NewsFuse: August 2020

Worth the wait: Yellowstone’s Giantess Geyser erupts for first time in six years

Giantess is one of the biggest geysers in the national park, and typically explodes between twice and six times a year In these troubled times there comes a point where we all need to let off steam.For this huge geyser in Yellowstone park, the moment was now and the eruption was spectacular, after a six-year wait.But, for the rest of us, watching this natural phenomenon is strangely meditative and beautifully distracting from much of the bad news around, despite the violent geothermal forces propelling it.Giantess Geyser spouted for the first time in more than six years in Yellowstone National Park, which straddles part of Wyoming and a little of Montana, on 25 August, according to the US National Park Service (NPS).“She” has more typically erupted between twice and six times a year in the past, according to the NPS website, and blasts a spout up to 200ft high.“The surrounding area may shake from underground steam explosions just before the initial water and/or steam eruptions,” the NPS website adds.Giantess is one of the biggest geysers in the park, alongside phenomena such as the super-tall Steamboat geyser, the largest active geyser in the world, and the park’s most famous, Old Faithful, renowned for its punctual regularity as it soars from the ground about 20 times a day.Colorful hot spring features in the park include the blue-hued Morning Glory Pool and the psychedelic Grand Prismatic spring, as well as whiffy, sulfurous bubblers and roiling natural pots of scalding hot water fizzing out of the rocks.The features are among more than 10,000 hot springs and geysers in the park, a Unesco world heritage site.

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Portland Police declare gathering near city building as 'unlawful'

"To those near the Kelly Building, this has been declared an unlawful assembly due to criminal activity," Portland police wrote on Twitter https://bit.ly/3gKwGsO. The overnight demonstration followed a fatal shooting amid weekend street clashes between supporters of President Donald Trump and counter-demonstrators in downtown Portland. Governor Kate Brown said on Sunday night that Oregon State Police would send personnel and resources to Portland to help keep the situation in the city under control.

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Will my child be sent home for cough, runny nose? What to know about day care guidelines during COVID-19

With flu, cold and allergy season around the corner, experts say a runny nose or cough is almost inevitable at daycare facilities.

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Leaked memo: White House counsel pushed to downgrade Kushner’s clearance over "serious" concerns

Don McGahn wrote that an FBI background check raised "serious additional concerns" about Kushner's clearance

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Ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin requested dismissal of murder charges in George Floyd killing

In a new court filing, Chauvin's attorney explained that Minneapolis officer "acted according to MPD policy, his training, and within his duties."

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UN labor body: Qatar 'dismantles' kafala employment system

New labor rules in the energy-rich nation of Qatar “effectively dismantles” the country's long-criticized “kafala” employment system, a U.N. labor body said Sunday. The International Labor Organization said as of now, migrant workers can change jobs before the end of their contracts without obtaining the permission of their current employers. Qatar also has adopted a minimum monthly wage of 1,000 Qatari riyals ($275) for workers, which will take effect some six months after the law is published in the country's official gazette, the ILO said.

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How Covid-19 could affect the 2020 Senate elections - Vox.com

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McEnany previews Trump's trip to Kenosha - Fox News

McEnany previews Trump's trip to Kenosha Fox NewsView Full Coverage on Google News

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JCPenney proposes to sell company out of bankruptcy - Fox Business

JCPenney proposes to sell company out of bankruptcy Fox Business
JC Penney hits 'stalemate' with potential buyers. Lenders to make bid for department store in bankruptcy CNBC
J.C. Penney Pitches Chapter 11 Sale to Lenders as Other Bidders Balk The Wall Street Journal
JC Penney's lenders are prepared to buy it and allow it to emerge from bankruptcy The Dallas Morning News
J.C. Penney sale talks stall, pushing retailer to brink Reuters
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The airline industry is ditching change fees because it’s desperate for people to fly - The Verge

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Biden hits back on Trump's attacks: 'Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters?'

“Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting,” Biden said. "It’s lawlessness, plain and simple."

