| 2020 election: Hundreds of staffers for Bush, McCain and Romney back Biden in remarkable GOP rejection of Trump Posted: 27 Aug 2020 07:10 AM PDT  Hundreds of former aides to the last three GOP presidential nominees before Donald Trump took the party's mantle are rejecting his campaign and voting for the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, this fall.On Thursday, more than 230 former officials from the George W Bush administration — including some from Cabinet-level positions — publicly endorsed Mr Biden. Ex-campaign staffers for the late Senator John McCain and Senator Mitt Romney, the 2008 and 2012 GOP presidential nominees, respectively, have also thrown their public support behind the former Democratic vice president.
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| Fort Hood Sgt. Elder Fernandes 'humiliated' after reporting sexual abuse, says family's lawyer Posted: 27 Aug 2020 11:35 AM PDT  Leaders at the U.S. Army's Fort Hood created an environment that led to the death of Sgt. Elder Fernandes, his family's attorney says.
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| Hurricane Laura makes landfall, rivaling Louisiana's worst storms Posted: 27 Aug 2020 01:10 AM PDT  Hurricane Laura made landfall in Cameron, Louisiana, at about 1 a.m. on Thursday, packing sustained winds of up to 150 miles per hour, just shy of a Category 5 hurricane. The storm, which hit at high tide, has already caused flooding in southwestern Louisiana, and the National Hurricane Center warned residents about a potentially "unsurvivable storm surge" of up to 20 feet.> At 1 am CDT, Hurricane Laura has made landfall in southwestern Louisiana near Cameron as a category 4 hurricane. Maximum sustained winds were 150 mph, with a minimum central pressure of 938 mb. Potentially catastrophic impacts will continue. More: https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB pic.twitter.com/GVWRnmGejy> > -- National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 27, 2020Laura is the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in southwest Louisiana, rivaling 2005's Hurricane Katrina in its ferocity, according to Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University. Its minimum pressure of 938 millibars is the fourth lowest on record in Louisiana, after Katrina, 2005's Hurricane Rita, and 1856's Last Island hurricane -- the lower the pressure, the worse the storm -- and its wind speed tops Katrina (125 mph) and Rita (115 mph). Hurricane Harvey hit Texas with 130 mph winds in 2017.Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams demonstrated what winds that high are like in real life when she narrowly escaped being struck by debris in Lake Charles, Louisiana, right in the hurricane's path.> After saying her crew had a 104mph gust and she moved closer to her crew and a solid structure from what looked like a boardwalk/walkway, Stephanie Abrams BARELY avoids a pile of debris/tree limbs. She repeatedly says everyone is fine, but that was scary. HurricaneLaura LAwx pic.twitter.com/p1WDfFAih6> > -- Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 27, 2020More than 500,000 people in Louisiana and Texas were told to evacuate before the storm, but at least 150 people declined to leave their homes in Cameron Parish. "They're thinking Cameron Parish is going to look like an extension of the Gulf of Mexico for a couple of days," warned Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D).Edwards activated the state's National Guard to help with the hurricane response, and National Guard Brigadier General Keith Waddell suggested "those folks that are staying at home or staying in some other location" bring tools if the floodwaters force them into the attic, since "you may have to cut your way out of there before we can get to you the next day." Edwards also ordered parts of I-10 closed to traffic. You can track the storm at NBC. More stories from theweek.com 7 scathingly funny cartoons about the Republican National Convention Is the Republican Party a cult of personality? Fox News' Chris Wallace calls out co-hosts for defending armed vigilantes
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| Liberty students, alumni split on Falwell's scandalous exit Posted: 27 Aug 2020 05:30 AM PDT  Jerry Falwell Jr.'s resignation as president of Liberty University following revelations of a sexual relationship between his wife and a business partner of the Falwell family has stirred conflicting emotions among those with close ties to the school founded by his father. While some students, graduates and former employees were appalled by his behavior in the latest of a series of scandals, others defended him. "Any steps toward healing at Liberty must involve an unflinching investigation of the extent of the damage Falwell's leadership has wrought and the institutional figures and forces that enabled it," Marybeth Davis Baggett, a recently departed professor of English who taught at Liberty for 17 years, wrote in an email.
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| Jacob Blake: Police officer in Kenosha shooting named Posted: 27 Aug 2020 12:05 PM PDT  Wisconsin's attorney general names the officer who shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back.
