Joe Biden to accept Democratic nomination, wildfires, AMC Theatres reopen: 5 things to know Thursday

Editors, USA TODAY
·4 min read

Joe Biden to accept Democratic nomination for president

Joe Biden is scheduled to accept the Democratic Party's nomination for president Thursday during the final night of the Democratic National Convention. Biden is expected to contrast himself to President Donald Trump with proposals for dealing with three crises facing the country: the coronavirus pandemic, the resulting economic collapse and the nationwide protests for racial justice. Other speakers on Thursday will include Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Tammy Duckworth. D-Ill., and Andrew Yang. Meanwhile, Trump will campaign Thursday in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, near Biden's birthplace of Scranton, where the president plans to discuss jobs and trade policy.

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Wildfires engulf California; fire in Colorado grows to second-largest in state history

As California continues to battle wildfires across the state amid a blistering heat wave, Colorado is battling its own ferocious fire. A wildfire burning in western Colorado has grown into the second-largest in the state’s history, fire officials said Wednesday. The Pine Gulch Fire, currently north of Grand Junction in Colorado, started July 31 from a lightning spark. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom said firefighters were battling 367 known wildfires across the state, including 23 that are considered major fires.Newsom declared a statewide emergency Tuesday, saying the blazes were “exacerbated by the effects of the historic West Coast heat wave and sustained high winds.”

UNC temporarily shuts down athletic programs after COVID-19 spike

The University of North Carolina has suspended all athletic activities through at least Thursday afternoon — just two days after saying a COVID-19 outbreak on campus wouldn't affect plans to play football this fall. In addition, all recreational facilities on the Chapel Hill campus will be closed to students, coaches and staff. The school welcomed students back to campus for in-person classes last week, but after at least four clusters of COVID-19 outbreaks, university officials reversed course and moved all classes online. "After consulting with our health experts and University leadership, we are taking this action to protect our students, coaches and staff,'' UNC athletics director Bubba Cunningham said.

AMC Theatres reopen in the US

AMC Theatres, the nation’s largest movie theater chain, will reopen in the U.S. on Thursday with retro ticket prices of 15 cents per movie on opening day. AMC Entertainment, which owns the chain, said it expects to open the doors to more than 100 cinemas — or about a sixth of its nationwide locations. The chain touted the reopening as “Movies in 2020 at 1920 Prices.” The promotion will feature catalog films, including “Ghostbusters,” “Black Panther,” “Back to the Future” and “Grease.” Those older films will continue to play afterward for $5. Regal Cinemas, the second-largest chain, is to reopen some U.S. locations on Friday.

NBA draft lottery taking place Thursday night

With the NBA regular season complete and the playoffs underway inside the bubble at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the league can move on with its draft lottery (8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN). The 37th annual draft lottery will have a different feel amidst a pandemic, with the event being held virtually from Chicago. A few ping-pong balls could change the fate of the 14 teams vying for a franchise-changing player. Surprisingly, the Golden State Warriors – who have played in the previous five NBA Finals – finished with the league's worst record, and are tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves with a 14% chance to land the No. 1 pick.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Biden, DNC, wildfires, AMC Theatres reopen: 5 things to know Thursday