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Russian opposition activist hospitalised after attack outside his home

A 22-year-old Russian opposition activist has been hospitalised after what supporters said was a vicious attack by two men outside his house in Moscow. Yegor Zhukov, who came to prominence last year when he was arrested and tried over opposition protests, posted pictures of his bruised and bloody face to social media following the attack. He was taken to hospital for an MRI scan which showed he had “fortunately managed to avoid serious injuries or internal bleeding,” a spokesman said. The activist “remained calm and even joked about what happened,” his team said in a social media post, adding that he was allowed home following tests.

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Burst of success for progressive challengers in U.S. congressional races may fizzle in Massachusetts

A solid year for progressive Democrats who have defeated at least three incumbents in the U.S. Congress in primaries could fizzle out this week in Massachusetts where three party stalwarts were set to fend off challengers. The progressive model for success has seen an array of mostly young candidates, sometimes minorities, toppling older establishment incumbents. Senator Ed Markey, 74, appeared to be holding off 39-year-old Representative Joe Kennedy III by touting the legislative battles he has waged over more than four decades in the House of Representatives and Senate on issues such as nuclear disarmament and climate change.

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Ethiopia seeks US clarification on reported aid cut over dam

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New report deepens mystery around Trump’s sudden and suspicious visit to Walter Reed hospital

Vice President Mike Pence was reportedly prepared to take over the presidential duties

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'Hero' St. Louis police officer dies after being shot in the head

A St. Louis police officer died Sunday after being shot in the head by a gunman, authorities said.

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Liberty University opens investigation into 'all facets' of Jerry Falwell Jr.'s tenure

Liberty is also exploring a new coach and mentor to help ensure all Liberty employees are fulfilling their 'spiritual responsibility.'

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Kentucky AG has received ballistics in Breonna Taylor case

Kentucky's attorney general has received a long-awaited FBI ballistics report in the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor. Attorney General Daniel Cameron tweeted Sunday that there is additional analysis needed now that the report is in his hands, and there would be no announcement on the investigation this week. “We continue to work diligently to follow the facts and complete the investigation,” Cameron tweeted.

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Trump's Kenosha visit highlights his reelection message: Only Trump will keep you safe

With protests continuing to rage in Kenosha, Wis., over the Aug. 23 police shooting of African-American Jacob Blake, President Trump will travel there Tuesday on a visit to the key swing state that will echo his “law and order” campaign message.

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Mom rips gun and shoe from man accused of kidnapping her 1-year-old, Georgia cops say

The child has since been found safe, officials say.

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U.S. Senate's McConnell eyes revamped coronavirus relief bill, Mnuchin tells Fox Business

The Trump administration and Senate Republicans have been in regular contact over possible coronavirus relief measures and the Senate's top Republican will "hopefully" unveil a new bill next week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday. Asked about the collapse of talks with Democrats over aid legislation, Mnuchin told Fox Business Network that he and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows have been speaking regularly with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

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With peak of hurricane season almost here, forecasters watch four areas for tropical development

The most active day of the hurricane season is around Sept. 10. As the season's peak nears, forecasters are watching four areas for development.

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Schools are more segregated than 30 years ago. Here's what's driving the change.

School integration programs once broke down barriers. Today, white and Black students in cities like Minneapolis are growing up apart.

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China restaurant collapses during birthday party, killing 29

Rescue efforts ended at a two-story restaurant in a northern Chinese village that collapsed during a local resident's 80th birthday celebration, leaving 29 people dead, authorities said Sunday. The Ministry of Emergency Management said another 28 people were injured, seven of them seriously, when the building suddenly crumbled on Saturday. Hundreds of rescue workers using sniffer dogs, cranes and high-tech sensors had searched the rubble, lifting slabs of concrete in hopes of freeing survivors.

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House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff says it's a 'falsehood' pushed by Trump that he leaked confidential information amid halt to election briefings

Schiff denied he or his staff have leaked confidential information as intelligence officials announced a halt to in-person election security briefings.

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U.S. military identifies two soldiers killed in Black Hawk training crash

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Denied permits, Palestinians raze own homes in Jerusalem

Palestinian Alaa Borqan preferred to tear down his own house in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem after a court ruled that it was constructed illegally and must be demolished.