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| Putin says alleged mercenaries were lured to Belarus by foreign spy operation Posted: 27 Aug 2020 04:38 AM PDT  President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that a group of Russians who were detained in Belarus prior to its Aug. 9 election and accused of being mercenaries had been lured to Belarus by a Ukrainan-U.S. intelligence operation. Belarus had accused the men of seeking to destabilise the country ahead of its election, marking an unusual diplomatic row with close ally Russia. At the time, Russia had said the men were private security workers on their way to a third country.
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| Texas father arrested in daughters' 2008 killings: FBI Posted: 27 Aug 2020 05:27 AM PDT  A Dallas-area taxi driver wanted for the 2008 slayings of his two teenage daughters was arrested on Wednesday, the FBI said.
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| RNC video showing violence in 'Biden's America' is actually Barcelona Posted: 27 Aug 2020 09:39 AM PDT  The Republican National Convention aired a video meant to paint the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter demonstrations as inherently violent, chaotic events, but included a scene from protests in Barcelona, Spain.A public broadcaster in Catalonia reported that the images in question - of fires burning in the streets - were captured in 2019 in Barcelona. The protests in Spain began after a Spanish court sentenced Catalan separatists to prison.
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| Who is Dan Crenshaw? Freshman Congressman who spoke at RNC is considered a rising star Posted: 26 Aug 2020 07:01 PM PDT  Crenshaw, 36, is a highly decorated Navy Seal. During a mission in Afghanistan province, a homemade bomb exploded that destroyed Crenshaw's right eye and killed his interpreter.
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| An astronaut on the space station captured dramatic photos of Hurricane Laura barreling towards Louisiana and Texas Posted: 26 Aug 2020 02:19 PM PDT  Hurricane Laura is the latest storm in a record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. Images from space show the storm's immensity.
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| China protests alleged US spy plane incursion during drills Posted: 25 Aug 2020 09:19 PM PDT  China is protesting the alleged incursion of a U.S. Air Force U-2 spy plane into a no-fly zone imposed during live-fire military exercises in the country's north. In a statement issued late Tuesday, the Ministry of National Defense said the action had "seriously interfered in normal exercise activities" and "severely incurred the risk of misjudgment and even of bringing about an unintended air-sea incident." China has lodged a stern protest and demanded the U.S. cease such actions, Wu said.
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| Kyle Rittenhouse: Facebook and police defend lack of action over alleged vigilante charged in double shooting Posted: 27 Aug 2020 04:38 AM PDT  Two days after a 17-year-old allegedly shot two protesters dead in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Facebook has admitted that despite being warned by users, it did not remove calls for armed citizens to attend the protests in the name of law and order.
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| The DNC warned campaign staffers to 'swipe carefully' on dating apps because matches could be political opponents digging for dirt Posted: 27 Aug 2020 01:15 PM PDT  A Democratic official told Business Insider that the warning is "nothing new" and that campaign staff are frequently reminded to be vigilant online.
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| Army Paratrooper Shot in the Foot During Live-Fire Exercise at Fort Bragg Posted: 27 Aug 2020 04:32 PM PDT  The incident occurred while soldiers were moving through a shoot-house, clearing rooms and firing live ammunition.
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| Biden spokesman likens the Republican National Convention to the Twilight Zone Posted: 26 Aug 2020 09:46 PM PDT  Since Monday, speakers at the Republican National Convention have painted a dire picture of how they imagine life would be under a President Joe Biden, saying it won't be safe to go outside due to mob violence, but it won't matter anyway because no one will have any jobs and all the businesses will be closed.Biden didn't make any comments about the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, focusing instead on the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. He said the fact that Blake was shot in front of his children made him "sick," and decried the looting that took place in the aftermath of peaceful protests. "Needless violence won't heal us," Biden said. "We need to end the violence — and peacefully come together to demand justice."While Biden stayed mum on the RNC, his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and spokesperson Andrew Bates did not. Bates told NBC News the RNC has been filled with "toxic divisiveness, Twilight Zone conspiracy theories, and dangerous misinformation about the pandemic that Trump has failed to make headway with for months."Harris connected with supporters via text, sending out a message ahead of Vice President Mike Pence's speech. She told donors she's "not worried about what he's going to say — I know it will be nothing but lies."More stories from theweek.com 7 scathingly funny cartoons about the Republican National Convention Is the Republican Party a cult of personality? Fox News' Chris Wallace calls out co-hosts for defending armed vigilantes
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| It's US against most of UN council on Iran sanctions Posted: 27 Aug 2020 01:59 PM PDT  The United States and most of the rest of the U.N. Security Council dug in their heels Thursday on diametrically opposed positions over the restoration of international sanctions on Iran. In increasingly intense rhetorical terms, U.S. officials insisted they had acted legitimately in triggering a so-called "snapback" mechanism that would re-impose all U.N. sanctions Iran next month. "Last week, the U.S. triggered the 30-day process to restore virtually all UN sanctions on Iran after the Security Council failed to uphold its mission to maintain international peace and security," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet.
