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Trump will accept GOP nomination at RNC, give first speech after assassination attempt
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Donald Trump takes the stage Thursday at the Republican National Convention to accept his party’s nomination again and give his first speech since he was cut off mid-sentence by a flurry of gunfire in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.Trump’s address will conclude the four-day convention in Milwaukee. He appeared each of the first three days with a white bandage on his ear, covering a wound he sustained in the Saturday shooting.Democratic Sen. Jon Tester called President Biden to drop out of the presidential raceThe Montana senator is up for reelection this year, hoping to hold onto Democrats’ only congressional seat in the state.“I have worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong,” Tester told the Daily Montanan. “And while I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term.”He is the second Democratic senator to call for Biden to exit the race. Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont called for Biden to step down earlier this month.Tucker Carlson says ‘everything was different’ after the attempted assassination of Donald TrumpFormer Fox News host Tucker Carlson says that he called Trump hours after Saturday’s assassination attempt and the former president didn’t talk about himself.“He said only how amazed he was and how proud he was of the crowd that didn’t run,” Tucker recounted. “Of course, they didn’t run; his courage gave them heart.”Carlson also said that Trump didn’t try to create division after the attack. “He turned down the most obvious opportunity to inflame the nation,” Carlson said. Carlson suggested that Trump went through a “transformation” after the assassination attempt at a Trump political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.Referring to the shooting, Carlson said, “Everything was different after that moment.” Carlson said he first noticed the “transformation” when Trump, surrounded by Secret Service agents on the stage and with blood running down his face, raised his fist in the air after the shooting. Carlson said that Trump “was no longer just a political party’s nominee, or a former president or a future president. This was the leader of a nation,” Carlson said. Country singer Jason Aldean greets Trump at the conventionHow much Trump loves music has come up several times in Thursday’s speeches, and he’s got a country star with him in the box.Jason Aldean is seated with Trump for the RNC’s final night. He and his wife, Brittany, shook hands with Trump and have been spotted speaking with him during the program.Aldean, a Trump supporter, dedicated his song “Try That in a Small Town” to Trump during a recent concert in Nashville following the Pennsylvania assassination attempt.Last year, the music video for the song — which became that summer’s political litmus test — received fervent criticism online, with some claiming the visual is a “dog whistle” and others labeling it “pro-lynching.”In the video, Aldean performed in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, the site of a 1946 race riot and a 1927 mob lynching of an 18-year-old Black teenager named Henry Choate.‘Every attack on President Trump only strengthens our movement,’ Trump attorney and adviser saysAlina Habba, Trump’s attorney and adviser, offered a humanizing portrait of Trump, a man she said “loves this country” and “lifts up those around him.”She told the story of being on the phone with him outside a courthouse when a man on the street yelled, “God Bless you and President Trump!” She said Trump overheard the man and asked her to hand over the phone so he could thank him personally for his support.“The left has tried to demolish Trump, but there is no bulldozer big enough or strong enough to remove the legacy that he has built or the future he has created,” she said, adding, “Every attack on President Trump only strengthens our movement.”She also talked about Saturday’s failed assassination attempt.“So let us not forget that President Trump did not just take a bullet in Butler, Pennsylvania. He has and will continue to take them for each and every one of us.”RNC video uses Ronald Reagan quote from 1980 presidential debateA video that played at the RNC before conservative media personality Tucker Carlson took the stage evoked the voice of late former President Ronald Reagan.The video used Reagan’s words made famous during the 1980 presidential debate against former President Jimmy Carter: “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?”In the video, Reagan asked voters to “ask yourself” if it was “easier” to buy products at the grocery store, if unemployment numbers have risen or fallen, if America is “as respected throughout the world as it was,” and if the nation feels more or less secure than it was four years prior.New York builders attest to Trump’s personal characterNew York builders father and son Steven and Zach Witkoff were among speakers meant to serve as witnesses for Trump as a friend and employer.The former president’s persona has been well-defined after a term in office and a highly public profile since leaving office.The father and son vouched for Trump as a boss and a grandfather.“I have witnessed his leadership in quiet moments,” Steve Witkoff said. “When times are really tough, when he has everything to lose and nothing to gain, Donald Trump is there for you.”Describing pain that was “unbearable,” Steve Wifcoff told of Trump’s outreach after the man’s son died of an opioid overdose.“That’s who he is,” Steven Witcoff said.In a passionate speech, a Detroit pastor speaks in favor of TrumpThe pastor of a Black church in Detroit that Trump visited last month has suggested that the former president came to his congregation to listen and learn.“Could it be that Jesus Christ preserved him for a time such as this?” Lorenzo Sewell, a Detroit pastor, proclaimed, as thousands of delegates cheered and rose to their feet.Sewell made repeated Biblical references, and reminded the crowd that Trump “came to the hood because he cares about average everyday Americans.”Sewell also made several references to the assassination attempt, saying that “if President Donald Trump would have moved just a millimeter,” he would not have been at the convention.Addressing his “Democrat friends,” Sewell asked if they knew of anyone who had been “convicted of 34 counts, raised 53 million dollars in 24 hours and could be the 47th president of America — and he was shot one time. Do you know anybody like that?”Senators night in Trump’s family boxA group of Trump’s most loyal allies in the Senate are seated in the former president’s exclusive box at the RNC on Thursday night. Sens. Mike Lee, Bill Hagerty, and Ted Cruz are filling the seats ahead of the arrival of Trump’s family for his highly anticipated speech. Some Senate hopefuls are also lounging in the area, including Nevada GOP candidate Sam Brown.Donald Trump arrives for the fourth night of the RNCAfter a video montage of the former president dancing at various events to The Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.,” Donald Trump arrived for the fourth night of the convention.With a bandage still covering his ear, Trump entered the floor of the arena to thunderous applause.Trump will speak later as he formally accepts the party’s nomination.Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo takes RNC stageFormer Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is highlighting the foreign policy accomplishments of Trump’s administration, saying, “We put America first every single day.”Pompeo also lashed out at Biden for the disastrous pullout from Afghanistan and blamed him for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Gaza’s attack on Israel.“We can’t trust the Biden administration,” he said.Pompeo, who also served as Trump’s CIA director and represented Kansas in Congress, considered challenging Trump this year for the GOP nomination. But he decided to stay out of the race, saying the time was not right for him and his family. Down the block from the RNC, dozens gather to mourn two deadDown the block from the RNC, about 50 family members and supporters of two Milwaukee men recently killed in separate circumstances rallied and marched to call attention to the two deaths.The event focused on the death of Samuel Sharpe, a homeless man fatally shot Tuesday by out-of-state police officers deployed to Milwaukee for the RNC, as well D’Vontaye Mitchell, who died last month after he was pinned down by security guards at a nearby hotel.The deaths of the two men, both of whom were Black, has inflamed tensions within the city, with Sharpe’s killing in particular focusing scrutiny on the law enforcement approach to the convention.Speaking to dozens of protesters and a phalanx of reporters, Angelique Sharpe attributed her brother’s death to the presence of out-of-state police officers.“I’d rather have the Milwaukee police department who know the people of this community (than) people who have no ties to your community and don’t care nothing about our extended family members down there,” she said.Police officials said Sharpe was shot by five Columbus, Ohio, police officers who spotted him lunging at another man with two knives.At the rally, Angelique Sharpe said her brother suffered from multiple sclerosis and was acting in self-defense against a person who had threatened him in recent days.Professional wrestling and other stars present at RNCThere was some star power as the events of the fourth night of the RNC kicked off. Professional wrestling fans recognized a couple of familiar faces as wrestling icon Hulk Hogan was at the convention. Additionally, Linda McMahon, who is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), spoke from the stage, appealing to small business owners and others. McMahon, who is married to former WWE CEO Vince McMahon and served in Trump’s cabinet as the U.S. administrator of the Small Business Administration, spoke of her long friendship with the former president, who appeared in several WWE storylines over the years. “He is a good man. He has the heart of a lion and the soul of a warrior,” Linda McMahon said. “I believe if necessary he would stand at the gates of hell to defend our country.”Hogan and Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White were expected to speak at the event, and musician Kid Rock was also set to perform.NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty was also seen at the convention Thursday.‘Everyday American’ is GOP-backing billionaireOne of the “everyday Americans” speaking on behalf of Trump’s campaign is a former Playboy model who’s been listed among the country’s wealthiest self-made women.Wisconsin native Diane Hendricks told delegates how she started off as a single mom who got into real estate, met her husband and “risked everything we had” to start ABC Supply.Their company is the largest wholesale distributor of roofing supplies and one of the largest distributors of siding and windows in North America, with nearly 700 locations across the U.S. and Canada.Hendricks talked about the tens of thousands of jobs she’s helped create in the U.S. and told aspiring entrepreneurs, “if I can make it, you can make it, too.” She also lauded Trump’s business acumen as what the country needs.She’s been a big backer of GOP candidates both in her home state and elsewhere. Forbes lists her estimated net worth above $20 billion.New York builders attest to Trump personal characterNew York builders father and son Steven and Zach Witkoff were among speakers meant to serve as witnesses for Trump as a friend and employer.The former president’s persona has been well-defined after a term in office and a highly public profile since leaving office.The father and son vouched for Trump as a boss and a grandfather.“I have witnessed his leadership in quiet moments,” Steve Witkoff said. “When times are really tough, when he has everything to lose and nothing to gain, Donald Trump is there for you.”Describing pain that was “unbearable,” Steve Wifcoff told of Trump’s outreach after the man’s son died of an opioid overdose.“That’s who he is,” Steven Witcoff said.RNC speeches open with an appeal to voters in swing statesIn the first speech of the night, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana who is also the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, tried to appeal to voters in states where key Senate races are taking place this year. The GOP has been using the convention to appeal to swing state voters in hopes of retaining control of the House of Representatives and taking back control of the U.S. Senate.Daines attempted to appeal to voters in states like Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, Ohio and Montana.Trump says he’s rewritten his remarksRepublicans throughout the week in Milwaukee have suggested the combative former president take a gentler tone in light of the shooting and have suggested the crisis provides a chance to de-escalate the divisive political rhetoric that has marked the 2024 campaign.Trump told the Washington Examiner that he had rewritten his acceptance speech in the wake of the Saturday shooting, emphasizing a call for national unity.“The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” he said. “Had this not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches,” aimed mostly at the policies of President Joe Biden.“Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now,” he said.Any such dialing down by Trump will come before a delegation, many of whom have been moved by Trump’s own defiant words in the grasp of U.S. Secret Service agents Saturday, and have sparked their echo in the form of chants of “fight, fight, fight.”“I do believe that after going through that his message will be better, and I do think he will appeal to our better emotions,” Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Lawrence Tabas said. “He has an enormous compassion and empathy that doesn’t always come through.”Trump’s family will be at RNC, but not everyone will speakUnlike most national conventions, Trump’s wife Melania and daughter Ivanka who both spoke at the previous two conventions are not expected to address the convention but are expected to attend.Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, ended the program Tuesday with a speech about Trump’s personal warmth and love for his family. The final day of the RNC is underwayTrump’s moment of survival has shaped the week, even as convention organizers insisted they would continue with their program as planned less than 48 hours after the shooting. Speakers and delegates have repeatedly chanted “Fight, fight, fight!” in homage to Trump’s words as he got to his feet and pumped his fist after Secret Service agents killed the gunman. And some of his supporters have started sporting their own makeshift bandages on the convention floor.Speakers throughout the week have attributed Trump’s survival to divine intervention and paid tribute to victim Corey Comperatore, who died after shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire at the rally.“Instead of a day of celebration, this could have been a day of heartache and mourning,” Trump’s vice presidential pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, said in his speech to the convention on Wednesday. Video below: Vice president nominee JD Vance addresses delegates at RNC The convention has tried to give voice to the fear and frustration of conservatives while also trying to promote the former president as a symbol of hope for all voters.The convention has showcased a Republican Party reshaped by Trump since he shocked the GOP establishment and won the hearts of the party’s grassroots on his way to the party’s 2016 nomination. Rivals Trump has vanquished — including Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — put aside their past criticisms and gave him their unqualified support.Even Vance, Trump’s pick to carry his movement into the next generation, was once a fierce critic who suggested in a private message since made public that Trump could be “America’s Hitler.” Notable speakers for RNC Day 4:Eric TrumpSen. Steve Daines, chair of the National Republican Senatorial CommitteeRep. Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional CommitteeDiane Hendricks, a billionaire who is the co-founder of ABC SupplyLinda McMahon, the 25th administrator of the Small Business AdministrationFormer Secretary of State Mike PompeoSteve Witkoff, a businessman and developerAlina Habba, Trump’s attorneyTucker CarlsonDana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship
MILWAUKEE —

Donald Trump takes the stage Thursday at the Republican National Convention to accept his party’s nomination again and give his first speech since he was cut off mid-sentence by a flurry of gunfire in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump’s address will conclude the four-day convention in Milwaukee. He appeared each of the first three days with a white bandage on his ear, covering a wound he sustained in the Saturday shooting.

Tucker Carlson says ‘everything was different’ after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump

During his remarks on Night 4 of the RNC, conservative media personality Tucker Carlson suggested that Donald Trump went through a “transformation” after the assassination attempt at a Trump political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

Referring to the shooting, Carlson said, “Everything was different after that moment.”

“This convention is different, the nation is different, the world is different. Donald Trump is different,” he said.

Carlson said he first noticed the “transformation” when Trump, surrounded by Secret Service agents on the stage and with blood running down his face, raised his fist in the air after the shooting.

“He was no longer just a political party’s nominee, or a former president or a future president, this was the leader of a nation,” Carlson said.

Carlson praised Trump for not lashing out in anger after the shooting.

“He did his best to bring the country together,” Carlson said. “This is the most responsible, unifying behavior from a leader I’ve ever seen.”

RNC video uses Ronald Reagan quote from 1980 presidential debate

A video that played at the RNC before conservative media personality Tucker Carlson took the stage evoked the voice of late former President Ronald Reagan.

New York builders attest to Trump’s personal character

New York builders father and son Steven and Zach Witkoff were among speakers meant to serve as witnesses for Trump as a friend and employer.

The former president’s persona has been well-defined after a term in office and a highly public profile since leaving office.

The father and son vouched for Trump as a boss and a grandfather.

“I have witnessed his leadership in quiet moments,” Steve Witkoff said. “When times are really tough, when he has everything to lose and nothing to gain, Donald Trump is there for you.”

Describing pain that was “unbearable,” Steve Wifcoff told of Trump’s outreach after the man’s son died of an opioid overdose.

“That’s who he is,” Steven Witcoff said.

In a passionate speech, a Detroit pastor speaks in favor of Trump

The pastor of a Black church in Detroit that Trump visited last month has suggested that the former president came to his congregation to listen and learn.

“Could it be that Jesus Christ preserved him for a time such as this?” Lorenzo Sewell, a Detroit pastor, proclaimed, as thousands of delegates cheered and rose to their feet.

Sewell made repeated Biblical references, and reminded the crowd that Trump “came to the hood because he cares about average everyday Americans.”

