Start your week smart: Ken Paxton acquitted, UAW strike, Lee hits Nova Scotia, Libya death toll, LA deputy killed

By CNN

Published September 16, 2023 3:57 PM

CNN, KTRK

By Andrew Torgan and Daniel Wine, CNN

(CNN) — Today is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day — a time to commemorate the signing of the US Constitution in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. Take a little time today to familiarize yourself with the Constitution and reflect on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Of course, those of you who grew up watching “Schoolhouse Rock” already have a head start.

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

The weekend that was

• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted in his state Senate impeachment trial, an outcome that laid bare the fierce divides within the Republican Party there. Paxton is a hardline conservative and close ally of Donald Trump.
• The United Auto Workers union is on strike against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, the first time in its history that has happened at all three of America’s unionized automakers at the same time. Workers walked out of three plants — one each from the Big Three automakers — in Missouri, Michigan and Ohio. Follow live updates.
• Post-tropical cyclone Lee is bringing heavy rain, destructive winds and coastal flooding to Canada and Maine, knocking out power to tens of thousands, lashing the coasts with big waves and spurring calls to stay indoors. Lee, once a powerful hurricane, made landfall on Long Island in Nova Scotia.
• The death toll from devastating flooding in Libya’s eastern coastal city of Derna has risen to at least 11,300, according to a UN report, even as continuing search efforts are expected to find more victims. More than 10,000 remain missing.
• A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy died after he was shot inside his patrol car, authorities said. Ryan Clinkunbroomer, 30, was in uniform and on duty when he was shot in Palmdale, about 60 miles north of LA.

The week ahead

Monday
Fresh off last week’s unveiling of the iPhone 15, Apple will release its iOS 17 operating system, which offers a host of new bells and whistles. Included in the update is a new journaling app, transcription of voicemails as they come in so you can screen your calls, and a new “Check In” feature that automatically notifies your friends or family members when you arrive at your destination, such as your home.

Tuesday
President Biden travels to New York City to address the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Among the world leaders in attendance will be Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is also scheduled to address the assembly. Biden plans to meet with Zelensky, according to multiple officials familiar with the plans, but It remains unclear whether the meeting would occur in New York or later in the week at the White House. While in Washington, Zelensky also will visit the US Capitol, according to a GOP source, though he will not address a joint session of Congress and is instead expected to meet individually with lawmakers and members of leadership.

Wednesday
The Federal Reserve is set to announce its next interest rate decision, and Wall Street is betting that policymakers will hold steady. However, it’s not a lock. Even though inflation is much lower than it was last year, it remains far above the central bank’s 2% target, which Chair Jerome Powell reaffirmed last month at the Fed’s annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Over on Capitol Hill, Attorney General Merrick Garland is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. Garland, who has appeared before other committees in both the House and Senate, is likely to face intense criticism from Republicans and Committee Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio on an array of topics, including the now defunct Hunter Biden plea deal and special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Donald Trump’s role in the January 6 riot.

Friday
Apple’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro will go on sale. If history is any indication, expect the Apple faithful to begin lining up the night before to be the first to get their hands on one.

Saturday
Bid farewell to the long, hot summer and welcome the first official day of fall.

One Thing: Just don’t call it a booster
In this week’s One Thing podcast, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains how we should think about Covid-19 at this moment amid rising hospitalizations and updated vaccines. Listen here for more.

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
Four of the women who inspired the term “supermodel” are getting some overdue recognition in a new docuseries set to premiere Wednesday on Apple TV+. “The Super Models” will feature a mix of old and new footage of models Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington reflecting on their careers.

Also on Wednesday, “American Horror Story: Delicate” arrives, notably starring Kim Kardashian, as well as Emma Roberts, Cara Delevingne, Billie Lourd and many others. This is season 12 of the horror anthology series, for those keeping score.

Fans of “John Wick” know very well what happens at The Continental, but no one really knows the origin story of Winston Scott and the hotel chain that caters to assassins — until now. “The Continental: From the World of John Wick” opens its doors Friday on Peacock.

In theaters
“Stop Making Sense” — a documentary that may make little sense to anyone who’s not eligible to join AARP — returns to theaters Friday for its 40th anniversary. Considered by many to be the greatest concert film of all time, the live performance by Talking Heads was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December 1983 and features many of the band’s best-known songs. (Note to readers who have only ever listened to music on their smartphones: That thing the guy carries onstage in the opening scene is called a “boombox,” and it plays “cassette tapes.”)

Also hitting theaters Friday, Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Dolph Lundgren reunite for the fourth and final installment of the “Expendables” showcase for aging action heroes out to save the world. Aside from the decision to embed the number four in the film’s title, “Expend4bles” doesn’t appear to bring anything fresh to the table: It’s your grandpa’s standard action flick — with 77-year-old Stallone as the grandpa orchestrating all the mayhem.

What’s happening in sports

At a glance …
The 2023 WNBA playoffs are underway, and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces are hoping for a repeat after posting 34 wins and just 6 losses during the regular season. Close behind is the second-seeded New York Liberty, with a 32-8 record. First-round matchups will continue later today and Tuesday. The format in the first round is a best-of-three series, so with one win already in the books over the Chicago Sky, the Las Vegas Aces could advance to the semifinals later today. The Liberty beat the Washington Mystics in the first game of their series.

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 weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 61% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘Dog Days Are Over’
With the arrival of fall next weekend, let’s hope the dog days of summer are well behind us. (Click here to view)

Article Topic Follows: CNN - US Politics

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