Elections were held on November 7, 2023. This was an
off-year election where neither the president or vice president were on the ballot. Seats in the US Congress were not up for election either, save for special elections. One vacancy in the Senate opened up this year due to the death of
Dianne Feinstein; California governor
Gavin Newsom appointed
Laphonza Butler to serve the remainder of Feinstein's term.[4]
March 7 – Oklahoma voters rejected
State Question 820, which if passed, would have legalized
recreational cannabis for adults 21 and over, given a 15% excise tax on cannabis sales. The margin against State Question 820 was an overwhelming 62% against.[16][17]
April 4 – Wisconsin voters approved
Question 1,
Question 2, and
Question 3, all by landslides. Questions 1 and 2 were binding votes ratifying amendments to the
Constitution of Wisconsin, Question 3 was a nonbinding referendum. Question 1 raised the conditions necessary for pretrial release from jail; Question 2 inserted an additional paragraph allowing judges wider latitude for when to apply cash bail for people accused of violent crimes; Question 3 posed the question "Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?" Question 3 had no legal effect, and Wisconsin law already has work requirements for all welfare programs in the state.[18][19]
August 8 – Ohioans voted to reject
Issue 1 by a margin of 57% against to 43% in favor. If passed, the ballot measure would have required future constitutional amendments to be passed by a 60% margin among other changes, as opposed to the existing 50% margin for approval. The ballot measure was widely seen as a litmus test for a November vote to codify abortion rights in the Republican-led state.[20]
The final of several related shootings which allegedly target Democrats occurs at the home of a Democratic politician in
Albuquerque,
New Mexico. There are no deaths or injuries.[30]
Amber McLaughlin becomes the first transgender death row inmate executed in the United States [31]
A mass shooting occurs inside a house in
Enoch, Utah. Eight members of a single family, consisting of three adults and five children, are killed, with their bodies being found by police during a welfare check.[33][34][35]
Five black police officers of the
Memphis Police Department, severely beat
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop. Nichols dies due to his injuries on January 10, and his death causes outrage and protests across the country.[41]
January 11 –
2023 FAA system outage: For the first time since 9/11, the Federal Aviation Administration issues a nationwide ground stop following the failure of the FAA's
NOTAM system.[52][53]
January 27 –
Protests begin after the Memphis Police Department releases a footage of officers
beating Tyre Nichols to death. Following the release of the footage, the department disbands its SCORPION unit while the
Memphis Fire Services dismisses three personnel for failing to render aid.[65][66][67]
The Federal Reserve raises
interest rates by 0.25 percent from 4.5 percent to 4.75 percent.[71]
February 2
In a party-line vote, the House of Representatives ousts Representative
Ilhan Omar from the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs due to remarks that she had previously made regarding Israeli policy that many deemed as antisemitic.[72]
In United States v. Rahimi, the
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rules that a federal law which criminalizes the possession of a firearm by an individual who is subject to a restraining order for domestic violence is unconstitutional.[73][74]
2023 Chinese balloon incident: Defense officials announce that a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon is being tracked over the western United States.[75]
February 3
Recreational cannabis sales begin in Missouri.[76]
Georgia judge Robert C.I. McBurney approves the release of parts of a grand jury inquiry investigating Trump's effort to overturn election results in
Georgia.[92]
A mass shooting is carried out at
Michigan State University. Three students were killed in the attack and five others injured. The shooter committed suicide as he was being approached by police.[93]
February 21–24 –
A massive winter storm causes extreme wind and rain on the West Coast of the United States, while bringing extreme blizzard conditions to the Midwest and Northeast.
