5 things to know for May 25: Ron DeSantis, Russia, Debt limit, January 6, Florida
By AJ Willingham, CNN
(CNN) — Astronomically expensive repairs, dodgy credit card tactics – the Consumer Federation of America has released its annual report of consumer complaints, and the most frequent gripes aren’t exactly a surprise.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
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1. Ron DeSantis
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his 2024 presidential campaign on Twitter Spaces, Twitter’s audio-only platform, but a series of technical difficulties and a waning audience on the app opened the door for criticism from both sides of the political aisle. The livestream event, hosted by owner Elon Musk and tech entrepreneur David Sacks, was initially delayed and then cut out a few minutes through. Musk had to restart the event from a different account, and only about 250,000 people ended up listening to DeSantis’ big moment. Now, political experts say DeSantis will need to bounce back if he has a hope of besting former President Donald Trump – who ridiculed the tech fiasco – for the 2024 GOP nomination. The incident is also a blow to Musk, who could have been seen as a new Republican kingmaker if the event had gone as planned. DeSantis shunned more traditional media methods for his campaign announcement, including a potential interview with Fox News.
2. Russia
A new “revolution” could rock Russia if its stuttering war effort in Ukraine continues, the chief of private military group Wagner said. Yevgeny Prigozhin gave a scathing assessment of Moscow’s military readiness in an interview with a pro-Russian blogger. Prigozhin has frequently criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s traditional military hierarchy, and his comments could further expose divisions in its ranks. Meanwhile, nine people were hospitalized following drone attacks on the Russian region of Belgorod. Anti-Moscow groups have claimed responsibility for the attacks. Kyiv has distanced itself from these Russian fighters, saying they are operating independently in Russia. Russia’s defense minister called the attack a “terrorist act.”
3. Debt limit
The House will recess today even as tense debt ceiling negotiations between the White House and top Republicans continue. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says members will be called back to the chamber with 24 hours notice if a deal is reached. Negotiators for the White House and House GOP met again yesterday. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy characterized the talks as positive but said there’s still a lot of division on a solution. If the US defaults, senior citizens could quickly feel the pain. A batch of Social Security payments worth about $25 billion is scheduled to be sent out on June 2, but those payments could be delayed if the Treasury Department is unable to cover the nation’s debts. Here’s some advice on how to keep your money safe if a debt default does come.
4. January 6
Several members of the far-right Oath Keepers are facing sentencing for their convictions related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. The first sentencing hearing, for militia leader Stewart Rhodes, convicted of seditious conspiracy, is scheduled for today. As part of the sentencing process, multiple law enforcement officers and two US Capitol staff members testified before a federal judge yesterday and recounted the long-lasting trauma of the riots. Prosecutors have asked for harsh prison sentences for each of the nine defendants ranging from 10 to 25 years. Meanwhile, Richard Barnett, the man who was photographed defacing Nancy Pelosi’s office after breaching the Capitol, has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
5. Florida
More human rights groups and LGBTQ advocacy groups are issuing travel warnings for Florida after a slew of controversial new laws and policies were enacted in the state. The Human Rights Campaign in partnership with Equality Florida, a state LGBTQ advocacy group, issued an updated travel notice outlining the potential impacts of six bills that were recently passed under the hand of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The groups specified their notice was not a call for a boycott or a blanket recommendation against travel. Last weekend, the NAACP issued an advisory because of “DeSantis’ aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.” A few days earlier, LULAC – the League of United Latin American Citizens – issued its own advisory in response to a new state immigration law that will go into effect in July.
THIS JUST IN
The most wanted fugitive accused of involvement in the Rwandan genocide of 1994 has been arrested in Paarl, South Africa, after decades on the run. Fulgence Kayishema allegedly orchestrated the killing of more than 2,000 Tutsi refugees – women, men, children and the elderly – at Nyange Catholic Church during the genocide. He has been at large since 2001.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
‘The Voice’ crowns the Season 23 champion and says goodbye to judge Blake Shelton
Time to saddle up and ride one of those big red judge’s chairs into the sunset.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s donkey likes to join his Zoom calls
Zoom calls would be way better if there were more pet donkeys involved.
‘Jeopardy!’ star Ben Chan’s winning streak ends with a misspelling
Ben, we’re cringing in solidarity with you.
Saturn’s iconic rings are slowly disappearing
Slowly as in “over the next 100 million years” slowly.
Margot Robbie gave Ryan Gosling a ‘Barbie’ gift every day of filming
Fun co-star joke, or some kind of chilling threat? Only Barbie knows.
IN MEMORIAM
Tina Turner, the “Queen of Rock and Roll,” has died at the age of 83. Her family said in a statement the legendary singer passed away after a “long illness.” Turner was the first Black artist and the first female artist to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone, and was one of only a few artists to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. Tributes for the icon have been rolling in. Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama called Turner “a star whose light will never fade.” Oprah Winfrey praised Turner’s resilience amid personal struggles. “Once she claimed her freedom from years of domestic abuse, her life became a clarion call for triumph,” she said.
TODAY’S NUMBER
606,000
That’s the net migration figure for the UK in 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics. The figure represents a record high for the nation, where immigration is a serious political flashpoint. About 1.2 million people in total migrated to the UK last year, but about half that number also left, leaving the net sum above.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“I think it was the spark between the four of us. We understood each other and the music was important. It didn’t matter if we were having a row or whatever, or a laugh, we all gave our best.”
— Ringo Starr, reflecting on what made The Beatles so popular. The rock superstar recently spoke to CNN about his current tour with his All Starr Band and his friendship with Paul McCartney.
TODAY’S WEATHER
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AND FINALLY…
Simply the best
I mean, obviously. We’re all going to have Tina Turner songs stuck in our head all day, anyway. (Click here to view)
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