Choosing sides in the bathroom. Assessing the damage in Alberta. Sorting it all out in Brazil. It’s Tuesday, and here are the five things you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
1. Canada wildfire
“It was an animal; it was like a fire I’ve never seen in my life.” The words of Regional Fire Chief Darby Allen as he gave reporters a tour of the damage the Fort McMurray wildfire caused. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Whole subdivisions are leveled. The landscape is dotted with charred vehicles. Trees that once lined streets are singed. But there were glimmers of hope: Only 10% of structures (about 2,400) in Fort McMurray were destroyed. And fire fighters managed to save downtown.
2. Brazil politics
Today, in “As the World Turns: Brazil” – The Senate is supposed to vote on President Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment this week. Or maybe not. Yesterday, the acting speaker of Brazil’s lower house said he wanted to annul a vote by the legislative body approving a motion to impeach Rousseff. (With us so far?) The Senate’s president said, nah lower house, we’re going to go ahead and have our vote as scheduled. Then everyone started shouting and arguing and the Senate shut it down for the day. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!
3. Philippines election
Rodrigo Duterte may have just been elected the next President of the Philippines, but he’s already promising to be a dictator — a dictator against evil, that is. Duterte, the mayor of Davao City known for his “jokes” about his sexual conquests and the rape of a missionary, also said this morning he’ll step down in six months if he hadn’t stamped out corruption in the country. How’s that for a guarantee? His victory was all but assured when his closest rivals conceded yesterday, but official election results won’t be released until next month.
4. N.C. bathroom law
In one corner, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory and the state’s controversial bathroom law, which bans people from using public bathrooms that don’t correspond with their biological sex. In the other, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and the Justice Department, which calls the law one big civil rights violation. Yesterday North Carolina sued; the Justice Department counter-sued, and the Great Bathroom Brawl of 2016 is on. Also, the state’s university system — worried about losing federal funding — declared “we’re with the feds.”
5. Religion
We’re out, now do something about it – if you dare. That was the marker laid down yesterday in an online letter by 111 United Methodist clergy members who came out as lesbian, gay or bisexual. That’s in direct opposition to the church’s ban on “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” serving in ministry. Starting today the United Methodists start their General Conference in Oregon, where delegates will debate lifting bans on gay ministers, among other things.
Breakfast Browse
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Quote of the day
“You never have to default because you print the money … OK?”
Donald Trump to CNN’s Chris Cuomo on his genius strategy to deal with the national debt.
Only in Florida
“Do you know why I pulled you over sir?” “No, officer, I don’t. Does it have anything to do with the alligator foot sticking out of my ashtray?”
Book of suppression?
Charges of liberal bias jump from newspapers (cause no one’s reading them) to social media: Facebook’s accused of suppressing trending conservative topics.
Fond farewell
William Schallert, who died Sunday, was loved as much for being Patty Duke’s TV dad as he was for starring in one of “Star Trek’s” most popular episodes.
#PrayForVinny
He grew his hair out for two years so he could donate it to cancer patients. Now 7-year-old Vinny Desautels needs help in his own cancer battle.
Better late than never
The 1983 NCAA men’s basketball national champion — N.C. State — finally got its White House visit yesterday, more than three decades after winning the title.