Kamala Harris at the DNC, coronavirus outbreak, California wildfires: 5 things to know Wednesday
DNC: Kamala Harris talks to America as the vice-presidential choice
Voters know Kamala Harris as a senator and most recently as a former presidential candidate. But Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention, Harris will get to reintroduce herself as presumptive nominee Joe Biden’s potential second-in-command. Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American person to be on a major party's ticket for vice president, will detail to Americans why she was the best choice for Biden's running mate and why their ticket is the best choice for America. In another DNC speech Wednesday, former President Barack Obama will work to energize Americans — including younger voters — to do everything they can to get Joe Biden elected. DNC speeches will be broadcast from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET on all major television networks.
- Michelle Obama's 'VOTE' necklace goes viral in DNC speech about the importance of voting
- Jill Biden talks of Joe Biden's 'unstoppable' will amid grief: Takeaways from night 2 of the DNC
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UNC-Chapel Hill going online amid COVID-19 outbreaks
Undergraduate courses at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will go remote Wednesday after just one week of in-person classes amid the coronavirus pandemic. Chapel Hill on Monday became the first major university to pivot to online classes after reopening in person after it reported at least four clusters of outbreaks of COVID-19 in student living spaces. The school reported 130 student cases in the past week, a significant increase from the 10 cases it reported on campus in the week leading up to the start of class. Many universities that had planned on bringing students back for the fall semester have canceled or heavily modified those plans in recent weeks. Hundreds are still planning to reopen in person, citing reasons that range from students' wishes to their educational mission to the university's financial situation.
- Should they stay or should they go? UNC students in Chapel Hill try to make sense of coronavirus cancellations
- COVID-19 will hit colleges when students arrive for fall semester. So why open at all? Money is a factor.
Firefighters battle California wildfires amid triple-digit temperatures
An excessive heat warning is in place Wednesday in California as firefighters across the state battle an outbreak of wildfires amid dangerous temperatures that has caused rolling blackouts for residents in some parts of the state. There were at least 20 active fires in the state as of 2 a.m. PDT Wednesday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection — including the Lake Fire in the Angeles National Forest near Los Angeles. The Loyalton Fire has jumped the state's border with Nevada after spawning a rare "firenado" over the weekend. The Weather Service said it may take until Friday or Saturday before excess heat watches and warnings finally ease across the West.
- Brutal heat wave continues in the West, exacerbating wildfires and straining California's power grid
Britney Spears wants to drop her father as sole guardian of her estate
Britney Spears and her father are scheduled to be in court Wednesday for another round in her long, twisty conservatorship case, only this time she wants to drop her father as sole guardian of her estate. According to a court document, "Britney is strongly opposed" to having her father, James "Jamie" Spears, as the sole conservator of her financial affairs. Britney, now 38, has been under a conservatorship since 2008, when her father was appointed her co-conservator along with a lawyer who later resigned. So far, Britney herself has not specifically told the court that she wants to be free of guardianship, although not all documents in probate court are open to the public.
- Why does Britney Spears still have a conservator? Legal expert says her case file suggests answers
Pumpkin spice season is upon us
Nothing quite marks the arrival of fall like Pumpkin Spice Everything, and since everything is weird and time is meaningless in 2020, Dunkin' is bustin' out the punkin' a little early this year. Wednesday marks the official start of Pumpkin Spice Season at participating Dunkin' stores nationwide. They'll be offering up all the pumpkin-flavored coffee, espresso, doughnuts and muffins you can gobble down, plus some special new drinks and treats. What about Starbucks? The coffee giant confirmed in July that they, too, will be bringing back the PSL. But when? Last year, pumpkin pandemonium returned to Starbucks in late August. So, probably soon.
- New treats on the menu: Lattes, pastries, bacon and more.
- Rather make your own? Here's a healthy at-home PSL recipe!
