5 things to know for Sept. 14: Primaries, Food prices, Abortion, Twitter, China typhoon

By CNN

Published September 14, 2022 4:36 AM

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN

A railroad strike — and the economic damage it could cause — is getting closer to reality. About 60,000 union members who work for the nation’s freight railroads, including engineers and conductors, are set to go on strike Friday if an agreement isn’t reached on new contracts. Without them on the job, those trains will not run, nor will many commuter and Amtrak trains that run over freight rail lines.

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

(You can get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)

1. Primaries

The 2022 primary season came to a close on Tuesday, with New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Delaware holding a slate of key elections that could play a major role in helping decide which party controls the House and Senate. A great deal of attention is on New Hampshire, where Republicans are selecting their nominee to take on Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in what could be one of the most competitive Senate races. Hassan won by just 1,000 votes in 2016, and Republicans have seen New Hampshire as a potential pick-up opportunity in their bid for control of a Senate that’s currently split 50-50. Also in New Hampshire, CNN projects Karoline Leavitt, a 25-year-old ex-Trump aide, will win the GOP primary in the 1st Congressional District and face Democrat Chris Pappas in November.

2. Inflation

Food prices in the US are far higher than they were a year ago, according to new data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, grocery prices jumped 13.5% and restaurant menu prices increased by 8%. Egg prices soared 39.8%, while flour got 23.3% more expensive. Milk rose 17% and the price of bread jumped 16.2%. Meat, poultry, fruits and vegetables also grew costlier. On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.1% from July, according to the Consumer Price Index, which measures a basket of consumer goods and services. The reading came as a surprise to investors and sent US stocks plummeting Tuesday in their worst day since June 2020.

3. Abortion

Lawmakers in West Virginia passed a bill Tuesday that will prohibit nearly all abortions except to save the life of the mother or in certain cases that involve rape or incest. The bill would significantly limit access to abortion in a state where the procedure is currently legal up to 20 weeks post-fertilization. It now heads to the Republican governor’s desk for signature. Separately, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced a bill Tuesday that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, the most significant proposal by Republicans in Congress to curtail the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade three months ago. And in Indiana, a near-total abortion ban is set to go into effect later this week.

4. Twitter

Elon Musk is fighting to get out of his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter, but the social media company’s shareholders plan to hold him to it. The vast majority of Twitter shareholders voted in favor of Musk’s takeover deal on Tuesday and said they are ready to complete the merger no later than Thursday. The vote came days after Musk’s third letter to Twitter seeking to terminate the deal over a $7.75 million payment the company is said to have made to a former employee who later blew the whistle about Twitter’s alleged security and privacy vulnerabilities. The whistleblower, Twitter’s former head of security Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday about his concerns, including allegations that Twitter possibly has foreign intelligence agents on its payroll.

5. China typhoon

China has issued its highest-level alert as Typhoon Muifa is expected to make landfall near Shanghai today. Forecasts show winds will be equivalent to a category 1 Atlantic hurricane, exceeding the first three typhoons of the season. Authorities in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang ordered ships to return to port, told schools to close and evacuated tourists from nearby islands, according to a Reuters report. Waves of up to 16 feet are expected near China’s busiest container seaport in the commercial hub of Shanghai. Several airlines in the city have canceled flights today and at least 13,000 people in the city have been evacuated, according to state media.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Watch a polite bear open and close the door

A woman confronted a bear at her front door and politely asked him to leave. Surprisingly, he listened.

See Drew Barrymore’s tearful reunion with ex-boyfriend

The actress kicked off season three of her talk show with a guest near and dear to her heart: her ex-boyfriend Justin Long. Watch this short video of the tearful reunion.

‘The Crown’ viewership surged on Netflix after Queen Elizabeth’s death

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Netflix viewers tuned into the show about her life.

Ferrari’s first four-door car is here

It looks like an SUV… but the company insists people shouldn’t call it that.

Highlights from New York Fashion Week

The biggest names in fashion showcased their new collections in New York this week. Several A-list celebrities also made their runway debuts.

IN MEMORIAM

Ken Starr, a former US solicitor general who gained fame in the 1990s as the independent counsel who doggedly investigated President Bill Clinton during a series of political scandals, has died aged 76. Starr, who was a member of former President Donald Trump’s defense team during Trump’s first impeachment, also served as president of Baylor University from 2010 to 2016.

TODAY’S NUMBER

4 months

That’s how long an unruly passenger on an American Airlines flight was sentenced to serve in prison for interfering with flight crew members, the Department of Justice said in a news release. The passenger’s violent behavior on the February 2021 flight from Dallas to Los Angeles prompted the flight to reroute to Phoenix. According to data from the FAA, the past year set a record for unruly passenger behavior, ending with nearly 6,000 reports.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“This immediate, massive spike was beyond what we had anticipated.”

— Ian Petchenik, a spokesman for the aviation tracker website Flightradar24, after the plane carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin set a new record Tuesday as the most-tracked flight ever. About five million people followed the trip from Edinburgh to London, data from the site showed. That tops the previous record achieved last month during US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan. Pelosi’s flight to Taipei was tracked by about 2.9 million people.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

Strangely satisfying kinetic sand

This artist creates and slices food-shaped kinetic sand. I know, it sounds strange… but many say it’s incredibly relaxing to watch. (Click here to view)

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