Sewell also made several references to the assassination attempt, saying that “if President Donald Trump would have moved just a millimeter,” he would not have been at the convention.

Addressing his “Democrat friends,” Sewell asked if they knew of anyone who had been “convicted of 34 counts, raised 53 million dollars in 24 hours and could be the 47th president of America — and he was shot one time. Do you know anybody like that?”

Senators night in Trump’s family box

A group of Trump’s most loyal allies in the Senate are seated in the former president’s exclusive box at the RNC on Thursday night. Sens. Mike Lee, Bill Hagerty, and Ted Cruz are filling the seats ahead of the arrival of Trump’s family for his highly anticipated speech. Some Senate hopefuls are also lounging in the area, including Nevada GOP candidate Sam Brown.

Donald Trump arrives for the fourth night of the RNC

After a video montage of the former president dancing at various events to The Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.,” Donald Trump arrived for the fourth night of the convention.

With a bandage still covering his ear, Trump entered the floor of the arena to thunderous applause.

Trump will speak later as he formally accepts the party’s nomination.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo takes RNC stage

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is highlighting the foreign policy accomplishments of Trump’s administration, saying, “We put America first every single day.”

Pompeo also lashed out at Biden for the disastrous pullout from Afghanistan and blamed him for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Gaza’s attack on Israel.

“We can’t trust the Biden administration,” he said.

Pompeo, who also served as Trump’s CIA director and represented Kansas in Congress, considered challenging Trump this year for the GOP nomination. But he decided to stay out of the race, saying the time was not right for him and his family.

Down the block from the RNC, dozens gather to mourn two dead

Down the block from the RNC, about 50 family members and supporters of two Milwaukee men recently killed in separate circumstances rallied and marched to call attention to the two deaths.

The event focused on the death of Samuel Sharpe, a homeless man fatally shot Tuesday by out-of-state police officers deployed to Milwaukee for the RNC, as well D’Vontaye Mitchell, who died last month after he was pinned down by security guards at a nearby hotel.

The deaths of the two men, both of whom were Black, has inflamed tensions within the city, with Sharpe’s killing in particular focusing scrutiny on the law enforcement approach to the convention.

Speaking to dozens of protesters and a phalanx of reporters, Angelique Sharpe attributed her brother’s death to the presence of out-of-state police officers.

“I’d rather have the Milwaukee police department who know the people of this community (than) people who have no ties to your community and don’t care nothing about our extended family members down there,” she said.

Police officials said Sharpe was shot by five Columbus, Ohio, police officers who spotted him lunging at another man with two knives.

At the rally, Angelique Sharpe said her brother suffered from multiple sclerosis and was acting in self-defense against a person who had threatened him in recent days.

Professional wrestling and other stars present at RNC

There was some star power as the events of the fourth night of the RNC kicked off.

Professional wrestling fans recognized a couple of familiar faces as wrestling icon Hulk Hogan was at the convention. Additionally, Linda McMahon, who is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), spoke from the stage, appealing to small business owners and others.

McMahon, who is married to former WWE CEO Vince McMahon and served in Trump’s cabinet as the U.S. administrator of the Small Business Administration, spoke of her long friendship with the former president, who appeared in several WWE storylines over the years.

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS
Former administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon speaks during the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024. Donald Trump will get a hero’s welcome Thursday as he accepts the Republican Party’s nomination to run for US president in a speech capping a convention dominated by the recent attempt on his life. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

“He is a good man. He has the heart of a lion and the soul of a warrior,” Linda McMahon said. “I believe if necessary he would stand at the gates of hell to defend our country.”

Hogan and Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White were expected to speak at the event, and musician Kid Rock was also set to perform.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty was also seen at the convention Thursday.

‘Everyday American’ is GOP-backing billionaire

One of the “everyday Americans” speaking on behalf of Trump’s campaign is a former Playboy model who’s been listed among the country’s wealthiest self-made women.

Wisconsin native Diane Hendricks told delegates how she started off as a single mom who got into real estate, met her husband and “risked everything we had” to start ABC Supply.

Their company is the largest wholesale distributor of roofing supplies and one of the largest distributors of siding and windows in North America, with nearly 700 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Hendricks talked about the tens of thousands of jobs she’s helped create in the U.S. and told aspiring entrepreneurs, “if I can make it, you can make it, too.” She also lauded Trump’s business acumen as what the country needs.

She’s been a big backer of GOP candidates both in her home state and elsewhere. Forbes lists her estimated net worth above $20 billion.

New York builders attest to Trump personal character

New York builders father and son Steven and Zach Witkoff were among speakers meant to serve as witnesses for Trump as a friend and employer.

The former president’s persona has been well-defined after a term in office and a highly public profile since leaving office.

The father and son vouched for Trump as a boss and a grandfather.

“I have witnessed his leadership in quiet moments,” Steve Witkoff said. “When times are really tough, when he has everything to lose and nothing to gain, Donald Trump is there for you.”

Describing pain that was “unbearable,” Steve Wifcoff told of Trump’s outreach after the man’s son died of an opioid overdose.

“That’s who he is,” Steven Witcoff said.

RNC speeches open with an appeal to voters in swing states

In the first speech of the night, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana who is also the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, tried to appeal to voters in states where key Senate races are taking place this year.

The GOP has been using the convention to appeal to swing state voters in hopes of retaining control of the House of Representatives and taking back control of the U.S. Senate.

Daines attempted to appeal to voters in states like Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, Ohio and Montana.

Trump says he’s rewritten his remarks

Republicans throughout the week in Milwaukee have suggested the combative former president take a gentler tone in light of the shooting and have suggested the crisis provides a chance to de-escalate the divisive political rhetoric that has marked the 2024 campaign.

Trump told the Washington Examiner that he had rewritten his acceptance speech in the wake of the Saturday shooting, emphasizing a call for national unity.

“The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” he said. “Had this not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches,” aimed mostly at the policies of President Joe Biden.

“Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now,” he said.

Any such dialing down by Trump will come before a delegation, many of whom have been moved by Trump’s own defiant words in the grasp of U.S. Secret Service agents Saturday, and have sparked their echo in the form of chants of “fight, fight, fight.”

“I do believe that after going through that his message will be better, and I do think he will appeal to our better emotions,” Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Lawrence Tabas said. “He has an enormous compassion and empathy that doesn’t always come through.”

Trump’s family will be at RNC, but not everyone will speak

Unlike most national conventions, Trump’s wife Melania and daughter Ivanka who both spoke at the previous two conventions are not expected to address the convention but are expected to attend.

Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, ended the program Tuesday with a speech about Trump’s personal warmth and love for his family.

The final day of the RNC is underway

Trump’s moment of survival has shaped the week, even as convention organizers insisted they would continue with their program as planned less than 48 hours after the shooting. Speakers and delegates have repeatedly chanted “Fight, fight, fight!” in homage to Trump’s words as he got to his feet and pumped his fist after Secret Service agents killed the gunman. And some of his supporters have started sporting their own makeshift bandages on the convention floor.

Speakers throughout the week have attributed Trump’s survival to divine intervention and paid tribute to victim Corey Comperatore, who died after shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire at the rally.

“Instead of a day of celebration, this could have been a day of heartache and mourning,” Trump’s vice presidential pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, said in his speech to the convention on Wednesday.

Video below: Vice president nominee JD Vance addresses delegates at RNC

The convention has tried to give voice to the fear and frustration of conservatives while also trying to promote the former president as a symbol of hope for all voters.

The convention has showcased a Republican Party reshaped by Trump since he shocked the GOP establishment and won the hearts of the party’s grassroots on his way to the party’s 2016 nomination. Rivals Trump has vanquished — including Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — put aside their past criticisms and gave him their unqualified support.

Even Vance, Trump’s pick to carry his movement into the next generation, was once a fierce critic who suggested in a private message since made public that Trump could be “America’s Hitler.”

Notable speakers for RNC Day 4:
- Eric Trump
- Sen. Steve Daines, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
- Rep. Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee
- Diane Hendricks, a billionaire who is the co-founder of ABC Supply
- Linda McMahon, the 25th administrator of the Small Business Administration
- Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
- Steve Witkoff, a businessman and developer
- Alina Habba, Trump’s attorney
- Tucker Carlson
- Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship
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July 18, 2024
RNC Day 3: JD Vance, Trump’s pick for VP, will introduce himself to a national audience

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Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance will introduce himself to a national audience Wednesday as he addresses the Republican National Convention.The Ohio senator’s headlining address will be his first speech as the Republican vice-presidential nominee. He’s a relative political unknown who rapidly morphed in recent years from a severe critic of Trump to an aggressive defender.Vance, 39, is positioned to become the next potential leader of the former president’s political movement, which has reshaped the Republican Party and busted many longtime political norms. The first millennial to join a major party ticket, he joins the race when 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.Trump, as the presidential nominee, is expected to speak Thursday, the convention’s final night.Vance is expected to lean into his biography, as someone who grew up in hardscrabble Kentucky and Ohio and became a Marine, an Ivy League graduate, a businessman and a bestselling author with his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” The book exploring his blue-collar roots made him a national name when it was published in 2016 and was seen as a window into some of the cultural forces that propelled Trump to the White House.Vance, though, was a harsh critic of Trump at the time, referring to him in interviews as “noxious” and someone who “is leading the white working class to a very dark place.” He even once referred to him as “America’s Hitler.”Video below: Former Donald Trump rivals take stage at RNC on Day 2He began warming to Trump over the years, especially as he sought in 2022 to run for the U.S. Senate. Vance won Trump’s endorsement, which helped him secure the party’s nomination for the Ohio Senate seat.Vance has become one of Trump’s most aggressive defenders as the former president has sought the office a third time, sparring with journalists, campaigning on his behalf and appearing with the candidate at his trial in New York.In his first interview after accepting Trump’s offer to join the ticket, Vance sought to explain his metamorphosis. Vance said in a Fox News Channel interview Monday that Trump was a great president and changed his mind.“I think he changed the minds of a lot of Americans, because again he delivered that peace and prosperity,” Vance said.Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son and a close friend of Vance, is also slated to speak Wednesday, according to a person close to Trump Jr. who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official speaking schedule has yet to be released.Beyond Vance’s prime-time speech, the Republican Party intends to focus on a theme of American global strength.Republicans contend that the country has become a “global laughingstock” under Biden’s watch and are expected to make a case Wednesday hitting on their theme to “Make America Strong Once Again.” That’s expected to include Trump’s “America First” foreign policy that redefined relationships with some allies and adversaries.Democrats have sharply criticized Trump — and Vance — for questioning U.S. support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion.

MILWAUKEE —

Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance will introduce himself to a national audience Wednesday as he addresses the Republican National Convention.

The Ohio senator’s headlining address will be his first speech as the Republican vice-presidential nominee. He’s a relative political unknown who rapidly morphed in recent years from a severe critic of Trump to an aggressive defender.

Vance, 39, is positioned to become the next potential leader of the former president’s political movement, which has reshaped the Republican Party and busted many longtime political norms. The first millennial to join a major party ticket, he joins the race when 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.

Trump, as the presidential nominee, is expected to speak Thursday, the convention’s final night.

Vance is expected to lean into his biography, as someone who grew up in hardscrabble Kentucky and Ohio and became a Marine, an Ivy League graduate, a businessman and a bestselling author with his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” The book exploring his blue-collar roots made him a national name when it was published in 2016 and was seen as a window into some of the cultural forces that propelled Trump to the White House.

Vance, though, was a harsh critic of Trump at the time, referring to him in interviews as “noxious” and someone who “is leading the white working class to a very dark place.” He even once referred to him as “America’s Hitler.”

Video below: Former Donald Trump rivals take stage at RNC on Day 2

He began warming to Trump over the years, especially as he sought in 2022 to run for the U.S. Senate. Vance won Trump’s endorsement, which helped him secure the party’s nomination for the Ohio Senate seat.

Vance has become one of Trump’s most aggressive defenders as the former president has sought the office a third time, sparring with journalists, campaigning on his behalf and appearing with the candidate at his trial in New York.

In his first interview after accepting Trump’s offer to join the ticket, Vance sought to explain his metamorphosis. Vance said in a Fox News Channel interview Monday that Trump was a great president and changed his mind.

“I think he changed the minds of a lot of Americans, because again he delivered that peace and prosperity,” Vance said.

Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son and a close friend of Vance, is also slated to speak Wednesday, according to a person close to Trump Jr. who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official speaking schedule has yet to be released.

Beyond Vance’s prime-time speech, the Republican Party intends to focus on a theme of American global strength.

Republicans contend that the country has become a “global laughingstock” under Biden’s watch and are expected to make a case Wednesday hitting on their theme to “Make America Strong Once Again.” That’s expected to include Trump’s “America First” foreign policy that redefined relationships with some allies and adversaries.

Democrats have sharply criticized Trump — and Vance — for questioning U.S. support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion.

