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US hits 150,000 deaths from COVID-19
Almost six months after the first known death in the U.S. from COVID-19, more than 150,000 people have died. And the death toll will likely reach a grim 200,000 in less than two months. Several states this week set seven-day records for virus deaths as Southern and Southwestern states continue to be a hotbed for the resurgence. Not all states are on the same trajectory, of course. New York and some of the Northeastern states have tamped down the surge. California, Texas and Florida are among a raft of states now struggling mightily. But as states battle the resurgence, they also face differing attitudes on how to stop the spread. Experts say the increase in cases and deaths is largely because of states easing restrictions and reopening their economies too soon.
Federal agents in downtown Portland are packing up
Following weeks of nightly protests and violent encounters between protesters and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, federal agents will begin withdrawing from the city's downtown area. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Wednesday that the federal government agreed to remove all Customs and Border Protection and ICE officers from downtown Portland starting Thursday while state police will remain. A force of at least 114 federal officers has been deployed to the city since early this month in the wake of demonstrations against police brutality following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Operation Legend expands: The Portland withdrawal news comes after the Justice Department announced plans to send nearly 100 federal agents and officers to Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee as part of "Operation Legend," a federal crime initiative that began earlier this month and has since been expanded to several cities.
Demonstrators shield themselves from advancing federal officers during a Black Lives Matter protest Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in Portland, Ore.
The woman killed in Maine's first great white shark attack was identified as a 63-year-old from NYC.
Soon-to-be Tropical Storm Isaias could impact Florida this weekend
Florida is in the path of a potential tropical storm for the first time this hurricane season, but it's still too early to determine where the storm might hit. By the end of the week, forecasts say residents could see heavy rain and strong winds. The weather system, which should soon be Tropical Storm Isaias, was dumping heavy rain on the eastern Caribbean on Wednesday. After moving near Puerto Rico on Wednesday night, the system will affect the Dominican Republic and Cuba before making its way to the U.S. mainland, possibly Florida, by the weekend.
President Donald Trump's plan to pull 12,000 U.S. troops out of Germany is moving forward, defense officials said Wednesday, detailing a Pentagon plan that will cost billions of dollars and take years to complete. About 6,400 forces will be brought home and 5,400 will be shifted to other countries in Europe. The Pentagon said the action was part of its plan to strategically "reposition" U.S. forces in Europe to better counter threats from Russia and China. But the move has attracted bipartisan congressional opposition, raised concerns among NATO allies and appears to be fueled at least in part by Trump's displeasure at Germany's failure to spend more on defense.
The United States will slash its military presence in Germany by 11,900 troops, relocating some to Italy and Belgium in a major shift of Washington's NATO assets, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced on July 29, 2020. Of the 34,500 U.S. military personnel in Germany, some 6,400 will be sent home while nearly 5,600 others will be moved to other NATO countries. In this file photo US soldiers patrol prior to an artillery live fire event by the US Army Europe's 41st Field Artillery Brigade at the military training area in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on March 4, 2020.
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