Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.
Five things you need to know
A former White House aide has claimed Donald Trump knew protesters had weapons before some of them stormed the US Capitol in January 2021. Cassidy Hutchinson also said the president wanted to join the march to the Capitol himself. Trump has denied the claims.
An angry President Trump, lawyers worried about potential crimes if Trump went to Capitol Hill, and ketchup on the wall of the Oval Office dining room. Here are key takeaways from Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the House Jan. 6 committee. https://t.co/RIzbhasbDw
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 28, 2022
Airbnb has permanently banned parties and events at properties listed on its platform. It said the policy – initially introduced on a temporary basis amid the COVID-19 pandemic – has become "much more than a public health measure."
Airbnb says it will make permanent a ban on parties originally implemented in the early months of the pandemic, citing its effectiveness at curbing unauthorized gatherings https://t.co/08WeNRPBcX
— CNN (@CNN) June 29, 2022
Japan is enduring its most intense heatwave since records in the country began in 1875. A temperature of 40.2ºC was logged northwest of Tokyo today, the highest June temperature ever recorded in Japan.
Japan’s government has called for Tokyo residents to continue conserving electricity by switching off the lights, as forecasts for further scorching heat threaten to put more pressure on the grid. https://t.co/gAj4ZnXNhg
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) June 29, 2022
The US has announced plans to distribute monkeypox vaccines to states as the virus continues to spread around the world. There have been 306 cases logged in the US so far, but officials warned the true figure is probably higher.
The Biden administration is planning to send out hundreds of thousands of monkeypox vaccines in response to the outbreak of the rare disease that has been identified in multiple non-endemic countries. https://t.co/behlqtf6oz
— ABC News (@ABC) June 29, 2022
Disgraced singer R. Kelly could be sentenced to decades in prison today after being found guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering. Prosecutors have demanded he spend at least 25 years behind bars.
R. Kelly may face life in prison at sex-trafficking sentencing today https://t.co/MVkG4rTKth pic.twitter.com/SpBZMB5HSM
— New York Post (@nypost) June 29, 2022
In lighter news, scientists have said the fossilized remains of one of humanity's most ancient ancestors is actually far older than previously thought. The remains – including of a cavewoman named "Mrs Ples" – are now believed to be 3.7 million years old, potentially reshaping our understanding of human evolution.
Cave woman fossil one million years older than originally thought https://t.co/4krPcQUgiq
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) June 29, 2022
