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TODAY'S HEADLINES:

A massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon’s port area has killed over 70 people and injured hundreds more in the city, which was buffeted by the blast’s enormous shockwave. The cause of the explosion is still unclear.

Meanwhile, some key primary races are heating up, as mail-in ballots continue to be counted in elections in Michigan, Kansas and several other states. But so far, it looks like Rep. Rashida Tlaib has fended off her primary opponent from 2018, back for round two.

And lastly, 13 college football players in one of the most competitive leagues in the country are threatening to sit out the upcoming season unless their schools change inadequate coronavirus policies, taking a bold stand against the powers pushing for unpaid athletes to put on a fall season without the right support.

THESE ARE THE STORIES YOU NEED TO KNOW:

An enormous explosion rocked the city of Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday evening, killing at least 78 people and injuring hundreds more.

The explosion followed a raging fire and smaller blast in the city’s port area, where Lebanese officials said explosive materials had been stored. It’s unclear what the disaster’s initial cause was.

The blast was enormous and its shockwave shattered windows and cracked walls miles away from the epicenter. The area around the port was ravaged, including several hospitals which were so damaged they had to send their existing patients to other centers already overwhelmed by victims of the blast.

The Lebanese government said that a large cache of ammonium nitrate, a chemical compound used to make both fertilizer and explosives, had been stored in the area for years after it was captured. The New York Times reported that an accidental detonation of a large quantity of ammonium nitrate was behind a similar explosion in Texas City, Texas in 1947 that killed 581 people.

President Trump told reporters that his military leaders quote “seemed to think it was an attack” endquote, despite the fact that Lebanese officials had not confirmed or speculated that the blast was deliberate.

Primaries for Tlaib, Kansas, and More

Amidst all this, the U.S. still held primary elections on Tuesday, although with mail-in voting we may not know the results for a few days. Some races are pivotal on a national scale. In Michigan, Rep. Rashida Tlaib faced another primary against her 2018 opponent, Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones.

Tlaib beat Jones by around 900 votes that year, but this year had the weight of the Democratic establishment on her side, despite her outspoken stances as part of the House’s young progressive caucus, and has a pretty commanding lead as votes continue to be counted.

In Missouri, meanwhile, Justice Democrats-backed activist Cori Bush appears to have pulled off a massive upset against 20-year incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay. Clay had the party establishment’s full backing, however, but has been sitting making little waves on a safe House seat that he effectively inherited when his father retired. Bush lost in 2018 by 20 points, but fought to a huge victory, winning by just over 4,600 votes late on Tuesday night.

Some of the Republican primaries are interesting as well. In Kansas, for instance, former Secretary of State Kris Kobach tried to out-Trump his rivals in a contentious Senate primary. Mainstream Republicans were terrified of him winning, because he was a reviled figure that he might put what’s usually a pretty safe seat in danger of going blue in the general. It looks like he’ll fall short of that bid though, as fellow Trump-supporter Peter Meijer is way ahead.

Again, mail in voting means there may not be quick or easy calls to elections like we’re used to. Trump has been railing against the practice for weeks, but abruptly changed his tune when he saw that he was in danger of losing Florida, telling voters to request mail-in ballots and insisting that it was safe in that state. If his lies about election security are fooling anyone, it’s pretty much their own fault at this point.

College Football Players Stage Protest

Across the country, resistance to Republican leaders and greedy college executives alike is coming from an unlikely group: Division 1 football players.

13 players from the PAC-12 conference, one of the largest football leagues in the NCAA, announced on Tuesday that they would opt out of the coming season and refuse to play until their schools had addressed systemic failings in their coronavirus response.

The PAC-12 protest is the latest in a series of developments where organized athletes are punching above their weight to put pressure on their schools and local governments. In Mississippi, governor Tate Reeves announced that he would enact a statewide mask mandate, saying quote: “I want to see college football. The best way for that to occur is for us all to realize is that wearing a mask, as irritating as that can be & I promise I hate it more than anyone watching, is critical.” endquote.

College football! The one power that can actually make Conservatives hellbent on sabotaging themselves see sense.

And remember it’s not just state governments that these players are up against. The Pac-12 protest is more about forcing schools to actually take care of their athletes’ safety, especially considering, you know, they aren’t paid at all for their incredibly valuable labor.

The season itself is completely up in the air, as schools face losing out on one of their biggest revenue drivers if the epidemic doesn’t get under control in their states.

Jaydon Grant, a senior defensive back at Oregon State, did not mince words. Quote:

“The people who are deciding whether we are going to play football are going to prioritize money over health and safety 10 times out of 10.” Endquote.

Here’s hoping that more players start to speak up and actual hold their schools -- and governments -- accountable. In an ideal world, they wouldn’t have to, but that’s where we’re at.

AND NOW FOR SOME QUICKER QUICKIES:

New York City’s health commissioner resigned on Tuesday after a very public clash with hapless mayor Bill de Blasio, citing her quote “deep disappointment” with the mayor’s handling of the virus. Dr. Oxiris Barbot [ox-sear-riss bar-bow] said that De Blasio had not used the city’s quote “incomparable disease control expertise” endquote well enough during the pandemic, which killed more than 20,000 residents.

In a wild, bizarre, and shocking sideshow of an interview with Axios’s Jonathan Swan, President Trump floundered hopelessly when confronted by facts on coronavirus, beefed with the late John Lewis who quote “didn’t attend my inauguration.” His best moment came when he sputtered quote “you can’t do that” when Swan directly refuted his bogus coronavirus claims.

As schools reopen across the country, teachers have had enough. Small but widespread protests took place across the country as teachers used the hashtag #DemandSafeSchools to

protest against in-person teaching. The coming school year spells almost certain suffering for students and teachers alike as the disease continues to ravage most of the country’s states.

And finally, the Republicans appear to be weakening in negotiations on the next coronavirus relief package, as Mitch McConnell said he might be willing to accept an extension of the vital $600 per week unemployment insurance benefits if Democrats would compromise in other areas. It remains to be seen what the final bill will look like, but Congress is running out of time.

That’s all for the AM Quickie today. Stay tuned for the full show this afternoon.

August 5, 2020 - AM Quickie

HOSTS - Sam Seder & Lucie Steiner

WRITER - Jack Crosbie

PRODUCER - Dorsey Shaw

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Brendan Finn