QUICK HITS

1 Tiktok CEO to testify today:

Tiktok’s CEO plans to tell Congress that the video-sharing app is committed to user safety, data protection and security, and keeping the platform free from Chinese government influence. Shou Zi Chew is due to answer questions today from U.S. lawmakers concerned about the social media platform’s effects on its young user base and possible national security risks posed by the popular app.

2 Macron not retreating on retirement age:

French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday on national TV that the pension bill he pushed through without a vote in parliament needs to be implemented by the “end of the year.” He is sticking to his decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 despite mass protests and recent violent incidents in the streets.

3 Ramadan begins:

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began at sundown Wednesday, as the faithful prepared for a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting intended to bring them closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate.

4 Ancient Hebrew Bible set for auction:

One of the oldest surviving biblical manuscripts, a nearly complete 1,100-yearold Hebrew Bible, could soon be yours — for a cool $30 million. The Codex Sassoon, a leather-bound, handwritten parchment tome containing almost the entirety of the Hebrew Bible, is set to go on the block at Sotheby’s in New York in May. Sotheby’s has put the price tag at an eye-watering $30 million to $50 million.

5 Two more deaths linked to bacteria in eyedrops:

The CDC reported two more deaths and additional cases of blindness linked to eyedrops tainted with a drug-resistant bacteria. The eyedrops were recalled in February and health authorities are tracking infections from the outbreak.