Start your week smart: Flooding, Mar-a-Lago, Libya, Taiwan, Moderna
By Andrew Torgan, CNN
If you’ve been seeing the phrase “quiet quitting” lately and wondered what it means, you’re not alone. At first glance, you’d think it refers to an employee who leaves a little yellow “goodbye” note on their desk one day and never returns. What it really means is a bit more complicated — and has nothing to do with actually quitting.
Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.
The weekend that was
• With Mississippi’s Pearl River now expected to crest earlier than originally forecast, threatening to flood streets and creep into homes within the next 48 hours, the mayor of Jackson is urging residents to “get out now.”
• Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines has sent a letter to the House Intelligence and House Oversight committee chairs, saying the intelligence community is conducting a damage assessment of the documents taken from former President Donald Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago, according to a letter obtained by CNN.
• At least 32 people have died and 159 have been injured in violent clashes between rival Libyan militias across the country’s capital of Tripoli, according to an update from the country’s Ministry of Health.
• Two US Navy warships have entered the Taiwan Strait in what is the first US naval transit in the waterway since US-China tensions spiked this month over a visit to the island by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
• Moderna on Friday filed patent infringement lawsuits against Pfizer and BioNTech “for infringing patents central to (its) mRNA technology platform” used to develop its Covid-19 vaccine, the company said in a news release.
The week ahead
Monday
NASA’s Artemis I mission to the moon is set to launch Monday morning, with backup launch windows on September 2 and September 5. It’s been nearly 50 years since the last Apollo astronauts ventured to the lunar surface, and this uncrewed mission sets the stage for humans to make the journey in 2024 and 2025 aboard Artemis II and Artemis III, respectively.
Tuesday
August 30 is the International Day of the Disappeared, a day to remember the hundreds of thousands of people who are missing worldwide due to armed conflict, violence, disasters and migration.
Wednesday
August 31 is the 25th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 along with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and her driver, Henri Paul. Her son, Prince Harry, recently shared his hopes for how his mother’s legacy would be remembered.
Thursday
A federal judge has scheduled a hearing to consider Donald Trump’s request for a “special master” to oversee the FBI’s review of evidence seized at Mar-a-Lago. In doing so, the court put the parties on notice that she had a “preliminary intent” to appoint the special master, a third-party attorney who would filter out privileged material seized in the search.
And while your calendar may say we are still three weeks away from the arrival of fall, September 1 is the first day of meteorological fall in the Northern Hemisphere. Click here to learn why.
Friday
The first Friday in September means we get the monthly employment report for August. Expectations are varied given that July’s report was an unexpected blowout, with the economy adding a whopping 528,000 jobs — more than double what economists were forecasting.
It’s also the traditional getaway day for many people heading into Labor Day weekend.
Want more 5 Things?
The CNN 5 Things team has a new podcast! Listen to One Thing with host David Rind each Sunday to hear about the biggest story of the week and why it matters. This week, he chats with CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward about life in Afghanistan, one year after the Taliban takeover. Listen here.
Photos of the week
Check out more moving, fascinating and thought-provoking images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.
What’s happening in entertainment
MTV Video Music Awards
Nicki Minaj, Jack Harlow and LL Cool J are the emcees of tonight’s VMAs, which air on MTV at 8 p.m. ET. Harlow, Lil Nas X and Kendrick Lamar lead the nominations with seven each. Doja Cat and Harry Styles are tied with six apiece. Viewers can expect performances from Bad Bunny, Lizzo, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Eminem & Snoop Dogg, among many others.
Return to Middle-earth
The Amazon Prime series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” drops on Friday. Amazon invested hundreds of millions in this prequel to the J.R.R. Tolkien series set thousands of years before the events of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord Of the Rings” trilogy, so expectations are high.
What’s happening in sports
Tennis anyone?
The main draw of the US Open Tennis Tournament begins Monday in New York. It is the only Grand Slam tennis championship held in North America. Notably absent from the draw is 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who has remained unvaccinated against Covid-19 throughout the pandemic. Current US rules stipulate that any non-US citizen must be fully vaccinated against the virus in order to receive a visa and enter the country.
Quiz time!
Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 30% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?
Play me off
‘Video Killed The Radio Star’
If you plan on watching the MTV Video Music Awards later tonight, here’s a flashback to how it all began with the first video to air on the network in 1981. (Click here to view)
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