5 things to know for May 23: Mexico volcano, Trump, Debt limit, LGBTQ rights, TikTok

By CNN

Published May 23, 2023 4:54 AM

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN

(CNN) — Hurricane season starts next week, and forecasters are already monitoring a system brewing in the Atlantic. So, if you live along the coast or in a flood-prone region, now is a good time to review your hurricane plans and stock up on these items to help stay safe.

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

(You can get “CNN’s 5 Things” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)

1. Mexico volcano

Millions of people in Mexico have been warned to prepare for a possible evacuation due to increased activity from Popocatépetl, the country’s most dangerous active volcano. Ash spewing from the volcano has delayed flights in Mexico City and led authorities to close schools in dozens of municipalities. Some 25 million people live in a 60-mile radius of the volcano, which is about 45 miles southeast of Mexico City. The US Embassy in Mexico issued a warning over the weekend saying the volcano “has exhibited increased activity since May 15, registering hundreds of tremors and smoke and ash exhalations.” The volcano had been dormant for decades until it erupted in 1994. Since then, its rumblings have become a part of daily life for residents.

2. Trump

E. Jean Carroll has asked a judge to amend her initial defamation case against former President Donald Trump following comments he made during a CNN town hall. Earlier this month, a Manhattan federal jury found that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a luxury department store dressing room in the mid-1990s and awarded her $5 million for battery and defamation. The jury sided with Carroll who alleged Trump defamed her when he denied her claim, said she wasn’t his type and suggested she made up the story. She is now seeking additional punitive damages after Trump repeated his defamatory statements at a CNN town hall and called Carroll a “whack job.” Trump has denied all claims brought against him by Carroll and appealed the jury’s judgment.

3. Debt limit

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reinforced her warning to Congress Monday that it has only a little time left to address the debt ceiling before the nation defaults on its obligations. It is “highly likely” that the agency will not be able to pay all of its bills in full and on time as soon as June 1, Yellen wrote in a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Several analyses back up Yellen’s forecast that the so-called X-date could arrive in early June, though they think it could occur later than June 1. If the US defaults on its debt, millions of jobs would be impacted, the cost of borrowing money would skyrocket and government benefits that many people rely on wouldn’t be sent on time. However, investors hungry for an opportunity to buy low and sell high, say the default might not be total doomsday.

4. LGBTQ rights

More than 130 bills have been introduced nationwide this legislative session that target LGBTQ rights — especially health care for transgender patients, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. On Monday, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, banned gender-affirming care for people under 19 years old. Gender-affirming care is a type of medical care that helps a person transition from their assigned gender — the one the person was designated at birth — to their affirmed gender — the gender by which one wants to be known. The action in Nebraska this week comes after more than a dozen other states have moved to restrict gender-affirming care this year. The bill also bans most abortions in the state after 12 weeks, with limited exceptions.

5. TikTok

TikTok is suing Montana over a bill that would ban the app in the state starting early next year. The company alleges that the ban violates the US Constitution, including the First Amendment, as well as other federal laws. The company also claims concerns that the Chinese government could access the data of US TikTok users are “unfounded.” The bill was signed by Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte last week and would impose a fine of $10,000 per day on TikTok or app stores for making the app available to personal devices in the state starting on January 1, 2024. TikTok is seeking for the court to invalidate and permanently enjoin the state from enforcing the ban. “We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts,” a spokesperson for the app said in a statement.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are engaged

Well, summer is a prime time for weddings! Read more about the happy couple here.

Nuggets sweep Lakers to advance to NBA Finals

With a 113-111 victory on Monday night, the Denver Nuggets will advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in the franchise’s 47-year history.

These museums showcase the future, not the past

It appears a different kind of museum is gaining popularity. More people are expressing interest in exhibitions that show what the future may look like.

Supreme Court ducks fight over foie gras

The controversial delicacy is quite common in France but will remain banned in California.

New trailer released for upcoming ‘The Color Purple’ movie

The musical reboot of the 1985 classic is produced by Oprah Winfrey — who starred in the original Steven Spielberg-directed film. Read more on the cast.

TODAY’S NUMBER

2,500

That’s how many Disney employees are expected to lose their jobs this week, a source told CNN, as the company completes its last significant round of cuts previously announced by CEO Bob Iger. The first two waves of layoffs took place in March and April, eliminating roughly 4,000 jobs, including at ESPN, Disney’s entertainment division, Disney Parks, and its Experiences and Product division.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“People don’t realize how powerful water is.”

— Fresno County Sgt. Matthew Hamilton, cautioning recreational boaters after two children were killed Sunday when a swift current in a central California river swept them away from their mother. “It’s just not worth it,” Hamilton said, urging people to avoid the dangerous conditions at Kings River. Officials said the young victims, an 8-year-old girl and her 4-year-old brother, were not wearing life jackets.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY…

Runaway cow sprints through traffic on highway

A team of wranglers lassoed a cow on a Michigan highway with the help of state police after it escaped from a pasture. Watch the cow chaos here.

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