Hurricane Laura brings 'destruction everywhere'

USA TODAY: Hurricane Laura brings 'destruction everywhere'

Thursday, August 27

This aerial view shows damage to a neighborhood outside of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Hurricane Laura brings 'destruction everywhere'

Four dead after Hurricane Laura. NBA players decide to continue season. It's Thursday's news.

Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. The CDC walked back controversial COVID-19 testing guidelines. And live from the White House, it's President Donald Trump (tonight at the RNC).

It's Ashley. Let's dive into today's news.

But first, maybe double-check next time? A rare phenomenon could explain why a Michigan woman was mistakenly believed to be dead before funeral home staff realized she was still very much alive.

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4 dead after 'extensive' damage from Hurricane Laura

Hurricane Laura roared ashore on the border of Texas and Louisiana as a Category 4 storm early Thursday, ripping apart buildings, severing power lines and clogging streets with debris as a dangerous storm surge trailed behind. More than 800,000 customers were without power Thursday and at least four deaths had been reported in Louisiana. With sustained winds of 150 mph, Laura's eye made landfall near Cameron, Louisiana, before plowing a path of destruction north toward Arkansas, where the weakened storm was predicted to then curve east through Kentucky and Tennessee by Friday evening. By noon CDT, Laura had become a tropical storm, forecasters said, though they continued to warn of flooding danger and potential tornadoes.

•	Hurricane Laura: Its path, damage and risks ahead.
•	"Destruction everywhere": Photos show Hurricane Laura flooded streets, shredded buildings.
•	Waffle House, known for staying open through even the most intense weather disasters, closed at least 18 locations amid Hurricane Laura.

A cat walks through debris on Thursday in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Gerald Herbert, AP

CDC walks back controversial testing guidelines

The CDC has attempted to clarify recently changed guidelines for COVID-19 testing after backlash from disease experts. The revised guidelines had said people with no symptoms "do not necessarily need a test" – even if they were exposed to an infected person. In a statement, CDC director Robert Redfield said those who come in close contact with a confirmed or probable COVID-19 patient could be tested, even if they don't show symptoms. "Everyone who needs a COVID-19 test, can get a test," he said. "Everyone who wants a test does not necessarily need a test." Where was Dr. Anthony Fauci when the controversial guidelines were made? "I was under general anesthesia in the operating room and was not part of any discussion or deliberation regarding the new testing recommendations," Fauci said.

•	How did your country handle coronavirus? Americans and Brits have the most negative responses.
•	"Help me bring my daddy home": Months after a man died of COVID-19 overseas, his family can't get his remains.

Izzy Galvan, 20, wears a face mask while visiting the Griffith Observatory overlooking downtown Los Angeles, in July.

Jae C. Hong, AP

What everyone's talking about

•	Thousands of people are expected to gather Friday to mark the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington.
•	Speaking of the March on Washington: Did you know that the most iconic part of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech was improvised?
•	Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom welcomed a baby girl, Daisy Dove Bloom.
•	Operation Block Ivanka: "Melania & Me" excerpts reveal battle between the first lady and president's daughter.
•	"Love is ageless": A Florida couple got married at 77 and 82 after meeting in a retirement home.

NBA players decide to continue season

NBA players decided Thursday to try to finish the season restart inside the bubble, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The decision comes after an emotional week in which players struggled with the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, just 40 miles south of Milwaukee, where the Bucks play. On Wednesday, the Bucks decided not to play Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against Orlando, leading to a tumultuous and historic evening in which two other games were not played. Some sports leagues across the country also joined the protest, postponing some or all of their games.

•	Residents in Kenosha helped clean after four nights of protests in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake.
•	Jared Kushner calls NBA players "very fortunate" to take a night off of work and said he will reach out to LeBron James.
•	Tucker Carlson defends vigilante shooter, says he "had to maintain order when no one else would."

July 30, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, USA; Members of the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz kneel together around the Black Lives Matter logo on the court during the national anthem before the start of an NBA basketball game. Mandatory Credit: Ashley Landis/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports

Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

All eyes are on Trump

It's all you, President Donald Trump. Tonight's the grand finale of the Republican National Convention, and Trump is expected to take center stage at the White House to formally accept his party's nomination for president. What we expect to see: Trump defend his record and attack his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden. "We have to win," Trump told Republican delegates Monday after they voted to renominate him. "This is the most important election in the history of our country."

A quick recap: Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said the election will define the country for generations to come. Other speakers, including adviser Kellyanne Conway and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, promoted a law-and-order agenda and tried to appeal to the women voters Trump will need to win reelection.

•	Nancy Pelosi: "I don't think there should be any debates" between Biden and Trump.

Vice President Mike Pence arrives with his wife Karen Pence to speak on the third day of the Republican National Convention at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020.

Andrew Harnik, AP

Real quick

•	Women of the Century, Dolly Parton: "The whole magic about me is that I look artificial, but I'm totally real."
•	Fort Hood Sgt. Elder Fernandes was "humiliated" after reporting sexual abuse, his family's lawyer says.
•	NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps could become first Black woman to live on the International Space Station.
•	How to fix a state economy ravaged by pandemic? Legalize weed, Pennsylvania governor says.
•	Kids' mental health can struggle during online school. Here's how teachers are planning ahead.

Jeff Bezos is on his way to becoming the first trillionaire

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is even richer, once again. The wealth of Bezos, the richest man in the world, has reached an estimated $202 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index — a $57 billion increase just since May. According to Comparisun, Bezos will likely be the world's first trillionaire by 2026. In response to news of Bezos' cash flow, protesters Thursday built a guillotine in front of his Washington residence. Led by former employee Chris Smalls, protesters demanded a $30 minimum wage for Amazon workers.

The world's first trillionaire by 2026 could be Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, according to the company Comparisun.

Getty

A break from the news

•	If Zoom's out, what about WebEx, Google Meet or Skype? We tried them all; here's what we found.
•	The 30 best things to buy from Macy's huge fall sale.
•	Celebrities who welcomed babies in 2020, from Chris Pratt to Cameron Diaz.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.