5 things to know for March 7: 2024 elections, Ukraine, Gaza, IVF, ‘Rust’ shooting

By AJ Willingham, CNN

(CNN) — It was another month for the record books, and not in a good way. Last month was the planet’s hottest February on record, marking the ninth straight month that global records tumbled.

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

1. 2024 elections

Now that former President Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, attention is returning to the various legal battles swirling around him. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on April 25 in the blockbuster case over whether Trump may claim immunity from prosecution in the federal election subversion case. Separately, Trump’s New York criminal trial is slated to begin on March 25 in which he is charged with felonies related to hush-money payments made to his former attorney Michael Cohen ahead of the 2016 election. The former president’s attorneys are now trying to cast doubt on the allegations and limit what can go before the jury when the trial begins. Meanwhile, prosecutors in Arizona have issued several grand jury subpoenas in recent weeks to people connected to efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election in that state. In that case, like the rest, timing is critical: Movement in the Arizona case suggests the state-level probe is accelerating ahead of November’s presidential election.

2. Ukraine

A Russian missile exploded close to a convoy carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a deadly attack on the Ukrainian city of Odesa yesterday. The leaders were unharmed, but the strike killed five people and wounded others. Zelensky frequently makes high-risk trips to the front lines and has welcomed dozens of world leaders to Ukraine during the war with Russia, but this attack may represent one of the closest calls for the president. The strike’s proximity to Mitsotakis, who is the leader of a NATO member state, also underlines the potential global repercussions of the conflict.

3. Gaza

Extreme hunger is adding to the death toll as the war in Gaza continues. At least 20 people, including children, have died in Gaza due to malnutrition and dehydration since the war began, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Israel’s severe restrictions on aid have drained essential supplies. Almost 40% of UN aid missions in Gaza were denied or impeded by Israel last month, the organization said. Hospitals have been besieged by violence, and health professionals say the medical system has been completely crushed, allowing no relief for people in need of care. The Ministry of Health in Gaza said this week that since the beginning of the war, 364 health workers had been killed; 269 medical staff arrested; 155 health facilities “destroyed,” and 155 ambulances “targeted.” CNN cannot independently confirm the numbers due to the lack of international media access to Gaza.

4. IVF

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization patients and providers from legal liability after an unprecedented February ruling severely disrupted the future of fertility care in the state. Last month, the state’s Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are human beings and those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death. The ruling prompted three of the state’s limited pool of IVF providers to immediately pause some services, sending some families out of state for treatment and raising new concerns nationwide about reproductive rights. While the Republican-backed legislation will provide civil and criminal immunity, experts say it doesn’t fully address the philosophical and practical problems brought by the court’s ruling.

5. ‘Rust’ shooting

The armorer on the set of the movie “Rust” was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 on-set fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Hutchins was killed by a live round of ammunition fired from a prop gun held by actor Alec Baldwin. The incident raised questions about the movie industry’s safety standards and, more specifically, what violations occurred on the set. Hannah Gutierrez Reed was responsible for firearm safety and storage on the film’s set and is the first person to stand trial as a result of the shooting. Prosecutors argued Gutierrez Reed repeatedly violated safety protocol and acted negligently in performing her duties, and that her actions ultimately led to Hutchins’ death. Baldwin, who has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter, is expected to stand trial in July. He has pleaded not guilty and claims he did not pull the trigger.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Applebee’s is shrinking. Its parent company may open joint restaurants with IHOP
I’m at the Applebee’s. I’m at the IHOP. I’m at the combination Applebee’s and IHOP!

The iconic Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas were paused when a rare yellow-billed Loon took a dip
Eat your heart out, Vegas stars. This little guy’s the real showstopper.

FDA warns consumers to stop using six brands of ground cinnamon found to have high levels of lead
Definitely not what you need when you want to add some flavor.

Outlandish cycling helmet design under review by governing body
Aw, everyone would look like lil’ high-speed trains.

The SAT exam is now fully digital
And now we mourn the lost art of filling in little bubbles with No. 2 pencils.

QUIZ TIME

President Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union Address tonight at 9 p.m. ET. But how much do you really know about this yearly bit of political rhetoric? Let’s find out: Which president delivered the first televised State of the Union speech?
A. Franklin D. Roosevelt
B. Harry S. Truman
C. Dwight D. Eisenhower
D. John F. Kennedy

Take CNN’s State of the Union quiz to see how much of a politics nerd you really are. 

TODAY’S NUMBER

$20 million
That’s how much the US government has spent to maintain a luxury superyacht seized from a sanctioned Russian oligarch as part of the Justice Department’s effort to put pressure on the Kremlin. The vessel was seized in 2022, so the total comes out to about $1 million a month.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“Twenty years ago, Darfur was the world’s largest hunger crisis, and the world rallied to respond. But today, the people of Sudan have been forgotten. Millions of lives and the peace and stability of an entire region are at stake.

— Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the UN’s World Food Program. The people of Sudan are facing what the WFP has deemed the “world’s largest hunger crisis.” Warring forces in the country have killed thousands and displaced millions, and the instability has led to nine in 10 people there facing “emergency levels of hunger.”

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

Let there be light
The only thing cooler than these luminous nature photos are the techniques the photographer uses to capture them. (Click here to view)

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