5 things to know for June 12: Hunter Biden guilty, Gaza protests, Economy, Bus hijacking, Medical debt
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A new star will appear in the night sky any day now as space enthusiasts await an explosive celestial event known as a nova. The “once-in-a-lifetime” sighting promises to be an exciting one for amateur astronomers, a NASA spokesperson said. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. A jury found Hunter Biden guilty Tuesday on all three federal felony gun charges he faced, concluding that he violated laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning firearms. The conviction marks the first time a president’s immediate family member has been found guilty of a crime during their father’s term in office, though his crimes predate Joe Biden’s tenure as president. In a statement, Hunter Biden said he was “disappointed” by the guilty verdict but “grateful” for his family’s love. President Biden expressed support for his son in a statement and said he would “respect the judicial process.” Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 at his sentencing, which will likely occur before Election Day. For more, listen to today’s “One Thing” podcast, where CNN’s Marshall Cohen takes you inside the courtroom where Hunter Biden was found guilty. Protesters formed new encampments on UCLA’s campus this week, demanding an end to the Israel-Hamas war. At least 27 people were arrested after setting up multiple pro-Palestinian areas at the university that police said were unlawful. While protests spread at college campuses this spring denouncing Israel’s handling of the conflict, UCLA’s campus turned into a scene of brutality in April when violent counterprotesters attacked pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Meanwhile, a US-backed Israeli proposal for a ceasefire and hostage deal appears to be in limbo, with neither side yet publicly committing to the plan as talks continue. More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s war against Hamas started in October, according to the latest figures from the enclave’s health ministry. A key inflation report will be released today, hours before the Federal Reserve is slated to announce its decision on interest rates. The central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady for the seventh straight meeting and, more importantly, outline how many times it hopes to ease rates in 2024. This comes after the April Personal Consumption Expenditures index — the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge — showed the US economy made little progress in keeping costs in check. US home prices are at record highs and prices for new and used cars are running hot. The Consumer Price Index and the Fed’s rate announcement have fallen on the same day just seven times since 2014. Despite the rare event, analysts say it’s unlikely to move the stock market.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Elena Kagan are well matched, rhetorically forceful opposites. And they have been clashing for more than a decade over an increasingly relevant question of presidential power: How easy should it be for the president to fire the heads of independent agencies?
The Army gynecologist described in a recent lawsuit as a “predator in uniform” is now being held in the Bell County Jail in Texas, “after apparently violating conditions of liberty imposed by his commander,” according to an Army spokesperson.
Brian Walshe on Thursday came face-to-face for the first time with the man who had been having an affair with his wife before her death, as he took the stand to testify in Walshe’s murder trial.
The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Texas to use a congressional map that will boost President Donald Trump’s effort to keep Republicans in control of Congress, blocking a lower court decision that found the new boundaries were likely unconstitutional because they were drawn based on race.
The US military carried out a strike Thursday on a suspected drug boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing four people on board, according to a social media post from US Southern Command.
A grand jury voted against indicting New York Attorney General Letitia James after being asked to look at the mortgage fraud case against her a second time, according to multiple people familiar with the development Thursday.
National Guard troops deployed to Washington, DC, can remain there for now, after a federal appeals court on Thursday temporarily froze a judge’s ruling that would have soon required them to leave the city’s streets.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s bad week just got worse. That’s after the long-awaited release Thursday of an inspector general’s report on his sharing of highly sensitive military attack plans on the unclassified app Signal earlier this year.
President Donald Trump has hired a new architect for the White House ballroom amid disputes between the president and his architect originally contracted to complete the project, several sources have told CNN.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.
If nothing else, the controversy over the Trump administration’s second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean has surfaced a long-overdue debate about its already legally dubious first strikes.
Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.
Authorities in Colombia are dealing with increasingly sophisticated criminals, who use advanced tech to produce and conceal the drugs they hope to export around the world. But police and the military are fighting back, using AI to flag suspicious passengers, cargo and mail - alongside more conventional air and sea patrols. CNN’s Isa Soares gets an inside look at Bogotá’s war on drugs.