Biden reassures Hill Democrats that he will not withdraw amidst party turmoil and declares “it’s time for it to end”
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden sent a letter to congressional Democrats asserting his resolve against calls for him to drop out following his disappointing debate performance. In the two-page letter on Monday, Biden expressed, “the discussion on how to proceed has been thoroughly debated for over a week now. And it is time for it to come to a conclusion.” Biden emphasized that the party’s primary objective is to defeat the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in November. The letter, emanating from his campaign, was dispatched to Democratic legislators as they reconvene in Washington after the July 4 recess.
Biden’s attention transitions to this week’s NATO summit. Nonetheless, concerns about his candidacy may heighten
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to shift his focus this week from campaign activities to hosting a NATO summit. However, this move may not deter the increasingly urgent questions about his precarious political standing that are beginning to engulf his own party. European leaders are due to convene in Washington starting Tuesday to mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary. Biden will conduct a press conference. With Congress resuming its sessions, there will be in-person meetings where Democratic representatives can address apprehensions regarding Biden’s capacity to remain in the presidential race. Despite announcing his commitment to staying in the race, this stance could accentuate the internal discord within the Democratic Party.
Beryl weakens to a tropical storm after making landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane
MATAGORDA, Texas (AP) — After sweeping into Texas as a Category 1 hurricane with torrential rains and intense winds, Hurricane Beryl has deescalated to a tropical storm. The hurricane resulted in power outages affecting 1.5 million residences and businesses as swiftly rising waters triggered street inundation and necessitated rescue operations. On late Sunday, Beryl regained strength and reemerged as a hurricane. The storm had subdued its force after causing destructive ramifications across regions of Mexico and the Caribbean. Authorities in the Houston suburb of Rosenberg cautioned residents to avoid road travel as one of their high-water rescue vehicles was struck by a falling tree while returning from a rescue. FlightAware tracking data indicates over 1,000 flights have been canceled at Houston’s two airports.
Many perish as Russia bombards Ukraine, including a Kyiv children’s hospital
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Reports from Ukraine reveal that a significant Russian missile assault has led to the deaths of at least 31 individuals and injuries to 154 across the country. One missile targeted a large children’s hospital in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, prompting emergency teams to comb through the debris for victims. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced via social media that the Russian onslaught on Monday targeted five Ukrainian cities with over 40 missiles, damaging apartment complexes and public infrastructure. Strikes in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s birthplace in central Ukraine, claimed the lives of 10 individuals and left 47 injured. Authorities stated that seven people lost their lives in Kyiv due to the attack.
Gaza destruction potentially influenced Hamas to soften cease-fire demands, suggest several officials
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Several officials in the Middle East and the U.S. speculate that the extensive devastation in the Gaza Strip resulting from a nine-month Israeli offensive has likely compelled Hamas to relax its terms for a cease-fire agreement. Over the weekend, Hamas seemed to waive its longstanding demand for Israel to commit to ending the conflict as part of any cease-fire arrangement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted on Sunday that military pressure “has prompted Hamas to engage in negotiations.” Recent internal communications seen by The Associated Press reveal messages signed by numerous senior Hamas figures in Gaza urging the group’s exiled political leadership to accept the cease-fire proposal proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden.
France’s Macron retains prime minister for “the stability of the country” post tumultuous election
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected the resignation of the country’s prime minister, urging him to temporarily continue leading the government following the chaotic election outcomes that left the administration in disarray. French voters splintered the legislature among the left, center, and far-right, failing to give any faction a substantial majority required to form a government. The results of Sunday’s vote heightened concerns of potential gridlock for the European Union’s second-largest economy. Macron took a risk by calling for snap elections in hopes of providing France with a “moment of clarity,” yet the results indicated the opposite less than three weeks before the commencement of the Paris Olympics.
Historical discrimination influences heat waves in minority and low-income neighborhoods
NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of Americans are confronting severe heat waves characterized by temperatures persistently exceeding 90 degrees. In major cities, individuals of color and low-income residents are disproportionately impacted by the heat. In New York, Black residents succumb to heat stress at twice the rate of white residents. Advocates and experts attribute this trend to decades of prejudiced housing policies, especially redlining. This practice from the 1930s involved the government assessing neighborhoods’ investment potential based on race and declining mortgages to minority buyers. The classification of minority neighborhoods as hazardous limited resources for generations, deprived those areas of green spaces, and influences how residents currently endure heatwaves.
Kash Patel propagates conspiracy theories and prepares to play a significant role in a prospective Trump administration
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kash Patel, a confidant of Donald Trump and a vehement campaign advocate who extols the former president while propagating conspiracy theories and promoting his personal brand, is positioned to assume a crucial position in the federal government if Trump secures a second term. Patel frequently cites his background as a public defender and federal prosecutor to enhance the credibility of his plan to go after the intelligence community he might oversee one day. Former colleagues of Patel described him as an ambitious lawyer, whose rapid ascent and extreme right-wing stance have left them astonished.
Boeing agrees to a plea deal to evade a criminal trial regarding 737 Max crashes, discloses Justice Department
The Justice Department reveals that Boeing has consented to plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge related to two fatal crashes involving 737 Max aircraft. The decision now rests with a federal judge on whether to accept the plea and a sentence outlined in the aerospace giant’s agreement with U.S. prosecutors. Boeing’s resolution on Sunday followed a week in which the Justice Department presented the company with the ultimatum of either entering a guilty plea or facing a trial. Prosecutors affirmed that Boeing violated a 2021 agreement shielding the company from prosecution earlier. Attorneys representing some relatives of the crash victims indicated they would urge the judge to reject the agreement, with one attorney characterizing it as a “favorable deal.”
Alec Baldwin arrives at the courthouse for a pretrial hearing concerning the fatal shooting of a cinematographer
A judge in New Mexico deliberates on a range of limitations on evidence, testimony, and arguments ahead of a trial involving Alec Baldwin. The actor appeared in court on Monday for a pretrial hearing regarding a single charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Hutchins died in October 2021 when a firearm Baldwin was handling discharged on the set of the Western film “Rust.” Baldwin has pleaded not guilty. Defense attorneys seek to preclude consideration of Baldwin’s additional role as a co-producer, while prosecutors aim to prohibit presentations designed to evoke sympathy for Baldwin as expressing regret.
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