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| While you were sleeping, the strongest storm to hit Louisiana in a century began to wreak havoc on the Gulf Coast. Meanwhile, pro basketball stars are boycotting and speaking out in protest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. And President Donald Trump headlines the final night of the Republican National Convention. |
| If you're in the storm's path, we're sending you thoughts of hope and safety. The USA TODAY Network is offering daily local hurricane email updates from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, if you would like to subscribe. (Scroll down for links.) If, like me, you're far away and want to help, check out Charity Navigator before making any donations. You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter about climate change, Climate Point. |
| Here's today's news: |
Hurricane Laura makes landfall as 'catastrophic' Category 4 storm |
| Hurricane Laura made landfall early Thursday in southwestern Louisiana near the Texas border as a Category 4 storm with a potentially "unsurvivable" storm surge and "extremely dangerous" winds up to 150 mph. As of 5 a.m. ET, the storm downgraded to a Category 3. Rivaling the infamous Hurricane Katrina of 2005, Laura is forecast to bring "catastrophic damage" to the Gulf Coast, with floodwaters possibly reaching up to 40 miles inland from the coastline and remaining for days, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane center said there will be damage from Sea Rim State Park, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana, including Calcasieu and Sabine lakes. More than half a million people were ordered to evacuate as the storm approached, including the Texas cities of Beaumont, Galveston and Port Arthur. |
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The latest on coronavirus in America |
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Trump takes center stage at Republican National Convention |
| It's the fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention and President Donald Trump is expected to take center stage . After making scattered appearances throughout the week, Trump will formally accept his party's nomination for president Thursday at the White House on the South Lawn. A made-for-television event, Trump will have the opportunity to lay out a vision for his second term. The RNC has consisted of lavish praise for Trump from his GOP cohort, combined with harsh denunciations of challenger Joe Biden and what the Trump team has labeled "socialist" policies of Democrats. |
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| About last night: |
| Speaking at the historic Baltimore fort that inspired the national anthem, Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said the election will define the country for generations to come. "The choice in this election is whether America remains America," Pence said. Adviser Kellyanne Conway and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany were among the other speakers of the night. |
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Jacob Blake shooting: Protests carry on nationwide |
| More demonstrations are expected nationwide Thursday after the shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man shot multiple times in the back by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin . Blake, 29, was shot seven or eight times, according to his attorneys, less than three minutes after the police responded to his address Sunday for a complaint of "family trouble." Earlier this week, two protesters in Kenosha were shot and killed and another was injured by a gunman. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, faces a first-degree intentional homicide charge in Kenosha County. He is now jailed in Lake County, Illinois, and has been charged there as a fugitive from justice. Last night, Fox News host Tucker Carlson faced backlash for appearing to justify the shooter's actions. |
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New from USA TODAY's Women of the Century project |
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Another 1 million expected to file unemployment claims amid pandemic |
| About 1 million people filed initial applications for unemployment insurance last week, economists estimate, a slight dip from the 1.1 million who applied the week before . The number seeking unemployment aid for the first time has been volatile, slightly dipping and rising, yet remaining stubbornly high — far above the previous record of 695,000 weekly claims set during an economic downturn in 1982. The see-sawing numbers reflect the stops and starts occurring throughout the U.S. economy, as businesses gradually reopen in some parts, while others roll back or halt re-openings as COVID-19 cases spike. |
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NBA playoff schedule in flux after Wednesday's postponements |
| The National Basketball Association has scheduled a Board of Governors meeting for Thursday and the decision on whether to proceed with its postseason will likely be the primary topic of discussion. The league postponed its three playoff games Wednesday after the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the floor for their game against the Orlando Magic in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake , a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. NBA players and coaches met to discuss next steps Wednesday night and the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers were against finishing the NBA restart, two people familiar with the meeting told USA TODAY Sports. The WNBA joined the NBA and canceled its Wednesday schedule; three Major League Baseball games were postponed and five of the six Major League Soccer matches on the Wednesday docket were not played. |
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In better news |
| Yesterday was National Dog Day?! Who forgot to tell us? Thankfully, our friends at The Short List (aka the Daily Briefing of the evening) have us covered, with a glorious array of cute reader pups at the bottom of yesterday's edition. Check them out, and sign up for The Short List here. |
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