Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, August 25, 2020:
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
LAST NIGHT: The GOP officially nominated President Trump to a second term in the first night of its scaled-back convention. Speakers like Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, Rep. Matt Gaetz and Donald Trump Jr. hailed the president’s coronavirus response, decried ‘cancel culture,’ and painted a dark and dystopian vision of America if Joe Biden were to win. POLITICO
TONIGHT: First Lady Melania Trump is the featured speaker tonight. Mike Pompeo will beam in from the Middle East, breaking a long-running precedent that sitting secretaries of state not engaging in overt political activities. PATCH
CLIMATE CHANGE
STORMS: Marco made landfall last night near the mouth of the Mississippi River and quickly weakened to a tropical depression. Tropical Storm Laura is right on its heels and is now expected to strengthen into a major hurricane before making landfall along the Texas-Louisiana border late tomorrow. TRACK
FIRES: Firefighters in California caught a much-needed break when dangerous lightning storms didn’t materialize in the fire zone, and officials say this week will be critical in getting the infernos under control. At least seven people have died, and the state’s air quality is currently among the worst in the world. USA TODAY
COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The first documented case of a COVID-19 patient being reinfected with the virus has been confirmed by researchers in Hong Kong. Experts say this is not unusual among coronaviruses. AstraZeneca, which is developing one of the leading vaccine candidates, has also started trials on a monoclonal antibody treatment. The U.S. 7-day average of daily deaths fell below 1,000 over the weekend for the first time since July. CNN
WISCONSIN POLICE SHOOTING
The National Guard was deployed to Kenosha, Wisconsin a day after a video emerged that showed Kenosha police officers repeatedly shooting Jacob Blake, a 29-year old Black man, in the back as he walked away, with his three young sons looking on. That video has sparked two straight nights of protests and riots. Last night, arsonists torched much of the Black business district of Kenosha, defying an overnight curfew. Blake survived the shooting and is in stable condition in the hospital. REUTERS
FALWELL OUT
Jerry Falwell Jr. resigned as president of Liberty University, then withdrew his resignation once it was reported in the media, before confirming that he had, in fact, resigned -- ending a chaotic day that began when a former business associate of Falwell says that he had a years-long relationship with Falwell’s wife, with Falwell’s blessing. Falwell is among the most prominent and influential Evangelical leaders in America, as well as a staunch supporter of President Trump. Here’s the report that led his ouster: READ IT
FINGER LICKIN' GOOD
KFC is pausing its “Finger Lickin’ Good” slogan, saying it doesn’t want to encourage face-touching during the pandemic. As part of a new marketing campaign, the fried-chicken chain blurs out the motto from its famous chicken buckets and logos: WATCH
TIKTOK V. TRUMP
TikTok has sued the Trump administration over the executive order that would effectively ban its operations in the U.S. The Chinese-owned social network says the White House didn’t give it an opportunity to be heard, thus violating its due-process rights under the Constitution. In the suit, TikTok says it has taken “extraordinary measures” to protect the personal data of American users, including by storing it in servers in Virginia rather than China. NPR
AP TOP 25
The Associated Press released its preseason Top 25 poll of college football teams, and decided to include all 130 eligible teams, even those that are not planning to play this season. The top five: Clemson, Ohio State (not playing), Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. ESPN
SPOTTED...
...what’s purported to be the iPhone 12, in new pictures leaked online. Apple is expected to unveil the new flagship iPhone, the first fully redesigned device since the iPhone X, next month: SEE PICS
...Jeff Daniels as former FBI Director James Comey and Brendan Gleeson as President Trump in the trailer for the upcoming TV adaptation of Comey’s book, premiering on Showtime on Sept. 27: WATCH
'POWERPUFF' REBOOT
The CW is developing a reboot of the cult-favorite Powerpuff Girls cartoon. The live-action remake will catch up with the pint-sized superheroes as disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost their childhood to fighting crime. VARIETY
LEFTOVERS: SEINFELD <3 NYC
Jerry Seinfeld is done with people proclaiming the death of New York City. The comedian penned an essay in the New York Times, decrying “some putz on LinkedIn” who had declared in a viral blog that the Big Apple was “completely dead” in the aftermath of the pandemic. “Wipe your tears, wipe your butt, and pull it together,” Seinfeld writes: READ IT
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