Former Chicago, Las Vegas mobster Frank Cullotta dies at 81
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Frank Cullotta, a former mobster turned government witness who had a cameo role in the 1995 movie “Casino” and later was a Las Vegas mob museum tour guide, has died. He was 81. The Mob Museum says Cullotta died Thursday in a Las Vegas hospital from coronavirus complications. In “Casino,” he had a bit role as a hitman who carries out several murders. Cullotta arrived in Las Vegas from Chicago in 1979 and later admitted to killing a former friend and grand jury witness suspected of informing on a money exchange scam he was working on.

Trump to give emergency authorization to COVID-19 treatment
By JONATHAN LEMIRE and MIKE STOBBE Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to announce the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients. The announcement to be made Sunday evening comes after days of White House officials suggesting there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease that has upended Trump’s reelection chances. The blood plasma is taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and is rich in antibodies. It may provide benefits to those battling with the disease, but the evidence has been inconclusive as to how it works or how best to administer it.

LAMB STATEMENT ON BIPARTISAN PASSAGE OF THE DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17) statement following the bipartisan passage of H.R. 8015, the Delivering for America Act:

“The Postal Service exists to serve every American, regardless of where you live or what you believe.  This year, many of us will exercise our constitutional right to vote by relying on the Postal Service to deliver our ballots.  The USPS is prepared for this mission, but they need extra support to accomplish it while still meeting the needs of seniors, veterans, small businesses and rural communities.

“The Delivering for America Act provides $25 billion in emergency funding and prohibits the Postal Service from making any changes to service levels that would impede prompt and reliable service.  I was proud to cosponsor and vote for this bill, along with members of both parties, because it is designed to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans.”

Click here to learn more about H.R. 8015.

Democrats see racism in GOP mispronunciations of ‘Kamala’
By SARA BURNETT Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Republicans keep getting Kamala Harris’ name wrong, and Democrats say it’s not a slip-up. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have both mispronounced the Democratic vice presidential candidate’s first name in recent days. Democrats say that’s a deliberate move to suggest Harris is foreign. Harris is the first Black woman named to a major party ticket and the child of Jamaican and Indian immigrants. Harris explains in her biography her first name is pronounced “‘comma-la,’ like the punctuation mark.”

Spruced-up White House Rose Garden set for first lady speech
By JONATHAN LEMIRE Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The renovations to the White House Rose Garden have been finished in time for its moment in the campaign spotlight. First lady Melania Trump will deliver her Republican National Convention speech Tuesday night from the garden, famous for its close proximity to the Oval Office. The three weeks of work on the garden, which was done in the spirit of its original 1962 design, were showcased to reporters on Saturday.

2 tropical storms a potential double threat to US Gulf Coast
By DÁNICA COTO and SETH BORENSTEIN Associated Press
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Two tropical storms are advancing across the Caribbean, posing potentially historic threats to the U.S. Gulf Coast. One is dumping rain on Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, while the other is pushing through the tap between Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Tropical Storms Laura and Marco are both projected to approach the U.S. Gulf Coast at or close to hurricane force. The current, uncertain track would take them to Texas or Louisiana. Hurricane researchers say two hurricanes have never appeared in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time, according to records going back to at least 1900.