First Thing: Biden warns US democracy imperiled by Trump extremists

Good morning.

Joe Biden has warned that American democracy is in grave peril from Republican forces loyal to Donald Trump who “fan the flames” of political violence in pursuit of energy at any value.

In a primetime deal with from Philadelphia, the town the place American democracy was born, Biden mentioned the US was in a continued battle for the “soul of the nation”.

It reprised a theme that animated his marketing campaign for the White Home in 2020, to border the stakes of the November elections as an existential selection between his get together’s agenda and Republicans’ “excessive Maga ideology”.

“Donald Trump and the Maga Republicans characterize an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic,” Biden mentioned in remarks delivered at Independence Corridor. Maga is an acronym of “Make America nice once more” – a slogan from Trump’s 2016 election marketing campaign.

  • What else did Biden say? He mentioned Trump Republicans “promote authoritarian leaders and so they stir up political violence”, including that they believed there have been solely two attainable outcomes to an election: both they gained or they have been cheated. “You'll be able to’t love your nation when solely you win,” Biden mentioned to thundering applause.

  • Why was the speech vital? It varieties a part of a newly aggressive line of assault Biden has unleashed on Republicans within the run-up to the midterm elections and comes as Trump, who's dealing with varied authorized issues, lays the the groundwork for a possible 2024 presidential run.

US choose hints she might grant Trump request for Mar-a-Lago ‘particular grasp’

Donald Trump in New York for a deposition in August
Donald Trump in New York for a deposition in August. He claims govt privilege over the paperwork found within the search. Photograph: David Dee Delgado/Reuters

A federal choose yesterday appeared inclined to grant Trump his request to have a so-called particular grasp put aside paperwork seized by the FBI from his Mar-a-Lago resort that would doubtlessly be topic to privilege protections within the investigation surrounding his unauthorized retention of presidency secrets and techniques.

The Trump-appointed choose, Aileen Cannon, didn't formally rule from the bench on the previous president’s request, saying at an hours-long listening to in West Palm Seashore, Florida, that she would assessment the matter additional earlier than making a ultimate determination.

However the choose gave severe indications that she would appoint a particular grasp to find out what supplies the justice division may use in its investigation, whereas doubtlessly permitting for the intelligence group to proceed its evaluation about whether or not Trump’s retention of the paperwork risked nationwide safety.

“What’s the hurt?” Cannon requested the federal government in direction of the top of the listening to, referring to the prospect of appointing a particular grasp.

  • Extra particulars about what the FBI seized from Mar-a-Lago are anticipated to be revealed after the choose unsealed a extra detailed stock of what was collected by the justice division, in addition to a standing report from the crew conducting the investigation after Trump’s attorneys agreed to make it public.

‘Rapidly it’s undrinkable’: why a whole US metropolis has no clear water

A person unloads packs of bottled water
‘We are able to’t take a shower. We are able to’t drink water and may’t wash dishes. None of that.’ Photograph: Brad Vest/Getty Pictures

Jackson, Mississippi, has misplaced entry to secure operating water after flooding – however it's the capstone to years of issues with race a attainable issue.

The overwhelming majority of individuals – greater than 150,000 – within the predominantly Black metropolis have misplaced entry to secure operating water. Most had already been with out drinkable water for greater than a month however flooding final weekend, brought on by weeks of rain, additional interrupted operations on the metropolis’s beleaguered important water plant. At the moment massive numbers don't have anything popping out of their faucets, and for many who do, it have to be boiled earlier than being consumed.

The state of affairs has raised questions concerning the affect of underinvestment since white households deserted the town en masse. It additionally suggests how excessive flooding, exacerbated by the local weather disaster, will take a toll on infrastructure.

The disaster is acute, with temperatures forecast to exceed 90F (32C) on Thursday and Friday. Faculties have shuttered their buildings and gone digital. The Mississippi emergency administration company introduced water distribution plans on Thursday. The town has created water distribution factors, and a few group organizations are doing what they will to fill the gaps.

  • What’s inflicting the disaster? Restricted workers on the important water therapy facility struggled to deal with water arriving in far increased volumes owing to the flooding, and handled a pump failure. However it's the capstone to years of issues. Monetary and workers constraints and gear malfunctions have lengthy affected the town’s water therapy amenities’ operations.

