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Our favorite Alexa deals from Amazon’s early Prime Day sale
Amazon
If you’re tired of fishing for remotes or getting up off of your couch to switch off a light, you’re in luck. Amazon’s Alexa smart tech lets you use your voice to control everything from lights to thermostats to next week’s grocery list. And right now, during the Amazon early Prime Day Sale, you’ll find impressive discounts on a wide range of Amazon smart-home gear — from Amazon Fire smart TVs to the latest Amazon home hubs and smart speakers that support the Alexa digital assistant.
Discover the best Alexa-compatible smart device deals
Our in-house consumer technology experts have curated this roundup of the best Alexa-compatible smart home products on sale ahead of Amazon Prime Day, which takes place on Tuesday, July 16 and Wednesday, July 17. Most of those deals require a Prime membership, so be sure to sign up if you haven’t yet.
Amazon Echo Spot smart alarm clock: $45 ($35 off)
Amazon
Add the new Echo Spot to your smart home ecosystem and bring Alexa to your nightstand. Customize this smart gadget with your favorite clock face, colors, alarm sounds and more. It has a smart display that shows the time, weather, song titles and other information at a glance, so you have everything you need right in front of you in the morning.
A smart speaker at heart, it’s loud and effective as an alarm clock, but you can use it to enjoy music and podcasts with crisp clarity and surprisingly loud volume. Control it with touch or via Alexa, which can also be set up to follow routines that wake you up with music and soft light in a more gentle way than traditional alarms.
You can use the Echo Spot as a smart home hub by way of Alexa as well, with voice controls that mean you don’t have to stumble out of bed in the morning to find a switch or touch a panel somewhere else to turn on the lights or get your day going.
Right now, you can save $35 on the Echo Spot, making it just $45 for Prime Day. Grab yours quickly before it goes up to $80 once more. You can also the Echo Spot with its charging stand bundled together for just $75, marked down from its normal price of $110.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen): $25 (50% off)
Amazon
When it comes to easy-to-operate smart speakers, it doesn’t get much simpler than this. Plug it in, connect it with your Wi-Fi and then the Alexa digital assistant will be on hand to answer your questions, stream music or help you control your Alexa-compatible gear using voice commands.
And since the Echo Dot links with the Amazon shopping service, it knows what you’ve ordered in the past. So, with a voice command like, “Hey Alexa, re-order paper towels,” it will look up your past order for paper towels and duplicate it.
If you subscribe to Amazon Prime Music, Audible, Apple Music or Spotify, you can command the Echo Dot to play whatever you want, whenever you want to hear it.
For higher-quality music and audio playback, you’ll want the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) smart speaker instead. Right now, it’s on sale for 50% off, which brings the price down to $25. Both the Echo Dot and Amazon Echo come in your choice of several colors.
Amazon Echo Show 5: $50 (Save $40)
Amazon
Looking for a large and in charge display you can place in your living room or kitchen? This is one of Amazon’s newest products and an updated version of the current Echo Show 5. It comes with an updated speaker system and mic array for clearer sound quality and added bass.
You get a large, 5.5-inch screen with a 2-megapixel camera that’s great for video calling as well as the choice of black, blue, or white. All three are currently discounted, so you can choose the one that works the best in your home.
Right now, the Echo Show 5 is just $50, which is $40 off its normal price.
Amazon Echo Pop: $18 ($22 off)
Amazon
The Echo Pop is a fun-sized addition to Amazon’s Echo speaker family, and it packs a serious punch. It may look like someone took a regular Echo and sliced it right down the middle, but don’t let its size fool you – it’s loaded with plenty of features.
The Echo Pop is your go-to companion for all things music, smart home control, and more. It can play your favorite songs, adjust your smart lights or run the Alexa skills you need most.
This speaker comes in a bunch of fun colors like lavender, teal, white and charcoal. It’s a cute little speaker that’s definitely worth less than $20, as it’s $22 off its normal price of $40.
Amazon Fire 40″ TV 2-Series: $170 (32% off)
Amazon
Amazon has created its own lineup of affordable Fire TVs. These all support Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant via the TV’s included voice remote.
This 2023 model Amazon Fire 40-inch 2-Series TV is great for smaller viewing spaces, especially if you’re shopping for a budget-friendly smart TV that supports all of the video streaming services you already subscribe to, including Amazon Prime Video. The TV supports HDR10 and HLG, along with Dolby Digital audio.
When watching your favorite shows, you’ll benefit from the TV’s 60Hz refresh rate. It’s not 120Hz, but its more than adequate for most programming. The TV also has two HDMI 1.4, one HDMI Arc, one USB 2.0 and one ethernet port built into the back of the unit.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max: $35 (42% off)
Amazon
If you have an older TV that’s does not contain smart technology, or your existing smart TV doesn’t use Amazon’s FireTV OS (and you want it to), simply plug this Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max into the HDMI port of your TV. Presto — you now have a smart TV.
