5 things to know for Feb. 27: Government shutdown, Gaza ceasefire, Grocery prices, social media, moon missions

CNN

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — New findings on Antarctica’s “Doomsday Glacier” provide alarming insight into how its collapse could cause catastrophic global flooding. The massive glacier — which is roughly the size of Florida — is melting at a historic pace due to climate change and could raise sea levels by several feet.

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

1. Government shutdown

With less than four days to go until a key deadline to extend federal funding, Congress has initiated the formal process of preparing for a partial government shutdown. A bipartisan spending deal may soon be on the table, but high-level disagreements remain over aid to Ukraine and border security, among other policy issues. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is under immense pressure from his right flank to fight for conservative wins that are unlikely to be resolved quickly. The absence of a short-term deal by Friday means a set of departments will run out of money, comprising about 20% of the federal government. This would immediately impact the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, as well as the FDA and priorities such as military construction.

2. Gaza ceasefire

President Joe Biden said he hopes there will be a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict by “next Monday.” Sources familiar with the discussions say Hamas has backed off some key demands, bringing the negotiating parties closer to an initial agreement that could halt the fighting and see a group of Israeli hostages released. In the US, many eyes are on the Michigan primary today, which will, in part, serve as a litmus test on Biden’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The president’s ardent support for Israel has enraged a large bloc of American progressives, many of them Jewish, and Arab Americans, most notably in and around the Michigan city of Dearborn — home to one of the largest Arab American communities in the country. That anger is fueling a statewide movement among Democratic critics of Israel for voters to mark “uncommitted” on their ballots.

3. Grocery prices

Inflation may be cooling, but many Americans are spending more of their income on groceries than at any point over the past 30 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Food prices remain much higher than before the pandemic and fresh vegetables are starting to come at a premium. The most notable price increase in produce aisles last month was for tomatoes, which cost 4.6% more than they did in January. Meanwhile, the US government on Monday sued to block a $25 billion deal between Kroger and Albertsons, alleging the largest supermarket merger in US history would drive costs even higher. The merger, announced in 2022, sought to combine dozens of chains, including Safeway, Vons, Harris Teeter and Fred Meyer.

4. Social media

The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments in two cases this week that could upend what we see on social media. The justices expressed skepticism on Monday about state laws in Texas and Florida designed to stop social media giants from throttling conservative views. The justices struggled with sweeping First Amendment questions about whether social media platforms should be treated like “common carriers,” such as telephone companies, that are required to transmit content across their networks regardless of viewpoint. The Texas and Florida laws prohibit online platforms from removing or demoting user content that expresses certain viewpoints. But for now, several of the justices appeared to be angling for a potential outcome that would keep the laws on hold temporarily and allow lower courts to further review the impact on a wide range of internet sites.

5. Moon missions

The historic US moon mission that touched down on the lunar surface on Thursday is coming to an early end. Odysseus became the first US-made spacecraft to land on the moon since the Apollo era, but flight controllers now expect to lose contact with the moon lander in the coming hours as communicating with the spacecraft has proven challenging. In the meantime, grainy images were shared by Intuitive Machines — the company that developed Odysseus — after the craft’s rough landing limited its ability to collect and send data. Separately, Japan’s “Moon Sniper” miraculously woke up on the lunar surface this week after being dormant for most of the month and transmitted new images to Earth.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

You may lose access to your Netflix account if you pay through Apple
Netflix customers who are billed through Apple may soon be prompted to change their payment plan. Read how the change may affect you.

North Korea welcomes tourists again
Some Russian nationals were offered a rare opportunity to visit North Korea for the first time since the pandemic. Here’s what they saw.

Dozens of chain restaurants are closing their doors
More than 40 locations of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming’s will permanently close due to slowing sales.

Photographer accuses Taylor Swift’s father of assault
An Australian photographer has filed a complaint with police against Taylor Swift’s father for allegedly punching him as the superstar left a concert afterparty in Sydney.

Owner of real ‘Saltburn’ house inundated with visitors
A TikToker recently showed viewers where to find the real house featured in the hit movie “Saltburn.” Now, the property owner said he’s been forced to hire extra security as crowds of people are showing up.

TODAY’S NUMBER

$80 million
That’s how much the utility giant Southern California Edison will pay to settle claims relating to the 2017 Thomas Fire, which at the time was the largest wildfire in California’s modern history. The US Forest Service sued the company, alleging its power lines ignited the blaze. The Thomas Fire ultimately burned more than 280,000 acres across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 structures.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“This is the largest donation to any medical school in the country.”

— Philip Ozuah, CEO of Montefiore Medicine, after the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York received a $1 billion donation from a former faculty member. Few educational gifts rival the magnitude of the “transformational” donation announced on Monday. In 2018, former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg donated $1.8 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University. Other New York hospitals have also long drawn individual donations amounting to over $100 million.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

A robot traveled to the deep sea. See what it found
More than 100 new marine species were spotted in a deep-sea exploration off the coast of Chile! Watch the video here.

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