5 things to know for July 18: Uvalde, Mall shooting, Ukraine, Heat waves, Netflix

CNN

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN

When you board an airplane, the decade-old, bulky inflight entertainment screens can feel like a holdover from another era. For years, travelers have shared feedback about their outdated inflight experiences, and now it appears companies are getting closer to implementing some revolutionary concepts. In fact, if a few tech giants have their way, you’ll soon be able to video chat with the flight crew at 30,000 feet.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

(You can get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)

1. Uvalde

A Texas House investigative committee released a preliminary report Sunday outlining a series of failures by multiple law enforcement agencies during their response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The report, which was first made available to the victims’ families, described “an overall lackadaisical approach” by nearly 400 officers. According to the report, law enforcement officials share a “systemic responsibility” for waiting more than an hour before breaching the classroom and killing the shooter. First responders also “lost critical momentum” by treating the situation as a “barricaded subject” scenario, which calls for a more measured response compared to an active shooter. The report said officials were also lacking an effective incident commander, resulting in a breakdown in communication. The gunman who stormed the school killed 19 students and two teachers, making it the second-deadliest shooting ever at a K-12 school in the US.

2. Mall shooting

As communities across the US continue to grapple with the aftermath of mass shootings, another three people were killed and several others injured after a shooter opened fire in a food court at an Indiana shopping mall on Sunday. Around 6:00 p.m. local time, multiple people called 911 to report an active shooter at a mall in Greenwood, Indiana, police said. Investigators believe the unidentified gunman, an adult man, was shot and killed by a lawfully armed 22-year-old man who “observed the shooting in progress,” Greenwood Police Department Chief Jim Ison said. Among the injured victims is a 12-year-old girl whose parents brought her to the hospital with minor injuries after the shooting, the chief said, noting she is expected to be “just fine.” There have been 350 mass shootings this year, according to Gun Violence Archive.

3. Ukraine

At least 353 Ukrainian children have died and more than 665 have been injured due to Russia’s invasion, the Ukrainian Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office said today. Most of the injuries were reported in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kyiv, it said. At least 2,138 educational institutions have been damaged, of which 221 have been completely destroyed. Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired two of his top officials, accusing members of their staff of treason and collaborating with Russia. One of the dismissed officials was a long-time associate of Zelensky. On the ground, the Ukrainian military said today that the shelling of its defenses across the Donetsk region is continuing, but renewed attempts by Russian forces to win territory have been thwarted.

4. Heat waves

Authorities across southern Europe spent the weekend battling huge wildfires in countries including Spain, Greece and France, with hundreds of deaths blamed on soaring temperatures that scientists say are consistent with climate change. At least 1,000 deaths have been attributed to the heat wave in Portugal and Spain so far. Temperatures in Spain have reached as high as 114 degrees Fahrenheit during the nearly weeklong heat wave. In France, wildfires have forced the evacuations of more than 14,000 people as officials continue to issue red alerts, the highest possible to warn residents. Extremely high temperatures are forecast in Britain today and tomorrow in what would top a previous official record of 102 degrees Fahrenheit. And in the US, several states from the north-central Plains to Texas face possible record high temperatures this week, according to the National Weather Service.

5. Netflix

Netflix will report its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most consequential moments in the 25-year history of the company. In April, the streaming giant reported that it lost subscribers in the first quarter of 2022 — the first time that had happened in any quarter for more than a decade. Netflix’s stock subsequently plummeted (it’s currently down about 70% so far this year), wiping out billions of dollars in market value. Soon after, the company laid off hundreds of employees. And a weak outlook for the second quarter shocked investors: Netflix predicted it would lose another 2 million subscribers in the spring. According to a market researcher, if that number is higher than 2 million in the report on Tuesday, investors may fully turn their backs on Netflix — a move that could reshape the future of the company as well as the entire streaming sector.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are married

Do you hear something? Like a ringing noise? It sounds like wedding bells! Nearly 20 years after their first engagement, Bennifer officially tied the knot.

San Francisco opens a park atop a busy highway tunnel

Developers repurposed this unusual space to create a 14-acre urban oasis.

Pilot deploys parachute, plane crashes into sidewalk outside Bruges

Luckily the pilot’s life was saved, and the incident caused minimal damage… but it was a close call. Watch footage of the crash-landing here.

Why BMW is offering heated seats on a monthly subscription

Should we add this to the list of odd subscription services? I think so.

10 scenic and remote museums and galleries that are worth the trip

Wow, this museum nestled on a mountain in Italy is absolutely breathtaking. View this list if you appreciate stunning natural beauty.

HAPPENING LATER

Steve Bannon trial

The trial of Steve Bannon, ex-adviser to former President Donald Trump, begins today in Washington, DC. Bannon is charged with contempt of Congress for failing to testify and produce documents following a subpoena from the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot. Bannon has called the committee’s investigation a “clown show.”

TODAY’S NUMBER

150

That’s how many headstones were recently damaged across two cemeteries in Lebanon, Tennessee, after two local men allegedly went on a vandalism spree, according to officials. The two have each been charged with one count of vandalism over $60,000, police said, calling the acts “heinous” and a “senseless crime.”

TODAY’S QUOTE

“I think that decision was clearly wrong when it was decided. It was the court overreaching.”

— Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, saying he believes the US Supreme Court was “clearly wrong” in its landmark 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling that legalized same-sex marriage. On Saturday, Cruz echoed views expressed by many conservatives, including Justice Clarence Thomas, that the Supreme Court should revisit past rulings such as Obergefell v. Hodges. His remarks come weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ruling there was no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

Cats and Dominoes

This mesmerizing domino trick came together with the help of a few feline friends! (Click here to view)

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.