- PoliticsUSA TODAY
Professor Allan Lichtman, who has accurately predicted elections since 1984, says Biden will win
American University Professor Allan Lichtman, who is well-known for accurately predicting American presidential elections, says former Vice President Joe Biden will beat President Donald Trump in the November election. Lichtman, a political historian who has correctly predicted the outcomes of all presidential elections since 1984, with an asterisk, was one of the few forecasters who projected in 2016 Trump would become the 45th president while also correctly predicting Trump would be impeached as president. It includes factors like the advantage of incumbency, long and short-term economic figures, scandals, social unrest, and more.
- WorldBusiness Insider
A massive explosion just devastated Beirut. Here's what the unbelievable destruction looks like for people on the ground.
Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images A devastating explosion rocked Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on Tuesday. The cause of the blast is being investigated, but a senior Lebanese intelligence official said that he suspects that confiscated high-explosive materials stored at the port where the explosion occurred are to blame. The country's health ministry says that at least 78 people are dead and more than 4,000 people are injured.
- WorldPopular Mechanics
Massive Beirut Explosion Shows Mushroom Clouds Aren't Just for Nukes
An explosion in Beirut injured at least 4,500 people and killed 100 on Tuesday. Reports say the blast started with a fire at a warehouse that contained highly explosive materials. Despite the mushroom cloud shape that appeared after the blast, this was not the result of a nuclear weapon detonating.
- U.S.National Review
Poll: Most Black Americans Want Police to Remain in Their Areas
Most black Americans say they want police to continue their current presence in local areas, even as protests against racism and police brutality sweep the nation, and calls to reform and even defund police departments persist. Close to two-thirds, 61 percent, of black Americans said they want the police presence in their area to remain the same, while 20 percent said they would like to see police spend more time in their neighborhood, according to a new Gallup poll. Another 19 percent said they would like to see the police presence in their area decrease.
- WorldNBC News
Latin America now has world's highest coronavirus death toll
Latin America surpassed Europe on Tuesday to become the region with the highest coronavirus death toll worldwide, according to a Reuters tally. The region has now recorded more than 206,000 deaths, approximately 30% of the global total. Brazil, the Latin American country most affected by the novel coronavirus, has now recorded a total of 95,819 deaths as of Tuesday.
- U.S.The Telegraph
Governor Cuomo begs wealthy New Yorkers to come home to save ailing city
The governor of New York has begged the city's wealthy, who fled the coronavirus outbreak, to return and help it recover. Andrew Cuomo said he was extremely worried about New York City weathering the Covid-19 aftermath if too many of the well-heeled taxpayers who fled to second homes decide there is no need to move back. They are in their Hamptons homes, or Hudson Valley or Connecticut.
- PoliticsYahoo News Video
'It is what it is': Trump addresses COVID-19 deaths
President Trump discussed the growing number of American deaths caused by COVID-19, the legacy of Rep. John Lewis and the Civil Rights Act during a contentious Axios interview, saying the citation is “under control.
- BusinessLos Angeles Times Opinion
Letters to the Editor: Putting mom-and-pop landlords out of business isn't a solution to evictions
To the editor: I am encouraged that the L.A. Times Editorial Board recognized that landlords also suffer when tenants can't pay the rent. You support a state bill that would offer us tax credits to supplement our loss of rent, but most mom-and-pop landlords don't need tax credits. You support a moratorium on evictions and allowing tenants 12 months to make up any missed payments after the COVID-19 emergency ends, but how can a landlord financially survive waiting to recover rent to pay our bills?
- U.S.INSIDER
A Florida woman was kicked off American Airlines flight for wearing a 'F--- 12' face mask
Joe Raedle/Getty Images A South Florida woman was kicked off an American Airlines flight for wearing an "offensive" face mask, Miami's WPLG reported. Arlinda Johns told the outlet that she complied when asked to cover her face mask that read "F--- 12," but was later escorted off the plane. The airline said in a statement to Insider that Johns "refused to follow crew member instructions to remove or cover a face mask with offensive language."
