NOAA/Lafourche Parish Sheriff
The southeastern United States has been bracing for Barry, the slow-moving storm bringing dangerous amounts of rainfall and causing life-threatening flood conditions. See early images of the storm below.
Amazon’s Prime Day event officially begins on Monday, but if you don’t want to wait, select discounts are rolling out as early as this afternoon.
And why critics say a $5 billion fine issued against Facebook is nothing more than a “slap on the wrist.”
Here’s what you need to know in the daily roundup.
TOP STORY: Barry is Moving Slowly & Causing Dangerous Flood Conditions
Barry has been churning along in the Gulf of Mexico and has begun dumping heavy rainfall across the southeastern United States. The National Hurricane Center said Barry continued to pick up strength as it inched closer to the Louisiana coast and was expected to have developed into a hurricane by the time it made landfall. The storm will weaken as it moves further inland.
Flash flood watches and tropical storm warnings are in effect for parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and the western Florida Panhandle. Storm surge is the most serious threat from Barry, with some areas expecting to receive as much as 30 inches of rain. By early Saturday morning, the Coast Guard was already busy rescuing stranded people as water levels rose, and tens of thousands of power outages were reported.
🚨STORM SURGE ALERT🚨 Check out what our field crews are seeing in #Louisiana. #StormSurge is already making its way into portions of the gulf coast. We’ll continue to have updates on-air and online.
#TropicalStormBarry Updates – t.co/VzCYepaAbA
Residents began sharing images and videos of overflowing lakes and rivers, as well as flooded streets on Friday night. See some of those images here. Curious to know where Barry is centered right now? Check out live radar of Barry’s slow-moving progress here.
WHAT’S BUZZING THAT HAS EVERYONE TALKING: Some Amazon Prime Day Deals Actually Begin Today
Amazon
If you’re planning on doing some shopping during Amazon’s Prime Day event, you don’t actually have to wait until Monday. The online retailer is beginning to roll out large discounts this afternoon.
Select deals start kicking in at 3 p.m. ET. Amazon shared in a news release that shoppers can ask their Echo devices, “Alexa, what are my deals” to unlock early discounts.
The official start of Prime Day is Monday morning at 12 am PT / 3am ET. Amazon says new deals will pop up every 5 minutes. Here’s a preview list of some of the items that will be on sale.
Of course, Amazon has plenty of competition. Retailers including Walmart, Target, eBay, Macy’s, Best Buy, and Kohl’s are all holding sales on July 15 and 16 as well.
OFF-BEAT: Facebook’s Value Went Up After Being Hit With a $5 Billion Fine
Facebook reportedly reaches a $5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission t.co/iFYqF6Qps1
Facebook has to pay up for failing to protect people’s personal information on the social media platform. The U.S. government has ordered the tech giant to pay a $5 billion fine related to the Cambridge Analytica controversy. In 2018, the political consulting firm was found to have accessed data from approximately 87 million Facebook users.
The Federal Trade Commission narrowly agreed to the settlement by a vote of 3-2. The Justice Department will now review the settlement and make a final decision about whether it will be enforced.
Critics called the $5 billion fine inadequate. Republican Congressman David Cicilline slammed the settlement, arguing that it was merely a “slap on the wrist.” He wrote on Twitter, “This fine is a fraction of Facebook’s annual revenue. It won’t make them think twice about their responsibility to protect user data.”
Interestingly, Facebook’s value on the stock market increased after the settlement was announced. The Verge pointed out that while $5 billion is large fine, Facebook likely won’t even feel it. The company raked in $22 billion in profits in 2018.
DAILY NEWS ROUNDUP
Getty
- Lights for Liberty vigils were held in more than 700 cities on Friday to call attention to the treatment of immigrants in detention centers.
- Special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony to Congress has been delayed until July 24.
- Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will battle for the Wimbledon championship title on Sunday.
- Simona Halep beats Serena Williams for Wimbledon title.
- The Los Angeles Angels honored late teammate Tyler Skaggs by pitching a no-hitter in last night’s win over the Seattle Mariners. Skagg’s mother, Debbie Hetman, threw the ceremonial first pitch.
- Musician Ed Sheeran has officially confirmed that he has married longtime girlfriend Cherry Seaborn.
CHECK THIS OUT: Video Shows Coast Guardsman Jump Onto Drug-Smuggling Submarine
Keeping America’s maritime borders safe!
Ride along with the crew of the @USCG Cutter Munro as they board a suspected drug-smuggling vessel & seize $569 million worth of contraband while operating in international waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean. #SemperParatus #KnowYourMil
The U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Defense recently shared the above video of a member of the Coast Guard jumping over from a military boat to the top of a submarine! The crew on board the Cutter Munro was chasing after a suspected drug-smuggling submarine.
The team intercepts these types of vessels off the coast of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean, in international waters. During this mission, the team seized $569 million worth of drugs and other contraband. Click here for more about this mission and the Coast Guard’s stepped-up efforts to stop traffickers on the water.
Missed Yesterday’s Roundup? Click here.