Start your week smart: Israel targets Hezbollah, Starliner astronauts, Hurricane Hone, German festival stabbing, Fed rate cut

By Andrew Torgan, CNN

(CNN) — Here’s something to chew on this Sunday morning: Where do waffles come from? The answer may surprise you.

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

The weekend that was

• The Israeli military launched what it called “preemptive” strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon earlier today as the Iran-backed militant group said it carried out its own strikes in response to the killing of a top commander. The Israel Defense Forces said about 100 of its fighter jets “struck and destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launcher barrels” across dozens of launch sites in Lebanon. Israel said it carried out the strikes after identifying that Hezbollah was “preparing to fire missiles and rockets toward Israeli territory.”
• Two NASA astronauts who have remained on board the International Space Station for about 80 days because of issues plaguing the Boeing Starliner spacecraft will now return to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule no earlier than February 2025. The stunning turn of events came after the space agency held a formal review on Saturday to determine whether it would deem the Starliner vehicle safe enough to return home with its crew — or if SpaceX’s workhorse spacecraft would have to step in to save the day.
• Hurricane Hone is threatening Hawaii’s Big Island with the storm on track to deliver heavy rain, strong winds, dangerous seas and fire concerns to a tinder-dry state still recovering from one of the most devastating fires in US history. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green declared a state of emergency late Saturday due to the threats from Hone and the elevated fire danger in the state.
• A Syrian man has turned himself in and confessed to stabbing three people to death and wounding eight others at a festival in the western German city of Solingen on Friday, police said. The investigation is looking into whether the 26-year-old suspect had any connection to a “terrorist organization,” a spokesperson at Germany’s top prosecutor’s office told CNN. The suspect will appear before a judge today.
• After a grueling two years of high inflation and elevated interest rates, Americans are finally set for some relief: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday offered his strongest affirmation yet that a rate cut is coming next month. Speaking at an economic summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Powell said that “the time has come” to adjust policy, with interest rates currently perched at a 23-year high.

The week ahead

Monday
The bipartisan congressional task force investigating the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump is expected to visit the scene of the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. The task force, made up of seven House Republicans and six House Democrats, will issue a final report on its findings no later than December 13. That report will also recommend “legislative reforms necessary to prevent future security lapses,” according to the House resolution.

Tuesday
SpaceX is hoping to launch its Polaris Dawn mission to carry a crew of private citizens to altitudes higher than any human has traveled since NASA’s Apollo program ended in the 1970s. The four-person crew includes billionaire Jared Isaacman — who self-funded a mission to orbit Earth in 2021 — his friend and former Air Force pilot, Scott “Kidd” Poteet, as well as two SpaceX engineers, Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. While in orbit, the crew will open the hatch of their spacecraft and expose themselves to the vacuum of space, marking the first time such a feat has been attempted by non-government astronauts.

Thursday
Dragon Con — an international convention devoted to science fiction, fantasy, gaming, comics, books, art and movies — descends on Atlanta. The five-day event is expected to draw more than 70,000 costumed attendees, all clamoring to hear from a lineup of creators, writers, artists, actors and illustrators.

Friday
On the economic front, the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index for July, often referred to as the Federal Reserve’s favorite gauge of inflation, is due from the Commerce Department. The previous reading showed price hikes slowing — inching closer toward the Fed’s 2% target. A positive report would reinforce Fed Chair Powell’s strong suggestions that an interest rate cut is on the horizon.

Saturday
August 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day. Learn how to recognize an overdose, and how Naloxone — available as an over-the-counter nasal spray — can reverse an overdose from opioids, including heroin, illegally made fentanyl and prescription opioid medications.

Listen in

Tell us

What new school policies are you navigating?
School is back in session, and with the new school year comes new rules. Cell phone bans, new dress codes (no hoodies or all-black clothing) and even the removal of bathroom mirrors are just some of the changes being made in the name of safety and better student engagement — but the rules aren’t all cut and dried. What is your school doing differently this year? What concerns do you have and how are you managing the new policies? Share your thoughts with us, and we may follow up for a story on CNN.

Photos of the week

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

What’s happening in entertainment

TV and streaming
Season 4 of “Only Murders in the Building” arrives on Hulu on Tuesday with the core trio of Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez heading to Hollywood.

NBC will air “Toby Keith: American Icon” on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. After Keith died in February after being diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2022, fellow country music superstars including Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lainey Wilson recorded a tribute concert in Nashville, which NBC has made into a two-hour special.

In theaters
Dennis Quaid stars in “Reagan,” a drama that opens Friday based on the life of former President Ronald Reagan, from his childhood to his time in the White House.

The psychological space thriller “Slingshot” features Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne as astronauts aboard a possibly fatally compromised mission to Saturn’s moon, Titan.

What’s happening in sports

At a glance …
The NFL season is inching closer with three matchups set for today: Titans at Saints, Cardinals at Broncos and Patriots at Commanders. The season opens on September 5 when the Ravens take on the defending Super Bowl Champion Chiefs in Kansas City.

The 2024 US Open is set to get underway on Monday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York. You can follow all of CNN’s US Open coverage here.

If your already missing the Olympic thrills from Paris you’re in luck! The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games begin Wednesday and run through September 8.

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, 58% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘Happy’
Monday is National Dog Day! If there’s one thing dogs are good at, it’s making people happy. (Click here to view)

The-CNN-Wire
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