COMING UP — PRESIDENT BIDEN IS SET TO MEET WITH WORLD LEADERS AT THE ANNUAL NATO SUMMIT THIS WEEK. TOP OF THE LIST — THE WAR IN UKRAINE.WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF UKRAINE JOINING THE ALLIANCE.

AND —LAWMAKERS ARE CALLING ON THE FDA TO TAKE A SECOND-LOOK AT A POPULAR ENERGY DRINK ON THE MARKET. HOW MUCH CAFFEINE THE DRINK HAS COMPARED TO A CAN OF COKE.

THE RUNDOWN STARTS NOW. THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS. TODAY IS MONDAY — JULY 10TH — 2023. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M KARAH RUCKER.

BIDEN TO MEET WITH KING CHARLES AHEAD OF NATO SUMMIT

PRESIDENT BIDEN IS IN EUROPE FOR A SERIES OF HIGH STAKES MEETINGS THIS WEEK –INCLUDING THE ANNUAL NATO SUMMIT IN LITHUANIA.

AHEAD OF THAT MEETING –BIDEN SAYS UKRAINE — WHICH HAS BEEN HEAVILY LOBBYING TO JOIN –IS NOT READY FOR MEMBERSHIP.

BIDEN’S FIRST STOP WILL BE IN BRITAIN WHERE HE WILL MEET WITH KING CHARLES  FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HIS CORONATION. THEY ARE EXPECTED TO HEAVILY DISCUSS THE WAR IN UKRAINE AHEAD OF MEETING WITH OTHER NATO LEADERS.

BIDEN OVER THE WEEKEND SAID IT WOULD BE “PREMATURE” TO ALLOW UKRAINE TO JOIN.

BIDEN’S FINAL STOP WILL BE IN FINLAND — WHICH JOINED NATO EARLIER THIS YEAR. TALKS OF SWEDEN JOINING THE ALLIANCE WILL BE ON THE AGENDA AS WELL.

Jake Sullivan | National Security Advisor: “I can’t characterize how close, how far. All I can say, is that we believe that Sweden should be admitted to NATO as soon as possible. We believe that there should be a pathway to do so, and we will now see how that will unfold as we head into Vilnius. Whether it happens at Vilnius or happens in the period that follows, that remains to be determined.”

IN HIS OVERSEAS TRIP — MR. BIDEN IS LIKELY TO FACE QUESTIONS OVER LAST WEEK’S DECISION TO SEND “CLUSTER MUNITIONS TO UKRAINE.”

THE MOVE HAS BEEN SCRUTINIZED BECAUSE OF THE THREAT TO INNOCENT CIVILIANS. THE WEAPON HAS BEEN BANNED BY OVER 100 COUNTRIES.

FOR A DEEPER DIVE INTO WHAT THESE WEAPONS ARE CAPABLE OF AND WHY THEY ARE SEEN AS CONTROVERSIAL – OUR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER RYAN ROBERTSON HAS AN IN-DEPTH REPORT AT S-A-N.COM.

U.S. DRONES USED TO KILL ISIS LEADER

THE THREE U.S. DRONES THAT RUSSIA WAS ACCUSED OF HARASSING OVER SYRIA LAST WEEK WERE THE SAME DRONES THE U.S. USED TO CARRY OUT AN AIRSTRIKE THAT KILLED A TOP ISLAMIC-STATE GROUP-LEADER ON FRIDAY.

USAMAH AL-MUHAJIR WAS KILLED WHILE HE WAS RIDING A MOTORCYCLE IN NORTHWESTERN SYRIA IN AN AREA WHERE THE U.S. HAS CARRIED OUT OTHER STRIKES AGAINST TERRORIST LEADERS.

THE DRONES WERE BEING HARASSED BY RUSSIA FOR UP TO **TWO HOURS ON FRIDAY BEFORE NEEDING TO CARRY OUT THEIR MISSION TO TAKE OUT AN ISIS THREAT.

IT MARKED THREE DAYS STRAIGHT OF RUSSIAN FIGHTER JET ENCOUNTERS WITH U.S. DRONES.

APPEALS COURT OVERTURNS HOLD ON TN GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE BAN 

A TENNESSEE LAW THAT BANS DOCTORS FROM PROVIDING PUBERTY-BLOCKERS OR OTHER GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR MINORS CAN NOW GO INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.

A U.S. APPEALS COURT VOTED 2 TO 1 TO REVERSE A LOWER COURT’S DECISION THAT HAD BLOCKED THE LAW FROM GOING INTO PLACE WHILE IT WAS BEING CHALLENGED.

THIS IS PART OF A WIDER EFFORT BY REPUBLICAN STATES LOOKING TO BAN MEDICAL PROCEDURES THAT ALTER A CHILD’S GENDER ASSIGNED AT BIRTH.

