| THE BIG STORY
The National Guard has been deployed to Kenosha, Wisconsin after police shot a Black man who was walking to his car
On Sunday evening, Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was walking away from several police officers. As he opened the car door, an officer grabbed his shirt and shot him several times from behind. Video of the incident was shared widely, and Blake was taken to hospital.
Wisconsin's governor deployed the National Guard to the town of Kenosha, where the police shooting triggered protests overnight. But despite the National Guard, hundreds of protesters took the streets for a second night in Kenosha, demanding justice for Blake.
Local reporters said protesters hurled water bottles at the deputies as officials told the crowd to disperse. Shortly after an 8 p.m curfew, authorities began deploying tear gas at the protesters.
Blake was shot in the back seven times as he got into his car with three of his children inside, according to his family and their attorney. Blake was in stable condition Monday after surgery, his family said.
Morry Gash / AP STAYING ON TOP OF THIS Two highlights from the Republican National Convention
Last night, the RNC kicked off the first of four nights of speeches meant to rally the party around President Donald Trump. Two stories you should know:
👉 Sen. Tim Scott broke with the rest of the convention speakers: in a night of mostly chaotic messaging, Scott delivered a largely positive address that likely introduced the South Carolinian to the country — and introduced one possible post-Trump future.
👉 The couple who pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters came to the Republican convention to fear-monger about the suburbs. Patricia and Mark McCloskey insisted that Democrats want to “abolish the suburbs all-together,” in a brazen, thinly-veiled racist attempt to win over a crucial voting bloc for Donald Trump.
SNAPSHOTS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy could not answer a question about the price of a postcard stamp. During a Congressional hearing, DeJoy could not answer several other questions about the agency he was recently appointed to run. (Also, the answer is: 35 cents).
Jerry Falwell Jr. is reportedly resigning as president of Liberty University. The massively influential evangelical Christian and vocal supporter of President Trump is reportedly in the process of resigning from the university his father cofounded, after a summer of bad press.
A Facebook executive who shared an anti-Muslim post has apologized to employees. Ankhi Das expressed regret in an internal Facebook post — but some Muslim employees think the company needs to go further.
The Office cast left the sweetest comments on Jennifer Garner’s video of her emotional response to finishing the show. Garner, who just finished watching the show for the first time, posted a tearful video reacting to the finale, and the show’s cast responded with love.
Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica. Instagram THE HIGH COST OF CHEAP PHONES Chinese-made smartphones are secretly stealing money from people around the world
The Chinese company Transsion makes Tecno and other low-priced smartphones for the developing world. Since releasing its first smartphone in 2014, the upstart has grown to become Africa’s top handset seller, beating out Samsung and Nokia.
These smartphones can be priced as low as $30. But the low cost comes with a high price: an investigation by Secure-D, a mobile security service, and BuzzFeed News, found that these phones could come with software embedded in the phone — right out of the box — that drains data while trying to steal the user’s money.
It’s the latest example of how cheap Chinese smartphones take advantage of the world’s poorest people. Security concerns about Chinese apps and hardware have focused on potential back doors in Huawei’s 5G equipment.
But as Craig Silverman reports, an overlooked threat is the consistent presence of malware on cheap smartphones from Chinese manufacturers and how it exacts a digital tax on people with low incomes.
AN ABSOLUTE LEGEND A 4-year-old has become a dance icon on TikTok for not moving a single muscle during a dance recital
A 4-year-old named Charlie has earned legend status after she refused to dance one single move during a recent dance performance.
The instantly iconic video shows Charlie standing there in a tutu and a mask for six minutes straight, and for song after song.
Her mom, Tiffany Cosby, told BuzzFeed News about the conversation she had with Charlie after: “I asked her, ‘Charlie why didn’t you dance in the beginning?’ And she goes, ‘There were a lot of people.’” Honestly: same energy.
I know it's hard to remember gratitude, but I hope it's a little easier today, Elamin P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (Monthly memberships are available worldwide). 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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