Start your week smart: Ukraine, Australia, Half marathon death, Tornado, Jif recall

Travelers are scrambling to get flights in and out of Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. More than 30 countries have so far closed their airspace to Russia – with Moscow reacting in kind – and multiple companies are suspending major operations. Russia’s largest airline, Aeroflot, was also yanked from global reservation systems and travel websites, crippling the carrier’s ability to sell seats. Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

The weekend that was

• More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighboring countries in 10 days, UN refugee agency commissioner Filippo Grandi said earlier today, calling the situation “the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.”

• A tornado that touched down near Des Moines, Iowa, yesterday killed seven people – including two children – officials said. The National Weather Service office in Des Moines said an initial estimate shows it was an EF3 tornado, with wind speeds of at least 136 miles per hour.

• The average price for a gallon of regular gas in the US hit $4 today, the highest level since 2008. And with prices surging amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the record high of $4.11 per gallon set that year is likely to fall any day.

• Sydney is bracing for more rain as the death toll from flooding in Australia rose to 17. Thousands of people have been displaced as heavy downpours swept away property, livestock and roads.

• North Korea fired a single ballistic missile into waters off the east of the Korean Peninsula yesterday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. It was the country’s ninth such test of the year.

The week ahead

Monday

A NASA spacecraft is set to deliberately crash into an asteroid to see how the impact affects the space rock’s motion. The DART mission – or the Double Asteroid Redirection Test – launched 10 months ago and will be NASA’s first full-scale demonstration of deflection technology designed to protect the planet from nefarious space objects. 

Victoria Day will also be celebrated across Canada on Monday. The holiday began as a celebration to honor Queen Victoria, who ruled Great Britain and Ireland for most of the 19th century. The day unofficially signals the start of summer for many Canadians, and it is celebrated with parades and fireworks in some cities.

Tuesday

On May 24, primaries will be held in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas. In Texas, a closely watched runoff will decide Republicans’ nominee for state attorney general after incumbent Ken Paxton fell short of clinching a majority in the March primary. Former President Donald Trump has also been closely monitoring the Alabama Senate race between Rep. Mo Brooks, Army veteran Mike Durant and Katie Britt, a former aide to retiring GOP Sen. Richard Shelby. In Georgia, former Vice President Mike Pence is rallying support for Gov. Brian Kemp as the Republican incumbent seeks to fend off a May 24 primary challenge from Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue. The decision by Pence to campaign for one of Trump’s top GOP targets marks yet another break with his former boss. A special primary election is also set to occur to succeed former Minnesota Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who died in February after battling kidney cancer. He was 59.

Wednesday

The House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol is expected to hold a hearing at 1 p.m. ET.  Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the panel, said it will be the last hearing until the committee releases its final report, which is expected by the end of the year.

Saturday

Hawaii will hold primary elections with residents casting their votes for candidates seeking to become the state’s next governor, lieutenant governor and for all 76 seats in the state legislature.

October 1 marks five years since the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, when a gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of a hotel in Las Vegas on a crowd of about 22,000 people attending a music festival, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds of others. There have been more the 2,500 mass shootings in the US since then, according to the Gun Violence Archive – including the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Want more 5 Things?

This week on the Sunday edition of the 5 Things podcast, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains what’s different about this “new phase” of the Covid-19 pandemic, and examines a possible shortcoming of the Biden administration’s new plan for it. Listen here! 

Photos of the week

Elea Daniel cries while mourning in Buffalo, New York, on Sunday, May 15, a day after a mass shooting at a supermarket in a largely Black neighborhood. "God says we have to love no matter what," said Daniel, who was trying to find forgiveness for the man that targeted her community and left 10 dead.

Israeli police confront mourners in Jerusalem on Friday, May 13, as they carry the casket of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead two days earlier while reporting on a military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin. Mourners carrying Abu Akleh's coffin out of a hospital were met with violence from Israeli police who compelled them to transport the body by car. Israeli police in a statement said that "hundreds of rioters began to disrupt public order, even before the funeral began," as they worked to secure the procession.

A shark cruises near the ocean floor on Wednesday, May 18, off the coast of Jupiter, Florida.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is shown how to purchase a train ticket as she attends the opening ceremony of the long-awaited Elizabeth line at Paddington station in west London on Tuesday, May 17. The 96-year-old monarch has been suffering from mobility issues and canceled several appearances in recent months, including the opening of Parliament last week.