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July 17, 2024
RNC to focus on immigration a day after a bandaged Trump makes triumphant entrance
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Two days after surviving an attempted assassination, former President Donald Trump appeared triumphantly at the Republican National Convention’s opening night with a bandage over his right ear, the latest compelling scene in a presidential campaign already defined by dramatic turns. GOP delegates cheered wildly when Trump appeared onscreen backstage and then emerged in the arena, visibly emotional, as musician Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA.” That was hours after the convention had formally nominated the former president to head the Republican ticket in November against President Joe Biden.Here’s a look at the events of the convention’s second day.Ron DeSantis, who was one of Trump’s rivals in the race for the GOP nomination, speaksFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ran for the GOP nomination against Trump, spoke during the convention.He endorsed the former president and spoke heavily in his favor, praising Trump’s immigration policies, as well as his economic policies. DeSantis also criticized Biden. “As a citizen, as a husband and as a father, I am alarmed that the current president of the United States lacks the capability to discharge the duties of his office,” DeSantis said.Nikki Haley attempts to appeal to Americans who voted for her in the GOP primaryNikki Haley, who walked on stage and was greeted by a mixture of cheers and boos, endorsed Donald Trump on Tuesday night.She said the former president has her “strong endorsement.” She said Trump asked her to speak to the convention “in the name of unity.””It was a gracious invitation and I was happy to accept,” she said, adding that Trump, “has my strong endorsement. Period.”She later criticized the Biden administration on its handling of foreign policy in Russia and Iran. She also criticized the Biden/Harris administration’s handling of immigration at the United States’ southern border.Haley then tried to appeal to moderate Republicans and those who voted for her in the GOP primary.She said there are Republicans who “don’t agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time.””I want to speak to them tonight,” she said, adding that they don’t need to always agree with Trump to cast a vote for him.She said she doesn’t always agree with Trump. “We agree more than we disagree,” she said, going on to say that “we agree on keeping America strong” and that they agree on “keeping America safe.”Haley made the comment that, “We have a country to save,” and went on to say, “a unified Republican party is essential for saving her.”She went on to say that she worked with Trump when she worked as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and said Trump’s foreign policies were strong as related to Russia and Iran. Another of Trump’s former rivals, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — who also ran in the 2024 GOP primaries, also spoke Tuesday in favor of Trump.Cruz’s appearance showcases the Republican effort to project unitySen. Ted Cruz started his speech by saying “God Bless Donald J. Trump” and then went on to talk about his assassination attempt at a rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.“Let me start by giving thanks to God almighty for protecting Donald Trump and for turning his head on Saturday as the shot was fired.”The last time Cruz spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2016, he was booed while battling Trump for the GOP nomination for president. Since then, the two men have had a contentious and publicly tense relationship, exchanging personal insults. But Cruz’s appearance depicts an effort by Republicans to show a united front after Saturday’s rally shooting.Trump and Vance return to the convention floor ahead of expected speeches from DeSantis and HaleySen. JD Vance, who was named Trump’s running mate a day ago, was introduced on the floor for a second day in a row. After a musical performance, Trump, who was still wearing a bandage over his ear, was also welcomed back to the convention floor. They were both met with loud applause. JD Vance wants to highlight ‘the contrast’ between himself and HarrisPrior to coming to the floor, Vance highlighted the “contrast” between him and Vice President Kamala Harris. Vance said he wants to debate Vice President Kamala Harris “because it’s important for the American people to see the contrast.”He contrasted Democratic infighting over whether Biden should step aside with unity behind Trump at the Republican convention.“This party out here is really united behind President Trump,” Vance said in an interview with NewsMax from inside the arena. “It’s a really good feeling. And I think that that momentum is something you can almost reach out to touch, it’s so powerful.”Vance said his phone blew up with calls as soon as Trump offered him the job, and he missed a call from an unidentified number that turned out to be Harris. He said he spoke to Harris Tuesday and “she was very gracious, very cordial.” He said he did not save the voicemail message from Harris.New details emerge on police shooting near convention centerFive Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention shot at a man who was in a knife fight near the convention, killing him, Milwaukee’s police chief said.The man who police shot had a knife in each hand and refused police commands, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference. Two knives were recovered from the scene, the chief said.“Someone’s life was in danger,” Norman said. “These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someone’s life today.”The shooting fueled anger from residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighborhood located about a mile from the convention site. Speaker Johnson talks about unity but also paints bleak picture of life under a Democrat governmentIn the wake of the attempted assassination of Trump, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson talked about unity while recalling the incident at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.“We’re not just uniting as Republicans, we’re uniting today as Americans in the wake of the assassination attempt on the life Donald Trump,” Johnson said.Johnson has called for toning down political rhetoric after the attempted assassination attempt.In his RNC speech, Johnson perhaps veered from that standard a bit, framing the November elections as a stark, almost existential choice for voters.After promising a “thorough” House investigation of the attempt on Trump’s life, Johnson said the nation has “come to a moment in America where the basic things that we once took for granted are being openly challenged like never before.”He said the battle is not “just between two opposing political parties” but instead, “We’re now in the midst of a struggle between two completely different visions of who we are as Americans, and what our country will be.”Some Republicans have since Saturday blamed President Joe and Democrats for characterizing Trump as a “threat to democracy” with authoritarian leanings.Johnson suggested in his convention speech that Democratic victories in November were the real threat: “We have no guarantee that this grand experiment in self-governance can endure unless we respond to the call.”Police arrest man with AK-47 outside RNCA man armed with an AK-47 pistol and wearing a ski mask was taken into custody Monday near the Fiserv Forum, where the Republican National Convention is being held.A federal law enforcement official said the 21-year-old was arrested after encountering U.S. Capitol Police and Homeland Security Investigations agents.The officers approached the man, who was carrying a tactical backpack and wearing a mask, because he appeared to be acting suspiciously, the official said. Police found the weapon in his backpack, the official said.The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.Steve Scalise, who survived a politically-motivated shooting in 2017, speaks at RNCDays after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise spoke in favor of the former president. Trump’s survival of an attempted assassination Saturday at a rally in Pennsylvania was on the minds of many inside the hall. One of the delegates in the crowd could be seen with a folded white piece of paper over his ear — an apparent tribute to the bandage Trump wore when he entered the hall Monday to a roaring crowd.During his speech, Scalise talked about surviving a politically-motivated shooting during a baseball practice in Virginia in 2017. He said Trump offered him support during that time.“While I was fighting for my life, Donald Trump was one of the first to come to console my family at the hospital. That’s the kind of leader he is. Courageous under fire, compassionate towards others,” Scalise said.DeSantis and Haley fundraise off of RNC speechesHe left the GOP primary race in January, but a political action group backing Ron DeSantis was dialing for dollars — for the Florida governor — ahead of his speech at the RNC.RON PAC blasted out a text to a list formerly managed by DeSantis’ shuttered presidential bid, encouraging people to watch his speech and including a fundraising link. A landing page sends clickers to contribution levels, the proceeds of which are flagged as benefitting “Trump National Committee JFC and RONPAC.”Nikki Haley blasted out her own fundraising text. With a link to watch her upcoming speech, Haley’s former campaign text list also sent recipients to a page where donations “will benefit Stand For America PAC,” the political action committee that supported her campaign. Haley’s message didn’t offer to split donations with Trump’s own fundraising apparatus.Golden Trump shoes on sale at the RNC come with a high price tagGolden Trump shoes are selling at the RNC for $600 per pair.The company started with 15 pairs, according to an employee of 365 Campaign who was selling the shoes.About 10 pairs were sold in Miami and at least one pair has been sold at the RNC.If the shoes sell out, it is unclear if more will come into stock.U.S. Senate candidates in swing states take the RNC stageSenate hopefuls who spoke or were slated to speak included Bernie Moreno of Ohio, former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, Jim Banks of Indiana, Sam Brown of Nevada, Tim Sheehy of Montana, and Hung Cao of Virginia, Kari Lake of Arizona and Eric Hovde of Wisconsin.Each of the Senate candidates is running in a swing state. Their home areas will be critical to Republicans’ hopes of retaking the chamber this fall. On Tuesday night, the Senate hopefuls are stumping both for themselves and the man at the top of their ticket, Trump.Each hopeful has taken an opportunity to hit on issues key to their own candidacies at home, promote Trump, and take swings at President Joe Biden.Two Senate hopefuls pinpoint the news media in their statementsKari Lake, who is running against Democrat Ruben Gallego for a U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, opened her speech at the convention by insulting members of the industry in which she formerly worked.” Frankly, you guys up there in the fake news have worn out your welcome,” she said, in an apparent reference to media organizations covering the convention. “You’ve worn it out guys.”The former news anchor blasted what she called the “fake news” for spending “the last eight years lying about President Donald Trump and his amazing patriotic supporters.” Lake also blamed Biden and Democrats for the situation on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying they’re “full of bad ideas.”After Lake spoke, Eric Hovde, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin against Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, also made similar comments to members of the media.”The media, you have to stop dividing us,” Hovde said.Priebus, formerly fired by Trump via Twitter, stumps for his old bossReince Priebus was the Republican National Committee chairman whose campaign ground game helped elected Trump in 2016.Then, while serving as White House chief of staff, Trump fired him via Twitter.On Tuesday, Priebus was the Wisconsinite welcoming the party to his home state and lauding Trump.“When Donald Trump tells you what he will do on the campaign trail, look out, because he will deliver,” Priebus said. “Let’s stand united … and let’s reelect Donald Trump president.”Trump’s competitors from the race for the GOP nomination slated to speak at the Republican conventionIt’s former Trump rivals night in Milwaukee as Republicans convene for the second prime-time session of the nominating convention.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Amb. Nikki Haley and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are expected to take the stage. It will be perhaps the clearest indication yet of how much Trump has consolidated the party and remade the GOP brand in his image.DeSantis was once expected to be a fierce 2024 rival. He dropped out after the initial votes were cast in Iowa.Haley held on for months, but never threatened Trump and waited until a few weeks ago to explicitly say she would vote for him. She was a late addition to the convention lineup, announced only after the Saturday assassination attempt against Trump.Cruz was the second-place finisher in the 2016 primaries, and at the convention that summer he delivered a tense, almost bitter speech that drew boos from Trump delegates.No such divisions are expected tonight.Trump-Vance signage and T-shirts already on displayThe official merchandise shops in the convention hall now offer Trump-Vance T-shirts reflecting the former president’s choice of running mate: Ohio Sen. JD Vance.Trump merch still dominates the inventory — perhaps a reflection of the nominee delaying his decision on a vice presidential pick or Trump’s lifelong expertise in branding using his surname alone.A day after Trump picked Vance as his running mate, Trump-Vance signs were already on display at the RNC.Some stalls also were selling Trump-Vance T-shirts. But for attendees who want a button, those may be harder to find.A volunteer at one shop said the $8 Trump-Vance buttons were already sold out Tuesday.Harris-Vance debate comes into focusVice President Kamala Harris and Vance have had their first chat since the Ohio senator became the GOP vice presidential nominee, but the two sides are still working on terms for participating in a debate, according to three people familiar with the matter.The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations about the debate, said there had been no progress at bridging the disagreements on the network partner and format, but they expect discussions to begin now that Trump has selected Vance, a first-term senator from Ohio. Delegates put their cornhole skills on display at the RNCDelegates and anyone attending the RNC can spend time playing cornhole outside Fiserv Forum.Many people were outside getting lunch and enjoying sunshine Tuesday ahead of the start of the scheduled speakers for the second day of the convention.Milwaukee’s tradition of beer on display near the conventionJust a few blocks away from the RNC is a Milwaukee neighborhood with a long tradition of beer and was home to one of the city’s most iconic breweries.At the heart of this area is the former Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery.Pabst, aka PBR, known for its signature blue-ribbon logo, was established in Milwaukee in 1844 and brewed in the city for generations. (It is no longer made in Wisconsin.)The area is now home to restaurants, apartments and yes, several breweries, and the history of beer-making in Milwaukee are displayed throughout.RFK Jr. apologizes after conversation with Trump leaksRobert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized Tuesday after a video was posted online showing part of a private phone call between the independent presidential candidate and Trump.The video shows Kennedy listening on speakerphone as Trump shares disproven claims about childhood vaccines, an issue that has helped Kennedy amass a loyal following among people who reject the scientific consensus that the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risk of rare complications. Trump also appears to pitch Kennedy on endorsing his campaign.“I would love you to do so,” Trump tells Kennedy. “And I think it’ll be so good for you and so big for you. And we’re going to win.”Person fatally shot by police about a mile from RNC venuePolice have reportedly shot and killed a person near 14th and Vliet streets in Milwaukee, which is about 1.2 miles from Fiserv Forum, the main RNC venue.There is a large police presence, including the Secret Service, at the scene. Witnesses told Milwaukee sister station WISN that two men were fighting in King Park, and one of them pulled a knife out. The witnesses said the men were startled when so many officers responded. The officers involved in the shooting are not from the Milwaukee Police Department but are from Columbus, Ohio.A statement from the Columbus Fraternal Order of Police said no officers were injured.Police from 63 departments in 24 states and Washington, D.C., along with 44 Wisconsin agencies are in Milwaukee this week for the Republican National Convention.The incident itself does not appear to be related to the RNC.A visit with former British Prime Minister JohnsonTrump met with former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Milwaukee Tuesday on the second day of the Republican National Convention.“Great to meet President Trump who is on top form after the shameful attempt on his life,” Johnson posted on the social platform X along with a photo of the pair — Trump’s right ear still bandaged after an assassination attempt on Saturday.Johnson said the two discussed Ukraine and said he has “no doubt” that Trump “will be strong and decisive in supporting that country and defending democracy.”Trump posted a similar photo on his own social media site and called Johnson “a very fine guy!”Video above: RNC arena cheers Donald Trump’s first public appearance since shootingNikki Haley and Ron DeSantis will speak on TuesdayThe former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor was the last major rival against Trump in this year’s primary contest. She waited two months after dropping out in March to say she would vote for him. Then last week, she announced she would instruct her convention delegates to vote for Trump but wasn’t planning to attend the convention.It wasn’t until Sunday — hours after the shooting — that her office reversed itself and said she would speak.It’s likely that she will call on her party to show cohesion in the face of this fall’s general election battle against President Joe Biden. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to address the RNC Tuesday night, according to a person familiar with the schedule who was not authorized to speak publicly.DeSantis was seen as Trump’s strongest challenger for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination until he dropped out right before the New Hampshire primary.His remarks along with Haley’s will put two of Trump’s most visible rivals turned supporters on stage in a show of party unity.Immigration will be in the spotlightMany of the speeches Monday focused on economic policies and claims that Biden had mishandled the economy.On Tuesday, the overview shifts to immigration and crime, according to Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee, with the theme of “Make America Safe Once Again.”Be on the lookout for speakers to argue that they have been damaged by Biden-era immigration policies. Trump and Republicans believe the border debate is among their strongest issues.As part of a broader attempt to blame crime on border policies, expect speeches from family members of slain people in cases where immigrants in the U.S. illegally face criminal charges. Trump has repeatedly brought up the issue at rallies this year.Last week, the Trump campaign and the RNC announced that the brother of Rachel Morin — a Maryland woman whom prosecutors say was killed and raped by a fugitive from El Salvador — would be one of the speakers at the convention. Officials say the suspect, Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, entered the U.S. illegally after allegedly killing a woman in his home country.He was arrested last month in Oklahoma and charged with first-degree murder and rape in Morin’s death.List of Day 2 speakersChairwoman Anne Hathaway, RNC Committee on ArrangementsGov. Bill Lee (TN) President of National Federation of Republican Women Julie HarrisYoung Republicans Chairman Hayden PadgetMatt Brooks, CEO of Republican Jewish CoalitionReince Priebus, Chairman of Host CommitteeChair of the Potawatomi Nation James CrawfordPerry JohnsonSenate candidates Kari Lake of Arizona, Eric Hovde of Wisconsin, Bernie Moreno of Ohio, Former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, and Jim Banks of Indiana, Sam Brown of Nevada, Tim Sheehy of Montana, and Hung Cao of VirginiaGov. Jim Justice (WV)Sen. Rick Scott (FL)Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ)Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY), U.S. House Republican Conference chairRep. Tom Emmer (MN), House majority whipRep. Steve Scalise (LA), House majority whipRep. Mike Johnson (LA), House majority leaderVivek RamaswamySavannah ChrisleyMayor Eric JohnsonSen. Ted Cruz (TX)Attorney General Brenna Bird (IA)Former Amb. Nikki HaleyGov. Ron DeSantis (FL)Sen. Eric Schmitt (MO)Sen. Tom Cotton (AR)Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (AR)Dr. Ben Carson, former Housing & Urban Development SecretarySen. Marco Rubio (FL)RNC Co-Chair Lara TrumpVoters Randy Sutton, Michael Coyle, Erin Koper, Anne Fundner, The Morin Family, Madeline Brame
MILWAUKEE —

Two days after surviving an attempted assassination, former President Donald Trump appeared triumphantly at the Republican National Convention’s opening night with a bandage over his right ear, the latest compelling scene in a presidential campaign already defined by dramatic turns.

GOP delegates cheered wildly when Trump appeared onscreen backstage and then emerged in the arena, visibly emotional, as musician Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA.” That was hours after the convention had formally nominated the former president to head the Republican ticket in November against President Joe Biden.

