Extreme heat: A major heat wave extended from the Midwest to New England, impacting tens of millions of Americans. The National Weather Service said dangerous temperatures were expected to peak in the eastern Great Lakes and New England on Wednesday and Thursday and then the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic on Friday and Saturday. Heat index readings were expected to reach 100 to 105 degrees in many of these locations. How to stay safe in the heat >
Heat hurting wallets: The heat isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s hitting people’s wallets. Electricity bills in some areas are expected to reach record-breaking levels. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association and the Center for Energy, Poverty, and Climate projected in a recent report that the average cost of home cooling will be $719, up nearly 8% over last year. So far, the average cost of a monthly electric bill is around $173. Read more >
The power grid: If the demand for electricity is higher than anticipated, or if there is less electricity generated than expected, some areas of the U.S. could see supply shortages, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) said in its 2024 Summer Reliability Assessment. While no specific parts of the country were considered “high risk” this summer, NERC says scorching temperatures and people blasting their air conditioning will create more electricity demand, which could increase the risk of power plant outages. Details >
|
|
|
Weather: Tropical Storm Alberto, as the first named storm of the season, moved toward northeast Mexico early Thursday, bringing heavy rains and leaving three people dead. The rain comes to a region experiencing a prolonged, severe drought. Alberto also carried rains and flooding to the coast of Texas. According to the National Weather Service, the main hazard for southern coastal Texas is flooding from excess rain. The latest >
|
| |
Suspect on the run: Residents in Arkansas and Kansas have been put on high alert as investigators search for an Alabama man they say is wanted in connection to three homicides in Oklahoma. Stacy Drake, 50, of Birmingham, was last seen on surveillance footage at a hotel in Morrilton, Arkansas, about 50 miles northwest of Little Rock, according to police. A search for Drake at the hotel came up empty. The latest >
Description: Drake is described as a white man standing 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 185 pounds. Images provided by police show Drake wearing a dark-colored shirt, hat and sunglasses. More photos >
Stacy Drake: Arkansas State Police say Drake is also wanted on multiple felony warrants from multiple jurisdictions, with charges including aggravated robbery, carjacking, and robbery. Authorities consider Drake to be armed and dangerous. Anyone who has seen him is asked to call the Morrilton Police Department at 501-354-0131. Read more >
|
| |
Cartel scheme: Associates of the Sinaloa drug cartel based in Los Angeles conspired with a Chinese underground banking network to move more than $50 million in drug proceeds from the distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine, federal drug officials announced this week. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced federal charges against 24 people following a multiyear investigation called “Operation Fortune Runner.” A closer look >
|
| |
Housing ‘impossibly unaffordable’: Five U.S. cities are considered “impossibly unaffordable” when it comes to housing, placing them among the most expensive markets in the world, according to a new study. Rankings were based on each area’s median house price divided by the median household income. The report found the gap between housing costs and income has widened since the pandemic, triggering a cost-of-living crisis for many American families. A list of the least affordable >
Housing shortage: The U.S. housing shortage rose to 4.5 million homes from 2021 to 2022, according to a new analysis by Zillow. The deepening housing deficit went up from 4.3 million homes in 2021 despite a construction boom during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The simple fact is there are not enough homes in this country, and that’s pushing homeownership out of reach for too many families,” an economist with Zillow said. Read more >
A unique approach: Rent prices in the U.S. are so steep that one man decided to try a new lifestyle: living at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. A Seattle-based content creator posed the idea in a TikTok video that went viral earlier this year. “Have we ever considered that it’s actually cheaper to live in an all-inclusive resort than it is to live in the apartments that we currently occupy?” he said in a video that racked up over 7 million views. How he put his experiment to the test >
Housing isn’t the only challenge: Food inflation is a major concern for most Americans, a survey found. Nearly 80% of respondents in a WalletHub survey said food inflation is worse for them than high gas prices. The finding underscores frustrations many are feeling at the supermarket, where prices are up nearly 25% since the pandemic. Take a closer look >
Speaking of grocery shopping: There’s bad news for guacamole lovers: The U.S. could soon see fewer avocados coming from Mexico. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has suspended inspections of avocados and mangoes imported from the Mexican state of Michoacan after two employees were assaulted and temporarily held by assailants. It’s unclear how long the pause on inspections will last, but a lengthy delay could eventually lead to higher avocado prices in the U.S., an agriculture economics professor said. What to know >
|
| |
Debate: President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to take the debate stage next week for the 2024 election’s first presidential debate. The debate, which will be hosted by CNN in Atlanta, marks the first time Trump and Biden have shared a stage since 2020. You can watch the CNN Presidential Debate live on NewsNation on June 27. Join us for “It’s Debate Night with Chris Cuomo” at 8p/7C for predebate analysis. Everything you need to know ahead of the debate >
Debate details: The debate features a new set of rules. Biden and Trump reached a final deal on the format, timing and rules of the debate, which includes no audience, no notes, no help from aides and muting of microphones in some instances. What to know >
|
| |
We’re keeping an eye on these topics today. Make sure you tune in to our latest coverage and share your thoughts with us on social media! Russian President Vladimir Putin continues a visit to Vietnam.
Thursday marks the deadline for TikTok, parent company ByteDance and TikTok creators to file legal briefs to challenge a federal law requiring ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban in the U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is set to make a “major announcement” on fentanyl trafficking.
|
|
|
A Vermont lawmaker publicly apologized for her “disrespectful conduct” after reports suggested she repeatedly poured water into another representative’s tote bag over the course of five months. Her apology >
A California woman whose luggage went missing after an American Airlines flight into Hollywood Burbank Airport says she later found her bag in a Hollywood homeless encampment. How she’s demanding answers >
A Florida McDonald’s employee allegedly threw drinks at a customer who said their order was incorrect, chased them outside with a gun and shot at them, police said. Video >
Defendants accused of killing two Kansas mothers appeared in court Wednesday as attorneys noted a key piece of evidence is still missing from discovery. Details >
The biological father of missing Tennessee teen Sebastian Rogers says finding his son “doesn’t feel like a shared goal” with Sebastian’s mother and stepfather. Watch the “Banfield” interview >
Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom. Read more >
Embattled former Rep. George Santos of New York announced he was joining a new creative platform: OnlyFans. Full report >
A woman hiking in the high Sierra Nevada had to be rescued after California authorities say she was bitten by what’s believed to be a spider and became “unable to feel the skin on her legs.” The latest >
An annual snake survey in Ohio yielded a surprising find: a native but rarely seen venomous rattlesnake. What to know >
|
|
|
KEEP UP WITH THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL |
Sign up for our Decision Desk ’24 Campaign View newsletter to get the latest analysis and political reporting leading up to the 2024 election. Subscribe Now > |
|
|
An Arkansas sportsman out fishing for stripers had a day’s work when he hooked a 127-pound paddlefish. He said he knew right away the 45-minute challenge to reel in the big fish was different. Officials said the catch passed the previous state record for a 118-pound paddlefish set in 2020. Read more >
Find a good news story each day in NewsNation’s Your Morning newsletter! Subscribe > |
|
|
This NewsNation email is written by Caitlyn Shelton and NewsNation staff. |
|
|
|
