5 things you need to know Wednesday

Stars align for Cannes Film Festival

The film world turns its attention to the South of France on Wednesday for the start of the 69thCannes International Film Festival. Films likely to make a splash include Woody Allen's Café Society, set in 1930s Hollywood, starringKristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg; The Last Face, about aid workers in Africa, directed by Sean Penn and starring Javier Bardem and Charlize Theron; and the financial thriller Money Monster, directed by Jodie Foster and starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Here are five reasons why Cannes, which runs through May 22, will dominate discussion in the industry.

Putting the 'hype' in Hyperloop: Another company shows its stuff

Travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 30 minutes? Um, yes please. That’s the promise from multiple companies racing to create a hyperloop transportation system. One of those companies, Hyperloop Technologies, plans to reveal Wednesday how its technology has evolved during an event for investors and press in Las Vegas. (A rival company, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, lauded its prototypes Monday.) Hyperloop technology offers the possibility of moving people and things at great speeds without using fossil fuels. The pitfalls include making such transportation reliable while mitigating for potential catastrophes unfolding at around the speed of sound.

Competing teams will be showing off their Hyperloop prototypes in a bid to see who can build the best, most viable system. USA TODAY

The SpaceX Dragon is coming home

SpaceX's unmanned Dragon capsule on Wednesday will become the first spacecraft in a year to return science experiments and hardware from the International Space Station. Its journey is expected to begin after 9 a.m. ET, when a giant robotic arm releases it from the space station. Carrying 3,700 pounds of cargo, including biological samples collected during former astronaut Scott Kelly’s yearlong mission, the capsule will travel almost six hours before plopping down in the Pacific Ocean.

            SpaceX has made good on a high-priority delivery: the world's first inflatable room for astronauts. A SpaceX                        Dragon cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday, two days after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida. (April 10) AP

Tornadoes, severe storms take aim at parts of U.S.

May is the prime month for severe storms and tornadoes, and more storms are forecast to fire up Wednesday all the way from west-central Texas to southern Iowa and western Illinois. "We expect several tornadoes, flash flooding, large hail and damaging winds across the region during Wednesday afternoon and evening," AccuWeather meteorologist Eddie Walker said. The new threat comes after deadly tornadoes ripped into Oklahoma on Monday, killing two people and damaging dozens of homes.

                    A tornado touched down in Elmore City, Oklahoma on Monday, with forecasters saying a "substantial tornado risk" could develop in portions of the Southern Plains and the Ozarks. (May 9)AP

With Curry back, Warriors look to send Blazers packing

On the heels of a rousing overtime win and the return of superstar Stephen Curry, theGolden State Warriors get a chance Wednesday to finish off the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals. Curry, named unanimous MVP on Tuesday, is hot off Monday's 40-point performance, including a record-setting 17 points in overtime, as the Warriors won 132-125 and took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Curry had missed two weeks with a knee strain before his dramatic return.