5 Things posted Jul 27, 2021 @ 08:00am by Iain Burns

5 things you need to know this morning: July 27, 2021

Start your day off right with five things you need to know this morning.

Five things you need to know

1. Catholic cardinal on trial over $412M property deal

A Catholic cardinal has gone on trial after being accused of spending US$412 million of Church money on a failed deal to buy property in London. Angelo Becciu, 73, denies the charges.

Vatican cardinal goes on trial in landmark financial corruption case https://t.co/NKBJdlXzww
— Financial Times (@FT) July 27, 2021

2. Bezos offers to give NASA $2B in exchange for Moon contract

US retail magnate Jeff Bezos has offered to give NASA US$2 billion if his company is reconsidered for a contract to build a Moon landing vehicle. The contract was won by Bezos's fellow magnate Elon Musk in April.

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos offered to cover billions of dollars of NASA costs in exchange for a contract to build a lunar lander to land astronauts on the moon. https://t.co/KddDR1NHnf
— CNBC (@CNBC) July 26, 2021

3. Florida man fails in attempt to reach New York in hamster wheel

A man who wanted to "run" on water from Florida to New York in a floating hamster wheel has failed in spectacular fashion. Reza Baluchi ended up on shore 30 miles in the wrong direction after experiencing "complications."

The 49-year-old told authorities he was attempting to raise money for charity by “running” on water from St. Augustine to New York City by way of Bermuda, but ran into some problems. https://t.co/ysbHBmJCDn
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) July 26, 2021

4. Newest Hemingway lookalike crowned

The latest winner of the ultimate Ernest Hemingway lookalike contest has been announced. Zach Taylor beat 136 other challengers in the Key West Hemingway Days Festival event.

Hemingway 'lookalike' chosen in Florida contest https://t.co/YYZZB4xpFc
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 27, 2021

5. Long waitlist for $200 fries

There's a 10-week waitlist for the world's most expensive fries. A New York City restaurant is selling the potatoes for US$200 per portion. Patrons of the Serendipity 3 restaurant can also waste their money on the world's most expensive burger ($295) and sundae ($1,000).