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Start your Monday smart: Debates, A$AP Rocky trial, NFL preseason, Shark Week

Posted at 2:39 PM, Jul 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-28 16:39:10-04

It’ll be a whirlwind week of politics, with another round of Democratic debates and President Trump hosting a “Keep America Great” rally in Ohio. Here’s what you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

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TODAY

It’s Shark Week! Everyone out of the water: The Discovery channel’s annual week of special shark-themed programming kicks off Sunday and runs through August 4. This year Discovery promises more than 20 hours of new shark stories to make you rethink that surfing trip.

MONDAY

Root for the USA. The 2019 Pan American Games continue this week in Lima, Peru. If you’re sick of baseball and you miss the fiery talents of the US women’s soccer team, tune in when the US Women’s National Water Polo team competes. They’re really, REALLY good.

TUESDAY

More 2020 Democratic debates. The second round of Democratic debates kicks off in Detroit, where 20 presidential candidates will take the stage over two consecutive nights. Among the frontrunners in Tuesday’s lineup are Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren; South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg; and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

A$AP Rocky stands trial. The American rapper’s trial begins in Sweden, where A$AP Rocky is facing assault charges stemming from a June brawl in Stockholm. President Trump, Kanye West and Justin Bieber are just a few of the high-profile Americans who have called for his release.

WEDNESDAY

Trump rallies supporters in Ohio. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence host a Keep America Great rally in Cincinnati. It will be the 29th rally Trump has held in Ohio and the fourth in Cincinnati since he began his campaign for president in June 2015. Given what happened at Trump’s last rally in Greenville, North Carolina, there’s no telling what this week’s event will bring.

Debate Night, Part 2. There will be 10 more candidates onstage in Detroit Wednesday, but the spotlight will be on former Vice President Joe Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris, who sparred repeatedly during the first round of debates last month. Biden has vowed to be more aggressive after Harris put him on the defensive last time.

THURSDAY

NFL preseason kicks off. It’s August, which means football season isn’t far away. The NFL begins its preseason slate with the Denver Broncos battling the Atlanta Falcons in the league’s annual Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.

More British Open golf. Last week was the men. Now it’s the women’s turn. The Women’s British Open golf tournament tees off at the Woburn Golf Club in Milton Keynes, England. Nine of the event’s past 10 champions are expected to compete, including defending champ Georgia Hall. It runs through August 4.

Lollapalooza revs up. The venerable music festivalreturns to Chicago’s Grant Park with four jam-packed days of emerging acts and headliners, including Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, J Balvin and Ariana Grande.

FRIDAY

Puerto Rico’s governor steps down. Embattled Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló says he will resign Friday after massive protests over hundreds of leaked government chats that showed him and members of his inner circle sharing profanity-laced, homophobic and misogynistic messages. Secretary of Justice Wanda Vázquez Garced is expected to succeed him.

Fast, Furious & Idris. Get your weekend crew together for “The Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw,” the first spin-off in the wildly popular action franchise. With Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham and Idris Elba starring, what’s not to love?