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January 1st 6th
The Jan. 6 committee presented new evidence on Thursday that highlighted then-President Donald Trump’s refusal for more than three hours to publicly condemn the riots at the US Capitol or to fight off the violent mob. During the prime-time session, witnesses who knew firsthand what was happening at the White House on Jan. 6 said that Trump did not make a single call to law enforcement or national security officials as the riot unfolded. He also did not issue a statement during this time urging the rioters to leave the Capitol and go home. The committee used this statement to argue that Trump’s refusal to intervene amounted to a dereliction of duty. The hearing also included disturbing new videos and audios that showed how vulnerable Vice President Mike Pence’s security detail felt as they attempted to safely evacuate him from the Capitol. Thursday’s session was the committee’s last public hearing until September.
2. Covid-19
President Joe Biden said Thursday that he has tested positive for Covid-19 but will continue to work in isolation at the White House despite mild symptoms. in the a video posted on Twitter, Biden told Americans that he was “doing fine” and that “it will be fine,” adding he was double-vaccinated and double-boosted. This is the first time Biden has tested positive for Covid-19, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Biden, 79, has started taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid, which is available through an FDA emergency use authorization for eligible people at high risk of serious illness. The president’s infection comes as coronavirus cases surge again in the US, driven by the most contagious strain of the virus yet: BA.5.
3. Extreme heat
The deadly heatwaves around the world have done strange things to infrastructure as millions face searing temperatures expected to last into the weekend. On the outskirts of London, part of an airport runway melted after the British capital experienced its hottest day on record on Tuesday, with temperatures exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Officials in London are also wrapping the famous Hammersmith Bridge in foil to reflect sunlight and keep the bridge from overheating. A heatwave is also currently affecting more than 900 million people in China – or 64% of the population. In the city of Chongqing, which is also on red alert, the heat melted a museum roof. And in many parts of the US, triple-digit temperatures are snapping power grids and causing energy emergencies.
4. Immigration
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to freeze a lower court order that has prevented the Department of Homeland Security from implementing new immigration enforcement priorities. The court’s 5-4 vote is a loss for the Biden administration, which is attempting to return to Obama-era policies that limit immigrant arrests to focus on security risks, rather than the Trump administration’s more aggressive approach Government. The vote was also the first for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson since she was sworn in on June 30. Jackson joined the court’s three other female judges in dissenting the verdict. This comes just over a week after thousands of migrants from multiple countries arrived at the US-Mexico border seeking asylum, adding to challenges from the Biden administration.
5. Ukraine
Russia’s war effort in Ukraine is “running out of steam” and Russia has lost “by half” its ability to spy in Europe, according to Britain’s foreign intelligence chief. “I think our assessment is that it’s going to be increasingly difficult for the Russians to provide labor supplies over the next few weeks,” Richard Moore, the chief of MI6, told CNN. “They will have to take a break and that will give the Ukrainians a chance to hit back.” In addition, the European Council today hit Russia with new restrictive measures preventing another major Russian bank from conducting transactions outside the country. Separately, the Russian government today added Greece, Denmark, Slovenia, Croatia and Slovakia to its list of “unfriendly foreign states”.
BROWSE BREAKFAST
Cats are crazy about this video game
People are posting their cats’ reactions to a new cat-friendly video game. Check out the funny moments here.
“Nope” premieres in US cinemas today
The reviews are in, and the critics are giving Jordan Peele’s latest movie, the alien invasion thriller Nope, a big yes.
Prince George is 9! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge share a photo of him on the eve of his birthday
So adorable! The little prince is really growing up before our eyes.
Australia’s biggest music festival is mired in mud, forcing a first-day cancellation
Splendor in the Grass 2022 festival-goers were treated to a lineup of A-list artists including Gorillaz and The Strokes. They have a mud pit instead.
One of the most beautiful spots in Central Park is closing
This popular boathouse restaurant in New York City will be permanently closing in October. Get your pics while you can.
QUIZ TIME
Which product continues to be hard to find in many US stores due to a nationwide shortage?
A. Paper towels
B. toilet paper
C. Baby food
D Toothpaste
Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see if you got it right!
TODAY’S NUMBER
13
So many people are accused of sending more than 8 billion robocalls about “car warranties” since 2018. The illicit calls typically begin with recorded lines such as “We tried to reach you regarding your car’s extended warranty,” according to the Federal Dass Communications Commission in an order Thursday, urging voice providers to stop routing the calls. The people behind the alleged scheme are based primarily in Texas and California, but also in places as far away as Hungary. The calls have been the single largest source of consumer complaints to the FCC for each of the past two years.
THE TODAY QUOTE
Many of you may be too young to remember polio, but growing up, this disease has instilled fear in families, including my own. The fact that it’s still decades after the vaccine was developed shows you how relentless it is.
— Ed Day, a borough chairperson in Rockland, New York, is urging people to get vaccinated against polio after a person from the borough was diagnosed with the first case of polio in the United States in nearly a decade. The unvaccinated young adult began suffering from weakness and paralysis about a month ago, health officials said. About 1 in 4 people infected will have flu-like symptoms, but up to 1 in 200 will develop more serious symptoms, including numbness in the legs, infection of the brain or spinal cord, and paralysis, the CDC said. There is no cure for polio, and the paralysis caused by the disease is permanent.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
The most beautiful fruits and vegetables that you have probably never seen
Today is National Mango Day in the USA, which fans of the delicious tropical fruit apparently take very seriously. In honor of this, check out this video of the most beautiful and unusual fruits you may have never seen. (Click here to view.)