Here’s a look at the events of the convention’s second day.

Ron DeSantis, who was one of Trump’s rivals in the race for the GOP nomination, speaks

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ran for the GOP nomination against Trump, spoke during the convention.

He endorsed the former president and spoke heavily in his favor, praising Trump’s immigration policies, as well as his economic policies.

DeSantis also criticized Biden.

“As a citizen, as a husband and as a father, I am alarmed that the current president of the United States lacks the capability to discharge the duties of his office,” DeSantis said.

Nikki Haley attempts to appeal to Americans who voted for her in the GOP primary

Nikki Haley, who walked on stage and was greeted by a mixture of cheers and boos, endorsed Donald Trump on Tuesday night.

She said the former president has her “strong endorsement.”

She said Trump asked her to speak to the convention “in the name of unity.”

“It was a gracious invitation and I was happy to accept,” she said, adding that Trump, “has my strong endorsement. Period.”

She later criticized the Biden administration on its handling of foreign policy in Russia and Iran. She also criticized the Biden/Harris administration’s handling of immigration at the United States’ southern border.

Haley then tried to appeal to moderate Republicans and those who voted for her in the GOP primary.

She said there are Republicans who “don’t agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time.”

“I want to speak to them tonight,” she said, adding that they don’t need to always agree with Trump to cast a vote for him.

She said she doesn’t always agree with Trump.

“We agree more than we disagree,” she said, going on to say that “we agree on keeping America strong” and that they agree on “keeping America safe.”

Haley made the comment that, “We have a country to save,” and went on to say, “a unified Republican party is essential for saving her.”

She went on to say that she worked with Trump when she worked as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and said Trump’s foreign policies were strong as related to Russia and Iran.

Another of Trump’s former rivals, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — who also ran in the 2024 GOP primaries, also spoke Tuesday in favor of Trump.

Cruz’s appearance showcases the Republican effort to project unity

Sen. Ted Cruz started his speech by saying “God Bless Donald J. Trump” and then went on to talk about his assassination attempt at a rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“Let me start by giving thanks to God almighty for protecting Donald Trump and for turning his head on Saturday as the shot was fired.”

The last time Cruz spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2016, he was booed while battling Trump for the GOP nomination for president. Since then, the two men have had a contentious and publicly tense relationship, exchanging personal insults. But Cruz’s appearance depicts an effort by Republicans to show a united front after Saturday’s rally shooting.

Trump and Vance return to the convention floor ahead of expected speeches from DeSantis and Haley

Sen. JD Vance, who was named Trump’s running mate a day ago, was introduced on the floor for a second day in a row. After a musical performance, Trump, who was still wearing a bandage over his ear, was also welcomed back to the convention floor. They were both met with loud applause.

JD Vance wants to highlight ‘the contrast’ between himself and Harris

Prior to coming to the floor, Vance highlighted the “contrast” between him and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Vance said he wants to debate Vice President Kamala Harris “because it’s important for the American people to see the contrast.”

He contrasted Democratic infighting over whether Biden should step aside with unity behind Trump at the Republican convention.

“This party out here is really united behind President Trump,” Vance said in an interview with NewsMax from inside the arena. “It’s a really good feeling. And I think that that momentum is something you can almost reach out to touch, it’s so powerful.”

Vance said his phone blew up with calls as soon as Trump offered him the job, and he missed a call from an unidentified number that turned out to be Harris. He said he spoke to Harris Tuesday and “she was very gracious, very cordial.” He said he did not save the voicemail message from Harris.

New details emerge on police shooting near convention center

Five Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention shot at a man who was in a knife fight near the convention, killing him, Milwaukee’s police chief said.

The man who police shot had a knife in each hand and refused police commands, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference. Two knives were recovered from the scene, the chief said.

“Someone’s life was in danger,” Norman said. “These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someone’s life today.”

The shooting fueled anger from residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighborhood located about a mile from the convention site.

Speaker Johnson talks about unity but also paints bleak picture of life under a Democrat government

In the wake of the attempted assassination of Trump, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson talked about unity while recalling the incident at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“We’re not just uniting as Republicans, we’re uniting today as Americans in the wake of the assassination attempt on the life Donald Trump,” Johnson said.

Johnson has called for toning down political rhetoric after the attempted assassination attempt.

In his RNC speech, Johnson perhaps veered from that standard a bit, framing the November elections as a stark, almost existential choice for voters.

After promising a “thorough” House investigation of the attempt on Trump’s life, Johnson said the nation has “come to a moment in America where the basic things that we once took for granted are being openly challenged like never before.”

He said the battle is not “just between two opposing political parties” but instead, “We’re now in the midst of a struggle between two completely different visions of who we are as Americans, and what our country will be.”

Some Republicans have since Saturday blamed President Joe and Democrats for characterizing Trump as a “threat to democracy” with authoritarian leanings.

Johnson suggested in his convention speech that Democratic victories in November were the real threat: “We have no guarantee that this grand experiment in self-governance can endure unless we respond to the call.”

Police arrest man with AK-47 outside RNC

A man armed with an AK-47 pistol and wearing a ski mask was taken into custody Monday near the Fiserv Forum, where the Republican National Convention is being held.

A federal law enforcement official said the 21-year-old was arrested after encountering U.S. Capitol Police and Homeland Security Investigations agents.

The officers approached the man, who was carrying a tactical backpack and wearing a mask, because he appeared to be acting suspiciously, the official said. Police found the weapon in his backpack, the official said.

The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Steve Scalise, who survived a politically-motivated shooting in 2017, speaks at RNC

Days after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise spoke in favor of the former president.

Trump’s survival of an attempted assassination Saturday at a rally in Pennsylvania was on the minds of many inside the hall. One of the delegates in the crowd could be seen with a folded white piece of paper over his ear — an apparent tribute to the bandage Trump wore when he entered the hall Monday to a roaring crowd.

During his speech, Scalise talked about surviving a politically-motivated shooting during a baseball practice in Virginia in 2017. He said Trump offered him support during that time.

“While I was fighting for my life, Donald Trump was one of the first to come to console my family at the hospital. That’s the kind of leader he is. Courageous under fire, compassionate towards others,” Scalise said.

DeSantis and Haley fundraise off of RNC speeches

He left the GOP primary race in January, but a political action group backing Ron DeSantis was dialing for dollars — for the Florida governor — ahead of his speech at the RNC.

RON PAC blasted out a text to a list formerly managed by DeSantis’ shuttered presidential bid, encouraging people to watch his speech and including a fundraising link. A landing page sends clickers to contribution levels, the proceeds of which are flagged as benefitting “Trump National Committee JFC and RONPAC.”

Nikki Haley blasted out her own fundraising text. With a link to watch her upcoming speech, Haley’s former campaign text list also sent recipients to a page where donations “will benefit Stand For America PAC,” the political action committee that supported her campaign. Haley’s message didn’t offer to split donations with Trump’s own fundraising apparatus.

Golden Trump shoes on sale at the RNC come with a high price tag

Golden Trump shoes are selling at the RNC for $600 per pair.

The company started with 15 pairs, according to an employee of 365 Campaign who was selling the shoes.

About 10 pairs were sold in Miami and at least one pair has been sold at the RNC.

If the shoes sell out, it is unclear if more will come into stock.

U.S. Senate candidates in swing states take the RNC stage

Senate hopefuls who spoke or were slated to speak included Bernie Moreno of Ohio, former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, Jim Banks of Indiana, Sam Brown of Nevada, Tim Sheehy of Montana, and Hung Cao of Virginia, Kari Lake of Arizona and Eric Hovde of Wisconsin.

Each of the Senate candidates is running in a swing state. Their home areas will be critical to Republicans’ hopes of retaking the chamber this fall. On Tuesday night, the Senate hopefuls are stumping both for themselves and the man at the top of their ticket, Trump.

Each hopeful has taken an opportunity to hit on issues key to their own candidacies at home, promote Trump, and take swings at President Joe Biden.

Two Senate hopefuls pinpoint the news media in their statements

Kari Lake, who is running against Democrat Ruben Gallego for a U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, opened her speech at the convention by insulting members of the industry in which she formerly worked.”

Frankly, you guys up there in the fake news have worn out your welcome,” she said, in an apparent reference to media organizations covering the convention. “You’ve worn it out guys.”

The former news anchor blasted what she called the “fake news” for spending “the last eight years lying about President Donald Trump and his amazing patriotic supporters.”

Lake also blamed Biden and Democrats for the situation on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying they’re “full of bad ideas.”

After Lake spoke, Eric Hovde, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin against Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, also made similar comments to members of the media.”

The media, you have to stop dividing us,” Hovde said.

Priebus, formerly fired by Trump via Twitter, stumps for his old boss

Reince Priebus was the Republican National Committee chairman whose campaign ground game helped elected Trump in 2016.

Then, while serving as White House chief of staff, Trump fired him via Twitter.

On Tuesday, Priebus was the Wisconsinite welcoming the party to his home state and lauding Trump.

“When Donald Trump tells you what he will do on the campaign trail, look out, because he will deliver,” Priebus said. “Let’s stand united … and let’s reelect Donald Trump president.”

Trump’s competitors from the race for the GOP nomination slated to speak at the Republican convention

It’s former Trump rivals night in Milwaukee as Republicans convene for the second prime-time session of the nominating convention.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Amb. Nikki Haley and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are expected to take the stage. It will be perhaps the clearest indication yet of how much Trump has consolidated the party and remade the GOP brand in his image.

DeSantis was once expected to be a fierce 2024 rival. He dropped out after the initial votes were cast in Iowa.

Haley held on for months, but never threatened Trump and waited until a few weeks ago to explicitly say she would vote for him. She was a late addition to the convention lineup, announced only after the Saturday assassination attempt against Trump.

Cruz was the second-place finisher in the 2016 primaries, and at the convention that summer he delivered a tense, almost bitter speech that drew boos from Trump delegates.

No such divisions are expected tonight.

Trump-Vance signage and T-shirts already on display

The official merchandise shops in the convention hall now offer Trump-Vance T-shirts reflecting the former president’s choice of running mate: Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Trump merch still dominates the inventory — perhaps a reflection of the nominee delaying his decision on a vice presidential pick or Trump’s lifelong expertise in branding using his surname alone.

Joe Raedle
Attendees hold signs endorsing Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party’s presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A day after Trump picked Vance as his running mate, Trump-Vance signs were already on display at the RNC.

Some stalls also were selling Trump-Vance T-shirts. But for attendees who want a button, those may be harder to find.

A volunteer at one shop said the $8 Trump-Vance buttons were already sold out Tuesday.

Bill Clark
A Trump Vance tshirt hangs on a rack at a RNC store inside the Fiserv Forum at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Harris-Vance debate comes into focus

Vice President Kamala Harris and Vance have had their first chat since the Ohio senator became the GOP vice presidential nominee, but the two sides are still working on terms for participating in a debate, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations about the debate, said there had been no progress at bridging the disagreements on the network partner and format, but they expect discussions to begin now that Trump has selected Vance, a first-term senator from Ohio.

Delegates put their cornhole skills on display at the RNC

Delegates and anyone attending the RNC can spend time playing cornhole outside Fiserv Forum.

Many people were outside getting lunch and enjoying sunshine Tuesday ahead of the start of the scheduled speakers for the second day of the convention.

Milwaukee’s tradition of beer on display near the convention

Just a few blocks away from the RNC is a Milwaukee neighborhood with a long tradition of beer and was home to one of the city’s most iconic breweries.

At the heart of this area is the former Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery.

Pabst, aka PBR, known for its signature blue-ribbon logo, was established in Milwaukee in 1844 and brewed in the city for generations. (It is no longer made in Wisconsin.)

The area is now home to restaurants, apartments and yes, several breweries, and the history of beer-making in Milwaukee are displayed throughout.

RFK Jr. apologizes after conversation with Trump leaks

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized Tuesday after a video was posted online showing part of a private phone call between the independent presidential candidate and Trump.

The video shows Kennedy listening on speakerphone as Trump shares disproven claims about childhood vaccines, an issue that has helped Kennedy amass a loyal following among people who reject the scientific consensus that the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risk of rare complications. Trump also appears to pitch Kennedy on endorsing his campaign.

“I would love you to do so,” Trump tells Kennedy. “And I think it’ll be so good for you and so big for you. And we’re going to win.”

Person fatally shot by police about a mile from RNC venue

Police have reportedly shot and killed a person near 14th and Vliet streets in Milwaukee, which is about 1.2 miles from Fiserv Forum, the main RNC venue.

There is a large police presence, including the Secret Service, at the scene.

Witnesses told Milwaukee sister station WISN that two men were fighting in King Park, and one of them pulled a knife out. The witnesses said the men were startled when so many officers responded.

The officers involved in the shooting are not from the Milwaukee Police Department but are from Columbus, Ohio.

A statement from the Columbus Fraternal Order of Police said no officers were injured.

Police from 63 departments in 24 states and Washington, D.C., along with 44 Wisconsin agencies are in Milwaukee this week for the Republican National Convention.

The incident itself does not appear to be related to the RNC.

A visit with former British Prime Minister Johnson

Trump met with former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Milwaukee Tuesday on the second day of the Republican National Convention.

“Great to meet President Trump who is on top form after the shameful attempt on his life,” Johnson posted on the social platform X along with a photo of the pair — Trump’s right ear still bandaged after an assassination attempt on Saturday.

Johnson said the two discussed Ukraine and said he has “no doubt” that Trump “will be strong and decisive in supporting that country and defending democracy.”

Trump posted a similar photo on his own social media site and called Johnson “a very fine guy!”

Video above: RNC arena cheers Donald Trump’s first public appearance since shooting

Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis will speak on Tuesday

The former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor was the last major rival against Trump in this year’s primary contest. She waited two months after dropping out in March to say she would vote for him. Then last week, she announced she would instruct her convention delegates to vote for Trump but wasn’t planning to attend the convention.

It wasn’t until Sunday — hours after the shooting — that her office reversed itself and said she would speak.

It’s likely that she will call on her party to show cohesion in the face of this fall’s general election battle against President Joe Biden.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to address the RNC Tuesday night, according to a person familiar with the schedule who was not authorized to speak publicly.

DeSantis was seen as Trump’s strongest challenger for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination until he dropped out right before the New Hampshire primary.

His remarks along with Haley’s will put two of Trump’s most visible rivals turned supporters on stage in a show of party unity.

Immigration will be in the spotlight

Many of the speeches Monday focused on economic policies and claims that Biden had mishandled the economy.

On Tuesday, the overview shifts to immigration and crime, according to Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee, with the theme of “Make America Safe Once Again.”

Be on the lookout for speakers to argue that they have been damaged by Biden-era immigration policies. Trump and Republicans believe the border debate is among their strongest issues.

As part of a broader attempt to blame crime on border policies, expect speeches from family members of slain people in cases where immigrants in the U.S. illegally face criminal charges. Trump has repeatedly brought up the issue at rallies this year.

