Upcoming Norfolk celebrations, USS Iwo Jiwa to return, House votes to halt war: Sunrise Brief

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Top stories: Upcoming Norfolk celebrations, USS Iwo Jiwa to return, House votes to halt war

1. A series of celebrations and events are set to converge in downtown Norfolk, starting on June 19.

   Details for Sail250 Virginia Parade of Sail, Juneteenth events

   Juneteenth
   The annual Juneteenth celebration will run from June 19 to June 21 at Town Point Park. The series of celebrations will be free and open to the public. Patti LaBelle is set to perform at the main stage at Town Point Park on June 19 at 8 p.m. Roberta Lea, Mayona Duo, Sister Sledge and Jesse Chong are among the musicians slated for the celebration in downtown Norfolk. The June 20 celebration begins with a parade at 10 a.m. before transitioning into a festival featuring cultural exhibits, speakers, local leaders, food vendors, entertainment and an appearance by the Buffalo Soldiers.

   50th annual Harborfest
   Harborfest will include the Sail250 Virginia Parade of Sail and a series of events at Town Point Park. A fireworks show for Harborfest is scheduled for June 20 at 9:30 p.m. According to the Festevents website, it will be one of the largest waterfront pyrotechnic displays on the East Coast. This year’s Harborfest will also feature stunt comedy performances, acrobatic acts, a family-friendly DJ set, and RC boating competitions. More than 50 food and beverage vendors will serve a variety of dishes at Town Point Park, including seafood, Greek food, and North Carolina barbecue.

   Sail250 Ship Parade
   The Sail250 Virginia Parade of Sail will take place on June 19. The fleet of ships will sail 26 nautical miles from the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel (CBBT) to downtown Norfolk. The fleet will be anchored and available for public viewing by 4 p.m. on June 18. On June 19, the ships will set sail at 7 a.m., beginning with the hoisting of national colors. The USCG Barque Eagle will be the first tall ship to depart at 7:35 a.m. Once the parade passes the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a flotilla of recreational boats from local yacht and boating clubs will join the tall ships. Each tall ship will be accompanied by several escort vessels. Near Town Point Park, the Escort Fleet will turn and head back down the Elizabeth River after all tall ships are berthed.
   

2. The USS Iwo Jima is set to return to Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday, concluding its 10-month deployment.

   USS Iwo Jima set to return to Naval Station Norfolk, participate in Sail250

   The Iwo Jima — a wasp-class amphibious assault ship — was deployed to the U.S. Fourth Fleet area of operations. This ship serves as the flagship of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (IWO ARG), which is comprised of the USS Fort Lauderdale and the USS San Antonio.

   The U.S. Navy says the IWO ARG was among the first group of naval assets called to support Operation Southern Spear, a campaign the Defense Department says was aimed at countering narco-terrorism in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. During the operation, U.S. Southern Command posted videos of strikes on boats it alleged were involved in drug trafficking.

   After two weeks after docking, on June 20 to 21, the USS Iwo Jima will open for tours as part of Sail250, which is commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States' founding, according to a post made on Naval Station Norfolk's social media page. Along with the Iwo Jima, the USS San Antonio, USS Bainbridge, USS Mahan, FGS Sachsen (Germany) and BNS Leopold I (Belgium) are listed as ships available to tour.

3. The House for the first time Wednesday approved a war powers resolution that would halt the U.S. military action against Iran, defying President Donald Trump as a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to vote on the measure to end the war, AP reports.

   House Speaker Mike Johnson had tried to prevent an outcome that would show the mounting opposition to the war, abruptly shutting down floor action two weeks ago when the resolution was on the verge of approval. The roll call Wednesday was 215-208, but next steps are uncertain. Trump would likely reject any measure from Congress to limit his commander-in-chief authority.

   It’s the fourth time the House has tried to curb the U.S. war against Iran. The war powers resolution from the House would not immediately stop the war, but it would provide a symbolic — if not legal — step against further military action. The resolution next goes to the Senate, where four Republican senators last month joined Democrats in advancing a similar measure to curtail the U.S. campaign against Iran. The Senate has yet to take a final vote to approve or reject its own war powers resolution.

   While Congress has the authority under the Constitution to declare war, the president also has power as the commander in chief to engage in military action, creating a legal dispute over which branch of government has ultimate say in matters of war and peace. If Senate joins the House to approve the resolution, it could set the stage for a fresh legal test of war powers.

This morning's weather: Sunny skies and even warmer to end the week

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says a cool start this morning but taking another step warming this afternoon. Highs will reach the low 80s today, near normal for this time of year. Expect lots of sunshine today with light and variable wind.

Another step warmer for Friday with highs near 90. Expect mostly sunny skies again tomorrow.

For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.

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