5 things to know for August 16: Drug costs, Trump rallies, Middle East, Typhoon Ampil, Matthew Perry

CNN
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Popular European destinations are being overwhelmed by crowds of tourists, resulting in fully booked hotels, packed museums and overcrowded restaurants. In Italy, access to many beaches this weekend is only possible by booking through an app, and in some cases even towels and chairs have been banned from the sand.

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President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appeared together in Maryland on Thursday at an event focused on prescription drug costs. The Biden administration announced the results of historic Medicare price negotiations that are estimated to save $6 billion when lower prices for some drugs take effect in 2026. The negotiated program has been a central theme of the White House's effort to lower the cost of living for more Americans — including seniors, a key voting bloc. The powerful pharmaceutical industry, which has long resisted allowing Medicare to negotiate prices, has tried to halt the negotiation process by filing several lawsuits in federal courts across the U.S. claiming the program is unconstitutional in various ways.

Former President Donald Trump will be surrounded by bulletproof glass at his campaign rallies going forward, as the Secret Service looks to increase security on the campaign trail. The increased security measures are being implemented after the assassination attempt on Trump at his event last month in Butler, Pennsylvania. The additional precautions also include an increase in the number of agents and certain technological changes, a senior official told CNN. Bulletproof glass is often used to protect sitting presidents and has been deployed by the Department of Defense. For Trump, the Secret Service will strategically place the glass across the country where the former president is expected to visit in the run-up to the November election.

Mediators in ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel are making a final attempt this week to revive stalled negotiations as the Middle East braces for an Iranian attack on Israel. A high-level meeting ended Thursday and will continue today, a diplomatic source briefed on the talks told CNN. At the meeting, Qatar, Egypt and the United States were expected to present a plan to implement an agreement that could bring about a ceasefire in the 10-month war in Gaza and free the remaining hostages. Although Thursday's talks have so far produced no results, they represented “a promising start,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

Hundreds of thousands of people are being advised to evacuate in parts of Japan as Typhoon Ampil approaches the capital. The storm, located 121 nautical miles southeast of Yokosuka in the greater Tokyo area, has strengthened to the strength of a Category 4 hurricane, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. In total, evacuation advisories have been issued for more than 400,000 people in the towns of Mobara and Asahi near Tokyo and Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture. These towns are on the east coast and are expected to feel the brunt of the storm later today. Thousands are already without power, while airlines and trains are suspending operations during the peak summer travel season.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, five people have been charged in connection with the 2023 death of actor Matthew Perry. The charges were brought after investigators uncovered an underground network of drug sellers and suppliers who they believe are responsible for distributing the potentially lethal drug ketamine that killed Perry. “Matthew Perry's journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their positions of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials,” DEA Director Anne Milgram said. Over the course of two months from September to October 2023, Perry was distributed about 20 vials of ketamine, costing him around $55,000, a U.S. prosecutor said. The popular actor, who played the role of Chandler Bing in “Friends,” died in October 2023 at the age of 54.

Free rent and free parking: landlords offer additional incentives
The US rental market is weakening and many landlords are forced to make surprising offers to get their tenants to sign.

Finalists for Ocean Photographer of the Year announced
These are the top images, selected from over 15,000 submissions from the best coastal, drone and underwater photographers from around the world.

Ying Ying, oldest panda mother, gives birth to twins
We come carry-ing good news! A giant panda in Hong Kong has given birth to twins after more than a decade of successful mating attempts.

Babe Ruth's iconic jersey could be sold for a record-breaking $30 million
The jersey that legendary New York Yankees player Babe Ruth wore when he hit one of baseball's most famous home runs is for sale.

5-second breaks can help reduce aggression between couples
Breathe in, then breathe out. Taking a five-second pause during an argument with your partner can help defuse the situation, new research shows.

The Paris Olympics are over, but in which city are the 2028 Olympic Games already taking shape?
A. Atlanta
B. Berlin
C. Los Angeles
D. Rome

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Last week, 56% of quiz readers answered eight or more questions correctly. How will you do?

1.4 million
This is how many girls in Afghanistan are deliberately excluded from education, according to UNESCO, as the Taliban government tries to exclude them from school. The Taliban have a long history of treating women as second-class citizens, subjecting them to violence and forced marriage, and making them virtually invisible in the country.

“It is imperative that we do not stigmatize travelers or countries/regions. Only by working together, sharing data and taking the necessary public health measures can we contain the spread of this virus.”

— The World Health Organizationissued a recommendation after Sweden confirmed its first case of the Mpox virus infection on Thursday, which was also the first case outside Africa. The organization expects more Mpox cases in Europe in the coming days and weeks.

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AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST…

Hollywood Minute: Huge auction for film and television props

Insights into a Hollywood film and television prop auction
There's a major film and television prop auction currently taking place in Los Angeles. Check out this video to see some of the iconic memorabilia currently for sale.