https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/microsoft-is-said-to-be-in-talks-to-buy-tiktok-in-u-s-1.1473931

Bloomberg) – Microsoft Corp. is exploring an acquisition of TikTok’s operations in the U.S., according to a person familiar with the matter.

TikTok, a video-sharing app, is owned by China-based ByteDance Ltd., which has been evaluating changes to its business structure because of the U.S. government’s national security concerns.

President Donald Trump plans to announce a decision ordering Bytedance to divest its U.S. ownership of TikTok, according to people familiar with the matter. The U.S. has been investigating potential national security risks due to the Chinese company’s control of the app. Trump’sdecision could be announced as soon as Friday, said the people.

Microsoft is in talks to purchase TikTok’s U.S. operations, according to the person who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. A spokesman for Microsoft declined to comment.

People do want rule of law

https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/majority-black-and-other-minority-voters-approve-trump-topping-whites-approval

Approval of President Donald Trump’s job performance hit its highest level in more than five months, aided by a majority of Black and other minority voters voicing approval, Rasmussen’s daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday reveals.

The national survey of likely voters shows that 50% approve of Trump, the highest level reached since approval hit 52% on February 27. However, while 39% “strongly approve” of Trump, 43% “strongly disapprove.” Total disapproval was 48%.

A slight majority of Black voters and an even higher percentage of other minority voters approve of Trump, the poll shows.

Among Black voters, 51% said they approve of Trump – topping the president’s 47% approval among Whites. Sixty percent (60%) of voters of all other races said they approve of Trump’s job performance.

I wonder if there is money involved

https://thegrio.com/2020/07/31/colin-kaepernick-anthony-fauci-to-receive-kennedy-human-rights-award/

Colin Kaepernick and Dr. Anthony Fauci will be honored with a prestigious award to acknowledge their accomplishments in social justice and public health.

Both have been named 2020 honorees of the 52nd annual Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Awards reports the New York Daily News. According to a press release, the award “celebrates outstanding leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to social change, recognizing individuals across government, business, advocacy, and entertainment who have utilized their platform for the public good.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/appeals-court-overturns-death-sentence-for-boston-marathon-bomber

The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the death sentence for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the two men responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing.

The court on Friday ordered a lower-court judge to hold a new trial to determine what penalty Tsarnaev should receive.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/murder-hornet-trapped-alive-in-washington-state-for-first-time

A live Asian giant hornet was trapped this week in a promising step for scientists who hope to wipe out the invasive species.

Officials with the Washington State Department of Agriculture announced the capture in a Friday news release. The insect was trapped near Birch Bay in Whatcom County earlier this month, and scientists are already planning what to do when other “murder hornets” are captured.

“This is encouraging because it means we know that the traps work,” said Sven Spichiger, managing entomologist for the department. “But it also means we have work to do.”

Investigators said that the next steps in destroying the population of hornets is to place trackers on captured insects and allow them to head back to their colonies. Once the location of a colony is discovered, it will be systematically wiped out. The department also said it would search for nests using infrared cameras.

Pelosi wants to get everyone stoned

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/510038-pelosi-defends-cannabis-in-coronavirus-response-this-is-a-therapy

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday defended the marijuana provisions in the Democrats' most recent round of coronavirus relief, rejecting suggestions that support for the cannabis industry is unrelated to the public health crisis sweeping the country.

"I don't agree with you that cannabis is not related to this," Pelosi said during a press briefing in the Capitol. "This is a therapy that has proven successful."

Pelosi was responding to a reporter's suggestion that Democrats and Republicans were both pushing provisions in their competing emergency stimulus bills that are extraneous to the deadly pandemic and the economic devastation that it's caused.

The Democrats' $3.4 trillion package, approved by the House on May 15, includes language empowering cannabis businesses and their providers — many of which have remained open during the coronavirus crisis — to work with federally backed banks and insurers.