Trump says he ‘probably’ will debate Harris but can ‘make a case for not.’ Her team says he’s scared
NEW YORK — Donald Trump seems to be backing away from his earlier commitment to debate Vice President Kamala Harris, questioning the value of a meetup and saying he “probably” will debate but he “can also make a case for not doing it” — prompting her campaign to say he’s...
Venezuelan opposition says it has proof its candidate defeated President Maduro in disputed election
CARACAS, Venezuela — As thousands of people demonstrated across Venezuela, opposition candidate Edmundo González announced Monday that his campaign has the proof it needs to show he won the country’s disputed election in which electoral authorities named President Nicolás Maduro the victor. González and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told...
Kari Lake aims to win GOP primary for closely watched Arizona Senate race
PHOENIX — Kari Lake is looking to easily win the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Arizona on Tuesday, setting up a fierce battle against Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego for a seat that could be crucial to deciding Senate control. In Maricopa County, which includes metro Phoenix and 60%...
Harris and Democrats keep calling Trump and Vance ‘weird.’ Here’s why
Vice President Kamala Harris and her Democratic allies are emphasizing a new line of criticism against Republicans — branding Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, as “weird.” Democrats are applying the label with gusto in interviews and online, notably to Vance’s comments on abortion and his...
Despite escalating tension between Israel and Hezbollah, it’s business as usual at Beirut airport
BEIRUT — Fears of an escalation in the simmering conflict between Hezbollah and Israel have prompted some airlines to cancel flights to Lebanon, but business appeared to be proceeding as usual Tuesday at the Beirut airport, where many travelers greeted the warnings with a shrug. Hadi Sharqawi, 24, a Lebanese...
Senate passes bill to protect kids online, make tech companies accountable for harmful content
WASHINGTON — The Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation Tuesday that is designed to protect children from dangerous online content, pushing forward with what would be the first major effort by Congress in decades to hold tech companies more accountable for the harm that they cause. The bill, which passed 91-3, has...
Income gap between Black and white U.S. residents shrank between Gen Xers and millennials, study says
The income gap between white and Black young adults was narrower for millenials than for Generation X, according to a new study that also found the chasm between white people born to wealthy and poor parents widened between the generations. By age 27, Black Americans born in 1978 to poor...
N.C. Gov. Cooper opts out of Harris VP vetting, in part over worry about GOP lieutenant
WASHINGTON — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper opted not to be a candidate in Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate search, two people familiar with the matter said Monday, in part because of concerns that his Republican lieutenant governor would assume control when he travels out of state if he...
Judge hands former NRA head Wayne LaPierre a 10-year ban but declines to appoint monitor
NEW YORK — A New York judge on Monday banned Wayne LaPierre, the former head of the National Rifle Association, from holding a paid position with the organization for a decade, but declined to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the gun rights group. The split decision from Judge Joel...
California firefighters make progress as wildfires push devastation and spread smoke across the WestVideo
FOREST RANCH, Calif. — Firefighters made progress and were helped by improving weather over the weekend in the battle against wildfires covering massive areas in the western United States, but further evacuations have been necessary as thousands of personnel tackle the flames. The Park Fire, the largest wildfire in California...
With DUI-related ejection from Army, Illinois deputy who killed Sonya Massey should have raised flags, experts say
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois sheriff’s deputy charged in the shooting death of Sonya Massey was kicked out of the Army for the first of two drunken driving convictions in which he had a weapon in his car, authorities said, but that didn’t stop multiple law enforcement agencies from giving...
National GOP to spend $1 million toward Ryan Mackenzie in race vs. Susan Wild
State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who is running to unseat U.S. Rep. Susan Wild in the Lehigh Valley’s hotly contested 7th District congressional race, is one of a handful of Republican candidates selected to a National Republican Congressional Committee program, which will spend upward of $1 million to elect him. Mackenzie,...