- PoliticsUSA TODAY
'Blatant disrespect of Black women': Women leaders criticize treatment of Black women being considered as Biden VP pick
WASHINGTON – Over 100 Black women leaders and activists slammed comments made of Black women being considered to be Joe Biden's running mate as racist and sexist in an open letter published Wednesday. Sen. Kamala Harris, Rep. Karen Bass, former US Ambassador Susan Rice, Rep. Val Demings and former Georgia Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams have all been floated as possible vice presidential contenders for Biden. The letter comes as Biden is nearing an announcement on his vice presidential pick.
- PoliticsReuters
Trump says he will 'probably' give Republican nomination speech from White House
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he will probably give his Republican presidential nomination speech live from the White House, although the plans have not been confirmed yet. Trump cited the security costs of his travel and a convention speech and said holding it at the White House "would be by far the least expensive from the country's standpoint." "I'll probably do mine live from the White House."
- WorldBusiness Insider
Lebanese officials unloaded a 'floating bomb' and apparently ignored warnings for years, according to reports
Haytham El Achkar/Getty Images An expert said back in 2014 that Lebanese authorities had a "floating bomb" on their hands, The Daily Beast reported Wednesday. "There are a lot of restrictions, regulations and rules to stick to when talking about storing explosives like ammonium," Voytenko told The Daily Beast, "but they just stored it in a warehouse and forgot about it." Customs officials wrote several letters to Lebanese judges asking for a solution to the dangers cargo but apparently received no response, Al Jazeera reported.
- SportsArchitectural Digest
Direct-to-Consumer Furniture Brand Burrow Expands Its Offerings
The company is welcoming benches and credenzas to its product line starting today Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
- U.S.The Independent
Teen ‘mastermind’ accused of crippling Twitter hack is linked to deadly home robbery
A Florida teenager who is accused of participating in last month's Twitter bitcoin scam, which saw several of the world's highest-profile accounts hacked, has reportedly been linked to an attempted robbery that ended in a lethal shooting. An investigation by the Tampa Bay Times has found that 17-year-old Graham Ivan Clark, who is credited by police as one of the “masterminds” of the scam, has also been named in the case of a burglary seven months ago that saw one teenager killed and another wounded. According to local police, it began when two teenagers from Tampa's Gaither High School broke into an apartment, one holding a gun; a resident shot them both, and one of them died.
- WorldBBC
Kashmir: 'I could land up in jail if I express myself freely'
On 5 August last year India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, split it into two federally-run territories and imposed an unprecedented lockdown. Jehangir Ali reports from Srinagar on why the move has come as a blow to freedom of expression in the valley. Months after Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stripped the region of its autonomy, a homemaker in the Muslim-dominated valley told a friend of her son to be careful.
- U.S.Military Times
Esper says he underestimated how much racial injustice affects service members
In the wake of the late May killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man prosecutors say was murdered by a white Minneapolis police officer, nationwide protests and demonstrations stirred up feelings across the military services, up to and including the Pentagon's boss. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that the moment was a wake-up call not only for America, but for himself, and has shaped his recent efforts around diversity and inclusion in the Defense Department. “I don't think what everybody appreciated — at least me, personally — is the depth of sentiment out there among our service members of color, particularly Black Americans, about how much the killing of George Floyd — and the other incidents that preceded it and succeeded it — had on them and what they were experiencing in the ranks as well,” Esper said during a virtual appearance at the Aspen Security Forum.
- U.S.The Telegraph
Syrian refugee hailed as hero in Germany after saving woman from rapist
A Syrian refugee has been hailed as a hero in Germany after he stopped a man raping a woman. The 30-year-old Syrian, named only as Faner O under German privacy laws, intervened after he saw a woman being attacked by a man in the early hours of Sunday morning. With the help of another passerby, he overpowered the rapist and held him until police could reach the scene.
