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August 27, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:
U.S.
- Kamala Harris condemns looting, violence in wake of police shooting (CNN)
- Trump accepts GOP nomination for president (The Hill)
- News Analysis: Joe Biden counters Democrats’ anxiety with a pledge of light against darkness (Los Angeles Times)
- Postal Crisis Ripples Across Nation as Election Looms (New York Times)
- Postal service inspector general reviewing DeJoy's policy changes and potential ethics conflicts (CNN)
- UPS, FedEx shoot down calls to carry mail-in ballots (Reuters)
- Some parents will get a $500 stimulus check this fall, IRS says. Here’s what to know (Sacramento Bee)
- Hurricane Laura Kills 4, Devastates Swath of Louisiana; Roofs Ripped Off, Buildings Shattered (Weather.com)
WORLD
- Putin critic Navalny fights for life, aides suspect poisoning (Reuters)
- Wealthy nations applaud their leaders’ covid-19 responses. The U.S. and U.K. are the exceptions.
- Israel condemns U.N. decision not to extend Iran arms embargo (Reuters)
- Mexico needs 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses; shots could start in April (Reuters)
For excerpts and links to full stories, click "read more" or scroll down.
U.S.
Kamala Harris condemns looting, violence in wake of police shooting (CNN)
U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris on Thursday denounced the looting and acts of violence that followed the police shooting of a Black man, as Republicans sought to paint the two Democrats as weak on crime.
Trump accepts GOP nomination for president (The Hill)
President Trump on Thursday will accept the Republican Party's nomination for a second term as president. In an unusual move, the president will deliver his acceptance speech live from the White House after being forced to scrap plans to deliver the address to a large audience in Charlotte, N.C., and then Jacksonville, Fla., because of the coronavirus pandemic.
News Analysis: Joe Biden counters Democrats’ anxiety with a pledge of light against darkness (Los Angeles Times)
…Biden offered a vision of hope for a post-Trump era where he could combat COVID-19, create jobs, and tackle racial injustice. “This is a life-changing election. This is going to determine what America will look like for a long, long time,” he said… “This is our moment. This is our mission,” Biden declared. “May history be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here, tonight.”
Postal Crisis Ripples Across Nation as Election Looms (New York Times)
President Trump’s furious objection to mail-in balloting and a new Trump-allied postmaster general are raising fears about the election and the Postal Service… accounts of slowdowns and curtailed service are emerging across the country as Mr. DeJoy pushes cost-cutting measures he says are intended to overhaul an agency suffering billion-dollar losses. But as President Trump rails almost daily against the service and delays clog the mail, voters and postal workers warn a crisis is building that could disenfranchise record numbers of Americans who will be casting ballots by mail in November because of the coronavirus… At risk are not just the ballots — and medical prescriptions and paychecks — of residents around the country.
Postal service inspector general reviewing DeJoy's policy changes and potential ethics conflicts (CNN)
The internal watchdog at the United States Postal Service is reviewing controversial policy changes recently imposed under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, and is also examining DeJoy's compliance with federal ethics rules…Lawmakers from both parties and postal union leaders have sounded alarms over disruptive changes instituted by DeJoy this summer, including eliminating overtime and slowing some mail delivery. Democrats claim he is intentionally undermining postal service operations to sabotage mail-in voting in the November election ... DeJoy still owns at least a $30 million equity stake in his former company -- a USPS contractor -- and that he recently bought stock options for Amazon, a USPS competitor.
UPS, FedEx shoot down calls to carry mail-in ballots (Reuters)
United Parcel Service and FedEx shot down social media calls that they step in to deliver ballots from the Postal Service, which is warning states of potentially significant delays. Mail-in voting is expected to surge to 50% as COVID-19 spreads ahead of the November presidential election.
Some parents will get a $500 stimulus check this fall, IRS says. Here’s what to know (Sacramento Bee)
Some parents who missed out on the additional $500 payment for their dependent children under the CARES Act will have more time to register, the Internal Revenue Service said. Parents receiving federal benefits, such as Social Security or Supplemental Security Income, will be able to use the agency’s Non-Filers tool until Sept. 30 to get their money this fall, the IRS said.
Hurricane Laura Kills 4, Devastates Swath of Louisiana; Roofs Ripped Off, Buildings Shattered (Weather.com)
Hurricane Laura killed at least four people after making landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm early Thursday morning in Louisiana with 150 mph winds that ripped buildings to pieces and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands. Flooding storm surge inundated the coastline.
WORLD
Putin critic Navalny fights for life, aides suspect poisoning (Reuters)
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was fighting for his life in a Siberian hospital on Thursday after drinking tea that allies said they think was laced with poison.
Wealthy nations applaud their leaders’ covid-19 responses. The U.S. and U.K. are the exceptions.
A majority in both Britain and the United States say their country has done badly during the pandemic.
Israel condemns U.N. decision not to extend Iran arms embargo (Reuters)
The U.N. Security Council's decision not to extend an arms embargo on Iran will lead to further Middle East instability, Israel's foreign minister said on Saturday.
Mexico needs 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses; shots could start in April
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