HOWEVER FEDERAL JUDGES HAVE BLOCKED FIVE LAWS SIMILAR TO TENNESSEE’S FROM TAKING EFFECT.

THOSE JUDGES FOUND THE LAWS VIOLATED THE CONSTITUTION’S GUARANTEE OF EQUAL PROTECTION.

INTENSE FLOODING DISRUPTS THE SOUTH, NORTHEAST

INTENSE STORMS SCATTERED ACROSS THE U.S. OVER THE WEEKEND. FROM THE SOUTH TO THE NORTHEAST – FLASH FLOODING AND LIFE-SAVING WATER RESCUES WERE REPORTED IN OKLAHOMA  AFTER HEAVY RAINS POURED DOWN.

A LOOK AT ORANGE COUNTY NEW YORK –RUSHING FLOOD WATERS TURNED ROADWAYS INTO RUSHING RAPIDS –A WOMAN IN HER THIRTIES WAS KILLED AFTER BEING SWEPT AWAY.

NEARLY A FOOT OF RAIN FELL — PROMPTING A STATE OF EMERGENCY. IN NORFOLK CONNECTICUT — THE RAIN WASHED AWAY PORTIONS OF A BRIDGE –AND IN READING PENNSYLVANIA — DRIVERS ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WERE LEFT STRANDED IN FLOOD WATERS AS AN UNDERPASS BECAME IMPASSABLE.

FARMERS INSURANCE LIMITS HOME POLICIES IN CALIFORNIA

FARMERS INSURANCE HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL LIMIT NEW HOME INSURANCE POLICIES IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. 

THEY ARE JUST THE LATEST INSURANCE COMPANY TO DO SO —

OVER THE HIGH LIKELY-HOOD OF WILDFIRES AND SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS IN THE STATE.

IT’S BECOME TOO BIG OF A RISK FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES TO TAKE ON.

FARMER’S ISN’T THE FIRST INSURANCE GIANT TO PULL BACK FROM CALIFORNIA’S HOME INSURANCE MARKETPLACE.

STATE FARM ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH IT WOULD STOP WRITING NEW POLICIES IN CALIFORNIA AND ALL-STATE MADE THE SAME DECISION LATE LAST YEAR.

FOR MANY CALIFORNIANS –THEIR HOME INSURANCE POLICIES HAVE SKYROCKETED WITHIN THE PAST FEW YEARS — OR — THEY’RE BEING DROPPED BY THEIR INSURANCE COMPANIES COMPLETELY.

SCHUMER CALLS ON FDA TO LOOK INTO PRIME ENERGY

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER HAS CALLED ON THE F-D-A TO LOOK INTO  PRIME — AN ENERGY DRINK BRAND FOUNDED BY FAMOUS INFLUENCERS LOGAN PAUL AND K-S-I.

PRIME’S LAUNCH LAST YEAR WAS AN IMMEDIATE SUCCESS AMONG THE DUO’S MILLIONS OF PREDOMINANTLY YOUNGER FOLLOWERS — WITH LONG LINES AT GROCERY STORES AND REPORTS OF SCHOOLYARD RESALE MARKETS.

WHAT SCHUMER IS TRYING TO BRING ATTENTION TO — IS WHAT’S **IN THE DRINKS — SPECIFICALLY CAFFEINE.

WHILE ADVERTISING ITSELF AS SUGAR-FREE AND VEGAN — PRIME ENERGY DRINKS CONTAIN 200 MILLIGRAMS OF CAFFEINE PER 12 OUNCES.

THAT’S EQUAL TO 6 CANS OF COKE — OR NEARLY 2 RED BULLS.

THE HIGH CAFFEINE CONTENT HAS LED TO BANS FROM SOME SCHOOLS IN THE U-K AND AUSTRALIA — WITH PEDIATRICIANS WARNING OF AN INCREASED RISK OF HEART PROBLEMS — ANXIETY AND DIGESTIVE ISSUES IN KIDS.

Dr. Edith Bracho Sanchez | pediatrician: “We as physicians are very concerned. The strength and the amount of caffeine in these drinks can give children and teens headaches. It can give them jitters, nervousness. It can interfere with the sleep cycle, which is so important to the developing brain.”

REPRESENTATIVES FOR PRIME HAVE DEFENDED THE DRINK — SAYING IT’S CLEARLY LABELED AS “NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER 18.”

THEY ADDED THAT PRIME ALSO SELLS A SPORTS DRINK — PRIME HYDRATION — THAT HAS NO CAFFEINE AT ALL.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES.

THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THE RUNDOWN.

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WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. 

HAVE A GREAT DAY!