5 things to know for July 9: Covid-19, Haiti, voting rights, climate, condo collapse

A nationwide manhunt is underway for people involved in Wednesday’s assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. Authorities say the armed group responsible for his murder were “professional killers” consisting of more than two dozen people, including two Americans and retired members of the Colombian military. Seventeen suspects have been detained; police reportedly killed three suspects in the attack’s aftermath. Crowds took to the streets in the capital of Port-au-Prince last night, burning cars and demanding justice. So far, much public anger has centered on the foreign nationals arrested in connection with the shooting. The assassination leaves a huge power vacuum in Haiti, and the line of presidential succession is murky, with large swaths of the country’s government gutted during Moise’s administration. 

President Biden and Vice President Harris held meetings yesterday to reinforce the White House’s commitment to protecting voting rights. Harris announced a $25 million expansion of the Democratic National Committee’s I Will Vote campaign, which aims to address voter suppression ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Biden met with civil rights groups to discuss voting efforts. His administration has hinted at a major voting rights push, urged by Democrats, after Senate Republicans blocked a sweeping election reform bill last month. Meanwhile, voter restriction efforts in some states continue. The Texas legislature opened a special session and introduced a new restrictive voting bill after state Democrats blocked a similar bill in the regular session.

The historic and deadly heat wave in the Pacific Northwest last month “would have been virtually impossible without the influence of human-caused climate change,” say scientists at World Weather Attribution. And it’s not conjecture. With high-powered computer models, researchers can use decades of observed temperatures to determine what role Earth’s warming played in a heat event. Another heat wave is set to scorch the Southwest this weekend, raising wildfire concerns. The climate crisis has also spurred other frequent extreme weather events like tropical storms, leading thousands of people in vulnerable areas, like the Marshall Islands in the Pacific, to flee to places with less volatile conditions. Speaking of storms, millions in the US are under storm and flood alerts today as Tropical Storm Elsa drags up the East Coast. 

Crews will continue to sift through the vestiges of the Florida condo collapse for as long as it takes to recover the dozens of people still unaccounted for, Surfside’s mayor said. So far, at least 64 people are confirmed dead, and community and faith leaders are at the site to help honor each newfound victim and support grieving families. Rescuers have admitted there is no hope of finding survivors. New questions are arising about urgently needed building repairs that went unaddressed at Champlain Towers South. An independent budget review warned the condo association that its financial reserves were critically underfunded in the face of such repairs just a year ago.

No matter who wins, some long-suffering fan base is going to be very happy.

Will this be the news that finally gets someone to adopt the habit (and stop lying to their dentist about it)?

Legislators are pushing hard for Colby, but what of the mozzarella? The Limburger? The CURDS?

It’s unofficially the world’s third-largest diamond, and ooh, it’s pretty. 

By Jove, it WAS in the ceiling! Or wall space. Either way, somewhere a python definitely shouldn’t be.

That’s how many jobs the pandemic has destroyed in rich countries, according the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The group warned of long-term joblessness as a result.

Cobb County, Georgia, Police Chief Tim Cox, on the investigation into the killing of pro golfer Gene Siller and two others. Police arrested a suspect who they say was the lone shooter. The shooter had no connection to Siller, said police, who are looking into the shooter’s ties to the other two victims.

Your new weekend role model is here: relaxing, splashing and having a great time. (Click here to view.)