This includes support for the FireTV OS and access to Alexa via the remote control.
In addition to giving you quick access to all of the video streaming services you subscribe to, when you’re not actually watching TV, the Amazon Fire TV Stick can display a selection of famous artworks as its screensaver.
Amazon Fire TV Cube: $100 (29% off)
Amazon
If you think you know everything this box can do, you may be wrong.
It can serve as a smart speaker in your home and give you ongoing access to the Alexa digital assistant. The speaker itself plays on-demand streaming audio (including music) from a handful of streaming services.
And when you also plug the TV Cube into your TV via its HDMI port, you get access to the same features and functions as an Amazon Fire TV streaming stick to your TV. So you get instant access to the FireTV OS on your TV, plus access to Alexa.
Now priced at just $100 (which is 29% off its usual price), the TV Cube is an easy way to bring Alexa digital assistant TV functionality into your home through a smart speaker and your TV — all with just one gadget.
Amazon Fire TV soundbar: $90 (25% off)
Amazon
Let’s face it: A lot of TVs look great, but when it comes to sound? Meh.
One very affordable way to improve this is to connect an Amazon Fire TV. Sure, it works with Amazon Fire TVs, but you can plug it into virtually any TV to enhance its sound quality.
For $90, you should keep your expectations in check. You’re not going to bathe in robust surround sound with rich bass via a single, low-cost soundbar. But this soundbar does generate decently powered two-channel stereo audio with support for DTS:X and Dolby Audio. This is a 24-inch long soundbar that comes with a voice-activated remote control (so yes, it supports Alexa).
The soundbar gets plugged into a power outlet and the HDMI port of your TV (using the supplied cables). Within the soundbar, you’ll benefit from two, 20-watt speakers. This gives it the power to full an average-size room with stereo sound.
Thinking about becoming a Prime member? We’ve got all your Prime Day 2024 answers covered — plus early Amazon deals you can snag right now on home, fitness gear, tech and more.
CBS News
Rex Heuermann, alleged Long Island serial killer, due in court as prosecutors promise major development
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. – Accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann is due back in court on Long Island Tuesday morning, and prosecutors are promising a major development in the case.
The hearing is set to begin after 9:30 a.m. A press conference is expected at the Suffolk County DA’s office shortly after. We will bring that news conference to you live on CBS News New York.
The judge has previously indicated he wanted to set a trial date at today’s hearing.
Heuermann’s last court appearance was back in October.
Heuermann accused of killing 6 women, so far
Heuermann, 61, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of six women between 1993 and 2011. The remains of 11 people were discovered around Gilgo Beach during that period, and investigators believe Heuermann may be linked to other killings. The Suffolk County DA has said there could be future indictments.
Four of the victims had their bodies disposed of near Gilgo Beach. Two others were murdered as far back as 2003 and 1993. Each of them had been involved in sex work.
Prosecutors allege Heuermann is linked to the murders through DNA, burner phone data, a description of his truck, internet searches and what they call a blueprint for how to get away with murder.
Attorneys wrangle over DNA, volume of evidence
A key point of contention in the new DNA evidence is called SNP, which prosecutors say links the hairs of victims to Heuermann. The defense has called an outside lab’s methods of genetic testing unproven and “magic.”
Another hurdle for prosecutors is the sheer volume of evidence. The DA says they’re struggling to keep up with the costs of processing the 120 terabytes of data and 400 electronic devices seized.
Heuermann’s attorney says his client is looking forward to his day in court and will be pursuing a change of venue, claiming the jury pool in Suffolk has been “poisoned.”
Heuermann remains in isolation in jail.
CBS News
Osiel Cárdenas Guillén — notorious drug lord nicknamed “Friend Killer” — returned to Mexico after U.S. prison sentence
Notorious drug lord Osiel Cárdenas Guillén has been returned to Mexico after serving a U.S. sentence and was quickly re-arrested and sent to a maximum security prison to face Mexican charges.
There had been nervousness about the impending return of Cárdenas Guillén, who once led the feared Gulf cartel in northeastern Mexico before he was arrested and extradited to the United States in 2007.
The U.S. Homeland Security Department confirmed in its social media accounts Monday that Cárdenas Guillén had been returned after serving 14 years in U.S. custody, most of his 25-year U.S. prison sentence. He is a Mexican citizen, so presumably he was deported.
“The successful removal of Osiel Cardenas, a notorious international fugitive, underscores our unwavering commitment to public safety and justice,” said Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago Field Office Director Samuel Olson in a statement.
