5 things to know for July 17: Trump, Supreme Court, Floods, Elon Musk, Copycat snacks
CNN
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It’s World Emoji Day, an unofficial holiday acknowledging the thousands of symbols and smileys we use to spice up our text messages. CNN asked how you use emojis, and the responses showed a clear generational split. For instance, Gen Z is more likely to use a skull emoji 💀 to convey laughter, compared to millennials and Gen X who prefer using the 😂, also known as the “face with tears of joy.” Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are concerned about the potential for violent “follow-on or retaliatory attacks” in response to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, the agencies said in a joint intelligence bulletin. “Individuals in some online communities” have threatened or encouraged violence in the wake of Saturday’s shooting, according to the bulletin. Authorities are still searching for the shooter’s motive and have not identified any co-conspirators. Meanwhile, Trump has continued his campaign efforts amid the ongoing probe. He is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, while his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is set to address the convention later today. President Joe Biden is seriously considering publicly endorsing major reforms at the Supreme Court, sources tell CNN. Biden may push for term limits for the nine justices — who currently serve lifetime appointments — as well as an ethics code for the court that would contain an enforcement mechanism. Additionally, Biden may push for an amendment that would reverse the historic ruling from the court earlier this month that gave presidents immunity for some actions they take while in office. News of Biden’s forthcoming announcement has been met with praise from progressive court reform groups. It may also help reinvigorate a fraying Democratic coalition as private efforts to nudge Biden out of the 2024 race continue. After water overtopped a reservoir dam and forced residents of a small Illinois city to evacuate Tuesday amid fears the structure could rupture, local officials now say the situation is under control. Officials said excessive rain spilled over the top of the dam and flooded downstream, forcing the evacuation of residents in Nashville, Illinois. Extreme rainfall events like these are becoming more common and illustrate the effects of climate change. This week alone, millions of people have been displaced by floods, landslides and heavy rains across South Asia, which is home to about a quarter of the world’s population and among the most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis. Elon Musk says he’s moving his companies out of California. The billionaire announced plans Tuesday to move SpaceX’s HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas, a company town being built in the southern part of the state. Musk also said his social media platform X will move from San Francisco to Austin, Texas. He explained that the SAFETY Act — a law California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed that would prohibit school districts from requiring teachers to inform parents if a child wants to be identified by a different gender — was “the final straw.” Musk called the law an “attack on families and companies,” adding to a list of controversial statements he has shared about gender identity.
FBI says it has disrupted major Chinese hacking operation that threatened US critical infrastructure
The FBI has used a court order to seize control of a network of hundreds of thousands of hacked internet routers and other devices that Chinese government-linked hackers were using to threaten critical infrastructure in the US and overseas, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday.
The Federal Reserve is preparing to cut interest rates for the first time in the Biden era after the White House spent the last three years grappling with Americans’ dissatisfaction with the cost of living, raising new questions about the health of the economy and the impact on voters at the ballot box.
Israeli officials notified the US that the country was going to carry out an operation in Lebanon on Tuesday but did not give any details about what they were planning, according to three sources familiar with the matter, including in a call between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant early Tuesday morning.