TOP STORIES
(And want to get The Morning Email each weekday? Sign up here.)
TEXAS BRACES FOR ‘LIFE-THREATENING’ HURRICANE HARVEY The storm, which could become the first Category 3 hurricane to make landfall since 2005, is expected to hit late Friday or early Saturday. Residents from nearly the entire Texas Gulf Coast, from Port Mansfield to Sargent, are under hurricane watch for intense rainfall and flooding. Stores in Corpus Christi, Texas, which is directly in the storm’s path, were completely cleaned out as residents were warned by the mayor they were almost at mandatory evacuation status. And here’s why this could be Trump’s first official crisis. [HuffPost] [Tweet | Share on Facebook]
INTERIOR SECRETARY SUBMITS RECOMMENDATIONS ON COUNTRY’S NATIONAL MONUMENTS Ryan Zinke reportedly wants to change several national monuments, but none are being eliminated. The New York Times reported that Bears Ears National Monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and two others could be “reopened for new mining or drilling.” [HuffPost]
ANOTHER SECURITY DETAIL DUST-UP IN COLOMBIA Soldiers have been reassigned after bringing women into a restricted area while they were assigned to protect Vice President Mike Pence. In 2012, 11 Secret Service agents were placed on leave after allegedly hiring prostitutes during a trip to Colombia while on President Barack Obama’s detail. [HuffPost]
WHY YOU SEE CHILDREN IN ISIS PROPAGANDA “Although the use of a purportedly American child is new for ISIS, the video is just the latest in the terror group’s long string of media releases that emphasize the roles of its child soldiers. ISIS has previously disseminated horrific, carefully produced videos of children appearing to commit executions, training to fight and espousing its extremist rhetoric.” [HuffPost]
FORMER HEAD OF SAMSUNG SENTENCED IN SOUTH KOREAN CORRUPTION SCANDAL Jay Y. Lee will be jailed for five years for bribery. [Reuters]
COLORADO DEFENDS ITS LEGAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM In a strongly worded letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. [HuffPost]
WHAT’S BREWING
THE WOMAN MOCKED BY MNUCHIN’S WIFE ON INSTAGRAM HAS WRITTEN HER OWN OP-ED To fire back at Louise Linton’s comment. And an ethics group is now investigating if the pair used the government plane featured in the original Instagram post in order for them to see the eclipse. [HuffPost]
TAYLOR SWIFT IS TAKING NO PRISONERS And coming after the haters in her first single off the new album called “Look What You Made Me Do.” [HuffPost]
WHOLE FOODS IS TRYING TO SHED THE MONIKER OF WHOLE PAYCHECK By cutting its prices, starting Monday. [Reuters]
WOULD YOU QUIT YOUR JOB AFTER WINNING THE LOTTERY? Mavis Wanczyk, 53, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, did just that after winning the $758.7 million Powerball. Don’t worry ― if we won the lottery, we’d still write The Morning Email. Probably. [HuffPost]
THE WAY AMERICANS ARE DRINKING IS CHANGING And experts are concerned. [HuffPost]
SHOUT OUT TO THE 27 STARS YOU FORGOT WERE AT THE 2007 VMAs They look like babies. [HuffPost]
BEFORE YOU GO
India has declared “freedom of sexual expression” a fundamental right.
The Trump staffer responsible for finding positive stories about the president resigned this week.
How many Bernie Sanders voters ended up voting for Trump?
Here’s why Navy ships are hard to spot.
Prepare yourselves for a lot of unfortunate “sexy Jon Snow” costumes this year.
Twitter was not happy with James Cameron after he went after “Wonder Woman.”
The benches cleared three times in this crazy Yankees-Tigers game.
Here’s a bunch of recipes of the one vegetable that Michelle Obama hates.
Of course Ivanka Trump showing off her fan mail did not go well.
We should all have the same level of game that Celine Dion has when someone asks if we’re single.
Find someone who can do push-ups with you like J.Lo and A-Rod (also someone that has a famous abbreviated name).
The potential link between flame retardants and lower fertility rates in women.
This video of a coach forcing a cheerleader who is crying to do the splits has resulted in a child abuse investigation.
“Game of Thrones,” “Westworld,” “The Crown” and “True Detective” all have this one thing in common.
Mapping every road in North America.
We love how badly Channing Tatum almost messed up his proposal to Jenna Dewan.
And here’s how far your housing dollar can take you across the country.