- WorldThe Independent
What is inside the White House agreement with Israel and UAE?
Donald Trump has announced the “full normalisation of relations” between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, suspending Israel's efforts to declare sovereignty over a third of occupied West Bank territories to instead focus on “expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world”. According to the agreement, delegations from the countries will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements on tourism, air travel, security, telecommunications, energy, healthcare, and the establishment of embassies in each other's nations. Confirming the agreements established in the White House “Abraham Accord” announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the announcement a “historic day,” while Emirati leader Mohammad bin Zayed said the agreement establishes a “a roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship”.
- U.S.Miami Herald
He used social media to pimp a 14-year-old in Miami airport hotels, cops say. He’s 17
A 14-year-old runaway told cops she got sold for sex at hotels across the street from Miami International Airport up to five times a day, according to a police report. The girl said she turned all proceeds of that and future encounters over to her pimp, 17-year-old Miami resident Javier Quintero.
- U.S.TODAY
3 women arrested for allegedly attacking a Chili's host for enforcing social distancing
Three women are accused of assaulting a 17-year-old restaurant hostess in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, because they were upset they could not all be seated together due to coronavirus social-distancing rules, police said. The incident occurred Sunday after a large group of women entered a Chili's restaurant and asked to be seated at the same table, Baton Rouge police said in a news release. "The employee advised the group that due to social distancing requirements, the business only allowed six at a table," the release said.
- U.S.NBC News
Bald eagle takes down government drone
A bald eagle took down a government drone in Michigan, state officials said Thursday. The bird of prey attacked the Phantom 4 Pro Advanced quodcopter drone about 162 feet in the sky on July 21, "tearing off a propeller and sending the aircraft to the bottom of Lake Michigan," according to the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. An environmental quality analyst and drone pilot, Hunter King, was mapping shoreline erosion on Lake Michigan with the device, which was flying at 22 mph, when it began twirling out of control and he spotted an eagle flying away, it said.
- U.S.Yahoo News Video
Bison violently attacks motorcyclist in South Dakota
A motorcyclist has survived a violent attack by a bison in the Black Hills of South Dakota, sheriff's officials said.
- U.S.Associated Press
Georgia governor to drop lawsuit over Atlanta mask mandate
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday said he's dropping a lawsuit against the city of Atlanta in a dispute over the city's requirement to wear masks in public and other restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. Kemp had sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the City Council to block them from implementing restrictions at the local level, even as case counts and hospitalizations in the state soared. The Republican governor argued that local governments can't impose measures that are more or less restrictive than those in his statewide executive orders, which have strongly urged people to wear masks but not required them.
- U.S.Reuters
U.S. judge dismisses NRA lawsuit challenging gun shop closures in New York state
A federal judge on Friday dismissed the National Rifle Association's lawsuit challenging New York's decision to close gun stores in the state in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision came eight days after New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve the gun rights group, accusing senior leaders of corruption including the improper diversion of millions of dollars. U.S. District Judge Mae D'Agostino said the NRA lacked standing to challenge on behalf of its members a March 20 executive order by Governor Andrew Cuomo requiring gun stores to close in the state because they were "non-essential" businesses.
- WorldLA Times
The Beirut blast leveled historic neighborhoods. Some fear developers may finish the job
That one second equaled more than 15 years of war,” Dagher said, referring to the 1975-1990 civil war that made the Lebanese capital a byword for destruction. Dagher, a 60-year-old architect, had spent decades restoring his family's elegant two-story, 4,800-square-foot house that his great-grandfather had first completed in 1875. In the eastern Beirut neighborhood of Gemmayzeh, it stood as a jewel-like example of the late Ottoman and French Mandate houses of fin-de-siecle Lebanon, with its facade of three arches and wide balconies.
- WorldThe Daily Beast
Ammonium Nitrate Blew Up Beirut. It Also Fuels Africa’s Most Dangerous Illegal Mines.
ABUJA, Nigeria—The ammonium nitrate that exploded last week in Beirut—killing 154 people, injuring more than 5,000 and causing widespread destruction—was destined for Mozambique, a transit point for raw materials in the explosives trade, where shipments often end up in the hands of illegal Chinese-owned mining companies with dubious human rights records. Almost seven years ago, Fábrica de Explosivos de Moçambique (FEM), a Mozambican firm that produces explosives, ordered 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate from a Georgian company known as Savaro for the purpose of manufacturing explosives for mining companies.
- PoliticsUSA TODAY
Ex-FBI lawyer to plead guilty to falsifying documents in Russia inquiry; first case brought in DOJ review
A former FBI lawyer was charged Friday and is expected to plead guilty to falsifying documents used to support the surveillance of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. The case against Kevin Clinesmith is the first to be brought by federal prosecutor John Durham, appointed last year to review the origins of the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Clinesmith's lawyers said their client "deeply regrets" his actions involving work on surveillance applications for Page submitted to the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
- LifestyleArchitectural Digest
You Need These High-Design Lawn Games to Maximize Summer Fun
Classic lawn games are perfect for enjoying what's left of summer 2020, plus they'll look great in your yard Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
- U.S.National Review
Oregon State Police Withdraws from Portland Courthouse after D.A. Announces He Won’t Prosecute Most Rioters
Oregon state police are backing out of an agreement to protect the Portland federal courthouse from rioters, after the Multnomah County district attorney announced he will not prosecute most rioters who are arrested. Portland has seen riots almost every night since the May death of George Floyd, an African American man killed during his arrest by Minneapolis police officers. Rioters initially targeted the federal courthouse in the city, but after federal and state law enforcement came to an agreement to jointly protect the courthouse, rioters moved on to attack city police.
