5 things to know for June 7: Presidential race, Hunter Biden, Extreme heat, Ukraine, Cargo ships
CNN
By Alexandra Banner, CNN
(CNN) — Tokyo’s government is launching its own dating app as Japan’s fertility rate plunges to a record low. The nation of nearly 124 million people only recorded around 727,000 births last year, new data shows.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
1. Presidential race
President Joe Biden is set to present a case for democracy today in a speech at Pointe du Hoc, a clifftop in Normandy, France, stormed by US Army Rangers on D-Day. It is the same spot where Ronald Reagan delivered a speech 40 years ago and issued warnings against isolationism in the face of tyranny. Analysts say Biden will imply that former President Donald Trump — with his “America First” foreign policy, attacks on the integrity of the free and fair 2020 election and use of extreme anti-immigrant rhetoric that echoes that of the Nazis — is summoning the same forces that triggered a global war. Meanwhile, Trump is back on the campaign trail after a guilty verdict was delivered in his criminal hush money case. Trump on Thursday said he will announce his 2024 running mate at the Republican convention next month.
2. Hunter Biden
President Biden said in an interview Thursday he would not pardon his son, Hunter Biden, if he’s found guilty of criminal federal gun charges. He also affirmed he would accept the outcome of the trial, currently underway in Delaware. The president’s son is accused of illegally purchasing the gun while abusing or being addicted to drugs, a violation of federal law. Hallie Biden — the widow of Hunter Biden’s late brother, Beau — testified Thursday about her romantic relationship with Hunter, the couple’s drug use and finding the gun at the center of the case. Once she left the stand, a trio of witnesses testified about the series of events that led police to recover the ditched weapon.
3. Extreme heat
Heat advisories are in effect for more than 25 million people in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico as temperatures soar across parts of the US. Driving this prolonged, unseasonable heat is a robust heat dome — a large area of high pressure that parks over an area, traps air and heats it with abundant sunshine for days or weeks. Several temperature records were broken Thursday across states including California, Arizona and Nevada. Las Vegas reached 111 degrees, topping the record of 110 degrees set in 2010. In California, a high of 122 degrees in Death Valley broke a record set in 1996. Phoenix also set a record high of 113 degrees, with more triple-digit temperatures expected today.
4. Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky drew parallels between World War II and his country’s battle against Russia in an address to French lawmakers today. “Hitler crossed red line after red line, Putin does the same,” he said, adding that Ukrainians were the heirs of the Allied fighters of World War II. Zelensky’s speech was greeted rapturously by the French National Assembly, with lawmakers giving him a standing ovation. His remarks came just hours after Russia attacked Ukraine’s critical infrastructure overnight, targeting at least nine regions including the capital Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said. For months, Russia has targeted Ukraine’s power grid to deprive its citizens of electricity, heat, water and other essential services.
5. Cargo ships
An “out of control” cargo ship prompted the temporary closure of a major bridge in Charleston, South Carolina, this week. An investigation is underway to determine what caused a crew to lose control of the ship on Wednesday near the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. The incident came over two months after the massive Dali cargo ship lost power and crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, destroying the 1.6-mile span and killing six construction workers. The Port of Baltimore shipping channel could fully reopen this weekend after painstaking operations to remove debris, officials said. The disaster spurred increased scrutiny of bridges across the US that could be at risk of collapse as infrastructure ages and cargo ships grow in size.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Pat Sajak will host ‘Wheel of Fortune’ for the final time today
It’s Pat’s final spin. Sajak will host his last episode of “Wheel” today after more than 40 years and 8,000 episodes on the game show.
SpaceX launches mega Starship on its fourth test flight
Elon Musk’s SpaceX completed an unmanned test flight of the most powerful rocket ever built. Read about the milestones achieved during the latest flight.
USA scores major win against Pakistan at Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup
The victory was the biggest in USA Cricket history — and possibly one of the most shocking upsets in the sport of cricket.
Netflix to fight $170 million damages claim over ‘Baby Reindeer’
A Scottish woman alleges she was defamed by the global hit show “Baby Reindeer.” She’s now seeking damages from Netflix totaling $170 million.
‘House of the Dragon’ braces for war in its fiery second season
The “Game of Thrones” prequel will soon begin its second season on HBO, which, like CNN, is a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. Read more about the storyline here.
QUIZ TIME
World War II veterans were honored on the 80th anniversary of D-Day this week. Where is the site of the famous landings?
A. Okinawa, Japan
B. Normandy, France
C. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
D. Monte Cassino, Italy
Last week, 29% of readers who took the quiz got eight or more questions right. How will you fare?
TODAY’S NUMBER
$1.5 billion
That’s how much Alex Jones owes in damages over his lies about the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre. The right-wing conspiracy theorist on Thursday agreed to liquidate his assets to pay the families of Sandy Hook victims, who have not seen a penny from Jones since he was found liable in 2022 for defamation and emotional distress. Jones baselessly peddled lies on his Infowars site that the mass shooting was staged, and the families and first responders were “crisis actors.”
TODAY’S QUOTE
“Nice to be attached to the big city in the sky.”
— NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, after Boeing’s historic Starliner mission safely docked with the International Space Station on Thursday. With the arrival of two new astronauts, there are now nine people working and living on the ISS.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY …
Saturday is World Ocean Day
Watch this video to see how researchers are mapping Australia’s kelp forests with artificial intelligence to restore underwater ecosystems. Also, check out these tips to learn how you can make a difference on World Ocean Day.
The-CNN-Wire
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