Start your week smart: Democratic donors, Supreme Court ruling, Hurricane Beryl, car dealerships, Warren Buffett

By CNN Newsource

June 30, 2024 6:04 AM

Published June 30, 2024 6:43 AM

By Andrew Torgan and Daniel Wine, CNN

(CNN) — Among life’s biggest decisions, choosing where to call home ranks near the top. If you are just starting out, or you’re looking for a change of climate (weather or mindset), check out CNN’s “Where Should I Live? The Ultimate Guide to Your Brand New Amazing Life.”

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

The weekend that was

• After President Joe Biden’s alarming debate performance, Democratic donors are in crisis, racked by anxiety over what — if anything — the party’s wealthiest backers can do to reinvigorate or replace Biden, whose campaign has commissioned new polling to assess the damage.
• The Supreme Court ruled that the Justice Department overstepped by charging hundreds of people who rioted at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, with obstruction in a decision that could force prosecutors to reopen some of those cases.
• Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, intensified into a “very dangerous” Category 3 storm as it churns towards Barbados and the Windward Islands, promising destructive hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge.
• As the ongoing systems outage at software provider CDK Global stretches into its second week, car dealerships are accumulating millions of dollars in losses. Workers said the software blackout has made it difficult for dealers to track customer interactions, orders and sales.
• Warren Buffett changed how his considerable fortune will be spent following his death. The 93-year-old chairman of Berkshire Hathaway will put his wealth in a new charitable trust overseen by his three children and does not plan to continue donations to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The week ahead

Monday
Steve Bannon, former adviser to then-President Donald Trump, is due to report to prison to serve his criminal contempt of Congress sentence. A jury found Bannon guilty of contempt in 2022 for not complying with a House January 6 Committee subpoena for his testimony, but the trial judge initially paused his four-month prison sentence for his appeal to play out. However, a federal appeals court rejected the conservative podcast host’s bid to avoid prison. Bannon also asked the Supreme Court to intervene, but the justices rejected his effort with a brief order on Friday.

July 1 is also Canada Day!

Tuesday
July 2 marks the 60th anniversary of then-President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act into law, preventing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

Thursday
Happy Independence Day! July 4 is, of course, a federal holiday, so banks, post offices and non-essential government offices will be closed. Most retailers, on the other hand, will be open.

Voters in the UK head to the polls for a snap general election called by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in May — a contest he is almost certain to lose. Recent polls have placed Sunak’s Conservative Party well behind the opposition Labour Party, with Labour leader Keir Starmer expected to not only win power but have a massive parliamentary majority.

Nathan’s annual hot dog eating contest on Coney Island is set to take place, but without reigning champion Joey Chestnut. Chestnut, who has won the “Mustard Yellow Belt” 16 times and ate a world record 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2021, was barred from this year’s contest after he struck a deal with plant-based company Impossible Foods. Quick to pounce on a marketing opportunity, Netflix announced that Chestnut will face off against his rival Takeru Kobayashi on Labor Day in a special titled “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef.”

Friday
While many people will be enjoying the day off, the folks at the Labor Department will be preparing to release the monthly employment report for June. Wall Street is hoping for a slowdown in job growth after May’s report showed job growth rose higher than expected. As to why a strong job market would be considered a bad thing, the Federal Reserve is looking for a slow-but-steady cooldown in the labor market in its battle to bring down inflation before it can consider lowering interest rates.

One Thing: 🎧 Supreme Court watch continues
In today’s “One Thing” podcast, CNN Supreme Court reporter John Fritze explains a major ruling involving January 6th obstruction charges and examines why we are still waiting for an opinion on presidential immunity. Listen here.

Photos of the week

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

What’s happening in entertainment

In theaters
Hoping to steal some thunder from “Inside Out 2” and cash in on the long holiday weekend, “Despicable Me 4” arrives in theaters Wednesday. The previous film in the franchise, “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” raked in $123 million domestically for its four-day opening weekend in 2022. That set the record for the biggest opening over the July 4th holiday weekend, and this installment has five days to approach that mark.

Hitting the big screen Friday are the crime thrillers “MaXXXine,” starring Mia Goth, and “Boneyard,” starring Mel Gibson.

What’s happening in sports

At a glance …
Reigning champion Italy was knocked out of Euro 2024 in the last 16 after Switzerland produced a stunning upset to win 2-0 in Berlin. Host nation Germany moved into the quarterfinals after beating Denmark 2-0 in a pulsating game delayed by lightning and driving rain.

In a dramatic men’s T20 World Cup final, India produced a brilliant performance to defeat South Africa by just seven runs, ending a long 13-year wait for the cricket-obsessed nation since its last World Cup win.

Simone Biles is looking to punch her ticket to a third Olympic Games today when the US Olympic Gymnastics Trials wrap up in Minneapolis. The seven-time Olympic medalist sits atop the leaderboard after the first night of competition. She’s among 16 women and 20 men vying for a place on the US team in Paris.

In tennis, Wimbledon gets underway on Monday at the All England Club with first-round men’s and women’s singles matches. Three-time grand slam champion Andy Murray, who was placed in a bracket on Friday, said he will wait until the last moment before deciding whether to play. The 37-year-old was forced to retire from his last tournament due to a back issue that required surgery. Looking beyond Wimbledon, Murray is planning his retirement and says the Olympic Games in Paris could be his last tournament. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic — who underwent successful knee surgery after tearing his meniscus during the French Open — is also in the draw.

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 news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 63% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘Party in the U.S.A.’
Fourth of July weekend is just days away! Put your hands up, we’re playing your song! (Click here to view)

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