Skip to Content

Start your week smart: Severe heat, South Korea, Ukraine, Georgia shooting, Twitter

By Andrew Torgan, CNN

(CNN) — Summer is a great time to take a vacation and experience some of nature’s wonders. But far too often, travelers take a toll on local habitats or wildlife. Check out these suggestions for how to be an environmentally friendly tourist.

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

The weekend that was

• Italian authorities have issued an “extreme” health risk for 16 cities — including Rome and Florence — this weekend as a heat wave that is baking Europe threatens to bring record temperatures. Climate scientists at the European Space Agency say temperatures could reach 118 degrees Fahrenheit on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, “potentially the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe.”

• Rescue workers pulled seven bodies from vehicles trapped in a flooded underpass in central South Korea after days of torrential rain caused landslides and flash floods that have killed at least 33 people. A search and rescue operation involving 400 workers and divers was launched Saturday after 15 vehicles, including a public bus, became trapped by rising flood waters in the Gungpyeong tunnel, the chief of the local fire department said.

• Russia has a stockpile of cluster munitions and will consider using them against Ukraine “if they are used against us,” President Vladimir Putin said. Putin’s comments come just days after Ukraine received a delivery of American-made cluster munitions, though a top Ukrainian military official told CNN they had not yet been used.

• Law enforcement is searching for a man accused of fatally shooting four people in Hampton, Georgia, Saturday morning, according to authorities. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 40-year-old Andre Longmore. Authorities believe the suspect is driving a 2017 black GMC Acadia with license plates DHF 756, which is not his own vehicle.

• Elon Musk disclosed on Twitter Saturday that, due to a 50% drop in advertising revenue and a “heavy debt load,” the platform still has a negative cash flow. The tweet is in stark contrast to his tone in April when Musk told the BBC that the platform was “roughly breaking even” and that most of its advertisers had returned.

The week ahead

Monday
If you forgot to file your taxes during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, you have until this day to do so. Nearly 1.5 million taxpayers may still be eligible for a tax refund from tax year 2019, according to the IRS. The agency estimates that almost $1.5 billion in refunds remain unclaimed. By law, taxpayers normally have three years to file and claim their tax refunds. The original tax day in 2020 was delayed by 90 days due to the pandemic, so the usual three-year window was also been pushed back to July 17.

Tuesday
The first hearing before US District Judge Aileen Cannon in the federal criminal case against former President Donald Trump and co-defendant Walt Nauta is scheduled to take place, according to a court order. The hearing will be about the handling of classified information in the case — the first of likely many proceedings on this topic — and may not be fully conducted in public because of the sensitivity around the issues. Trump pleaded not guilty last month to 37 charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence. Nauta, Trump’s aide, pleaded not guilty earlier this month to multiple counts, including several obstruction and concealment-related charges.

Wednesday
For Muslims in the Western Hemisphere, the next New Year begins on the evening of July 19. The exact date can vary depending on the method used to determine the start of the new year: using local sightings or astronomical calculations for the new moon.

It’s also National Hot Dog Day. Here’s everything you need to know to relish the occasion. Just try to steer clear of the whole mustard vs. ketchup debate and whether a hot dog on a bun constitutes a sandwich. Otherwise, you’re bound to get heartburn.

Thursday
Comic-con International gets underway in San Diego, but with Hollywood’s writers and actors on strike, the major studios that churn out related content have already pulled out of the event. Disney and its Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm subsidiaries are not planning any panels, and Netflix, Sony, Universal and HBO are also skipping the gathering. HBO, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

One Thing: Women’s World Cup preview
In this week’s “One Thing” podcast, CNN Sports anchor Amanda Davies has a preview of this year’s Women’s World Cup and explains why some players say the fight for equality is far from over. Listen for more.

Photos of the week

Check out more images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos. [add text link to the gallery]

What’s happening in entertainment

In theaters
Friday is being billed as “Barbenheimer” as iconic doll Barbie battles the atomic bomb at the box office.

First up is Hollywood’s pinkest movie to date: “Barbie,” starring Margot Robbie as the titular doll and Ryan Gosling as poor, overlooked Ken. “Barbie” is being released by Warner Bros., which — like CNN — is a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Also hitting theaters is Christopher Nolan’s World War II-era nuclear thriller “Oppenheimer,” starring Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer — the “father of the atomic bomb.” Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Kenneth Branagh, David Krumholtz and Josh Peck also star.

What’s happening in sports

At a glance …
Soccer great Lionel Messi signed with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami on Saturday, the club announced. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is under contract with the club until the end of the 2025 MLS season, said he was “very excited,” while co-owner David Beckham described the signing as a “dream come true.”

The men’s singles final at Wimbledon is underway with Novak Djokovic facing Carlos Alcaraz, and the winner will leave London with not only the Wimbledon crown but also world No. 1 status. On Saturday, Markéta Vondroušová defeated favorite Ons Jabeur to become the first unseeded woman in Wimbledon history to win the famous tournament.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off on Thursday in 10 stadiums across Australia and New Zealand and runs through August 20.

Also on Thursday, play begins at the 151st Open at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Merseyside, England.

For more of your favorite sports, head on over to 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, 51% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘Cruel Summer’
Yup, that sums up what it feels like due to heat waves in parts of the US and Europe right now … (Click here to view)

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - National

Jump to comments ↓

CNN Newsource

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KION 46 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content