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Mayors Of College Towns Brace For The Economic Impact Of Remote Learning - NPR

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Hurricane center monitoring 'quartet of systems,' disturbance could form off East Coast - Fox News

Hurricane center monitoring 'quartet of systems,' disturbance could form off East Coast Fox News
Sunday morning tropical update: 3 waves to watch as we head into September WWLTV
Four Areas To Watch For Tropical Development in the Atlantic Going into September The Weather Channel
New Tropical Depressions Expected to Form Over the Next Few Days NBC 6 South Florida
More tropical activity expected for the already record-breaking Atlantic season Yahoo News
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Coronavirus update: U.S. death toll approaches 180,000 - The Washington Post

Coronavirus update: U.S. death toll approaches 180,000 The Washington Post

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Samsung starts mass production of 16Gb LPDDR5 DRAM chips at Pyeongtaek Line 2 plant - SamMobile

Samsung starts mass production of 16Gb LPDDR5 DRAM chips at Pyeongtaek Line 2 plant SamMobileView Full Coverage on Google News

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Apple Loop: New iPhone 12 Leaks, iPad Pro Update Confirmed, Goodbye MacBook Pro - Forbes

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Tate McRae Performs "You Broke Me First" | 2020 MTV VMAs - MTV

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Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’ Ties for Most Weeks at No. 1 in 2020 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart - Billboard

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2020 BMW Championship leaderboard, grades: Jon Rahm drains insane 66-foot putt to win in a playoff - CBSSports.com

2020 BMW Championship leaderboard, grades: Jon Rahm drains insane 66-foot putt to win in a playoff CBSSports.com
Dustin Johnson's incredible putt on No. 18 at BMW PGA TOUR
John Rahm (64) makes birdie bomb to defeat Dustin Johnson in BMW playoff Golf Channel
Jon Rahm drains wild 66-foot birdie to beat Dustin Johnson in a playoff at the BMW Championship Yahoo Sports
PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs: Where All 30 Players Will Start the 2020 Tour Championship Sportscasting
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Report: LSU's Ja'Marr Chase Will Opt-Out of 2020 Season, Prepare for NFL Draft - Bleacher Report

Report: LSU's Ja'Marr Chase Will Opt-Out of 2020 Season, Prepare for NFL Draft Bleacher Report
Source: LSU receiver Ja'Marr Chase to enter NFL draft ESPN
LSU star Ja'Marr Chase expected to opt out of season | CBS Sports HQ CBS Sports HQ
LSU receiver Ja'Marr Chase leaving before his junior season to prepare for 2021 NFL Draft Daily Advertiser
LSU star wideout opts out of 2020 college football season Fox News
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Protests erupt at Portland police building, mayor's condo

Fires set outside a police union building that's a frequent site for protests in Portland, Oregon, prompted police to declare a riot early Saturday and detain several demonstrators. An accelerant was used to ignite a mattress and other debris that was laid against the door of the Portland Police Association building, police said in a statement. As officers approached to move demonstrators away from the building and extinguish the fire, objects including rocks were thrown at them, police said.

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Founder of right-wing group confirms man killed in Portland was a 'supporter'

There's still a lack of clarity about the deadly shooting in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday night, but the founder of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer confirmed that the man who was killed was a supporter, The Associated Press reports. Earlier reports indicated the victim was wearing a hat with the group's insignia.Joey Gibson, who leads the Washington state-based group, said he couldn't say much "right now" but he was able to "verify that [the victim] was a good friend and supporter of Patriot Prayer." He told AP he would make a more complete statement later on Sunday. Gibson was also in Portland on Saturday night and arrived at the scene of the shooting shortly after it took place, although it was not immediately clear why he did so, AP reports.Police still have not released any information on the potential shooter, and while there was fighting between a caravan of Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters throughout the night, there's nothing that has definitively linked the fatal incident to the clashes.Patriot Prayer, AP Notes, has a history of crossing the Oregon-Washington border for rallies and marches in Portland, where — along with other far-right groups like the Proud Boys — they have faced off with counterprotesters. Read more at The Associated Press.More stories from theweek.com 5 more scathingly funny cartoons about the Republican National Convention Air travel in the coronavirus era Biden's latest ad puts Trump's weirdest moments and empty rallies to a Bad Bunny song

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Africa's week in pictures: 21-27 August 2020

A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent and beyond.

