Good morning. It's Thursday, Aug. 27, and the year's biggest storm has rolled into parts of Texas and Louisiana. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Laura Makes Landfall

Hurricane Laura made landfall overnight as a massive Category 4 storm, becoming the most powerful hurricane to make landfall in the US this year. Laura's arrival, almost 15 years to the day Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, prompted evacuation orders for more than half-a-million residents near the Texas-Louisiana border. 

Peak winds near 150 miles per hour were observed with early reports of up to 180 inches of rain in some areas. A life-threatening storm surge—which occurs when heavy sustained winds push water onshore (see 101)—was expected be as high as 20 feet deep at points, stretching at least 40 miles inland. Officials said the extent of destruction won't be known until recovery efforts begin later today, but at least 200,000 were without power as of this morning.

Defying earlier forecasts, Laura rapidly intensified as it passed over warm Gulf of Mexico waters, almost doubling in strength over the past 48 hours. Weakening as it moves inland, models suggest the system will turn eastward, bringing storm conditions to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast over the weekend (see trajectory).

See video from Lake Charles, Louisiana, here.

Suspect in Kenosha Shooting Arrested

A 17-year-old suspect was taken into custody yesterday on homicide charges following a Tuesday night shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which left two dead and one injured. The violence came amid the third night of protests following the Sunday police shooting of Jacob Blake, and followed a tense standoff between protesters and an armed militia protecting a car lot. The suspect, identified as Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch, Illinois, was part of the militia and carried what appeared to be a semi-automatic rifle. Partial video of the incident shows Rittenhouse running from a crowd before falling down, receiving blows, and firing at the crowd multiple times (warning: video contains extremely sensitive content). The full timeline of preceding events is unclear, but suggests Rittenhouse had already shot and killed someone—here is a reconstruction based on available social media uploads. 

Gov. Tony Evers (D) has doubled the number of National Guard present to 500 in an effort to quell the violence, while President Trump has said he will send federal assistance. In sports, a boycott by the Milwaukee Bucks—whose home is 40 miles north—led to the cancellation of all Wednesday NBA and WNBA playoff games. The Milwaukee Brewers also boycotted their MLB game. After three nights of violence, early reports suggest last night saw largely peaceful protests.

State investigators said last night a knife was found on the driver's side floorboard of Blake's car, but that he was otherwise unarmed and had made officers aware of the weapon (it was unclear whether the officer who fired shots was informed). More details are expected to be released in coming days; no charges have been filed.

Separately, a powerful speech by Blake's sister went viral yesterday.

Hong Kong Lawmakers Arrested

Two top lawmakers in Hong Kong have been arrested for their roles in yearlong pro-democracy demonstrations, according to reports yesterday. Officials detained legislators Ted Hui and Lam Cheuk-ting, specifically pointing to their involvement in a protest held in July 2019. Lam was also accused of helping incite violence during the now-infamous Yuen Long MTR incident, when armed masked men—linked to China's Triad crime syndicate—attacked protesters at a city metro. 

The move is the most aggressive yet by city officials, backed by Beijing, to implement a sweeping new national security law in the city. Critics say the overly broad law, which bans seditious and subversive activity, threatens free speech and human rights in Hong Kong. 

In related news, the US leveled sanctions against 24 Chinese companies for their roles in the building out or militarization of disputed areas in the South China Sea.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by Hamama

> Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder accused of sexual harassment by former employees; Snyder denies the allegations (More)

> Riley Gale, lead singer for thrash metal band Power Trip, dies at 34 (More)

> Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” opens overseas, expected to draw more than $25M in first week (More) | Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Creative Director Peter Castro under investigation for sexual assault in Los Angeles (More)

Getting your daily dose of veggies is easy when you have a Hamama Microgreens Kit. Watch your greens grow anywhere in the house, and use code 1440GREENS now for $10 off. #Ad

Science & Technology

> US government announces $1B investment in AI and quantum computing research and development hubs; 12 public-private consortia-based hubs will be established across the federal government (More)

> The CDC alters COVID-19 testing guidance to say people who have been in close contact with an infected person don't necessarily need to be tested; experts criticize the change, say it will be impossible to track asymptomatic spread (More) | See rolling average for new US cases (More) | ... and deaths (More)

> Engineers demonstrate new design for tiny locomotive robots that can be integrated with electronic circuitry; provides path to mass-produced autonomous microrobots (More)

Business & Markets

> US stock markets up (S&P 500 +1.0%, Dow +0.3%, Nasdaq +1.7%), with S&P 500 and Nasdaq closing at fresh all-time highs (More) | TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to depart company (More)

> Apple's new mobile operating system will reportedly require iPhone users to explicitly opt in to allow third-party apps to gather data; expected to severely impact the ability of companies like Facebook to microtarget ads (More) | See Facebook's comments (More)

> SEC expands the definition of an accredited investor, allows individuals with professional experience and knowledge to qualify; move to increase access to private equity and hedge funds (More) | NYSE receives approval from SEC for companies to raise capital via direct listings which provides a less expensive method compared to traditional IPO process (More) | Direct listing 101 (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Vice President Mike Pence speaks during third night of the Republican National Convention, with President Trump set to formally accept the party's nomination tonight (More)

> The only Native American on federal death row executed; Lezmond Mitchell was convicted of killing a 9-year-old girl and her grandmother in 2001 (More)

> Christchurch mass shooter Brenton Tarrant sentenced to life without parole in New Zealand; Tarrant killed 51 and injured 40 in March 2019 mosque shootings (More)

IN-DEPTH

A Massive Earthquake Is Coming to Cascadia

Atlas Obscura | Kaitlyn Schwalje. There's roughly a 10% chance the Cascadia Subduction Zone—which lies underneath the broader Pacific Northwest—will see a major earthquake in the next 50 years. Meet the people working to anticipate it and mitigate the damage. (Read)

What Happened in Room 10?

California Sunday | Katie Engelhart. A look at what went wrong at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington, where 46 senior patients died in one of the country's first major COVID-19 outbreaks. (Read)

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ETCETERA

Visualizing the decline of upward mobility in one chart.

America's beloved dive bars are in a perilous position.

This new Fitbit knows when you need to chill out.

Giant brushstroke paintings reveal the same place at two different times.

Bring prehistoric critters into the home with Google's new app.

Ranking the highest-earning celebs on Cameo.

Notorious B.I.G.'s crown is up for auction.

Same-sex penguin couple hatch an adopted egg.

Clickbait: Stressed elephants to be given medical marijuana. 

Historybook: Krakatoa volcano eruption is largest in recorded history, kills around 40,000 (1883); President Lyndon B. Johnson born (1908); "Guinness Book of World Records" first published (1955); RIP W.E.B. Du Bois (1963); RIP American vaudevillian Gracie Allen (1964).

"The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression."

- W.E.B. Du Bois

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