5 things to know for August 2: Trump, Heat wave, Immigration, Vaccines, Supreme Court
CNN
By Alexandra Meeks, CNN
(CNN) — Many consumers depend on Amazon for everything from essential household items to random gadgets and thingamabobs. This week, the e-commerce giant debuted another offering: a virtual clinic where Amazon customers in the US can receive telehealth treatment for common conditions directly on its website or mobile app.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
1. Trump
Former President Donald Trump was indicted Tuesday on criminal charges by a federal grand jury over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election leading up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Special counsel Jack Smith unveiled his case alleging that Trump — with the help of six co-conspirators — broke several laws in an effort to remain in the White House after losing the 2020 election. Trump, who has derided Smith’s case as a politically motivated “fake indictment,” has been summoned to appear at a Washington, DC, federal courthouse on Thursday. Now, with three indictments looming over his 2024 campaign, it begs the question: Could Trump serve as president if convicted? In short, yes. Should he win reelection in 2024, Trump could try to grant himself a pardon, appeal a conviction to the conservative Supreme Court, or attempt to dismiss the case entirely, according to experts on election law.
2. Heat wave
One of the longest heat streaks in US history finally ended Monday when Phoenix’s high temperature peaked under 110 degrees for the first time in a month. “It’s been a year of abnormalities and streaks, so it’s just a testament to just how strange this year has been,” said Ryan Worley, meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Phoenix. But the heat is far from over for Phoenix and millions of others across the central US that are still baking in triple-digit temperatures. Heat alerts are in effect for more than 50 million people from the Southern Plains to the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Forecasts show North Texas could get as high as 111 degrees while New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, could see up to 115 degrees today.
3. Immigration
The number of migrants crossing the treacherous Darien Gap, a mountainous rainforest region that connects South and Central America, has broken a new record. There have been 248,901 crossings so far this year, an immigration official in Panama said, surpassing the 248,284 crossings that occurred in all of 2022. The 37-mile hike through the Darien Gap brings migrants from Colombia to Panama and is a crucial passage for those hoping to reach the US and Canada. Around 20% of the people making the dangerous trek are children and adolescents, authorities say. This comes as many human rights advocates say migrants, who fled danger in their home countries, are living in limbo in Mexico as they wait for their asylum claims to be processed.
4. Vaccines
Major US pharmacy chains are rolling out flu and RSV vaccine appointments ahead of the fall respiratory virus season. Anyone 3 or older can get a flu shot, and adults 60 and older are eligible for the RSV vaccine. Pharmacies including Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens say they will also offer the new Covid-19 vaccines once they’re available. But the FDA will have to authorize or approve them first, and the CDC will have to recommend them. In June, the FDA recommended that Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers make single-strain booster shots for this fall and winter that would target the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5. The new Covid-19 vaccines, which could be ready by September, will be made available directly from the manufacturers as part of the commercial market, rather than through the US government.
5. Supreme Court
Approval ratings of the US Supreme Court remain at record low levels, a new Gallup poll shows. The court’s current 40% approval rating is based on a Gallup poll conducted in July, just after the high court finished another blockbuster term deciding that colleges could no longer use race as a factor in deciding admissions, striking down President Joe Biden’s student-loan forgiveness plan and ruling in two major voting rights cases. Many Americans are also closely divided on Justice Clarence Thomas as the court continues to issue controversial opinions and is hit with criticism about ethics standards. On average, 51% have approved of the Supreme Court over the past 23 years. But opinions differ starkly by political party: 62% of Republicans versus 17% of Democrats approve of the job the court is doing.
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TODAY’S NUMBER
29
That’s how many inches of rain have fallen on Beijing since Saturday — the heaviest rainfall experienced in the Chinese capital in over 140 years. The torrential downpours from Typhoon Doksuri have inundated the western outskirts of Beijing with floods that swept away cars and destroyed a bridge. Meanwhile, Typhoon Khanun lashed Japan today with heavy rain and winds up to 137 mph as it made its nearest pass to the country’s southwestern Okinawa islands.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“Something major in a huge part of the planet is suddenly behaving differently from what we saw for the past 45 years.”
— Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, warning that the rapidly decreasing sea ice in Antarctica could have cascading effects on wildlife and the planet’s temperature. Scientists have observed that Antarctic sea ice is at the lowest levels for this time of year since records began 45 years ago, likely due to the increase of planet-heating pollution.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY…
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