From CNN, I'm Fez Jamil with the five things you need to know for Thursday, August 22. Minnesota Governor Tim Walts got to officially introduce himself as a Democrats nominee for Vice President last night. This is a big part about what this election is about. Freedom!
Walts is a two-term governor, but he leaned into earlier portions of his resume at the Democratic National Convention, presenting himself as a former high school teacher, football coach, and hunter. He also used his speech to make the case that Democrats are the party of freedom. When Republicans use the word freedom, they mean that the government should be free to invade your doctor's office. Corporations, free to pollute your air and water.
And banks, free to take advantage of customers. But when we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people that you love. The night also included speeches from former President Bill Clinton, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Oprah Winfrey. Now outside the convention, leaders from the uncommitted national movement held a sit-in after being denied a speaking slot for a Palestinian-American speaker.
They received support from a number of Democratic representatives, though, like Ilhan Omar, Summer Lee, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to suspend his independent campaign for president tomorrow.
Two sources familiar with the plans told CNN is expected to happen at an event in Arizona. Earlier this week, his running make Nicole Shanahan told a podcast interview that the campaign is considering whether to join forces with former President Donald Trump. Talks between the two campaigns are going on, with Trump himself telling CNN on Tuesday that he'd be open to Kennedy playing a role in the future administration, should Kennedy drop out and offer his endorsement. CNN has reached out to the Kennedy campaign for comment.
Several American industries are facing disruption because of a rail shutdown in Canada. That country's two major freight railroad companies say they've shut their operations, locking out 9,000 members of the Teamsters' Union over contract disputes. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging the two sides to quickly find a solution. My message is very straightforward.
It is in the best interest of both sides to continue doing the hard work at the table to find a negotiated resolution. Nearly a third of the freight handled by the two companies crosses the U.S.-Canada border, and depending how long a shutdown goes on for, it could disrupt operations in U.S. industries, including agriculture, auto, homebuilding, and energy. Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are again having to flee after the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders.
Experts say the orders are increasingly affecting aid routes and humanitarian zones. This mother had to evacuate the central city of D'Ihir Al-Bala with her young children. That is so scary. We are defenseless people.
Why are they fighting us? We are not Hamas. We are simply people staying put in our homes. They displaced us not once, but ten times.
This comes as medical authorities in Gaza say 12 people, including women and children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike overnight in the northern part of the Strip. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone yesterday, the two leaders discussed threats from Iran while Biden stressed the need for a ceasefire-dealing Gaza, with Vice President Kamala Harris also joining the call. Coming up, a symbol for equality has passed away at an Australian aquarium. Sven, a male Australian gentoo penguin who became an unlikely global symbol for equality, has died from apparent natural causes at the age of 11.
The aquarium in Sydney where he lived may be an announcement today, saying they are helping his eight-year-old male partner magic process the tragic loss. The couple rose to global fame in 2018 after being spotted waddling around and swimming together before breeding season, becoming parents after they were entrusted to hatch a so-called backup egg given to them by another penguin couple. That's all for now. I'll be back with our next episode, which drops at 9 a.m.
Eastern.