Hillary Clinton named presidential nominee
Democrats officially named Hillary Clinton as their nominee on Tuesday, making her the first woman to be nominated by a major political party in a presidential race. Her path was smoothed last night by former president Bill Clinton who, in a highly personal address, sought to re-cast his wife as an agent of change and to capitalize on the symbolism of the moment. “This woman has never been satisfied with the status quo in anything,” he said. “Hillary will make us stronger together.” The speech may have established him as more of an asset than a liability for the Clinton campaign.
Bill Clinton makes the case for Hillary in intensely personal speech
When the time came for Hillary Clinton to take the stage, she did so by satellite link from New York, a looming apparition over the party faithful that appeared to the sound of breaking glass following a montage of the 44 preceding male presidents. “I can’t believe we just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet,” she said. “If there are any little girls out there who stayed up late to watch, can I just say: I may become the first woman president, but one of you is next.” Meanwhile, Sanders supporters voiced tepid approval.
Democrats make history as Hillary Clinton is named presidential nominee
‘Mothers of the movement’ come out for Clinton
Nine women who have lost children to gun violence spoke at the Democratic national convention to encourage cooperation and respect between police and communities of colour. The “club of heartbroken mothers” have emerged as a powerful force. “Hillary Clinton isn’t afraid to say black lives matter,” said Lucia McBath, whose son was killed in a dispute over loud music. “She doesn’t build walls around her heart.”
‘Mothers of the movement’ channel black lives lost into support for Clinton
Russian hackers ‘behind DNC leak’
There is an emerging consensus within the Obama administration that Russian hackers infiltrated the data networks of the Democratic National Committee and leaked thousands of internal emails, a senior administration official said, suggesting the code used to execute the data breach points to Russian culprits. However, the source could not “unequivocally” attribute the attack to a “Russian state actor”.
US believes Russian hackers are behind Democratic National Committee leak
Meet the black Americans fighting for gun rights
In a climate of Black Lives Matter protests and the growing white backlash, some pro-gun, pro-second amendment African Americans feel it’s time to pick up arms. We meet the self-defence activist Eric Randall, who leads one of a small but growing number of groups organising and training for the armed self-defence of black areas. “Before it was just the police. But now these guys, these racists, have deputised themselves as the police’s protectors, as if the police need any more fucking protection. It’s chaotic – you can’t let your guard down at all.”
‘It’s a matter of survival’: the black Americans fighting for gun rights
A shipping container infuriates LA residents
Rob Rhinehart, founder of the Soylent meal-substitute drink, put a shipping container atop a hill as part of an experiment in sustainable living. But now the windows are smashed, the walls are covered in graffiti, the solar panels gone. Local residents say the container attracts gangs and frisky couples, while authorities say Rhinehart lacks the correct permit and could face criminal charges. “My home was graffitied and the windows were smashed. That’s my fault? Where are the police?” Rhinehart says.
Soylent CEO’s shipping container home is a ‘middle finger’ to LA, locals say
McDonald’s revenue sinks
Revenue in the fast-food chain fell 4% to $6.26bn in the second quarter, suggesting turnaround efforts have stumbled. Chief executive Steve Easterbrook said global uncertainty had dampened consumers’ appetites. “There is a broader level of uncertainty in consumers’ minds at the moment ... trying to gauge their financial security going forward, whether through elections or through global events,” Easterbrook explained.
McDonald’s revenue sinks as uncertainty eats into consumers’ appetites
The Middle East arms trade exposed
A team of reporters from the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) have discovered that close to $1.3bn dollars’ worth of machine guns, rocket launchers, explosives and other munitions have travelled along a new arms pipeline from Balkans to Syria over the past four years. The arms were sent east from Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Slovakia, Serbia and Romania – and purchases appear to be escalating.
Revealed: the £1bn of weapons flowing from Europe to Middle East
Rio chaos: par for the course but worse
Accommodations are unfinished; the sea is polluted; and there’s the danger of a mosquito-borne virus. The most disorderly run-up to an Olympic games in a long Olympic history of disorganisation? Probably, writes David Goldblatt. “For whatever happens for the 17 days of the Games, however fabulous the spectacular, which it no doubt will be, the disaster has already happened, it is of unprecedented proportions, and it cannot be hidden.”
Rio 2016 buildup part of the chaotic and corrupt tradition of Olympic hosts
The new age of uncertainty
The future right now looks head-spinningly unpredictable. The future is always to some extent uncertain, but never more so than now. “Disruption is the new normal,” says Jonathan Fields, author of Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance. “Now, more than ever, you cannot lock down the future.” But is there anyway to avoid paralysis, fear and anxiety? Stuart Jeffries looks into the matter.
Welcome to the new age of uncertainty
In case you missed it ...
The ALS Association says money raised by the viral ice bucket challenge, a craze in 2014 that involved pouring buckets of ice water over people, has helped identify a new gene associated with the disease. Scores of celebrities, including Mark Zuckerberg, Anna Wintour, Tom Cruise, Charlie Sheen, Robert Downey Jr and hundreds more made videos, but the campaign was criticised by some.
Remember the ice bucket challenge? It just funded an ALS breakthrough
- An email version of this briefing mistakenly said Clinton had accepted the nomination rather than received it.