Thursday morning news - August 13, 2020

Biden formally introduces Sen. Harris in Delaware » Joe Biden made his first appearance with his newly announced running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, on Wednesday. 

BIDEN: We’re all going to watch Senator Harris raise her right hand and swear the oath of office as the first woman ever to serve in the second-highest office in America, in this land. 

For her part, Senator Harris wasted no time going on offense…

HARRIS: America is crying out for leadership. Yet we have a president who cares more about himself than the people who elected him. 

The two appeared together at a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware. 

President Trump brushed off Biden’s VP pick on Twitter. He said Senator Harris—quote—“started strong in the Democrat primaries, and finished weak, ultimately fleeing the race with almost zero support.” He added, “That’s the kind of opponent everyone dreams of!”

Train derailment kills six people in Scotland » The United Kingdom’s first fatal railway crash since 2007 left four people dead and sent six others to the hospital on Wednesday. 

Several of the passenger train’s cars went down an embankment near the coastal town of Stonehaven, Scotland. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters…

JOHNSON: One of the reasons that this accident is so shocking is of course that it is that this kind of accident on the railways is thankfully so rare. But our thoughts are very much with those who have lost their lives, their families, and of course those who have been injured. 

The line was not busy, but the area saw heavy rains and flooding before the derailment. The British transport police and local officials are investigating the cause of the accident. 

Democrats and Republicans no closer to coronavirus relief deal » As the pandemic continues to drag down the economy, Republicans and Democrats remain far apart on a new coronavirus relief bill. President Trump announced several executive actions aimed at providing economic relief after negotiations fell apart on Capitol Hill last week. 

Both GOP and Democratic leaders say they still want to strike a deal. But each side accuses the other of being unwilling to budge. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer:

SCHUMER: Democrats remain ready to return to the table. We need our Republicans to join us there and meet us halfway. 

But Majority Leader Mitch McConnell countered… 

MCCONNELL: It’s been clear for some weeks that the speaker of the House and the Senate Democratic leader are treating this crisis like an ordinary political game. 

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday expressed skepticism that the two sides will hammer out a deal anytime soon. 

Democrats say President Trump’s executive actions, aimed at suspending payroll taxes and extending extra unemployment benefits among other things don’t go nearly far enough. And they question whether the orders can legally take effect. 

Stein Mart files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy » Another major U.S. retailer is filing for bankruptcy protection as pandemic-related hardship continues to hammer brick and mortar retailers. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more. 

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: The discount chain Stein Mart announced that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. And it will close most, if not all, of its nearly 300 stores in 30 states. 

At its peak in 2005, Stein Mart boasted revenue of about $1.5 billion dollars. And it came close to that number as recently as 2014. 

CEO Hunt Hawkins said “The combined effects of a challenging retail environment coupled with the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic” were too much to overcome. 

More than 40 retail chains have filed for bankruptcy this year, including J.C. Penny, Neiman Marcus, and Pier 1 Imports. 

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.  

Britain suffers worst ever economic plunge amid pandemic » Meantime, Britain has suffered the deepest recession among the world’s top economies since the pandemic began. Its economy has shrunk by 20.4 percent in the second quarter alone. That’s the country’s worst quarterly drop on record.  

Rishi Sunak is the U.K. chancellor of the exchequer—that’s the British treasury. He said the pandemic has hit British workers hard. 

SUNAK: Hundreds of thousands of people have already lost their job and sadly, many more will. But I will say to people, although tough decisions lie ahead for all of us, no one will be left without hope or opportunity. 

While many of the lockdown restrictions have been eased, the country faces a tough time in coming months. Unemployment is likely to spike as the government phases out a support program that has effectively kept nearly 10 million workers on company payrolls.

Britain’s recession is deeper than those recorded by comparable economies in Europe, notably Germany, France and Italy, or by the United States.

Big 12 moving ahead with plans for fall season » There may be college football in autumn after all. WORLD’s Sarah Schweinsberg has details. 

SARAH SCHWEINSBERG, REPORTER: Just hours after the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced they’ll wait until spring to resume playing, the Big 12 Conference said Wednesday that it’s moving ahead with plans to play in the fall.

In a statement, Big 12 board chairman Victor Boschini said “Our student-athletes want to compete, and it is the board’s collective opinion that sports can be conducted safely.”

Teams will play a “9-plus-1” schedule, meaning nine conference games and one non-conference game with the conference season beginning September 26th. 

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Sarah Schweinsberg.

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., arrive to speak at a news conference at Alexis Dupont High School in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020. 

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