First Thing: the US morning briefing

First Thing: US formally accuses Russia of war crimes in Ukraine

State department says US will pursue accountability 'using every tool available'. Plus, PFAS found in scores of food packaging wrappers
Bodies are buried in a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine.
Bodies are buried in a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine. Photograph: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

Clea Skopeliti

Good morning.

The US has formally accused Russian forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine and vowed to pursue accountability "using every tool available".

Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, said the US had reached its conclusion using public and intelligence sources. He said that "as with any alleged crime", a court with jurisdiction would be "ultimately responsible for determining criminal guilt in specific cases", and the US would continue its efforts to gather evidence.

Last week Joe Biden called Vladimir Putin a "war criminal", triggering backlash from the Kremlin. Blinken did not give details of specific incidents that the state department considered to be war crimes, but listed attacks on "apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure, civilian vehicles, shopping centers and ambulances."

  • Biden has arrived in Europe for an emergency Nato summit, a G7 summit and a meeting of the European Council in Brussels. He aims to keep pressure high on Russia.

  • A Russian reporter has died amid Russian shelling in Kyiv. Oksana Baulina, who was reporting for the independent Russian news website the Insider, was at least the fifth journalist to die since the conflict began.

  • Seven humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians have been agreed for Thursday, Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said. Many previous agreements have fallen apart. None have been agreed for Mariupol.

Republican says Trump asked him to 'rescind' 2020 election and remove Biden from office
Mo Brooks at the 6 January rally
Mo Brooks at the 6 January rally: 'Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass.' Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

The Alabama Republican congressman Mo Brooks has said Donald Trump asked him to "rescind" the 2020 election, remove Joe Biden from the White House and reinstate Trump.

Brooks's statement follows Trump withdrawing his endorsement of Brooks for insufficiently supporting his lie about electoral fraud. Brooks, who until had now been one of Trump's strongest supporters, said his refusal to toe the line resulted in him losing the former president's backing.

"President Trump asked me to rescind the 2020 election, immediately remove Joe Biden from the White House, immediately put President Trump back in the White House, and hold a new special election for the presidency," he said. "As a lawyer, I've repeatedly advised President Trump that 6 January was the final election contest verdict and neither the US constitution nor the US code permit what President Trump asks. Period."

  • When did Trump withdraw his endorsement? On Wednesday Trump said Brooks "made a horrible mistake recently when he went 'woke' and stated, referring to the 2020 Presidential Election Scam: 'Put that behind you, put that behind you.'"

  • Meanwhile, a man charged in 6 January attack has been granted asylum in Belarus. Charged with assaulting police, Evan Neumann said that although he had been in the building, he rejected the charges and had not hit any officers.

Washington restricts gun magazine capacity size
Governor Jay Inslee signs a package of bills tightening the state's gun laws
Governor Jay Inslee signs a package of bills tightening the state's gun laws. Photograph: Ted S Warren/AP

Washington has joined nine other states in restricting magazine capacity size after the governor, Jay Inslee, signed a package of bills tightening the state's gun laws.

"We are not willing to accept gun violence as a normal part of life in the state of Washington," said Inslee, a Democrat. The measure bans the manufacture, distribution and sale of firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Members of the public were not permitted in the capitol for several hours before and after the bill signing as a "prudent precaution", according to a spokesperson for the Washington state patrol.

  • When does it come into effect? 1 July 2022.

  • Are there exceptions? The measure does not prohibit the possession of these magazines and allows them to be used by law enforcement and corrections officers, members of the armed forces, Washington's national guard and licensed firearms dealers.

In other news …
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright, hailed by colleagues as a 'trailblazer'. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

  • Madeleine Albright, the first female US secretary of state, has died at the age of 84. Albright, who came to the US as a refugee and served under Bill Clinton, died of cancer, her family said.

  • Colombia could elect its first black female vice-president after the leftist frontrunner for president, Gustavo Petro, picked Francia Márquez to be his running mate. Márquez is an environmental campaigner who has survived at least one assassination attempt.

  • A group of Republicans in Wisconsin are pursuing an illegal effort to undo the 2020 election. Despite the anti-democratic measures they promote, partisan gerrymandering means they are unlikely to lose control of the state assembly this fall.

Stat of the day: PFAS chemicals found in more than half of tested food packaging
PFAS were found in more than half the wrappers that were tested by CR
PFAS were found in more than half the wrappers that were tested by CR. Composite: Getty Images/The Guardian

Potentially dangerous PFAS chemicals have been identified in scores of packaging products from US restaurant and grocery chains, a Consumer Reports investigation has found. CR tested multiple samples of 118 food packaging products and found evidence of the "forever chemicals" PFAS in more than half, while almost a third contained levels above a threshold supported by CR experts and others.

Don't miss this: How a port took over a Black US neighborhood
A block containing swap homes that the port offered residents in exchange for their East End properties
A block containing swap homes that the port offered residents in exchange for their East End properties. Some former east end residents have reported issues with the homes. Photograph: Arturo Olmos/The Guardian

Port Freeport in Texas has obtained 95% of property in the historically Black neighborhood of East End as part of a sweeping expansion. For 97-year-old Henry Jones, this means being pushed out the house he called home for more than 70 years. "What I accumulated, I thought I would enjoy it and my family [would] inherit it," Jones says. "Now, everything's going to pieces while I'm here."

Climate check: The world's forests do more than just store carbon
A forest in Indonesia
Forests such as this one in Indonesia do more than just store carbon. Photograph: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstock

The world's forests limit the climate crisis in more ways than just by storing carbon, research shows. New data shows they affect local and global temperatures through the way they transform energy and water. Overall, they keep the planet at least 0.5C cooler.

Last Thing: Wolverine fish discovered

It looks nothing like Hugh Jackman, but like the Wolverine, the Hopliancistrus wolverine boasts hidden spikes, earning it its X-Men-inspired name. The species is one of 212 freshwater fish discovered in 2021. "The researchers who described [the Wolverine pleco] species ended up with quite a few finger injuries while collecting specimens from the wild," said Harmony Patricio, a conservation programme manager.

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