In different information …

Venus and Serena Williams confer as they play against Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic at the US Open last night.
Venus and Serena Williams confer as they play in opposition to Lucie Hradecká and Linda Nosková of the Czech Republic on the US Open final evening. Photograph: View Press/Corbis/Getty Pictures

  • Venus and Serena Williams are out of the US Open ladies’s doubles within the first spherical after dropping 7-6 (5), 6-4 to the Czech crew of Lucie Hradecká and Linda Nosková final evening. With Serena having strongly hinted that she might be retiring quickly, it the match is prone to have been the ultimate look of the Williams-Williams crew.

  • A person has been detained after he aimed a handgun at point-blank vary at Argentina’s vice-president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, in what the president mentioned was an try on her life. She survived solely as a result of the gun – which was loaded with 5 bullets – didn't fireplace.

  • A retired New York police division officer has acquired a report 10- 12 months sentence for his involvement within the Capitol assault, throughout which he used a metallic flagpole to assault one of many law enforcement officials attempting to carry off a mob of Trump supporters.

  • The Canadian singer-songwriter Feist has introduced she will depart a tour with Arcade Fireplace after allegations of sexual misconduct in opposition to the band’s frontman, Win Butler. A Pitchfork investigation revealed final week detailed claims in opposition to the Butler, which he denies.

Stat of the day: Support continues to reach in Pakistan as deaths from floods exceed 1,200

Flood victims take refugee in makeshift tents in Dera Allah Yar, Jafferabadas district.
Flood victims take refugee in makeshift tents in Dera Allah Yar, Jafferabadas district. Photograph: Reuters

Planes carrying provides are forming a humanitarian air bridge to flood-ravaged Pakistan as the loss of life toll exceeded 1,200, officers have mentioned, with households and kids at particular danger of illness and homelessness. The ninth flight from the United Arab Emirates and the primary from Uzbekistan have been the newest to land in Islamabad in a single day, as a military-backed rescue operation elsewhere within the nation reached extra of the three million individuals affected by the catastrophe. Officers blamed the weird monsoon and flooding on the local weather disaster.

Don’t miss this: Wind in Democrats’ sails as Sarah Palin humbled in Alaska particular election

Sarah Palin after the results were announced in Alaska
Sarah Palin after the outcomes have been introduced in Alaska. The one Home seat was held for nearly 50 years by the Republican Don Younger, till his loss of life in March. Photograph: Invoice Roth/AP

Analysts are poring over the outcomes of the particular election for Alaska’s solely seat within the US Home, which was gained by the Democrat Mary Peltola, delivering a blow to the previous vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin’s hopes of a political comeback and placing wind within the sails of the Democratic get together because it heads for November’s midterm elections. It was seen as a big final result on a number of ranges – a possible response to the latest US supreme court docket overturning of the constitutional proper to abortion, to Trump’s enduring grip on the Republican get together, and to Palin herself.

Local weather examine: Night timetime warmth is killing crops. Scientists are dashing to search out resilient vegetation

Wenceslao Larazo, left, and Cherryl Quiñones measure rice crops that will be heated at extreme temperatures at nightfall at Arkansas State University.
Wenceslao Larazo, left, and Cherryl Quiñones measure rice crops that might be heated at excessive temperatures at dusk at Arkansas State College. Photograph: Ariel Cobbert/the Guardian

Whereas the local weather disaster is pushing daytime temperatures to report highs, these at evening are rising considerably quicker. It's a disaster for vegetation, which have fewer protection mechanisms obtainable at evening, posing an enormous menace to the worldwide meals system. Each 1C rise in nighttime temperatures may trigger wheat yields to drop by 6% and rice yields by as much as 10%. Scientists are a part of a race to determine how one can create kinds of rice – the important meals supply for billions of individuals and a significant crop for farmers world wide – that may stand up to the impacts of a fast-changing local weather.

Final Factor: Crab and lobster shells might be used to make renewable batteries

A large crab
Crustaceans akin to crabs, shrimps and lobsters have exoskeletons product of cells that comprise chitin, a polysaccharide that makes their shells onerous and resistant. Photograph: Eric Risberg/AP

Scientists need to use a chemical present in crab and lobster shells to make batteries extra sustainable, in response to analysis. “We predict each biodegradability of fabric, or environmental affect, and the efficiency of the batteries are vital for a product, which has the potential to be commercialised,” mentioned Liangbing Hu, the lead writer of the paper, revealed within the journal Matter. Because the world transitions in direction of deploying inexperienced power options and electrical autos, the batteries getting used for such expertise additionally have to be eco-friendly.

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