5 things to know for Dec. 20: Trump, Israel, Border lawsuit, Covid-19, Artificial intelligence

By CNN

Published December 20, 2023 4:39 AM

CNN

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — The FAA has opened military airspace and dozens of new routes to keep commercial flights moving smoothly over the holidays. Now, it remains to be seen how well the airlines can overcome the challenging winter weather that has already caused widespread travel disruptions this week.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

1. Trump

The Colorado Supreme Court made history Tuesday with an unprecedented decision that removed former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot. The court ruled that Trump isn’t an eligible presidential candidate because the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban” covers his conduct during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. The 14th Amendment states officials who take an oath to support the Constitution are banned from future office if they “engaged in insurrection.” But the amendment’s wording is vague, doesn’t explicitly mention the presidency and has only been applied twice since 1919. The Trump campaign said that it will “swiftly file an appeal.”

2. Israel

The UN Security Council will vote today on a Gaza resolution, sources say, as diplomats work to finalize language that would gain a “yes” vote — or at least an abstention — from the US. The Biden administration has rejected calls for a ceasefire, saying that it would not achieve peace. The draft resolution is said to have originally included a call for a “cessation of hostilities” to allow much-needed aid to enter Gaza. Diplomats were hopeful that changing the language to “suspension of hostilities” could gain American support. If the US allows the resolution to pass, it would amount to an important signal to Israel — including from its top ally — of the growing international outcry over the humanitarian crisis in the region.

3. Border lawsuit

A new law that makes it a state crime to enter Texas illegally is “incredibly extreme,” the White House said Tuesday, a day after Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law. Many Democrats believe the law is unconstitutional and civil rights groups filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas on Tuesday challenging the legislation. The suit comes amid a surge of migrants on the southern border that has placed pressure on local, state and federal authorities to crack down on illegal crossings. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a joint statement Tuesday acknowledging that senators will not reach a deal on immigration this week, pushing negotiations over the larger national security package with aid for Ukraine and Israel to early next year.

4. Covid-19

The CDC is warning that the coronavirus subvariant JN.1 is now the “fastest-growing” variant in the US. It’s now causing about 20% of new Covid-19 infections in the country and is dominant in the Northeast, where it is estimated to be the cause of about a third of new cases. Variant trackers say they expect JN.1 to become the leading coronavirus variant around the world in a matter of weeks. The World Health Organization named it a variant of interest on Tuesday because of its “rapidly increasing spread” but noted that the additional public health risk remains low. The heavily mutated JN.1 also appears to be getting an assist from holiday travel and waning immunity from previous Covid shots, health experts say.

5. Artificial intelligence

OpenAI, the company behind the viral chatbot ChatGPT, unveiled new plans to prevent any worst-case scenarios that could arise out of the powerful artificial intelligence technology that it is developing. The new framework outlines how the company is working to track, evaluate and protect against “catastrophic risks” from cutting-edge AI models. These risks range from AI systems being used to cause a mass cybersecurity disruption to assisting in the creation of biological, chemical or nuclear weapons. This comes after hundreds of top AI scientists and researchers signed a letter earlier this year that said mitigating the “risk of extinction from AI” should be a global priority alongside other risks “such as pandemics and nuclear war.”

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Powerball jackpot climbs to $572 million ahead of today’s drawing
Some lottery players are holding out hope for a holiday miracle! Learn about the upcoming drawing.

Christmas trees have gotten a lot less real in recent decades
Faux Christmas trees have become the popular choice for Americans, according to a new survey … because cleaning pine needles? Fir-get about it!

Webb telescope’s new portrait showcases Uranus’ mysterious features
The planet’s rings and moons shine in this new image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Why superhero movies have collectively underperformed this year
The “Aquaman” sequel starring Jason Momoa will try to buck the 2023 trend of box-office disappointment for superhero movies.

Controversial social media site Parler to return in 2024
The conservative platform Parler was widely known as an arena for forms of hate speech and misinformation before it shuttered in April. Now, the company is planning a comeback despite being kicked off major app stores.

QUIZ TIME

A lot happened in 2023, from wars to wildfires to mass shootings. But not all of the headlines were bad. We had big moments in music, movies and sports to provide a little levity and much-needed distraction. Take CNN’s Year in Review Quiz to find out how well you paid attention to this year’s news!

TODAY’S NUMBER

13.3
That’s how many barrels of oil the United States is set to produce each day during the fourth quarter of this year. At that rate, the US is on track to produce more oil than any country has in history.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“It’s such a rare privilege to be able to contribute to our state’s history in such a special way like this.”

— Artist Andrew Prekker, saying it felt “surreal” to have his artwork chosen as Minnesota’s new state flag. Earlier this year, the State Emblems Redesign Commission called on Minnesota residents to submit new designs of the flag after the original one drew criticism for its depiction of Native Americans.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

Welcome to charming Bari
Let’s take a virtual trip to the Italian port city of Bari, where grandmas are making pasta on the street side! Watch the video here.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - National

Jump to comments ↓