Pelosi says ‘it’s up to the president’ to decide whether to stay in the race
WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi says it’s up to President Joe Biden to decide whether to continue his reelection campaign. Pelosi’s remarks Wednesday on MSNBC show how unsettled the questions over Biden’s candidacy remain among Democrats, despite Biden’s insistence he is staying in the race. Pelosi of California has been widely watched for signals of how top Democrats are thinking about Biden’s imperiled candidacy. Her comments will be viewed as important for the party’s direction as they weigh possible alternatives in the campaign against Republican Donald Trump. Her remarks come after Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado said Democrats could lose in a landslide to Trump and face a moral choice confronting a potential second Trump presidency.
Actor George Clooney, a high-profile Biden supporter and fundraiser, asks president to leave race
WASHINGTON (AP) — Movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney is adding his voice to calls for Joe Biden to leave the presidential race. Clooney says in a New York Times opinion piece Wednesday that he loves Biden, but the party would lose the presidential race as well as any control in Congress with him as the nominee. Clooney has hosted several high-dollar Hollywood fundraisers and argued the party should pick a new nominee at its convention next month. He says the process would be “messy” but “wake up” voters in the party’s favor.
Israeli military orders the evacuation of Gaza City, an early target of its war with Hamas
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli military has urged all Palestinians to leave Gaza City and head south. The evacuation orders indicated that Israel was pressing ahead with a fresh offensive across the north, south and center of the embattled territory that has killed dozens of people over the past 48 hours. The stepped up military activity came as U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators were meeting with Israeli officials in the Qatari capital, Doha, for talks trying to push through a long-elusive cease-fire deal with Gaza’s Hamas militant group. Israel informed people in Gaza of the evacuation order by dropping leaflets Wednesday urging “all those in Gaza City” to take two “safe routes” south to the area around the central town of Deir al-Balah.
Houston residents stew and swelter after storm Beryl leaves millions without power
HOUSTON (AP) — The return of searing heat in the Houston area has deepened the misery for people still without power after Hurricane Beryl. The storm left residents in search of places to cool off and fuel up Wednesday as the extended outages strained one of the nation’s largest cities. More than 1.7 million homes and businesses in Texas lacked electricity Wednesday morning. That’s down from a peak of over 2.7 million on Monday. State officials faced questions over whether the power utility that covers much of the area had sufficiently prepared. Texas Lt. Gov.  Dan Patrick said that a sports and event complex would be used to hold hospital patients.
Political ads on social media rife with misinformation and scams, new research finds
WASHINGTON (AP) — A deep dive into political ads on Facebook by researchers at Syracuse University has revealed a sprawling web of advertisements that contain misleading information or scams. The work by professor Jennifer Stromer-Galley found ads that promised voters free Donald Trump-themed flags and other merchandise as part of an attempt to get their credit card information. Other ads contained false claims about crime or immigration, or featured deepfakes of celebrities endorsing candidates. As the research shows, weak regulations governing online ads and weak enforcement by tech companies have made online ads a tantalizing way for con artists to target victims.
In swing-state Pennsylvania, a Latino-majority city embraces a chance to sway the 2024 election
READING, Pa. (AP) — In Reading, Pennsylvania, about two-thirds of the city’s 95,000 residents are Latino. Among them is Eddie Moran, a migrant from Puerto Rico who is the first Latino mayor in Reading’s 276-year history. Moran is keenly aware of the pivotal role that communities like his could play in the high-stakes presidential election — especially in a crucial swing state like Pennsylvania. Former President Donald Trump’s campaign recently opened a “Latino Americans for Trump” office in the city. Moran, a Democrat, has made a plea to President Joe Biden to take notice and visit Reading before the election.
UK police are searching for a man with a crossbow after BBC radio commentator’s family is killed
LONDON (AP) — British police have launched a huge manhunt for a man believed to be armed with a crossbow after three women were killed in a house near London. The BBC said the women killed were the family of its main radio racing commentator John Hunt. Hertfordshire Police said Kyle Clifford, 26, was being sought over the suspected triple murder. Police said the three women, ages 25, 28 and 61, were found seriously injured in a house in Bushey, northwest of London, on Tuesday evening. BBC Radio 5 live said the victims were Carol Hunt, wife of its commentator John Hunt, and two of their daughters. Police did not say whether Clifford was connected to the women.
Astronauts confident Boeing space capsule can safely return them to Earth, despite failures
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Two astronauts who should have been back on Earth weeks ago say they’re confident that Boeing’s space capsule can return them safely. NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule early last month. Leaks and thruster failures almost derailed their arrival at the International Space Station, and has kept them there much longer than planned. In their first news conference from orbit Wednesday, the pair said they expect to return once thruster testing is complete here on Earth. They say they’re not complaining about getting extra time in orbit, and are enjoying helping the station crew.
Prosecutor says Alec Baldwin ‘violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety’ in openings at trial
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A prosecutor says Alec Baldwin “violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety” in opening statements at his involuntary manslaughter trial in New Mexico. Prosecutor Erlinda Johnson gave the prosecution’s opening Wednesday. The trial will delve into the confluence of gun safety, high-wattage celebrity and a low-budget Western movie on a remote movie ranch. Baldwin was the lead actor and co-producer on “Rust.” He has pleaded not guilty and says he followed instructions in pointing the gun and didn’t pull the trigger.
Specialists say there are benefits to couples sleeping separately
NEW YORK (AP) — Couples who sleep in separate rooms see no lack of intimacy, only quality sleep. Specialists agree there are benefits to sleeping apart. For couples considering the split, the experts urge people to seek a sleep evaluation. The problem that’s causing chaos may be treatable, such as sleep apnea. While there’s no shame in sleeping apart, technology has helped make sharing a bed easier in some ways. White noise machines, cooling pillows and bedding, mattresses with dual temperature controls and dual control electric blankets can help. Some couples have given up sharing blankets, using their own, to make sleep easier.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
