5 things to know for August 10: Coronavirus, stimulus, Beirut, election 2020, Belarus
Oil demands are still suffering because of the pandemic, but on the bright side, that could force big names to invest more in clean energy alternatives.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
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1. Coronavirus
The United States has now reported more than 5 million cases of Covid-19. To put that in perspective, it took the country 99 days to reach 1 million cases, but it only took 17 days for cases to rise from 4 million to 5 million. And that’s not the only dire statistic. More than 97,000 children tested positive for coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, according to a new medical report. That’s a 40% increase in child cases across the states and cities that were studied. Meanwhile, Brazil has logged at least 3 million cases and has passed 100,000 coronavirus deaths, and Mexico is inching toward 500,000 cases.
2. Stimulus
After weeks of fruitless stimulus negotiations in Congress, President Trump has signed a series of executive orders intended to bring a new round of pandemic aid to the American people. However, it’s all a little confusing. For instance, the measures include a $400 unemployment benefit, but states would have to chip in for the aid and would have to set up an entirely new system to deliver it. The new measures don’t reinstate the lapsed moratorium on evictions, either. They simply urge his Cabinet to consider action on the issue. And, the payroll tax measure doesn’t actually reduce the payroll taxes. It defers the due date for the portion of those taxes paid by employees. All in all, it isn’t clear what the measures will accomplish in the long run, and some Democrats are saying the executive orders aren’t even constitutional. However, other lawmakers are thanking the President for attempting to do something about the stimulus stalemate.
3. Beirut
Grief is turning to anger for some in the aftermath of last week’s devastating explosion in Beirut. On Saturday, tens of thousands of demonstrators poured into central Beirut calling for action against the ruling class of politicians widely held responsible for the explosion. The tragedy has already caused a shakeup in the country’s government. Faced with calls to step down, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab has vowed to hold early elections and says he will remain in power until major parties can reach a new agreement. Lebanon’s Minister of Information and Environment Minister are among those in government who stepped down this weekend, and hearings will resume this week to determine what security officials knew about the thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate linked to the explosion.
4. Election 2020Â
When will Joe Biden announce his running mate? Speculation is mounting, and a few names have risen to the top of the list. Biden allies and others close to the vice presidential vetting process said California Rep. Karen Bass, the 66-year-old chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, is gaining momentum. California Sen. Kamala Harris and Susan Rice, Barack Obama’s former national security adviser, are also believed to be among the most serious contenders. Another source said 11 women are being seriously considered. While he decides, more states and territories are going to the primary polls. In Puerto Rico, the weekend’s election had to be put on hold because some precincts had not received ballots. Any precincts that couldn’t open in a timely manner because of the ballot problem will resume voting on August 16.
5. Belarus
Protests erupted in Belarus after preliminary results from Sunday’s presidential election revealed an overwhelming victory for longtime President Alexander Lukashenko. Demonstrators say they believe the election was stolen by Lukasenko. Opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya says she also doesn’t agree with the results, and her campaign observed different results than the ones that were officially reported. Tikhanovskaya went into hiding the night before the election after police detained several of her senior campaign staffers. Independent watchdog groups and local media also noted discrepancies in the vote, as well as other worrying events like internet outages that affected voting. Lukashenko is nicknamed “Europe’s last dictator,” and has long drawn international criticism for suppressing dissent. He has presided over Belarus since 1994.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Collin Morikawa wins the 2020 PGA Championship
At 23 we were mixing instant mashed potatoes with water and calling it a meal, and this guy’s winning golf majors.
Forks, Washington is hoping renewed interest in the ‘Twilight’ franchise will boost tourism
Only the moodiest and sparkliest of vampires hang out in Forks.
Wise words.
This New Zealand man gets paid $10,000 a year to be a city’s official wizard
The “occupation” line on his tax forms must be a sight to behold.
Meet the ‘Mad Hatterpillar,’ the caterpillar that uses its old heads for defense
Its “old heads?!” What is it with the baroque nightmare bugs this year?
TODAY’S NUMBER
66
That’s how many NFL players have opted out of the 2020 season so far, raising difficult questions for the league regarding how to have a safe and successful 2020 season.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“Often, seemingly innocuous nicknames can be harmful and detract from the science.”
NASA announcing it will drop some racially charged nicknames for celestial bodies, including “Eskimo Nebula” and “Siamese Twins Galaxy.”
IN MEMORIAM
James Harris, former WWE wrestler who performed as “The Ugandan Giant,” has died at 70. His career spanned more than two decades.
Frances Allen, a computer scientist who became a pioneer in the world of computing for her work on compiler research, has died at 88. Allen was the first woman to win a Turing Award, considered one of the most prestigious prizes in science.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
Too cool to drink
Have a great Monday morning! Here’s a cup of coffee, complete with one-of-a-kind artworks on top. (Click here to view.)
