🌍 World’s oldest person dies at 117

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It’s Wednesday, August 21 — here’s what you’ll find in today’s newsletter:

  • Barack Obama’s DNC speech

  • The death of the world’s oldest person at age 117

  • 4 quick hits of news from the last 24 hours

Obama’s DNC speech

Barack Obama spoke on night two of the DNC, offering his endorsement to Kamala Harris. The Guardian says his rousing critique of Trump and praise for Harris energized the crowd.

You can watch the speech here.

A WaPo Op says Obama nailed it: His speech reaffirms his lasting influence on the Democratic Party.

But National Review thinks Obama's speech was just an attempt to capture old “08 magic”: He praised Kamala and Walz -- but conveniently didn't talk about efforts to boot Biden from the ticket.

Still, The Atlantic says Obama's DNC speech was effective: He successfully blended humor and a call for unity.

World’s oldest person dies at 117

Maria Branyas Morera, the world's oldest person, has passed away at 117. NYT says she lived through significant historical events and embraced modern technology.

CBS says she died peacefully in her sleep. Her family wants to remember her for her charity and kindness.

USA Today: Just before she died, she talked about how happy she was. She said she lived a full life and was ready for death.

This Redditor thinks there's something fishy -- people seem to die quickly after earning the world's oldest person title. Must be cursed or something.

1) Dozens killed in Gaza following Israeli strikes, despite Blinken's visit aiming for a truce.

2) After a lengthy manhunt, fugitive Joshua Zimmerman was arrested at a Chicago restaurant following an overnight standoff.

3) Carrington calls out the WNBA for insufficient promo of Connecticut Sun's historic Boston game.

4) Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, ending their two-year marriage.