Portland Mayor Tear Gassed; Sierra Club Faces Racist History; White Castle's Cooking Robot, Flippy

Plus, baseball’s speedy season kicks off on Thursday. by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up [Federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse protesters this week at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, Ore.]( Noah Berger/AP Here's what we're following today. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was tear gassed Wednesday night by federal agents sent by President Trump to quell unrest in the city, according to [The Associated Press](. Officials in Oregon are suing the Trump administration to get federal troops out of Portland. During an event at the White House on Wednesday, President Trump announced he will deploy federal agents "into communities plagued by violent crime" in [Kansas City, Mo., Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico](. He added the administration has "no choice but to get involved." President Trump on Wednesday placed much of the blame for the swell in coronavirus cases on recent demonstrations against racism and police brutality, ignoring in large part his own large-scale rallies and [his administration's push to reopen]( the national economy before the virus had been fully contained. This year’s “run-don't-walk” Major League Baseball season kicks off Thursday night. Normally it's a 162-game stroll. But the Washington Nationals vs New York Yankees season opener represents the beginning of a 60-game sprint with dramatic differences in place to protect players that might come off as a bit Little League-ish to fans. Can baseball make this season happen [without pulling a metaphorical hamstring]( The ex-Minneapolis police officer accused of kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes before he died has been charged with tax evasion. Prosecutors say Derek Chauvin and his wife [underreported their income]( between 2014 and 2019 by $464,433. The suspected killer of the son of a federal judge in New Jersey may also be involved in the slaying of Marc Angelucci, a men’s rights attorney in California. Police in New Jersey say [Roy Den Hollander]( died by suicide this week, after apparently killing the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listens [The Sierra Club said protests sparked by George Floyd's death led it to re-examine the legacy of founder John Muir and his derogatory remarks about Blacks and Indigenous people.]( Library of Congress A historic icon of the American environmental movement is in the spotlight. John Muir founded the Sierra Club in 1892 in San Francisco. The group's current leader says the ongoing civil rights protests leading to the dismantling of Confederate monuments is causing the Sierra Club to reexamine its own racist history. [Click here to listen]( or [read the story](. President Trump asked the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom to urge British authorities to move the British Open golf tournament to his resort in Scotland. A U.S. diplomat warned Ambassador Robert Wood Johnson IV the request violated ethics rules, but Johnson made the request of U.K. officials anyway. [Click here to listen]( or [read the story](. In 1964, the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov speculated that within 50 years, we would all have robotic kitchens. They'd automatically brew our coffee, toast our bread and fry our bacon and eggs. Well, he wasn't too far off. This month, the White Castle fast-food chain known for its slider-sized burgers said it is hiring a new line cook, Flippy, a kitchen robot that flips patties and cooks fries. [Click here to listen](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [Alfredo Ramos Martínez was regarded as a Father of Mexican Modernism, but his name is not widely known in the U.S. Above is Flores Mexicanas, a painting he worked on for 15 years.]( Dallas Museum of Art - In 1929, the president of Mexico gave aviator Charles Lindbergh a painting by Mexican artist Alfredo Ramos Martínez as a wedding present. NPR's Susan Stamberg has the story of Flores Mexicanas, which [sat in storage]( at the Missouri Historical Society until 2014. It's now the centerpiece of [the Dallas Museum of Art's online show](. - Ten years ago, on July 23, One Direction created the universe. [Read an excerpt]( from Maria Sherman's new book on boy bands, Larger Than Life, about 1D's formation and meteoric rise. - The Tianwen-1 probe roared into space Thursday, carrying China's hopes for [its first successful Mars mission](. - Australia's Qantas Airways has retired its last Boeing 747 with a flourish — [sketching out a giant Qantas kangaroo logo]( off the east coast of Australia. — Suzette Lohmeyer contributed to this report. --------------------------------------------------------------- Follow [The New Normal]( on Instagram! What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [dailynewsletter@npr.org](mailto:dailynewsletter@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. 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