Trial of Alex Murdaugh: Alex Murdaugh is convicted by a jury and sentenced to life in prison without parole the next day for the murders of both his wife and son as well as two gun charges.[100][101][102]
Signature Bank collapses and becomes the third bank in five days to fail. With $110 billion in assets, it is the
fourth largest bank failure in American history.[113]
March 13 – The Alaska
Willow project, which calls for oil extraction in the northern region of the state, is approved. The project was and remains subject to substantial controversy and protest, especially on social media.[114]
March 14 – The
March 2023 nor'easter causes widespread damage and knocks out power for 250,000 people in New York and New England.[115][116]
The Idaho state legislature passes a bill that brings in
execution by firing squad. If signed by the governor, Idaho would become the fifth state to use this method.[120][121]
President Biden issues his first veto to block a federal rule by the
Department of Labor to weigh the long-term impacts of social factors and climate change on investments.[122][123]
March 22 – The Federal Reserve raises
interest rates by 0.25 percent from 4.75 percent to 5 percent.[124]
March 24–27 – A
tornado outbreak kills at least 26 people in Mississippi and Alabama. This includes a
violent tornado which devastated the city of
Rolling Fork and the town of
Silver City in Mississippi, killing 16 people and injuring 165 others.[126][127]
President Biden invokes the
Defense Production Act to spend $50 million on the production of printed circuit boards.[129]
March 28 – The United States announces that it will stop sharing information about its nuclear arsenal with Russia over the latter's withdrawal from the
New START nuclear arms
treaty.[130]
April 1 – Federal judge
Robert L. Pitman orders that twelve books containing
LGBT and racial content which were banned by
Llano County, Texas school officials must be returned to school shelves.[137]
The
Arizona Supreme Court rules that the
Latter-day Saints Church can refuse to answer questions or turn over documents under a state law that exempts religious officials from having to report child sex abuse if they learn of the crime during a confessional setting.[154]
Florida enacts legislation which bans most abortions after six weeks.[158]
April 14 – Montana becomes the first state to pass legislation
banning TikTok on all personal devices from operating within state lines and barring app stores from offering TikTok for downloads.[159][160]
Within minutes of each other, Fox News and
CNN fire
Tucker Carlson and
Don Lemon respectively. Carlson's firing was a result of the Dominion lawsuit settlement, while Lemon's was because of numerous misogynistic comments made in the past.[169]
Ron DeSantis signs a bill authorizing the use of the
death penalty for convicted child rapists. The legislation is likely to be challenged for violating Supreme Court precedent.[176]
A
shooting takes place in
Henryetta, Oklahoma, killing six after the suspect was supposed to stand for a jury trial regarding an accusation of sexting a minor.[177]
The Federal Reserve raises
interest rates by 0.25 percent from 5 percent to 5.25 percent.[180]
New York bans
gas stoves and
propane heating in new residential constructions. The bans take effect in 2026 for smaller residential buildings and 2029 for larger residential buildings.[181]
May 12 – The
Title 42 expulsion policy expires at midnight, creating a question about whether a new immigration policy would be formed as a replacement. This comes as a surge of migrants gather at the U.S southern border.[189]
United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
Rachael Rollins resigns after an
ethics probe finds that she had grossly violated multiple policies and lied under oath.[194]
May 24 – DeSantis launches his
campaign to run for President of the United States.[195]
May 27 –
2023 United States debt-ceiling crisis: House Republicans and the White House reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling and prevent the United States from defaulting.[196]
May 30 –
Nvidia becomes the first chipmaker valued at over $1 trillion, amid the ongoing
AI boom.[198]
June
June 2
Mike Pence classified documents incident: The Department of Justice notified Pence that its investigation had ended and that the Department of Justice had decided not to charge him.[199]
June 4 – A privately operated
Cessna 560 Citation V carrying three passengers and a pilot
crashed near the George Washington National Forest, Virginia killing everyone on board. The plane had strayed into restricted airspace and F16 jets were sent to intercept it. The pilots of the jets could see that the pilot of the plane was passed out.[202]
Apple unveils a
mixed-reality headset called the
Vision Pro, its first new product category since the
Apple Watch in 2015. The device is noted for its expected retail price of $3,499 that is considerably higher than other
VR and
AR headsets on the market.[204]
The Supreme Court
rules in a 5–4 decision that Alabama must redraw its congressional map as it violates section 2 of the
Voting Rights Act of 1965 in racially discriminating against African-Americans in the state.[211]
The City Council of
Hamtramck, Michigan introduced a resolution prohibiting the display of all flags but the American flag and “nations’ flags that represent the international character of [the] City,” which many interpreted as an indirectly targeted ban of the
rainbow flag on city property and sidewalks, which had previously been the source of controversy among some residents.[220] Following three hours of public comment, the Council passed the resolution unanimously.[221][222]
June 15 –
Chad Doerman kills three of his children but his wife and stepdaughter manage to escape. He was arrested later that day.[citation needed]
June 18
An underwater submersible called Titan goes missing during a dive to visit the
wreck site of the RMS Titanic with five people aboard. Four days later, a portion of the hull is discovered as a part of an American search-and-rescue operation, confirming the loss of the vessel as well as all five passengers on board.