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Report: New York tenants were not aware they would be featured at the Republican National Convention

The tenants were interviewed by a HUD official, they said. The RNC was criticized for blurring the lines between the government and partisan politics.

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A couple received an anonymous note calling their unpainted house an "eyesore," then they received over $48,000 to help with repairs

A couple that has suffered multiple health issues received a note shaming them for their unpainted house. A GoFundMe page raised money for repairs.

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Dramatic last-second launch abort grounds spy satellite

The "hot-fire abort" derailed plans for three launches in just two days from Florida's Space Coast.

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Rally supporting police draws scores to downtown Kenosha

Scores of police supporters gathered Sunday in downtown Kenosha where protesters have been demonstrating against police brutality since the shooting of Jacob Blake last weekend. A Kenosha police officer shot Blake in the back Aug. 23, leaving the 29-year-old Black man paralyzed. Protesters have marched in Kenosha every night since Blake’s shooting, with some protests devolving into unrest that damaged buildings and vehicles.

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In Colorado town, the post office delivers much more than the mail

Leadville, Colo., has no car dealership, no Walmart, no department store and no dependable internet service. The post office fills important gaps.

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Michael Moore warns that Donald Trump is on course to repeat 2016 win

Film-maker says enthusiasm for president in swing states is ‘off the charts’ and urges everyone to commit to getting 100 people to voteThe documentary film-maker Michael Moore has warned that Donald Trump appears to have such momentum in some battleground states that liberals risk a repeat of 2016 when so many wrote off Trump only to see him grab the White House.“Sorry to have to provide the reality check again,” he said.Moore, who was one of few political observers to predict Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016, said that “enthusiasm for Trump is off the charts” in key areas compared with the Democratic party nominee, Joe Biden.“Are you ready for a Trump victory? Are you mentally prepared to be outsmarted by Trump again? Do you find comfort in your certainty that there is no way Trump can win? Are you content with the trust you’ve placed in the DNC [Democratic National Committee] to pull this off?” Moore posted on Facebook late on Friday.Moore identified opinion polling in battleground states such as Minnesota and Michigan to make a case that the sitting president is running alongside or ahead of his rival.“The Biden campaign just announced he’ll be visiting a number of states – but not Michigan. Sound familiar?” Moore wrote, presumably indicating Hillary Clinton’s 2016 race when she made the error of avoiding some states that then swung to Trump.“I’m warning you almost 10 weeks in advance. The enthusiasm level for the 60 million in Trump’s base is OFF THE CHARTS! For Joe, not so much,” he later added.He continued to voters: “Don’t leave it to the Democrats to get rid of Trump. YOU have to get rid of Trump. WE have to wake up every day for the next 67 days and make sure each of us are going to get a hundred people out to vote. ACT NOW!”Moore cited CNN polling of registered voters this month to assert that “Biden and Trump were in a virtual tie”, including a poll that showed the pair tied at 47% in Minnesota. Moore said that Trump “has closed the gap to 4 points” in Michigan.A national CNN poll this month showed that Biden’s lead over Trump has narrowed nationally, 50% to 46%, while a survey from the Republican-leaning Trafalgar Group found Biden and Trump statistically tied at 47% in Minnesota, and Trump narrowly leading Biden in Michigan. The margin of error for the poll, which surveyed 1,048 people, is 2.98%.Moore, a vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders’s leftwing candidacy, warned in October 2016 that “Trump’s election is going to be the biggest ‘f*** you’ ever recorded in human history – and it will feel good,” even as Clinton appeared to be sailing to victory.“Whether Trump means it or not is kind of irrelevant because he’s saying the things to people who are hurting, and that’s why every beaten-down, nameless, forgotten working stiff who used to be part of what was called the middle class loves Trump,” Moore warned at that time.Moore’s latest warnings come as Trump said at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Friday night that he supported seeing the first female president of the United States, but recommended his daughter over the Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris.“They’re all saying ‘we want Ivanka,’” Trump told his supporters. “I don’t blame them.”

