5 things to know for April 8: Eclipse, Gaza, Ukraine, Congress, Boeing

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Huge swaths of North America today will suddenly darken and the clouds will eerily vanish — a cue for sky-watchers that the total solar eclipse is about to begin. The celestial event itself will have no effect on wireless networks but phone providers are preparing for potential disruptions as massive crowds will hold their cell phones skyward in unison to capture the moment. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Millions of people across Mexico, the United States and Canada will be able to see a total solar eclipse in the coming hours. The path of totality — where it’s possible to see the moon completely block out the sun — will draw thousands of tourists to states from Texas to Maine. Those who are not in areas with the best view are still likely to get a glimpse of a partial solar eclipse when the moon covers part of the sun. But for many Americans, this will be the last chance to see a total solar eclipse for 20 years. The next one won’t be visible across the contiguous US again until August 2044. Use this interactive tool to learn what time the eclipse may be visible near you. Israel has withdrawn its forces from Khan Younis in southern Gaza after months of fierce fighting that left much of the city in ruins. But Israeli troops are “far from stopping” operations in the enclave, the military’s chief of staff said. Israel’s defense minister emphasized that troops would prepare for new missions, including in Rafah, where about 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering. Also over the weekend, talks between Israel and Hamas in Cairo yielded “significant progress” and consensus on many controversial points, Egyptian state media reported. The negotiations aim to achieve a ceasefire and hostage deal. In his starkest warning yet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country will lose the war with Russia if the US doesn’t supply more military aid. Zelensky, in a video conference Sunday, pleaded for more munitions and warned that “other states will be attacked” if Ukraine is unable to sustain its resistance. Meanwhile, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine was damaged Sunday in a drone attack. The International Atomic Energy Agency called the strike “a serious incident (with) potential to undermine the integrity of the reactor’s containment system” but stressed the damage did not compromise nuclear safety.