Start your week smart: Crimea bridge explosion, cluster munitions, Walmart gunman sentenced

By CNN

Published July 9, 2023 6:49 AM

By Andrew Torgan and Daniel Wine, CNN

(CNN) — You may have heard recently about a new social media app called Threads from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Here’s everything you need to know about what some are calling a potential “Twitter killer.”

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

The weekend that was

• Ukraine’s deputy defense minister made what appears to be the clearest admission yet that Ukrainian forces were responsible for an attack last October on the bridge connecting Russia and occupied Crimea. The attack on the Kerch bridge represented a psychological blow for Moscow and a major propaganda victory for Kyiv.
• President Biden told CNN that it was a “difficult decision” to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions for the first time, but that he was ultimately convinced to send the controversial weapons because Kyiv needs ammunition in its counteroffensive against Russia.
• The mass shooter who killed 23 people at an El Paso Walmart in one of the deadliest attacks targeting Latinos in modern US history was sentenced to 90 consecutive life terms by a federal judge.
• The world is big enough for both the United States and China to thrive, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said as she wrapped up a visit to Beijing aimed at stabilizing the relationship between the world’s two largest economies.
• Leslie Van Houten, a former Charles Manson follower and convicted murderer, moved another step closer to parole as California’s governor announced that he will no longer challenge her release.

The week ahead

Monday
President Biden, who is in London en route to a NATO summit, is set to meet King Charles III at Windsor Castle, the BBC reports. Biden also will meet with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The two engagements are to “further strengthen the close relationship between our nations,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Tuesday
NATO leaders begin a hugely symbolic two-day summit in Vilnius, Lithuania — one of the Baltic states once forcibly folded into the Soviet Union. Topics on the agenda include Sweden’s bid to join NATO, which is being held up by Turkey and Hungary. Ukraine is also seeking membership in the alliance, and late last week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he expects allied leaders will agree during the summit on a “package with three elements to bring Ukraine closer to NATO.”

Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds will convene a special legislative session for the sole task of passing abortion restrictions. The governor’s call for lawmakers to return comes weeks after Iowa’s Supreme Court declined to lift a block on the state’s six-week abortion ban, deadlocking in a 3-3 vote on whether to overturn a lower court decision that deemed the 2018 law unconstitutional.

Wednesday
A detention hearing is set for the man who was arrested late last month with firearms in former President Barack Obama’s Washington, DC, neighborhood. He is accused of threatening several politicians. The suspect, who had an open warrant for his arrest related to charges stemming from his involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, was apprehended a day after claiming on a livestream that he had a detonator. Federal prosecutors said last week they plan to file felony charges against him.

The latest reading on inflation in the US — the Consumer Price Index for June — is set to be released. In May, the CPI rose at the slowest annual pace since March 2021, a welcome sign that prices continue to ease.

Friday
July 14 is Bastille Day. Vive la France!

One Thing: GOP primary primer
In this week’s One Thing podcast, CNN anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper tells us everything we should know about the 2024 Republican presidential candidates a little more than a month before the first primary debate. Listen for more.

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
The CNN Original Series “See It Loud: The History of Black Television” premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT. “See It Loud” celebrates the achievements of Black actors and creators, examining the historical impact Black culture has on all culture. The series takes viewers on a journey from Black television’s origins in sitcoms like “The Jeffersons” and blockbuster dramas like “Roots,” explores the emerging opportunities for Black voices in sci-fi and horror, and examines the impact of the reality TV genre on Black culture.

Be sure to take CNN’s special edition quiz: How well do you know Black sitcoms?

In theaters
If it’s summer, it’s time for another Tom Cruise blockbuster. “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” parachutes into theaters on Friday. The latest installment of this multibillion-dollar franchise featuring Cruise as superspy Ethan Hunt leans into 21st-century anxieties with its villain. Dubbed The Entity, this faceless, stateless antagonist is artificial intelligence capable of infiltrating the world’s digital networks to chaotic ends. Sharing the action are co-stars Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Benji Dunn, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff and Esai Morales. Part Two is slated for release in June 2024.

What’s happening in sports

At a glance
Officials from golf’s PGA Tour will appear on Tuesday before a Senate subcommittee investigating its proposed partnership with LIV Golf, which is backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Last month, two Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the Treasury Department requesting that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States examine the national security risks of the proposed golf tour tie-up.

Major League Baseball’s All-Star game is set for Tuesday in Seattle, but one of the game’s biggest stars is not expected to take the mound. Shohei Ohtani, who had been voted as a rare two-way All-Star due to his remarkable proficiency at both pitching and hitting, said last week that he’s dealing with a finger blister and is unlikely to pitch. Ohtani was in line to start the game for the American League.

US Women’s National Team soccer star Megan Rapinoe, a two-time Women’s World Cup winner, announced she will retire at the end of this season.

And it’s a big week at Wimbledon, with the women’s and men’s singles semifinals set for Thursday and Friday, respectively, and the women’s final on Saturday. The men’s final will be one week from today.

For more of your favorite sports, head on over to Bleacher Report, which — like CNN — is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Quiz time!

Looking for a challenge to start your week? Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 30% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘La Marseillaise’
In honor of Bastille Day on Friday, we present the national anthem of France. Stick with this one to the very end for a special treat that’s truly out of this world. (Click here to view)

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