Summary‍

Kamala Harris unveiled Tim Walz as her vice presidential pick to bolster Democratic support in the Midwest. The DOJ charged Asif Merchant for a failed assassination plot against U.S. officials, including Trump. Hamas named Yahya Sinwar as its new leader, with Israel pledging to eliminate him after his alleged role in the Oct. 7th attack. Boeing is redesigning the 737 Max door plug after a safety failure revealed unsecured bolts. Tropical Storm Debby is causing severe flooding and power outages along the east coast, with significant damage reported in Florida.

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Today's Script

Good morning everybody! My name is Gabe, today is Wednesday, August 7th, and you’re listening to Current2, brought to you by Just Bagels. Let’s get to today’s top stories!

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In Must Know News:

• Kamala Harris made a grand debut of her vice presidential pick, Tim Walz, at a Philadelphia rally. Walz, the governor of Minnesota, is a strategic pick to unify the Democratic Party in midwestern states and bodes well for the November ticket. Harris and Walz will now begin their state tour as they ramp up support for their candidacy. 
• A Pakistani man with ties to Iran was charged by the DOJ for a foiled plot to assassinate U.S. government officials on U.S. soil, including former president Donald Trump. Two in less than thirty days? Trump’s giving Gerald Ford a run for his money! Law enforcement officials reported that they do not believe the man, who has been identified as Asif Merchant, had any ties to Trump’s attempted assassination last month. See, Secret Service, this is how you’re supposed to do your job…
• Hamas announced Yahya Sinwar as the new political head of the militant group following Israel’s assassination of former leader Ismail Haniyeh last week. Sinwar is the man accused of being the mastermind behind the Oct. 7th attack, and Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz labeled him  an “arch-murderer” Tuesday and vowed to eliminate him and “the memory of [Hamas] from the face of the earth.” 
• A Boeing safety executive testified before a federal safety hearing on Tuesday and reported that the company is working on a new design to prevent the nearly fatal blowout of the door plug that occurred on a 737 Max plane on Jan. 5th this year, and get this; according to preliminary investigations results, the bolts that were meant to hold the door in place that day weren’t even attached. Classic Boeing, am I right? 
• If you thought this year’s weather anomalies couldn’t get worse, think again. Tropical Storm Debby is blowing up the east coast, set to hit South Carolina and Georgia with record rainfall and flooding already seen in Florida. The storm hit land on Monday and since then, 5 people have been killed and over 100,000 Florida homes without power and shows no indication of slowing down.  

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That’s all for today, folks. If you liked this episode, make sure to share it with your friends. We hope you have a great Wednesday and thanks again for listening to Current2, the easy way to stay informed!

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Sources:

Harris picks Walz as VP (AP)

Pakistani man charged with foiled assassination plot (CNBC)

Yahya Sinwar announced new Hamas leader (NBC)

Boeing safety exec testifies (CNBC)

Tropical Storm Debby anticipated rainfall (The Hill)