June 20 –
Hunter Biden agrees to plead guilty to federal tax and firearms charges.[225]
June 20–26 – A
series of tornado outbreaks across the United States kills eight people and injures over 126 others. This included a historic tornado outbreak on June 21 in Colorado.[226]
The Supreme Court
rules in a 7–2 decision that prosecutors must prove
true threats be either reckless or made with subjective intention in order to convict.[231]
The Supreme Court
rules in a 6–3 decision that the
First Amendment prohibits states from forcing website designers to create designs they disagree with. The decision is seen as a victory for religious conservatives and free speech advocates but a setback for LGBT+ rights.[237]
July 11 –
Bank of America is ordered by the
CFPB to pay $253.4 million, including a $150 million fine, for deceptive practices and misuse of overdraft fees.[249]
July 13 – The
FDA announces that the birth control pill
Norgestrel, also known as Opill, will be available without a prescription.[250]
New York authorities announce that a suspect has been arrested and charged with three murders in connection with the ongoing
Gilgo Beach serial killings case from 2010.[252]
July 21 – Warner Bros.' Barbie and Universal's Oppenheimer are both released, causing the
Barbenheimer cultural phenomenon, which encouraged moviegoers to see both films as a double feature. The two movies end up being the highest and third highest grossing movies of the year, respectively.[256]
August 4 –
Riots break out in New York City's
Union Square during a
PS5 giveaway hosted by internet streamer
Kai Cenat. Dozens of people are arrested, including Cenat himself, and several police officers are injured.[266]
August 6 – At the
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the
United States loses in the Round of 16 to
Sweden 5–4 in penalties after tying 0–0, making it the first time in the Women's World Cup that the United States failed to reach either the quarterfinals or the semifinals.[268]
August 8–11 –
Wildfires caused by high winds from
Hurricane Dora strike the island of
Maui in
Hawaii, almost completely destroying the town of
Lahaina. As of August 25, 115 people have been killed, 67 have been injured, over 380 people are missing, and 2,207 buildings have been destroyed.[needs update] It marks the deadliest wildfire in the last 100 years.[270]
August 11 – The
United States reports it recorded its highest number of
suicides in 2022, with 49,449 people taking their own lives, making it the deadliest suicide rate in the country since
World War II.[274]
August 20 –
Hurricane Hilary makes landfall in
Southern California causing widespread flooding and thousands of power outages, making it the first major tropical storm to impact the region and the first to strike
California since
1939.[278][279]
New York City Local Law 18 comes into effect, which effectively bans
Airbnb from doing business within city limits.[290]
Ex-Proud Boys leader
Enrique Tarrio is sentenced to 22 years in prison for his part in the January 6 Capitol attack.[291]
September 6 – Geologists report the discovery of what may be the largest known deposit of
lithium, located in the crater of a dormant volcano along the
Nevada–
Oregon border, and estimated to contain 20 to 40 million tonnes of the metal.[292]
September 19 –
Instacart makes a highly-watched
initial public offering on the
Nasdaq, with the new stock ticker CART. One of the biggest IPOs of the past two years, the company falls below its IPO price of $30 per share the day after it opens.[303]
September 21 – Media mogul
Rupert Murdoch announces his retirement and plan to hand off his businesses,
News Corp and
Fox, over to his son
Lachlan.[306]
September 22
Senator
Bob Menendez from New Jersey is indicted on federal corruption charges.[307]
The Biden administration recognizes the
Cook Islands and
Niue as sovereign states, establishing formal relations between both Pacific island countries.[309]
October 3 –
Kevin McCarthy is
ousted as
Speaker of the House, marking the first removal of a speaker by a vote in the House. Eight Republicans, led by