- HealthINSIDER
5 science-backed benefits of vitamin B12 and how to get enough of it in your diet
Getty Vitamin B12 has many health benefits from helping your body form red blood cells to possibly preventing dementia The recommended daily intake for adults is 2.4 micrograms. Vitamin B12 is found in foods such as meat, eggs, dairy, and fish. It can also be consumed via supplement, injection, or an IV.
- PoliticsThe Week
Biden may have narrowed his VP list down to Kamala Harris and Susan Rice
Former Vice President Joe Biden could be down to two contenders in his search for a running mate. A new report from Axios details how Biden confidants believe he has narrowed his list down to Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and former National Security Adviser Susan Rice. As far as Harris goes, Axios writes that Biden's brain trust has "deep and trusting relationships" with those who are pushing for the California senator while touting her skills as a prosecutor.
- PoliticsNBC News
Trump says Florida can provide accurate vote-by-mail results because of its Republican governors
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he had "total confidence" in Florida's ability to administer a vote-by-mail system in November, but he cast doubt on other states' ability to deliver reliable results. "Florida has got a great Republican governor, and it had a great Republican governor," Trump said when asked by a reporter to explain why his comfort with mail-in voting did not appear to extend to other states. Trump is registered to vote in Palm Beach County, and he voted absentee in Florida's presidential primary in March.
- WorldUSA TODAY
This is what it looked like after the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima 75 years ago
The most powerful weapon to ever be used against other humans was detonated by the United States in Japan 75 years ago. On August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber famously known as the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, marking the first of two times the bomb has ever been used in warfare. The city was leveled – less than 10 percent of the buildings in Hiroshima were left undamaged by the bomb, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
- SportsBusiness Insider
An unassuming Las Vegas house with a massive bunker 26 feet underground and a faux outdoor space is on the market for $18 million — take a look inside
Las Vegas underground house. Las Vegas underground house. Las Vegas underground house.
- U.S.Reuters
Georgia prosecutor asks court to revoke bond for former Atlanta policeman charged with murder
A Georgia prosecutor has asked a judge to revoke the bond for the former Atlanta policeman charged with murder in the shooting of Rayshard Brooks, saying in court papers that he had violated its terms by taking an out-of-state vacation. Brooks, a Black man, was fatally shot in June in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta, an incident that was caught on video and set off days of protests over racial inequality and social injustice. District Attorney Paul Howard asked the court late on Tuesday to send former officer Garrett Rolfe, 27, back to jail for violating the terms of his bond, which include a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and an order that he stays within the court's jurisdiction.
- U.S.The Daily Beast
This May Be the Most Absurd, Trumpian Drama Ever
The federal agency primarily responsible for the distribution of foreign aid has been roiled in recent days by the most Trumpian of dramas, one involving an anti-LGBT political appointee, blundering conservative operative Jacob Wohl, accusations of stalking, prostitution, and the potential hiring of a young conservative with past racist writings. The chaos seemed set to crest with a slap-dash press conference scheduled for this Thursday. The setting of the entire mess was the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an agency known largely as a bit of a backwater when it comes to the government's foreign policy apparatus, but one with a $16.8 billion foreign aid budget.
- U.S.National Review
Seattle Police Chief Urges City Council to Stop Protestors’ Intimidation Tactics after Group Visits Her Home
Seattle police chief Carmen Best is urging the city council to take a stand against protestors intimidating public officials and employees after “a large group of aggressive protestors” visited her home on Sunday night. “I urge both of you, and the entire council, to stand up for what is right,” Best wrote Monday in a letter addressed to the council's president Lorena González and public safety chair Lisa Herbold. “Before this devolves into the new way of doing business by mob rule here in Seattle, and across the nation, elected officials like you must forcefully call for the end of these tactics,” she added.
“He’s not a radical. But he is running on the most liberal policy platform of any Democratic candidate in modern history.”
“Public opinion has been shifting leftward, and Biden’s thinking has shifted with it.”
“Biden shows that he’s more moderate than some in his party.”
“Biden has always been a creature of his time, and the COVID-19 crisis could force him to veer further left.”
“Liberal activists have lauded the campaign’s outreach to progressives.”