Start your week smart: VP choice, 9-11 plea deal, travel warning, Tropical Storm Debby, TikTok lawsuit

Australia

August 04, 2024

Andrew Torgan, Daniel Wine - CNN

(CNN) — The lazy days of summer are winding down for kids across the US as a new school year is right around the corner. Back to school, however, also means back to viruses, with children often bringing home germs along with their homework. Here’s what families can do to prepare.

And here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

The weekend that was

• As Kamala Harris closes in on her selection of a running mate, a renewed focus is being placed on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, even as the vice president continues to weigh whether Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro or Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly would help deliver a victory in their battleground states.
• Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin abruptly revoked a plea deal for the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks and his co-conspirators, and he relieved the overseer in charge after years of effort to reach an agreement to bring the cases to a close.
• The US, UK and France are among several countries urging their citizens to leave Lebanon as heightened tensions spark fears of a widening Middle East conflict. The region is on high alert after Iran vowed revenge on Israel.
• Warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico could help slow-moving Tropical Storm Debby strengthen to a Category 1 hurricane before landfall, forecasters said. Authorities in Florida and Georgia are urging residents to prepare.
• TikTok has failed to stop children from joining the app and has unlawfully collected their personal data, the US Justice Department alleged in a lawsuit. The suit accuses TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

The week ahead

Tuesday
Harris and her yet-to-be-named running mate will kick off a series of battleground state events with a rally in Philadelphia, according to a campaign official. The launch location of the swing state blitz is sure to pique curiosity as Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor, is among the top contenders to be Harris’ No. 2 on the Democratic presidential ticket. After Pennsylvania, the pair will campaign in Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington hold nonpresidential primaries on Tuesday as well.

Officials from Boeing could be subpoenaed to testify at a public hearing on the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout involving a Boeing 737-9 Max. The hearing will be held by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Thursday
August 8 marks one year since the start of the the catastrophic Maui wildfires that killed more than 100 people, destroyed the historic town of Lahaina and left $6 billion in damage. A report released earlier this year from Hawaii’s attorney general revealed that local officials rejected additional help before the Lahaina fire obliterated hundreds of homes and became the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century.

Friday
President Richard Nixon resigned from office in the wake of the Watergate scandal on this day 50 years ago.

Saturday
Hawaii will hold its nonpresidential primary election.

Listen in

One Thing: 🎧 Voter roll challenges
In today’s “One Thing” podcast, CNN’s Kyung Lah tells us how a mobile app has empowered citizens to bring baseless voter challenges against their neighbors. Listen here.

Photos of the week

Check out more images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.

What’s happening in entertainment

TV and streaming
An assassination attempt, violent protests, racism, war overseas and a last-minute shakeup to the presidential election: the turmoil of 2024 feels unprecedented, but it has striking parallels to 1968. CNN’s four-part docuseries, “1968,” delves into the tumultuous events of that year, examining the seismic shifts in American politics, social movements and global relations that changed America’s cultural and political landscape. The rebroadcast airs tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The sports mockumentary “Mr. Throwback” debuts Thursday on Peacock. The show stars Adam Pally, Ego Nwodim and Steph Curry … yes, that Steph Curry — the NBA superstar — as a fictional version of himself.

In theaters
The latest videogame franchise to be spun into a feature film is “Borderlands.” It features an all-star cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramírez, Ariana Greenblatt, Gina Gershon and Jamie Lee Curtis. Like any good movie based on a videogame, explosions, gunfire and high-speed chases abound. “Borderlands” opens on Friday.

Blake Lively hits the big screen (currently being dominated by her husband in “Deadpool & Wolverine”) in “It Ends With Us,” the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel.

What’s happening in sports

At a glance …
The track and field events at the Paris Olympics are underway, with the men’s 100-meter race taking place today and many more running events scheduled throughout the week. The US women’s soccer team advanced to the semifinals with a dramatic victory over Japan in extra time. In women’s swimming, Katie Ledecky keeps making history. Simone Biles competes in her two remaining events on Monday — the balance beam final and the floor exercise final. On Saturday, Biles won another gold medal in the individual vault final. Follow live updates for the latest.

For more of your favorite sports, head on over to CNN Sports as well as Bleacher Report, which — like CNN — is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

CNN Heroes

A mother turns grief over her daughter’s death into a movement to save others struggling with addiction
After losing her daughter to a fentanyl overdose, CNN Hero Dawn Tatro started Jenna’s Promise, an innovative program that gives women transitioning out of rehab the time and space to heal and build good habits before returning home. Learn more about Tatro and her program.

Quiz time!

Looking for a challenge to start your week? Take CNN’s news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 62% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?