☀ August 20: Wildfires burn in West, Harris accepts party’s nomination, movie theaters re-open
Good morning! It’s Thursday, August 20, 2020. Here’s a look at your news across the nation:
1️⃣🔥 Wildfires continue to rage through Northern California threatening thousands of homes and blackening the skies near San Francisco as crews struggled to surround them despite steep terrain and blistering heat. Fires also carved their way through wine country and the Sierra Nevada. Why it matters: Hundreds of fires have erupted since the start of the week as a heat wave accompanied by humid air created a dangerous mix of triple-digit temperatures and thunderstorms that flashed lightning.
2️⃣🗺 BY THE NUMBERS: 77 large fires have burned 649,054 acres in 14 states. More than 16,700 firefighters and support personnel are assigned to wildfires across the country. Explore: An interactive map showing where all the fires are located.
3️⃣🗳 Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president on Wednesday, cementing her place in history as the first Black woman on a major party ticket. In a statement released by Trump’s campaign after Harris’ speech, the incumbent president’s campaign said she “will never put America first.” Why it matters: Her remarks touched on the legacy of Black women who paved the way for this moment and explained the challenges to vote Black women continued to face after the ratification of the 19th amendment, which celebrated 100 years this week.
4️⃣🚨 DEVELOPING NOW: A Russian opposition politician is unconscious and in intensive care after likely being poisoned, a spokesperson said. Alexei Navalny started feeling ill when returning to Moscow from Tomsk in Siberia by plane. The plane made an emergency landing. Why it matters: Navalny is a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin.
📱 [Trending] across the nation
🎬🍿 AMC Theatres, the nation’s largest movie theater chain, will reopen in the U.S. today with retro ticket prices of 15 cents per movie.
The company plans to open the doors to more than 100 cinemas — or about a sixth of its nationwide locations — with throwback pricing for a day.
📅 What to watch for today
🔴 Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to accept his party’s nomination for president in the final night of the Democratic National Convention. The DNC program begins at 9 p.m. (ET). The Republican National Convention kicks off next week.
🔴 President Donald Trump will be campaigning in Old Forge, Penn. The location is located near Biden’s hometown of Scranton.
🔴 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to visit the United Nations to request sanctions against Iran.
🔴 The sentencing continues for the ‘Golden State Killer.’ Throughout the last two days several of his rape victims have delivered remarks in the courtroom. On Thursday, loved ones of victims killed by 74-year-old serial killer and rapist Joseph DeAngelo will testify. He’s expected to be formally sentenced to life in prison Friday under a plea deal.
💻📲 We’ll bring you 🔴 LIVE news updates throughout the day on the NewsNation Now app and NewsNationNow.com.
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