John Lewis: Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation

Seattle police found explosives in van at protests over weekend

Source: Seattle Times

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best revealed at a Wednesday news conference that police discovered explosives, smoke bombs and other weapons in a van stationed at the weekend protests.

Saturday’s demonstration, called by the Youth Liberation Front in support of protesters in Portland, erupted in violence. Best said over the weekend that officers used blast balls, pepper spray and 40mm sponge-tip rounds, while some in the crowd of protesters broke windows and started fires. At one point, she said, someone threw an explosive that blew an 8-inch hole through a wall of the Police Department’s East Precinct.

Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said Saturday evening that his team responded to multiple fires, including one that destroyed four trailers at a construction site.

On Wednesday, Best told reporters that officers saw a van following a group of protesters around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, before it stopped outside the East Precinct. At about the same time, she said, explosions started going off outside the precinct.



Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-police-found-explosives-in-van-at-protests-over-weekend/?utm_medium=notification&utm_source=pushly&utm_campaign=618912

Democrats announce convention schedule, party officers for 2020 gathering transformed by coronavirus

Source: ABC News

Democrats, who are poised to formally nominate presumptive nominee Joe Biden in a few short weeks, announced on Wednesday evening a preliminary schedule for the four days of the national convention.

Biden is slated to deliver his acceptance speech from Milwaukee on Thursday, the final night of the convention, which is scheduled for Aug. 17-20.

His vice presidential nominee, who is expected to be announced before the gathering, will be nominated on Wednesday, before addressing party supporters from a still-to-be announced location.

A keynote address is set for Tuesday, the same night presidential candidate nominating and seconding speeches are set to take place, and delegates -- who won't be in the convention hall after being told not to travel to Milwaukee -- will nominate Biden by a roll call vote.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/democrats-announce-convention-schedule-party-officers-2020-gathering/story?id=72061818

DNC campaign ad: "This Is Not A Test"

Fauci Says Eye Protection Might Be Recommended to Fight Virus

Source: Bloomberg

Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. expert on infectious disease, tells ABC News that eye protection may be recommended as part of effort to prevent spread of Covid-19.

“If you have goggles or a face shield you should use it to protect as many mucosal surfaces as possible,” Fauci says in interview carried on Instagram

“It’s not universally recommended, but if you really want to be complete, you should probably use it if you can,” Fauci says

Read more: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/coronavirus/fauci-says-eye-protection-might-be-recommended-to-fight-virus

Some Biden allies wage a shadow campaign to stop Kamala Harris from becoming vice president

Source: CNBC

Some of Joe Biden’s allies are waging a campaign behind the scenes to stop Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., from becoming his vice president.

This disgruntled group of at least a dozen Biden backers, including a few of his top donors, initiated the move against Harris close to a month ago, just weeks before a decision is expected, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. Many who spoke to CNBC declined to be named as these efforts have been made in private.

In some cases, her foes have taken their concerns directly to members of Biden’s VP search committee, led by former Sen. Chris Dodd, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., and Cynthia Hogan, who previously served as counsel to the presumptive Democratic nominee when he was vice president under President Barack Obama.

Although none of these actions signify that Biden will drop Harris from the list, the movement gives a glimpse into the effort being waged to derail her candidacy.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/29/biden-allies-move-to-stop-kamala-harris-from-becoming-vice-president.html?__source=sharebar|twitter&par=sharebar

Coronavirus Live Updates: Deaths Top 150,000 in the United States

Source: New York Times

More than 150,000 people have died in the United States from the coronavirus, according to a New York Times database, as the rate of deaths continues to rise on the heels of ballooning infections and hospitalizations in many areas.

An average of about 1,000 virus-related deaths a day have been reported over the past week, the worst rate since early June, when the number of people dying seemed to be falling. Now, daily death counts are rising in 23 states and Puerto Rico.

The nation’s overall death toll reached the grim figure on Wednesday, five months after the first reported virus death in the United States in February. The nation passed the 50,000 mark on April 27 and 100,000 on May 27, a milestone whose approach The Times commemorated by filling its front page with names of the dead.

During the early peak of the U.S. epidemic in late April, the national death toll was driven by a surge in New York State, which at its worst was reporting about 1,000 deaths a day, roughly half the national total at that time.


Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/29/world/coronavirus-covid-19.html

Some doctors met with Pence after their group's video was removed for misleading info

Source: CNN

(CNN)Vice President Mike Pence and members of his staff met Tuesday with some of the doctors who were featured in a video that was later removed from social media for misinformation, those doctors said on Wednesday.

The video, which was shared by President Donald Trump before being removed, featured members of the group America's Frontline Doctors standing on the steps of the Supreme Court claiming that masks aren't necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus and promoting hydroxychloroquine as a cure. Both claims are contradicted by scientific studies.

The most prominent person featured in the video, Stella Immanuel -- who has said in the past that DNA from space aliens is being used in medicine -- did not meet with Pence.

But several others who have actively promoted hydroxychloroquine and downplayed the virus did participate in the late afternoon meeting in the White House Roosevelt Room, as did the head of a conservative activist group who has helped amplify their message.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/29/politics/mike-pence-doctors-misinformation/index.html

BREAKING: US passes 150,000 deaths due to COVID-19 (CNN)

"STAND YOUR GROUND" KILLS: How These NRA-Backed Laws Promote Racist Violence

A growing body of research has established that Stand Your Ground laws lead to significantly more killing and have no deterrent effect on other crimes. These laws suffer from pervasive racial and gender bias in their application, deepening disparities in the legal system and disproportionately justifying the use of violence by people who are white and male against people who are not.

Giffords Law Center and the SPLC Action Fund stand with partners and allies like Amnesty International, Cities United, the Community Justice Action Fund, The Dream Defenders, the NAACP, among others, who have led calls to dismantle Stand Your Ground nationwide.17 We urge state lawmakers to repeal these laws in the 27 states where they have been enacted and to pass laws overturning harmful
court decisions that have imposed Stand Your Ground standards in eight other states. We hope the information and research provided below will help inform and motivate advocates and lawmakers to prioritize the sanctity of human life and equal justice in the law of self-defense.

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