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For the first time, over 200 social media influencers were given exclusive access to the Democratic National Convention this week, an unprecedented attempt by the Harris campaign to leverage the power of content creators to reach more Americans — especially young voters.
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Vice President Kamala Harris made history on Thursday when she accepted her party’s nomination for president on the fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention, making Harris the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major party’s ticket. In her keynote speech, Harris drew on her experiences as the eldest daughter of immigrants and vowed to be president for “all Americans,” while calling November’s elections the “most important in the life of our nation.” In addition, she promised tax cuts for the middle class, stronger border security and the restoration of reproductive rights. In her speech, she also portrayed former President Donald Trump as an enemy of classic American principles and pointed to Project 2025 as a blueprint for what he would do in a second term.
Kamala Harris’ great-nieces teach DNC audience how to pronounce her name
The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked parts of an Arizona law that would impose certain proof-of-citizenship requirements for the November election. In a partial victory for Republicans, proof of citizenship will be required for new voters under certain circumstances. However, voters who cannot prove their citizenship status will still be allowed to register using a federal form. The Republican National Committee and Republican lawmakers had asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the dispute over voting rules in the state. The case concerned noncitizen voting, an issue Republicans have sought to make central to their campaign this year. Arizona is a crucial theater in the 2024 presidential election: President Joe Biden won the state by just over 10,000 votes in 2020. Former President Donald Trump won the state in 2016.
The FDA cleared updated Covid-19 vaccines on Thursday, as health officials warn of another wave of infections in the summer. Moderna and Pfizer said the updated mRNA shots would be available in pharmacies and clinics in the coming days. “Given the waning population immunity from previous exposure to the virus and from previous vaccinations, we strongly recommend that everyone who is eligible get vaccinated with an updated COVID-19 vaccine to have better protection against the variants currently circulating,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. The strain currently predominant in the U.S. is KP.3.1.1, which accounted for an estimated 37% of cases over the past two weeks, three times the level a month ago.
A suspect arrested in Guatemala has been charged with helping coordinate the 2022 smuggling attempt that left 53 migrants dead in Texas. The Justice Department said Thursday it would seek the extradition of Rigoberto Román Miranda Orozco, 47, who is accused of planning the deadliest human smuggling operation across the U.S.-Mexico border. Authorities said the smugglers were aware that their trailer’s air conditioning was malfunctioning and could not blow cool air to the migrants trapped inside during the three-hour, sweltering drive from the border city of Laredo to San Antonio. By the time the trailer was opened in San Antonio, 48 migrants were dead. Another 16 were taken to hospitals, where five more died. President Joe Biden called the tragedy “horrific and heartbreaking.”
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv today, where he is due to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that are being closely watched by Russia. Modi’s visit comes at a key turning point in the two-and-a-half-year-old war, after Ukrainian forces launched an unprecedented offensive into Russian territory earlier this month that Moscow is trying hard to repel. Ukraine has tried throughout the war to persuade countries that have close ties with Russia – such as India and China – to pressure President Vladimir Putin to accept Kyiv’s terms for peace. But India has refrained from condemning the Russian invasion as it seeks to maintain ties with Moscow – a major arms supplier.
RFK Jr. is expected to drop out of the 2024 presidential campaign
Independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. is expected to suspend his campaign today. Both Democrats and Republicans will be watching closely to see who his supporters gravitate toward in the final months before Election Day.
Peloton reports first increase in sales in more than two years
The last nine quarters have been a bumpy ride for Peloton, from extensive recalls to a decline in paid subscriptions. Now analysts say the company’s turnaround efforts could pay off.
25 Foods in Your Home That Are Harmful to Pets
If your pets get their hands on any of the foods on this list, including grapes, almonds, and chocolate, it could spell disaster.
Yacht hotspot for super-rich becomes dangerous
The storm that sank a superyacht off the coast of Sicily this week was sudden and deadly, and may be a warning of what is to come as global warming fuels even more extreme weather in the Mediterranean.
Sea lions conquer popular tourist beach in California
Hundreds of sea lions have occupied a beach in Monterey, California, forcing local authorities to close the area to humans.
How an indigenous community uses apps to protect the Amazon
Matsé communities in the Amazon rainforest are using digital technologies to protect their traditional way of life. Watch the video here.
Thousands of delegates and supporters flocked to the Democratic National Convention in which city this week?
A Chicago
B. Detroit
C. Los Angeles
D. Phoenix
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70%
That’s the percentage of all water and sanitation facilities in Gaza that have been destroyed or damaged since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on Oct. 7, according to aid officials. Several Palestinians told CNN that ongoing water problems have left sewage pouring into the streets while children drink from puddles in record heat.
“The vandalism of irreplaceable historic objects and structures that belong to all Americans should be a concern to everyone.”
— The National Park Serviceissued a statement after names and symbols were carved into a rock at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, site of a pivotal Civil War battle. Park officials said they had been able to remove all traces of the vandalism but were still interested in tracking down those behind it.
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AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST…
From fruit to fashion: How pineapple waste is turned into textiles
From fruit to fashion
Watch this video to learn how this entrepreneur uses pineapple waste to create textiles for popular brands.