Last week, the Trump campaign and the RNC announced that the brother of Rachel Morin — a Maryland woman whom prosecutors say was killed and raped by a fugitive from El Salvador — would be one of the speakers at the convention. Officials say the suspect, Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez, entered the U.S. illegally after allegedly killing a woman in his home country.

He was arrested last month in Oklahoma and charged with first-degree murder and rape in Morin’s death.

List of Day 2 speakers
- Chairwoman Anne Hathaway, RNC Committee on Arrangements
- Gov. Bill Lee (TN)
- President of National Federation of Republican Women Julie Harris
- Young Republicans Chairman Hayden Padget
- Matt Brooks, CEO of Republican Jewish Coalition
- Reince Priebus, Chairman of Host Committee
- Chair of the Potawatomi Nation James Crawford
- Perry Johnson
- Senate candidates Kari Lake of Arizona, Eric Hovde of Wisconsin, Bernie Moreno of Ohio, Former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, and Jim Banks of Indiana, Sam Brown of Nevada, Tim Sheehy of Montana, and Hung Cao of Virginia
- Gov. Jim Justice (WV)
- Sen. Rick Scott (FL)
- Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ)
- Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY), U.S. House Republican Conference chair
- Rep. Tom Emmer (MN), House majority whip
- Rep. Steve Scalise (LA), House majority whip
- Rep. Mike Johnson (LA), House majority leader
- Vivek Ramaswamy
- Savannah Chrisley
- Mayor Eric Johnson
- Sen. Ted Cruz (TX)
- Attorney General Brenna Bird (IA)
- Former Amb. Nikki Haley
- Gov. Ron DeSantis (FL)
- Sen. Eric Schmitt (MO)
- Sen. Tom Cotton (AR)
- Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (AR)
- Dr. Ben Carson, former Housing & Urban Development Secretary
- Sen. Marco Rubio (FL)
- RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump
- Voters Randy Sutton, Michael Coyle, Erin Koper, Anne Fundner, The Morin Family, Madeline Brame
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July 16, 2024
Trump picks Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, a once-fierce critic turned loyal ally, as his GOP running mate

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Donald Trump named Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate on Monday, choosing a onetime critic who became a loyal ally and is now the first millennial to join a major-party ticket at a time of deep concern about the advanced age of America’s political leaders.“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.Watch the Republican National Convention live in the video player above. The 39-year-old Vance rose to national fame with the 2016 publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” He was elected to the Senate in 2022 and has become one of the staunchest champions of the former president’s “Make America Great Again” agenda, particularly on trade, foreign policy and immigration.But he is largely untested in national politics and is joining the Trump ticket at an extraordinary moment. An attempted assassination of Trump at a rally Saturday has shaken the campaign, bringing new attention to the nation’s coarse political rhetoric and reinforcing the importance of those who are one heartbeat away from the presidency.Vance himself faced criticism in the wake of the shooting for a post on X that suggested President Joe Biden was to blame for the violence.“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” Vance wrote. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”Law enforcement has not yet specified a motivation for the shooting. Still, the pick is sure to energize Trump’s loyal base. Vance has become a fixture on the conservative media circuit and frequently spars with reporters on Capitol Hill, helping establish him as the kind of leader who could carry Trump’s mantle into the future, beginning with the next presidential election in 2028.But the pick also means that two white men will now lead the Republican ticket at a time when Trump has sought to make inroads with Black and Latino voters. In “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance detailed life in Appalachian communities that drifted from a Democratic Party many residents found disconnected from their daily travails. While the book was a bestseller, it was also criticized for sometimes oversimplifying rural life and ignoring the role of racism in modern politics.Vance’s fame grew in tandem with Trump’s unlikely rise from a reality television star to Republican presidential nominee and eventually president. During the early stages of Trump’s political career, Vance cast him as “a total fraud,” “a moral disaster” and “America’s Hitler.”But like many Republicans who sought relevance in the Trump era, Vance eventually shifted his tone. He said he was proved wrong by Trump’s performance in office and evolved into one of his most steadfast defenders.“I didn’t think he was going to be a good president,” Vance recently told Fox News Channel. “He was a great president. And it’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to make sure he gets a second term.”Video below: JD Vance reacts to apparent assassination attempt on former president TrumpVance was rewarded for his turnaround during his bid for an open Senate seat in 2022, during which he landed Trump’s coveted endorsement and rode it to victory in a crowded Republican primary and a general election hard fought by Democrats. He is close to Trump’s son Donald Jr.Vance is now a Trump loyalist who has challenged the legitimacy of criminal prosecutions and civil verdicts against him and questions the results of the 2020 election.He told ABC News in February that, if he had been vice president on Jan. 6, 2021, he would have told states where Trump disputed Biden wins “that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there.”“That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020,” he said.Many states adopted emergency measures four years ago to allow people to vote safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. But judges, election officials in both parties and Trump’s own attorney general have concluded there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.The relationship between Vance and Trump has been symbiotic.Vance’s book — subtitled “A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” — was embraced for its insights into Trump’s appeal in middle America, where manufacturing job losses and the opioid crisis had driven many families like his into poverty, abuse and addiction.The tale of Vance’s hardscrabble childhood in Middletown, Ohio, where he was born, and his familial eastern Kentucky hills region also captivated Hollywood. Ron Howard made it into a 2020 movie starring Amy Adams as Vance’s mother and Glenn Close as his beloved “Mamaw.”With his grandmother’s encouragement, Vance went on to serve in the Marine Corps, including in Iraq, and to graduate from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. From there, he joined a Silicon Valley investment firm before returning to Ohio to launch a nonprofit that he said would aim to develop opioid addiction treatments that might be “scaled nationally.”Ultimately, Our Ohio Renewal failed at that mission and was shuttered. During the 2022 campaign, then-U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, his Democratic rival, charged that the charity was little more than a front for Vance’s political ambitions. Ryan pointed to reports that the organization made payments to a Vance political adviser and conducted public opinion polling, even as its actual efforts to address addiction largely floundered. Vance denied the characterization.As a senator, Vance has shown some willingness to work across the aisle. He and Ohio’s senior senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown, have teamed up on a number of issues important to the state, including fighting for funding for a $20 billion chip facility Intel is building in central Ohio and introducing rail safety legislation in response to the fiery derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

MILWAUKEE —

Donald Trump named Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate on Monday, choosing a onetime critic who became a loyal ally and is now the first millennial to join a major-party ticket at a time of deep concern about the advanced age of America’s political leaders.

“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.

Watch the Republican National Convention live in the video player above.

The 39-year-old Vance rose to national fame with the 2016 publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” He was elected to the Senate in 2022 and has become one of the staunchest champions of the former president’s “Make America Great Again” agenda, particularly on trade, foreign policy and immigration.

But he is largely untested in national politics and is joining the Trump ticket at an extraordinary moment. An attempted assassination of Trump at a rally Saturday has shaken the campaign, bringing new attention to the nation’s coarse political rhetoric and reinforcing the importance of those who are one heartbeat away from the presidency.

Vance himself faced criticism in the wake of the shooting for a post on X that suggested President Joe Biden was to blame for the violence.

“The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” Vance wrote. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”

Law enforcement has not yet specified a motivation for the shooting. Still, the pick is sure to energize Trump’s loyal base. Vance has become a fixture on the conservative media circuit and frequently spars with reporters on Capitol Hill, helping establish him as the kind of leader who could carry Trump’s mantle into the future, beginning with the next presidential election in 2028.

But the pick also means that two white men will now lead the Republican ticket at a time when Trump has sought to make inroads with Black and Latino voters.

In “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance detailed life in Appalachian communities that drifted from a Democratic Party many residents found disconnected from their daily travails. While the book was a bestseller, it was also criticized for sometimes oversimplifying rural life and ignoring the role of racism in modern politics.

Vance’s fame grew in tandem with Trump’s unlikely rise from a reality television star to Republican presidential nominee and eventually president. During the early stages of Trump’s political career, Vance cast him as “a total fraud,” “a moral disaster” and “America’s Hitler.”

But like many Republicans who sought relevance in the Trump era, Vance eventually shifted his tone. He said he was proved wrong by Trump’s performance in office and evolved into one of his most steadfast defenders.

“I didn’t think he was going to be a good president,” Vance recently told Fox News Channel. “He was a great president. And it’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to make sure he gets a second term.”

Video below: JD Vance reacts to apparent assassination attempt on former president Trump

Vance was rewarded for his turnaround during his bid for an open Senate seat in 2022, during which he landed Trump’s coveted endorsement and rode it to victory in a crowded Republican primary and a general election hard fought by Democrats. He is close to Trump’s son Donald Jr.

Vance is now a Trump loyalist who has challenged the legitimacy of criminal prosecutions and civil verdicts against him and questions the results of the 2020 election.

He told ABC News in February that, if he had been vice president on Jan. 6, 2021, he would have told states where Trump disputed Biden wins “that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there.”

“That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020,” he said.

Many states adopted emergency measures four years ago to allow people to vote safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. But judges, election officials in both parties and Trump’s own attorney general have concluded there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

The relationship between Vance and Trump has been symbiotic.

Vance’s book — subtitled “A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” — was embraced for its insights into Trump’s appeal in middle America, where manufacturing job losses and the opioid crisis had driven many families like his into poverty, abuse and addiction.

The tale of Vance’s hardscrabble childhood in Middletown, Ohio, where he was born, and his familial eastern Kentucky hills region also captivated Hollywood. Ron Howard made it into a 2020 movie starring Amy Adams as Vance’s mother and Glenn Close as his beloved “Mamaw.”

With his grandmother’s encouragement, Vance went on to serve in the Marine Corps, including in Iraq, and to graduate from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. From there, he joined a Silicon Valley investment firm before returning to Ohio to launch a nonprofit that he said would aim to develop opioid addiction treatments that might be “scaled nationally.”

Ultimately, Our Ohio Renewal failed at that mission and was shuttered. During the 2022 campaign, then-U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, his Democratic rival, charged that the charity was little more than a front for Vance’s political ambitions. Ryan pointed to reports that the organization made payments to a Vance political adviser and conducted public opinion polling, even as its actual efforts to address addiction largely floundered. Vance denied the characterization.

As a senator, Vance has shown some willingness to work across the aisle. He and Ohio’s senior senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown, have teamed up on a number of issues important to the state, including fighting for funding for a $20 billion chip facility Intel is building in central Ohio and introducing rail safety legislation in response to the fiery derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

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July 15, 2024
Republican National Convention begins Monday, days after Trump assassination attempt

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The Republican National Convention starts Monday in Milwaukee, two days after Donald Trump was injured in an assassination attempt, with the violent scene at his campaign rally horrifying the country and amplifying already intense political divisions. Trump and his advisers are pledging resilience in the face of the attack, with plans going forward for the event to showcase the former president and his platform as his party formally chooses him to be its nominee.It was not immediately clear if and how Saturday’s attack would alter the four-day event, which normally has a celebratory atmosphere. Republican officials have said they want to defy the threat Trump has faced and stick to their plans and their schedule. But at the very least, the event is expected to include a heightened focus on security and a grim recognition of how stunningly close the presumptive Republican nominee came to losing his life.Here’s what to watch for on the first day of the Republican National Convention:How the attack impacts the tone of speechesThe shooting has drawn bipartisan condemnation and bipartisan calls for unity. But it has also led to some Republicans blaming President Joe Biden, pointing to his words casting Trump as a threat to democracy. Some have demanded that prosecutors now drop the four criminal cases Trump faces, including one in which he’s been convicted.As elected officials, politicians and a few regular Americans address the conference, the question is which tone will prevail in the aftermath of the attack: Will it make speeches even more fiery or will calls for calm prevail?A show of GOP unityEven before the attempt on Trump’s life Saturday, Republicans were largely firmly aligned with him and planned to show party unity at the convention. But that message is expected to be even more pronounced as the former president and GOP officials look to project resolve, with Trump saying Sunday that “it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win.”Video above: Inside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the RNCThe show of unity is a departure from the party’s recent history. In 2016, the first time Republicans formally crowned Trump as their nominee, the opening day of their convention was marked by angry dissent from anti-Trump delegates on the floor of the event. After his turbulent presidency concluded with an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, his political standing seemed weaker than ever when he launched his third White House campaign in 2022. But Trump flattened a field of GOP challengers and his legal problems have galvanized his supporters.Running mateTrump has still not named a running mate, and an announcement could come as soon as Monday. His top three contenders, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, are scheduled to speak to Republican delegates at some point this week, according to event organizers. And per tradition, the person Trump selects as his vice-presidential running mate is expected to give an address Wednesday night.Trump has compared his search for a new vice president to his former reality TV show, “The Apprentice,” leading to speculation that the showman might opt for an onstage reveal of his pick at the convention. He could also make the announcement on social media, as he did in 2016 when he selected Mike Pence to be his running mate.Greater focus on Harris as questions surround BidenBefore the shooting, the 2024 race was rocked by upheaval among Democrats after Biden’s shaky debate performance last month led members of his party to start staging a public intervention calling for him to bow out as their nominee and raising the real possibility that Trump may be running against someone else.Republicans have long sought to paint Biden as incompetent, but since Biden’s campaign has become seriously questioned, Trump and the GOP have stepped up their criticisms of Vice President Kamala Harris. That’s expected to continue as the convention kicks off, with more references to “the Biden-Harris administration.”Economic policies to get spotlightThe theme for Monday’s program is “Make America Wealthy Once Again,” according to Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee. Focusing on economics not only makes sense because it can be a key issue for swing voters, but it’s an area where Trump might have an edge over Biden when it comes to voter views on job creation and cost of living.Look for Republicans to focus on Trump’s proposals to impose higher tariffs on foreign-made goods along with extending the tax cuts he signed into law in 2017, which expire next year. Biden wants to extend the middle-class tax cuts while raising taxes on highly profitable companies and the richest Americans.Video above: Thousands attend RNC kickoff party, security at top of mindExpect Republicans to also focus on inflation, even though the worst price spike in four decades is steadily fading, according to a new report from the Labor Department. Biden claims Trump’s tariffs would only aggravate the problem.Appeal beyond the base to moderatesAs Trump tries to win over undecided and middle-of-the-road voters, one of the key questions is to what degree he’ll feature some of the far-right characters in his orbit, his lies about his loss in the 2020 election, his calls for retribution against his opponents and his embrace of those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Key messages of Trump’s third campaign for the White House have included venting his grievances from the past election and decrying his legal problems. He has said that if he’s elected president, he expects to pardon many of those arrested or convicted for their roles in the violent siege on the Capitol and has even played a song at his rallies that he recorded with some of the jailed defendants.Though candidates typically try to moderate their message as they move into the general election, Trump has rarely been typical — or moderate — and some of the messages he’s featured in his campaign could be jarring to the voters he’s looking to sway.Biden gets back to counterprogrammingBiden is getting his own slice of the prime-time spotlight Monday when he appears in an interview on NBC with Lester Holt as he continues to try to reassure members of his party about his candidacy.He canceled a planned Monday trip to Texas and his reelection campaign temporarily suspended its television ads after Saturday’s shooting. But the pause in Democratic counterprograming to the Republican convention won’t last.After the NBC interview, he’ll fly later Monday to Nevada, where he will address the NAACP convention in Las Vegas on Tuesday and do an interview with the BET network.The president has made decrying Trump as a threat to democracy and the nation’s founding values a centerpiece of his campaign. He had to soften that message in the shooting’s immediate aftermath, but plans to use the trip to highlight what his campaign calls stark contrasts between himself and Trump.In addition to hoping to defuse some of the GOP criticism coming from Milwaukee, the campaign hopes the trip could help Biden reclaim standing with some Democrats who are still skeptical he’s up to the rigors of the campaign.___Associated Press writer Will Weissert contributed to this report.

