5 things to know for June 12: Hunter Biden, Gaza protests, Economy, Bus hijacking, Medical debt

CNN
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A new star will appear in the night sky any day now as space enthusiasts await an explosive celestial event known as a nova. The “once-in-a-lifetime” sighting promises to be an exciting one for amateur astronomers, a NASA spokesperson said.

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A jury found Hunter Biden guilty Tuesday on all three federal felony gun charges he faced, concluding that he violated laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning firearms. The conviction marks the first time a president’s immediate family member has been found guilty of a crime during their father’s term in office, though his crimes predate Joe Biden’s tenure as president. In a statement, Hunter Biden said he was “disappointed” by the guilty verdict but “grateful” for his family’s love. President Biden expressed support for his son in a statement and said he would “respect the judicial process.” Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 at his sentencing, which will likely occur before Election Day.

For more, listen to today’s “One Thing” podcast, where CNN’s Marshall Cohen takes you inside the courtroom where Hunter Biden was found guilty.

Protesters formed new encampments on UCLA’s campus this week, demanding an end to the Israel-Hamas war. At least 27 people were arrested after setting up multiple pro-Palestinian areas at the university that police said were unlawful. While protests spread at college campuses this spring denouncing Israel’s handling of the conflict, UCLA’s campus turned into a scene of brutality in April when violent counterprotesters attacked pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Meanwhile, a US-backed Israeli proposal for a ceasefire and hostage deal appears to be in limbo, with neither side yet publicly committing to the plan as talks continue. More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s war against Hamas started in October, according to the latest figures from the enclave’s health ministry.

A key inflation report will be released today, hours before the Federal Reserve is slated to announce its decision on interest rates. The central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady for the seventh straight meeting and, more importantly, outline how many times it hopes to ease rates in 2024. This comes after the April Personal Consumption Expenditures index — the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge — showed the US economy made little progress in keeping costs in check. US home prices are at record highs and prices for new and used cars are running hot. The Consumer Price Index and the Fed’s rate announcement have fallen on the same day just seven times since 2014. Despite the rare event, analysts say it’s unlikely to move the stock market.

One person is dead after a gunman on Tuesday hijacked a commuter bus in Atlanta with 17 people inside, prompting passengers to frantically text loved ones and call 911 for help, police said. As police arrived on the scene and tried to confront the gunman, the suspect held the bus driver at gunpoint and forced him to speed away. The ensuing rush-hour police chase zig-zagged across highway lanes and suburban streets as the bus led authorities across at least two counties. When the bus finally ground to a halt, passengers streamed out and the 39-year-old gunman was arrested without incident, police said. A passenger found shot aboard the bus was taken to a hospital, where they later died, officials said.

The Biden administration has proposed banning medical debt from credit reports. The move would raise the credit scores of more than 15 million Americans by an average of 20 points and lead to the approval of about 22,000 more mortgages annually, according to a fact sheet from the office of Vice President Kamala Harris. The proposed rule would also ban lenders from using medical devices such as wheelchairs or prosthetic limbs as collateral for loans, and bar them from repossessing the devices if patients are unable to repay the loans. The rule could be finalized early next year. Some 46 million people had medical debt listed on their credit reports in 2020, according to the fact sheet.

World leaders head to Italy ahead of annual G7 summit
President Biden will arrive in Italy today for the G7 summit — an organization of leaders from some of the world’s largest economies — to discuss pressing issues on the global stage. Notably, Pope Francis will become the first pope to participate in the summit when he takes part in a session dedicated to artificial intelligence.

A cat just earned his doctorate from a Vermont university
How could a cat earn a doctorate? Honestly, I’m equally purr-plexed.

A popular tourist destination in China has installed toilet timers
The bottom line is, busy tourist sites are trying to cope with more visitors. One attraction even installed timers above bathroom stalls to keep people moving.

Starbucks joins the value menu wars with a new discounted offer
The coffee chain rolled out a new “Pairings Menu” on Tuesday, which combines a drink and a breakfast item for a discount.

The reasons for and against Caitlin Clark’s exclusion from the Team USA Olympic roster
Reactions are mixed after one of the most talented rookies to ever enter the WNBA was omitted from Team USA’s Olympic roster.

‘Friends’ star recreates iconic 1984 moment with Bruce Springsteen
Courteney Cox famously appeared in Bruce Springsteen’s music video for “Dancing in the Dark,” jumping on stage to dance with The Boss. Now she has recreated the moment for TikTok.

5,000
That’s around how many Amazon contract drivers filed legal claims against the e-commerce giant this week, alleging they should receive compensation for unpaid wages and overtime.

“It was so fun for the last year and six months. It’s such a relief I met so many amazing people.”

— Jin, a member of K-pop phenomenon BTS, sharing remarks today after he completed his mandatory 18-month military service in South Korea. The 31-year-old pop star was seen departing a military base in Gyeonggi province wearing his service attire. BTS is expected to reunite around 2025 after other members of the group complete their service.

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AND FINALLY …

A ‘brazen’ porch pirate
Surveillance video shows a porch pirate stealing a package before the delivery guy leaves the house! See the footage here.