1. Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee for president Tuesday night, a landmark moment in American political history that made complete the celebrity businessman’s unlikely conquest of the party. (PH)
2. The minimum age to buy tobacco in Portland has been raised from 18 to 21 today. The Portland City Council unanimously passed the ordinance last month. The minimum age to possess or use tobacco in Portland will stay at 18. (WMTW)
3. Portland actress Jenny Anastasoff’s face will be seen by a national television audience on Thursday night in a transgender equality campaign spot on the FOX News Channel during the final night of the Republican National Convention. It’s aimed at highlighting the lack of state and federal nondiscrimination protections for transgender people. The commercial shows real-life transgender woman Alaina Kupec being denied access to the women’s restroom by a staff person at a restaurant. Anastasoff plays a sympathetic character greeting Kupec and inviting her into the restroom. (BD)
4. Twitter just made it easier to cop a verified account. There is now an application process. You’ll need a few things though, such as a birthday and a verified phone number, in addition to a website. Those seeking verification are also required to detail, in 500 words or less, why exactly their account deserves this esteemed honor. If your application gets denied the first time, you can always try again with a fresh approach just 30 days later. (Complex)
5. Dictionary.com updated its online database with hundreds of new words on Tuesday, including Pokemon, d-bag, butthurt, and ghosting. Other new words that made the cut include Zika virus, farm-to-table, free-range parenting, manspread, and lumbsersexual. (Time)
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