Nearly two-thirds of Democrats want Biden to withdraw, new AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say President Joe Biden should withdraw from the presidential race and let his party select a different candidate, according to a new poll. It sharply undercuts his post-debate claim that “average Democrats” are still with him even if some “big names” are turning on him. The new survey by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, conducted two weeks after Biden’s debate flop, also found that only about 3 in 10 Democrats are extremely or very confident that Biden has the mental capability to serve as president, down from 40% in an AP-NORC poll from February. The findings underscore the challenges the 81-year-old president faces as he works to silence calls from within his own party to leave the race.
Prominent Democrat Schiff calls for Biden to withdraw: Democrats aim to nominate before convention
WASHINGTON (AP) — California Rep. Adam Schiff has become the highest-profile Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid, as the party pushes ahead with plans to hold a virtual vote to formally make Biden its nominee in the first week of August. That’s before the party’s convention opens in person two weeks later. The move to schedule the roll call vote comes after nearly 20 Democratic members of Congress have called on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race in the wake of his halting debate performance against Republican former President Donald Trump last month. Among Democrats nationwide, nearly two-thirds say Biden should step aside and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Wednesday
House Oversight panel subpoenas Secret Service director to testify on Trump assassination attempt
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee has issued a subpoena to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle compelling her to appear before the committee on Monday for what is scheduled to be the first congressional hearing into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general also says it’s investigating the Secret Service’s handling of security for Trump the day a gunman tried to assassinate him at a Pennsylvania rally. The agency said Wednesday the objective is to evaluate the Secret Service’s “process for securing” Trump’s Saturday event. The Secret Service has said it will participate with congressional committees looking into the shooting.
JD Vance’s first Republican convention will be his national introduction as Trump’s running mate
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance will introduce himself to a national audience as he addresses the Republican National Convention. The Ohio senator’s headlining address on Wednesday will be his first speech as the Republican vice-presidential nominee. This year’s RNC is also the first national convention Vance has attended. He’s a relative political unknown who rapidly morphed in recent years from a severe critic to an aggressive defender of Trump. The 39-year-old Vance is the first millennial to join a major-party ticket, and he joins the race as questions about the age of the men at the top of the tickets — 78-year-old Trump and 81-year-old President Joe Biden — have been high on the list of voters’ concerns.
Judge’s order dismissing Trump classified docs case won’t be final word as long court fight awaits
WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge’s stunning decision to dismiss the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump brought the prosecution to a halt. But it’s hardly the final word. An appeal by special counsel Jack Smith of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s order is expected to tee up a court fight that might reach the U.S. Supreme Court and could result in the reinstatement of the indictment and even conceivably the reassignment of the case to a different judge. There’s no scenario in which a revived prosecution could reach trial before the November election, but Cannon’s order ensures many more months of legal wrangling in a criminal case once seen as the most perilous of Trump’s numerous legal threats. Prosecutors filed a notice of appeal on Wednesday.
US military pier for carrying aid to Gaza will be dismantled after weather and security problems
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military-built pier to carry humanitarian aid to Gaza will be dismantled and brought home, ending a mission fraught with weather and security problems. As the military steps away from the sea route, questions remain about Israel’s plan to use the port of Ashdod as a substitute. There are also concerns about whether aid groups will have enough viable land crossings to get supplies into the territory besieged by the Israel-Hamas war. Critics call the pier a $230 million boondoggle. The military argues it got close to 20 million pounds of supplies to Gaza. The steel pier segments were shipped to the region from an Army base in Virginia.
Syrian official who oversaw prison where alleged abuse took place arrested by US officials
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former Syrian military official who oversaw a prison where human rights officials say torture and abuse took place has been arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of immigration fraud. Court documents show that 72-year-old Samir Ousman al-Sheikh was arrested last week at Los Angeles International Airport. Al-Sheikh was charged with immigration fraud, specifically that he denied in his U.S. visa and citizenship applications that he had ever ordered any political killings or carried out abuse in Syria. He was in charge of Syria’s infamous Adra prison from 2005 to 2008.
Navy exonerates 256 Black sailors unjustly punished in 1944 after a deadly California port explosion
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Navy has exonerated 256 Black sailors found to be unjustly punished in 1944 following a California port explosion that killed hundreds of service members and exposed racist double standards among the then-segregated ranks. At Port Chicago naval weapons station near San Francisco, 5,000 tons of munitions detonated, killing 320 personnel and injuring 390. Black sailors concerned for their safety refused to return to loading bombs without training on how to safely handle the munitions. The Navy punished them. Now, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro has signed paperwork saying the sailors were unjustly tried and convicted, clearing their names. Del Toro signed the paperwork Wednesday, the 80th anniversary of the disaster.
Storms flood the Ozarks and strand drivers in Toronto. New York community is devastated by tornado
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Much of the U.S. and Canada is cleaning up or still dealing with a new wave of severe storms that have caused deaths and damage this week from the Plains to New England. Water rescues and evacuations took place in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and Missouri on Wednesday after as much as 11 inches of rain fell overnight. A confirmed tornado was strong enough Tuesday to move an old B-52 bomber in Rome, New York. Some buildings in Rome are destroyed and streets are clogged with debris. Flooding left drivers stranded around Toronto. The East Coast from Maine to the Carolinas is being warned of dangerous heat.
‘Shogun’ leads all Emmy nominees with 25 and ‘The Bear’ sets comedy series record with 23
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Bear” has gone on a tear at Wednesday morning’s Emmy nominations with a comedy-series record 23, and “Shogun” led all nominees with 25 in a dominant year across categories for FX. “The Bear,” the FX show about a struggling chef and his ramshackle crew, easily topped the 13 nominations it got last year. Shogun” took full advantage of the absence of last year’s top three nominees – “Succession,” “The White Lotus” and “The Last of Us” – to dominate in drama and give FX a leading 93 nominations, The nominations come just six months after the last Emmys, which were delayed by last year’s Hollywood strikes. The Emmys will air on ABC on Sept. 15.
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