YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP | | | | Extreme temperatures threaten millions. | | | |
Nearly 200 million people in the United States are under either a heat advisory or flood warning of some kind, as high temperatures and severe storms are to continue blazing and battering the nation. Also in the news: A revised indictment said Donald Trump and others sought to erase security video of rooms at Mar-a-Lago in which boxes of classified documents were kept and what happened when Nicaragua lost press freedom. | | | |
Now here we go with Friday's news. |
Biden says heat is the number one weather-related killer in the country |
President Joe Biden has announced new steps to protect workers, improve weather forecasts and make drinking water more accessible. These actions come as as nearly 40% of the U.S. population faces heat advisories. He directed the Department of Labor to give employers information on how to protect workers during inclement heat and inform workers of their rights, as well as enhance enforcement for any heat-safety violations. Citing federal data, Biden called extreme heat the No. 1 weather-related killer in the United States. Biden faces pressure from fellow Democrats and environmental groups to declare a climate "emergency,'' a step he has so far resisted. Read more | People seeking shelter from the heat rest at the First Church UCC cooling center amid the city's worst heat wave on record on July 25, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. Mario Tama, Getty Images |
New charges against Trump in classified documents case |
Special counsel Jack Smith leveled new charges against Donald Trump on Thursday - including an allegation that he sought to delete surveillance video - and indicted a second Trump aide for obstruction of justice in the hoarding of classified information. |
The background: In June, a federal grand jury indicted Trump and aid Walt Nauta on obstruction charges related to Trump's handling of classified material after he left office. Both pleaded innocent to the obstruction charges. |
Tough debate in Congress on gender affirming care for minors |
A debate on Capitol Hill Thursday drew attention as families across the nation navigate how to move around state laws banning or limiting transgender healthcare. The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government's hearing "Dangers and Due Process Violations of 'Gender-Affirming Care' for Children" came at a time when several states are passing legislation to inhibit the rights of transgender youth. At the hearing Committee Chairman and Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) repeatedly attacked the safety and merits of gender-affirming care while Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pennsylvania) argued his remarks were "a cynical and dangerous political attack on transgender children and their families." Read more | Chloe Cole testifies during the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution and Limited Government holds a hearing on gender affirming care for children. Jasper Colt, Jasper Colt-USA TODAY |
Nicaragua lost press freedom. Other countries are too. |
Today, Nicaraguan journalists-in-exile cover their home country from outside, often from across the border in Costa Rica. They've watched media repression increase in several Central American nations, which experts say reflects the region's continuing slide toward authoritarianism. A USA TODAY investigation found that a slide of press freedoms in the region echoes a growing global concern as autocratic leaders increasingly label the press an "enemy" and embrace repressive laws that criminalize publishing what is deemed as "fake news." In addition, journalists say, pro-government misinformation floods social media and state-controlled news outlets, leaving some unsure what to trust. Read more | Newspaper founder and editor Jose Ruben Zamora is escorted by police before a hearing at a court in Guatemala City, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. A tribunal has convicted Zamora and sentenced him to six years in prison in a money laundering case. Santiago Billy, AP |
What's happening in the debate over African American studies? |
The College Board rejected claims this week by Florida officials that some aspects of the state's new history standards align with an Advanced Placement African American Studies course that Florida officials banned earlier this year. Florida's state Board of Education approved new African American history standards last week that have been widely criticized for including language on how "slaves developed skills" that could ultimately be used for "personal benefit." College Board officials denied that the AP course echoes the new Florida standards, noting that while the course does not frame slavery in a positive light. Read more |
Photo of the day: England v. Denmark at the 2023 World Cup |
The group stage of the 2023 World Cup continued Thursday night and early Friday as teams compete in their second games of the tournament. Friday's schedule features just two games: England takes on Denmark while China faces off against Haiti. Read our full rundown of all the games. | Denmark's midfielder #19 Janni Thomsen (C-R) and England's forward #09 Rachel Daly (C-L) fight for the ball during the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup Group D football match between England and Denmark at Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney on July 28, 2023. FRANCK FIFE, AFP via Getty Images |
Associated Press contributed reporting. | | | | |
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