Biden Drops Out, The Open, and a Grizzly Attack

Adam Rogers
July 22, 2024

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President Joe Biden announced that he will not run for re-election in 2024.

Biden shared his decision on the social media site X, saying it was an honor to serve as President but believes it’s best for the party and the country if he focuses on finishing his current term. He has also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee.
Biden praised Harris, saying choosing her as Vice President was his best decision. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also endorsed Harris.
The President’s decision to leave the race comes after his poor performance in the debate against Trump, where he appeared weak and uncertain. This led to concerns about his ability to compete against Trump and complete another term.
Despite Biden’s endorsement, Harris still must win the Democratic nomination. The Democratic Party announced it would hold “a transparent and orderly process” to choose their 2024 nominee. DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said the party would share the next steps on the process soon.

Xander Schauffele won his second major championship at the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon.

After winning his first major at the PGA Championship two months ago, Schauffele finished 9 under par, securing a two-stroke victory over Justin Rose and Billy Horschel. He shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 on Sunday.
Schauffele's victory at the Open Championship adds to his already impressive season. He is the reigning gold medalist from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and holds the longest made-cuts streak since Tiger Woods. Schauffele joins a prestigious group of golfers who have won multiple majors in one season, including Woods, Jordan Spieth, and Rory McIlroy. He finished in the top 10 in all four major championships this year.
Schauffele's win marks a clean sweep for American golfers in 2024's major championships. Along with Scottie Scheffler's Masters win and Bryson DeChambeau's U.S. Open victory, American golfers have now won seven straight majors and nine of the last ten.

Bangladesh's top court reduced a controversial quota system for government jobs after days of protests and deadly clashes.

Students began protesting a law that reserved 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans from the 1971 independence war. The quota was previously stopped in 2018 after backlash but reinstated in June. The Supreme Court decided to cut the veterans' quota to 5% and allocate 93% of jobs based on merit, with the remaining 2% for ethnic minorities, transgender, and disabled people.
The protests turned deadly on Tuesday when police fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and smoke grenades to disperse stone-throwing protesters. Official death tolls haven’t been released, but local newspapers reported that over 100 people were killed.
Authorities in the area shut off communication networks making it unclear if the verdict satisfied the protesting students. However, a lawyer for some student groups called the court’s decision historic and a start to reforming the quota system. The students’ main contention was that the system should be merit-based.

In a close game at the USA Basketball Showcase in London, Team USA narrowly beat South Sudan 101-100. The defending Olympic champions struggled with their shooting and were behind by 14 points at halftime. However, they made a comeback in the third quarter and LeBron James scored a game-winning layup with eight seconds left to secure the win. (More)

Airlines are still dealing with problems from a global IT outage on Friday, causing thousands of flights to be canceled or delayed. By 11 a.m. ET Sunday, over 1,000 flights were canceled, and more than 2,300 were delayed. The outage started with communication problems, leading to ground stops and a domino effect into Sunday. (More)

China and the Philippines made a deal to stop confrontations at a disputed area in the South China Sea. Both countries claim the Second Thomas Shoal, and recent clashes have raised fears of bigger conflicts involving the U.S. Both countries want a peaceful solution without giving up their territorial claims. (More)

The Israeli military shot down a missile from Yemen on Sunday after Israeli planes attacked Houthi targets in western Yemen. The missile didn't enter Israeli territory, but warnings were issued for falling fragments. The attacks targeted a port in Hodeida used for transferring Iranian weapons to Houthi rebels. (More)

A 72-year-old man in Montana was picking huckleberries when a grizzly bear attacked him. He shot and killed the bear to protect himself, but he was injured badly and had to be hospitalized. Officials say the mother bear was likely trying to protect her cubs. (More)

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