Start your week smart: Jacksonville shooting, Wagner chief, Marines killed, auto workers, Bob Barker

By Andrew Torgan and Daniel Wine, CNN

(CNN) — This summer has been one for the record books with “Barbie” raking in more than $1 billion at the global box office and two of music’s biggest superstars — Beyoncé and Taylor Swift — each on track to exceed that figure with their respective world concert tours. Take a look at CNN’s by-the-numbers comparison of the year’s two most monumental entertainment events.

Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

The weekend that was

• The gunman who killed three people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, had earlier been turned away from the campus of a historically Black university — just blocks away from the site of the shooting that targeted Black people, authorities said.
• Yevgeny Prigozhin, the notorious Russian mercenary leader believed to be on board a plane that crashed Wednesday, has been confirmed dead by Russian authorities after genetic testing was completed. The head of the Wagner private military company was one of 10 people on the plane.
• Three US Marines died and several were wounded after an Osprey aircraft crashed during military exercises in Australia. Five others were taken to a hospital and listed in serious condition.
• Members of the United Auto Workers union overwhelmingly approved possible strikes at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis next month, as the union tries to protect members during the transition to electric vehicles in the years ahead.
• Bob Barker, the “Price Is Right” host whose silky-smooth command, impish sense of humor and advocacy for animal welfare issues made him a beloved fixture on television for more than 35 years, has died. He was 99.

The week ahead

Monday
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will be in China this week to meet with senior Chinese government officials and US business leaders. The visit comes at a critical time for the world’s second-largest economy — and for the Biden administration’s relationship with the country and its leaders. China’s economy is in trouble, and some economists and market analysts fear the contagion could spread beyond its borders. Meanwhile, China continues to crack down on US and other foreign companies doing business in the country, and a retaliatory battle is escalating over the future of AI and other technologies that governments around the world believe are critical for national security.

Also on Monday, the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s federal election interference case is expected to set a trial date. Special counsel Jack Smith is pushing for a trial to start on January 2, just days before the anniversary of the Capitol insurrection. Trump’s defense team, meanwhile, hopes to delay his day in court — as well as his other cases — until after the November 2024 election. Trump is not required to appear at the hearing. In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will lay out the first details of her sprawling anti-racketeering case against Trump, his White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and 17 other co-defendants at a federal court hearing.

It’s the 60th anniversary of the historic March On Washington for Jobs and Freedom — best remembered today for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.

Tuesday
President Biden will host Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles for talks on regional economic development and “safe and orderly migration,” the White House said. Many migrants pass through the Central American country while making their way to the US-Mexico border.

Wednesday
Grab the bug spray and head outside to catch a glimpse of the super blue moon, which will reach its peak around 9:30 p.m. ET. Despite its name, the moon won’t actually appear blue. Want to know why? Find out here!

Friday
We wrap up the workweek with the monthly employment report for August. The state of the labor market is one of the key indicators that the Federal Reserve pays close attention to when deciding the course of interest rates. On Friday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said additional interest rate hikes are still on the table and rates could remain elevated for longer than expected. The Fed raised its benchmark lending rate by a quarter point in July to a range of 5.25-5.5%, the highest level in 22 years, following a pause in June. The central bank will hold its next meeting in mid-September.

One Thing: Scenes from a Trump-less GOP debate
In this week’s One Thing podcast, the show visits Milwaukee for the first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 campaign. We hear from the CNN political team as they break down the top moments and how front-runner Donald Trump stands to benefit — despite not participating. Listen here for more.

Photos of the week

Check out more images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.

What’s happening in entertainment

In theaters
Denzel Washington returns to the big screen as former government assassin Robert McCall, aka the Equalizer. In what is being billed as the third and final chapter of the franchise, McCall is now retired and living in a peaceful Italian village. Cue the Mafia — and let the bloodshed begin. It’s worth noting that the film also features Dakota Fanning, Washington’s co-star in 2004’s “Man on Fire.” “The Equalizer 3” opens on Friday.

What’s happening in sports

At a glance …

Simone Biles makes a run at history later today at the US Gymnastics Championships in San Jose, California. Biles, who will compete in the vault and uneven bars, could become the only gymnast — man or woman — to win eight US all-around titles. Her seven titles are tied with Alfred Jochim. After the opening day of competition, Biles is in first place with a score of 59.3 — 2.75 points ahead of the field.

Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales’ unwanted kiss on Women’s World Cup Winner Jenni Hermoso has triggered a crisis in Spanish soccer, with world governing body FIFA suspending the president and Spain’s women’s coaches resigning en masse.

The PGA golf season winds down today with the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, and someone is going home with a boatload of money — $18 million, to be exact. That’s the grand prize in the final event of the FedEx Cup. Viktor Hovland currently stands atop the leaderboard.

The US Open tennis tournament begins Monday in Queens, New York.

For more of your favorite sports, head on over to CNN Sports as well as Bleacher Report, which — like CNN — is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Quiz time!

Looking for a challenge to start your week? Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 74% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘Blue Moon’
Welcome this week’s super blue moon with this early 60s doo-wop hit performed by The Marcels. (Click here to view)

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