Nation and world news — at a glance — for August 4

San Francisco takes harder line against homeless camps, defying its reputation

NYTimes — Empowered by a Supreme Court decision and encouraged by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor London Breed has vowed to clear homeless encampments this month and has told police they can cite homeless campers for illegal lodging if they refuse shelter. The Police Department told officers Wednesday that they can cite people for violations that include sitting, lying or camping on sidewalks; obstructing people’s ability to walk in public spaces; and creating a public nuisance through conduct “offensive to the senses.” Breed on Thursday directed city officials to offer bus tickets to homeless people before providing them a shelter bed or other services.

Whirlwind Harris veepstakes reaches its most eager phase yet

NYTimes — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker released a nearly four-minute video this week promoting his accomplishments in office. The wife of Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona resurfaced a testimonial about their loving marriage and posted it to social media. And if someone was wondering about fundraising ability, Govs. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Andy Beshear of Kentucky were scheduled to appear at last-minute simultaneous events Monday afternoon. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was also set to do a fundraiser Saturday night in New Hampshire. It is all for an audience of one: Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to announce a running mate by Tuesday.

Shapiro faces scrutiny over sexual harassment complaint against aide

NYTimes — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, on the short list to be Kamala Harris’ running mate, faces renewed criticism for his handling of a sexual harassment complaint against a top aide. The state in September agreed to pay $295,000 to settle the complaint against Michael A. Vereb, then Shapiro’s head of legislative affairs and one of his closest advisers. An employee had accused Vereb of making repeated and graphic sexual overtures and criticizing her job performance after she refused him. Vereb, 57, kept his post for six months after his accuser first alleged misconduct.

Tulsa creates commission on reparations for race massacre

NYTimes — The mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, announced Thursday the creation of a commission tasked with developing a plan for reparations for the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worst racial attacks in U.S. history. The commission will study how reparations can be made to survivors of the massacre and their descendants, as well as residents of North Tulsa. During the 1921 massacre, white mobs burned Greenwood, a prosperous neighborhood, to the ground. As many as 300 Black people were killed, hundreds more were injured and thousands were left homeless. City officials, historians and the courts acknowledge that the massacre has led to generations of racial inequity in Tulsa.

The retirement home for NFL players that never was

NYTimes — In 2014, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced plans for a $500 million development on its campus in Canton, Ohio. Included in the renderings was a senior care facility called Legends Landing. It was intended to serve aging NFL retirees, including those with cognitive diseases researchers have associated with repeated hits to the head. Ten years later, the development, called Hall of Fame Village, has progressed, but the idea seems to have been abandoned. In the place where Legends Landing was supposed to be is an amusement park. The demise of Legends Landing is another example of how the NFL and its partners have grappled with helping former players.

Iran arrests dozens in sweeping investigation into killing of a Hamas leader

NYTimes — Iran has arrested more than two dozen people, including senior intelligence officers, military officials and staff workers at a military-run guesthouse in Tehran, in response to a security breach that enabled the assassination of a top leader of Hamas, according to two Iranians familiar with the investigation. The high-level arrests came after the killing in an explosion early Wednesday of Ismail Haniyeh, who had led Hamas’ political office in Qatar and was visiting Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president and staying at the guesthouse in Iran’s capital.

Terror attack kills at least 32 in Somalia

NYTimes — A suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a hotel in a popular beachfront area in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, before gunmen stormed the building, setting off a four-hour siege that left at least 32 people dead and more than 60 others wounded, police said Saturday. A spokesperson for the Somali police said that officers had killed three attackers who had stormed the beachfront hotel, ending the siege. The militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the deadly assault, which started late Friday. Al-Shabab has been waging an insurgency for more than 17 years and has previously targeted the beach area, Lido.

Outrage in Bangladesh flares after crackdown

NYTimes — Fresh protests roiled Bangladesh on Saturday, just weeks after a deadly government crackdown, as demonstrators returned to the streets in what appeared to be the biggest numbers yet and escalated their demands to include the prime minister’s resignation. In its efforts to break last month’s student-led protests, which started peacefully but turned violent after demonstrators were attacked, the government detained student organizers, rounded up about 10,000 people and accused tens of thousands more of crimes. But the crackdown by the security forces of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — which led to the deaths of more than 200 people — seems to have made many Bangladeshis even angrier and broadened the movement’s scope.

Vietnam president gets a promotion

NYTimes — President To Lam of Vietnam, best known for implementing a sweeping anti-corruption drive, will become the country’s next Communist Party general secretary, the government’s Politburo announced Saturday. General secretary is the top job in Vietnam’s political system of collective leadership, and Lam was named to the post temporarily in July, after the death of Nguyen Phu Trong, who had been general secretary since 2011. The appointment gives Lam the chance to consolidate his position within the party before it holds its congress in 2026 to select the country’s top leaders for the following five years.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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