Trump trial on TV, long COVID breakthrough, and a bull riding shotgun.

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US News, Politics, & Government

McConnell "medically clear" to continue work after freezing episode, doctor says

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell is “medically clear” to continue work, according to his doctor. McConnell appeared to freeze for about 30 seconds Wednesday while speaking to reporters. He eventually resumed the conference but needed questions repeated to him. This was his second freezing incident in just over a month. (More)

Trump's Georgia trial will be televised, judge says

Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee said former President Trump’s Georgia trial will be livestreamed and televised. The trial, related to the 2020 election interference, will be the only one televised among Trump’s four indictments. The judge also said that reporters and spectators can use their cell phones and laptops during the trial. (More)

Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs sentenced to 17 years in January 6 case

A leader of the Proud Boys who led the far-right group’s march to the US Capitol on Jan. 6 has been sentenced to 17 years in prison. Joe Biggs was convicted of several charges, including seditious conspiracy for trying to prevent the transfer of power from then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election. Another member, Zachary Rehl, was later sentenced to 15 years. (More)

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World

At least 74 dead after fire tears through building used as temporary housing in South Africa

A fire tore through a five-story building in Johannesburg, South Africa that had been turned into temporary housing. The cause of the blaze is unclear. The fire broke out around 1:30 am local time, when many people inside the building were sleeping. At least 74 people have died and more than 50 others were injured. (More)

Rented e-scooters cleared from Paris streets on eve of ban

Paris will become the first European capital to ban rented electronic scooters on Friday. The decision follows a vote in April in which 90% of participants elected to ban the scooters. The five-year rental experiment saw very high usage but often led to clogged streets with scooters parked in piles. Residents also complained about riders behaving recklessly on the scooters. (More)

Saudi man sentenced to death for tweets in harshest verdict yet for online critics

Saudi Arabia recently sentenced a man to death for his social media posts that criticized the country’s leadership. This punishment is the harshest to date, but not the first as many others are serving prison sentences for their tweets and online criticism of the government. Saudi officials have recently issued sweeping reforms that have loosened restrictions for its citizens, while concurrently cracking down on people speaking negativity about the country. (More)

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Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

US stock markets closed mixed on Thursday (S&P -0.16%, Nasdaq +0.11%, Dow -0.48%) ~ The Nasdaq had its fifth consecutive winning day, but experienced its worst monthly loss of 2023. All three major indexes are down by more than 1% for the month of August. (More)

Americans are saving and earning less. But they won't stop spending.

Americans’ income growth slowed in July, but their spending rate did not. Personal incomes rose by 0.2%, while spending increased by 0.8%. This means that Americans are saving less in order to maintain their spending habits. This dynamic could help prevent a recession from taking hold, as long as households don’t run out of money. (More)

Biden administration offers $12B to convert auto factories into EV plants

The Biden administration will provide up to $12 billion to help convert auto manufacturing facilities into plants for hybrid and electric vehicles. Automakers will be able to receive loans or grants to make the switch. The Energy Department is also handing out $3.5 billion to support domestic battery manufacturing. (More)

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Sports & Entertainment

Lyles, Richardson back up world titles in Zurich

American sprinters Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson followed up their world championship finishes last week with victories at the Diamond League meet on Thursday. Richardson won her first world 100m title last week, while Lyles took gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4×100 relay. (More)

Mark Thompson named CNN chief executive and chairman

CNN named former New York Times and BBC executive Mark Thompson as its new Chairman and CEO. Thompson will face the tough task of leading the company as viewers move away from traditional TV to streaming services. CNN tried to break into the streaming space in 2021 with CNN+ but quickly canceled the program after just a few weeks. (More)

Gannett to pause AI experiment after botched high school sports articles

Newspaper chain Gannett has paused the use of an artificial intelligence tool to write high school sports articles after the technology made several major mistakes in at least one of its papers. Readers mocked the articles on social media for being repetitive, lacking details, and using odd language. (More)

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Science, Health, & Tech

Long COVID brain fog may be caused by blood clots

A recent study found that 1,800 adults who were hospitalized with COVID-19 had elevated levels of two proteins involved in blood clotting during their infection. The study also revealed that these proteins were linked to ongoing cognitive problems six and 12 months after the infection. Doctors believe that it might be possible to treat long COVID by utilizing treatments that target blood clotting. However, further research needs to be done to confirm the hypothesis. (More)

Overdose deaths from fake pills are rising, especially among younger adults

The CDC reported that the number of people who have died from fake prescription pills has more than doubled in recent years. The majority of those deaths were among people younger than 35, who thought they were taking oxycodone or Xanax. These pills were bought illegally off the street and are often laced with deadly levels of fentanyl. (More)

Musk says X will add audio, video calls

Video and audio calls are coming to the X social media platform. Elon Musk announced that calls would work on iOS, Android, Mac & PC. No phone numbers will be needed, and the social platform will essentially be a global address book. The company also announced that it will allow political advertisements for the first time since 2019. (More)

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Bonus Material

Foods that Americans hate the most.

A man was pulled over for driving with a huge African bull riding shotgun.

No one will claim this plane filled with fake gold and cash in Zambia.

How to improve your odds of boarding first on Southwest Airlines.