MILWAUKEE —

The Republican National Convention starts Monday in Milwaukee, two days after Donald Trump was injured in an assassination attempt, with the violent scene at his campaign rally horrifying the country and amplifying already intense political divisions.

Trump and his advisers are pledging resilience in the face of the attack, with plans going forward for the event to showcase the former president and his platform as his party formally chooses him to be its nominee.

It was not immediately clear if and how Saturday’s attack would alter the four-day event, which normally has a celebratory atmosphere. Republican officials have said they want to defy the threat Trump has faced and stick to their plans and their schedule. But at the very least, the event is expected to include a heightened focus on security and a grim recognition of how stunningly close the presumptive Republican nominee came to losing his life.

Here’s what to watch for on the first day of the Republican National Convention:

How the attack impacts the tone of speeches

The shooting has drawn bipartisan condemnation and bipartisan calls for unity. But it has also led to some Republicans blaming President Joe Biden, pointing to his words casting Trump as a threat to democracy. Some have demanded that prosecutors now drop the four criminal cases Trump faces, including one in which he’s been convicted.

As elected officials, politicians and a few regular Americans address the conference, the question is which tone will prevail in the aftermath of the attack: Will it make speeches even more fiery or will calls for calm prevail?

A show of GOP unity

Even before the attempt on Trump’s life Saturday, Republicans were largely firmly aligned with him and planned to show party unity at the convention. But that message is expected to be even more pronounced as the former president and GOP officials look to project resolve, with Trump saying Sunday that “it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win.”

Video above: Inside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the RNC

The show of unity is a departure from the party’s recent history. In 2016, the first time Republicans formally crowned Trump as their nominee, the opening day of their convention was marked by angry dissent from anti-Trump delegates on the floor of the event. After his turbulent presidency concluded with an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, his political standing seemed weaker than ever when he launched his third White House campaign in 2022. But Trump flattened a field of GOP challengers and his legal problems have galvanized his supporters.

Running mate

Trump has still not named a running mate, and an announcement could come as soon as Monday. His top three contenders, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, are scheduled to speak to Republican delegates at some point this week, according to event organizers. And per tradition, the person Trump selects as his vice-presidential running mate is expected to give an address Wednesday night.

Trump has compared his search for a new vice president to his former reality TV show, “The Apprentice,” leading to speculation that the showman might opt for an onstage reveal of his pick at the convention. He could also make the announcement on social media, as he did in 2016 when he selected Mike Pence to be his running mate.

Greater focus on Harris as questions surround Biden

Before the shooting, the 2024 race was rocked by upheaval among Democrats after Biden’s shaky debate performance last month led members of his party to start staging a public intervention calling for him to bow out as their nominee and raising the real possibility that Trump may be running against someone else.

Republicans have long sought to paint Biden as incompetent, but since Biden’s campaign has become seriously questioned, Trump and the GOP have stepped up their criticisms of Vice President Kamala Harris. That’s expected to continue as the convention kicks off, with more references to “the Biden-Harris administration.”

Economic policies to get spotlight

The theme for Monday’s program is “Make America Wealthy Once Again,” according to Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee. Focusing on economics not only makes sense because it can be a key issue for swing voters, but it’s an area where Trump might have an edge over Biden when it comes to voter views on job creation and cost of living.

Look for Republicans to focus on Trump’s proposals to impose higher tariffs on foreign-made goods along with extending the tax cuts he signed into law in 2017, which expire next year. Biden wants to extend the middle-class tax cuts while raising taxes on highly profitable companies and the richest Americans.

Video above: Thousands attend RNC kickoff party, security at top of mind

Expect Republicans to also focus on inflation, even though the worst price spike in four decades is steadily fading, according to a new report from the Labor Department. Biden claims Trump’s tariffs would only aggravate the problem.

Appeal beyond the base to moderates

As Trump tries to win over undecided and middle-of-the-road voters, one of the key questions is to what degree he’ll feature some of the far-right characters in his orbit, his lies about his loss in the 2020 election, his calls for retribution against his opponents and his embrace of those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Key messages of Trump’s third campaign for the White House have included venting his grievances from the past election and decrying his legal problems. He has said that if he’s elected president, he expects to pardon many of those arrested or convicted for their roles in the violent siege on the Capitol and has even played a song at his rallies that he recorded with some of the jailed defendants.

Though candidates typically try to moderate their message as they move into the general election, Trump has rarely been typical — or moderate — and some of the messages he’s featured in his campaign could be jarring to the voters he’s looking to sway.

Biden gets back to counterprogramming

Biden is getting his own slice of the prime-time spotlight Monday when he appears in an interview on NBC with Lester Holt as he continues to try to reassure members of his party about his candidacy.

He canceled a planned Monday trip to Texas and his reelection campaign temporarily suspended its television ads after Saturday’s shooting. But the pause in Democratic counterprograming to the Republican convention won’t last.

After the NBC interview, he’ll fly later Monday to Nevada, where he will address the NAACP convention in Las Vegas on Tuesday and do an interview with the BET network.

The president has made decrying Trump as a threat to democracy and the nation’s founding values a centerpiece of his campaign. He had to soften that message in the shooting’s immediate aftermath, but plans to use the trip to highlight what his campaign calls stark contrasts between himself and Trump.

In addition to hoping to defuse some of the GOP criticism coming from Milwaukee, the campaign hopes the trip could help Biden reclaim standing with some Democrats who are still skeptical he’s up to the rigors of the campaign.

___

Associated Press writer Will Weissert contributed to this report.

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July 15, 2024
Hamas says Gaza cease-fire talks haven’t paused and claims military chief survived Israeli strike

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Hamas said Sunday that Gaza cease-fire talks were ongoing and the group’s military commander was in good health, a day after the Israeli military targeted Mohammed Deif with a massive airstrike that local health officials said killed at least 90 people, including children.Video above: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will not move ‘one millimeter’ from Biden’s ceasefire frameworkDeif’s condition was still unclear after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday night “there still isn’t absolute certainty” he was killed. Army chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi told journalists Israel attacked a compound where Deif “was hiding” but added: “It’s still too early to summarize the results of the attack, which Hamas is trying to hide.”Hamas representatives gave no evidence to back up their assertion about the health of a chief architect of the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war. His killing would mark the highest profile assassination of any Hamas leader by Israel since the war began.Deif has long topped Israel’s most-wanted list and has been in hiding for years.The Israeli military said Rafa Salama, a Hamas commander it described as one of Deif’s closest associates, was killed in Saturday’s strike. Salama commanded Hamas’ Khan Younis brigade. Netanyahu said all of Hamas’ leaders are “marked for death” and asserted that killing them would move Hamas closer to accepting a cease-fire deal.Hamas rejected the idea that mediated cease-fire discussions had been suspended. Spokesperson Jihad Taha said “there is no doubt that the horrific massacres will impact any efforts in the negotiations” but added that “efforts and endeavors of the mediators remain ongoing.”Hamas political officials also insisted that communication channels remained functional between the leadership inside and outside Gaza after the strike in the territory’s south. Witnesses said it occurred in an area that Israel had designated as safe for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians. Israel’s military would not confirm that.Video below: Israeli forces deemed abusive by the US are now guiding Gaza warfareOn Sunday, some survivors were angry that the attack targeting Deif occurred without warning in an area they were told was safe.“I heard the first hit, and my son came screaming, ‘Daddy, daddy,’ and took cover with me,” said Mahmoud Abu Yaseen, who clutched his children but then woke up in the hospital to find his son had died. The family had already been displaced five times since the war began. “Where do we go?” he asked.A United Nations official described utter chaos at Nasser hospital where victims were taken, many treated on bloodstained floors with few supplies available.“I witnessed some of the most horrific scenes I have seen in my nine months in Gaza,” Scott Anderson said in a statement. “I saw toddlers who are double amputees, children paralyzed and unable to receive treatment and others separated from their parents.” He said restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza hamper efforts to provide needed medical and other care.On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised the pilots who carried out the strike and said Hamas is being eroded every day, with no ability to arm itself, organize or “care for the wounded.”At least 300 people were wounded in the strike, one of the deadliest in the nine-month war sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took more than 200 hostage.More than 38,400 people in Gaza have been killed in Israeli ground offensives and bombardments since then, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.On Sunday, an Israeli strike in Nuseirat in central Gaza killed at least 14 people at the gate of a school used as a shelter for displaced people, according to an Associated Press journalist who visited two hospitals. Children were among the 15 others wounded. Israel’s military in a statement said it struck “terrorists” operating in the area of a school run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.“They are targeting everything,” said a displaced Palestinian, Um Fadi Al-Zeer.Also on Sunday, police said a Palestinian resident of east Jerusalem carried out a car-ramming attack in central Israel that injured four Israelis, two of them seriously. Israeli border police at the scene shot the attacker dead after he hit people waiting at two bus stops along a busy road. Israel’s military said four of its personnel were wounded, two of them severely.Israeli police commissioner Kobi Shabtai said such attacks were often triggered by events like Saturday’s airstrike in Gaza.

MUWASI, Gaza Strip —

Hamas said Sunday that Gaza cease-fire talks were ongoing and the group’s military commander was in good health, a day after the Israeli military targeted Mohammed Deif with a massive airstrike that local health officials said killed at least 90 people, including children.

Video above: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will not move ‘one millimeter’ from Biden’s ceasefire framework

Deif’s condition was still unclear after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday night “there still isn’t absolute certainty” he was killed. Army chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi told journalists Israel attacked a compound where Deif “was hiding” but added: “It’s still too early to summarize the results of the attack, which Hamas is trying to hide.”

Hamas representatives gave no evidence to back up their assertion about the health of a chief architect of the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war. His killing would mark the highest profile assassination of any Hamas leader by Israel since the war began.

Deif has long topped Israel’s most-wanted list and has been in hiding for years.

The Israeli military said Rafa Salama, a Hamas commander it described as one of Deif’s closest associates, was killed in Saturday’s strike. Salama commanded Hamas’ Khan Younis brigade. Netanyahu said all of Hamas’ leaders are “marked for death” and asserted that killing them would move Hamas closer to accepting a cease-fire deal.

Hamas rejected the idea that mediated cease-fire discussions had been suspended. Spokesperson Jihad Taha said “there is no doubt that the horrific massacres will impact any efforts in the negotiations” but added that “efforts and endeavors of the mediators remain ongoing.”

Hamas political officials also insisted that communication channels remained functional between the leadership inside and outside Gaza after the strike in the territory’s south. Witnesses said it occurred in an area that Israel had designated as safe for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians. Israel’s military would not confirm that.

Video below: Israeli forces deemed abusive by the US are now guiding Gaza warfare

On Sunday, some survivors were angry that the attack targeting Deif occurred without warning in an area they were told was safe.

“I heard the first hit, and my son came screaming, ‘Daddy, daddy,’ and took cover with me,” said Mahmoud Abu Yaseen, who clutched his children but then woke up in the hospital to find his son had died. The family had already been displaced five times since the war began. “Where do we go?” he asked.

A United Nations official described utter chaos at Nasser hospital where victims were taken, many treated on bloodstained floors with few supplies available.

“I witnessed some of the most horrific scenes I have seen in my nine months in Gaza,” Scott Anderson said in a statement. “I saw toddlers who are double amputees, children paralyzed and unable to receive treatment and others separated from their parents.” He said restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza hamper efforts to provide needed medical and other care.

On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised the pilots who carried out the strike and said Hamas is being eroded every day, with no ability to arm itself, organize or “care for the wounded.”

At least 300 people were wounded in the strike, one of the deadliest in the nine-month war sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took more than 200 hostage.

More than 38,400 people in Gaza have been killed in Israeli ground offensives and bombardments since then, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

On Sunday, an Israeli strike in Nuseirat in central Gaza killed at least 14 people at the gate of a school used as a shelter for displaced people, according to an Associated Press journalist who visited two hospitals. Children were among the 15 others wounded. Israel’s military in a statement said it struck “terrorists” operating in the area of a school run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.

“They are targeting everything,” said a displaced Palestinian, Um Fadi Al-Zeer.

Also on Sunday, police said a Palestinian resident of east Jerusalem carried out a car-ramming attack in central Israel that injured four Israelis, two of them seriously. Israeli border police at the scene shot the attacker dead after he hit people waiting at two bus stops along a busy road. Israel’s military said four of its personnel were wounded, two of them severely.

Israeli police commissioner Kobi Shabtai said such attacks were often triggered by events like Saturday’s airstrike in Gaza.

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July 15, 2024
Man sentenced to 4-plus years in death of original ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ cast member

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A man charged in the death of Dennis Day, an original cast member on Walt Disney’s “Mickey Mouse Club” television program in the 1950s, has been sentenced to just over four years in prison after entering a modified guilty plea this week.Video above: Body of missing original Mouseketeer Dennis Day found in 2019Daniel Burda, 41, pleaded no contest Monday to charges of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of a corpse. Burda was a live-in handyman at Day’s home in Phoenix, Oregon, but Day, 76, had been trying to evict him around the time he disappeared in mid-2018. A no-contest plea is a concession that the state can prove criminal charges at trial and carries the same legal effect as a guilty plea.Prosecutors said Burda caused Day’s death and then used Day’s identity to spend money.Day’s badly decomposed body wasn’t discovered for nine months, beneath a pile of clothes at the home. His family has sued the Phoenix Police Department, saying its failure to discover his remains in his own home for so long — despite having been to the home multiple times — caused emotional distress.During one search, police stepped on Day’s body, causing fractures to the corpse, but they still didn’t find it until April 2019, when Oregon State Police came with a cadaver-sniffing dog, the lawsuit said. The delay prevented the medical examiner from being able to determine a cause of death, it said.The police department has denied the allegations. A trial is set for October in Jackson County Circuit Court.Burda’s criminal case was long delayed by trips to the Oregon State Hospital to determine his mental fitness to assist in his own defense as well as other legal challenges. He faced several other charges while out of custody, court records show, and he has also recently been sentenced to two years to be served separately in a burglary case — meaning he faces just over six years in all.

MEDFORD, Ore. —

A man charged in the death of Dennis Day, an original cast member on Walt Disney’s “Mickey Mouse Club” television program in the 1950s, has been sentenced to just over four years in prison after entering a modified guilty plea this week.

