5 things to know for August 14: Alaska summit, ICE, Zelle, Infowars, Air Canada

CNN

2 days ago

5 Things
Aviation news
Retail consumer
Donald Trump
FacebookTweetLink
President Donald Trump's deployment of federal law enforcement officers in Washington, DC, and his takeover of the police department have apparently infuriated one local man. After a verbal encounter with a group of US Customs and Border Protection officers recently, he's now facing felony charges for allegedly assaulting a federal police officer with … 'a sub-style sandwich.'
Here's what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.
In a virtual summit with President Trump on Wednesday, European leaders urged him not to make a unilateral Ukraine peace deal during his one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage on Friday. Afterwards, French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump was 'very clear' that Washington wants to obtain a ceasefire and that Ukraine's territorial issues cannot be negotiated without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump told reporters that if his summit with Putin goes well, a follow-up meeting between the Russian leader and Zelensky could happen 'almost immediately.' However, Trump also said that Russia will face 'very severe consequences' if Putin doesn't agree to end the war. The president wouldn't say if that meant he'd order new sanctions or tariffs.
The number of flights transporting detained immigrants is skyrocketing, but the trips are becoming more difficult to track. According to the immigrant advocacy group Witness at the Border, there have been more than 1,000 deportation flights to 62 countries since President Trump's inauguration. However, after March, the process of tracking these flights was hindered. That's when companies operating the flights began requesting that their tail numbers be removed from public flight-tracking websites. 'This is vital information to be able to understand how ICE is conducting its enforcement and deportation activities,' said Eunice Cho, senior counsel for the ACLU National Prison Project. 'Sometimes this is the only information that the public has with respect to where ICE is placing people because of a general lack of transparency around detention and deportation under this particular administration.'
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Early Warning Services, which operates the electronic money-transfer service Zelle. The suit alleges EWS knew that key features of Zelle made it susceptible to fraud, yet did not implement safety measures and allowed scammers to steal over $1 billion. Zelle's irreversible transfers also meant that many consumers were not able to get their money back after realizing they were scammed, the attorney general claims. A Zelle spokesperson called the New York lawsuit a 'political stunt to generate press.' The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had to drop a similar case against some of Zelle's backers in March as part of a broader pullback in enforcement under the Trump administration.
A Texas district court judge has ruled that Alex Jones' far-right platform Infowars can be sold once again to help pay the more than $1 billion he owes the families of Sandy Hook shooting victims. In a hearing on Wednesday, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble said Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems, will be turned over to a court-appointed receiver who will sell its assets and use the proceeds to pay Jones' debts. The order paves the way for The Onion to revive its bid for the conspiracy-driven outlet. Three years ago, Jones was found guilty of defamation after repeatedly claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, in which six adults and 20 children were killed, was a 'hoax.' Although Jones railed against the families on his show and said he was 'pissed off' about the latest ruling, attorneys for the victims' families celebrated the decision.
Prepare for delays and cancellations if you're booked to fly on Air Canada. The airline is preparing to lock out its flight attendants after they voted to go on strike this weekend. Following months of negotiations between the carrier and the flight attendants' union, the two sides failed to reach a tentative agreement. At that point, 99.7% of the membership voted to strike, the union said. Air Canada said it anticipates the first flights to be canceled today, with more cancellations expected on Friday. The airline will suspend operations on Saturday and could remain idle until a deal is reached. Air Canada has nearly 430 daily flights between Canada and the US at over 50 US airports.
GET '5 THINGS' IN YOUR INBOX
If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. The Grammy-winning singer announced the release date for her 12th album. Then, she got candid about the battle for her early master recordings, her favorite hobbies and her relationship with NFL superstar Travis Kelce. Get all the details here.
The reigning 100-meter world champion sprinter also issued an apology to her boyfriend after allegedly assaulting him in a Seattle airport.
If that does happen, the late-night host has a backup plan.
Before you dig into the franchise's first TV series, here's some clarity.
The fast-food chain's Mountain Dew Baja Blast is getting its first permanent new flavor in two decades. Will you try it?
$2.5 billionThat's how much the Gates Foundation plans to spend on women's health over the next five years.
'The election of 2026 is going to be decided in the summer of 2025.'
— Texas Democrat Beto O'Rourke
O'Rourke is raising funds for Democratic members of the state legislature who left Texas to prevent Republicans from passing a new US House map that could help the GOP flip as many as five seats next year.
🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect.
Researchers are using artificial intelligence to try and create life-saving anti-venoms — and make them more accessible.
Today's edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN's Andrew Torgan.