Matt Gaetz, join all present Democrats voting to remove in a 216–210 vote.[319]
October 11 –
ExxonMobil announces it will acquire
Pioneer Natural Resources in a $60 billion all-stock deal, the largest in the energy industry in nearly two decades.[321]
October 13 –
NASA launches its Psyche mission to visit the large metallic asteroid
16 Psyche.[322]
Federal bankruptcy judge Christopher Lopez rules that
Alex Jones cannot use his personal bankruptcy to avoid paying roughly $1.1 billion in damages resulting from the lawsuits over his conspiracy theories and lies about the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.[336]
Meta Platforms is sued by 41 states' attorneys general and DC accusing the social media giant of harming children's health, 33 of which under a joint lawsuit in California and the remaining eight states and DC in their own jurisdictions.[342]
October 25 –
A mass shooting occurs in
Lewiston, Maine, killing at least 18 and injuring a further 13 in the deadliest mass shooting of the year so far.[343] The suspect is found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound two days later.[344]
October 27 – A retired
Colombian army officer who participated in the 2021 assassination of
Haitian president
Jovenel Moïse is sentenced by a court to life imprisonment in
Miami.[345]
Six Flags and
Cedar Fair, two of the largest amusement park companies in the United States, announce that they are planning to merge.[351] The future new company will be called Six Flags, however it will be publicly traded under Cedar Fair's current ticker symbol, FUN.[352]
November 14–17 – Biden hosts the
APEC summit in San Francisco which Chinese president
Xi Jinping attends, marking the first time since 2017 that Xi has set foot in the United States.[363] Both countries at the conclusion of the summit agree to re-open suspended channels of military communications and to cooperate in their fight against
climate change.[364][365]
November 17 –
Sam Altman, the founder and CEO of
ChatGPT developer
OpenAI, is
fired by OpenAI's board for reportedly lying to its board of directors, though reinstated five days later after OpenAI investor Microsoft announces its intention to hire Altman as well as OpenAI cofounder
Greg Brockman after the latter's resignation in protest of the board.[367][368][369][370]
A tribute service for
Rosalynn Carter, who passed away nine days earlier, is held, attended by all living former First Ladies, President and First Lady Biden, Vice President
Harris, Second Gentleman
Emhoff, and former Presidents
Bill Clinton and
Jimmy Carter. Her official funeral was held one day later at the Carter's home church in
Plains, Georgia.[377]
November 29 – The US alleges a plot by the Indian government to assassinate the New York-based Sikh
separatistGurpatwant Singh Pannun, a spokesperson for the pro-Khalistan group
Sikhs for Justice. An Indian government employee is the target of an indictment in New York for their alleged role in the assassination plot.[380]
December
December 1 – The House votes 311–114 to expel
George Santos on fraud and corruption allegations, the first congressional expulsion since
James Traficant in 2002.[381]
December 15 –
Rudy Giuliani is ordered to pay over $148 million in a
defamation case brought by two Georgia election workers, relating to statements that he made during the
2020 election.[397]
December 18
Nippon Steel announces its agreement to acquire
U.S. Steel for $14.1 billion. The company will retain its name and maintain its headquarters in
Pittsburgh.[398]
The
Missouri Supreme Court strikes down a state law which criminalizes homeless residence on state land as well as unanimously striking down another state law which bans COVID-19 vaccine mandates for public workers.[401]
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"Public Domain Day 2023". Center for the Study of Public Domain. Duke University School of Law.
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"Damar Hamlin news". CNN.
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^Vogt, Adrienne; Hammond, Elise; Meyer, Matt; Powell, Tori B.; Iyer, Kaanita; Macaya, Melissa; Federico-O'Murchú, Seán (January 7, 2023).
