5 things to know for July 25: Oval Office address, Netanyahu, Trump rally shooting, Wildfire season, Typhoon Gaemi

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — Vice President Kamala Harris is less than two weeks away from naming her running mate, with vetting and polling underway. Sources say the roster of leading contenders includes North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.

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

1. Oval Office address

President Joe Biden, speaking to the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday, framed his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race as a matter of saving democracy. “I revere this office. But I love my country more,” he said. During his remarks, which lasted about 11 minutes, Biden outlined his administration’s accomplishments and sought to draw a clear contrast with former President Donald Trump. He also championed his vice president, who’s now taking his place on the ticket. “The best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation,” Biden said. A new CNN poll shows Vice President Kamala Harris improves on Biden’s performance against Trump, though Trump still holds 49% support among registered voters nationwide to Harris’ 46%.

2. Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a defiant tone in a speech to Congress on Wednesday as he sought to shore up support for the war in Gaza. He vowed to “fight until we achieve victory” and called for America and Israel to stand together. Netanyahu’s remarks — in which he also promised to free the hostages in Hamas captivity — came as the death toll in the enclave nears 40,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. As Netanyahu blasted his critics in the nearly hourlong address, pro-Palestinian protesters in Washington, DC, burned US flags and depictions of the Israeli leader. The White House called the protests disgraceful, with spokesperson Andrew Bates adding that “antisemitism and violence are never acceptable. Period. “

3. Trump rally shooting

The House voted on Wednesday to create a bipartisan task force to investigate the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. The move comes as lawmakers seek answers and accountability after the 2024 Republican presidential nominee was shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania this month. A resolution to establish the task force was approved in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 416 to 0. The House task force, made up of seven Republicans and six Democrats, will issue a final report on its findings in December, “including any recommendations for legislative reforms necessary to prevent future security lapses,” according to the text of the resolution the House passed.

4. Wildfire season

A lightning-sparked wildfire raging in eastern Oregon has scorched nearly 270,000 acres, making it the largest active wildfire in the US. The Durkee Fire, which has already burned an area larger than the entire city of Indianapolis, started over a week ago near the Oregon-Idaho state line and was still 0% contained as of early today. The extreme heat beating down on the West and other parts of the US this summer, along with high winds, could be a recipe for danger leading into the wildfire season, firefighters have warned. Meanwhile, wildfires have forced a town and a major national park in Canada’s Alberta province to be evacuated. Several buildings have been burned by one of two raging wildfires menacing the town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies’ largest national park, authorities said today.

5. Typhoon Gaemi

A powerful typhoon made landfall in northeastern Taiwan today, leaving major flooding and damage in its wake. Conditions in Taiwan worsened as Typhoon Gaemi brought heavy rainfall, gusty winds and a dangerous storm surge. It reached land in Yilan County with sustained winds up to 125 mph, equal to a Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic. Continuous heavy rains and rising flood waters across the Philippines have also killed at least 13 people and displaced more than 600,000, local officials said. The typhoon is expected to make landfall in mainland China’s Fujian province today, bringing more strong winds and downpours to a country already hit hard by weeks of extreme rain.

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TODAY’S NUMBER

5
That’s how many Olympic athletes on Australia’s women’s water polo team have tested positive for Covid-19 as of Wednesday. The new cases have spurred questions about the measures in place to mitigate the spread of the virus at the Paris Games, especially as the French capital prepares to welcome about 15 million tourists in the coming weeks.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“I’m excited, overwhelmed and beyond the moon.”

— A Disneyland employee, after the company reached a tentative agreement this week to provide thousands of union workers better wages and working conditions. The deal averted what would have been Disneyland’s first employee strike in 40 years.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

How to sleep better on a plane
A global tech outage has impacted airlines and airports around the world, resulting in many packed flights this week. Here are tips to achieve a better snooze in the sky — even with limited space.

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