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Harris starts big, Delta breaks down and another police shooting

 
Today's politics story

Harris clinches Democratic support, raises $81M

What happened
Vice President Kamala Harris secured the verbal support of enough Democratic National Convention delegates on Monday to clinch the party's presidential nomination. President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed her as his replacement on Sunday, and Democrats from across the ideological spectrum and levels of government expeditiously threw her their support. The newly rebranded Harris campaign said it raised $81 million from 880,000 donors in the first 24 hours — which would be a single-day presidential fund-raising record — and signed up 28,000 new volunteers.

Who said what
With backing from party leaders, rank-and-file Democrats and "virtually every major would-be rival for the nomination," Harris has enjoyed "a remarkable closing of ranks," Aaron Blake said at The Washington Post, especially since there's "scant hard evidence that Democrats are much better off" with her over Biden.

Harris traveled to Wilmington, Delaware, Monday afternoon to take charge of what had been Biden's reelection headquarters. She said she was keeping Biden's campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, and "quickly leaned into the themes that will be prominent" in her truncated campaign, The Associated Press said, including economic opportunity, abortion rights, and Donald Trump's legal troubles.

As California's attorney general and a "courtroom prosecutor" before that, "I took on perpetrators of all kinds," Harris said. "Predators who abused women. Fraudsters who ripped off consumers. Cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say: I know Donald Trump's type." Biden, calling in, said stepping aside "was the right thing to do" and he will be "working like hell" to get Harris elected.

What next?
The Harris campaign tapped former Attorney General Eric Holder to vet potential running mates. Harris will hold her first full-fledged campaign event as presidential candidate in Milwaukee on Tuesday.

 
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Today's international story

Tech outage ensnarls Delta, prompts hearings

What happened
Delta Air Lines canceled more than 800 flights on Monday, struggling to recover from a worldwide technology outage even as most other airlines and affected companies largely resumed normal operations. The outage started Friday when cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike released a faulty update for Microsoft Windows devices, sparking global mayhem at airlines, hospitals, logistics companies and other institutions. Delta was hit especially hard, canceling more than 5,500 flights total.

Who said what
It will be "another couple of days" before "the worst is clearly behind us," Delta CEO Ed Bastian told employees Monday. "Today will be a better day than yesterday, and hopefully Tuesday and Wednesday will be that much better again."

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he told Bastian on Sunday that his agency had received "hundreds of complaints" about Delta and made clear "we will hold them to all applicable passenger protections," including refunds for customers who want them.

What next?
The chairs of the House Homeland Security Committee and its cybersecurity subcommittee told CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz on Monday to prepare to testify and "detail how this incident happened and the mitigation steps CrowdStrike is taking" to "ensure that it does not happen again."

 
 
Today's CRIME Story

Bodycam shows deputy killing Black woman

What happened
Prosecutors in Springfield, Illinois, released body-camera footage Monday showing a white sheriff's deputy fatally shooting an unarmed Black woman, Sonya Massey, who had called 911 about suspected prowlers in her yard on July 6. The deputy, Sean Grayson, was indicted on first-degree murder and other charges last Wednesday then sacked on Thursday. He pleaded not guilty.

Who said what
The bodycam video, from the deputy accompanying Grayson, showed "18 minutes of a relatively normal interaction" before the visit quickly "turned deadly when Grayson pulled his gun, ordered Massey to drop a pot of hot water and then fatally shot her in the face," The Washington Post said. Grayson, 30, then turned on his bodycam and initially discouraged his partner from rendering medical aid.

Massey, 36, "needed a helping hand, she did not need a bullet to the face," attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Massey's family, said Monday. "Just imagine if there wasn't a video, what the narrative would have been." President Joe Biden said "Sonya's death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not."

What next?
Grayson faces up to life in prison if convicted of murder.

 
 

It's not all bad

Siamese crocodiles have been snapped back from the brink of extinction after dozens of eggs successfully hatched in Cambodia. There are only about 400 of the reptiles left in the world, but conservationists say the 60 newborns represent a "real sign of hope" for the species. Not only is the hatching a "tremendous boost" to the crocodile population, it is also encouraging for "collaborative conservation efforts," Pablo Sinovas, the head of the Fauna & Flora environmental organization, said to the BBC.

 
 
Under the radar

The lifestyles of the rich and famous can attract unwanted attention, and many of these high-income individuals are purchasing high-end guard dogs to keep themselves safe. Guard dogs are nothing new, but this new breed doesn't come cheap. One breeder of elite canine guardians, Svalinn, describes its dogs as the "ultimate lovers and protectors" that offer "guaranteed peace of mind." 

Svalinn's dogs "cost at least $150,000," and each dog is an "undisclosed mix of Dutch shepherd, German shepherd and Belgian Malinois," New York magazine said. Much of this price is "derived not from breeding but rather the intensity of its training, which takes two to three years."

While Svalinn is based in Montana, other guard dog companies focus on large urban markets. Arteom Bulgadarian, who purchased a home in Sherman Oaks, California, bought a dog from Delta K9 Academy for $70,000. But "amortize [the cost] over 10 to 15 years, whatever the dog's life is, and it's not that big of a price tag," Bulgadarian told the Los Angeles Times. 

High-end guard dogs go through intense training early in their lives so that by "three to four months old, you will have a puppy that is confident and has a strong personality," Mike Israeli, the owner of Delta K9, said to Business Insider. By the end of the training process, the dog "understands that if there is no command, it won't engage, but if there is a command to go, it will go."

 
 
On this day

July 23, 20

British jazz and pop singer Amy Winehouse died at the age of 27. Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment after losing a yearslong battle with addiction and mental illness. The crooner was known for her deep, resonant voice and was the first British woman to win five Grammy Awards.

 
 
TODAY’S newspaperS

"Democratic leaders, delegates waste no time backing" Vice President Kamala Harris as the party's presidential nominee, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says on Tuesday's front page. One day into her campaign, "Harris secures needed DNC delegates," The Washington Post says. Nomination likely, "Harris hits trail — and [Donald] Trump," The Boston Globe says. "Starting 15-week dash, Harris presses case," The New York Times says, emphasizing her "past as prosecutor." "Both campaigns shift tactics" after President Joe Biden's withdrawal," The Wall Street Journal says. The "Democrats' fourth-quarter gamble has no playbook," USA Today says in a front-page column.

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
Tall tale

Love train

Unable to afford a pricey wedding reception, Daniel Jean and Esmy Valdez decided to head underground and celebrate their marriage in the New York City subway system. Earlier this month, they decorated an L-line car with tinsel and flowers and filled a table with platters of food and a five-tiered cake. Their friends and relatives were joined by strangers who became surprise wedding guests. "I walked in and was like, 'Oh wow, this is really frickin' cool,'" commuter Anna Kohler told The Washington Post.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, David Edwards, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Erin Schaff / Pool / AFP via Getty Images; Jessica McGowan / Getty Images; Illinois State Police / AP; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images