Video above: Body of missing original Mouseketeer Dennis Day found in 2019

Daniel Burda, 41, pleaded no contest Monday to charges of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of a corpse. Burda was a live-in handyman at Day’s home in Phoenix, Oregon, but Day, 76, had been trying to evict him around the time he disappeared in mid-2018. A no-contest plea is a concession that the state can prove criminal charges at trial and carries the same legal effect as a guilty plea.

Prosecutors said Burda caused Day’s death and then used Day’s identity to spend money.

Day’s badly decomposed body wasn’t discovered for nine months, beneath a pile of clothes at the home. His family has sued the Phoenix Police Department, saying its failure to discover his remains in his own home for so long — despite having been to the home multiple times — caused emotional distress.

During one search, police stepped on Day’s body, causing fractures to the corpse, but they still didn’t find it until April 2019, when Oregon State Police came with a cadaver-sniffing dog, the lawsuit said. The delay prevented the medical examiner from being able to determine a cause of death, it said.

The police department has denied the allegations. A trial is set for October in Jackson County Circuit Court.

Burda’s criminal case was long delayed by trips to the Oregon State Hospital to determine his mental fitness to assist in his own defense as well as other legal challenges. He faced several other charges while out of custody, court records show, and he has also recently been sentenced to two years to be served separately in a burglary case — meaning he faces just over six years in all.

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July 11, 2024
Navy sailor disciplined for trying to access Biden’s health records

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The bottom line is that they confirmed that at no time was the president’s personal information compromised. And that the record that the sailor inappropriately accessed was not the electronic health record of the President of the United States. Uh The secretary was notified in February when the Navy became aware. Uh The Navy also notified the White House through channels at the time. Uh But I have to refer you to them for, for further questions.

A Navy sailor tried to access President Joe Biden’s medical records early this year, but the Pentagon said no information was compromised.Video above: Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder discusses sailor who searched for Biden’s health recordsAccording to the Navy, a sailor assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command searched for the name “Joseph Biden” in the military’s health care system, called Genesis. The Navy said the sailor searched “out of curiosity.”A co-worker reported the breach of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated and concluded that the record the sailor accessed was “not the electronic record of the President of the United States.”Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was informed in February of the incident and so was the White House.According to a defense official, the sailor, who has not been identified, received administrative discipline and remains in the Navy.The attempted breach was first reported by CBS.

WASHINGTON —

A Navy sailor tried to access President Joe Biden’s medical records early this year, but the Pentagon said no information was compromised.

Video above: Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder discusses sailor who searched for Biden’s health records

According to the Navy, a sailor assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command searched for the name “Joseph Biden” in the military’s health care system, called Genesis. The Navy said the sailor searched “out of curiosity.”

A co-worker reported the breach of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated and concluded that the record the sailor accessed was “not the electronic record of the President of the United States.”

Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was informed in February of the incident and so was the White House.

According to a defense official, the sailor, who has not been identified, received administrative discipline and remains in the Navy.

The attempted breach was first reported by CBS.

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July 10, 2024
Fourth human case of bird flu connected to dairy cattle outbreak identified in the US

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30 YEARS AGO, A BOSTON COMPANY WILL GET $170 MILLION TO DEVELOP TO DEVELOP A BIRD FLU VACCINE. MODERNA SAYS IT WILL USE THE SAME MRNA TECHNOLOGY USED TO PRODUCE SHOTS FOR COVID 19. HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS, DOCTOR SHIRA DORON, THE CHIEF INFECTION CONTROL OFFICER FOR TUFTS MEDICINE HEALTH SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHY YOU’RE THE PERSON TO ASK THIS OF HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO CONTAIN THIS OUTBREAK. DOCTOR, A BIRD FLU THAT’S ALREADY INFECTED AT LEAST 130 HERDS OF DAIRY COWS IN 12 STATES. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE NUMBER OF HUMAN CASES YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT DAIRY COW INFECTIONS MAY HAVE BEEN GOING ON LONGER THAN WE REALIZED AS FAR BACK AS DECEMBER OR JANUARY, AND YET, THANKFULLY, THERE HAVE BEEN ONLY THREE REPORTED HUMAN INFECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIRUS. ALL THREE HAD MILD INFECTION. ALL OF THEM HAD CLOSE CONTACT WITH COWS, AND NONE TRANSMITTED IT TO OTHER HUMANS, INCLUDING THE PEOPLE IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD. NOW WE’RE PROBABLY MISSING SOME OTHER MILD HUMAN CASES, BUT STILL, THOSE STATISTICS ARE PRETTY REASSURING. THEY ARE SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE INFECTION RISK AMONG PEOPLE IS LOW. WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT SPENDING MILLIONS NOW TO DEVELOP THIS VACCINE? YOU KNOW, COVID TAUGHT THE WORLD THAT VIRUSES, GENETIC CODE MUTATES AND FLU IS A NOTORIOUS MUTATOR. THE RISK TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WORK WITH CATTLE AND POULTRY IS LOW TODAY, BUT MUTATIONS IN THE VIRUS’S GENETIC CODE COULD MAKE IT BETTER SUITED TO INFECT PEOPLE TO SPREAD BETWEEN PEOPLE, OR COULD EVEN MAKE IT MORE LETHAL TO PEOPLE. AND THOSE CHANGES WOULD GIVE IT PANDEMIC POTENTIAL THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE TODAY. AND FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, WE NEED TO BE PREPARED WITH VACCINES AND TREATMENTS. SO ARE YOU TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF IT? YEAH. SO WHILE THIS OUTBREAK CONTINUES, SHOULD PEOPLE AVOID CONTACT WITH FARMS AND BIRD FEEDERS JUST TO BE SAFE? WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE? THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC AROUND THIS IS ONE STAY AWAY FROM RAW, UNPASTEURIZED MILK. PASTEURIZATION DOES MAKE THE MILK FROM INFECTED COWS SAFE. AVOID HANDLING SICK OR DEAD ANIMALS IN THE WILD. IF YOU HAVE TO WEAR GLOVES, WASH YOUR HANDS VERY WELL. AFTERWARD. PEOPLE WITH BACKYARD BIRD FEEDERS OR CHICKENS SHOULD PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO HANDWASHING AS WELL. FARM WORKERS SHOULD USE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WHEN THEY’RE HANDLING OR DEALING WITH ANY ANIMALS KNOWN TO BE PART OF THIS OUTBREAK, LIKE COWS, CHICKENS AND ALPACA. GREAT ADVICE, DOCTOR DORON, AL

A fourth farm worker has been infected with bird flu in the growing outbreak linked to dairy cows, health officials reported Wednesday.The worker had direct contact with infected dairy cows on a northeast Colorado farm, state and federal health officials said. The man developed pink eye, or conjunctivitis, received antiviral treatment and has recovered.Three previous cases of human infection linked to cows have been reported in dairy workers in Texas and Michigan since March. Two of those workers also developed pink eye, while one had mild respiratory symptoms, In 2022, the first U.S. case of bird flu was detected in a Colorado farm worker exposed to infected poultry.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the new infection “does not change” the agency’s assessment that the risk to the general public remains low. Surveillance systems tracking flu in the U.S. have shown no unusual activity, officials said. However, people with prolonged contact with to infected birds or other animals, including livestock, or to their environments, are at higher risk of infection.The Colorado man was being monitored when he developed symptoms because of his work with dairy cows, according to the CDC. Tests at the state level were inconclusive, but samples sent to CDC tested positive. Full results of genetic analysis of the sample are pending.As of Wednesday, more than 135 dairy herds in a dozen states had reported infections with the H5N1 virus that originated in poultry, according to the Agriculture Department.

A fourth farm worker has been infected with bird flu in the growing outbreak linked to dairy cows, health officials reported Wednesday.

The worker had direct contact with infected dairy cows on a northeast Colorado farm, state and federal health officials said. The man developed pink eye, or conjunctivitis, received antiviral treatment and has recovered.

Three previous cases of human infection linked to cows have been reported in dairy workers in Texas and Michigan since March. Two of those workers also developed pink eye, while one had mild respiratory symptoms, In 2022, the first U.S. case of bird flu was detected in a Colorado farm worker exposed to infected poultry.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the new infection “does not change” the agency’s assessment that the risk to the general public remains low. Surveillance systems tracking flu in the U.S. have shown no unusual activity, officials said. However, people with prolonged contact with to infected birds or other animals, including livestock, or to their environments, are at higher risk of infection.

The Colorado man was being monitored when he developed symptoms because of his work with dairy cows, according to the CDC. Tests at the state level were inconclusive, but samples sent to CDC tested positive. Full results of genetic analysis of the sample are pending.

As of Wednesday, more than 135 dairy herds in a dozen states had reported infections with the H5N1 virus that originated in poultry, according to the Agriculture Department.

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July 4, 2024
Hurricane Beryl roars toward Mexico after leaving destruction in Jamaica and eastern Caribbean

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Hurricane Beryl ripped off roofs in Jamaica, jumbled fishing boats in Barbados and damaged or destroyed 95% of homes on a pair of islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines before rumbling toward the Cayman Islands and taking aim at Mexico’s Caribbean coast after leaving at least seven dead in its wake.What had been the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, weakened slightly but remained a major hurricane. Its eye was forecast to pass just south of the Cayman Islands overnight.Mexico’s popular Caribbean coast prepared shelters, evacuated some small outlying coastal communities and even moved sea turtle eggs off beaches threatened by storm surge, but in nightlife hotspots like Playa del Carmen and Tulum tourists still took one more night on the town.Mexico’s Navy patrolled areas like Tulum telling tourists in Spanish and English to prepare for the storm’s arrival.Early Thursday morning, the storm’s center was about 500 miles east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico. It had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and was moving west-northwest at 21 mph. Beryl was forecast to make landfall in a sparsely populated area of lagoons and mangroves south of Tulum in the early hours of Friday, probably as a Category 2 storm. Then it was expected to cross the Yucatan Peninsula and restrengthen over the warm Gulf of Mexico to make a second strike on Mexico’s northeast coast near the Texas border. The storm had already shown its destructive potential across a long swath of the southeastern Caribbean.Beryl’s eye wall brushed by Jamaica’s southern coast Wednesday afternoon knocking out power and ripping roofs off homes. Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Jamaica had not seen the “worst of what could possibly happen.”“We can do as much as we can do, as humanly possible, and we leave the rest in the hands of God,” Holness said. Several roadways in Jamaica’s interior settlements were impacted by fallen trees and utility poles, while some communities in the northern section were without electricity, according to the government’s Information Service.The worst perhaps came earlier in Beryl’s trajectory when it smacked two small islands of the Lesser Antilles.Michelle Forbes, the St. Vincent and Grenadines director of the National Emergency Management Organization, said that about 95% of homes in Mayreau and Union Island have been damaged by Hurricane Beryl.Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said. Three other deaths were reported in northern Venezuela, where four people were missing, officials said.One fatality in Grenada occurred after a tree fell on a house, Kerryne James, the environment minister, told The Associated Press.St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has promised to rebuild the archipelago.In Cancun Wednesday afternoon, Donna McNaughton, a 43-year-old cardiac physiologist from Scotland, was taking the approaching storm in stride.Her flight home wasn’t leaving until Monday, so she planned to follow her hotel’s advice to wait it out.“We’re not too scared of. It’ll die down,” she said. “And we’re used to wind and rain in Scotland anyway.”

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico —

Hurricane Beryl ripped off roofs in Jamaica, jumbled fishing boats in Barbados and damaged or destroyed 95% of homes on a pair of islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines before rumbling toward the Cayman Islands and taking aim at Mexico’s Caribbean coast after leaving at least seven dead in its wake.

What had been the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, weakened slightly but remained a major hurricane. Its eye was forecast to pass just south of the Cayman Islands overnight.

Mexico’s popular Caribbean coast prepared shelters, evacuated some small outlying coastal communities and even moved sea turtle eggs off beaches threatened by storm surge, but in nightlife hotspots like Playa del Carmen and Tulum tourists still took one more night on the town.

Mexico’s Navy patrolled areas like Tulum telling tourists in Spanish and English to prepare for the storm’s arrival.

Early Thursday morning, the storm’s center was about 500 miles east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico. It had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and was moving west-northwest at 21 mph. Beryl was forecast to make landfall in a sparsely populated area of lagoons and mangroves south of Tulum in the early hours of Friday, probably as a Category 2 storm. Then it was expected to cross the Yucatan Peninsula and restrengthen over the warm Gulf of Mexico to make a second strike on Mexico’s northeast coast near the Texas border.

The storm had already shown its destructive potential across a long swath of the southeastern Caribbean.

Beryl’s eye wall brushed by Jamaica’s southern coast Wednesday afternoon knocking out power and ripping roofs off homes. Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Jamaica had not seen the “worst of what could possibly happen.”

“We can do as much as we can do, as humanly possible, and we leave the rest in the hands of God,” Holness said.

Several roadways in Jamaica’s interior settlements were impacted by fallen trees and utility poles, while some communities in the northern section were without electricity, according to the government’s Information Service.

The worst perhaps came earlier in Beryl’s trajectory when it smacked two small islands of the Lesser Antilles.

Michelle Forbes, the St. Vincent and Grenadines director of the National Emergency Management Organization, said that about 95% of homes in Mayreau and Union Island have been damaged by Hurricane Beryl.

Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said. Three other deaths were reported in northern Venezuela, where four people were missing, officials said.

One fatality in Grenada occurred after a tree fell on a house, Kerryne James, the environment minister, told The Associated Press.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has promised to rebuild the archipelago.

In Cancun Wednesday afternoon, Donna McNaughton, a 43-year-old cardiac physiologist from Scotland, was taking the approaching storm in stride.

Her flight home wasn’t leaving until Monday, so she planned to follow her hotel’s advice to wait it out.

“We’re not too scared of. It’ll die down,” she said. “And we’re used to wind and rain in Scotland anyway.”

