Happy Canada Day to our nice neighbors to the north! In honor of this special day — which marks the joining in 1867 of Canada’s original three provinces — here’s a Canadian travel guide. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)
1. Hong Kong protests
Twenty-two years ago today Hong Kong was handed over to China by the British. Protesters marked the anniversary by trying to smash their way into Hong Kong’s government headquarters. Young, masked protesters used metal bars and trolleys as battering rams to try to break the doors of headquarters as riot police watched from the inside. Hong Kong has been in political crisis for weeks after mass demonstrations started over a controversial extradition bill. The city’s chief executive has pulled the bill, but the protests have continued. Click here to keep up with the latest on today’s unrest.
2. President Trump
President Trump hit the reset button with China and North Korea during a history-making weekend in Asia. Trump became the first sitting US President to step into North Korea, after Kim Jong Un accepted his invitation to meet and shake hands at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. At this third meeting between the two leaders they agreed to restart staff-level nuclear talks that had collapsed after their last summit in February. Despite the long odds of diplomatic success on this issue, CNN’s Stephen Collinson says Trump’s meeting with Kim is a political win for the President. Here are six big moments from the historic meeting.
Earlier in the weekend, during the G20 summit in Japan, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to revive trade talks and put planned new tariffs on hold. The President also reversed course on Huawei, lifting some of the restrictions that barred US companies from selling components to the Chinese telecom firm. It’s expected the markets will react favorably this morning to the restart of trade talks, but uncertainty about whether a meaningful agreement can be finalized could loom over markets in the second half of the year.
3. Sudan protests
People are protesting again in Sudan. People are dying, too. At least seven were killed as tens of thousands protested yesterday in Khartoum, the country’s capital. It was the largest protest since a crackdown on a pro-democracy sit-in last month left at least 100 people dead. The demonstrators demand civilian rule in Sudan, which has been run by the military since former leader Omar al-Bashir was tossed out of power in a coup. Many of those killed or injured in this weekend’s protests were reportedly shot by the military.
4. Texas plane crash
The crash of a private plane killed 10 people in Texas. The plane slammed into a hangar and then exploded just after it took off from an airport north of Dallas. There were no survivors. Two of the dead were members of the flight crew and the other eight were passengers, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The Beechcraft Super King Air 350 aircraft was scheduled to fly to St. Petersburg, Florida.
5. Alcohol
Think your drinking doesn’t affect anyone else? Think again. One in five adults in the US — about 53 million people — said they’ve experienced harm from someone else’s drinking in the past year, according to a new study out today from the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. The harm ranged from property damage to physical injury. About 21% of women and 23% of men reported experiencing alcohol-related harms, with the most prevalent type being harassment. The study had some limitations, mainly being that the data was self-reported, which lends itself to bias if a person in the study was not answering survey questions honestly.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Best buddies
She worried that her 7-year-old son, who has autism, would bother his seatmate on a flight. Turns out she had nothing to worry about.
The robots are coming
Now artificial intelligence can figure out how to make a pizza. What’s next, slinging burgers at McDonald’s?
No vacancy
Want to book a room in the Taco Bell hotel in Palm Springs, California? Well, you’re out of luck. Rooms sold out in just two minutes.
Miss History
It’s already been a historic year for black women in beauty pageants. The history-making continued over the weekend in the Miss Tennessee pageant.
Summer shocker
Nothing says summer in Mexico better than the city of Guadalajara getting covered in ice after a freak hail storm.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“My musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.”
Taylor Swift, who said she was “grossed out” after learning that her music catalog has been sold to a company owned by music manager Scooter Braun. Swift claimed she’s been bullied by Braun for years.
TODAY’S NUMBER
40+
The tons of trash removed from the Pacific Ocean by an environmental group. It barely made a dent.
TODAY’S WEATHER
AND FINALLY
‘A little bit of …’
These never get old. Here’s Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5” sung by 156 movies. (Click to view)
