July 5, 2022

U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | At least six people were killed and 30 others wounded yesterday when a gunman opened fire from a rooftop overlooking a Fourth of July parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois. Police arrested 21-year-old Robert E. Crimo III of Highland Park early this morning and characterized him as a person of interest in the shooting after releasing his name and image last night. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 132 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Speaking by video at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Switzerland yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that rebuilding buildings and infrastructure damaged in the Russian invasion could cost up to $750 billion. [more]
• Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed yesterday that his country's forces have complete control of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region. Reports say Russian forces are now preparing to focus on operations in the neighboring Donetsk province. [more]
• Russian state news agency TASS reports that Russia-appointed officials in southern Ukraine have reached agreements to sell Ukrainian grain to multiple countries in the Middle East. Ukrainian officials say the grain being sold was stolen by Russian forces, while Russian authorities say it was purchased from Ukrainian farmers. [more]

AKRON PROTESTS | A nighttime curfew remains in effect in Akron, Ohio, amidst ongoing protests surrounding the police shooting of 25-year-old Jayland Walker on June 27. Police released video footage of the shooting over the weekend, showing Walker being shot up to 60 times by eight police officers while fleeing a traffic stop. Authorities say a firearm was discharged from within Walker's vehicle during the traffic stop. [more]

AUSTRALIA | An estimated 50,000 people in the areas surrounding Sydney, Australia, are under evacuation orders due to severe flooding caused by days of heavy rain. Reports say as many as 100 rescues of area residents trapped by the flooding have been conducted by emergency response teams. [more]

ITALY | At least seven hikers were killed and 13 others remain missing after an avalanche Sunday in northern Italy's Dolomites mountain range. Authorities say the avalanche was sparked by a large part of the Marmolada glacier breaking off due to high temperatures. [more]

MORE ITALY | Italian officials have declared a state of emergency in five of the country's northern regions surrounding the Po River amidst the area's worst drought in 70 years. [more]

CENTRAL AMERICA | Reports say at least four people in Nicaragua and one person in El Salvador were killed in heavy flooding as Tropical Storm Bonnie swept through Central America over the weekend. The storm, which has since strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane, is expected to move parallel to the coast of southern Mexico in the coming days. [more]

NATO | NATO ambassadors and permanent representatives formally approved the membership applications of Finland and Sweden today. Approval of the Nordic countries' applications by the legislative bodies of the 30 NATO member nations will now be sought. [more]

HUMAN TRAFFICKING | The international police agency Europol announced today that about 130 people suspected of involvement in human trafficking were arrested in the week of June 13 in a joint effort by 22 European countries. [more]

OPIOID CRISIS | A federal judge in West Virginia ruled yesterday in favor of three major U.S. drug distributors who had been accused by officials in the state's Cabell County of contributing to the local opioid addiction crisis. [more]

MEDAL OF FREEDOM | Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, gymnast Simone Biles, actor Denzel Washington, and soccer star and activist Megan Rapinoe are among the 17 people who will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden later this week. [full recipient list] [more]

ENERGY | A new report from the International Energy Agency suggests that the global increase in demand for natural gas between 2021 and 2025 will be less than half of the increase seen in the previous five-year period, citing slower global economic growth, higher prices, and reduced exports from Russia as major factors in the group's revised estimate. [more]

TRAVEL | Reports say pressure on U.S. airlines appears to be easing after more than 2,200 flights were cancelled and 25,000 others delayed over the holiday weekend. An estimated nine million people flew on domestic U.S. flights between Thursday and Sunday, according to the Transportation Security Administration. [more]

VATICAN CITY | In an interview Saturday, Pope Francis dismissed reports that he intends to resign in the near future due to health issues. [more]

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE | "Minions: The Rise of Gru" topped North American box office returns over the long holiday weekend, with an estimated $127.9 million in ticket sales, followed by "Top Gun: Maverick" with $25.5 million in sales and "Elvis" with $19 million. [more]

SOCCER | The U.S. women's national soccer team defeated Haiti, 3-0, yesterday in the opening match of the CONCACAF W Championship. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1996, Dolly, a female Finn Dorset sheep, was born near Edinburgh, Scotland, becoming the first successfully cloned mammal; her birth was not publicly revealed until the following year. [more history]