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1 Kamala Harris Picks Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz As Running Mate
Just 16 days after she announced she was moving to claim the Democratic nomination for president, Vice President Kamala Harris announced her choice of a running mate yesterday. Nebraska native and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was announced by the Harris campaign yesterday morning as her pick to run by her side for the White House. Walz is credited as the person who started the use of the word “weird” to describe the Republican ticket, a word that’s come into common usage among Democrats over the last week. Last night, Harris and Walz attended a campaign rally in Philadelphia, where they were introduced by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who had been on the shortlist for the vice presidential candidacy. Harris then took the stage to talk about the qualifications of Walz, citing his experience as a Sergeant Major, a member of the House of Representatives, and a high school football coach. During his speech, Walz said he “can’t wait” to debate Republican Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance.
2 Tropical Storm Debby Dropping Potentially Historic Rainfall
The tropical system named Debby started moving offshore late last night after dropping torrential rain from Florida to the Carolinas. The calm won't last, as it's hooking around to hit land again. That curve over the open waters of the Atlantic could be bad news, as the National Hurricane Center says that “Some strengthening is forecast” today while the storm is offshore. Storm surges of two to four feet are possible in coastal South Carolina and North Carolina, with as much as 25-inches of rain possible in some parts of the Carolinas through Friday. More than 100,000 were still without power in Florida yesterday, with thousands in the dark in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The death toll from Debby stood at five last night, with four people killed in Florida and one in Georgia. The curfew put into place for Charleston, South Carolina has been extended until at least 7:30 am this morning according to Mayor William Cogswell. The mayor said it’s in place to “keep people off the roads and prioritize the safety of our residents and our first responders.” Extensive flooding is impacting a large area of the southeastern US and could grow worse as Debby continues to dump rain on the area for the rest of the week.
3 Pakistani National Charged With Allegedly Planning To Assassinate Trump And Others
Pakistani national Asif Merchant was arrested last month on charges that he had plotted to assassinate former President Donald Trump and several other public officials reportedly from both sides of the aisle. The criminal complaint was unsealed yesterday in Brooklyn federal court, and says that Merchant flew from Pakistan to the US to recruit hitmen to carry out the alleged plot. Unfortunately for his plans, the person he contacted was a confidential informant working with the FBI, leading to his arrest on July 12th. The unsealed court documents say that Merchant was looking for men to do the killing, around 25 people to perform a protest as a distraction, and a woman to do ‘reconnaissance.’” Investigators say they’ve found no link between foreign operatives and Thomas Crooks, the man who tried to assassinate Trump on July 13th.