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Summer Officially Starts Saturday and the Heat Is Settling In

Chinese Air Force Approaches Taiwan for Fourth Time This Week, Taiwan’s Military Says

TAIPEI鈥擟hina’s air force approached Taiwan on June 19 for the fourth time in four days, Taiwan’s military said, as China steps up maneuvers near the island that Beijing claims as its own territory. Taiwan’s air force said a J-10 fighter jet was involved in the approach but did not say whether only one aircraft or more had entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone to the island’s southwest around midday (0400 GMT). The Chinese air force was given a verbal warning to leave, and Taiwanese jets “responded,” Taiwan’s air force said, without giving further details. A group of Taiwan Air Force technicians run behind a US-made F-16V fighter jet during an exercise at a military base in Chiayi, southern Taiwan on Jan. 15, 2020. (Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty Images)The aircraft then withdrew and…

Summer Officially Starts Saturday and the Heat Is Settling In

Summer officially starts on June 20 this year. But it’s not just hot weather that’s in the forecast. Some parts of the United States will see rain showers, strong winds, and even hail.

Many cities in the Northeast have been dealing with heat the past few days. Boston, Burlington, Vermont, and Caribou, Maine, will all see highs in the 90s on Saturday.

For other areas, the rain will be the focus. New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore all have scattered showers and even some thunderstorms in the forecast on both Saturday and Sunday.

Summer Officially Starts Saturday and the Heat Is Settling In Minneapolis, Des Moines, Iowa, Omaha, Nebraska, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will have temperatures of around 10 degrees below normal on Sat., June 20, 2020. (CNN weather)

Severe Storms are Likely Across Parts of Midwest

In the Midwest, a slow-moving front stretching from Wisconsin to Texas will bring rain and even a few strong thunderstorms this weekend.

For some areas of Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, severe weather will be possible both Saturday and Sunday. The main threats will be damaging winds and hail.

Ahead of the front temperatures will be hot. Detroit, Indianapolis, and St. Louis will all reach the low 90s on Saturday.

Behind the front temperatures will be quite milder. Minneapolis, Des Moines, Iowa, Omaha, Nebraska, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will have temperatures of around 10 degrees below normal on Saturday.

Summer Officially Starts Saturday and the Heat Is Settling In The first day of summer will feel like it for much of the South. Cities like Nashville, Birmingham, Ala., and Tallahassee, Fla., are just some of the places that will be looking at high temperatures in the 90s this weekend. (CNN weather)

The Southeast Will Feel Like it Should, Hot

The first day of summer will feel like it for much of the South. Cities like Nashville, Birmingham, Alabama, and Tallahassee, Florida, are just some of the places that will be looking at high temperatures in the 90s this weekend. Atlanta will be close, but if they do hit 90 degrees, it will be the first time so far this year. Their average first 90-degree day is May 31.

Other areas will be dealing with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Columbia, South Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Miami all have rain in the forecast both days this weekend.

Summer Officially Starts Saturday and the Heat Is Settling In Multiple states across the Southwest are battling massive wildfires, with the most significant outside of Phoenix that is more than 100,000 acres and other large fires near Tucson and the Grand Canyon. (CNN weather)

Sweltering Heat as Wildfires Rage Across Portions of the West

For the Northwest, the weekend will start off a little cooler than average. Seattle, Spokane, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, will all see temperatures about 5-10 degrees below normal. This is just temporary, though, as temperatures will get back to average Sunday into Monday.

The Southwest, however, will continue to see scorching temperatures. Cities like Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Tucson, Arizona, will see high temperatures in the triple digits this weekend. Unfortunately, all three cities will see the heat intensify into next week.

Multiple states across the Southwest are battling massive wildfires, with the most significant outside of Phoenix that is more than 100,000 acres. Other large fires are near Tucson and the Grand Canyon. Conditions will still be hot and dry across this region with no rain in the short-term forecast. Still, the fire weather conditions aren’t as widespread as it had been earlier in the week.

The CNN Wire and The Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.

Focus News: Summer Officially Starts Saturday and the Heat Is Settling In

Beijing’s National Security Law for Hong Kong Poses Threat to City’s Press Freedoms: Rights Groups

The future of Hong Kong’s press freedoms is under close scrutiny as Beijing will soon impose a national security law on the Chinese-ruled city. In a statement on June 19, Paris-based NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) addressed the risks that journalists reporting in Hong Kong would face once the law is implemented. A day before, local trade group Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) said there was overwhelming opposition to the law among its members. “Such regulation [national security law] would give the Chinese regime the means to harass and punish any journalist they dislike in Hong Kong with the appearance of legality,” said Cédric Alviani, head of RSF’s East Asia bureau, in a press release. Alviani added: “The vast majority of the 114 journalists currently detained in [mainland] China are…