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| Minneapolis under curfew, state of emergency after Black homicide suspect's death Posted: 27 Aug 2020 01:59 AM PDT  The city has been the center of protests following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, who died in May after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd's death and further violence against Black people have led to broader anti-racism protests and demonstrations against police brutality in cities across the United States. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey imposed a curfew following what he described as mass looting of businesses, destruction of property and unrest.
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| Kara Mann and CB2 Reveal New Collaboration Posted: 27 Aug 2020 11:22 AM PDT |
| 'I hope school isn't canceled': Moving in for college, with the fall semester in doubt Posted: 27 Aug 2020 11:06 AM PDT  At the University of Wisconsin, COVID-19 has created so many questions that for many families, returning to college has become a leap of faith.
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| Virginia Senate Approves Bill to Downgrade Penalty for Assaulting a Police Officer Posted: 27 Aug 2020 11:22 AM PDT  The Virginia Senate approved legislation on Wednesday that would downgrade the legal penalty for a suspect found guilty of assaulting a police officer.Senate Bill 5032 would, if signed into law, eliminate the state's six-month mandatory minimum prison sentence for assaulting an officer, and also gives a local judge or jury the authority to downgrade the crime from a felony to a misdemeanor. The Virginia Senate voted 21-15 to approve the bill.Senator Scott Survell, a Democrat who proposed the legislation, said the bill was not meant to apply in cases of serious injury suffered by police officers."What we're talking about here are situations that involve much more insignificant minor touches," Survell said in comments reported by the Associated Press. However, state Republicans slammed the legislation in light of ongoing efforts nationwide to "defund" police departments."What in the world are we doing?" Senator John Cosgrove Jr. said. "Have you seen the attacks on police officers?"The bill will now move to the House, where Democrats hold a 55-45 majority.Democrats took control of the Virginia legislature in 2019 for the first time in decades, with Democrat Ralph Northam in the governor's office. That newfound power has led state Democrats to attempt to pass a flurry of liberal legislation, including stricter gun-control laws. The Washington Post noted in February of this year that Democrats were submitting so much legislation that lawmakers were working overtime trying to process the proposals.
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| Drone maker General Atomics lays off hundreds Posted: 27 Aug 2020 01:03 PM PDT  Privately held drone maker General Atomics, of San Diego, is laying off approximately 630 of its roughly 10,000 employees.
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| Trevor Noah asks why police shot Jacob Blake but not Kyle Rittenhouse Posted: 27 Aug 2020 09:34 AM PDT  'I feel like we know the answer,' says 'The Daily Show' host after white teen Kyle Rittenhouse was charged with killing protesters in Kenosha, Wis.
