5 things to know for Sept. 18: Middle East, Presidential race, IVF treatments, Autoworkers, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

CNN

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — Fast-food chains across the US are offering discounts today to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day. It comes as many companies have unveiled promotions and giveaways this year to try to win back the customers they lost due to price increases.

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

1. Middle East

Hezbollah has vowed to respond to an Israeli attack that killed at least nine people and injured thousands across Lebanon on Tuesday when pagers belonging to members of the Iran-backed militant group exploded almost simultaneously. Footage showed shoppers and pedestrians collapsing in the street following the blasts. Israel was behind the attack, CNN has learned. The New York Times reported that Israel hid explosives inside a batch of pagers destined for Hezbollah. A switch was embedded to detonate them remotely, it added. Israel has not commented. The attack risks further escalating tensions in the Middle East already heightened over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. It also underscores Hezbollah’s vulnerability as its communication network was compromised to deadly effect.

2. Presidential race

Days following an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, both presidential candidates pressed on with campaign efforts in must-win states on Tuesday. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia, where she denounced the false rumors about migrants in Springfield, Ohio, as “a crying shame.” Trump hosted a town hall in Flint, Michigan, and shook hands with supporters at his first campaign event since Sunday’s apparent assassination attempt. He discussed tariffs, his recent phone calls with President Joe Biden and Harris, and he said the Secret Service “did a hell of a job” on Sunday.

3. IVF treatments

Senate Republicans voted on Tuesday to block a bill that would guarantee access to in vitro fertilization nationwide. Democrats brought the bill back to the Senate floor after GOP lawmakers previously blocked the measure from advancing in June. The bill seeks to make IVF treatment more affordable by mandating coverage for fertility treatments under employer-sponsored insurance and certain public insurance plans. It would also expand coverage of fertility treatments, including IVF, under US military service members and veterans’ health care. Many Republicans criticized the Democrat-led legislation as an unnecessary overreach while saying they do support IVF. The vote is part of a broader push by Senate Democrats to draw a contrast with Republicans over reproductive health care as the elections approach.

4. Autoworkers

United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain said Tuesday the union plans to hold strike authorization votes against Stellantis because the automaker is failing to live up to guarantees it made in a 2023 labor deal at the conclusion of a six-week strike. Stellantis — which makes vehicles in North America under the Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler brands — had 43,000 UAW members nationwide at 19 manufacturing facilities at the time of last year’s strike. It is possible, since only some locals will be holding strike authorization votes, that only some plants will go on strike. But even a limited strike could affect operations at several Stellantis facilities. The automaker denied violating its contract and said it still had plenty of time to meet the agreed investment targets and vehicle production commitments.

5. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Sean “Diddy” Combs today is expected to appeal a federal judge’s decision to hold the hip-hop artist without bail after he pleaded not guilty in federal court on Tuesday to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Until the court appearance, Combs will remain in federal detention, a judge ruled. The embattled music mogul was arrested Monday at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan and taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations, a source familiar with negotiations for his surrender told CNN. Prosecutors allege Combs, 54, created and ran a “criminal enterprise” through his business empire that engaged in crimes including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice, according to the federal indictment.

HAPPENING LATER

Federal Reserve to announce interest rate decision
The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates today for the first time since 2020. The move would mark a major milestone both for the central bank’s long fight against inflation and for Americans battered by the highest costs in decades.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Lunchables faces a new competitor
Some of YouTube’s biggest stars are taking on Lunchables with what they say is a “healthier” meal aimed at their young fan base. But the absence of fresh fruit may leave parents feeling melon-choly.

Why parents should be concerned about trampolines
The nation’s leading group of pediatricians warns that “the home use of trampolines is strongly discouraged.” A doctor explains why.

India celebrates Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi
Devotees gathered across India this month to celebrate the Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi, marking the birth of the deity Ganesha, the elephant-headed, round-bellied god of prosperity and wisdom.

The world’s most expensive coin collection?
A tycoon collector forbade anyone from selling his coins for 100 years. A century on, the first set just fetched over $16 million.

Miami Dolphins place Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve
The Miami Dolphins placed their star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on the reserve/injured list Tuesday following his latest concussion.

TODAY’S NUMBER

48
That’s how many days remain until the 2024 presidential election. With little time left in the race, former President Donald Trump and his children launched a new cryptocurrency business this week that experts say could be full of potential risks and conflicts if he wins.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“There’s a very large disconnect between the human race and the ocean. Our goal is driving that generational shift and reconnecting humanity with the sea.”

— Sean Wolpert, the president of DEEP, a UK-based startup company aiming to develop a large subsea habitat by 2027. The cornerstone of its ambitious plan is an underwater habitat called the Sentinel system, which the company says will allow people to live and work at a depth of around 650 feet for up to a month.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

AI is shaping cancer treatment in the UAE
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is using artificial intelligence to revolutionize cancer treatment. See how AI can help detect cancer earlier, guide doctors in diagnosis and improve patient outcomes.

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