5 things to know for June 20: Debate countdown, Severe weather, Religious freedom, Ecuador blackout, Stonehenge

CNN’s 5 Things brings you the news you need to know every morning.

Today is the 2024 summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s also the first official day of summer — although swaths of the US have been baking in unseasonably high temperatures for weeks. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set for a historic showdown in exactly one week, with the stage now set for CNN’s June 27 presidential debate. The event will make history as the first debate between a sitting president and a former president — and could be a pivotal moment in the 2024 race as millions of potential voters tune in. The debate qualification window closed at midnight, with Biden and Trump meeting the constitutional, ballot qualification and polling thresholds set by the network. Both candidates have spent the past weeks working to fine-tune their message on a wide array of issues, from the economy to foreign affairs to their rival’s fitness for office. The season’s first tropical storm has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and a dangerous heat wave and wildfires are impacting parts of the US. Alberto, the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, is bringing gusty winds and storm surge to southern Texas. A level 3 of 4 risk of flooding is in place for parts of the state, including Corpus Christi. Meanwhile, a dangerous heat wave is scorching parts of the Midwest and Northeast, where record-breaking high temperatures are forecast across dozens of cities. And in New Mexico, around 1,400 structures have been lost and about 8,000 people have evacuated due to the South Fork Fire burning near the village of Ruidoso. Louisiana public schools are now required to display the Ten Commandments in all classrooms after Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed the requirement into law on Wednesday. House Bill 71, approved by state lawmakers last month, mandates that a poster-size display of the Ten Commandments with a “large, easily readable font” be in every classroom at schools that receive state funding, from kindergarten through the university level. Opponents of the bill have argued that a state requiring a religious text in all classrooms would violate the establishment clause of the US Constitution, which says that Congress can “make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Civil liberties groups swiftly vowed to challenge the law in court. Around 17 million people were left in the dark on Wednesday after Ecuador was hit with an hourslong nationwide blackout. The outage affected hospitals, homes and a major subway system. Authorities said it was caused by maintenance and transmission issues in the country’s electrical system. As of Wednesday night, energy had been restored in 95% of the country, the government said. Ecuador has been struggling with an energy crisis for years. In April, the country’s president declared an energy emergency and ordered widespread power cuts amid a drought that is straining its electric grid.