| Greetings, QuickTake readers! In this edition: Trump rushed out of White House briefing room, more kids are getting sick with coronavirus, and the former mayor of San Francisco wants Kamala Harris to reject Joe Biden.  Lebanese government steps down Lebanon's government resigned Monday, six days after the catastrophic explosion in Beirut that killed more than 150 people, injured thousands of others, and displaced hundreds of thousands more. "The scope of this disaster is bigger than can be described," Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a speech to an outraged public demanding accountability. He blamed a corrupt political elite for torpedoing his cabinet, which had served only seven months in office. The blast—the biggest peacetime disaster in the country's history—was caused by 2,750 tons of explosive materials left for six years at the country's main port despite repeated safety warnings. "We resigned as a responsibility, not an escape from it," Health Minister Hamad Hassan said. Protesters crowded the concrete walls shielding Parliament in downtown Beirut upon news of a potential regime change. It's unclear how long it will take to form a new government amid the country's deepest political and financial crisis since the 15-year civil war ended in 1990. Even before the explosion, the government was barely functioning, unable to regularly collect trash or keep electricity flowing. Damages from the blast are estimated to cost as much as $15 billion. Pledges of emergency assistance for Lebanon have yielded nearly $300 million so far. $ignificant figures 20 million. The WHO said the world will hit that many confirmed Covid-19 cases and 750,000 deaths this week. In the U.S., coronavirus infections among children increased by 40% in the last half of July, a report found. 30%. Less than a third of the U.K. population would "definitely" get a Covid-19 vaccine when one is available, a poll found. Meanwhile, another survey said one in three U.K. employers plans to cut staff this quarter. $1.5 million. The price tag on likely the world's most expensive face mask, made with 18-karat white gold and adorned with 3,600 diamonds, that was commissioned by a Chinese businessman from an Israeli jewelry brand. Highly quotable "Mind-blowing." Bill Gates slammed the U.S.'s "testing insanity," saying the government is "paying billions of dollars in this very inequitable way to get the most worthless test results of any country in the world." "They want to arrest me." Hong Kong police jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai for colluding with foreign forces and raided the offices of his pro-democratic newspaper in the biggest case yet under China's security law. "Politely decline." Ex-San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown urged Kamala Harris to turn down Joe Biden if he asks her to be his VP and instead ask to be attorney general. Biden is expected to announce his pick this week. This is not normal Are your hands clean? A severe water shortage affecting 3 billion people who have no access to running water and soap at home and 4 billion who suffer from water scarcity is hurting efforts to contain the virus pandemic.  The future is now Cutting-edge threads. Australian scientists genetically modified cotton so it grows in shades of yellow, orange, and purple to avoid using toxic dyes and are creating stretchy, wrinkle-free breeds to replace synthetic fabrics.  What's good "Team Lioness." An all-female ranger team in Kenya is breaking barriers, patrolling the vast Amboseli National Park in pursuit of poachers to protect wildlife while defying gender norms and empowering women everywhere.  Now that you're caught up... Tell your friends to sign up to receive our newsletter five days a week. Follow QuickTake on Twitter , YouTube , Instagram, and Facebook . BTW: U.S. Secret Service agents abruptly escorted Trump out of the White House briefing room on Monday following a nearby shooting. See it. Thanks for reading!
-Andrew Mach | 
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