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| Jesuit priest calls Lou Holtz's comment on Biden's Catholic faith 'terrible' Posted: 26 Aug 2020 07:17 PM PDT  Lou Holtz, a former college football coach, caused controversy during the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night when he declared that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is a "Catholic in name only."Biden has been vocal about his faith, which he says has helped him through difficult times in his life, like when his son, Beau Biden, died of brain cancer in 2015. Holtz made his judgment while delivering a speech praising President Trump, saying he is a man who "genuinely cares about people" and is someone Americans can "trust." Not long after Holtz was finished, liberals and conservatives alike jumped to Biden's defense on Twitter.> Did Lou Holtz just call Democrats "Catholic in Name Only?" > > Biden goes to Mass weekly. He's a devout Catholic and a man of actual faith who doesn't pretend to be one like Trump. > > These people are so dishonest.> > — Tara Setmayer (@TaraSetmayer) August 27, 2020> Disgusting lie by Lou Holtz that Biden is a 'Catholic in name only.'> > WaPo: "Biden almost always has rosary beads in his pocket ... He has written and spoken at length of how faith helped him grieve the loss of his first wife and daughter many years ago, and his son Beau."> > — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 27, 2020> Tonight I learned that one's status within the Catholic Church can apparently be determined by *checks notes* a Division I college football coach. https://t.co/kT6eFQSjuk> > — Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) August 27, 2020> During the Republican Convention, Lou Holtz just said that Joe Biden is not a real Catholic.> > Who is he to judge another man's faith?> > — Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) August 27, 2020> Lou Holtz called Biden a "Catholic in name only" so here's a clip of Trump being asked what his favorite Bible verse is. pic.twitter.com/GRy3mCFWtI> > — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 27, 2020On MSNBC, Jesuit priest James Martin said he doesn't believe this is something "you should say about anybody." Holtz, he continued, "cannot look into the soul of Joe Biden ... I think it's a really terrible thing to say about someone. He has no clue what's going on inside of Joe Biden's heart."> "He cannot look into the soul of Joe Biden," Rev. James Martin says in response to Lou Holtz's RNC2020 statement suggesting Joe Biden and other politicians are "Catholics in name only."> > "He has no clue of what is going on inside of Joe Biden's heart," he adds. pic.twitter.com/g8Olfxj65b> > — MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 27, 2020Holtz has been involved in Republican politics for decades. In 1983, he resigned as the University of Arkansas' football coach after being criticized for appearing in commercials endorsing the re-election of Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.). At the time Helms, who once said the 1964 Civil Rights Act was "the single most dangerous piece of legislation ever introduced in the Congress," was leading the effort to keep Martin Luther King Jr. Day from becoming a national holiday.More stories from theweek.com 7 scathingly funny cartoons about the Republican National Convention Is the Republican Party a cult of personality? Fox News' Chris Wallace calls out co-hosts for defending armed vigilantes
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| Injunction barring Richmond from removing monument tossed Posted: 27 Aug 2020 03:14 PM PDT  The Virginia Supreme Court has tossed out an injunction handed down by a Richmond judge that barred officials from removing the only remaining Confederate monument owned by the city. Richmond Circuit Judge Bradley Cavedo issued a 60-day injunction in July shortly after Mayor Levar Stoney ordered the removal of the city's Confederate monuments, using authority under a local emergency order, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Thursday.
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| U.S., China trade jibes as military tensions worsen Posted: 26 Aug 2020 09:10 PM PDT  Both are at loggerheads over issues from technology and human rights to Chinese military activities in the disputed South China Sea, with each accusing the other of deliberately provocative behavior. In the latest U.S. move against China ahead of November's presidential election, Washington on Wednesday blacklisted 24 Chinese companies and targeted individuals over construction and military actions in the busy South China Sea waterway.
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| ‘It’s heartbreaking’: 18 dolphins wash up dead in Mauritius weeks after oil spill Posted: 26 Aug 2020 02:46 PM PDT  Eighteen dolphins have been found dead on the shores of Mauritius less than three weeks after a large oil spill caused by the grounding of a cargo ship.More dolphins were found close to the shore, alive but in distress, and were carried into deeper waters by local inhabitants and the authorities.
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| Remote Andamans tribe with just 53 members reports nearly one-in-ten have fallen sick with coronavirus Posted: 27 Aug 2020 02:08 AM PDT  Four members of a remote tribe living on India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands have tested positive for Covid-19, sparking fears for the group's survival. The Greater Andamese number as few as 53 and have limited immunity to viruses like Covid-19 due to their isolated nature. They numbered more than 5,000 in the 1850s but when the British colonised the islands successive outbreaks of diseases like measles caused their numbers to plummet. Two of the Great Andamese who have tested positive have been admitted to hospital and two have been quarantined in a care centre. "It is extremely alarming that members of the Great Andamanese tribe tested positive for Covid-19," said Sophie Grigg, a Senior Researcher at Survival International, an NGO campaigning for the rights of tribal people. "They will be all too aware of the devastating impact of epidemics that have decimated their people".
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| West Mathewson: South African conservationist killed by white lions Posted: 27 Aug 2020 03:06 AM PDT  Police say two lions attacked the lodge owner as he was taking them for a walk, in front of his wife.
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| A man accused of driving into a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters in Iowa City told police the demonstrators needed 'an attitude adjustment' Posted: 27 Aug 2020 11:01 AM PDT  The criminal complaint, seen by Insider, said that Michael Stepanek, 45, drove into a crowd of protesters in Iowa City on August 21.
