5 things to know for August 31: Mar-a-Lago, Flooding, Heat waves, Artemis I, Gun laws

By CNN

Published August 31, 2022 4:30 AM

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN

About a month ago, a lottery ticket was sold for the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever, netting the winner nearly $1.34 billion. But there’s just one problem: The massive prize hasn’t been claimed yet.

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

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1. Mar-a-Lago

US government documents at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence were likely “concealed and removed” from a storage room as part of an effort to “obstruct” the FBI’s investigation of Trump’s potential mishandling of classified materials, the Justice Department said in a filing Tuesday night. The filing represents the DOJ’s strongest case to date that Trump concealed classified material taken from his time at the White House. The Justice Department revealed the startling new details as part of its move to oppose Trump’s effort to intervene in the federal investigation that led to the search of his Florida resort and his desire for a “special master” to be appointed to the case. A picture from the court filing also showed classified documents arrayed on the floor of Trump’s office — full of classified markings like “HCS,” or human confidential sources — displaying how sensitive the material Trump had taken was.

2. Flooding

A water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, has left residents with no running water, hospitals without air conditioning and moved schools online. Last week, flooding of the Pearl River after heavy rains impacted the treatment processes at the city’s main water facility. Now, there’s not enough water pressure to serve some 180,000 people, officials said. As crews work to get the water treatment plant back online, members of the National Guard are distributing bottled water, state officials said, but those efforts appeared unsustainable Tuesday. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said there will be several mega distribution sites with 36 truckloads of water available each day for the public beginning Thursday.

3. Heat waves

A prolonged and potentially record-setting heat wave is building over the Western US. More than 55 million people are currently under heat alerts from Southern California through the San Joaquin Valley and into portions of the Northwest, including 20 of the most populated cities up and down the West Coast. According to the National Weather Service, dangerously hot temperatures today may extend through Labor Day and could exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the Southwest. The kind of heat that will be felt from San Diego to Los Angeles to even Phoenix will be difficult to endure even for the locals, experts say. There will be a gradual warm-up in the coming days, and it will peak by the end of the week.

4. Artemis I

The uncrewed Artemis I mission will get another attempt at launching on a journey around the moon on Saturday. After the launch was scrubbed Monday morning, NASA’s launch team spent the day evaluating data gathered during the attempt. Mission managers said one of the rocket’s four engines could not reach the proper temperature range that is required for the engine to start at liftoff. Several other issues, including storms and a hydrogen leak, also caused delays that prevented liftoff during Monday’s launch window. The new two-hour launch window opens at 2:17 p.m. ET on September 3. There is still a backup opportunity for the mission to launch on September 5 as well.

5. Gun Laws

New York City’s famed Times Square tourist area will be designated a “gun-free zone” beginning Thursday as a new state law limiting where firearms can be legally carried in public is set to go into effect. The law outlines areas in the city deemed “sensitive” where firearm possession will be illegal, and also includes government-owned buildings, schools, health care facilities, places of worship and public transportation. People who carry a gun in a prohibited location could be charged with a felony under the law. New “gun-free zone” signs are expected to be posted in Times Square today at every entry and exit point of the area. This comes as the number of shootings involving automatic weapons in the US has skyrocketed in recent years.

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Kohl’s and Gap have a surprising plan for this season’s unsold clothing

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IN MEMORIAM

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the former Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, has died at the age of 91 after a long illness, Russian state news agencies reported on Tuesday. Gorbachev is credited with introducing key political and economic reforms to the USSR and helping to end the Cold War. Several world leaders paid tribute to Gorbachev Tuesday, with President Joe Biden calling him “a man of remarkable vision” in a statement.

TODAY’S NUMBER

33 million

That’s how many people in Pakistan have been recently impacted by devastating floods. Some areas have seen five times their normal levels of rain, largely due to the climate crisis, experts say. Torrential rainfall and extreme flooding have killed more than 1,100 people and injured more than 3,500 others in the country since mid-June.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“This seizure is a prime example of border security management and how it helps prevent dangerous narcotics from reaching our communities.”

— Alberto Flores, a port director for the US Customs and Border Protection, after a large shipment of baby wipes at the US-Mexico border turned out to be $11.8 million worth of cocaine. Officers seized the narcotics Friday at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge just north of Laredo, Texas, according to a news release. An inspection revealed 1,935 baby wipe packages were stuffed with around 1,533 pounds of alleged cocaine.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

Dog gets annoyed by new puppy

Watch this dog’s reaction when an energetic puppy becomes the newest addition to the family. (Click here to view)

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