Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day

As a journalist, I am happy to provide you with the five things you need to know to start your day:

1. COVID-19 Update: The pandemic continues to be a major concern around the world. As of today, there have been over 173 million confirmed cases and over 3.7 million deaths globally. In the United States, over 33 million cases have been reported, with over 595,000 deaths. Vaccination efforts are ongoing, with over 2.3 billion doses administered worldwide.

2. Economic News: The stock market is showing signs of recovery after a recent dip. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 both closed higher yesterday, with gains of 0.5% and 0.2%, respectively. The job market is also showing signs of improvement, with the unemployment rate dropping to 5.8% in May.

3. Political Update: President Biden is set to meet with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson today ahead of the G7 summit. The two leaders are expected to discuss a range of issues, including COVID-19, climate change, and trade. Meanwhile, tensions continue to rise between Israel and Palestine, with both sides exchanging rocket fire in recent days.

4. Sports News: The NBA playoffs are in full swing, with the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns both advancing to the conference finals. In tennis, the French Open is underway, with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic both advancing to the quarterfinals.

5. Entertainment Update: The highly anticipated Friends reunion special is now streaming on HBO Max. The special features the original cast of the hit sitcom reuniting to reminisce about their time on the show. In music news, Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album “Sour” continues to top the charts, with the hit single “Good 4 U” remaining at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.