5 things to know for May 30: Debt limit, Turkey, Ukraine, India, Uganda

By CNN

Published May 30, 2023 4:37 AM

By AJ Willingham, CNN

(CNN) — Going on a cruise soon? You may want to skip the terrifying accounts from aboard a Carnival ship that got battered by severe weather this weekend.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

(You can get “CNN’s 5 Things” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)

1. Debt limit

President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy forged a debt ceiling deal to possibly avoid a catastrophic US default in a matter of days, but not everyone is happy about it. The agreement would suspend the nation’s $31.4 trillion debt limit through January 1, 2025, removing it as a potential issue in the 2024 presidential election. Under the deal, non-defense spending would remain relatively flat in fiscal 2024 and increase by 1% in fiscal 2025. (You can read the whole text here.) Some Republican reps argue it does little to rein in government spending, while some Dems have criticized the inclusion of things like temporarily expanded work requirements for some food stamp recipients. Despite tension in the House, the agreement has sparked optimism in global markets and among some of the US’ leading business groups. It’s not a done deal, though. Once – and if – the measure passes the House, it’s on to the Senate. The estimated deadline for a possible default is June 5.

2. Turkey

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won a historic third term, extending his 20 years at the top of Turkey’s political landscape. Erdogan defeated challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Sunday’s runoff election after failing to win an outright majority in the first round of votes in mid-May. Some chief concerns among Turkish voters were high inflation and a cost of living crisis, situations blamed largely on the president’s unorthodox economic policies. Also on their minds was the government’s handling of the earthquake in February that left more than 50,000 people dead. Some of Erdogan’s supporters say his win is a victory for the Muslim world. Opponents say his control over state resources and affiliation with the country’s media helped sway the vote in his favor.

3. Ukraine

Russia’s Defense Ministry has blamed Ukraine for an alleged drone attack on Moscow today that damaged buildings and injured two people. Ukraine has increased the number of strikes on Russian ammunition depots, logistical nodes and rear echelon bases in the last few days as Ukrainian forces gear up for a long-anticipated counteroffensive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the timing of the counteroffensive has been set, but he did not provide specific details. Ukrainian cities continue to experience barrage after barrage of Russian missile and drone strikes, but the country’s forces have appeared unfazed as counteroffensive training and planning continues.

4. India

A 16-year-old girl was stabbed and bludgeoned to death in a busy public alleyway in Delhi on Sunday, sparking renewed outrage over the country’s ongoing struggles with violence against women and girls. Video of the incident in the capital city showed multiple people walking close by as the attack went on. The incident is the latest in a long line of killings and rapes that have triggered anger about whether enough is being done to protect women in India and punish attackers. India has long struggled to address gender violence. In 2018, a survey of experts on women’s issues ranked the country as the most dangerous place in the world to be a woman. Reports in recent years seem to show a continued increase in the frequency of such crimes.

5. Uganda

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has signed a series of anti-LGBTQ laws that are being characterized as among the harshest in the world. The bill criminalizes sex education for the gay community and makes it illegal to prevent exposure of what it calls perpetrators of “aggravated homosexuality” to the police. It also calls for “rehabilitation”– widely discredited conversion therapy – for gay offenders. Activists in the country say they fear the laws will embolden citizens to act extrajudicially against the LGBTQ community. Civil society groups are already looking to challenge the measures, and they could find a way as a similarly homophobic law was struck down by Ugandan courts in 2014. Western governments are already criticizing the law. President Biden described the bill in a statement as “a tragic violation of universal human rights.”

BREAKFAST BROWSE

‘Succession’ ends with a riveting series finale

Having never seen this show, assumedly it’s about people being mean in suits.

Summer is back, and so is this nostalgic beauty staple

Ahh, nothing says summer (or “trip to the salon for a color correction”) like Sun-In!

Please wear clothes in your digital driver’s license photo, Georgia officials urge

You just know someone at the Georgia Department of Drivers’ Services was holding back tears when they wrote this.

Venice authorities investigate after canal turns fluorescent green

Nope, it’s definitely not supposed to do that.

Ancient tombs and large mummification workshops unearthed in Egypt

Next on your favorite archaeology series, “Hey, Put That Back!”

TODAY’S NUMBER

That’s how many billionaires in the world are worth more than the $38.8 billion the US Treasury has in cash. To be clear, each of them is worth more than that alone. .

TODAY’S QUOTE

“The amount of backlash that I have gotten has been overwhelming. I just hope that this is the beginning of the end of the messages and the onslaught that I’m getting.”

— Erik Carnell, a trans designer whose brand Abprallen was featured in this year’s Target Pride collection. He says he’s gotten death threats and threatening messages due to several anti-LGBTQ campaigns targeting the collection. After learning some Target employees have also been threatened, Carnell expressed bittersweet relief that Target pulled some items due to safety concerns.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY…

From ice to hoops

It’s peak hockey and basketball season, and this transformation of Toronto’s Air Canada Center from NHL ice to NBA court is just as exciting as a game. (Click here to view)

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