5 critical insights for May 21: Updates on the Middle East, severe weather conditions, the ongoing Trump trial, climate changes, and recent earthquakes in Italy.
Here's what you need to stay informed and keep your day moving.
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Middle East
The International Criminal Court has announced plans to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister, and three Hamas leaders on charges of war crimes. U.S. President Joe Biden criticized the court's decision, labeling it "outrageous" and putting a terrorist organization and a close U.S. ally on equal footing. The ICC's action could make it challenging for the Israeli officials to travel to any of the 124 countries that follow its laws, including important U.S. allies like Britain and Germany. France, however, has expressed support for the court.
Severe Weather
A severe storm system is wreaking havoc on the Midwest, with more than 22 million people facing risks of large hail, heavy winds, and a few tornadoes. The most significant threat is concentrated in areas like much of Iowa, northwest Illinois, southwest Wisconsin, and northern Missouri. While not in the bullseye, cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Omaha, and Madison are still at risk of experiencing severe weather. Smaller chances of severe storms extend from Texas to Michigan, affecting cities such as Dallas, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Detroit.
Trump Trial
The prosecution concluded its case against former President Donald Trump in his criminal hush money trial, potentially leading to a conclusion as early as next week. Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen finished his testimony by admitting that he stole $60,000 from the Trump Organization for a payment he made on Trump's behalf to a tech company. Analysts believe this admission could harm his standing with the jury. The prosecution has used Cohen to try to convince jurors that Trump fraudulently changed business documents to conceal a payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election, which they claim affected the outcome.
Climate
New research suggests that ocean water is flowing beneath Antarctica's "Doomsday Glacier," suggesting that global sea level rise projections may be significantly underestimated. The Thwaites Glacier, which currently contributes 4% to global sea level rise, contains enough ice to raise sea levels by over 2 feet. As it acts as a natural dam to the surrounding ice in West Antarctica, its complete collapse could potentially lead to a projected sea level rise of around 10 feet — an unfavorable outcome for the world's coastal communities. The data acquired could help in improving the accuracy of the glacier's forecasted timeline.
Italy Earthquakes
A 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit Italy's Campi Flegrei supervolcano, causing damages in the town of Pozzuoli and affecting Naples. Cracks in walls and falling cornices were reported by Italy's Fire Brigade spokesperson. This event is part of a recent "seismic storm" that has seen more than a dozen tremors above 2.0 magnitude in the past 48 hours. The last major eruption of the supervolcano occurred in 1538, resulting in the formation of a new bay on the southern Italian coast. The Italian Civil Protection agency revealed that more than 500,000 people living in the red zone near Campi Flegrei require evacuation plans in case of a major disaster.
Happening Later
Funeral services start for late Iranian president following helicopter crashFuneral ceremonies for the deceased Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi are underway in the wake of his passing in a helicopter crash. Authorities in Iran are working to determine the factors that caused the aircraft to crash into a remote mountainside during poor weather conditions on Sunday.
Breakfast Browse
Elvis' granddaughter takes legal action to stop Graceland foreclosure saleElvis Presley's granddaughter has filed a lawsuit to halt a foreclosure sale of the late singer's iconic Memphis home, Graceland, scheduled this week.
'The Apprentice' premiers at the Cannes Film FestivalA brand-new film focusing on former President Donald Trump's real estate transactions in New York in the 1980s made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, drawing both praise and critique.
Travis Kelce shares his favorite Taylor Swift eraNFL star Travis Kelce has revealed his favorite era of his girlfriend, Taylor Swift's, musical career.
A man's innovative solution to fix flat tiresA man known as "Atlanta's Magnet Man" invented a solution to eliminate metal debris from his bike path and beyond.
Tracking wildlife with advanced technologyResearchers are employing cutting-edge technology to track wildlife in real time from a distance. Learn how they collect critical data.
$1 billion is the amount of debt Red Lobster is currently in, as they recently announced their filing for bankruptcy. This popular seafood restaurant chain is famous for offering affordable shrimp and lobster to middle-class America, but they've been under pressure lately due to the rapid growth of fast-casual restaurants.
TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE
"Cyberattacks by hostile nations have affected water systems of various sizes, even small ones. It's essential to acknowledge the problem."
-The EPA, as they plan to increase inspections of water facilities in the United States due to a recent rise in cyberattacks. The past six months have seen several cyberattacks on US water facilities, causing concern among senior officials since many of them attempted to interfere with the process of treating, distributing, and storing water for communities.
TODAY'S WEATHER
Find out your local forecast here.
FINAL NOTE
Have you ever considered what it means to be genuinely happy? In the new season of the Chasing Life podcast by CNN, Dr. Sanjay Gupta will dive deeper into this subject, exploring how scientific research can help us achieve ultimate contentment. Give the podcast a listen here.
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- UN vote urges Israel to ceasefire
- SPD rules out budget resolution before the end of the year
Source: edition.cnn.com