"Rep. Kevin McCarthy wins House speakership". CNN.
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^Liebermann, Oren; Atwood, Kylie (February 12, 2023).
"Object shot down near Lake Huron". CNN.
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^Kaplan, Joshua; Elliott, Justin; Mierjeski, Alex (April 6, 2023).
"Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire". ProPublica.
Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
Elections were held on November 7, 2023. This was an
off-year election where neither the president or vice president were on the ballot. Seats in the US Congress were not up for election either, save for special elections. One vacancy in the Senate opened up this year due to the death of
Dianne Feinstein; California governor
Gavin Newsom appointed
Laphonza Butler to serve the remainder of Feinstein's term.[4]
March 7 – Oklahoma voters rejected
State Question 820, which if passed, would have legalized
recreational cannabis for adults 21 and over, given a 15% excise tax on cannabis sales. The margin against State Question 820 was an overwhelming 62% against.[16][17]
April 4 – Wisconsin voters approved
Question 1,
Question 2, and
Question 3, all by landslides. Questions 1 and 2 were binding votes ratifying amendments to the
Constitution of Wisconsin, Question 3 was a nonbinding referendum. Question 1 raised the conditions necessary for pretrial release from jail; Question 2 inserted an additional paragraph allowing judges wider latitude for when to apply cash bail for people accused of violent crimes; Question 3 posed the question "Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?" Question 3 had no legal effect, and Wisconsin law already has work requirements for all welfare programs in the state.[18][19]
August 8 – Ohioans voted to reject
Issue 1 by a margin of 57% against to 43% in favor. If passed, the ballot measure would have required future constitutional amendments to be passed by a 60% margin among other changes, as opposed to the existing 50% margin for approval. The ballot measure was widely seen as a litmus test for a November vote to codify abortion rights in the Republican-led state.[20]
The final of several related shootings which allegedly target Democrats occurs at the home of a Democratic politician in
Albuquerque,
New Mexico. There are no deaths or injuries.[30]
Amber McLaughlin becomes the first transgender death row inmate executed in the United States [31]
A mass shooting occurs inside a house in
Enoch, Utah. Eight members of a single family, consisting of three adults and five children, are killed, with their bodies being found by police during a welfare check.[33][34][35]
Five black police officers of the
Memphis Police Department, severely beat
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop. Nichols dies due to his injuries on January 10, and his death causes outrage and protests across the country.[41]
January 11 –
2023 FAA system outage: For the first time since 9/11, the Federal Aviation Administration issues a nationwide ground stop following the failure of the FAA's
NOTAM system.[52][53]
January 27 –
Protests begin after the Memphis Police Department releases a footage of officers
beating Tyre Nichols to death. Following the release of the footage, the department disbands its SCORPION unit while the
Memphis Fire Services dismisses three personnel for failing to render aid.[65][66][67]
The Federal Reserve raises
interest rates by 0.25 percent from 4.5 percent to 4.75 percent.[71]
February 2
In a party-line vote, the House of Representatives ousts Representative
Ilhan Omar from the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs due to remarks that she had previously made regarding Israeli policy that many deemed as antisemitic.[72]
In United States v. Rahimi, the
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rules that a federal law which criminalizes the possession of a firearm by an individual who is subject to a restraining order for domestic violence is unconstitutional.[73][74]
2023 Chinese balloon incident: Defense officials announce that a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon is being tracked over the western United States.[75]
February 3
Recreational cannabis sales begin in Missouri.[76]
Georgia judge Robert C.I. McBurney approves the release of parts of a grand jury inquiry investigating Trump's effort to overturn election results in
Georgia.[92]
A mass shooting is carried out at
Michigan State University. Three students were killed in the attack and five others injured. The shooter committed suicide as he was being approached by police.[93]
February 21–24 –
A massive winter storm causes extreme wind and rain on the West Coast of the United States, while bringing extreme blizzard conditions to the Midwest and Northeast.
