5 things to know for Feb. 24: Ukraine, Toxic train, Weather, Voting rights, Weinstein
By Alexandra Meeks, CNN
If you’ve looked at flights lately, you may have been taken aback by current ticket prices. The busy travel season is heating up, which means heightened demand and more expensive airfares. But if you time things right and target the “Goldilocks Window,” there’s a good chance you’ll snag a deal — even during the peak period.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
(You can get “CNN’s 5 Things” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)
1. Ukraine
Today marks one year since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that despite all the hardships resulting from the war, 2023 will be a major turning point in the conflict. “It was a year of pain, sorrow, faith, and unity. And this year, we remained invincible. We know that 2023 will be the year of our victory,” Zelensky said in a statement. Many residents have left the capital of Kyiv today, fearing a new wave of potential Russian attacks. Meanwhile, Ukraine has called on its allies to “redouble” their support at this “crucial stage of the war,” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said today. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has vowed the US would do everything it could to get Ukraine the key equipment it needs, although he said F-16 fighter jets — which Kyiv has requested — were not “the key capability” needed for now.
2. Ohio toxic train
Federal officials released an initial report Thursday concluding that the toxic train wreck in East Palestine, Ohio, was completely preventable. The report found that one of the train’s cars carrying plastic pellets was heated by a hot axle that sparked the initial fire, according to Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the safety board. As the temperature of the bearing got hotter, the train passed by two wayside defect detectors that did not trigger an audible alarm message because the heat threshold was not met at that point, Homendy explained. A third detector eventually picked up the high temperature, but it was already too late by then. The report outlined how investigators will continue examining procedures, practices and design prior to the train’s derailment. So far, the investigation found no evidence the crew did anything wrong prior to the incident.
3. Extreme weather
A winter storm moving across the US is causing numerous power outages, flight cancellations and road closures — and has put millions of people under weather warnings. More than 828,000 customers are without power this morning due to weather, according to PowerOutage.us. Millions of others are under various alerts across the West into the northern Plains, Great Lakes region, New York and New England. In a rare event, some areas of Southern California will be under blizzard warnings today, the National Weather Service said. Meanwhile, temperatures are heating up across the Southeast, where at least 50 record highs were reported on Thursday. The dueling winter storm and southern heat wave created a stark 100-degree temperature difference between the Northern Rockies and the South earlier this week.
4. Voting rights
Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is poised to sign a bill that would speed up the right to vote for ex-felons. Walz is expected to sign the legislation, referred to as Restore the Vote by its supporters, into law as early as next week, his office said. The bill will restore the voting rights of thousands of convicted felons this summer once they leave prison, instead of after they complete parole. Once signed by Walz, the measure means Minnesota will join 21 other states that automatically restore the right to vote for some or all ex-felons upon their release from prison. But the bill hasn’t been without legal challenges and contentious political debate. Removing obstacles to voting for former felons has been the subject of partisan bickering in some states because of the perception that this group of voters is more likely to support Democratic candidates.
5. Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein, the former Hollywood mogul already serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York, was sentenced in Los Angeles Thursday to an additional 16 years in prison for charges of rape and sexual assault. Prior to the sentence, Weinstein spoke in court and continued to deny any wrongdoing. “I never knew this woman, and the fact is she doesn’t know me. This is about money,” he said. “Please don’t sentence me to life in prison. I don’t deserve it,” he added. The sentencing was the second for Weinstein on sexual assault charges since reporting by The New York Times and The New Yorker in 2017 revealed his alleged history of sexual abuse, harassment and secret settlements as he used his influence as a Hollywood power broker to take advantage of young women.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
‘Cocaine Bear’ review
The killer-animal comedy premieres in US theaters today. However, the gory moments in the movie “are a whole lot more realistic than the bear itself,” CNN’s Brian Lowry writes in this review.
Sleep this way to add years to your life
These sleep habits added nearly five years to a man’s life expectancy and almost 2.5 years to a woman’s life, a new study found.
Paris Hilton reveals newborn son’s name
Here’s a hint: He’s also named after a city.
Super Bowl halftime show draws FCC complaints
Many viewers enjoyed Rihanna’s halftime performance (and passionately sung along to every song.) Some others, however, believed it was “too sexualized” and submitted complaints to federal regulators.
Bezos hires firm to explore the possibility of NFL team bid
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos hired a firm to research a possible bid for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, sources told the Washington Post.
QUIZ TIME
President Joe Biden made a highly secretive trip to which country this week?
A. Russia
B. Ukraine
C. North Korea
D. China
Take CNN’s weekly news quiz here to see if you’re correct!
TODAY’S NUMBER
$21 billion
That’s how much Americans collectively have in unspent gift cards. Almost two-thirds of consumers have at least one unspent gift card tucked away in a drawer, wallet or purse. And at least half of those consumers lose a gift card before they use it, according to a new report.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“Ajay is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at this critical moment in history.”
— President Joe Biden, announcing Thursday that he’s nominating Ajay Banga, a former MasterCard executive, to serve as president of the World Bank. “Raised in India, Ajay has a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing developing countries and how the World Bank can deliver on its ambitious agenda to reduce poverty and expand prosperity,” Biden added. The World Bank, a group of 187 nations, lends money to developing countries to help reduce poverty.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
Otter moms wrap their babies in seaweed blankets
They also adorably hold hands while napping to avoid floating away from each other. How cute! (Click here to view)
The-CNN-Wire
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