5 things to know for August 13: DC police takeover, Ukraine, Alaska summit, Glacier outburst, Covid-19

CNN

2 days ago

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Armored personnel carriers parked next to the Washington Monument. Border Patrol and ICE agents guarding Union Station. DC National Guard troops posted near the Mall. FBI and DEA agents patrolling the city's streets. How was President Donald Trump able to do all this? Under the Home Rule Act of 1973, the president may take temporary federal control of the DC police if he 'determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist.' However, Trump's declaration of a crime emergency in the district was contradicted by data showing violent crime had decreased there in recent years. On Tuesday, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser described Trump's efforts as an 'authoritarian push' and issued a warning to other cities: '…If he can get away with this in Los Angeles, if he can get away with this in DC, he can get away with it in New York or Baltimore or Chicago or any other place where millions of people live, work and are doing everything the right way.'
Russia appears to be making an 11th-hour dash to grab as much Ukrainian territory as possible before the summit between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Friday. Small groups of Russian troops have recently breached parts of Ukraine's defenses in the eastern Donetsk region, local officials said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow was trying to create the distorted perception 'that Russia is moving forward, advancing, and Ukraine is losing.' Zelensky also vowed not to give eastern lands to Russia in a peace deal because abandoning the Donbas region would open the door for Putin to 'start a third war' in Ukraine. While Trump plans to have a conversation with Zelensky and EU leaders today, he has signaled that the Ukrainian leader will not participate in Friday's summit.
White House officials said the location of President Trump's historic summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin has been selected. The two world leaders will meet on Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on the northern edge of Anchorage, Alaska. Choosing a spot was no easy task. Several European destinations were originally considered and then discarded because the International Criminal Court issued a war crimes warrant for Putin's arrest in 2023. Once negotiators settled on Alaska, they encountered another problem: summertime is peak tourist season in the state and options are severely limited. Plus, the US base was the only venue that met the security requirements for the summit. Trump has already tried to lower expectations by saying he's approaching the meeting as a 'feel-out' session.
A torrent of water gushing out of a glacier is threatening Juneau, Alaska, with potentially record-breaking flooding for the third straight year. Meteorologists say it's another consequence of climate change due to fossil fuel pollution. With the Arctic warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, glaciers have begun to thin or melt altogether. As ice gets replaced by liquid water, it pools up and overtops the glacier that normally holds it back, then floods whatever is in its path. On Tuesday morning, a glacial outburst occurred at Suicide Basin and began to flood the Mendenhall Lake and River, prompting officials to recommend that some residents evacuate. While significant flooding was reported in Mendenhall Lake last night, major flooding is forecast to begin this morning and continue until around noon local time. The river is set to crest around 16.6 feet, which would exceed the record crest set just last August.
Covid-19 levels are on the rise in the US, with transmission increasing in at least 45 states. Yet people who want to get vaccinated this fall may face a growing set of obstacles. Last week, the CDC told state and local officials that the FDA may not renew authorization for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for children younger than 5. This age group is the most vulnerable to severe illness from a Covid-19 infection. Without authorization, Pfizer's vaccine would no longer be available to those under 5. Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine — the other option for healthy children with no underlying conditions in that age group — would have to be given 'off label' by a willing pharmacist or physician. In May, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the CDC would no longer recommend Covid-19 vaccines for healthy children or pregnant women. As for other adults, the FDA has not yet approved the formulation for either the Covid-19 or flu vaccines for the 2025-2026 season.
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'I think it's very notable that each and every one of the cities called out by the president has a Black mayor, and most of those cities are seeing historic lows in violent crime. In my city, in Baltimore, we have the fewest amount of homicides through this date, on record. That's 50 years. A 50-year low.'
— Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott
Watch Mayor Scott's response to President Trump's criticism about violence in his city
🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect.
Today's edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN's Andrew Torgan.