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| A thousand kids and counselors went to summer camp in Maine. Only 3 got the coronavirus. Posted: 26 Aug 2020 02:59 PM PDT  Out of 1,022 people who attended or worked at several summer camps in Maine that implemented measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, only three tested positive for it, a new study says. And those three cases did not result in secondary infections because proper measures were taken.
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| Space Force Now Has an Official Uniform Posted: 27 Aug 2020 10:21 AM PDT  The U.S. Space Force members will wear the Operational Camouflage Pattern as the official service duty uniform.
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| Dive Into the Best of Architectural Digest’s International Archives Posted: 27 Aug 2020 05:00 AM PDT |
| Lebanese media: Sectarian clashes near Beirut leave 2 dead Posted: 27 Aug 2020 01:10 PM PDT |
| Pompeo meets Oman's Sultan on last leg of Mideast tour Posted: 26 Aug 2020 11:44 PM PDT  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met the Sultan of Oman on Thursday as part of a Middle East tour following a U.S.-brokered deal on normalising relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. In a meeting with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said, Pompeo said on Twitter he discussed "the importance of building regional peace, stability, and prosperity through a united Gulf Cooperation Council". Sultan Haitham took power in January after Sultan Qaboos bin Said died after a half century at the helm of the Gulf country.
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| Trump news - live: President 'insists women are equal,' Kellyanne Conway claims, as Tucker Carlson condemned for saying Wisconsin shooter was 'maintaining order' Posted: 26 Aug 2020 11:50 PM PDT  As the 2020 Republican National Convention turned its attention towards women on Wednesday night, White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway praised Donald Trump as someone who had "elevated" and empowered them.The US president, whose recent appeals to America's "suburban housewives" come amid other sexist remarks, was similarly praised by other high-profile speakers including South Dakota governor Kristi Noem and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
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| Bollywood star Aamir Khan under fire over China, Turkey links Posted: 27 Aug 2020 12:43 AM PDT  Muslim Bollywood star Aamir Khan has long been a hate figure for India's Hindu far-right, but now they have a new line of attack -- his massive popularity in China.
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| Black Lives Matter shirt worn in class sparks death threats, California teacher says Posted: 27 Aug 2020 03:36 PM PDT  "I can't afford to go to a hotel and I can't go home," she said.
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| This terrifying animation shows how high Hurricane Laura's storm surge might get Posted: 26 Aug 2020 11:56 AM PDT  If the National Hurricane Center's word on Hurricane Laura's devastation isn't good enough, the Weather Channel has some visuals. On Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center forecast the Louisiana and eastern Texas coasts would see an "unsurvivable storm surge" of 10-20 feet as a Category 4 Laura pulled in; Al Roker said he'd never heard the term used before. The Weather Channel also seemed unprepared for a surge of that magnitude. Its graphics could only show what a storm surge would look like at nine feet, but that was terrifying enough.> The National Hurricane Center has forecasted "unsurvivable storm surge" from Hurricane Laura in parts of Louisiana and Texas. Do NOT underestimate this storm.> > This is what that kind of water height looks like: pic.twitter.com/ik7EtpFTzn> > -- The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 26, 2020ABC News took a different approach with its storm surge animation, showing how quickly the water could flow into and fill up a home. > Hurricane Laura is expected to cause 10-20 feet of storm surge as it closes in on the Louisiana and Texas coast. @Ginger_Zee explains the science behind storm surge, which is often the greatest threat to life and property during a hurricane. https://t.co/VftCuDzjC6 pic.twitter.com/u0Tjnr47IC> > -- ABC News (@ABC) August 26, 2020And as these photos show, even with Laura still 200 miles offshore at mid-day Wednesday, the storm surge was already piling in. > LA 1 remains CLOSED at this time south of the Leon Theriot Lock in Golden Meadow. Here are photos in that area from Golden Meadow and Leeville. Laura pic.twitter.com/e6JyeJVmpJ> > -- Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office (@LafourcheSO) August 26, 2020More stories from theweek.com That 'famous' Lincoln quote in Lara Trump's RNC speech? He never said it. FDA gives emergency-use approval for Abbott's $5, 15-minute COVID-19 test, though not for home use 7 scathingly funny cartoons about the Republican National Convention
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