10 things you need to know today: September 14, 2020

1.

West Coast fire death toll rises to 35

The death toll in the West Coast wildfires rose to at least 35 people on Sunday, with dozens more still missing in Oregon. The fires have burned 4.6 million acres across several states, destroying thousands of homes and other buildings, and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. Most of the devastation has occurred in Oregon, Washington state, and California, where firefighters are battling three of the five biggest wildfires in state history. Fires also have broken out in Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Across the West, 94 major blazes are still burning. Heavy smoke is threatening air quality not just in remote areas where the fires are concentrated, but also in major cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. [CNN, The Associated Press]

2.

Trump holds 1st indoor rally in nearly 3 months

President Trump held his first entirely indoor rally in nearly three months on Sunday in Henderson, Nevada. Trump renewed his attacks against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, criticizing the former vice president's voting record and mental state, and accusing him of waging a "dangerous war on the police." Democratic Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak tweeted that Trump's "reckless and selfish" decision to hold an indoor rally violating the state's ban on gatherings of more than 50 people was "putting countless lives in danger here in Nevada." Biden's campaign said "if Donald Trump cared at all about curbing this virus and protecting the safety of his supporters, he wouldn't hold events like this, but Trump doesn't and he won't." [The Hill, CNN]

3.

Trump, Biden condemn shooting of L.A. County deputies

President Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, on Sunday condemned the shooting of two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, both of whom remained in critical condition a day after they were ambushed in their patrol vehicle in Compton. The attacker was still at large. Trump tweeted that if the deputies die the attacker should face the death penalty. "Animals that must be hit hard!" he wrote. Biden said he and his wife, Jill, were keeping the officers and their families in their prayers. He called the attack "cold-blooded" and "unconscionable" and said the attacker "must be brought to justice." Police and elected leaders urged people in Los Angeles to unite in condemnation of the attack. Anti-police demonstrators gathered outside the hospital where the deputies were being treated. [The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times]

4.

Judge blocks Postal Service from sending vote-by-mail postcard in Colorado

A federal judge on Sunday temporarily blocked the U.S. Postal Service from sending people in Colorado a postcard about voting by mail that the state's top election official said was misleading. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, argued that the mailer had inaccuracies, including a line that said voters must request a mail-in ballot at least 15 days before the election. "For states like Colorado where we send ballots to all voters, the information is not just confusing, it's WRONG," Griswold tweeted on Friday. The Postal Service said it designed the mailer so it would be general, not state-specific, because it intended to send it to every residential and post office box address in the country. [The Wall Street Journal, The Hill]

5.

Israel to impose 2nd nationwide lockdown

The Israeli government on Sunday announced it will impose a nationwide, three-week lockdown starting Friday, the eve of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, to combat rising coronavirus infection numbers. The decision comes before a string of national holidays over the next month, which prompted fears of mass gatherings. The lockdown means people can only venture 500 meters from their homes, and non-essential businesses, including gyms and restaurants, as well as most schools, will close, making Israel the first country to reimpose such severe restrictions on a national scale after implementing a lockdown earlier in the pandemic. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced fierce criticism for re-opening the economy too quickly this spring during the initial phase of the pandemic, said the country's hospitals "raised a red flag" that the health-care system could be overwhelmed if infections continue to rise. [Haaretz, The Guardian]

6.

Tropical Storm Sally expected to hit Louisiana as hurricane

Tropical Storm Sally churned through the Gulf of Mexico early Monday with top sustained winds of 60 miles per hour, threatening to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane before hitting New Orleans or nearby areas in southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday. The storm comes just two weeks after Hurricane Laura hit the state's southwestern coast. Forecasters expected Sally to start hitting the Gulf Coast on Monday with heavy rains, powerful winds, and potentially life-threatening storm surge. Hurricane Paulette in the Atlantic began hitting Bermuda with heavy rains late Sunday. That storm has top sustained winds of 80 miles per hour. Forecasters said it could hit Bermuda with up to six inches of rain and "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions." [NPR]

7.

Afghan, Taliban representatives start direct talks

Afghan government negotiators met Sunday with Taliban representatives to start direct talks toward ending their conflict after two decades. The Trump administration brokered the meetings as part of an effort to withdraw the last troops from what has become the longest war ever for the United States. The agreement to hold direct discussions marked a diplomatic breakthrough but the talks are expected to take months. The Afghan government is calling for an early ceasefire. The Taliban want to establish an Islamic system in the country. "It is important that both sides continue the negotiations patiently until a peaceful solution is found," Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the government delegation, said Sunday in a press conference in the Qatari capital, Doha. [The Wall Street Journal]

8.

Players call attention to racial injustice in NFL Sunday openers

Professional football teams met for the NFL's first full slate of Sunday games in their season, with players kneeling and making other gestures to call attention to racial injustice. Some players stayed off the field during the national anthem and the playing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," often referred to as the Black national anthem. In Atlanta, players wore armbands honoring the late civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), and dropped to one knee and watched the opening kickoff go through the end zone. In Minnesota, the Vikings hosted the family of George Floyd, the unarmed Black man whose death in police custody in May touched off months of protests around the nation. Everywhere except Jacksonville, Florida, the games were played in empty stadiums due to the coronavirus pandemic. [The Associated Press]

9.

Oracle beats out Microsoft in TikTok bidding

ByteDance on Sunday rejected an offer from Microsoft and accepted a bid from Oracle Corp. to take over U.S. operations of the Chinese company's short-video app TikTok. The deal reportedly will not be an outright sale. Instead, Oracle will become TikTok's "trusted tech partner" in the U.S. President Trump, citing concerns that the Chinese government could access user data, has threatened to shut down TikTok unless ByteDance sells its U.S. business to an American company by Sept. 15. The deal with Oracle still must receive approval from the White House and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. TikTok has about 100 million monthly users in the U.S., up from 11 million in early 2018. [The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times]

10.

U.S. Open: Thiem beats Zverev for 1st Grand Slam singles title

Dominic Thiem beat Alexander Zverev in Sunday's U.S. Open final, giving the Austrian tennis player his first Grand Slam title. Thiem was the second seed and is ranked third in the world. Going into the competition, the 27-year-old had lost three consecutive Grand Slam finals. He won on Sunday in five sets, 2-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6 (8-6). Thiem was the first player to take a Grand Slam title after being down by two sets since Argentine Gaston Gaudio at the 2004 French Open. The last person to accomplish such a comeback in the U.S. national championship was American Pancho Gonzales, in 1949. Thiem and Zverev, 23, are longtime friends. "I wish we could have two winners today, we both deserve it," Thiem told Zverev after the match. [BBC News]