What A Day

One man is now dead after a weekend of violence in Portland, Oregon, in which pro-Trump demonstrators drove through the city’s downtown taunting Black Lives Matter protestors. Jay Bishop was a member of a group called Patriot Prayer, a far-right group with ties to white supremacists.

Massachusetts holds its primaries on Tuesday. Alex Morse is a 31-year-old, Justice Democrats-supported mayor of Holyoke, whose campaign against the incumbent Representative was hit with a false, homophobic smear.

And in headlines: Shinzo Abe steps down as Japan’s prime minister, Novak Djokovic starts an all-male tennis player’s union, and Bella Thorne says sorry for her OnlyFans.

Trump closed out the RNC last night, with a meandering 70-minute long speech that saw him paint a rosy picture of his administration’s handling of COVID-19 and promise a vaccine before the end of the year. Trump also tried to suggest that Biden would usher in chaos, while tending to ignore or misrepresent the chaos that’s happening under his administration.

Later today thousands of protestors are expected to gather in Washington, DC, bringing the energy of this year’s many racial justice protests to the nation’s capitol. Jacob Blake’s father is set to speak at the event, along with other family members of people who have experienced police brutality.

And in headlines: early impact of Hurricane Laura, an update on coronavirus in Europe, and Bon Appétit hires Dawn Davis as its editor-in-chief.

Police arrested 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse yesterday for killing two protestors and injuring a third at demonstrations in Kenosha, Washington against police brutality. Professional athletes joined in calling for justice for Jacob Blake, with teams from the NBA, WNBA, MLB, and more going on strike.

Biden and Trump are averaging a near tie at the moment in North Carolina, which is sort of the site of the RNC this week. North Carolina is also a state where Republicans have repeatedly practiced voter suppression, through voter ID laws and gerrymandering. We discuss the state’s role in the 2020 election. 

And in headlines: Hurricane Laura makes landfall, the CDC gets USPS’d, and the MTA needs billions to keep running on time.

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Last night’s Republican National Convention brought more speeches from Trump’s employees and family members, including First Lady Melania Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The topic of “school choice” has been referenced often during the RNC—that’s part of a major push from Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to privatize education. 

In Portsmouth, Virginia, Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke has been charged with a misdemeanor for calling for the resignation of the city’s police chief. She’s not alone. We discuss how the legal system in Virginia and elsewhere is being used against activists and elected officials, who are mostly Black, to suppress political speech. 

Mass Defense Fund: www.nlg.org/massdefenseprogram/ 

And in headlines: updates on Jacob Blake, California farmworkers face grueling work conditions made worse by extreme weather, and the Whitney Museum does fake activism.

Protestors gathered for a second night in Kenosha, Wisconsin following the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, who is reportedly still in intensive care. The three cops that participated in Blake’s shooting have been put on administrative leave, and a state investigation is ongoing. 

Milwaukee Freedom Fund: https://bit.ly/mkefreedomfund

The Republican Party officially renominated Trump and Pence on the first day of the RNC. The night’s offerings included speeches given live from the same podium in Washington, DC, Kimberly Guilfoyle projecting her voice, and a version of America where the pandemic is basically solved. 

And in headlines: it’s been 15 years since Hurricane Katrina, Zoom problems on the first day of school, and Jerry Falwell Jr. resigns over a sex scandal.