The Republican war on cancel culture

THE BIG STORY

Trump asked for a chance to fix America's "chaos" in 2016. He's asking for the same after four years as president.

In his speech accepting the Republican nomination at the Republican National Convention, President Donald Trump described a country that is facing chaos and "mayhem" across its major cities. Republicans who spoke before Trump described "mobs" taking over cities and censoring Americans' speech, and law enforcement officers in constant danger.

If this sounds familiar, that's because it's the very thing Trump pledged to rid the country of four years ago when he accepted the Republican presidential nomination in Cleveland, Ohio, promising the restoration of "law and order."

In effect, Trump and other speakers this week said, America's cities have descended into violence during Trump's presidency, and only another four years of Trump as president can prevent things from getting worse.

Read Kadia Goba's overview of the president's RNC speech.

The big picture: Trump's Republican convention has been one big war on cancel culture.

Also from the RNC:

👉Alice Johnson, whose sentence was commuted by Trump, gave an uplifting speech about criminal reform.

👉 Kayla Mueller's parents delivered a raw and emotional speech. Carl and Marsha Mueller delivered a gut-wrenching address about their daughter's torture as an ISIS hostage while criticizing the Obama administration and praising Trump.

👉 A large crowd at Trump's rally basically ignored COVID-19 social distancing precautions.

RNC.

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

Six people are dead and hundreds of thousands are without power after Hurricane Laura pummeled Louisiana

A historic Category 4 hurricane struck Louisiana in the early hours of Thursday morning, leaving six people dead and many more unaccounted for. Hurricane Laura ripped through coastal towns, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.

Laura was the strongest storm to hit Louisiana in more than 160 years. The storm plowed through a part of the country that is already grappling with surging numbers of coronavirus cases.

Despite the wreckage, many officials and first responders expressed relief that the devastation and death toll were not as catastrophic as they could have been.

Residents around Lake Charles have been told to stay inside and shelter in place after a chemical fire was ignited in the hurricane's wake. The hurricane also brought down a Confederate monument.

We collected some dramatic photos that show the extent of Laura's damage.

Buildings and homes are flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura near Lake Charles. David J. Phillip / AP.

SNAPSHOTS

The NBA and WNBA games were postponed a second day after teams went on strike over the shooting of Jacob Blake. The decision comes after the Milwaukee Bucks set off a league-wide delay in the playoffs in protest of the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin.

A former "Build the Wall" contractor said the group only paid a fraction of the $8 million tab for a border wall. The contractor told us his company only received $1.5 million before We Build the Wall suddenly pulled back in January, two months after work had started.

As wealthy residents moved in, these business owners found themselves raided by police. Lam Thuy Vo looked into what can happen to local establishments that cater to long-term residents when neighborhoods gentrify and differences between new residents and old — such as noise complaints — are reported to the police.

LESSONS TO LEARN

The H1N1 vaccine is a cautionary tale for the coronavirus

Remember the H1N1flu from 2009? Early reports of a stunning 41% mortality rate triggered a massive race for a vaccine, which was produced in a sprint between April to November of 2009.

Well, now the H1N1 vaccine has emerged as a political talking point in the 2020 presidential election, with the Trump spokespeople claiming that the Obama administration's response had "FAILED," offering it reason to doubt Joe Biden can successfully lead a coronavirus vaccine effort.

The reality is, of course, not that simple: Scientists stress that the comparison is not entirely valid, because of the vast differences between the flu strain and the coronavirus.

Still, as the US prepares an unprecedented national rollout of vaccines, with millions of doses already being manufactured in preparation, the story of the 2009 vaccine — with its low coverage rates and initial shortages followed by oversupply — serves as a cautionary tale for both Joe Biden and President Donald Trump.

A White House nurse prepares to administer the H1N1 vaccine to Barack Obama in December 2009. The White House / Getty Images

LONGREADIN' FOR THE WEEKND

Spend the weekend slowing it down

Audiobooks are — and I can't stress enough — saving my sanity during COVID-19. Our books editor Arianna Rebolini wrote about how being a mother during the pandemic made reading impossible — until she started using audiobooks. She offers some recommendations.

Pussies are the stars of the summer. Lauren Strapagiel writes about how thanks to songs like "WAP," this summer feels like a big step, moving "from merely our accepting pussies to celebrating them in their untameable glory."

How media coverage of Azealia Banks reflects a double standard. I wrote about the long history of the talented rapper being frank about her own mental health issues, and how she is still defined by her social media controversies.

Pause and listen to what your inner voice is telling you today,

Elamin

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📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.

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