5 things to know for June 14: Severe weather, Ukraine, Abortion, Hamas hostages, Apple
CNN
By Alexandra Banner, CNN
(CNN) — Former President Donald Trump turns 78 today — a milestone that also begs the question of whether the US should impose age limits for politicians. It also comes as President Joe Biden, at 81, is seeking to dispel concerns about his state of mind and fitness amid a pattern of public gaffes.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
1. Severe weather
Heavy rainfall that’s caused unrelenting flooding in South Florida will continue for a fourth consecutive day before a reprieve is in sight for millions in the state. Since heavy rains started swamping the region Tuesday, the flooding has become waist-deep in some places. Hazardous conditions on streets and roadways have stranded drivers and made roads impassable — and they’ve forced some schools in hard-hit counties to shutter and hundreds of flights to be canceled or delayed. Flood watches remain in effect for over 7 million people across South Florida, including in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. On the other hand, high temperatures will expand across parts of the Plains to the East Coast. Today will be the hottest day of the year so far in Washington, DC, reaching the mid-90s, or about 10 degrees higher than normal.
2. Ukraine
President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a historic security agreement on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy on Thursday. “We’re going to stand by Ukraine,” Biden said, vowing lasting support for the country’s defense now and in the future. The 10-year deal lays out a path for the US’ long-term security relationship with Kyiv — but it could also be undone by future US administrations, sources say. Zelensky called it a “truly historic day” after signing the agreement and said it would benefit all countries because Russia is a “real global threat.” He also expressed confidence that the pact will serve as a bridge to Kyiv’s efforts to join NATO.
3. Abortion
The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously rejected a lawsuit challenging the FDA’s approach to regulating the abortion pill mifepristone, allowing the drug to stay on the market. The ruling is a significant setback for the anti-abortion movement in what was the first major Supreme Court case on reproductive rights since the court’s conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The challenge to the drug had been vehemently opposed by the pharmaceutical industry, which warned that a ruling that second-guessed the regulations for mifepristone could open the door to legal challenges targeting all sorts of medications.
4. Hamas hostages
The fate of the 120 remaining hostages in Gaza is crucial to any deal to end the months-long conflict between Israel and Hamas. But a senior Hamas official has told CNN that “no one has an idea” how many of them are alive, and that any deal to release them must include guarantees of a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Benny Gantz, who quit Israel’s war cabinet last week, said that Israel knows how many hostages in Gaza are still alive, adding that the public will receive details on some of the hostages “in due time.” Meanwhile, negotiations over the US-backed proposal to free the hostages and end the fighting have intensified in recent days but appeared to grind to a halt on Wednesday after Hamas presented its response to the document.
5. Apple
Apple is now the most valuable US public company after its announcements on generative AI features for iPhones sent its stock climbing. The company’s market cap closed at roughly $3.29 trillion on Thursday, just above Microsoft’s $3.28 trillion. The iPhone maker’s bounceback comes about a week after AI chipmaker Nvidia surpassed it to become the second-largest public company. Nvidia now ranks third, behind Microsoft. Still, it will take some time until Apple sees substantial sales growth, analysts say, as users are now waiting longer to upgrade their devices and an uncertain economic environment weighs on consumers, particularly in China.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Part 2 of ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 will turn up the heat
The tea is piping hot, dear readers. New episodes of “Bridgerton” have debuted on Netflix.
Painting found at a bus stop could sell for $32 million
A twice-stolen painting by Italian Renaissance master Titian, once found at a bus stop in London, could fetch $32 million at auction.
Waymo recalls hundreds of its driverless cars
Sometimes you must go backward to go forward … Waymo issued a recall to improve its driverless vehicles following multiple crashes and traffic violations.
Taylor Swift’s fans danced so hard it registered as seismic activity
Earthquake readings were detected four miles from the star’s Edinburgh concert. Seismologists said it was triggered by enthusiastic Swifties!
Tyson CFO and chicken family scion John Tyson arrested for DWI
Not-so-hot news: Tyson Foods suspended its 34-year-old CFO after he was arrested Thursday on charges of DWI and careless driving.
QUIZ TIME
K-pop star Jin was greeted by fanfare this week after he finished his mandatory army service in South Korea. Which boy band is he a member of?
A. BTS
B. EXO
C. GOT7
D. NCT
Last week, 64% of readers who took the quiz got eight or more questions right. How will you fare?
TODAY’S NUMBER
61%
That’s how many Americans disapprove of the Supreme Court, a recent Marquette Law School poll shows. The public’s view of the high court has generally worsened in recent years following a series of highly charged rulings and controversies over ethics and transparency among the justices.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“You have the power to spread peace and smiles.”
— Pope Francis, speaking at the Vatican today as he gathered more than 100 comedians from 15 countries to celebrate the power of humor and its ability to create “connections among people.” The leader of the Catholic Church invited some of the world’s most popular comedians to the meeting, including Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert and Conan O’Brien.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY …
How AI is helping create movies
Going beyond chatbots and text-to-image models, AI systems have now evolved to create art and entertainment. Watch this video to see how it works.
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