
In other giving news, MacKenzie Scott — perhaps the most influential philanthropist in the world — filed for divorce from her second husband and removed his name from her recent donations. |
 | | Liu Jingyao filed a civil suit accusing the Chinese tech billionaire Richard Liu of raping her in 2018.Caroline Yang for The New York Times |
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5. A Chinese tech billionaire will face a U.S. courtroom jury over sexual assault allegations. |
Liu, who is known as Liu Qiangdong in China, is accused of raping a young woman after a dinner for Chinese executives in 2018, according to court filings. He has denied the allegations, insisting that the sex was consensual. |
The case could inject some momentum into China's struggling #MeToo movement and is expected to shed light on the private dealings of China's political and business elite. |
6. Charities are playing a larger role in covering the costs of abortions. |
With abortions banned in 14 states, the cost associated with the procedure is higher and now includes expenses for travel, lodging and child care. Many patients are turning to charities for help. |
Abortion funds have for decades helped cover the cost of abortions: about $500 in the first trimester and $2,000 or more in the second trimester. Since the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the funds are receiving more donations and disbursing more money to more patients than ever before. |
 | | Jason Henry for The New York Times |
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7. Self-driving cars remain a work in progress. |
For a decade now, manufacturers have been promising that fully driverless cars will soon be ready for the streets. But when a Times reporter in San Francisco took a ride in one of the few working models — operated by Cruise, a company backed by General Motors — it was an eye-opening experience. |
During the drive, the car swerved sharply to the right, presumably because it mistook passengers in another car for pedestrians. Then, at an intersection, it hit the brakes just as the light changed to red, skidding to a stop in the middle of a crosswalk. The ride ended when the car detected a possible crash and pulled over. It was a false alarm. |
 | | Ruth Ossai for The New York Times |
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8. Whoopi Goldberg refuses to hold anything back. |
Goldberg's latest film, "Till," in which she plays the mother of Mamie Till, is the 100th or so film she has appeared in over 35 years. |
Elsewhere in entertainment, "Blonde," a film based on a fictionalized account of Marilyn Monroe's life, is a missed opportunity, Manohla Dargis writes. |
 | | A scene from the film "Hunt," with its director and star Lee Jung-jae at center.via Magnolia Pictures |
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9. We asked our foreign correspondents to tell us about what's generating a buzz in their part of the world. Here's what they said: |
Abdi Latif Dahir, our East Africa correspondent, said that everyone there had either read or been shamed for not reading "The Sex Lives of African Women," a collection of 32 first-person accounts by African women. |
In Israel, our Jerusalem correspondent, Isabel Kershner, said that a local version of the reality show "Married at First Sight" raised eyebrows because it featured a same-sex couple. Same-sex weddings are not officially recognized in Israel. |
And our Seoul bureau chief, Choe Sang-Hun, pointed to the film "Hunt," which is the directorial debut of "Squid Game" star Lee Jung-jae. It will arrive in the U.S. later this year. |
 | | Charley Eiseman |
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10. And finally, there's nothing wrong with this leaf. |
If you've seen squiggles or blotches on the leaves of one of your plants and thought they were a sign of disease, you're not alone. Fortunately, you're probably wrong: The designs are actually excavated by tiny creatures known as leafminers. |
Many gardeners view these growths as disfigurements and turn to Google to learn how to "fix it." But nothing is broken. The marks are usually from an insect setting up housekeeping or building a nursery to raise its young. |
Have a harmonious evening. |
| David Poller compiled photos for this briefing. |
Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. |
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