Trial of Alex Murdaugh: Alex Murdaugh is convicted by a jury and sentenced to life in prison without parole the next day for the murders of both his wife and son as well as two gun charges.[100][101][102]
Signature Bank collapses and becomes the third bank in five days to fail. With $110 billion in assets, it is the
fourth largest bank failure in American history.[113]
March 13 – The Alaska
Willow project, which calls for oil extraction in the northern region of the state, is approved. The project was and remains subject to substantial controversy and protest, especially on social media.[114]
March 14 – The
March 2023 nor'easter causes widespread damage and knocks out power for 250,000 people in New York and New England.[115][116]
The Idaho state legislature passes a bill that brings in
execution by firing squad. If signed by the governor, Idaho would become the fifth state to use this method.[120][121]
President Biden issues his first veto to block a federal rule by the
Department of Labor to weigh the long-term impacts of social factors and climate change on investments.[122][123]
March 22 – The Federal Reserve raises
interest rates by 0.25 percent from 4.75 percent to 5 percent.[124]
March 24–27 – A
tornado outbreak kills at least 26 people in Mississippi and Alabama. This includes a
violent tornado which devastated the city of
Rolling Fork and the town of
Silver City in Mississippi, killing 16 people and injuring 165 others.[126][127]
President Biden invokes the
Defense Production Act to spend $50 million on the production of printed circuit boards.[129]
March 28 – The United States announces that it will stop sharing information about its nuclear arsenal with Russia over the latter's withdrawal from the
New START nuclear arms
treaty.[130]
April 1 – Federal judge
Robert L. Pitman orders that twelve books containing
LGBT and racial content which were banned by
Llano County, Texas school officials must be returned to school shelves.[137]
The
Arizona Supreme Court rules that the
Latter-day Saints Church can refuse to answer questions or turn over documents under a state law that exempts religious officials from having to report child sex abuse if they learn of the crime during a confessional setting.[154]
Florida enacts legislation which bans most abortions after six weeks.[158]
April 14 – Montana becomes the first state to pass legislation
banning TikTok on all personal devices from operating within state lines and barring app stores from offering TikTok for downloads.[159][160]
Within minutes of each other, Fox News and
CNN fire
Tucker Carlson and
Don Lemon respectively. Carlson's firing was a result of the Dominion lawsuit settlement, while Lemon's was because of numerous misogynistic comments made in the past.[169]
Ron DeSantis signs a bill authorizing the use of the
death penalty for convicted child rapists. The legislation is likely to be challenged for violating Supreme Court precedent.[176]
A
shooting takes place in
Henryetta, Oklahoma, killing six after the suspect was supposed to stand for a jury trial regarding an accusation of sexting a minor.[177]
The Federal Reserve raises
interest rates by 0.25 percent from 5 percent to 5.25 percent.[180]
New York bans
gas stoves and
propane heating in new residential constructions. The bans take effect in 2026 for smaller residential buildings and 2029 for larger residential buildings.[181]
May 12 – The
Title 42 expulsion policy expires at midnight, creating a question about whether a new immigration policy would be formed as a replacement. This comes as a surge of migrants gather at the U.S southern border.[189]
United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
Rachael Rollins resigns after an
ethics probe finds that she had grossly violated multiple policies and lied under oath.[194]
May 24 – DeSantis launches his
campaign to run for President of the United States.[195]
May 27 –
2023 United States debt-ceiling crisis: House Republicans and the White House reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling and prevent the United States from defaulting.[196]
May 30 –
Nvidia becomes the first chipmaker valued at over $1 trillion, amid the ongoing
AI boom.[198]
June
June 2
Mike Pence classified documents incident: The Department of Justice notified Pence that its investigation had ended and that the Department of Justice had decided not to charge him.[199]
June 4 – A privately operated
Cessna 560 Citation V carrying three passengers and a pilot
crashed near the George Washington National Forest, Virginia killing everyone on board. The plane had strayed into restricted airspace and F16 jets were sent to intercept it. The pilots of the jets could see that the pilot of the plane was passed out.[202]
Apple unveils a
mixed-reality headset called the
Vision Pro, its first new product category since the
Apple Watch in 2015. The device is noted for its expected retail price of $3,499 that is considerably higher than other
VR and
AR headsets on the market.[204]
The Supreme Court
rules in a 5–4 decision that Alabama must redraw its congressional map as it violates section 2 of the
Voting Rights Act of 1965 in racially discriminating against African-Americans in the state.[211]
The City Council of
Hamtramck, Michigan introduced a resolution prohibiting the display of all flags but the American flag and “nations’ flags that represent the international character of [the] City,” which many interpreted as an indirectly targeted ban of the
rainbow flag on city property and sidewalks, which had previously been the source of controversy among some residents.[220] Following three hours of public comment, the Council passed the resolution unanimously.[221][222]
June 15 –
Chad Doerman kills three of his children but his wife and stepdaughter manage to escape. He was arrested later that day.[citation needed]
June 18
An underwater submersible called Titan goes missing during a dive to visit the
wreck site of the RMS Titanic with five people aboard. Four days later, a portion of the hull is discovered as a part of an American search-and-rescue operation, confirming the loss of the vessel as well as all five passengers on board.
