Monday, August 24th, 2020
Dual Storm Threat, RNC Begins & Kobe Bryant Day
All the news you need in less than 10 min:
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Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want to review the latest happenings...
2 Gulf Coast Hurricanes
Two powerful storms are headed toward the U.S. gulf coast. They could bring dangerous flooding and strong winds to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. First, it’s Tropical Storm Marco. It is expected to make landfall in Louisiana as soon as today, so hurricane and storm surge warnings were issued in parts of the state. Then, Tropical Storm Laura is on track to hit the same spot either late Wednesday or early Thursday, potentially as a hurricane.
Read More: WSJ, AP, Reuters, Austin American Statesman, New Orleans Advocate, NOAA on Marco, NOAA on Laura
CA Wildfires Growing
The wildfires burning in Northern California are now the second and third largest fires in state history. They’ve scorched more than 500 square miles each. One that was started by lightning strikes last week is now the most destructive. It’s responsible for at least five deaths. It has also destroyed more than 800 homes and other buildings. Tens of thousands of people have evacuated. A disaster declaration was issued and the U.S. military is in California to help.
Read More: LA Times, SF Gate, AP, NY Times, Cal Fire
Plasma Treatment Authorized
The FDA gave emergency authorization to convalescent plasma for treating COVID-19. The idea is blood plasma can be taken from virus survivors and given to patients. It could help since survivors have built up antibodies to fight off an infection. The FDA still says more clinical trials are necessary to know if it's effective. For now, it got the green light for use because it was determined safe and has shown promising results in trials thus far.
Read More: WSJ, AP, ABC News, Reuters, Axios
Postmaster General to Testify Again
For the second time in four days, the new postmaster general will be questioned on Capitol Hill about service cutbacks and mail-in voting. First, Louis DeJoy testified in front of senators Friday. Republicans had said they wanted to give him a chance to explain the postal service’s financial situation and why he’s making cuts. He told lawmakers the USPS is “fully capable and committed to delivering the nation’s election mail securely and on time.” He’s expected to tell House lawmakers something similar today.
Read More: The Hill, WaPo, CNN
House Approved Postal Service Bill
The Democratic-led House came back from their recess early and passed a bill that would give the USPS another $25 billion in funding. The bill would also block any changes until at least next year. However, Senate leaders don’t expect the measure to make it through the Republican-led Senate. They argue it’s a “piecemeal” bill that ignores the other urgent needs of the American people.
Read More: AP, FOX News, Politico, Trump Tweet, The Hill
RNC Preview
The Republican National Convention starts today. The RNC’s theme is “Honoring the Great American Story.” Today, speakers include several Republican members of congress. Besides politicians, Americans will also hear from a man whose daughter was killed in a high school shooting, A St. Louis couple who got national attention for pointing guns at protesters, and President Trump’s son, Donald Trump, Jr. The main event comes Thursday night when President Trump speaks from the White House.
Read More: AP, WaPo, Politico, Variety
Kellyanne Conway Resigns
One of President Trump’s top advisers announced she’s leaving the White House at the end of the month. Kellyanne Conway says she wants to focus more on family. She was the first woman to manage a successful presidential campaign and has since been one of President Trump’s most outspoken defenders. Conway’s husband, George Conway, runs a group of anti-Trump Republicans called The Lincoln Project. Last night, he also announced he’d be stepping down to devote more time to family.
Read More: The Hill, NBC News, Reuters, Conway Statement
TikTok will Sue Trump Admin
Video sharing app TikTok is planning to sue the Trump administration. It could file a lawsuit as soon as today. It’s in response to President Trump’s recent executive order that forces the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to either find an American buyer or get banned in the U.S. Trump continues to say TikTok could be a national security threat. ByteDance says that’s not true. So far, no comment from the White House on the possible legal action.
Read More: CNBC, Engadget, CNN
Kobe Bryant Day
Late NBA icon Kobe Bryant will be remembered today in Los Angeles. The city dubbed Aug. 24 “Kobe Bryant Day” back in 2016 to commemorate the two jersey numbers, 8 and 24, he wore during his 20-year career with the Lakers. This year will be especially significant since seven months ago, Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven friends were killed in a helicopter crash. This week, Nike plans to honor Bryant’s life and accomplishments with five new versions of the Kobe V Protro sneaker silhouette and a reissued basketball jersey.
Read More: LA Times, Sports Illustrated, BET
BTS Breaks YouTube Record
K-pop group BTS is making history with its new music video for the song “Dynamite.” It racked up more than 101 million views in its first 24 hours online. YouTube told Variety that’s a record. At one point, the video had more than three million people watching at the same time. That’s reportedly another record. “Dynamite” is going to be on BTS’ next album which comes out later this year.
Read More: Billboard, Variety, Engadget, YouTube
New National Zoo Panda Cub
Giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth to a healthy cub at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. This is the fourth time she has given birth and this time was considered a miracle since the panda’s age gave her a less than 1% chance of having another cub. However, she got pregnant back in March and gave birth Friday. Zookeepers say right away, she started nursing and cuddling with her tiny, hairless, blind cub.
Read More: WaPo, Reuters, FOX News, Panda Cam
Money Monday: Back-to-School Spending
Back-to-school shopping season is a lot different this year than usual. The AP says most parents aren’t getting their kids the usual items like clothing and backpacks. However, they’re reportedly buying up a lot of electronics like laptops in headphones, which, of course, are much more expensive. The National Retail Federation predicts families with children in grades K-12 will spend a total of $34 billion on school supplies this year. That’s $8 billion more than last year.
Read More: AP, CNN, CNBC, PYMNTS, NRF, Deloitte