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Good morning! Today is Wednesday, August 12, 2020.
There's been A LOT of news in the past 24 hours, so let's get started and look at the big headlines in today's news rundown.
THREAD:
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There's been A LOT of news in the past 24 hours, so let's get started and look at the big headlines in today's news rundown.
THREAD:
1/x
Former Vice President Joe Biden — who captured the 2020 Democratic nomination — has finally named a vice presidential pick: California Senator Kamala Harris.
Harris was a competitor of Biden's this election cycle, but dropped out before Iowa.
2/x https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/11/us/politics/kamala-harris-vp-biden.html
Harris was a competitor of Biden's this election cycle, but dropped out before Iowa.
2/x https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/11/us/politics/kamala-harris-vp-biden.html
Harris's nomination to the VP slot breaks major barriers. She'll be the first African-American and the first Asian-American to be a major party's Vice Presidential pick.
Here's an ABC story for more on Senator Harris:
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Here's an ABC story for more on Senator Harris:
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Biden's team — amazingly — had no major leaks about who the nominee was. Biden started calling the candidates who were not selected in the middle of day.
Reports were released that Congresswoman Karen Bass and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer had not been selected.
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Reports were released that Congresswoman Karen Bass and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer had not been selected.
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Around 4:15 PM EST, the Biden campaign released that his pick was Harris in an email and text to supporters.
They also tweeted this at 4:17 PM on Biden's twitter account:
5/x https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1293280411150217219
They also tweeted this at 4:17 PM on Biden's twitter account:
5/x https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1293280411150217219
The GOP is already firing back at Harris's nomination, calling attention to her comments on Biden from early in the primary. New ads are trying to tie her to far-left policy and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
Here's a tweet from the President.
6/x https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1293285949917495300
Here's a tweet from the President.
6/x https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1293285949917495300
There is also some reporting to suggest that Harris being on the ticket will bring in money from the tech industry in Silicon Valley. Harris — being from California — is close with many big tech leaders.
7/x https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/8/11/21364027/kamala-harris-joe-biden-vice-president-silicon-valley-donors-tech
7/x https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/8/11/21364027/kamala-harris-joe-biden-vice-president-silicon-valley-donors-tech
After the announcement, Democratic fundraising committee ActBlue — which allows for small-donors to make contributions — processed $10.8 million, the Biden campaign's largest day for grassroots donations.
Story from the times here:
8/x https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/08/11/us/biden-vs-trump/bidens-big-day-10-8-million-pours-into-actblue-in-4-hours-after-vp-announcement
Story from the times here:
8/x https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/08/11/us/biden-vs-trump/bidens-big-day-10-8-million-pours-into-actblue-in-4-hours-after-vp-announcement
After yesterday's news that Russia had beaten other major countries to a COVID-19 vaccine, some researchers and doctors aren't so sure about its safety or effectiveness. Here's a story from CNBC:
9/x https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/12/putins-plan-for-russias-coronavirus-vaccine-is-at-risk-of-backfiring-expert-says.html
9/x https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/12/putins-plan-for-russias-coronavirus-vaccine-is-at-risk-of-backfiring-expert-says.html
There were primary battles in Minnesota, Georgia, and Vermont last night.
Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05) — one of the more controversial members of the "squad" — fended off a primary challenge.
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Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05) — one of the more controversial members of the "squad" — fended off a primary challenge.
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Marjorie Taylor Green, a QAnon conspiracy theorist, won her runoff in a primary for the Georgia 14th Congressional district last night.
Green came under controversy for past anti-Semitic and Islamophobic remarks.
More on this here:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/11/politics/primary-runoff-highlights-minnesota-georgia/index.html
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Green came under controversy for past anti-Semitic and Islamophobic remarks.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/11/politics/primary-runoff-highlights-minnesota-georgia/index.html
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The White House announced that unemployment benefits would be $300 per week, not the $400 that President Trump originally stated that he'd support.
Story from the @washingtonpost:
12/x https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/08/11/trump-unemployment-aid-congress/
Story from the @washingtonpost:
12/x https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/08/11/trump-unemployment-aid-congress/
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Chinese social media app TikTok used a data tracking tactic that Google banned. Here's more on that:
13/x https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-tracked-user-data-using-tactic-banned-by-google-11597176738?mod=hp_lead_pos5
13/x https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-tracked-user-data-using-tactic-banned-by-google-11597176738?mod=hp_lead_pos5
Congressional Democrats are asking the White House to withdraw their nominee for Ambassador to Belarus. There's been no United States ambassador in the country for over decade.
Quote from Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy on the next tweet.
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Quote from Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy on the next tweet.
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“Sending an Ambassador to Minsk now, for the first time in over a decade, would signal that the United States condones these actions, and I am prepared to oppose the nomination in the Foreign Relations Committee unless it is withdrawn by the President,” Senator Murphy said.
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More on that statement in this story from @thehill.
16/x https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/511620-democrat-calls-on-white-house-to-withdraw-ambassador-to-belarus-nominee
16/x https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/511620-democrat-calls-on-white-house-to-withdraw-ambassador-to-belarus-nominee
I usually don't put sports news in this thread, but this one is pretty special.
Last night, a playoff hockey game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning went to its fifth overtime (!). It is now the fourth-longest playoff hockey game in NHL history.
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Last night, a playoff hockey game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning went to its fifth overtime (!). It is now the fourth-longest playoff hockey game in NHL history.
17/x
Tampa Bay won the game 2-1. Here's an ESPN story.
18/x https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/29642400/sports-world-reacts-tampa-bay-lightning-columbus-blue-jackets-five-thriller
18/x https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/29642400/sports-world-reacts-tampa-bay-lightning-columbus-blue-jackets-five-thriller
The United Kingdom looks to be in a very serious recession after the country's GDP dropped by 20.4%.
Here's a story from @ElliotSmithCNBC at @CNBC.
19/x https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/12/uk-gdp-plunged-by-a-record-20point4percent-in-the-second-quarter.html
Here's a story from @ElliotSmithCNBC at @CNBC.
19/x https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/12/uk-gdp-plunged-by-a-record-20point4percent-in-the-second-quarter.html
The Big Ten conference announced that they would be cancelling the Fall football season due to COVID-19. They will try and move it to the Spring. Story from @ZachOsterman at @indystar.
20/x https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2020/08/10/big-ten-cancels-2020-fall-football-season-due-covid-19-pandemic-coronavirus-spring-football/3332501001/
20/x https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2020/08/10/big-ten-cancels-2020-fall-football-season-due-covid-19-pandemic-coronavirus-spring-football/3332501001/
COVID-19 is making it difficult for one Indy-area school district's bus system. Four bus drivers in the Westfield Washington School District tested positive for COVID-19. Story from @mjslaby at @indystar:
21/x https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/education/2020/08/11/coronavirus-indiana-westfield-schools-short-bus-drivers/3348324001/
21/x https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/education/2020/08/11/coronavirus-indiana-westfield-schools-short-bus-drivers/3348324001/
That's all for August 12, 2020. Have a great day everyone.
