5 things to know for March 21: Gaza, Campaign cash, Royal family, Interest rates, Microchips

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, the CDC says, but a few key lifestyle habits can help reduce the odds of being diagnosed with the condition.

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

1. Gaza

Negotiations to secure a ceasefire tied to the release of hostages held by Hamas are “getting closer” to a deal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. Hamas’ latest set of demands includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for 700 to 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the proposal as “ridiculous” and “unrealistic” but said talks would continue. One of the toughest sticking points may be the Hamas demands that after the initial exchange of hostages and prisoners, Israel agrees to a permanent ceasefire and a withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza. Israel’s leaders, however, remain firm on carrying out a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians have sought refuge.

2. Campaign cash

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign saw an uptick in donations in February but failed to match the accelerating fundraising pace set by President Joe Biden, new filings show. Trump’s campaign and joint fundraising committee together brought in $20.3 million in February and entered this month with a combined $41.9 million cash on hand, a Trump campaign official told CNN. Those amounts trail far behind the $53 million that Biden and Democrats previously announced raising in February and the massive $155 million in available cash that the president’s team said it had amassed with its affiliated committees. Trump’s leadership PAC also spent more on legal expenses than it took in last month — underscoring the steep financial toll of the numerous legal cases the former president faces.

3. Royal family

Another official photograph involving Catherine, Princess of Wales was digitally manipulated, according to a leading photo agency, sparking a second royal retouching controversy. Getty Images said a photo of Queen Elizabeth with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, taken by Kate and released by Kensington Palace last year, was “digitally enhanced,” and a CNN analysis found signs of alteration in as many as 19 places. Kate previously apologized for editing an image that she shared on Mother’s Day, but did not explain why she altered her photographs, nor why Kensington Palace didn’t disclose the changes to photo agencies. The newly unearthed inconsistencies put Kate at the center of yet more questions. However, some concerns over her health have eased after Kate was spotted at a farm shop with her husband Prince William over the weekend.

4. Interest rates

Stocks closed at all-time highs Wednesday after the Federal Reserve held its key interest rate steady for the fifth consecutive meeting and suggested it still expects to cut rates three times this year. The Fed’s aggressive rate hikes over the past two years have brought down inflation that has crushed many Americans, but Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he doesn’t believe rates should be trimmed just yet. Central bankers are facing the difficult task of balancing the risk of cutting too soon with the risk of cutting too late — both of which come with consequences. Even though inflation is above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target and officials anticipate it will take until 2026 to get there, the central bank is sticking to its earlier prediction of three rate cuts this year. Wall Street is betting that the first rate cut will come in the summer.

5. Microchips

President Biden announced one of the biggest federal investments in US chip manufacturing on Wednesday — a $8.5 billion grant to tech giant Intel. He made the announcement in the battleground state of Arizona, where his legislative accomplishments in the manufacturing sector have been slow to materialize. The CHIPS Act, which passed Congress with bipartisan support in 2022, intends to rectify what Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo described as a “national security problem” because of America’s reliance on Asia for the production of most of the leading-edge chips. Once a leader in the industry, the US currently manufactures only about 10% of the global chip supply and none of the most advanced kinds of chips that are needed for artificial intelligence technologies.

THIS JUST IN

Lawmakers unveil $1.2 trillion government funding package
Lawmakers this morning unveiled a $1.2 trillion government funding package, setting up a high-stakes sprint to pass the legislation as a shutdown deadline looms at the end of the week. It’s not yet clear if Congress will be able to pass the legislation ahead of Friday’s deadline, raising concerns on Capitol Hill that there could be a short-term lapse in government funding over the weekend.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Reddit is finally going public
It has been years since a social media company debuted on the New York Stock Exchange. Read why Reddit is going public more than a decade after many of its peers.

Feeling lucky?
The Mega Millions lottery jackpot now stands at $977 million while the grand prize for the next Powerball drawing is an estimated $750 million.

India is a hiker’s dream destination
Take a look at some of the country’s most epic trails.

Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter fired
The longtime interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has been fired amid accusations of “massive theft.”

‘Little rascals:’ Group of boys in custody for Texas bank robbery
A group of suspected bank robbers the FBI referred to as the “little rascals” is now in custody — and one of them is only 11 years old.

TODAY’S NUMBER

2.5 million
That’s approximately how many migrant encounters there were at the US-Mexico border last year, according to Department of Homeland Security estimates. While the border crisis continues to overwhelm authorities, a new report shows migrants are substantially increasing the pool of workers in the US and could boost the economy by an additional $7 trillion over the next decade.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“What we are experiencing now, and have been experiencing for decades, is something that we have not seen before in human history.”

— Dr. Jennifer D. Sciubba, a demographer, commenting on a new study that shows women around the world are preferring and having smaller families. Data shows that the global fertility rate — the average number of children born to a woman in her lifetime — is expected to plummet through the end of the century, resulting in a profound demographic shift.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

Don’t throw out your old phone
Many devices are discarded improperly, posing a threat to the environment and to human health. Here are a few things to consider before getting rid of your old phone.

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