June 20 –
Hunter Biden agrees to plead guilty to federal tax and firearms charges.[225]
June 20–26 – A
series of tornado outbreaks across the United States kills eight people and injures over 126 others. This included a historic tornado outbreak on June 21 in Colorado.[226]
The Supreme Court
rules in a 7–2 decision that prosecutors must prove
true threats be either reckless or made with subjective intention in order to convict.[231]
The Supreme Court
rules in a 6–3 decision that the
First Amendment prohibits states from forcing website designers to create designs they disagree with. The decision is seen as a victory for religious conservatives and free speech advocates but a setback for LGBT+ rights.[237]
July 11 –
Bank of America is ordered by the
CFPB to pay $253.4 million, including a $150 million fine, for deceptive practices and misuse of overdraft fees.[249]
July 13 – The
FDA announces that the birth control pill
Norgestrel, also known as Opill, will be available without a prescription.[250]
New York authorities announce that a suspect has been arrested and charged with three murders in connection with the ongoing
Gilgo Beach serial killings case from 2010.[252]
July 21 – Warner Bros.' Barbie and Universal's Oppenheimer are both released, causing the
Barbenheimer cultural phenomenon, which encouraged moviegoers to see both films as a double feature. The two movies end up being the highest and third highest grossing movies of the year, respectively.[256]
August 4 –
Riots break out in New York City's
Union Square during a
PS5 giveaway hosted by internet streamer
Kai Cenat. Dozens of people are arrested, including Cenat himself, and several police officers are injured.[266]
August 6 – At the
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the
United States loses in the Round of 16 to
Sweden 5–4 in penalties after tying 0–0, making it the first time in the Women's World Cup that the United States failed to reach either the quarterfinals or the semifinals.[268]
August 8–11 –
Wildfires caused by high winds from
Hurricane Dora strike the island of
Maui in
Hawaii, almost completely destroying the town of
Lahaina. As of August 25, 115 people have been killed, 67 have been injured, over 380 people are missing, and 2,207 buildings have been destroyed.[needs update] It marks the deadliest wildfire in the last 100 years.[270]
August 11 – The
United States reports it recorded its highest number of
suicides in 2022, with 49,449 people taking their own lives, making it the deadliest suicide rate in the country since
World War II.[274]
August 20 –
Hurricane Hilary makes landfall in
Southern California causing widespread flooding and thousands of power outages, making it the first major tropical storm to impact the region and the first to strike
California since
1939.[278][279]
New York City Local Law 18 comes into effect, which effectively bans
Airbnb from doing business within city limits.[290]
Ex-Proud Boys leader
Enrique Tarrio is sentenced to 22 years in prison for his part in the January 6 Capitol attack.[291]
September 6 – Geologists report the discovery of what may be the largest known deposit of
lithium, located in the crater of a dormant volcano along the
Nevada–
Oregon border, and estimated to contain 20 to 40 million tonnes of the metal.[292]
September 19 –
Instacart makes a highly-watched
initial public offering on the
Nasdaq, with the new stock ticker CART. One of the biggest IPOs of the past two years, the company falls below its IPO price of $30 per share the day after it opens.[303]
September 21 – Media mogul
Rupert Murdoch announces his retirement and plan to hand off his businesses,
News Corp and
Fox, over to his son
Lachlan.[306]
September 22
Senator
Bob Menendez from New Jersey is indicted on federal corruption charges.[307]
The Biden administration recognizes the
Cook Islands and
Niue as sovereign states, establishing formal relations between both Pacific island countries.[309]
October 3 –