- WorldBBC
India Supreme Court finds Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt
India's Supreme Court has found a prominent lawyer and civil rights activist guilty of contempt of court. It took action on its own authority against Prashant Bhushan, 63, for posting tweets that were allegedly derogatory to the top court. Mr Bhushan could face a jail term, but his sentencing has been set for 20 August.
- WorldAssociated Press
US says Iran briefly seizes oil tanker near Strait of Hormuz
The Iranian navy boarded and briefly seized a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the U.S., the American military said Thursday. The U.S. military's Central Command published a black-and-white video showing what appeared to be special forces fast-roping down from a helicopter onto the MT Wila, whose last position appeared to be off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates near the city of Khorfakkan. The Iranian navy held the vessel for some five hours before releasing it Wednesday, said a U.S. military official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.
- PoliticsThe Independent
AOC responds to apparent Democratic party convention speech snub: 'Eternity is in it'
Firebrand lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has hit back at an alleged snub by the Democratic party after being given just 60 seconds to deliver a speech a next week's convention. AOC responded on Twitter by posting the poem 'I have only just a minute', written by the late Dr Benjamin E. Mays, an American Baptist minister and civil rights leader. AOC's message appears to be that she intends to make full use of her convention speech – regardless of long she has been given.
- U.S.INSIDER
Protesters in Minneapolis say they won't clear barricades around the George Floyd Memorial until the city leaders meet their 24 demands
Protesters in Minneapolis say they won't allow the city to remove the cement barricades around the George Floyd memorial until the city meets 24 demands, WCCO reported. The demands include recalling Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, firing four employees of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and ending qualified immunity. George Floyd died on May 25 after a police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes until he became unresponsive.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Close contact with a Covid-19 sufferer brings 20 per cent chance of catching virus, study finds
The study tracked the spread of infection across England after the pandemic's first peak, with volunteers testing themselves at home between June 20 and July 13. People living in London were most likely to have been infected, along with those working in care homes and health care, people from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and people living in larger households. The programme suggested a total of 13 per cent of people living in London had Covid-19 antibodies, compared with less than three per cent in the south-west of England.
- WorldReuters
Philippines bans chicken imports from Brazil on coronavirus scare
The Philippines imposed a temporary ban on poultry meat imports from Brazil on Friday after two cities in China found traces of the new coronavirus in cargoes of imported frozen food, including chicken wings from the South American country. Shenzhen city authorities identified the chicken as originating from a plant owned by Aurora, Brazil's third-largest poultry and pork exporter. Brazil has the world's second-worst COVID-19 outbreak after the United States, recording more than 3.2 million cases and more than 105,000 deaths since the pandemic began.
- PoliticsBusiness Insider
Defying precedent, Trump says he will give Republican convention speech from the White House lawn
President Trump told the New York Post on Thursday that he would likely give his Republican National Convention speech from the White House lawn. The Republican National Convention was planned for Charlotte, North Carolina, but some events were moved to Jacksonville, Florida, over disagreements about capacity and social distancing with the governor.
- U.S.USA TODAY
Iowans grapple with aftermath of Monday's deadly derecho, 'a disaster that we have never seen'
Iowa will submit its application for a federal disaster declaration on Monday, and Iowans should have power fully restored by Tuesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Friday. Her comments came as she provided updates on the state's response in Cedar Rapids, where thousands of residents are still coping with the aftermath of Monday's derecho. "I want Cedar Rapids and Linn County, and all those that have been impacted by this national disaster, to know that the entire state of Iowa stands with you," she said.
- WorldYahoo News Video
Turkey's president warns attack against Turkish ships will pay 'high price'
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that any attack on a Turkish ship exploring for oil and gas in disputed Mediterranean waters would incur a "high price" and suggested Turkey had already acted on that warning.
- WorldBBC
Rise in threats against Justin Trudeau, police warn
The number of threats against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has risen compared to the same period last year, Canadian police have warned. Figures from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) show there were 130 threats against Mr Trudeau and ministers from January to July. This is a jump from 100 threats made in the same period in 2019.
- U.S.Associated Press
Chicago officials pledge swift response to theft, vandalism
Chicago officials under pressure to reassure residents after hundreds of people vandalized and stole from downtown businesses pledged Friday to respond forcefully to any similar attempts during the weekend. Flanked by local and federal officials at a press conference near the city's lakefront, Mayor Lori Lightfoot outlined the strategy that includes a Chicago Police team to monitor social media around the clock for efforts to organize looting or other crime. Police blamed some of the chaos Sunday night and early Monday on people who used social media to organize car caravans, bringing dozens together to ransack stores and other businesses downtown.
- LifestyleDelish
How To Make Mrs. Fields Famous Cookies, Plus 28 More Copycat Dessert Recipes
Knowing how to make these sweets at home is seriously dangerous. Proceed at your own risk. From Delish
- U.S.The Daily Beast
Everything My Elders Love About Kamala Harris Leaves Me Cold
A Black woman of Indian descent, Harris is the first woman of color on a major party's national ticket. But for some Black millennial voters, such as myself, it's an underwhelming historical moment to witness another moderate minority who's relied on centrist identity politics climb the ladder. We've seen with Barack Obama, Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker, Hillary Clinton, and now Harris how presidential candidates can lean on their exceptionalism—be that a matter of race, sexual orientation, or gender—to appeal to “undecided” voters who are white and straight and male.
“It may be a campaign tactic, but older workers, be forewarned. Ageism runs deep in our culture.”
“Genuine concerns about the capacities of people who want the world’s most powerful job mingle bizarrely with insults.”
“Joe Biden and Donald Trump are both old. But the media should not be making mental illness a campaign issue, on either side.”
“The Trump campaign is now betting his reelection’s already slim chances on Biden proving Trump’s diagnosis is right.”
“The nightmare scenario for Democrats is that, at a pivotal moment, Biden will struggle to put together a coherent thought.”