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HeadlinesAugust 26, 2020

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Two Killed as White Militia Member Fires on Black Lives Matter Protesters in Kenosha, WI

Aug 26, 2020

In Kenosha, Wisconsin, a gunman opened fire on a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters late Tuesday, killing two people and injuring a third.

Protester 1: “Oh my god! Oh my god!”

Protester 2: “Medic! Medic! Medic! Medic!”

Video filmed by a bystander shows a young man with an assault rifle being followed by a crowd of protesters. He falls to the ground before shooting into the crowd as protesters attempt to disarm him. Kenosha police said early Wednesday morning that armed vigilantes had been in the streets, and they were looking for a man with a long gun. No arrests have been made yet, and those killed have not been identified.

Family of Jacob Blake Demands Arrest of Officers Who Shot Him in the Back

Aug 26, 2020

The violence came on the third night of unrest in Kenosha following the police shooting on Sunday of Jacob Blake, an unarmed 29-year-old Black man. An officer shot Blake seven times in the back as he was getting into a car. His three young children witnessed the shooting. Blake was reportedly trying to break up a fight between two women before the shooting, but the police have not explained why they went after him. He remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition Monday. His lawyers said Tuesday he is paralyzed from the waist down.

Patrick Salvi II: “He had a bullet go through some or all of his spinal cord, at least one bullet. He has holes in his stomach. He had to have nearly his entire colon and small intestines removed. He suffered damage to his kidney and liver, and was also shot in the arm.”

Members of Jacob Blake’s family spoke publicly Tuesday for the first time since the weekend police shooting, calling for the firing and arrest of the officers responsible. And they called for more peaceful protests. This is Jacob Blake’s sister Letetra Widman.

Letetra Widman: “This is nothing new. I’m not sad. I’m not sorry. I’m angry, and I’m tired. I haven’t cried one time. I stopped crying years ago. I am numb. I have been watching police murder people that look like me for years.”

After headlines, we’ll get the latest from Wisconsin and speak with Mandela Barnes, Wisconsin’s first African American lieutenant governor.

Black Lives Matter Protesters Shot At While Marching in Pennsylvania

Aug 26, 2020

In Pennsylvania, dozens of Black Lives Matter protesters on a march from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Washington, D.C., were shot at by a white resident Monday night as they walked through a residential neighborhood in Bedford County east of Pittsburgh. One protester was injured by the gunfire and treated at a local hospital.

In Louisville, Kentucky, police arrested 68 people Tuesday as they protested nonviolently to demand the arrest of the officers who killed Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old EMT who was killed by police in her own home in March.

Republican National Convention Speakers Continue to Flout Hatch Act Ethics Laws

Aug 26, 2020

The Trump administration is facing accusations it has broken the law by using the powers of the federal government to aid the president’s reelection campaign. During the second night of the Republican National Convention, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the convention while on a work trip in Israel in an apparent violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from participating in political activities. House Democrats are now investigating. Two parts of Tuesday’s convention were filmed inside the White House. Trump pardoned a convicted bank robber who went on to start a nonprofit organization to help formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society. Trump, along with acting Homeland Security Director Chad Wolf, held a naturalization ceremony inside the White House for five immigrants from Bolivia, Lebanon, India, Sudan and Ghana. The evening ended with a speech by first lady Melania Trump in the White House Rose Garden.

Melania Trump: “Just like me, I know many of you watch how mean and manipulative social media can be. And just like me, I’m sure many of you are looking for answers, how to talk to your children about the downside of technology and their relationships with their peers.”

Melania Trump spoke in front of a live audience in the Rose Garden, where the vast majority of attendees — including President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence — did not wear masks. CNN reports many attendees were not tested for coronavirus prior to the event. Meanwhile, Republicans canceled one scheduled speaker on Tuesday night, Mary Ann Mendoza, after she promoted an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory on Twitter just hours before her scheduled speech.