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Riot in Sweden after anti-Muslim Danish leader banned

At least 10 people were arrested, and several police officers injured, in violence which broke out in southern Sweden after an anti-Muslim Danish politician was blocked from attending a Koran-burning rally, police said Saturday.

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17-year-old suspect in Jacob Blake protest shooting charged with 2 counts of homicide

Kyle Rittenhouse faces two first-degree homicide charges, as well as two charges of attempted homicide, according to Wisconsin court records..

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Israel strikes Gaza after Palestinian militants fire rockets

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Dramatic last-second launch abort grounds spy satellite

The "hot-fire abort" derailed plans for three launches in just two days from Florida's Space Coast.

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2 more Kenosha officers named in Jacob Blake shooting

The Wisconsin Department of Justice named two more Kenosha police officers involved in Jacob Blake's shooting.

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Fox News' Chris Wallace: Trump's RNC speech was 'far too long' and 'surprisingly flat'

The reviews are in for President Trump's Republican National Convention address, and Fox News' Chris Wallace, for one, wasn't overly impressed.The Fox News anchor on Thursday gave a tough review to the president's RNC speech, saying he was "surprised" by the "lack of fireworks" in it."First of all, it was far too long," Wallace said of the speech, which ran 70 minutes.Though Wallace went on to praise some of Trump's "good lines" dinging Democratic nominee Joe Biden, he concluded that overall, it certainly wasn't one of the president's best."I thought the president, who we've seen really turn on a crowd, was surprisingly flat and didn't seem to have the bite that he usually does have in his speeches," Wallace said.Wallace wasn't the only one on Fox News who didn't go crazy for the address, with analyst Brit Hume agreeing that it was too long and a bit "flat.""He's done very good speeches from teleprompters before," Hume said, per The Daily Beast. "But tonight he seemed to miss the excitement he generates in himself when he's ad-libbing."This comes after Fox News hosts last week heaped praise onto Biden's Democratic National Convention address, with Hume calling it "very good" and Wallace describing it as "enormously effective." Watch the latest video at foxnews.comMore stories from theweek.com Trump's RNC polling bounce more about 'subtraction on the Biden side,' pollster suggests 5 more scathingly funny cartoons about the Republican National Convention Biden's latest ad puts Trump's weirdest moments and empty rallies to a Bad Bunny song

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26 children — one as young as 3 — rescued in Georgia sex trafficking sting, feds say

“Operation Not Forgotten” helped locate nearly 40 missing kids.

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Photos: The “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” March on Washington - Vox.com

Photos: The “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” March on Washington Vox.com
Thousands march on Washington calling for racial justice | WNT ABC News
Tucker Carlson Claims BLM Is a “Hoax” As Thousands March on Washington Vanity Fair
The March on Washington: A legacy lost The Hill
New march on Washington embraces history on fraught anniversary of King's speech Reuters
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Trolls, tracking and films: How Putin’s Russia obsessively hounded opposition leader Navalny - The Washington Post

Trolls, tracking and films: How Putin’s Russia obsessively hounded opposition leader Navalny The Washington Post
Never mind Navalny, Germany won't get tough with Russia Politico
Suspected poisoning of Putin critic was meant to kill him, not to scare him off, chief aide says CNN
Tracking Alexei Navalny's last movements before he was allegedly poisoned The Washington Post
What's next for Russia's opposition party? Reuters
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Burning laptops and flooded homes: Courts hold Amazon liable for faulty products - The Washington Post

Burning laptops and flooded homes: Courts hold Amazon liable for faulty products The Washington Post

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Apple's next entry-level iPad might look a lot like an iPad Pro - Engadget

