Venezuela Rescue Challenges, Climbers Scale Empire State Building, Village People Frontman Dies and more

Hey, from CNN. I'm Afoma D.K. With the five things you need to know for Wednesday, July 1st. Nearly 2,300 people have died and more than 11,000 were injured after powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela one week ago, according to the country's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez. He says more than 6,400 people have been rescued as crews continue to search for survivors. Venezuelans have been forced to dig by hand for their loved ones, because shortages of fuel used to power-heavy machinery are stalling rescue efforts. The extra resources are sorely needed in LaGuarda, one of the hardest-hit places, where the smell of decay fills the humid air.

The government has defended its response to the earthquakes, with Rodriguez touting a new initiative where, quote, volunteers are distributed according to established priorities. More news coming up, including how a couple's proposal ended with them in police custody. Back to school starts now. Get long-lasting battery life on the Dell XPS laptop, powered by Series 3 Intel Core, so you can work from anywhere. Now starting at $6.99, with exclusive student pricing starting at $5.99. Complete your setup with savings on select monitors and must-have electronics and accessories. Limited-time deals and free shipping on PCs and more await you at Dell.com slash deals.

That's Dell.com slash deals. Police say charges are pending against two climbers who scaled at the top of the Empire State Building earlier today to fly a banner and apparently get engaged. One of the climbers posted photos and videos on Instagram, including a shot of her engagement ring with New York City in the background. The banner read quote, when the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace. CNN's Jason Carroll is in New York City. It's very clear that they are experienced climbers, that they have climbed other buildings and other parts of the world in terms that they've done similar antics.

So again, the big question now becomes how they were able to get up there. They have daily tours of the Empire State Building. There's an observation deck up there, so the public has access to that. The question is, how were they able to get in there with the public and then move through a separate door that takes you up, to the top there, but it appears that these experienced climbers who have done this at other

parts of the world decided the Empire State Building was where they were going to do their engagement. Former CIA director John Brennan, who's been under investigation by the Justice Department, is suing the Trump administration. According to the lawsuit, his lawyers are demanding that the government preserve investigative records about its inquiry into him. CNN's Caitlin Poelance explains why. It's essentially been described to me as poking the bear.

where John Brennan's team is trying to signal to the Justice Department that if he were to be indicted for, say, potentially perjury, we knew he had been investigated for that or something additional, that they will be challenging it. What Brennan's legal team is saying here is that they believe the Justice Department may be trying to follow Donald Trump's orders to vindictively and selectively prosecute him, single him out illegally to bring charges against him because Trump doesn't like him from the time he's. served as CIA director, including during the Russia investigation of Trump. And that is a set of accusations that Brennan fully denies. His legal team, they're trying to get ahead of the game in case there is an indictment that were to come out of a grand jury.

CNN has reached out to the DOJ and the White House for comment. For the first time, scientists say they've built a cell from scratch that can feed, grow, and replicate like a natural cell. This breakthrough could start an era of tailored organisms that function like living machines. A synthetic biologist and professor at the University of Minnesota and her team built the cell piece by piece from non-living chemical components. The cell is a limited and fragile prototype. It's neither plant nor animal, but most closely resembles a simple bacterium. It could help scientists better understand the origins of life and could potentially be programmed to help mitigate some of the world's biggest biological problems.

Scientists have bioengineered natural cells to solve human problems like diabetes for decades. but the human body has 37 trillion cells, more than the number of stars in the sky. And scientists still don't know how every different cell type works or what exactly they contain. Coming up, remembering the lead singer behind the hit YMCA. Back to school starts now. Get long-lasting battery life on the Dell-XPS laptop,

powered by Series 3 Intel Core, so you can work from anywhere. Now starting at 699, with exclusive student pricing starting at 599. Complete your setup with savings on select monitors and must have electronics and accessories. Limited time deals and free shipping on PCs and more await you at Dell.com slash deals. That's Dell.com slash deals.

Singer Victor Willis, the frontman of disco group The Village People, died Tuesday at the age of 74. That's according to his official Facebook page. in the Village People's Facebook page, saying the group was, quote, profoundly sad to announce the death of the singer. Willis co-wrote the group's biggest hits like YMCA.

In December 2024, Willis explained to CNN that after initially asking President Trump to stop using the song at his rallies, he'd had a change of heart. Trump gave his condolences in a truth social post. That's all for now. We're back tomorrow morning.

Hey, what's your story? Do you know it? Where your family came from and who they were? At Ancestry, we want to help you find those answers, scattered across census records, wedding announcements, newspapers, and more. Because each answer is a part of your story. We've gathered those records into one easy-to-search place, and we're here to help you put the pieces together and share your story with future generations.

You've got questions. We've got Ancest. Find yours today at Ancestry.

Shane Company, your friend and jeweler.