5 things to know for July 22: Jan. 6, Covid-19, Extreme heat, Immigration, Ukraine
By Alexandra Meeks, CNN
Before you purchase those items in your Amazon cart, make sure you scan product reviews for anything suspicious. Amazon is trying to weed out thousands of online groups it says is responsible for orchestrating millions of fake reviews on its site. The company this week said it is using “advanced technology” and “expert investigators” to identify and sue the bad actors, but some of the fraudsters are well-disguised and are actively looking for loopholes to mislead buyers.
Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
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1. January 6
The January 6 committee presented new evidence Thursday highlighting then-President Donald Trump’s refusal over three hours to publicly condemn the riot at the US Capitol or to call off the violent mob. During the primetime session, witnesses with firsthand knowledge of what was happening inside the White House on January 6 told the committee that Trump did not place a single call to law enforcement or national security officials as the insurrection was unfolding. Nor did he issue a statement during that time urging rioters to leave the Capitol and go home. The committee used that testimony to make a case that Trump’s refusal to intervene amounted to a dereliction of duty. The hearing also featured disturbing new video and audio showing how endangered Vice President Mike Pence’s security detail felt as they were trying to evacuate him safely from the Capitol. Thursday’s session was the committee’s final public hearing until September.
2. Covid-19
President Joe Biden said Thursday that he’s tested positive for Covid-19 but will continue to work while in isolation at the White House despite mild symptoms. In a video posted to Twitter, Biden told Americans that he is “doing well” and that “it’s gonna be OK,” adding he has been 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 begun taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid, which is available via emergency use authorization from the FDA for eligible people at high risk of severe illness. The President’s infection comes as coronavirus cases are once again on the rise in the US, driven by the most contagious strain of the virus yet: BA.5.
3. Extreme heat
The deadly heat waves across the globe have done strange things to infrastructure as millions endure searing temperatures that are expected to last through the weekend. On the outskirts of London, a portion of an airport runway melted after the UK capital saw its hottest day on record Tuesday with temperatures breaching 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 heat wave is also currently affecting more than 900 million people in China — or 64% of the population. In the city of Chongqing, which has also been under a red alert, the heat caused a museum roof to melt. And in many parts of the US, triple-digit temperatures are causing power grids to buckle, causing energy emergencies.
4. Immigration
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to freeze a lower court order that has blocked 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 trying to return to Obama-era policies that limit immigration arrests in order to focus on security risks instead of the more aggressive approach taken by the Trump administration. The vote was also the first for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson since she was sworn in on June 30. Jackson joined the court’s three other female justices in dissenting with the ruling. This comes a little more than a week after thousands of migrants from multiple countries descended upon the US-Mexico border in search of asylum, adding to the Biden administration’s challenges.
5. Ukraine
Russia’s Ukraine war effort is running “out of steam” and Russia has lost its ability to spy in Europe “by half,” according to the chief of Britain’s foreign intelligence service. “I think our assessment is that the Russians will increasingly find it difficult to supply manpower material over the next few weeks,” Richard Moore, the head of MI6, told CNN. “They will have to pause some way and that will give the Ukrainians opportunities to strike back.” In addition, the European Council hit Russia with new restrictive measures today, preventing another major Russian bank from conducting transactions outside of the country. Separately, the Russian government today expanded its list of “unfriendly foreign states,” adding Greece, Denmark, Slovenia, Croatia and Slovakia.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Cats are going wild over this video game
People are posting their cats’ reactions to a new feline-friendly video game. Watch the funny moments here.
‘Nope’ premieres in US theaters today
The reviews are in, and critics are giving a big yes to Jordan Peele’s latest movie, the alien-invasion thriller “Nope.”
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 right before our eyes.
Australia’s largest music festival sinks into the mud, forcing first day cancellation
Festivalgoers at Splendour in the Grass 2022 were excited for a lineup of A-list performers like Gorillaz and The Strokes. They got a mud pit instead.
One of Central Park’s prettiest places is closing
This popular boathouse restaurant in New York City will close permanently in October. Get your pictures while you can.
QUIZ TIME
Which product remains difficult to find in many US stores due to a nationwide shortage?
A. Paper towels
B. Toilet paper
C. Baby formula
D. Toothpaste
Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see if you’re correct!
TODAY’S NUMBER
13
That’s how many people are accused of sending more than 8 billion robocalls about “auto warranties” since 2018. The illegal calls typically begin with recorded lines such as, “We’ve been trying to reach you concerning your car’s extended warranty,” the Federal Communications Commission said in an order Thursday, requiring voice providers to stop carrying the calls. The people behind the alleged scheme are mostly based in Texas and California but also in places as far away as Hungary. The calls were the single largest source of consumer complaints to the FCC in each of the past two years.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“Many of you may be too young to remember polio, but when I was growing up, this disease struck fear in families, including my own. The fact that it is still around decades after the vaccine was created shows you just how relentless it is.”
— Ed Day, a county executive in Rockland, New York, urging people to get vaccinated against polio after a person from the county was diagnosed with the first case of polio identified in the US in nearly a decade. The unvaccinated young adult began experiencing weakness and paralysis about a month ago, health officials said. About 1 in 4 infected people have flu-like symptoms, but as many as 1 in 200 develop more serious symptoms that include numbness in the legs, an infection of the brain or spinal cord, and paralysis, the CDC said. There is no cure for polio, and paralysis caused by the disease is permanent.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
The most beautiful fruits and vegetables you’ve probably never seen
Today is National Mango Day in the US, and fans of the tasty tropical fruit apparently take it quite seriously. In honor, check out this video of the most beautiful and uncommon fruits you may have never seen. (Click here to view.)
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