On a lighter note...

⚠️ People across the country have received suspicious, unsolicited packages of seed that appear to be coming from China. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is working with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection, other federal agencies, and State departments of agriculture to investigate the situation. USDA urges anyone who receives an unsolicited package of seeds to immediately contact their State plant regulatory official or APHIS State plant health director. Hold onto the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label, until someone from your State department of agriculture or APHIS contacts you with further instructions. Do not plant seeds from unknown origins. The seeds appear to have been shipped from China, and in some cases the envelopes are labeled jewelry or beads.

CANTON, North Carolina — The officer shot early Tuesday morning while responding to a Canton area disturbance call has been identified as Deputy Eric Batchelor, of Haywood County Sheriff's Office. Batchelor is in serious but stable condition after undergoing surgery. In a text message to The Mountaineer, Sheriff Greg Christopher expressed thanks to the community. Law enforcement officers from the Haywood County Sheriff's office and Canton Police department answered a call on Old Asheville Highway early on July 28, where it was reported there was an individual armed with a rifle and shooting. The individual fired at officers and struck a deputy. During the exchange of gun fire, the suspect was struck and died. The deputy is receiving medical treatment. The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. U.S. 29-23 near the scene by Charlie's flea market was still closed to traffic until mid-morning as officers investigated the scene.

Meanwhile, in Russia

National forecast for Wednesday, July 29

Portland on Tuesday witnessed its 62nd consecutive night of protests – with hundreds of demonstrators once again gathering by a federal courthouse and some tossing fireworks – prompting federal officers to launch tear gas to cause them to disperse. This conflict has become a routine occurrence, and several speakers and activists across the street at Lownsdale Park urged crowds not to engage with federal law enforcement because, by doing so, they argue it only further distracts from the Black Lives Matter movement. A crowd of several hundred people would eventually gather along SW Third Avenue, mostly concentrated outside the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse and the Multnomah County Justice Center. People blocked vehicular traffic in the area for several hours. During this time, people in the crowd made speeches, yelled, chanted and banged on the fence surrounding the courthouse, according to a summary of events put together by the Portland Police Bureau.