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Kourtney Kardashian & Scott Disick Risk Running Into His Ex Sofia Richie During Dinner Date - HollywoodLife

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Why NBA Owners' $300M Pledge Isn't Enough for Players' Fight Against Racism - Bleacher Report

Why NBA Owners' $300M Pledge Isn't Enough for Players' Fight Against Racism Bleacher Report
NBA to resume games after player protest, turn stadiums into voting sites Reuters
What we know and don't know as the NBA playoffs restart ESPN
Let Them Boycott! National Review
Boycotting Themselves Out of Business? City Journal
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Biden buys ‘Keep America Great’ domain name and dedicates it to criticising Trump

The Biden campaign has acquired the web domain KeepAmericaGreat.com and has dedicated the site to criticising president Donald Trump‘s policies and handling of the coronavirus pandemic.When Mr Trump launched his reelection campaign for the 2020 presidential election last year, he revealed “Keep America Great” as its official slogan, following on from his 2016 phrase, “Make America Great Again.”

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What we know about the career of the officer who shot Jacob Blake

Rusten Sheskey said in an August 2019 interview that what he likes most about police work "is that you're dealing with people on perhaps the worst day of their lives and you can try and help them."

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Hurricane Laura's 'unsurvivable' storm surge: It looks like Louisiana was spared, but some rural areas likely hit hard

Gov. John Bel Edwards said Louisiana "caught a break" on storm surge. The National Hurricane Center says the surge was likely as bad as feared.

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California relies on inmate fire crews who compare the dangerous job to 'slave work'

Among those working around the clock to contain about 7,000 blazes in California are approximately 3,100 inmates trained as wildland firefighters.

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Does Kyle Rittenhouse Have a Self-Defense Claim?