Kevin McCarthy is
ousted as
Speaker of the House, marking the first removal of a speaker by a vote in the House. Eight Republicans, led by
Matt Gaetz, join all present Democrats voting to remove in a 216–210 vote.[319]
October 11 –
ExxonMobil announces it will acquire
Pioneer Natural Resources in a $60 billion all-stock deal, the largest in the energy industry in nearly two decades.[321]
October 13 –
NASA launches its Psyche mission to visit the large metallic asteroid
16 Psyche.[322]
Federal bankruptcy judge Christopher Lopez rules that
Alex Jones cannot use his personal bankruptcy to avoid paying roughly $1.1 billion in damages resulting from the lawsuits over his conspiracy theories and lies about the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.[336]
Meta Platforms is sued by 41 states' attorneys general and DC accusing the social media giant of harming children's health, 33 of which under a joint lawsuit in California and the remaining eight states and DC in their own jurisdictions.[342]
October 25 –
A mass shooting occurs in
Lewiston, Maine, killing at least 18 and injuring a further 13 in the deadliest mass shooting of the year so far.[343] The suspect is found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound two days later.[344]
October 27 – A retired
Colombian army officer who participated in the 2021 assassination of
Haitian president
Jovenel Moïse is sentenced by a court to life imprisonment in
Miami.[345]
Six Flags and
Cedar Fair, two of the largest amusement park companies in the United States, announce that they are planning to merge.[351] The future new company will be called Six Flags, however it will be publicly traded under Cedar Fair's current ticker symbol, FUN.[352]
November 14–17 – Biden hosts the
APEC summit in San Francisco which Chinese president
Xi Jinping attends, marking the first time since 2017 that Xi has set foot in the United States.[363] Both countries at the conclusion of the summit agree to re-open suspended channels of military communications and to cooperate in their fight against
climate change.[364][365]
November 17 –
Sam Altman, the founder and CEO of
ChatGPT developer
OpenAI, is
fired by OpenAI's board for reportedly lying to its board of directors, though reinstated five days later after OpenAI investor Microsoft announces its intention to hire Altman as well as OpenAI cofounder
Greg Brockman after the latter's resignation in protest of the board.[367][368][369][370]
A tribute service for
Rosalynn Carter, who passed away nine days earlier, is held, attended by all living former First Ladies, President and First Lady Biden, Vice President
Harris, Second Gentleman
Emhoff, and former Presidents
Bill Clinton and
Jimmy Carter. Her official funeral was held one day later at the Carter's home church in
Plains, Georgia.[377]
November 29 – The US alleges a plot by the Indian government to assassinate the New York-based Sikh
separatistGurpatwant Singh Pannun, a spokesperson for the pro-Khalistan group
Sikhs for Justice. An Indian government employee is the target of an indictment in New York for their alleged role in the assassination plot.[380]
December
December 1 – The House votes 311–114 to expel
George Santos on fraud and corruption allegations, the first congressional expulsion since
James Traficant in 2002.[381]
December 15 –
Rudy Giuliani is ordered to pay over $148 million in a
defamation case brought by two Georgia election workers, relating to statements that he made during the
2020 election.[397]
December 18
Nippon Steel announces its agreement to acquire
U.S. Steel for $14.1 billion. The company will retain its name and maintain its headquarters in
Pittsburgh.[398]
The
Missouri Supreme Court strikes down a state law which criminalizes homeless residence on state land as well as unanimously striking down another state law which bans COVID-19 vaccine mandates for public workers.[401]
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