10 things you need to know today: July 26, 2020

(Image credit: NOAA via AP)

Jump to category:

1. Hanna downgraded to tropical storm after making landfall
2. Several U.S. states hit new seven-day average highs for coronavirus infections, deaths
3. Protests widen across the U.S.
4. John Lewis memorial procession to cross famed Selma bridge
5. North Korea acknowledges suspected coronavirus case for 1st time
6. Staffers clear premises ahead of U.S. consulate closure in Chengdu
7. Regis Philbin dies at 88
8. Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green dies at 73
9. Nonpartisan Christian organization asks Ted Yoho to resign from board of directors
10. Suspect confesses starting Nantes cathedral fire

published 26 July 2020

1. Hanna downgraded to tropical storm after making landfall

Hurricane Hanna made landfall in Texas twice as a Category 1 storm Saturday before the National Hurricane Center downgraded it to a tropical storm once again Sunday morning. At that point, Hanna had maximum sustained 60 mile per hour winds. Despite weakening, the storm still presents a threat to northeastern Mexico and southern Texas. Tidal surges, dangerous surf, and tornadoes all remain possibilities, but heavy rainfall remains the most significant threat, The Associated Press reports. Forecasters said Hanna could bring 6 to 12 inches of rain through Sunday night, with isolated totals of 18 inches. "We're not even close to over at this point," said Chris Birchfield, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Brownsville, Texas. "We're still expecting catastrophic flooding."

The United States on Saturday reported more than 74,000 coronavirus cases and 1,000 deaths in the previous 24 hours, meaning that more than 1,000 Americans have died each day between Tuesday and Friday. Florida reported more than 12,000 new coronavirus infections during that span, bringing the state's total number of confirmed cases to 414,511. That figure means Florida has surpassed New York as the state with the second highest number of confirmed infections behind California, which, like Florida, has seen cases surge over the last several weeks. Florida also reported 124 new resident deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total number of fatalities to 5,777. As of Saturday morning, nearly 9,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state. Seven-day averages for both new infections and fatalities hit new highs in several states, as well.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Protesters returned to the streets in several American cities Saturday in solidarity with demonstrations against police brutality and racial injustice in Portland, Oregon. The Portland protests have been taking place for weeks, and demonstrators and state and local officials have accused federal agents of arresting protesters without cause or identifying themselves, sparking a backlash against the Department of Homeland Security. Seattle was the sight of one of Saturday's more intense demonstrations, which resulted in 45 arrests and injuries suffered by both protesters and police officers. Seattle's police chief, Carmen Best, said the department declared the event to be a riot. Protesters clashed with police in other cities, including Los Angeles, Portland, and Oakland. In Austin, Texas, one man was shot and killed during a protest. Police said the suspect is in custody.

A multi-day memorial procession began Saturday in honor of the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). The first ceremony took place in the civil rights icon's hometown of Troy, Alabama. Several hundred gathered at Troy University's Trojan Arena in socially-distanced fashioned as Lewis' family members spoke about him. On Sunday, Lewis' body will make a final journey across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. In 1965, when Lewis was just 25, he helped lead a march for Black voting rights across the structure, which many people hope will be renamed in Lewis' honor. The protesters met intense physical resistance from Alabama state troopers on the bridge, and the day would later become known as Bloody Sunday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared an emergency and imposed a lockdown in the border city of Kaesong after the country reported its first suspected coronavirus case, state media said Sunday. Pyongyang shut its borders and put thousands of people in isolation six months ago when the coronavirus pandemic began, but Kim's regime has not acknowledged any coronavirus cases during that span, a feat analysts say was always unlikely. Still, the announcement appears to be a significant step for the secretive state — experts believe it may represent a cry for humanitarian assistance. State news said a person who defected three years ago to South Korea returned last week and exhibited COVID-19 symptoms after "illegally crossing the demarcation line."

U.S. consulate staffers in Chengdu, China, made final efforts to clear the premises Sunday a day before Beijing plans to close the building as relations between China and the United States worsen. Security reportedly remained tight outside the consulate as a crowd formed with onlookers taking photos and video of the scene. China ordered the closure on Friday after the U.S. announced the Chinese consulate in Houston needed to shut in similar fashion. On Friday, a U.S. State Department official was seen accompanying a group of men who forced open a door at the Houston consulate, which Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called "a hub of spying and intellectual property."

Longtime and prolific television host Regis Philbin died Friday, his family confirmed to People magazine Saturday. He was 88. In a statement, his family said he died of natural causes. Philbin is known for hosting the morning show Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee alongside Kathie Lee Gifford from 1985-2000. Philbin continued in the same role after Gifford left and was replaced by Kelly Ripa, who co-hosted Live! with Regis and Kelly until Philbin retired in 2011. Additionally, Philbin hosted Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which The Associated Press notes was the most popular program in the United States at the turn of the century and helped turn Philbin's career into a very lucrative one.

Peter Green, guitarist and co-founder of the band Fleetwood Mac, has died, his family confirmed to BBC on Saturday. He was 73. Details were scarce, but his family said he died peacefully and "a further statement will be provided in the coming days." Green, who hails from London, formed Fleetwood Mac with drummer Mick Fleetwood in 1967. After recruiting bass guitarist John McVie to join them, the band released three albums and several hit tracks, but Green eventually left the group in 1970 because he was struggling with his mental health. Despite his departure, Green was among the eight members of the band inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In February, Fleetwood staged a tribute show for Green. "I wanted people to know that I did not form this band — Peter Green did," he said, adding that he "wanted to celebrate those early years."

Bread of the World, a nonpartisan Christian organization focusing on ending hunger, said Saturday it asked Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) to resign from its board of directors in wake of what the organization called his "verbal attack" on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) last week on the steps of the Capitol. In a statement, the organization said Yoho's "recent actions and words as reported in the media are not reflective of the ethical standards of members of our board of directors." Yoho obliged with the request. Ocasio-Cortez confirmed reports that Yoho directed a profane, sexist insult at her after the two briefly crossed paths Monday. Yoho denied using vulgar language and instead expressed regret for his "abrupt manner" during the exchange.

French authorities arrested a suspect following their investigation into possible arson after a fire broke out inside the famed Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Nantes last week. The 39-year-old man, an asylum-seeker from Rwanda and a volunteer church assistant, confessed to starting the fire, which destroyed the cathedral's organ. His lawyer said he is repentant and "consumed with remorse." The suspect had the job of locking up the cathedral the night before the fire started. Although the suspect confessed, his motives are unclear. Nantes prosecutor Pierre Sennes said in a statement Saturday that the suspect has been charged and faces up to 10 years in prison and 150,000 euros in fines.

Explore More

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.