Trump holds first rally after assassination attempt with his new running mate, Vance, by his side
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) – Republican Donald Trump held his first public campaign rally since he was injured in an assassination attempt, an event in the battleground state of Michigan alongside his new running mate. The joint rally with Ohio Sen. JD Vance on Saturday was the first for the pair since they became the GOP’s nominees at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. After appearing uncharacteristically subdued and emotional during the Republican convention, Trump on Saturday returned to his usual rally mode, insulting his Democratic rivals, repeating his lies about the 2020 election, and peppering his address with jokes that sparked laughter from an enthusiastic audience.
Beyond Biden, Democrats are split over who would be next —VP Harris or launch a ‘mini primary’
WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats are not only split on whether President Joe Biden should quit his reelection race, they’re also not on the same page about what to do if he goes. Some Democrats want the president to tap Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him on the ticket. Other Democrats favor an open process at the party convention next month in Chicago to nominate their candidate, with Harris among those participating. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is among those who favor an open process, her thinking being that whoever emerges as the candidate will be in the strongest position to challenge Republican Donald Trump for the presidency.
Gunman in Trump rally attack flew drone over rally site in advance of event, official says
WASHINGTON (AP) – The gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is believed to have flown a drone around the Pennsylvania rally site ahead of time in an apparent attempt to scope out the site before the event. That’s according to a law enforcement official familiar with the situation. The drone has been recovered by the FBI, which is leading the investigation into last Saturday’s shooting at the rally by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. Details of the drone were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Trump campaign releases letter on his injury, treatment after last week’s assassination attempt
NEW YORK (AP) – Donald Trump’s campaign released an update on the former president’s health Saturday, one week after he survived an attempted assassination at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The memo, from Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served as Trump’s White House physician, offers new details on the nature of the GOP nominee’s injuries and the treatment he received in the immediate aftermath of the attack. According to Jackson, Trump sustained a gunshot wound to the right ear that came “less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear.” He also received a CT scan at the hospital.
Israeli military says it has struck Houthi targets in Yemen in response to attacks
SANAA, Yemen (AP) – The Israeli army says it has struck several Houthi targets in western Yemen following a fatal drone attack by the rebel group in Tel Aviv the previous day. Saturday’s strikes appeared to be the first by Israel on Yemeni soil since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. The Israeli army says a number of “military targets” were hit in the port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold. The army adds that its attack was in response to “hundreds of attacks” against Israel in recent months. A Houthi spokesman says the “blatant Israeli aggression” targeted fuel storage facilities and the province’s power station.
Malicious actors trying to exploit global tech outage for their own gain
As the world continues to recover from massive business and travel disruptions caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, malicious actors are trying to exploit the situation for their own gain. Government cybersecurity agencies across the globe and even CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz warned about phishing schemes that involve malicious actors posing as CrowdStrike employees offering to assist those recovering from the outage. Meanwhile, Microsoft said 8.5 million devices running its Windows operating system were affected by the faulty cybersecurity update Friday that led to worldwide disruptions.
Disneyland workers authorize potential strike ahead of ongoing contract negotiations
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Thousands of workers at Disney’s theme park and resort properties in California have voted to authorize a potential strike, as contract negotiations drag on. The vote was late Friday. The strike authorization was approved by an overwhelming margin, nearly 99% of the members who cast votes, according to a union statement. The election was held by a coalition of four unions, which represents 14,000 Disney ride operators, store clerks, custodians, candy makers, ticket takers and other employees. Union leaders now have the option to call a strike. The company said it was committed to reaching a contract that satisfies workers and positions Disneyland Resort for growth.
Blinken points to wider pledges to support Ukraine in case US backs away under Trump
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) – Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Ukraine is on its way to being able to “stand on its own feet” militarily and more than 20 other countries have pledged to maintain their own military and financial aid to the country even if the U.S. were to withdraw its support under a different president. Blinken for the first time directly addressed the possibility that former President Donald Trump could win the November election and back away from commitments to Ukraine. Trump’s public comments have varied between criticizing the U.S.’s backing of Ukraine’s defense and supporting it.
11 dead and dozens missing after a highway bridge in China crumbles in flooding and heavy storms
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) – Chinese authorities say 11 people have died in the partial collapse of a highway bridge in the country’s northwest following heavy storms and flooding. The official Xinhua News Agency said five vehicles that fell off the bridge have been recovered after the structure in Shaanxi province crumbled at around 8:40 p.m. Friday. It said rescue operations were still underway Saturday, with up to 30 people still missing. Meanwhile, around 30 people are missing and 40 homes were destroyed by storms and flooding in Sichuan province to the southwest.
As a scholar, he’s charted the decline in religion. Now the church he pastors is closing its doors
First Baptist Church of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, plans to hold the last service of its 156-year history on Sunday. It’s among many U.S. churches that close their doors each year. But there’s a poignant twist in this story. First Baptist’s pastor, Ryan Burge, spends much of his time as a researcher, documenting the dramatic decline in religious affiliation in recent decades. With more Americans abandoning religious affiliation, it’s hard to grow and sustain a church, Burge says. He hopes his research, and his personal experience, can provide comfort to other pastors of struggling churches. “This is not all your fault,” Burge tells them.
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