5 things to know for August 24: Primaries, Student loans, Ukraine, Teachers, Twitter

By Alexandra Meeks, CNN

The climate crisis rarely evokes feelings of joy, but a discovery this week had some scientists excited about what a drought has revealed. Dinosaur tracks from around 113 million years ago were uncovered in a riverbed in Texas due to severe drought conditions — and more prehistoric findings are likely as water levels continue to drop.

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

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1. Primaries

Results are in from Tuesday’s primaries in New York, Florida and Oklahoma, and key parts of the November election slate are now locked in. Democrats in Florida picked Rep. Charlie Crist to challenge Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in the fall — and it will not be an easy task. DeSantis has amassed $132 million for the general election, a record sum for a gubernatorial candidate who isn’t self-funded, and he has animated the Republican base more than any other GOP politician aside from former President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, in New York, the run of one of the longest-serving Democrats has come to an end. And in Oklahoma, Republicans chose a nominee to serve out the remainder of retiring Sen. Jim Inhofe’s term ahead of a special general election.

2. Student loans

President Joe Biden is expected to announce his decision today to potentially cancel up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt per borrower for people who earn less than $125,000 per year, CNN has learned. The Biden administration has already canceled nearly $32 billion of the $1.6 trillion in outstanding federal student debt by expanding existing forgiveness programs for public-sector workers, disabled borrowers and students who were defrauded by for-profit colleges. Still, Biden is facing pressure to do more from Democrats who are urging him to cancel $50,000 per borrower. The White House today may also announce whether to once again extend the current pause on federal student loan payments, which is set to expire on August 31.

3. Ukraine

Ukraine is celebrating its Independence Day today with the holiday falling six months since Russia’s invasion began on February 24. While previous years have been marked by celebrations, today is set to be a somber affair as officials warn that Russia may carry out missile attacks against Ukrainian cities. In lieu of a parade, wrecked and captured Russian military vehicles were displayed on Kyiv’s main street as a testament to Moscow’s failed attempt to capture the capital in the early weeks of the war. President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the day with an emotional address, saying, “Every new day is a new reason not to give up. Because, having gone through so much, we have no right not to reach the end.”

4. Teacher strike

Thousands of students in Ohio’s largest school district will start their new school year remotely today, as educators remain on strike for better learning and teaching conditions. The Columbus Education Association union — which represents more than 4,000 teachers, nurses and other education professionals in the Columbus City Schools district — is striking for the first time since 1975, the union said. Columbus City Schools serves 47,000 students, according to the district. The strike comes as schools around the country face critical teacher shortages and low morale among educators, exacerbated by the pandemic, low pay and ever more crowded classrooms. Also weighing on teachers are a growing number of school shootings and changing guidance on what educators are allowed to teach.

5. Twitter

Twitter’s former head of security is accusing the company of “egregious deficiencies” in security protocols and claims the company misled its own board and federal regulators about its vulnerabilities. In an explosive whistleblower report, Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, a respected cybersecurity expert, says Twitter has major security problems that pose a threat to its users’ personal information, company shareholders, national security and democracy. He and his team are due to brief staff in both the House and Senate this week. According to Zatko, his accusations come after he attempted to flag the security lapses to Twitter’s board and tried to help the company fix years of technical shortcomings and alleged non-compliance with the Federal Trade Commission.

HAPPENING LATER

Uvalde school police chief’s fate could be decided at board meeting

The school board in Uvalde, Texas, is expected to discuss whether to fire school Police Chief Pete Arredondo at a meeting later today, three months after a shooter at Robb Elementary killed 19 children and two teachers. Arredondo has come under intense public scrutiny over the police response to the May 24 massacre, America’s deadliest school shooting since 2012.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Tesla owner has his car key implanted in his hand

This man got tired of losing his keys… so he turned himself into a key. What do you think — clever or crazy? Watch the video here.

9 habits linked to a longer, happier life

Living life to the fullest starts with paying attention to your body and mind. Here are some helpful habits you may want to include in your daily routine.

City makes changes to giant slide after it goes viral for the wrong reason

A giant slide at a park in Detroit is going viral after launching children into the air. Take a look at the extreme slide here.

Inflation is crushing wedding budgets and guests are getting cut

Unfortunately, the cake may not be the only thing in tiers. Due to rising costs, more couples are disinviting guests to trim their wedding budgets.

‘Knives Out’ sequel gets a release date

The follow-up to the 2019 hit film will once again star Daniel Craig as private detective Benoit Blanc.

TODAY’S NUMBER

70

That’s how many consecutive days gas prices have dropped in the US, making it the second-longest streak since 2005. The national average for regular gas dipped on Tuesday to $3.89 a gallon, according to AAA. Although prices are 73 cents higher than a year ago, the recent drop is significant, especially since the average price of a gallon surged above $5 just two months ago.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“Happy birthday, baby! I love you and miss you so much.“

— Vanessa Bryant, sharing a message on Instagram Tuesday on what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 44th birthday. The NBA legend and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash along with seven others in January 2020. On Tuesday, attorneys for Vanessa Bryant and another plaintiff urged a jury to consider awarding millions of dollars for emotional distress and the violation of constitutional rights caused by Los Angeles County deputies and firefighters for taking and sharing close-up photos of their loved ones’ remains after the crash.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

Really real fake food

These food displays look so appetizing you’ll want to take a bite — but don’t. They’re plastic. (Click here to view)

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