Kenosha, a city of 100,000 in Wisconsin’s southeastern corner, now confronts the question of when lethal force is justified in two different cases. One, the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer, I addressed yesterday. The other is the case of Kyle Rittenhouse, who is alleged to have killed two people and injured one during the civil unrest this week, and who has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, reckless homicide, and other offenses.Rittenhouse is a 17-year-old from Antioch, Ill., about a half hour’s drive from Kenosha. Inexplicably, this underage police cadet from out of state wound up on the streets after curfew in a place where a riot was likely imminent, doing interviews with journalists and openly carrying an AR-15–style rifle.There can be no question that Rittenhouse and whatever adults were in charge of him made idiotic decisions. Minors should not stand guard at riots play-acting at being cops. But even people who knowingly put themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time are allowed to defend themselves against attack when they get there. So the biggest legal question is: Did Rittenhouse defend himself against attack with an appropriate amount of force, or were the people he shot the ones acting in self-defense by trying to disarm him?The very beginning of the situation is not on video that I am aware, but the complaint against Rittenhouse contains some key details from Richard McGinnis, a Daily Caller reporter who was interviewing Rittenhouse at the time:> McGinnis said that as they were walking south another armed male who appeared to be in his 30s joined them and said he was there to protect the defendant. McGinnis stated that before the defendant reached the parking lot and ran across it, the defendant had moved from the middle of Sheridan Road to the sidewalk and that is when McGinnis saw a male ([Joseph] Rosenbaum) initially try to engage the defendant. McGinnis stated that as the defendant was walking Rosenbaum was trying to get closer to the defendant. When Rosenbaum advanced, the defendant did a “juke” move and started running. McGinnis stated that there were other people that were moving very quickly. McGinnis stated that they were moving towards the defendant. McGinnis said that according to what he saw the defendant was trying to evade these individuals.After that, much of the situation was recorded, and the New York Times has done an excellent job of stitching the videos together. This Twitter thread from a co-author of the piece nicely explains the events and (for those willing to watch graphic footage) provides the key clips:> A teenager faces charges in shootings that left 2 people dead in Kenosha, WI. The @nytimes Visual Investigations team reviewed hours of livestreams to track 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse’s movements during and leading up to the shootings. [THREAD] https://t.co/FRCYlS5wgH> > -- Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) August 27, 2020 The first video starts with people already chasing Rittenhouse, one of whom throws something at him. One person even fires a handgun in the air — and another, Rosenbaum, charges at Rittenhouse, who shoots him. After that, there are more shots from an unknown source, and Rittenhouse calls a friend on his phone and leaves.But again he’s pursued, with some protesters urging others to join in, and this time he falls down. Several people move in on him, and he takes shots at three, hitting two. One is holding a handgun and survives a shot to the arm; the other has a skateboard and dies. Again there are additional mysterious gunshots after the fact.Obviously, a big unanswered question right now is how this all really got started. But as we wait for that information, let’s take a gander at the Wisconsin laws at issue.There are two extremes here: justifiable use of deadly force and first-degree intentional homicide. So let’s see what the law says about those two situations, bearing in mind that other charges can apply if Rittenhouse’s behavior fell in between them. (There are plenty of options: Rittenhouse is charged with reckless homicide for the first fatal shooting, first-degree intentional homicide for the second, and attempted first-degree intentional homicide for the nonfatal one, in addition to charges for reckless endangerment and bearing a dangerous weapon as a minor.)Quite typically for a U.S. state, Wisconsin allows civilian use of deadly force when one “reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.” One major issue, then, will be whether Rittenhouse reasonably thought that the folks engaging with him meant to inflict serious injury, not just disarm him.But what if Rittenhouse provoked the confrontation to begin with? That’s bad for a claim of self-defense, but it doesn’t preclude one. Here’s another excerpt from the Wisconsin statute books:> (a) A person who engages in unlawful conduct of a type likely to provoke others to attack him or her and thereby does provoke an attack is not entitled to claim the privilege of self-defense against such attack, except when the attack which ensues is of a type causing the person engaging in the unlawful conduct to reasonably believe that he or she is in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm. In such a case, the person engaging in the unlawful conduct is privileged to act in self-defense, but the person is not privileged to resort to the use of force intended or likely to cause death to the person's assailant unless the person reasonably believes he or she has exhausted every other reasonable means to escape from or otherwise avoid death or great bodily harm at the hands of his or her assailant.> > (b) The privilege lost by provocation may be regained if the actor in good faith withdraws from the fight and gives adequate notice thereof to his or her assailant.> > (c) A person who provokes an attack, whether by lawful or unlawful conduct, with intent to use such an attack as an excuse to cause death or great bodily harm to his or her assailant is not entitled to claim the privilege of self-defense.So, even if Rittenhouse bears some responsibility for the initial conflict, he can still argue that he did everything he could to escape the situation and withdraw from the fight. Both shooting incidents began with him running away.Moving to the other extreme, to prove first-degree intentional homicide, prosecutors will have to show that Rittenhouse “cause[d] the death of another human being with intent to kill that person” and will have to disprove the existence of any “mitigating circumstances” the defense asserts. If the prosecution fails at the latter task, the offense is knocked down to the second degree.Mitigating circumstances include “adequate provocation,” meaning the victim did something “sufficient to cause complete lack of self-control in an ordinarily constituted person”; “unnecessary defensive force,” meaning Rittenhouse “believed he . . . was in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm and that the force used was necessary to defend [himself],” even though the belief was unreasonable; and “prevention of felony,” meaning he believed his actions were necessary to stop the “commission of a felony,” even though the belief was unreasonable. In other words, even if Rittenhouse unreasonably thought his actions were necessary, he can get the charge downgraded, though in that case he’ll still have committed a very serious offense.Rittenhouse is already a hero to some and a supervillain to others; in that sense, he is the Bernie Goetz of 2020. The highest charge against him strikes me as a stretch, but beyond that I don’t have any bold opinions yet. The outcome for each shooting will depend on whether Rittenhouse reasonably feared for his life, which in turn might depend on broader context we lack thus far — and even if all three shootings were justified, there are still firearms and reckless-endangerment charges for him to contend with.Where the f*** were this kid’s parents?

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Forecasters eye two developing systems in the Atlantic: Nana, Omar could be next up on the heels of Hurricane Laura

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Top general says no role for military in presidential vote

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