5 things to know for Oct. 14: Middle East, SpaceX, Alaska typhoon, TSA checkpoints, Tariff threats
By Alexandra Banner, CNN
In a rare show of acknowledgment, former President Joe Biden commended President Donald Trump on Monday for helping broker the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Former Vice President Kamala Harris also praised the Trump administration’s role in a similar bipartisan gesture, describing the deal as “an important first step toward a more hopeful future.”
Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.
1️⃣ Middle East
The first phase of President Trump’s Gaza agreement achieved key breakthroughs on Monday, resulting in the release of all 20 living Israeli hostages and the freeing of thousands of Palestinian detainees. The second, more challenging phase — aimed at dismantling Hamas and deciding Gaza’s future leadership — has yet to be negotiated. Trump hailed a “historic dawn of a new Middle East” in remarks before the Israeli parliament as the deal brought a temporary halt to hostilities in the region. It now remains to be seen how the next round of Gaza negotiations will proceed, who will be part of a peacekeeping force and whether a Palestinian state will ever be formed.
2️⃣ SpaceX
SpaceX’s Starship megarocket completed an hour-long test flight Monday before making a fiery splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The company is racing to develop the vehicle to help NASA achieve a moon landing planned for 2027. Acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy hailed the test flight as “another major step toward landing Americans on the moon’s south pole.” Duffy’s remarks come amid renewed skepticism that Starship will be ready in time to complete the mission in less than two years. Duffy — who is serving double duty as President Trump’s Secretary of Transportation — has been among the loudest voices warning that the US must return to the lunar surface before China lands on the moon.
3️⃣ Alaska typhoon
At least one death has been confirmed after a powerful storm tore through western Alaska over the weekend. Search and rescue efforts are underway across remote coastal communities to find missing residents. This comes after hurricane-force winds triggered record-breaking storm surge, displacing over 1,000 residents and tearing homes from their foundations. At least 51 people have been rescued in Kwigillingok and the nearby village of Kipnuk, a local tribal health agency and state officials said. The sparsely populated villages are more than 400 miles southwest of Anchorage.
4️⃣ TSA checkpoints
Several major US airports are refusing to play a video of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in which she blames Democrats for the government shutdown. The video is intended to play at TSA checkpoints, with Noem stating, “Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay.” Airports that have announced they will not show the video include Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International, Portland International, Seattle-Tacoma International, Charlotte Douglas International Airport and three airports in New York. Many airport officials have cited the video’s political tone as the reason for declining to air it.
5️⃣ Tariff threats
Traders were jolted on Friday after President Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on Chinese imports, sparking a sell-off in volatile assets like tech stocks and cryptocurrencies. Nervous investors then dumped their riskier bets and fled to the perceived safety of government-issued Treasury bonds and gold. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 3.56% while the S&P 500 posted its worst day since April. Stocks then rebounded sharply on Monday as investors tried to temper their concerns about renewed US-China trade tensions. Bitcoin, which fell from roughly $122,500 to a low of around $104,600 on Friday, has also recouped some of its losses and is now trading around $111,000.
Breakfast browse
Scientists create ‘Superwood’ that’s 10 times stronger than steel
A US company has engineered a new type of wood that could potentially leave steel in the dust.
The fight against Alzheimer’s disease
The FDA has cleared another blood test to help rule out Alzheimer’s disease in people showing symptoms.
LendingTree CEO and founder Doug Lebda dies in ATV accident
A company spokesperson said the tragic accident occurred at a family farm in North Carolina.
Video: Texas girl saves little brother from choking
A young girl quickly stepped in to help her little brother when he began choking during playtime. See the video here.
Tennessee Titans fire head coach Brian Callahan
The Tennessee Titans have fired head coach Brian Callahan after the team’s lackluster 1-5 start to the NFL season.
Quote of the day
Johnson warned Monday that the ongoing government shutdown could soon rank among the longest in American history. The previous government shutdown in 2018-2019 was the longest in history, lasting 35 days. Today marks the shutdown’s 14th day.
Weather
🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect.
And finally…
▶️ Scam targets ATM users
into cryptocurrency. In this video, CNN’s Kyung Lah confronts a crook who tried to steal thousands from her.
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Today’s edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN’s Andrew Torgan.
