5 things to know for June 18: Presidential legacy, agreement signed, Knicks parade, flood threat, gas prices

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By Alexandra Banner, CNN

After four major plane crashes in the US this week, some travelers are asking whether it’s a coincidence or cause for concern. Experts say the accidents appear unrelated, and that while the timing is unnerving, there is no indication that air travel has become less safe.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

1️⃣ Presidential legacy

The Obama Presidential Center will hold its official grand opening ceremony today in Chicago, with political leaders and cultural icons in attendance, alongside performances by several Grammy Award-winning artists. Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are expected to welcome former Presidents Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The campus will open to the public on Friday, coinciding with the Juneteenth holiday. See inside the new $850 million center.

MORE: Obama confronts the work that remains for Democrats — and for him

2️⃣ Agreement signed

President Donald Trump signed the US-Iran agreement on Wednesday, concluding his trip to Europe for the G7 summit. The White House then sent a photo of a signed copy to Tehran, where Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also signed the document. The agreement says the US will issue waivers allowing Iran to export oil and spells out provisions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, among other measures. Read the US-Iran peace plan, annotated.

WATCH: Trump signs US-Iran agreement during dinner at palace of Versailles

3️⃣ Knicks parade

The New York Knicks’ first championship parade in more than 50 years will take over Lower Manhattan today. A record 10,000 NYPD officers have been assigned to the event as officials prepare for enormous crowds along the parade’s route, which runs through a stretch of Broadway known as the Canyon of Heroes. Read more.

WATCH: Mamdani says Knicks parade will be about joy and safety

4️⃣ Flood threat

Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, has weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, but it will continue fueling a dangerous flood threat across the Gulf Coast and into the South through Friday. Parts of eastern Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi have already received more than a month’s worth of rain in just three days, with some areas reaching that total in only a few hours. Read more.

MEANWHILE: Tornado outbreak tears through Midwest amid unusually strong June storm

5️⃣ Gas prices

Average gas prices are back below $4 a gallon nationwide for the first time since March, according to AAA. The milestone follows a US-Iran agreement after months of supply disruptions in the Middle East that had sent oil and gas prices soaring. Read more..

Breakfast browse

The World Cup is scoring high temperatures

The matches are heating up — and in some US host cities, so is the weather. Experts are keeping a close eye on three World Cup cities that could face sweltering temperatures.

A royal reunion

Harry and Meghan are set to visit the UK with family for the first time in four years, British media reports.

Leave it to the beavers

This city had a flooding problem, so it turned to the world’s second-largest rodent for help.

There’s a new sheriff in town at the Fed

Kevin Warsh wasted no time putting his stamp on the Federal Reserve in his first meeting as chairman. Here’s how the Fed’s new direction could affect your money.

Tracing the plague

Ancient DNA is shedding light on the plague’s deadly impact 5,500 years ago.

And finally…

▶️ ‘Cyborg soloist’ controls music with hands, eyes and brain

This classically trained musician is using AI and wearable technology to reinvent the piano recital.

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