Vladimir Putin signs a strategic partnership with Kim Jong Un in North Korea. Texas faces the first storm warning of the hurricane season. And baseball loses one of its legends.
Here’s what to know today.
Kim Jong Un and Putin sign pact to help each other if attacked in rare North Korea visit
The streets of the North Korean capital were lined this morning with cheering crowds, mounted soldiers and grand portraits — not for Kim Jong Un, but for his guest and growing ally, Vladimir Putin.
In a rare visit to the reclusive nuclear-armed state, the Russian leader and his host signed a comprehensive strategic partnership that could deepen their military and economic cooperation as both countries face a slew of global sanctions and confrontations with the United States and its allies.
The deal could expand transfers of military technology to Pyongyang in exchange for supplies of munitions that Moscow’s military badly needs for its war in Ukraine. U.S. officials previously told NBC News that such transfers could vastly enhance North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and threaten the Asia-Pacific region.
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Putin’s first visit to North Korea in 24 years began with a handshake and embrace at the Pyongyang International Airport, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Then the pair “exchanged their pent-up inmost thoughts” during a limo ride to the Kumsusan State Guest House, where Putin would be staying.
Texas faces first storm warning of hurricane season as extreme heat grips East Coast
Southern Texas is braced for a major storm to hit late today into tomorrow, with considerable flash flooding possible, in the first warning of the hurricane season. The weather system is expected to become a tropical storm later when it will be renamed Tropical Storm Alberto.
Tropical alerts are in place in the state along the Gulf Coast, with as much as 10 to 15 inches of rain and high winds expected in Corpus Christi. The state government enacted a large-scale emergency response in anticipation of widespread flooding.
The storm warning comes as 71 million people were under some form of heat advisory or warning today, as a severe heat wave is set to last through Friday. Several parts of the Midwest, the interior Northeast and New England could reach temperatures of 95 degrees or above today, with Bangor, Maine, set to hit 106 on the heat index, a measure of how hot it feels that factors in humidity.
NBC News meteorologist Michelle Grossman warned that extreme heat is not to be taken lightly.
Baseball loses one of its greatest: Willie Mays
Baseball lost one of its legends yesterday with the death of Willie Mays at 93. Mays, a Hall of Famer who spent the bulk of his career with the San Francisco Giants, is widely considered to be among the most talented players in baseball history. His combination of power with a bat, blinding speed and relentless defense thrilled fans coast to coast during a golden age in baseball.
His stats at home plate are remarkable and lasting: a .301 career batting average, 660 career home runs (sixth-most all-time), 3,293 hits (12th-most), and 1,909 runs batted in (11th-most). Mays also won 12 Gold Glove awards as a consummate fielder.
But it’s his over-the-shoulder catch while sprinting into center field during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series that immortalized him in baseball history. It’s widely considered one the greatest defensive plays in baseball, inspiring generations of young ball players to emulate his athleticism. David K. Li captures what made Mays a Giant on and off the field.
Growing link between Mexican cartels and Chinese organized crime
New charges against Los Angeles-based associates of the Sinaloa cartel in a sophisticated money laundering scheme are evidence of a growing relationship between Mexican cartels and Chinese citizens in the U.S., federal prosecutors said.
Details of the case were outlined in a 10-count superseding indictment. Authorities claimed that more than $50 million in drug money was laundered through an underground banking system run by Chinese nationals in the U.S. “Together these groups have created an organization in which millions and millions of dollars are moved in proceeds from the drug sales in the United States back down to Mexico,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said, “and wealthy Chinese nationals in this country are given access to virtually limitless supplies of cash.” Read more about the case.
Chuck Todd: A lack of fear of another Trump presidency
One of the biggest developments of the 2024 presidential campaign — and the biggest difference from the past two elections — is the lack of fear of another Donald Trump term, NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd writes in an analysis. It may explain why President Joe Biden’s campaign has struggled to move voters away from Trump by reminding them of his questionable character traits and chaotic governing style. And right now, this lack of fear could be a real stumbling block for the Biden campaign.
It’s likely that a large chunk of the public has forgotten the daily chaos Trump intentionally created with his presidency during the pandemic, Todd argues. Plus, there isn’t clear consensus — or a desire for reflection, really — on why Trump lost in 2020. Meanwhile, a growing acceptance of a possible second Trump term, even by those who previously spoke out against the former president, makes Biden’s challenge of injecting fear into voters even harder. Read the full analysis here.
More 2024 election news:
- The Biden administration has no firm plan to alert the public about deepfakes or other false information during the election with a few exceptions, current and former U.S. officials said. Here’s why.
Politics in Brief
Virginia primary: Republican Rep. Bob Good, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, was locked in a close primary fight for Virginia’s 5th District against his challenger, state Sen. John McGuire. Just a few hundred votes separated them as of last night.
Georgia primary: Chuck Hand, a convicted Jan. 6 defendant, lost a Republican primary runoff seat for a House seat in Georgia.
Gun rights: Senate Democrats sought to pass legislation banning bump stocks for firearms after the Supreme Court last week overruled a previous ban, but a single Republican objected, which effectively stalled the bill.
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Staff Pick: Meet the ‘Harriet Tubman of Texas’
Juneteenth is all about freedom — and in the 19th century, former slave Silvia Hector Webber made it her mission to help others feel free. With the help of her white husband, Webber was able to find freedom, and she used their land along the Rio Grande in Texas to help those fleeing slavery to escape to Mexico. Thanks to new research, her descendants are just now learning about her and are honoring her legacy. — Michelle Garcia, NBC BLK editorial director
In Case You Missed It
- Pastor Robert Morris resigned from Gateway Church in Texas after confessing to engaging in “sexual behavior” with a child in the 1980s.
- One person is dead and around 1,400 structures have been destroyed in New Mexico wildfires that forced the evacuation of Ruidoso, a town of more than 7,000 people, officials said.
- Justin Timberlake claimed he had just “one martini” before he was pulled over, failed field sobriety tests and was arrested on a DWI charge in New York.
- A 19-year-old University of Southern California student is accused of fatally stabbing a man suspected of breaking into cars near campus, authorities said.
- Buster Murdaugh, the son of convicted killer Alex Murdaugh, sued Netflix, Warner Bros. and others for defamation, saying he was falsely accused of murder in the death of his high school classmate.
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
With much of the country in the throes of a heat wave, you may be looking for ideas for staying cool. NBC Select staffers tested cooling gadgets, like personal fans. Here are their favorites. And if you’re looking to keep a larger space cooler, check out the best portable AC units.
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