South Korea's An Se-young reacts after beating Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt in the quarterfinals at the 2022 Thomas and Uber Cup badminton tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday, May 12.

Relatives react next to the body of Ukrainian military serviceman Pankratov Oleksandr during his funeral in Lviv, Ukraine, on Saturday, May 14. See the photos that have defined the war in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country.

The blood moon is seen during a total lunar eclipse in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, May 16.

Abortion rights demonstrators walk across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday, May 14, nearly two weeks after the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.

Ukraine's folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra performs during the Eurovision Song Contest finals in Turin, Italy, on Saturday, May 14. The group clinched the country's third win. The event marked the first major cultural event in which Ukrainians have taken part since Russia invaded in February, and many in the audience waved Ukraine's blue and yellow national flag.

Democrat Charles Booker, left, hugs his mother, Earletta Hearn, as she speaks in Louisville, Kentucky, to a group of supporters following her son's victory in the state's primary on Tuesday, May 17.

A fisherman paddles his boat during a sandstorm in Iraq's southern city of Basra on Monday, May 16.

Graduate Julia Pontes holds her 8-month-old daughter, Stella Lyra, during the Columbia University commencement ceremony in New York on Wednesday, May 18.

A newborn albino red-necked wallaby eats while being carried by its mother in their enclosure at the zoo in Decin, Czech Republic, on Wednesday, May 18.

US Rep. Madison Cawthorn is surrounded by members of the media as he speaks to supporters at his election night watch party in Hendersonville, North Carolina, on Tuesday, May 17. Cawthorn conceded his race in the GOP primary for the state's 11th District to opponent Chuck Edwards.

A trader works at the New York Stock Exchange in New York on Wednesday, May 18. Markets have plummeted over the past month as the Federal Reserve telegraphed that it would regularly hike interest rates by half a percentage point for the foreseeable future to combat persistent inflation.

Cambodia's Pov Sokha and Soeur Chanleakhena compete in the female pair sword form category of the vovinam event during the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Thursday, May 19.

Lightning strikes in Lhokseumawe, Indonesia, on Monday, May 16.

A member of the FBI looks at bullet holes at the scene of the shooting at Tops supermarket in Buffalo on Monday, May 16.

Veronika, 8, milks a cow in Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on Thursday, May 12.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, looks on as Prince Charles reacts to a bad pour of beer he made on Tuesday, May 17, at the Quidi Vidi Brewery in a fishing village on the east end of St. John's, a city on Newfoundland island off Canada's Atlantic coast. They were on a three-day Canadian tour.

Buddhist monks turn on LED lights to form an image of Buddha on Sunday, May 15, at the Dhammakaya Temple in the Pathum Thani Province north of Bangkok. They were observing Vesak Day, an annual celebration of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death.

Taylor Swift participates in a New York University graduation ceremony at Yankee Stadium in New York on Wednesday, May 18. The prolific pop singer received an honorary doctorate of fine arts. In a commencement speech, Swift gave the recent graduates "life hacks" on navigating post-graduate and early career life, including "life can be heavy," and to "learn to live alongside cringe."

An American flag is raised for the first time after US diplomats returned to the US embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday, May 18. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday that the US had reopened its embassy in Kyiv after it closed three months ago ahead of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Victoria Harris, a staff member for California Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, holds Clover, a 9-month hold female kangaroo at the Secretary of State building in Sacramento, California, Tuesday, May 17.

Frankfurt's Rafael Borre, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning penalty during a shootout at the end of the UEFA Europa League final match against the Glasgow Rangers in Seville, Spain, on Wednesday, May 18. Frankfurt beat Glasgow 5-4 in a dramatic penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden pay their respects on Tuesday, May 17, at a makeshift memorial for the victims of Saturday's mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. President Biden on Tuesday did not hesitate to call the deadly shooting an act of domestic terrorism, condemning the racist ideology of the suspected shooter. "White supremacy is a poison. It's a poison ... running through our body politic," Biden said, adding that silence is "complicity."

Actress Aishwarya Rai arrives for the screening of the film "Armageddon Time" during the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on Thursday, May 19.

Police use a water cannon to disperse protestors during a demonstration organized by students near Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Thursday, May 19. The country's worst economic crisis in decades has fueled weeks of anti-government protests.