CDC Quietly Drops Test Recommendation for Asymptomatic People Exposed to COVID-19

Aug 26, 2020

The United States reported 1,147 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, with over 37,000 new confirmed cases. Many of the latest outbreaks have come in schools and on college campuses as students return for fall classes. In Tuscaloosa, the University of Alabama reported more than 560 coronavirus cases. The University of Missouri confirmed nearly 160 cases on its first day of classes. This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly altered its COVID-19 testing recommendations, saying people without symptoms should not be tested for coronavirus, even if they’ve been in close contact with an infected person. The CDC’s new advice drew alarm from public health officials who say the recommendation could accelerate the spread of the disease.

Far-Right Militia Leader Ammon Bundy Arrested at Idaho State Capitol

Aug 26, 2020

In Boise, Idaho, armed demonstrators shoved their way past state troopers in the state Capitol Tuesday and into the gallery overlooking the House floor to protest public health measures. Four people were arrested, including far-right militia leader Ammon Bundy, who led an armed occupation of an Oregon wildlife refuge in 2016.

Argentina Posts Record Coronavirus Toll; COVID-19 Resurgent in Europe

Aug 26, 2020

In international news, Argentina reported a daily record of over 8,700 new coronavirus cases and 381 deaths Monday.

In Europe, France confirmed a spike of nearly 4,900 new coronavirus cases Monday — the country’s highest single-day figure since the beginning of the outbreak. Several other European countries, including Spain, Italy and Germany, have also had a rise of new COVID-19 cases after reopening.

Hurricane Laura Could Become Category 4 Storm Ahead of Gulf Coast Landfall

Aug 26, 2020

In the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Laura strengthened rapidly overnight and is projected to become a dangerous Category 4 storm ahead of its projected landfall early Thursday near the border of Texas and Louisiana. Over 500,000 people have been told to evacuate the region. The storm brought torrential rain and flooding to Haiti, where the death toll rose to at least 21. At least three deaths were reported in the Dominican Republic. In Cuba, over 300,000 people were evacuated, but no deaths were reported.

Lebanese Border Residents Say Israel Dropped Cluster Bombs, White Phosphorus

Aug 26, 2020

Israel launched airstrikes on southern Lebanon overnight, saying the assault was retaliation for shots fired by Hezbollah into Israel. No Israeli soldiers were injured in the alleged border incursion. But residents of the Lebanese border town of Houla reported their homes were damaged by an intense Israeli bombardment.

Hassan Hamdan: “First they lit up incendiary flares. Then they started with white phosphorus lights. Then it was something like cluster bombs that exploded when they hit the ground. And then it was all over. It was unbelievable how much they struck. We almost suffocated from the smoke.”

Israel’s assault on southern Lebanon followed 16 straight days of attacks on the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian militants have launched incendiary balloons into southern Israel.

African Continent Declared Free of Wild Polio

Aug 26, 2020

In health news, Africa has been declared free from wild polio as over 95% of the continent’s population has been vaccinated after a decades-long immunization campaign. A quarter-century ago, the water-borne disease left tens of thousands of children across Africa paralyzed each year. Since then, billions of oral polio vaccines have been provided across the continent. Wild polio is now found only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and health experts say eliminating it there would permanently eradicate the disease.

Belarus Arrests Opposition Leaders as Teachers Join Anti-Government Protests

Aug 26, 2020

In Belarus, two opposition leaders were arrested Tuesday and ordered jailed for 10 days, as President Alexander Lukashenko continues to violently crack down on anti-government protesters. Massive mobilizations have gone on for over two weeks after the longtime authoritarian leader was declared the winner of an election opponents say was rigged. On Tuesday, thousands of school teachers gathered outside the country’s Ministry of Education protesting against a threat by Lukashenko to fire school teachers who do not support his government.

Teacher: “Teachers must not be afraid to teach, to bring up children. Their voice must be heard now. Even if they have their own opinion, they can still do their job. They must not get fired for this. The teachers should stop being the sheep who obey orders without asking.”

Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Rule Making It Harder for Soldiers to Become Citizens

Aug 26, 2020

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has struck down a Trump administration rule that made it harder for noncitizen military members to apply for U.S. citizenship. Under Trump’s requirements, noncitizen soldiers had to serve for at least 180 days on active duty or one year in the reserves to qualify for a certificate needed to apply for naturalization. The requirements were enacted in 2017, triggering a 70% drop in applications from servicemembers. The successful court challenge was spearheaded by eight servicemembers with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and longtime permanent residency.

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