Donald Trump

Happening Today: Trump, Charlottesville, Teen Overdoses, Obamacare, Elvis, Daniel Craig

What to Know

  • President Donald Trump declared "there is blame on both sides" for the deadly violence last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia
  • The death rate of teens overdosing on drugs more than doubled from 1999 to 2015 with 772 overdose deaths for people 15-19 years old in 2015
  • This year, on the 40th anniversary of rock n' roll icon Elvis Presley's death, it's going to cost fans $28.75 to attend the annual vigil

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Charlottesville to Mourn Woman Killed at Rally in Memorial

Mourners will gather in Charlottesville, Virginia to honor the woman who was killed when a car rammed into a crowd of people protesting a white nationalist rally that descended into violence last weekend. A memorial service for Heather Heyer is scheduled at a downtown Charlottesville theater. Attendees were asked to wear purple, Heyer's favorite color, in her memory. The 32-year-old was a Charlottesville resident and legal assistant whose mother described her daughter as a courageous, principled woman and firm believer in justice and equality. Heyer was among the hundreds of protesters who had gathered in Charlottesville to decry what was believed to be the largest gathering of white supremacists in a decade — including neo-Nazis, skinheads and Ku Klux Klan members. They descended on the city for a rally prompted by the city's decision to remove a Confederate monument.

Combative Trump Goes “Rogue,” Blames “Both Sides” for Virginia Violence

Combative and insistent, President Trump declared "there is blame on both sides" for the deadly violence last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, appearing to once again equate the actions of white supremacist groups and those protesting them. He showed sympathy for the fringe groups' efforts to preserve Confederate monuments. A senior White House official told NBC News that Trump's team went into the public event with the understanding that the president would take no questions. But once in front of reporters, the president "went rogue." The official said members of the team were stunned by the president's actions. The president's comments effectively wiped away the more conventional statement he delivered at the White House a day earlier when he branded members of the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacists who take part in violence as "criminals and thugs." Trump's advisers had hoped those remarks might quell a crush of criticism from Republicans, Democrats and business leaders. But the president's retorts suggested he had been a reluctant participant in that cleanup effort and renewed questions about why he seems to struggle to unequivocally condemn white nationalists.

Obama Tweet in Wake of Charlottesville Breaks Twitter Record

Former President Obama broke a Twitter record with his post quoting Nelson Mandela in the wake of the Virginia violence becoming the most-liked tweet of all time. Obama posted a series of tweets with the quote, the first one paired with a photo of the former president and a group of young children. That first tweet garnered more than 2.8 million likes. It also had more than 1.15 million retweets. The tweet came the day violent clashes broke out at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The day became deadly when someone, allegedly a white nationalist, drove a car into a crowd of counter-protesters. Heather Heyer, 32, was killed and more than a dozen people were wounded.

Teen Drug Overdoses More Than Doubled From 1999 to 2015, CDC Says

The death rate of teens overdosing on drugs more than doubled from 1999 to 2015, NBC News reported. There were 772 drug overdose deaths for people 15-19 years old in 2015, according to the data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is a death rate of 3.7 per 1000,000. By contrast, the death rate in 1999 was 1.6 per 100,000. "For both male and female adolescents, the majority of drug overdose deaths in 2015 were unintentional," the CDC report states, adding that opioids, specifically heroin, were the chief culprits in 2015.

Premiums Will Increase by 20 Percent If Trump Cuts Key Obamacare Funds, CBO Says

The Congressional Budget Office says Obamacare premiums will increase by 20 percent next year and by 25 percent in 2020 — if President Trump ends key federal subsidies to the program. The CBO report released also found that if the administration moves to cut the billions in subsidies to insurers, that would leave about 5 percent of Americans living in areas with no access to individual health care plans. As CNBC reports, Trump has repeatedly threatened to end the billions of dollars in payments to insurance companies that sell individual health plans under the Affordable Care Act. Insurers have warned they will be forced to raise premiums sharply to make up for the loss of cost-sharing reductions payments, or CSRs, if Trump cuts them off.

New $28.75 Charge to Visit Elvis' Grave During Vigil Upsets Fans

For nearly four decades, fans of the late singer Elvis Presley have made a solemn procession past his grave at his Graceland mansion during the annual candlelight vigil commemorating his death, without paying a penny. This year, on the 40th anniversary of the rock n' roll icon's death, it's going to cost them $28.75. Many fans are not happy. Visitors who plan to attend the vigil must have an Elvis Week Property Pass wristband to walk up the long driveway and past the graves where Presley and relatives are buried, Graceland told the Associated Press in a written statement. The $28.75 wristband also provides access to a new $45 million entertainment complex at the Memphis tourist attraction. Graceland, operated by Elvis Presley Enterprises, says it anticipates large crowds and it has updated its security measures for Elvis Week, the annual celebration of Presley's life and career in music and movies. Presley died on Aug. 16, 1977, in Memphis.

Daniel Craig Confirms He'll Be Back as Bond Again

Daniel Craig has delayed the specter of retirement as 007. The British actor has confirmed, as widely expected, that he'll play James Bond in the franchise's next film, due out in 2019. The 49-year old actor told Stephen Colbert on "Late Show" that it will likely be his last time playing 007, and that he hopes to "go out on a high note." Craig has played Bond four times — "Casino Royale," ''Quantum Of Solace," ''Skyfall" and "Spectre." He had previously suggested he wasn't at all that interested being Bond again, saying he would rather "slit his wrists." More recently, he explained on U.S. radio station Magic that he was weighing up "personal decisions."

2nd Defense Attorney Wants Off Bill Cosby's Sex Assault Case

A second lawyer who defended Bill Cosby in his sex assault trial that ended with a deadlocked jury wants off the case before the start of his retrial that's set for November. Los Angeles-based lawyer Angela Agrusa filed documents seeking to withdraw as Cosby's counsel. Lead defense lawyer Brian McMonagle, of Philadelphia, asked to be taken off the case earlier this month. Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill previously set a hearing for Aug. 22 to discuss that request. Agrusa is asking to delay that hearing until Sept. 11. District Attorney Kevin Steele is asking the judge to deny that request, saying it delays justice. The 80-year-old comedian is being retried on charges he drugged and molested Andrea Constand more than a decade ago. Cosby has said it was consensual.

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