A Mexican federal official who was not authorized to be quoted by name said Cárdenas Guillén had immediately been taken into custody in Mexico on drug, organized crime and money-laundering charges.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Handout via REUTERS
The official said Cárdenas Guillén was being held at the country’s top maximum-security Altiplano prison just west of Mexico City.
Homeland Security Investigations posted photos of a paunchy, balding, bespectacled Cárdenas Guillén being escorted by two officers in helmets and flak vests, and the being walked over a border bridge.
The image contrasts with the drug lord’s fearsome reputation for violence in Mexico.
Nicknamed “El Mata Amigos” (“Friend Killer”), he recruited former Mexican special forces soldiers to form his personal guard. The former head of the Gulf cartel was known for his brutality. He created the most bloodthirsty gang of hitmen Mexico has ever known, the Zetas, which routinely slaughtered migrants and innocent people.
The 57-year-old native of the border city of Matamoros, Mexico, moved tons of cocaine and made millions of dollars through the Gulf cartel, based in the border cities of Reynosa and Matamoros.
After his arrest in the northeast border state of Tamaulipas, he was extradited in 2007 to the United States, where he was sentenced in 2010 to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay $50 million.
At that time, the Justice Department alleged that Cardenas Guillen threatened to kill a Texas sheriff’s deputy who was working as an undercover ICE agent because he refused to deliver almost 1,000 kilograms of marijuana.
CBS News
The Electoral College votes to confirm results for the 2024 presidential election today. Here’s what to know.
At state capitols across the U.S. Tuesday, the presidential electors will be gathering to cast their electoral votes, formalizing President-elect Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
It’s largely a ceremonial vote, the next step after the presidential election. When Americans cast their ballots on Election Day, they’re technically voting for a slate electors committed to supporting their choice for president and vice president.
How does the Electoral College work?
The rules governing the Electoral College are outlined by the 12th Amendment.
Presidential electors, according to the amendment, “shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify.”
The political parties choose the slate of electors ahead of the general election.
After Election Day, all the votes are counted and then certified by each state. According to the 2022 Electoral Count Reform Act, the deadline to certify the results is set at six days before the electors are scheduled to meet, traditionally on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December.
The Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 also requires that each state determine a state official — the governor unless specified otherwise — to be responsible for submitting the “certificate of ascertainment” that identifies the state’s electors and includes a security feature.
What were the 2024 Electoral College results?
Trump won 312 Electoral College votes to Harris’ 226. See state-by-state results here and below.
Nationally, Trump also won the popular vote, winning 77.2 million votes to Harris’ 75 million.
How many electoral votes does each state have?
The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, and a majority of 270 is needed to become president.
Each state’s electoral votes are equal to the number of representatives they have in the House, plus two senators.
While the number of Electoral College votes has remained at 538 since 1964, the number of votes per state changes to match congressional apportionment after the decennial census. Between the 2020 election and the 2024 election, Texas gained two Electoral College votes, while five other states — Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon — gained one electoral vote each. Six states lost an electoral vote: California, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The map below shows the changes by state between the 2020 election and the 2024 election.
Does each elector have to vote with the state election results?
Forty-eight states and Washington, D.C., are winner-take-all, so the winner of the popular vote in the state wins all of the state’s electoral votes. Maine and Nebraska allocate their electors based on the winner of the popular vote within each Congressional District and then two “at-large” electors are determined based on winner of the statewide popular vote.
The electors are supposed to vote in accordance with the outcome of the popular vote in their state. The Constitution does not require electors to vote with the winner of the popular vote, but most states have laws that nullify the votes of “faithless electors.” The Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that states can punish these “faithless electors.”
According to FairVote, there have been 90 “deviant” votes cast by electors for president since the founding of the Electoral College, although the majority of these were due to the death of a party’s nominee rather than a true deviation from the voters’ intent.
There have also been 75 faithless electors for vice president, for a total of 165 faithless electors throughout history, according to FairVote.
After the 2020 election, so-called “fake” Republican electors in seven battleground states won by President Biden met anyway and cast phony votes for Trump. State criminal charges have been filed against fake electors in Georgia, Michigan and Nevada. In charging Trump for attempting the overturn the election results, special counsel Jack Smith said these fake electors were part of a plan to overturn the election, orchestrated by pro-Trump attorneys with Trump’s support. Those charges have been dismissed since Trump’s victory in the 2024 election.
What’s next after the Electoral College certification?
After the results are signed and certified, they are sent to Harris, acting as the president of the Senate. The vote certificates must be received by the fourth Wednesday in December, which this year is Dec. 25. The archivist then transmits the sets of certificates to Congress on or before the new Congress meets on Jan. 3, 2025.
On Jan. 6, 2025, Congress meets in a joint session to count the Electoral College votes, overseen by Harris. After the votes are counted, the vice president announces the winner of the election.
Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will take the oath of office at the inauguration at noon on Jan. 20, 2025.
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