Start your week smart: Israel, Trump fundraiser, Biden ballot issue, Detergent pods recall, Powerball winner

By CNN Newsource

Published April 7, 2024 6:49 AM

By Andrew Torgan, CNN

(CNN) — Welcome to 5 things Sunday: solar eclipse edition. As excitement surrounding this week’s celestial event continues to build, several companies are looking to jump on the bandwagon with eclipse-themed offerings like doughnuts, pizza, chips, and — of course — MoonPies.

Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

The weekend that was

• Protesters once again took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Caesarea and Haifa on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and early elections. Demonstrators also called for the release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza ahead of the six-month mark of hostilities. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said today it has withdrawn ground forces from Khan Younis in southern Gaza after months of fighting but a “significant force” remains in other areas of the strip.
• Donald Trump’s campaign said it raised $50.5 million at a Saturday fundraiser in Florida, a staggering sum as the former president’s political operation scrambles to close its big financial gap with President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.
• Biden may face complications getting on Ohio’s 2024 general election ballot unless Democrats make changes or the state legislature takes action, according to a letter issued by the office of Ohio’s secretary of state. According to Ohio law, there is an August 7 deadline “to certify a presidential candidate to this office.” But this year’s Democratic National Convention — where delegates officially select the party’s nominees for president and vice president — starts August 19.
• Millions of packets of popular laundry detergent pods made by Procter & Gamble have been recalled due to faulty packaging, which poses a serious risk of accidental ingestion by young children and may cause facial injuries, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday.
• A single Powerball ticket sold in Oregon has won the nearly $1.33 billion jackpot — the fourth-largest jackpot in the history of the game — according to Powerball.

The week ahead

Monday
A rare total solar eclipse will be visible as it passes over Mexico, the US and Canada. Some 32 million people in the US alone live along the route the moon’s shadow will travel during Monday’s eclipse — known as the path of totality — although Mother Nature may potentially ruin the view for some. (Friendly reminder … DO NOT attempt to view the eclipse without a pair of genuine eclipse glasses! Here’s how to tell if yours are fake.)

And let the darkening sky serve as a reminder that you have just one week left to file your 2023 income tax return.

Tuesday
James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of a teenager who killed four students at an Oxford, Michigan, high school in 2021, are scheduled to be sentenced after being found guilty, in separate trials, of four counts of involuntary manslaughter. The Crumbleys are the first parents ever held directly responsible for a mass shooting committed by their child. Both face up to 15 years in prison.

Wednesday
The House of Representatives will send the impeachment articles against Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate, according to a letter obtained by CNN, the next step in having an impeachment trial in the upper chamber. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office responded to the letter, saying senators will be sworn in as jurors the following day. The House impeached Mayorkas in February by an extremely narrow margin, making him the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in almost 150 years. The Democratic-controlled Senate is not expected to convict Mayorkas, and senators could move to quickly dismiss the impeachment, although Schumer has not outlined specifically how his chamber will handle the trial.

Elsewhere in Washington, Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for an official visit to the US this week, which will include a joint news conference and a state dinner on Wednesday. The visit and state dinner — the fifth Biden has hosted as president — are intended to emphasize the importance of the alliance between the US and Japan as both countries seek to counterbalance China’s influence.

Thursday
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines will join Biden and Prime Minister Kishida at the White House for the first trilateral US-Japan-Philippines leaders’ summit.

Saturday
Alaska and Wyoming hold their Democratic presidential caucuses.

One Thing: Your eclipse questions, answered
In this week’s “One Thing” podcast, CNN’s Kristin Fisher answers your burning questions about Monday’s solar eclipse. Listen here.

Photos of the week

Check out more images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.

What’s happening in entertainment

TV and streaming
HBO’s hit comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm” airs its final episode tonight on Max at 10 p.m. EST/PST. The series won two Emmys after earning 51 nominations throughout its 12-season run, as well as one Golden Globe win and five nods. That’s, ah, pretty good. (CNN, HBO and Max are all part of the same parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.)

Yet another show based on a popular video game debuts Friday on Amazon Prime Video. “Fallout” stars Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan, Xelia Mendes-Jones and Aaron Moten. The series centers around a nuclear war on Earth in the year 2077 and was created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, who made HBO’s “Westworld.”

On the big screen
Keeping with the dystopian theme, “Civil War” follows a team of military-embedded journalists trying to reach Washington, DC, before rebel factions descend upon the White House. Nick Offerman, Kirsten Dunst and Wagner Moura star.

Music
The first weekend of Southern California’s legendary Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicks off on Friday. Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat and rapper Tyler, The Creator are set to headline, with other notable artists such as Peso Pluma, Ice Spice, Blur, Sublime and J. Balvin slated to take one of the festival’s many stages. Perhaps the biggest news of the festival, however, is that Gwen Stefani will perform with No Doubt for the first time since 2015.

What’s happening in sports

At a glance …
The 2024 NCAA women’s college basketball championship game is just hours away, with Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes facing undefeated and No. 1 overall seed South Carolina. Iowa narrowly advanced to the title game after surviving a scare from No. 3 Connecticut, 71-69, in the Final Four on Friday.

On the men’s side, defending champion UConn stepped closer to making history with an 86-72 Final Four win over Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday. The No. 1 seed is now one victory away from becoming the eighth program to win back-to-back titles as the Huskies are set to face Purdue in the championship game on Monday night. No. 1 seed Purdue defeated NC State 63-50 earlier Saturday, marking the first time the Boilermakers have reached the title game since 1969.

In baseball, the New York Yankees have pushed back the start time of Monday’s game against the Miami Marlins due to the eclipse.

And in golf, The Masters gets underway Thursday at Augusta National in Georgia. Jon Rahm, who left the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series late last year, is the defending champion. As is tradition, Rahm selected the dishes for this year’s Champions Dinner — with the help of Spanish chef and restaurateur José Andrés.

For more of your favorite sports, head on over to CNN Sports as well as Bleacher Report, which — like CNN — is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Quiz time!

Looking for a challenge to start your week? Take CNN’s news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 78% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’
C’mon now, was there any other choice? (Click here to view)

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