5 things to know before August 19: Coronavirus, DNC, USPS, Russia, Mali

The DNC’s second night featured more influential names – and more Republican allies – throwing their support behind nominee Joe Biden. They included former Georgia nominee Stacey Abrams, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former Secretary of State John Kerry, former President Bill Clinton and Cindy McCain. The most discussed part of the evening? A virtual roll call vote in which states show their geographical and cultural diversity, and in which influential figures are featured in the fight for equal rights and progressive values. Alabama celebrated the legacy of the late Rep. John Lewis, and in Wyoming the parents of Matthew Shepard, who was murdered in 1998 for being gay, brought a message of equality from LGTBQ.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has stopped making changes to the U.S. Postal Service that critics claim is slower for the November election – but that’s not the end of the story. It is not clear whether some of the changes, such as the removal of sorting machines, can be overturned before election time, and at least 20 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against possible mail delays. Some are already feeling the effects of the changes, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, which has been forced to find other ways to send mail order presents due to mail delays.

The House Intelligence Committee has released the most comprehensive investigation to date on Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election. The report shows that the Trump campaign welcomes the help of the foreign adversary, and contains new information on contacts between Russian officials and employees of President Trump during and after the campaign. The bilingual report is about the findings that former special adviser Robert Mueller released last year because it was not limited by the questions of crime that drove this probe. It also comes as the intelligence community warns that Russia is once again trying to intervene in the US election process.

Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced his resignation after he and the country’s prime minister were allegedly arrested in a suspected coup. The uprising, presumably led by mutual military leaders, follows months of anti-government mass protests and a growing uprising of Islamist militants. Now the West African nation is likely to face even more instability. Keita announced that he had no choice but to resign, and the country’s national assembly and government would now be dissolved. The military leaders of the coup promised the public a fair political transition and new elections. But for the foreseeable future, they have closed all the borders of land and sea and set a national lock.

Ah yes, just what is needed this year: more destructive forces of nature.

Chatbots will always laugh at your jokes.

Magnolias know heavy, and who does not like a good flower?

Just because you can not go anywhere, does not mean you do not deserve the right to turn off your brain.

That’s how many anti-Asian hate crimes have been reported in New York City since the March 21 pandemic, according to the New York Police Department. The NYPD has created an Asian Hate Crime Task Force to deal with the increase in racist attacks.

Josh Powell, former chief of staff to NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre, explained how the gun group apparently decided to handle the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. Powell is set to publish a tell-all book about his time with the organization.

Can they recognize their own reflection? Are they also capable of crushing identity crises? (Click here to view.)