Term limits for Supreme Court are popular, but would require a constitutional amendment, experts say
WASHINGTON — Term limits for Supreme Court justices are a popular idea, but would require amending the Constitution and would be unlikely to affect the current justices, legal scholars say. On Monday, President Biden endorsed term limits as one of “three bold reforms to restore trust and accountability” in the...
Pennsylvania congressman chosen to lead House task force investigating Trump assassination attempt
WASHINGTON — A Pennsylvania congressman who witnessed the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump firsthand will lead the House task force charged with investigating what went wrong and recommending solutions to help ensure such an attack doesn’t happen again. Republican Rep. Mike Kelly represents Butler County, where the July...
Opening ceremony tableau sparks Olympic flame of controversy
The opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games included many elements of French culture, from musical performances to sports stars. But one particular moment has elicited a firestorm of controversy. Among the performances was a scene set on the Debilly Bridge over the River Seine that included drag queens,...
American flags should be born in the USA now too, Congress says
Soon, Old Glory will have to be born in the land of the free and not merely flying over it. Congress has passed a proposal to require the federal government to purchase only American flags that have been completely manufactured in the U.S. The U.S. imports millions of American flags...
7 people shot, 2 fatally, at a park in Rochester, N.Y.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Two women were killed and five other people were injured when gunfire erupted during a Sunday afternoon barbecue at a park in upstate New York, authorities said Monday. Hundreds of people were at a gathering in Maplewood Park in Rochester when someone opened fire around 6:20 p.m.,...
2 children dead, 11 people injured in stabbing rampage at a dance class in England, police say
LONDON — A teenage boy with a knife attacked a children’s dance and yoga class in northwest England on Monday, killing two children and wounding 11 other people in a “ferocious” rampage that sent bloodied children running into a street to escape the horror, police and witnesses said. A 17-year-old...
Wildfire smoke may be worse for your brain than other air pollution, study says
Wildfire smoke may be worse for brain health than other types of air pollution, according to new research linking it to an increased risk of dementia. The findings, reported Monday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia, come as millions spent the weekend under air quality warnings from wildfires...
Blood test for colon cancer screening is approved by U.S. regulators
WASHINGTON — U.S. health regulators on Monday approved a first-of-its-kind blood test for colon cancer, offering a new way of screening for a leading cause of cancer deaths. Test manufacturer Guardant said the Food and Drug Administration approved its Shield test for screening in adults 45 and older who have...
Netanyahu vows retaliation against Hezbollah after weekend strike as U.S. warns against escalation
MAJDAL SHAMS, Golan Heights — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday vowed heavy retaliation against Hezbollah amid furious diplomatic efforts to prevent a spiral into regional war following a weekend rocket strike that killed 12 children in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Israel has blamed Hezbollah for Saturday evening’s rocket...
Trump agrees to be interviewed as part of an investigation into his assassination attempt, FBI says
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump has agreed to be interviewed by the FBI as part of an investigation into his attempted assassination in Pennsylvania earlier this month, a special agent said on Monday in disclosing how the gunman prior to the shooting had researched mass attacks and explosive devices....
Netanyahu vows retaliation against Hezbollah after weekend strike as U.S. warns against escalation
MAJDAL SHAMS, Golan Heights — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday vowed heavy retaliation against Hezbollah amid furious diplomatic efforts to prevent a spiral into regional war following a weekend rocket strike that killed 12 children in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Israel has blamed Hezbollah for Saturday evening’s rocket...
Iowa now bans most abortions after about 6 weeks, before many women know they’re pregnant
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s strict abortion law went into effect Monday, immediately prohibiting most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. Iowa’s Republican leaders have been seeking the law for years and gained momentum after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v....
At these locations around the world, cats are the star
It’s a tail as old as time. You’re in the right place at the right moment and the next thing you know, you’re living in the White House. That’s what happened to a stray, gray, green-eyed cat named Willow, who turned up at a Joe Biden rally in Pennsylvania in...
