5 things to know for May 7: Gaza, Tornado outbreak, Boeing, Artificial intelligence, Peanut recall

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

1. Gaza

Israel’s military said it has taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, a vital entry point for aid to Gaza on the Egyptian border. A Palestinian official said all movement had stopped at the facility after it was captured by Israeli tanks. Palestinian civilians told to evacuate eastern Rafah by the Israeli military have described their fear and despair at being uprooted from their homes and shelters as Israel airstrikes hit Gaza’s southernmost city today. Israel also reiterated its commitment to an offensive in southern Gaza, saying the latest ceasefire terms responded to by Hamas were “far from” meeting its demands. Israel will send a delegation for further talks, which Qatar said would resume today.

2. Tornado outbreak

At least one person is dead and several others are injured after a tornado ripped through Barnsdall, Oklahoma, Monday night. In some hard-hit parts of the Midwest, storms have damaged dozens of homes, downed power lines and dumped piles of debris and household items across yards and roads. The severe storm threat is expected to head to more populated areas of the East today, according to meteorologists. Nearly 100 million people from Texas to Pennsylvania are under severe storm threats, though the Ohio Valley is likely to see the worst of the weather, the Storm Prediction Center said.

3. Boeing

The first crewed launch of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft was abruptly scrubbed Monday. The historic mission could be a major milestone before NASA deems Boeing’s spacecraft ready for routine operations to the International Space Station. Monday’s launch, however, was called off about two hours before the countdown clock hit zero because of an issue with a valve on the Atlas V rocket — the vehicle that will carry the Starliner capsule into space. It is unclear when launch officials will make a second attempt to get Starliner off the ground, though the next possible launch time is today at 10:11 p.m. ET. More broadly, Boeing as a company suffered another blow in its aircraft division Monday after the FAA opened a new investigation into whether employees failed to perform some quality inspections on its 787 jets.

4. Artificial intelligence

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has compared artificial intelligence to nuclear weapons in a stark warning. “We let a genie out of the bottle when we developed nuclear weapons,” Buffet said at his annual shareholder meeting. “AI is somewhat similar — it’s part way out of the bottle.” Buffet, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, explained that his image and voice were recently replicated by an AI-backed tool, and they were so convincing that they could have fooled his own family. Scams and AI-powered attacks, he added, will likely become increasingly prevalent. Meanwhile, shares of companies associated with the AI boom have soared. Chipmaker Nvidia is up about 215% over the last 12 months, while Microsoft is up about 34%.

5. Peanut recall

Some Planters nut products have been recalled over a possible listeria contamination, according to an announcement from the company. The two recalled products — packages of honey roasted peanuts and cans of salted mixed nuts — were recently distributed to retailers in Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. As of Friday, there were no reported illnesses related to this recall. However, the company says it is conducting an investigation to identify the potential source of the contamination. Listeria can cause serious infections and is most dangerous to pregnant women and newborns, seniors and others with weakened immune systems.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Here’s what happened at the Met Gala
The Met Gala, an annual, invitation-only event, was held Monday in New York City. See photos from one of fashion’s biggest nights.

Victor Wembanyama wins NBA Rookie of the Year award
The 7-foot, 4-inch star player for the San Antonio Spurs won the award in a unanimous vote of 99 members of the media.

Kremlin critic wins Pulitzer Prize
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent Russian human rights advocate and Kremlin critic, has won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary written from his prison cell.

Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.

‘Don’t say that sh*t again’: Tom Brady takes issue with joke during roast
Football legend Tom Brady took issue with a joke from comedian Jeff Ross during Netflix’s “The Greatest Roast of All Time.” Watch the video here.

TODAY’S NUMBER

2035
That’s the year that Social Security will be unable to fully pay benefits if Congress does not address the pending shortfalls. At that time, Social Security trust funds — which help support monthly payments to the elderly, survivors and people with disabilities — will be depleted, and other income sources will only be able to cover 83% of benefits owed.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“The last thing I want to do is to put you in jail.”

— Judge Juan Merchan, warning former President Donald Trump that he could face jail time if he does not start obeying a gag order in his hush money trial. Merchan on Monday found Trump had yet again violated a gag order that precludes attacks on witnesses and the jury, days after he fined him $1,000 each for nine previous transgressions.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

Can this technology help refreeze Arctic ice?
Global warming is rapidly melting some of the world’s largest ice shelves but a UK startup believes it may be possible to refreeze new layers of ice. Watch this video to see how.