5 things to know for July 18: Extreme heat, Ukraine, Immigration, Actors strike, RSV
By Alexandra Meeks, CNN
(CNN) — Millions of emails intended for US military members were sent to incorrect inboxes due to a common typo. The emails, which contained sensitive information in some cases, should have been sent to accounts ending in “.MIL” — the internet domain owned by the US military. Instead, due to the innocent typo, they were sent to the “.ML” domain, which handles email accounts in the West African country of Mali.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
1. Extreme heat
Blisteringly high temperatures are being reported across the world, breaking records on multiple continents. In the US, swaths of the country will be routinely in the triple digits this week. Record-breaking heat is likely for “the Four Corners states, from Texas to the Lower Mississippi Valley, and South Florida,” the Weather Prediction Center said. Alerts for dangerous heat have also been posted in parts of Arizona, including Phoenix which tied the record streak Monday with 18 consecutive days over 110 degrees. Similarly, hot air over southern Europe has turned Italy into a “giant pizza oven,” a climate expert said. A total of 20 Italian cities will be on a red list today, where people will face a very high health risk due to the intense heat wave, Italy’s health ministry said.
2. Ukraine
Russian forces launched airstrikes on Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa today in retaliation to Kyiv’s attack on the Crimea bridge earlier this week. The strikes today come after Russian President Vladimir Putin promised payback for Ukraine’s attack on Monday that damaged the bridge. The $3.7 billion bridge is strategically important because it links Russia’s Krasnodar region with Crimea and serves as a vital supply line for Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine. Damaging the critical pipeline would block the flow of goods and people into the Ukrainian territories that Moscow has occupied, analysts say. Monday’s attack on the crossing was the second since Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine — and Kyiv has reiterated that it hopes to reclaim the peninsula in its ongoing counteroffensive.
3. Immigration
Amid soaring temperatures, some Texas troopers at the US-Mexico border were told to push migrants back into the Rio Grande River and were ordered not to give them water, according to a new report. Emails shared with CNN detail the account of a trooper-medic at the border who called out the “in humane [sic]” treatment against migrants. The trooper said they “were given orders to push the people back into the water to go to Mexico” and were also ordered not to give them water — even though it appeared many were suffering heat exhaustion. The trooper also called for changes to the latest Operation Lone Star policies brought in by Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, which deployed thousands of personnel to the border. In response, Gov. Abbott released a statement that read in part: “President Biden has unleashed a chaos on the border that’s unsustainable, and we have a constitutional duty to respond to this unprecedented crisis.”
4. Actors strike
Actors and writers remain on the picket lines this week after SAG-AFTRA, a union representing about 160,000 Hollywood actors, officially went on strike Friday. There is still no agreement in sight after union members failed to reach a deal with Hollywood’s biggest studios last week. It marks the first time in more than 60 years that Hollywood actors and writers are on strike simultaneously, bringing most film and TV productions to a halt. Among other demands, actors on strike are calling for increased pay and a rethinking of residuals. This type of compensation is paid out to actors whenever TV shows or movies they’ve appeared in are replayed. But on streaming services, it isn’t always clear how often content is replayed, leaving actors making significantly less than they would have on network TV.
5. RSV
The FDA on Monday approved an antibody to protect infants from RSV, a lung-attacking virus that is the leading cause of hospitalization in infants under a year old in the US. The antibody, which will be sold under the brand name Beyfortus, is not a vaccine. Vaccines prompt the body to make antibodies to defend against pathogens. Instead, this single injection is a ready-made antibody that can bind to the virus and block it from infecting healthy cells. In the clinical trials that led to its approval, the therapy was about 70% effective at cutting the risk that a baby would need a doctor’s visit for RSV, and it was about 78% effective at preventing hospitalizations due to RSV compared with a placebo, according to an FDA analysis.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Giant unidentified object washes up on Australia beach
A massive cylinder that washed ashore in Western Australia is most likely space junk, officials say. See the object here.
Lionel Messi will make his US debut on Friday
Some fans are scoring reasonably priced tickets to the big match this Friday, but the best seats are reselling for thousands of dollars.
These people will be aboard Virgin Galactic’s first space tourism flight
The first Olympian and the first mother-daughter duo to venture to space will be aboard Virgin Galactic’s private astronaut mission in August.
Lindsay Lohan welcomes baby boy
The “Mean Girls” actor and her husband have welcomed a son named Luai.
The world’s new largest office building is bigger than the Pentagon
With 7 million square feet of floor space, it may be easy to get lost in this mammoth building in India.
TODAY’S NUMBER
50%
That’s how much Twitter’s ad revenue has dropped by in recent weeks as concerns mount over Elon Musk’s chaotic control of the social media platform. Some investors and lawmakers have grown increasingly worried that the disorder has spilled over into Musk’s management of Tesla, one the most influential electric car companies in the US. This week, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren asked the SEC to investigate Tesla and its board of directors for possible “conflicts of interest, misappropriation of corporate assets, and other negative impacts to Tesla shareholders.”
TODAY’S QUOTE
“We are proud to continue providing the care our patients need and deserve.”
— Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, commenting after an Iowa judge on Monday temporarily blocked the state’s 6-week abortion ban. For now, abortions in Iowa will remain legal up to 22 weeks into a pregnancy. The temporary injunction is the latest roadblock in Republican efforts to enact restrictions on abortion in the state.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY…
Why stubbing your toe hurts so much
Isn’t it the worst? Watch this short video to learn why stubbing your toe often feels abnormally painful. (Click here to view)
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