Rwandan model Prince walks the runway during the Isano Fashion Show in Kigali, Rwanda, on Tuesday, May 17. The show features models from the LGBTQ community and Rwandans with disabilities to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, riding atop an Atlas V rocket, is launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during an uncrewed test mission on Thursday, May 19. Once in orbit, the spacecraft, which is designed to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station, will detach from the Atlas V rocket and spend about 24 hours free flying before arriving at the ISS where it is set to remain for less than a week. On board this mission are some supplies for the astronauts already on board the ISS as well as a spacesuit-clad mannequin, named Rosie, after the World War II-era Rosie the Riveter.

Brisbane Broncos' Corey Oates, center, is upended during a rugby match against Manly in Brisbane, Australia, on Friday, May 13.

WNBA star Brittney Griner leaves a courtroom after a hearing in Khimki, Russia, on Friday, May 13. Griner, who has been held in pretrail detention since February on accusations of drug smuggling, had her detention extended Friday by a Russian court until at least June 18, Russian state news agency TASS reported. The US government has said the two-time Olympic gold medalist is being wrongfully detained.

From left, country artists Wynonna Judd and Brandi Carlile sing "The Rose" during a public memorial held for Judd's mother, country music star Naomi Judd, on Sunday, May 15, at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The singer and songwriter died by suicide in April at the age of 76. At the memorial Judd announced that to honor her mother, she planned to continue on the tour they were supposed to do together.

Milwaukee's Keston Hiura celebrates after hitting a walk-off home run to defeat the Atlanta Braves in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, May 18.

A ballet dancer rests during a rehearsal of "Swan Lake" at the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on Thursday, May 12.

The week in 35 photos

Prev Next

Here’s a look at other moving, fascinating and thought-provoking images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.

What’s happening in entertainment

TV and streaming

Squeezed by competition from streaming services, the major broadcast networks unveiled their revised fall lineups last week largely built around the notion that sticking with the schedule you know is safer than trying a whole bunch of unproven series. CNN’s Brian Lowry says the networks will be adding relatively few new programs in the fall, and in many instances will make what’s old new again – relying on spinoffs and reboots with built-in name identification.

Josh Duggar sentencing

Former reality TV star Josh Duggar, who was found guilty late last year of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography, is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday and faces up to 20 years in prison. Duggar is the oldest son of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, whose large family and devout conservative Christian upbringing were the subject of the TLC show “19 Kids and Counting.”

‘Obi Wan Kenobi’

The original Jedi Master is back in the latest offering from Disney+. “Obi-Wan Kenobi” – a limited series in which Ewan McGregor reprises his role from the second “Star Wars” trilogy – lands on Friday.

What’s happening in sports

Preakness Stakes

Early Voting won the 147th Preakness Stakes yesterday – the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. The horse, with odds of 5-1, put on a strong finish, passing runners-up Epicenter and Creative Minister down the stretch. Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike did not run in the race after owner Rick Dawson decided the horse needed more time to rest between races. Rich Strike is expected to run at the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 11.

PGA Championship

The final round of the PGA Championship, one of professional golf’s four majors, begins this morning at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rookie Mito Pereira currently sits atop the leaderboard at 9 under par. Masters champion and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler finished at 6 over par on Friday, missing the cut. Tiger Woods withdrew from the championship late yesterday after struggling in his third round, carding his career-worst score at the event – a 9 over par 79.

NBA playoffs

The NBA playoffs continue later today with the Golden State Warriors taking on the Dallas Mavericks. The Miami heat face the Boston Celtics on Monday.

NHL playoffs

Round 2 of the NHL playoffs continues later today with the Carolina Hurricanes facing off against the New York Rangers, followed by the Calgary Flames taking on the Edmonton Oilers.

French Open

The French Open tennis tournament began its qualifying rounds on May 16, but the real action gets underway today at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The French Open is one of four Grand Slam tennis tournaments.

Indianapolis 500

The 106th running of the Indianapolis 500, known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” is set to take place next Sunday.

Quiz time!

Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 81% of fellow quiz fans have gotten an 8 out of 10 or better this week. How well can you do?

Play me off

‘Autumn Leaves’

Channel your inner Whitney Houston with this happy, carefree tune! (Click here to view)