5 things to know for June 20: Missing sub, Hurricane watch, Refugees, Reddit, Meat recall

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN

(CNN) — Major insurance companies are pulling out of some states entirely to limit their risks where natural disasters are common. Uninsurable places are growing across all 50 states, but it’s now especially difficult to find reasonable homeowners’ insurance in California, Florida and Louisiana due to the likelihood of damaging hurricanes and wildfires.

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

1. Missing sub

A massive search operation is underway to find a submersible with five people on board that went missing on a trip to view the wreckage of the Titanic. The vessel lost contact nearly two hours into its dive on Sunday, the US Coast Guard said. Among those aboard are a British adventurer, a French diver and a Pakistani father and son. Officials are racing against time to find the sub, which has between 70 and 96 hours of life support. The dive to the Titanic site usually lasts up to 11 hours, according to the tour company. The Titanic sits at the bottom of the ocean nearly two miles below the surface southeast of Newfoundland, Canada.

2. Hurricane watch

A tropical storm named Bret has formed over the central Atlantic Ocean and will likely become a hurricane by Wednesday. It is still too early to tell what impacts, if any, it will have on the US mainland. However, early projections from the National Hurricane Center show the storm could impact the Leeward or Windward islands later this week. The Leeward Islands, located where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic, include the Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, and Antigua and Barbuda. To the south are the Windward Islands: Dominica, Grenada, Martinique and others. Everyone in the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands should “closely monitor updates to the forecast” and “have their hurricane plan in place,” the National Hurricane Center said on Monday.

3. Refugees

Today is World Refugee Day, a day designated by the United Nations to honor the millions of refugees around the globe who have fled their home countries. The UN estimates the number of refugees worldwide is now approaching 35 million people, with more than 12 million in Europe. On Monday, a total of 41 multinational companies publicly pledged to provide jobs, training and work opportunities for more than 250,000 refugees in Europe. The companies include Accenture, Adecco, Amazon, Cisco, Generali, Hilton, ISS, Marriott International, Microsoft, Randstad, Starbucks and The Body Shop. Though most of the company pledges made this week apply to refugees of all nationalities, there is a special focus on Ukrainian refugees, whose numbers swelled to more than 5 million last year.

4. Reddit hackers

Hackers are threatening to leak stolen data from Reddit if the company doesn’t pay $4.5 million and change its controversial pricing policy. According to a post on the dark web, which was reviewed by CNN and an independent cybersecurity expert, a ransomware gang is threatening to leak 80 gigabytes of confidential employee data. The group is demanding a $4.5 million payout “for the deletion of the data and our silence.” After receiving no response, the group followed up with an additional demand: Reddit should withdraw a controversial new pricing policy that has sparked a protest from some of the platform’s most influential users. The hackers have said they do not expect Reddit to meet their demands: “We expect to leak the data,” the group wrote in the post on the dark web.

5. Meat recall

More than 42,000 pounds of Johnsonville sausages have been recalled because of possible contamination. The brand’s “Beddar With Cheddar” pork links may include thin black, fibrous strands of plastic, according to the FDA. The USDA said it remains concerned that some of the recalled products may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. “Consumers who have purchased this product are urged not to consume them,” the agency said. “This product should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.” The 14-oz. packages of recalled meat were produced on January 26, 2023, and have a “best by” date of July 11, 2023. The products shipped to retailers in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

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‘Drinkflation’ comes for the British pint
Brewers in the UK are selling weaker beer but aren’t cutting prices. Buzzkill…

This man is traveling the world on non-motorized transport
Meet a man who’s walking, paddling, kayaking, cycling, skiing, rowing and sailing his way across 29 countries.

TODAY’S NUMBER

100

That’s around how many letters containing a white powder were sent to public officials across Kansas. No injuries have been reported and the substance tested “negative for common biological agents of concern,” officials said. Residents across Kansas are being encouraged to “remain vigilant” while handling mail as the investigation remains ongoing.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“We’re working hard to wake people up.”

— Ingrid Newkirk, the co-founder of PETA, saying the animal rights organization is setting its sights on dragging the fashion industry away from wool, leather and down. Newkirk said the organization plans to use the same aggressive tactics it used to shift the market away from fur in the 1980s. “Everyone aspired to have a fur … but that’s all gone now,” Newkirk said, adding “we’re here to change the industry.”

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY…

How keys are duplicated
It requires immense precision to duplicate the grooves on a key. Watch this short video to see how it’s done. (Click here to view)

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