Tuesday, August 20, 2024
It is Tuesday, August 20, 2024. Ready for news?
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Biden and Hillary speak at DNC
President Joe Biden gave a 48-minute speech last night on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. When he appeared onstage, he received a standing ovation that lasted probably four minutes. Biden said it was an honor of a lifetime to serve as your president, that he loves his job, but he loves his country more. He fully endorsed Kamala Harris and spoke often about the dangers of a Trump presidency.
Prior to Biden’s speech, former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was on stage and she talked about how it was historic that she, as a woman, ran for the presidency in 2016 and that she believed we’re close to breaking the highest, hardest glass ceiling if Kamala wins the election.
Former President Barack Obama will be the keynote speaker for tonight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g498DjANOdA
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Deadly flooding in Connecticut
On Sunday, there was extremely heavy rainfall and severe flooding in the western portion of Connecticut. Two people were tragically killed on Sunday. The first incident was when a woman was swept away in her flooded vehicle while firefighters were trying to reach her. Her body was found on Monday. The second was a woman who tried to walk across rushing water after getting out of her vehicle. Firefighters were trying to get her and she was holding on to a traffic sign, but the rushing water was too strong and she was swept away. Her body was found on Monday. Gov. Ned Lamont said the weekend’s storms brought a record 13 inches of rain that caused significant damage to infrastructure.
At least 100 people were rescued from the flooding. There is a video that shows a man rescuing a woman with a prosthetic leg and her dog from a flooded road. Other images show firefighters using aerial ladders to rescue people from across flooded roads.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/connecticut-floods-leave-2-dead-100-evacuated-state/story?id=112955804
https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/video-rescue-southbury-connecticut-flash-flooding
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George Santos pleads guilty
Former member of Congress George Santos pleaded guilty to his federal fraud charges and admitted he stole multiple people’s credit card numbers and charged them for his campaign, tricking donors into giving money for a fake nonprofit and using the money for luxury items, and stealing the identities of other people. He even collected unemployment benefits while working. The list goes on. AP News said Santos, 36, is likely to spend at least six years in prison. He was elected in 2022 in New York after sharing many false stories, including that his mother died in the 9/11 attacks and that his grandparents fled the holocaust in Germany.
https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-plea-court-new-york-90741d068fd94090419fc0fd79be30cc
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[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
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“General Hospital” actor murdered
Police in Los Angeles announced they arrested and charged four men in connection to the murder of Johnny Wactor, a former actor on “General Hospital.” AP News said on May 25, Wactor had left work at a downtown LA rooftop bar when he saw three men who hoisted his car to steal the car’s catalytic converter. He confronted the men and was tragically shot and killed. Two 18-year-old suspects were charged with murder while two others faced theft-related charges. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she is continuing to take aggressive action to make the city safer.
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Bodies of 6 hostages recovered from Gaza
ABC News said the bodies of six hostages were recovered from a tunnel in Gaza during an overnight operation by the Israeli military. The six men’s ages were 80, 79, 78, 75, 51, and 35. It is not known what caused them to die. They were alive when they were kidnapped during Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7 last year. There will be funerals for some of the victims today.
There are still ongoing negotiations on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas but it doesn’t look like there’s going to be an immediate breakthrough.
In related news, Israel’s military said it conducted an airstrike on a school in Gaza because it was being used by Hamas as a command center. At least 12 people were killed, including children, women, and a journalist. There is heavy fighting elsewhere in Gaza.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/israel-hamas-cease-fire-talks-hostages-war/
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That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.