5 things to know for August 21: Biden, Bannon, coronavirus, police, Latin America

American Airlines is dropping service to 15 small cities, and there could be more difficult airline industry decisions on the way.

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1. Democratic National Convention 

Joe Biden officially accepted the Democratic presidential nomination and delivered a speech setting up what’s bound to be one of the most contentious presidential contests ever. In his address — the highlight of the four-day virtual DNC — Biden took aim at President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his foreign policy efforts before pivoting to a message of American unity. Former presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (both veterans, by the way) and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms also delivered well-received addresses. However, the night wasn’t without its controversies. The presence of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire who ran for the nomination, ruffled more than a few blue feathers. Before the week’s events, some of his former campaign staffers had asked that he be nixed over how they say he treated campaign aides.

2. Steve Bannon 

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon and three others were arrested and charged with defrauding donors of hundreds of thousands of dollars as part of a fundraising campaign that was supposed to support Trump’s border wall. Bannon and defendant Brian Kolfage promised donors that the more than $25 million raised for the We Build the Wall campaign would go straight to the cause. Instead, prosecutors say Bannon and the others pocketed money to pay for their own lifestyle expenses. Bannon, the former head of Breitbart News, was an influential voice inside the White House as Trump’s chief strategist until he was dismissed in August 2017. Released after a hearing yesterday, Bannon said the arrest was a fiasco to “stop people who want to build the wall.” The President, meanwhile, claimed he didn’t know the other people involved in the wall project, even though he has mentioned the group in tweets and other media.

3. Coronavirus 

Schools are caught in a coronavirus catch-22: navigate the uncharted territory of virtual learning or risk a coronavirus outbreak by coming back. At least 15 states have reported positive coronavirus cases at universities. In Utah, K-12 students and teachers can now be charged with a misdemeanor for not wearing masks. In New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, powerful teachers’ unions have demanded more Covid-19 protections in schools. The White House also has officially designated teachers as “essential workers.” While the title doesn’t carry any legal obligation, it puts more pressure on teachers to return to the classroom despite ongoing health concerns. Meantime, we adults may need more study time: A new report reveals public health groups around the world uniformly exceed recommended reading levels with their coronavirus information materials.

4. Police 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans to freeze property taxes in cities that vote to defund their police departments. This comes after Austin officials voted last week to cut the city’s police budget by a third and shift the funds to social services. Abbott argued that defunding police forces endangers citizens, whom cities should not then be able to raise taxes on. However, the state is particularly dependent on property taxes to fund things like schools and other essentials. Other cities are also contending with new methods of police accountability and reform. Thousands of New York Police Department discipline records were just published online by the New York Civil Liberties Union to provide greater transparency for residents.

5. Latin America

Latin America is simmering with unrest as the trials of the coronavirus meet longstanding economic hardship and political corruption. At least 25,000 people marched one day this week through the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, protesting the continued official lockdown, a deepening economic crisis and the government’s plans for judicial reform. In Bolivia, an interim government has twice postponed elections due to the spread of Covid-19 cases. In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro’s dismissive attitude toward the pandemic has sharpened an already polarized environment. And upcoming elections in Peru and Chile could upend tenuous political situations there.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

An armored vehicle that belongs to the South Dakota National Guard is found abandoned on the side of a Nebraska interstate

Don’t you hate it when your giant, expensive, attention-getting piece of military machinery goes missing?

Companies are trying to remotely recreate their festive workplace perks

For employees at Zappos, that means personal herb garden kits and confetti. Sounds like a decent party to us!

MLB Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. says he’s cancer-free after a prostate cancer diagnosis in February 

Cal smacked that cancer right outta Camden Yards.

Mittens the cat could become New Zealander of the Year 

In a year when everything and everyone seems to be bad, let cats represent the best of us.

Here’s what the Taco Bell of the future will look like 

Few phrases can awaken the imagination like “Taco Bell of the future.” 

THIS JUST IN …

California wildfires turn deadly 

At least four people have died as a result of the wildfires still tearing through Northern and Central California. Thousands of people have had to flee their homes and risk contracting coronavirus to seek safety in shelters. And air quality levels in the Bay Area appear to be worse than anywhere else on Earth.

HAPPENING LATER

DeJoy faces senators 

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is slated to testify today before the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The US Postal Service chief will publicly answer questions amid accusations that the Trump administration is purposefully handicapping the USPS in an effort to hinder mail-in voting during the pandemic.

TODAY’S NUMBER

$7.7 trillion

That’s how much tech’s “Magnificent Seven” — Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google’s owner), Facebook, Tesla and Netflix are worth together. All these companies have thrived despite widespread economic woes during the pandemic, and Apple and Tesla are both trading at record highs.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“The coronavirus has underscored stubborn racial disparities that are still with us, fueled by decades of unequal opportunity and structural barriers like job discrimination and access to good educations and health care.”

Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb of Indiana, who delivered a stirring address this week as he announced a slate of new measures to work toward racial equity in his state. His proposals include more body cameras for police, a public dashboard with racial disparity data and a new Cabinet post focused on equity and inclusion.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

That’s a mighty fine Katzenklavier you have there 

Sleepy cats, beautiful piano and “Howl’s Moving Castle.” How many great things can you fit into one video? (Click here to view.)