Your Morning: D-Day: 80 years later

D-Day: World leaders have gathered in France to mark the 80th year since D-Day, when Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy and began reclaiming Europe from Nazi control. At least 4,400 Allied troops died during the operation. President Joe Biden met with American veterans of D-Day in France. Read more > 

WWII veteran’s visit: This year marks the biggest D-Day commemoration in history, as some of the last surviving American World War II veterans head back to France to remember those who gave their lives. Alan Kinder, 99, fought his way across Europe through the Battle of the Bulge and joined “Morning in America” this week from Normandy on his first trip back since he was there as a young corporal 80 years ago. “It’s a beautiful place now,” Kinder said. “We didn’t have time to look at it before, but I’m very pleased and proud of the way they’ve kept this place up.” Watch the interview > 

The weather watcher: Things likely would have looked a lot different on D-Day if it weren’t for a weather forecast. In 1944, Maureen Sweeney worked as a postal clerk in Ireland, where one of her jobs was to record data that fed into weather forecasts. She sent a series of information that helped persuade Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe, to delay D-Day and avoid potentially disastrous weather that could have ruined the landings. She didn’t know about her role in history for nearly a decade. Her story >

Severe weather: A toddler has died and his mother was injured when a tornado hit Detroit without warning Wednesday, and five people were hurt in Maryland when a tornado took down structures and trapped people inside. The latest > 

In Michigan: Officials report that storms developed quickly in Livonia, where the tornado ripped through several neighborhoods. The storm uprooted a tree that fell on one family’s home and crashed through the roof before landing on a bed where a woman and her 2-year-old were sleeping. The toddler was pronounced dead at the scene. The mother was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. Full report > 

In Maryland: Tornado warnings were issued for other states Wednesday evening, including New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio and Maryland. Emergency workers in Gaithersburg, Maryland, responded to reports that people were trapped inside structures that collapsed, leaving at least five people injured. Read more > 

Hunter Biden trial: The federal gun trial against President Joe Biden’s son continued Wednesday following an emotional day in court for the Biden family Tuesday. Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and a former girlfriend testified about finding his crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia, and jurors saw photos of the president’s son bare-chested in a bubble bath and heard about his visit to a strip club. Read more > 

The charges: Hunter Biden faces three felonies stemming from a 2018 firearm purchase when he was, according to his memoir, in the throes of a crack addiction. He has been accused of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application used to screen firearms applicants when he said he was not a drug user, and illegally having the gun for 11 days. Breakdown of the gun clerk’s testimony > 

The case: Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty and has argued he’s being unfairly targeted by the Justice Department. Take a look at who has testified, and who might, in the trial > 

New criminal referral: Republican leaders of the House Oversight and Accountability, Judiciary and Ways and Means committees sent a letter to the Justice Department recommending the prosecution of Hunter Biden and James Biden, accusing them of making false statements to Congress as part of the GOP’s yearlong impeachment inquiry. The latest > 

Georgia ruling: A Georgia appeals court froze former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial proceedings in his election interference case. This comes as the court takes up Trump’s appeal seeking to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The move all but guarantees the trial will likely not be held before this year’s presidential election. Latest on the ruling >

Missing: A woman is claiming to be Cherrie Mahan, an 8-year-old from Pennsylvania who went missing in 1985, but the girl’s mom says she’s not telling the truth, multiple outlets have reported. Last month, a woman posted in a Facebook group dedicated to finding the child that she is Mahan. But, Mahan’s mother reportedly posted in the same group that she contacted the Pennsylvania State Police to tell them the post was fraudulent. Read more > 

What’s happening: Amanda Knox’s father, Curt Knox, says he and his family are “very disappointed” with his daughter’s slander reconviction. Curt Knox said their objective in the case “was to try to get Amanda’s name cleared of everything.” Watch the interview > 

Reconvicted: Amanda Knox was reconvicted in an Italian courtroom Wednesday after she was exonerated in the 2007 killing of her British roommate while the two were exchange students in Italy. The court ruled she wrongfully accused an innocent man in the killing. Amanda Knox will not serve any more jail time since she already spent three years in detention, which would be the sentence in this case. Latest details > 

Editor’s note: This section of the newsletter mentions suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, resources or someone to talk to, you can find it at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website or by calling 800-273-8255. People are available to talk 24/7. Crisis resources >

Mica Miller: Some of Mica Miller’s personal belongings will be turned over to an attorney after lawyers for her family and her widower John-Paul Miller reached an agreement Wednesday. Some of the belongings include Mica Miller’s personal cellphone, her purse and her vehicle. This comes as Mica Miller’s family has been calling for more investigations into her death. Read more > 

Background: Mica Miller was found dead of a gunshot wound in April, and police ruled her death a suicide. Details have surfaced about her marriage, divorce and multiple calls to the police about her estranged husband’s actions. Timeline of what’s happened >

Health news: A 59-year-old resident of Mexico has been confirmed as the first human victim to die from bird flu, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. Mexican health officials previously confirmed a case of the H5N2 bird flu strain in the patient, who had been hospitalized in Mexico City. The case is the first among humans involving this strain, which is different from bird flu cases being linked to cattle in the U.S. Read more > 

UFOs: Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are taking up a lot of space in the political arena, with a group of senators recently alleging the existence of a longstanding program that retrieves and reverse engineers “nonhuman” technology. NewsNation’s reporting on UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena) spurred congressional action, including lawmakers pushing for the establishment of a government-wide UAP records collection. Now, federal agencies have been instructed to reveal what they know about UAPs by Oct. 20. What lawmakers are saying about UFOs >

Joro spiders: Spiders the size of a baby’s hand and that fly through the air have been spotted along the East Coast. Scientists expect the Joro spiders to keep spreading. What to know > 

What’s a Joro spider? The spiders spawn massive webs, have a leg span of up to 4 inches and a vibrant yellow and black coloration. An invasive species expert told NewsNation the spiders are fairly docile and don’t threaten humans or pets. Photos > 

Where are Joro spiders? While Joro spiders are native to Japan and other parts of Asia, they have been spotted in states including Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas. Sightings of the spiders have been confirmed as far north as Maryland. Read more > 

Are they venomous? According to an invasive species expert, Joro spiders are venomous, but the venom is reserved for critters who get caught up in their webs. “They’re not dangerous to humans,” the expert said. “They’re super annoying because they kind of get all over everything and they’re, they’re more than happy to put a web on your porch or your deck or your carport or your landscaping. But as far as we know, there’s not been any instances of people getting bit or pets getting bit.” Watch the interview >