5 things you need to know Wednesday
Trump visits Missouri to talk tax reform
President Donald Trump visits Springfield, Mo., Wednesday where he'll talk about tax reform from the Loren Cook Company, a manufacturer of ventilation equipment. Anti-Trump protests are planned, as are protests of the protests. Republican Rep. Billy Long's spokesman said Trump will highlight the opportunities that businesses will see in growth and stability with the passage of tax reform. Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill said last week: "This is an area on which I'm optimistic President Trump and I will find common ground." On Sunday, Trump tweeted a dig at McCaskill.
Harvey hits land again
Though Houston and up to 50 Texas counties are still reeling from catastrophic flooding, Houston's city council meeting will be held as planned Wednesday. The National Weather Service said Harvey has broken the all-time contiguous U.S. rainfall record from a tropical storm or hurricane. Over 6 million Texans have been impacted by 30 inches or more of rain since Friday. Harvey made its second landfall just west of Cameron, La. early Wednesday, with large amounts of rain expected. Here's how you can help Hurricane Harvey victims.
U.S. Open: Venus takes on Océane Dodin
It’s a hotly-contested race for the women’s tennis world No. 1 ranking at the 2017 U.S. Open, and Venus Williams didn’t even know she had a shot at the top spot. The No. 9-seeded Williams overcame a mid-match lapse against Viktoria Kuzmova on Monday to win her opening match, and she’ll square off with Océane Dodin Wednesday. Entering the week, eight players had a chance to claim the No. 1 ranking, and Williams’ odds increased greatly thanks to a couple early losses, including No. 2-seeded Simona Halep’s loss to Maria Sharapova in the former world No. 1's first Grand Slam match since a drug suspension in 2016. Williams still has some work to do, with No. 1 seed Karolina Pliskova and this year’s Wimbledon champion and No. 3-seeded Garbiñe Muguruza still in the field. Follow USA TODAY Sports for the latest from Flushing, N.Y.
Samsung gets set to introduce new wearables
Hot off of last week's announcement of the Galaxy Note 8, Samsung is back at it with even more new products. The new devices, upgrades to its smartwatch and fitness band lines, are set to be officially announced Wednesday at the IFA electronics show in Berlin and are said to be fitness-focused. One device, the Gear Fit 2 Pro fitness band, has already leaked, revealing a slightly refreshed design and souped-up water resistance that will allow you to track your swimming. Just like the Note 8, the new devices come amid speculation that Apple is planning its own wearable upgrades.Apple is expected to introduce a new Apple Watch at next month's rumored iPhone event.
Another year for the world's oldest film fest
The Venice International Film Festival opens Wednesday. Last year's festival kicked off with La La Land. This year, it's the Matt Damon-Kristen Wiig "dramedy" Downsizing. In addition to what will surely be a number of award season darlings, a 3-D version of Michael Jackson's Thriller video is also on the docket. And all eyes will also be on George Clooney's Suburbicon — as well as the man himself, if he and wife Amal take a break from changing their twins' diapers to grace the red carpet. Here were some of the hottest looks from 2016's red carpet.