5 things to know for June 4: Hunter Biden, India election, Covid-19, Heat dome, Middle East

By CNN

Published June 3, 2024 2:49 PM

CNN

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — A fresh salad sounds appetizing today — minus the cucumber. According to the FDA, cucumbers in 14 states have been recalled due to possible contamination with salmonella.

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

1. Hunter Biden

Opening statements are scheduled today in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial. Prosecutors will spell out their allegations that the president’s son was an active drug user when he bought a revolver at a Delaware gun shop in 2018. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to unlawfully purchasing and possessing a firearm while abusing drugs, which is against federal law. A 12-member jury has been selected after they were asked about their thoughts on the politicization of the criminal justice system, the state of US gun laws and their relationships with people struggling with addiction. President Joe Biden on Monday also issued a rare statement about his son’s case: “I am the President, but I am also a Dad,” Biden said, adding “Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today.”

2. India election

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to clinch a rare third consecutive term when results from the world’s biggest election are announced today. But Modi’s declared aim to win a 400-seat supermajority in the 543-seat lower house of parliament looks at risk. His Bharatiya Janata Party is comfortably leading in preliminary results — but the opposition Congress party is performing better than some analysts expected, putting this goal at risk. All 642 million votes cast during six weeks of mammoth polls that ended June 1 will be counted today.

3. Covid-19

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified about the US response to the Covid-19 pandemic in a contentious House hearing on Monday. Fauci fended off attacks from Republicans who sought to undermine his credibility and criticize the basis for public health recommendations. He testified about possible origins of the virus that caused Covid-19 and said the US still needs to be better prepared for the next pandemic. He also clarified that the 6-foot guidance for social distancing did not come from him but from the CDC. Additionally, Fauci detailed the threats he received during his tenure, which have continued since his retirement from government service in 2022.

4. Heat dome

A heat dome is sending temperatures into the triple-digits across the Western US as wildfires burn in the region. Excessive heat warnings are in effect this week for more than 10 million people in California, Nevada and Arizona — with some areas expecting temperatures 20 degrees or more above average. The soaring temperatures are being caused by a heat dome, a large area of high pressure that parks over a region, traps air and heats it with abundant sunshine for days or weeks. The extreme weather will get underway today in California’s Central Valley — including where the Corral Fire is burning near Tracy. Forecasts show the heat dome will expand its reach into the Southwest by Wednesday and the Pacific Northwest later in the week.

5. Middle East

Israel informed the families of four hostages being held in Gaza “that they are no longer alive.” The circumstances of their deaths in Hamas captivity are still under examination, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The hostages were males between the ages of 51 and 84, officials said. The latest deaths are likely to increase pressure on Israeli leadership to secure a ceasefire proposal outlined by President Joe Biden last week. More than 250 people were taken hostage and moved to Gaza during Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel but more than 100 were released during a temporary truce last year. Israeli officials believe there are still 124 hostages, living and dead, in Gaza.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

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Cyndi Lauper announces her farewell tour
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Pay to play: Spotify is hiking its prices again
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Kylian Mbappé joins Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain
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TODAY’S NUMBER

99%
That’s how much Berkshire Hathaway stock dropped Monday — to just $185 a share — after a bizarre technical glitch paused trading on dozens of symbols listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The NYSE has since resolved the issue and said it would cancel all “erroneous” trades for Berkshire that were at or below $603,718 during the two-hour glitch.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“Time is running out.”

— Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reiterating calls for the full withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine more than two years into the war. Amid ammunition shortages, Ukrainian forces on Monday claimed they hit a missile system inside Russian territory using a Western-supplied weapon. It comes days after President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to carry out limited strikes using US weapons in Russian territory around Kharkiv.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

A look inside 3D-printed homes
The world’s largest 3D-printed neighborhood is currently under construction outside Austin, Texas. Watch this video to see how the homes are built or read about another printing method that may revolutionize the industry.

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