5 things to know for Sept. 12: SpaceX, Tropical Storm Francine, Debate reaction, Ukraine, Deli meat recall

Good news for American consumers: Inflation is loosening its grip on some commonly purchased products and services. New data shows that grocery prices are rising at a pace of 0.9% annually, the lowest rate since the middle of 2021.

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

1. SpaceX

A four-person crew on a private mission aboard a SpaceX capsule has carried out the world’s first commercial spacewalk. It’s the first extravehicular activity ever completed by non-government astronauts. All four Polaris crew members were exposed to the vacuum of space, but only Jared Isaacman, billionaire tech CEO, and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis exited the SpaceX capsule. Crewmates Scott “Kidd” Poteet and Anna Menon stayed inside the capsule. Two lines of oxygen helped the crew stay safe but their spacesuits do not include a Primary Life Support System, or PLSS, which is essentially a backpack that allows NASA astronauts to float more freely through space to carry out complex tasks.

2. Tropical Storm Francine

Francine quickly weakened to a tropical storm Wednesday just hours after making landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane, pelting the state with flooding rain and leaving nearly 400,000 homes and businesses without power. A flash flood emergency — the highest flood threat — was briefly in place for New Orleans and the surrounding area, where up to 8 inches of rain has fallen. Though it will continue to lose strength as it pushes inland, the storm is still capable of inflicting dangerous storm surge, floods and tornadoes. Airlines canceled all flights out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Wednesday and some additional cancellations were made earlier today.

3. Debate reaction

Voters and lawmakers are reacting to the debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump as the countdown continues to Election Day on November 5. Registered voters who watched the debate broadly agreed Harris outperformed Trump, according to CNN’s flash poll, but the Harris campaign is emphatic that the debate did not change the trajectory of the tight contest. Trump has since launched an attack on ABC News, claiming the debate was “rigged” and faulting moderators who live fact-checked him on air. Some House Republicans defended Trump’s performance but multiple Trump allies described what happened Tuesday night as a “missed opportunity.” Trump is now weighing a rematch after Harris’ team called for a second face-off in October.

4. Ukraine

A chorus of Democrats is urging President Joe Biden to loosen the restrictions on Ukraine’s use of US-provided weapons to strike deep inside Russia. Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen on Wednesday became the latest senior lawmaker to call for the restrictions to be lifted. Democratic Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin also released a statement calling for the restrictions to be eased in light of “Vladimir Putin’s relentless attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.” The Ukrainian government has repeatedly made the appeal but the Biden administration has expressed concern about the potential for escalation. A US official told CNN this week that US intelligence shows that Russia has moved a number of assets outside of the reach of long-range strikes.

5. Deli meat recall

Nearly two years before a deadly listeria outbreak linked to recalled deli meat, inspectors at a Virginia Boar’s Head plant detailed poor physical conditions that “could pose an imminent threat,” documents from the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service show. At least 57 people have been hospitalized in 18 states in connection with the listeria outbreak, and nine people have died, according to the CDC. The agency called it the largest listeria outbreak since one linked to cantaloupe in 2011. Inspection reports from the Boar’s Head facility in Jarratt, Virginia, have described insects, mold, “blood in puddles on the floor” and a “rancid smell in the cooler” at various points since 2022. The inspection service said that its investigation into the outbreak is ongoing.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

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Food chains that declared bankruptcy this year
Rubio’s, Buca di Beppo and Red Lobster are among the restaurants that declared bankruptcy in 2024. Fast casual chain BurgerFi joined the list on Wednesday after months of reporting financial distress.

Sony unveils faster, more powerful PlayStation 5 Pro
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What is ‘founder mode?’
Read about the meaning behind the latest Silicon Valley buzzword.

Tom Cruise’s payday for that Olympic stunt may surprise you
The “Mission: Impossible” star performed a daredevil stunt at the Summer Olympics — but how much was he paid? Here’s the answer.

TODAY’S NUMBER

67 million
That’s how many people watched the first presidential debate Tuesday between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, according to Nielsen data. Around 51 million tuned in to the debate between Trump and President Joe Biden in June.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“It takes all of us to help keep each other safe.”

— Nashville Police, thanking Jon Bon Jovi after the rock legend helped persuade a woman to come off the ledge of a Nashville bridge this week. A source close to the situation told CNN that Bon Jovi was filming a music video on the public bridge when the incident occurred.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit the 988 Lifeline website.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

This tech company thinks we’ll be wearing screens one day
LG Display unveiled what they say are the world’s first stretchable high-res screen panels at Seoul Fashion Week. See the video here.

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