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Start your week smart: Inside the Trump verdict, Netanyahu to address Congress, Chad Daybell sentenced, Chinese moon landing

By CNN

Published June 2, 2024 6:04 am

CNN

By Andrew Torgan and Daniel Wine, CNN

(CNN) — Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a … wait, what is that? A flying Beluga whale?

Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

The weekend that was

• Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of felony business fraud in connection with hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election was unprecedented. He’s the first former president in American history to be convicted of a felony. Here’s what comes next.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted an invitation from US congressional leaders to address a joint meeting of Congress. The invitation from top US congressional leaders comes after much speculation as additional military aid to Israel remains in question.
• Chad Daybell was sentenced to death upon the recommendation of the jury that convicted him of first-degree murder and conspiracy charges in the killings of his first wife and two children of his second wife. Prosecutors claim he was fueled by power, sex, money and apocalyptic spiritual beliefs.
• China’s Chang’e-6 lunar lander successfully touched down on the far side of the moon, in a significant step for the ambitious mission that could advance the country’s aspirations of putting astronauts on the moon.
• Marian Robinson, the mother of former first lady Michelle Obama, has died, according to a statement from the Obama and Robinson families. She was 86.

The week ahead

Monday
The trial of Hunter Biden on felony gun charges is set to begin in Delaware. The son of President Joe Biden has pleaded not guilty to three crimes in the case, all stemming from special counsel David Weiss’ claim that he was abusing drugs while he purchased and briefly possessed a revolver in 2018, which is against federal law. This is the first time in US history that the Justice Department has charged the child of a sitting president. Read more about the prosecutors’ case.

And while we cannot say for certain that the moon will be in the seventh house, we can tell you that Jupiter will align with Mars — and Mercury, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus. It’s a celestial event known as the “parade of planets.”

Tuesday
June 4 is another big primary day with voters in Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota and Washington, DC, heading to the polls to cast their votes for statewide positions, including Senate and House races.

It’s also the day that India declares the results of its mammoth, weekslong national election, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term.

Wednesday
June 5 is World Environment Day. This year’s observance focuses on land restoration, halting desertification and building drought resilience.

Thursday
June 6 is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, to begin the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany during World War II. President Biden, who will be in France this week for the anniversary, will deliver remarks on freedom and democracy at Pointe du Hoc on Friday. On Saturday, Biden and first lady Jill Biden will attend a state dinner in Paris at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Friday
The first Friday in June is National Donut Day — an event that began as a fundraiser in 1938 for The Salvation Army.

Saturday
The US Virgin Islands and Guam will hold their Democratic presidential caucuses.

One Thing: Modi’s moment?
In this week’s “One Thing” podcast, CNN’s Rhea Mogul recaps India’s sprawling election process and examines what another term for Modi would mean for the rest of the world. Listen here.

Photos of the week

Check out more images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.

What’s happening in entertainment

TV and streaming
“The Acolyte” is a new “Star Wars” series premiering Tuesday on Disney+ as “an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past.” Notably, it co-stars Carrie-Ann Moss as Indara, a Jedi Master who shows off fighting skills worthy of Trinity from “The Matrix” series.

“Hit Man” hits Netflix on Friday. It stars Glen Powell as a strait-laced professor who uncovers his hidden talent as a fake contract killer in undercover police stings. When a beautiful potential client (Adria Arjona) comes looking for someone to kill her husband … well, you can guess the rest.

In theaters
Nearly 30 years after the original “Bad Boys” burst onto the big screen, the fourth installment of the franchise is set to arrive Friday. “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” stars, of course, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as the fast-driving, wise-cracking, quick-on-the-draw Miami cops Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, who are out to clear their late police captain’s name.

“The Watchers,” starring Dakota Fanning, is the directorial debut of Ishana Shyamalan — daughter of spooky plot twist master M. Night Shyamalan. Needless to say, jump scares run deep in Shyamalan’s DNA, as do mysterious, menacing creatures that lurk in the shadows. (“The Watchers” is from Warner Bros. Pictures, which, like CNN is a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery.)

What’s happening in sports

At a glance …
The French Open continues today with fourth-round action at Roland Garros in Paris. Defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic outlasted Lorenzo Musetti in a marathon five-set match that ended just after 3 a.m. On the women’s side, top seed Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff both cruised into the quarterfinals.

The final round of the 79th US Women’s Open tees off today at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Wichanee Meechai, Minjee Lee and Andrea Lee are tied atop the leaderboard at 5-under. World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who was chasing a seventh win in eight starts, shot an opening round 10-over-par 80 that included a septuple-bogey at the par-three 12th. She failed to make the cut.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Florida Panthers advanced by eliminating the New York Rangers with a 2-1 victory in Game 6 of their series. The Panthers will face the winner of the Western Conference Final between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers lead that series 3-2. The puck drops in the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday.

Speaking of Dallas, the Mavericks are headed to the NBA Finals following a 124-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves last week. Dallas will face the Boston Celtics, with Game 1 scheduled to begin on Thursday at TD Garden in Boston.

Finally, the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes — the final leg of the Triple Crown — is set for Saturday. Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and Preakness winner Seize the Grey are among the entries expected to enter the starting gate, but the final field is subject to change as any horse can be scratched on race day.

For more of your favorite sports, head on over to CNN Sports as well as Bleacher Report, which — like CNN — is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Quiz time!

Looking for a challenge to start your week? Take CNN’s news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 28% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘We are the Planets’
In honor of the upcoming “parade of planets,” please enjoy this musical trip around our solar system. (Click here to view)

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