5 things to know for Aug. 15: Economy, VP debate, Columbia University, Mpox outbreak, Hurricanes
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
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1. Economy
Former President Donald Trump attacked Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday while delivering a speech in North Carolina, arguing that she would ensure the economy would get worse. He suggested that Harris’ economic proposal would be a “copy of my plan,” pointing to her also backing the elimination of taxes on tips for service workers — a policy proposal he announced back in June. He also accused Harris of not tackling inflation and bringing down prices while serving in the Biden administration. Harris is set to roll out her economic proposals on Friday, where she will call for a federal ban on price gouging to lower grocery prices and everyday costs for Americans.
2. VP Debate
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he has agreed to participate in a vice presidential debate on CBS News on October 1. CBS News posted to social media Wednesday its invitation to Walz and Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, offering the candidates two dates in September and two dates in October as options for a debate in New York City. Vance said he is ready to debate his Democratic opponent, but didn’t commit to a date, saying he wants to go over the rules first. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have agreed to meet for a presidential debate on ABC News on September 10. It will be the second presidential debate of the year, following Trump’s face-off with President Joe Biden on CNN in late June.
3. Columbia University
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik is stepping down months after protests over the Israel-Hamas war gripped the campus. In a letter sent Wednesday to the Columbia community, Shafik cited progress during her tenure but said it has “also been a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community.” Pressure was building for Shafik to step down after months of student-led demonstrations at the school’s New York campus that spread to colleges across the country. Shafik came under criticism after authorizing arrests on campus and for her House testimony over the university’s handling of antisemitism.
4. Mpox outbreak
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that can spread easily between people and from infected animals. WHO said it convened its emergency committee amid concerns that a deadlier strain of the virus, clade Ib, had reached four previously unaffected countries in Africa. This strain had previously been contained to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared the outbreak a public health emergency of continental security on Tuesday, the first such declaration by the agency since its inception in 2017. No cases of clade I mpox have been identified in the US, the CDC says, but it is monitoring the situation.
5. Hurricanes
Hurricane Ernesto unloaded intense rain on Puerto Rico as it pulled away from the island Wednesday after its strong winds knocked out power to hundreds of thousands there and in the Virgin Islands. The Category 1 hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph early today, according to the National Hurricane Center. “Strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Ernesto could become a major hurricane by Friday,” the center said. Meanwhile, Japanese railways and airlines are canceling services as Typhoon Ampil gathers strength in the western Pacific. By Friday evening, as it nears Japan southeast of Tokyo, it could become the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said.
THIS JUST IN
Palestinian death toll reaches 40,000 in Gaza, health ministry saysMore than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its war against Hamas, the health ministry in the enclave said today, yet another dark milestone in the 10-month-old conflict. According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, at least 10,000 people are also missing and believed to be under the rubble.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Security is tight at Taylor Swift shows in LondonThe pop star will return to the stage at London’s Wembley Stadium today, just over a week after three of her Eras Tour concerts were canceled following a thwarted terror attack plot in Vienna.
‘Need to stop for a second’: Meteorologist has panic attack on airAn Australian meteorologist had a panic attack while live on air. See how his candid approach and support from co-hosts helped him manage the moment.
North Korea will reopen to international tourism this winterHaving closed its borders to most tourism during the Covid-19 pandemic, North Korea is finally reopening to certain visitors, according to two tour companies with connections to the isolated country.
Is diet soda worse for you than regular?Watch this video to learn the science behind erythritol — the sugar substitute often found in diet sodas.
5 surprising myths about college drug useParents, it’s worth learning the myths and realities around college drug use before sending your teens off to school. Read these tips from medical experts.
IN MEMORIAM
Oscar-nominated actress Gena Rowlands, whose screen career spanned nearly seven decades, has died. She was 94. Rowlands was known for her work in 1974’s “A Woman Under the Influence” and 2004’s “The Notebook.” She had been living with Alzheimer’s for the last five years, her son revealed in June.
Wally Amos, the charismatic founder of Famous Amos cookies, has died after a battle with dementia, his children announced. He was 88. Amos opened his bakery in 1975 on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, selling bite-sized chocolate chip cookies that were a novelty for the time, according to the company’s site. He later sold the cookie brand to a private equity group in 1988.
TODAY’S NUMBER
12That’s how many players in Major League Baseball history have reached 300 career home runs. On Wednesday, New York Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge reached the coveted milestone in fewer games than any other MLB player.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“You attack — we attack too.”
— Borys Lomako, a Ukrainian café owner, telling CNN that he supports his country’s cross-border incursion into Russia. However, many other Ukrainians living near the border are watching the counteroffensive with mixed feelings: a sense of justice combined with the fear of what could come next.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY ...
CNN anchor objects to early rollout of pumpkin spice itemsOrange you glad fall is here? Except it’s not ... It just feels like it because companies are rolling out pumpkin spice items earlier than ever! In this video, CNN’s Borris Sanchez said it’s “offensive” for businesses to debut fall-themed products in the summer.
- We should sign up for the 5 Things newsletter to keep us updated with the latest news and trends, as it includes 5 things that people are clicking on daily, including economic news like former President Trump's speech in North Carolina.
- Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have agreed to participate in presidential debates, with Harris set to roll out her economic proposals on Friday and Trump scheduled to meet Harris for a debate on ABC News on September 10.
