News Wrap: Hurricane Beryl a Category 2 storm as it churns towards Mexico

In our news wrap Thursday, Hurricane Beryl is a Category 2 as it churns towards Mexico, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu told President Biden he’s sending a delegation to renew ceasefire talks with Hamas and the International Swimming Federation says its executive director has been ordered to testify in a U.S. criminal probe into alleged doping by Chinese Olympic swimmers.

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Amna Nawaz: In the day’s other headlines: Hurricane Beryl is now a Category 2 storm, down from a Category 5, but it remains powerful as it churns towards Mexico. At least nine people have been killed across the region.

In Jamaica, Beryl knocked down trees and power lines as it brushed the island’s southern coast. And in the Eastern Caribbean, 95 percent of homes on a pair of islands in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have been damaged or destroyed, while, in Barbados, boats were tossed like toys. Sailors say there’s likely even more destruction beneath the surf.

Everton Brathwaite, Fisherman: All the vessels in here have damage. All have damage, structural damage. But we have got a good few vessels that is underwater. We don’t know how much the toll is right now, but we estimate about 30 or maybe 40 vessels is under the water.

Amna Nawaz: The National Hurricane Center expects Beryl to weaken further, but to remain a dangerous hurricane until it reaches Mexico’s shores tomorrow. Southern Texas is forecast to see impacts from Beryl early next week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Biden today that he’s sending a delegation to renew cease-fire talks with Hamas. The two spoke by phone after Hamas sent a response to a three-phase proposal pushed by the U.S., Israel and other nations.

In the meantime, Northern Israeli hillsides are ablaze amid heavy rocket fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon. The group says it’s launched hundreds of projectiles in response to Israel’s killing of one of its top commanders.

At the funeral FOR Mohammed Naame Nasser today in Beirut, a Hezbollah leader, vowed that the retaliation will continue.

Hashem Safieddine, Hezbollah Executive Council (through interpreter): The response to the assassination of our dear leader Abu Naame began last night and quickly. The series of responses is targeting new sites the enemy never imagined would be hit.

Amna Nawaz: Israel has not reported any casualties. The Israeli Defense Forces say it struck back today, hitting Hezbollah military structures in Southern Lebanon.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ruled out a cease-fire in Ukraine until Kyiv takes steps that are — quote — “irreversible and acceptable” to the Russian Federation. Putin made the comment in Kazakstan on the final day of a regional security conference. He also weighed in on the U.S. election, particularly former President Trump’s repeated claims that, if reelected, he could end the fighting in Ukraine in a single day.

Vladimir Putin, Russian President (through interpreter): The fact that Mr. Trump declares that he is ready and wants to stop the war in Ukraine, we take this quite seriously. I am not, of course, familiar with his possible proposals regarding how he is going to do this, but I have no doubt that he means it sincerely, and we will support it.

Amna Nawaz: In the meantime, Ukraine’s military said its troops retreated from the outskirts of Chasiv Yar. That’s a town in the eastern Donetsk region. Commanders say Russia has deployed scorched-earth tactics there for months. Its fall would put nearby cities in jeopardy and threaten critical Ukrainian supply routes.

A court in Moscow convicted U.S. citizen Robert Woodland of drug-related charges today. He was sentenced to 12.5 in prison. Woodland, who was born in Russia, was in court today to hear his sentence. He’s one of a growing number of Americans arrested in Russia as relations between the two nations sink to Cold War lows.

His lawyers say Woodland has been suffering from unspecified mental health issues. They plan to appeal the verdict.

The International Swimming Federation says its executive director has been ordered to testify in a U.S. criminal probe into alleged doping by Chinese Olympic swimmers. American officials want to know how 23 Chinese swimmers were allowed to compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, despite testing positive for a banned heart medication.

It comes just three weeks ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris, where 11 of those same athletes are set to compete.

Millions across America have been celebrating the July 4 holiday, and it’s been a hot one; 134 million people in the South and in the West have been under heat alerts. That didn’t stop the celebrations, of course, with parades and cookouts across the nation.

On New York’s Coney Island, the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest gobbled on today without 16-time champion Joey Chestnut, who couldn’t compete because of a sponsorship conflict. Instead, Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago took the men’s title, downing 58 dogs in 10 minutes. And defending women’s champion Miki Sudo retained her crown, eating a women’s record of 51 franks.

And for all of you salad eaters out there, here’s a fun fact. This July 4 also happens to be the 100th birthday of the Caesar salad. The culinary staple has its roots not in America, but in Tijuana, Mexico. That is where, in 1924, an Italian immigrant named Caesar Cardini is said to have thrown together some leftover ingredients after his hungry patrons emptied the shelves.

The result was the dish that we know and love today. So, something for everyone this July 4.