5 things to know for Feb. 15: Parade shooting, Middle East, NASA, Immigration, Trump trial

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — Security experts are raising concerns about artificial intelligence and how it can be used to spread misinformation ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Congress, however, doesn’t appear ready to pass any major legislation on AI before Americans head to the polls in less than nine months.

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

1. Parade shooting

Another American community is reeling after a shooting following a Kansas City Chiefs victory parade on Wednesday left one person dead and more than 20 others injured. Police are working to determine who opened fire and what motivated the attack that sent crowds of fans running and taking cover. Officials estimated roughly 1 million people had gathered just steps away from Union Station in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, for the parade to mark the Chiefs’ repeat Super Bowl win. Some of those wounded were children, the fire department chief said. Police have detained three people as part of the investigation but no suspects have been named. The incident was at least the 48th mass shooting in the US this year.

2. Middle East

Israeli special forces have entered Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis after receiving “credible intelligence from a number of sources, including from released hostages,” that Hamas had previously held hostages at the hospital, the Israel Defense Forces said. The move comes a day after hundreds of civilians were forced by Israeli forces to leave the hospital, which they had been using as a shelter. Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday reiterated his intention to order concerted military operations in Rafah, Gaza’s most populated city. A growing number of world leaders have called on Israel to avoid a ground operation in the region, but Netanyahu has vowed that his country will fight “until the absolute victory.”

3. NASA

The Odysseus lunar lander, nicknamed “Odie,” has embarked on a historic journey to the moon — aiming to make the first touchdown of a US-made spacecraft on the lunar surface in five decades. Odie underwent years of development by Houston-based company Intuitive Machines and finally lifted off after 1:00 a.m. ET from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA has ramped up the development of robotic spacecraft via private partners to evaluate the lunar environment and identify key resources — such as the presence of water — before it attempts to return astronauts to the moon later this decade. Odie is slated to make its nail-biting touchdown attempt on February 22. China, India and Japan are so far the only nations to have soft-landed vehicles on the moon in the 21st century.

4. Immigration

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is facing a dire budget shortfall as agents report record levels of migrants at the US-Mexico border. ICE has drafted contingency plans to cut detention capacity and release thousands of immigrants as a result. The agency has historically been underfunded and is now staring down a $700 million deficit, a source told CNN, resulting in discussions that include slashing detention space. President Joe Biden has repeatedly implored Congress to give him more resources to deal with the situation at the southern border, assigning blame on Republicans for not doing more. The White House has asked for $14 billion in border security funding as part of a broader national security request but many GOP lawmakers are aiming to block the package from advancing.

5. Trump trial

Former President Donald Trump is expected to attend a hearing today in his New York hush money case. A state judge could rule on whether his first trial will begin on March 25, as originally scheduled, on charges that Trump falsified business records with the intent to conceal illegal conduct connected to his 2016 presidential campaign. A scheduled date would begin to solidify Trump’s legal calendar, which is filling up at the same time that his 2024 campaign is closing in on the GOP nomination for president. If convicted on the counts of falsifying business records, which are a class E felony, Trump could face up to four years in prison. But as a first-time offender, he would unlikely be sentenced to prison time. It would make him a convicted felon regardless of his sentence.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

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How a TV show changed an industry
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IN MEMORIAM

William “Bill” Post, who helped create Pop-Tarts, the pantry staple that reinvented breakfast for the masses, has died. He was 96. In a recent promotional video, Post shared how he developed the popular pastry in the 1960s. He also encouraged others to pursue their bold business dreams: “Just try anything. There is no idea that’s too crazy,” Post said.

TODAY’S NUMBER

3
That’s the estimated number of additional years that Russia can sustain its war effort in Ukraine, according to a new report. Analysts cautioned it “may be even longer,” but explained that Russian forces will have to sacrifice “quality for quantity” as they replace destroyed or damaged weapons with older systems held in storage.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“We take such vandalism very seriously and we will insist that the perpetrators be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

— Colleen Shogan, an archivist of the United States, issuing a statement Wednesday after two people dumped red powder on the display that protects the US Constitution. No damage was done to the document itself, the National Archives said, adding officials are investigating the incident.

TODAY’S WEATHER

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AND FINALLY …

What is the secret to over 50 years of marriage? This couple might have some clues
When Linda Ford arrived at New York’s JFK airport in 1971, two men turned up to greet her — one a handsome architect, the other a dashing Air France employee. Here’s how she ended up married to one of them.

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