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July 4, 2024
Student loan payments are paused for 3 million borrowers. Here’s what to know

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The Department of Education is pausing student loan payments for roughly 3 million borrowers who were expecting to have lower monthly bills starting July 1.Video above: Colleges introduce programs to help students graduate debt-freeThe pause comes after two federal courts temporarily blocked parts of a student loan repayment plan known as SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education), launched by President Joe Biden last year.Two groups of Republican-led states filed lawsuits earlier this year challenging the SAVE plan, arguing that the administration does not have the legal authority to implement the plan. Missouri and Kansas judges issued temporary injunctions last week, halting parts of the SAVE plan while the matter can be fully litigated.SAVE lowers enrolled borrowers’ monthly payments and provides a faster route to debt forgiveness. It was launched by the Biden administration after the president’s sweeping, one-time student loan forgiveness program was struck down by the Supreme Court last summer.As a result of the court-ordered injunctions, the Biden administration is blocked from lowering payments by as much as half for some borrowers enrolled in SAVE. That part of the repayment plan was scheduled to be phased in this month. The administration is also not allowed to cancel any more student loan debt under the SAVE plan for now.The Department of Justice has appealed both injunctions. Here’s what borrowers need to know:Payments paused for some borrowers enrolled in SAVENearly 8 million people are enrolled in SAVE, and none of them will need to make a payment in July.Roughly 3 million people will be put in a forbearance, the Department of Education said. During that time, payments will not be required and interest will not accrue.Video below: What to know about new plan to erase student debtBut borrowers enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which is geared toward eligible government and nonprofit workers, will not get credit toward student debt relief like they did when payments were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.All other borrowers enrolled in SAVE already have a $0 monthly payment. SAVE is an income-driven repayment plan, which calculates payments based on a borrower’s income and family size. Payments can be as low as $0 for people earning $30,000 or less a year.The Department of Education said it will communicate these updates to borrowers via email within the coming days.Student debt forgiveness under SAVE haltedBorrowers enrolled in SAVE may be eligible for student debt relief in a shorter amount of time than under other income-driven repayment plans.Those who borrowed $12,000 or less will see their debt forgiven after paying for just 10 years under SAVE. Every additional $1,000 borrowed above that amount would add one year of monthly payments to the required time a borrower must pay. Under other repayment plans, borrowers must make at least 20 years of payments before receiving debt forgiveness.To date, $5.5 billion has been canceled for 414,000 people enrolled in SAVE.But the court’s injunction blocks the Biden administration from canceling anymore student debt under SAVE until the matter is fully litigated.Online access to SAVE application removedFor the next four to six weeks, borrowers will not be able to access online applications for any income-driven repayment plans, including SAVE, while the Department of Education updates its systems to reflect the court-ordered injunctions.Borrowers can continue to submit paper or PDF applications during this time.The Department of Education said that borrowers should check in regularly with studentaid.gov and subscribe here to receive the latest information.How does SAVE work?Like existing income-driven repayment plans, SAVE offers lower monthly payments for people with lower incomes. But the SAVE plan offers the most generous terms.SAVE lowers monthly payments in two ways compared with other federal student loan repayment plans.First, it recalculates discretionary income so that it’s equal to the difference between a borrower’s adjusted gross income and 225% of the poverty level. Existing income-driven plans calculate discretionary income as the difference between income and 150% of the poverty level.Under most income-driven repayment plans, borrowers are required to pay 10% of their discretionary income. But before the court-ordered injunction, borrowers enrolled in SAVE were expecting to see those payments cut by as much as half.Payments on loans borrowed for undergraduate school will be reduced from 10% to 5% of discretionary income. Borrowers who have loans from both undergraduate and graduate school will pay a weighted average of between 5% and 10% of their income based upon the original principal balances of their loans.The SAVE plan also prevents balances from ballooning due to interest when a borrower has a small monthly payment. If enrolled in SAVE, unpaid interest does not accrue if a borrower makes a fully monthly payment. For example, if $50 in interest accumulates each month and a borrower’s full required payment is just $30, the remaining $20 would be waived.Confusion for borrowersThe court injunctions impacting the SAVE plan come at a time when many borrowers were already experiencing issues with their student loan payments – which resumed last fall after a three-plus year pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.Some borrowers were recently put in an administrative forbearance because their accounts were being transferred from one loan servicer to another. Others were being put in a forbearance because the recalculation of their payments under SAVE had not been completed yet“This may just be politics to the leaders of Missouri and Kansas, but for 40 million people trying to manage their student loans, it’s chaos,” Abby Shafroth, co-director of Advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center, said in a statement.

WASHINGTON —

The Department of Education is pausing student loan payments for roughly 3 million borrowers who were expecting to have lower monthly bills starting July 1.

Video above: Colleges introduce programs to help students graduate debt-free

The pause comes after two federal courts temporarily blocked parts of a student loan repayment plan known as SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education), launched by President Joe Biden last year.

Two groups of Republican-led states filed lawsuits earlier this year challenging the SAVE plan, arguing that the administration does not have the legal authority to implement the plan. Missouri and Kansas judges issued temporary injunctions last week, halting parts of the SAVE plan while the matter can be fully litigated.

SAVE lowers enrolled borrowers’ monthly payments and provides a faster route to debt forgiveness. It was launched by the Biden administration after the president’s sweeping, one-time student loan forgiveness program was struck down by the Supreme Court last summer.

As a result of the court-ordered injunctions, the Biden administration is blocked from lowering payments by as much as half for some borrowers enrolled in SAVE. That part of the repayment plan was scheduled to be phased in this month. The administration is also not allowed to cancel any more student loan debt under the SAVE plan for now.

The Department of Justice has appealed both injunctions. Here’s what borrowers need to know:

Payments paused for some borrowers enrolled in SAVE

Nearly 8 million people are enrolled in SAVE, and none of them will need to make a payment in July.

Roughly 3 million people will be put in a forbearance, the Department of Education said. During that time, payments will not be required and interest will not accrue.

Video below: What to know about new plan to erase student debt

But borrowers enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which is geared toward eligible government and nonprofit workers, will not get credit toward student debt relief like they did when payments were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All other borrowers enrolled in SAVE already have a $0 monthly payment. SAVE is an income-driven repayment plan, which calculates payments based on a borrower’s income and family size. Payments can be as low as $0 for people earning $30,000 or less a year.

The Department of Education said it will communicate these updates to borrowers via email within the coming days.

Student debt forgiveness under SAVE halted

Borrowers enrolled in SAVE may be eligible for student debt relief in a shorter amount of time than under other income-driven repayment plans.

Those who borrowed $12,000 or less will see their debt forgiven after paying for just 10 years under SAVE. Every additional $1,000 borrowed above that amount would add one year of monthly payments to the required time a borrower must pay. Under other repayment plans, borrowers must make at least 20 years of payments before receiving debt forgiveness.

To date, $5.5 billion has been canceled for 414,000 people enrolled in SAVE.

But the court’s injunction blocks the Biden administration from canceling anymore student debt under SAVE until the matter is fully litigated.

Online access to SAVE application removed

For the next four to six weeks, borrowers will not be able to access online applications for any income-driven repayment plans, including SAVE, while the Department of Education updates its systems to reflect the court-ordered injunctions.

Borrowers can continue to submit paper or PDF applications during this time.

The Department of Education said that borrowers should check in regularly with studentaid.gov and subscribe here to receive the latest information.

How does SAVE work?

Like existing income-driven repayment plans, SAVE offers lower monthly payments for people with lower incomes. But the SAVE plan offers the most generous terms.

SAVE lowers monthly payments in two ways compared with other federal student loan repayment plans.

First, it recalculates discretionary income so that it’s equal to the difference between a borrower’s adjusted gross income and 225% of the poverty level. Existing income-driven plans calculate discretionary income as the difference between income and 150% of the poverty level.

Under most income-driven repayment plans, borrowers are required to pay 10% of their discretionary income. But before the court-ordered injunction, borrowers enrolled in SAVE were expecting to see those payments cut by as much as half.

Payments on loans borrowed for undergraduate school will be reduced from 10% to 5% of discretionary income. Borrowers who have loans from both undergraduate and graduate school will pay a weighted average of between 5% and 10% of their income based upon the original principal balances of their loans.

The SAVE plan also prevents balances from ballooning due to interest when a borrower has a small monthly payment. If enrolled in SAVE, unpaid interest does not accrue if a borrower makes a fully monthly payment. For example, if $50 in interest accumulates each month and a borrower’s full required payment is just $30, the remaining $20 would be waived.

Confusion for borrowers

The court injunctions impacting the SAVE plan come at a time when many borrowers were already experiencing issues with their student loan payments – which resumed last fall after a three-plus year pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some borrowers were recently put in an administrative forbearance because their accounts were being transferred from one loan servicer to another. Others were being put in a forbearance because the recalculation of their payments under SAVE had not been completed yet

“This may just be politics to the leaders of Missouri and Kansas, but for 40 million people trying to manage their student loans, it’s chaos,” Abby Shafroth, co-director of Advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center, said in a statement.

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July 1, 2024
Judge to weigh request to dismiss Alec Baldwin shooting case for damage to evidence during testing

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A New Mexico judge plans to rule Friday on a request to dismiss the sole charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer over concerns the FBI damaged the firearm during forensic testing before defense attorneys could examine it.Defense attorneys for Alec Baldwin have asked Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer to scuttle the case against Baldwin ahead of what would be a high-profile trial starting in July.Baldwin’s legal team has requested that, if the trial moves forward, the judge should at least prohibit presentation of an analysis of the gun using replacement parts by a firearms expert for the prosecution. They say investigators may have destroyed potentially exculpatory evidence while testing whether the gun might accidentally discharge without a pull of the trigger.During a film-set rehearsal on Oct. 21, 2021, Baldwin was pointing the gun at Halyna Hutchins when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza, who survived.Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.Sheriff’s investigators initially sent the revolver to the FBI for routine testing, but when an FBI analyst heard Baldwin say in an ABC interview that he never pulled the trigger, the agency told local authorities they could conduct an accidental discharge test, though it might damage the gun.The FBI was told by a team of investigators to go ahead, and tested the revolver by striking it from several angles with a rawhide mallet. One of those strikes fractured the gun’s firing and safety mechanisms.“They understood that this was potentially exculpatory evidence and they destroyed it anyway,” Baldwin lawyer John Bash said during a virtual court hearing Monday. “It’s outrageous and it requires dismissal.”Prosecutors said it was “unfortunate” the gun broke, but it wasn’t destroyed and the parts are still available. They say Baldwin’s attorneys still have the ability to defend their client and question the evidence against him.Baldwin’s lawyers say authorities went ahead with destructive testing of the gun without bothering to disassemble it and photograph the parts first, thus eliminating their most critical evidence in the case. Noting damage to the top notch on the revolver’s hammer, they urged the judge to prohibit a jury from viewing an analysis of the reconstructed gun.Several hours of testimony about the gun and forensic testing during online hearings provided a dress rehearsal for the possible trial against Baldwin. Attorneys for Baldwin gave long and probing cross-examinations of the lead detective, an FBI forensic firearm investigator and the prosecution’s independent gun expert, Lucien Haag.Special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson told the court Monday that the defense has plenty of gun evidence to work with at the trial.She added that all available evidence, from witness testimony to video footage of Baldwin firing the revolver, showed the gun was in good working order on the day of the shooting and that police had no reason to believe its internal workings could provide exonerating evidence.Prosecutors plan to present evidence that they say shows the firearm “could not have fired absent a pull of the trigger” and was working properly before the shooting.Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March of involuntary manslaughter for her role in the shooting and was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison.Since the 2021 shooting, the filming of “Rust” resumed but moved to Montana under an agreement with Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, which made him an executive producer. The completed movie has not yet been released for public viewing.

SANTA FE, N.M. —

A New Mexico judge plans to rule Friday on a request to dismiss the sole charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer over concerns the FBI damaged the firearm during forensic testing before defense attorneys could examine it.

Defense attorneys for Alec Baldwin have asked Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer to scuttle the case against Baldwin ahead of what would be a high-profile trial starting in July.

Baldwin’s legal team has requested that, if the trial moves forward, the judge should at least prohibit presentation of an analysis of the gun using replacement parts by a firearms expert for the prosecution. They say investigators may have destroyed potentially exculpatory evidence while testing whether the gun might accidentally discharge without a pull of the trigger.

During a film-set rehearsal on Oct. 21, 2021, Baldwin was pointing the gun at Halyna Hutchins when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza, who survived.

Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.

Sheriff’s investigators initially sent the revolver to the FBI for routine testing, but when an FBI analyst heard Baldwin say in an ABC interview that he never pulled the trigger, the agency told local authorities they could conduct an accidental discharge test, though it might damage the gun.

The FBI was told by a team of investigators to go ahead, and tested the revolver by striking it from several angles with a rawhide mallet. One of those strikes fractured the gun’s firing and safety mechanisms.

“They understood that this was potentially exculpatory evidence and they destroyed it anyway,” Baldwin lawyer John Bash said during a virtual court hearing Monday. “It’s outrageous and it requires dismissal.”

Prosecutors said it was “unfortunate” the gun broke, but it wasn’t destroyed and the parts are still available. They say Baldwin’s attorneys still have the ability to defend their client and question the evidence against him.

Baldwin’s lawyers say authorities went ahead with destructive testing of the gun without bothering to disassemble it and photograph the parts first, thus eliminating their most critical evidence in the case. Noting damage to the top notch on the revolver’s hammer, they urged the judge to prohibit a jury from viewing an analysis of the reconstructed gun.

Several hours of testimony about the gun and forensic testing during online hearings provided a dress rehearsal for the possible trial against Baldwin. Attorneys for Baldwin gave long and probing cross-examinations of the lead detective, an FBI forensic firearm investigator and the prosecution’s independent gun expert, Lucien Haag.

Special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson told the court Monday that the defense has plenty of gun evidence to work with at the trial.

She added that all available evidence, from witness testimony to video footage of Baldwin firing the revolver, showed the gun was in good working order on the day of the shooting and that police had no reason to believe its internal workings could provide exonerating evidence.

Prosecutors plan to present evidence that they say shows the firearm “could not have fired absent a pull of the trigger” and was working properly before the shooting.

Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March of involuntary manslaughter for her role in the shooting and was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison.

Since the 2021 shooting, the filming of “Rust” resumed but moved to Montana under an agreement with Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, which made him an executive producer. The completed movie has not yet been released for public viewing.

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June 28, 2024
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. didn’t make the debate stage. He faces hurdles to stay relevant

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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won’t be with his better-known rivals, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, when they debate Thursday in Atlanta.Video above: Previewing the first presidential debate of 2024And aside from a livestreamed response to the debate, he also has nothing on his public schedule for the coming weeks. Nor does his running mate, philanthropist Nicole Shanahan.After a busy spring hopscotching the country for a mix of political rallies, fundraisers and nontraditional campaign events, Kennedy appears to be taking a breather.Kennedy’s absence from the debate stage and the campaign trail carries risk for his insurgent quest to shake up the Republican and Democratic dominance of the U.S. political system. He lacks the money for a firehose of television commercials, and he must spend much of the money he does have to secure ballot access. Public appearances are a low-cost way to fire up supporters and drive media coverage he needs to stay relevant.Kennedy himself says he can’t win unless voters know he’s running and believe he can defeat Biden and Trump. That problem will become increasingly acute as the debate, followed by the major party conventions in July and August, push more voters to tune into the race.Video below: Voters share their thoughts ahead of Biden-Trump debateStill, Kennedy has maintained a steady stream of social media posts and he continues to sit for interviews, most recently with talk show host Dr. Phil.“Mr. Kennedy has a full schedule for July with many public events, mostly on the East Coast and including one big rally,” said Stefanie Spear, a Kennedy campaign spokesperson. “We will start announcing the events next week.”For Thursday’s debate on CNN, the network invited candidates who showed strength in four reliable polls and ballot access in enough states to win the presidency. Kennedy fell short on both requirements.He’s cried foul about the rules, accusing CNN of colluding with Biden and Trump in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission and threatening to sue.Sujat Desai, a 20-year-old student from Pleasanton, California who supports Kennedy, said Kennedy’s absence from the debate is a major hurdle for him to overcome.“I don’t think there’s any way to get awareness if you’re not on the debate stage,” Desai said. “I think it’s a pretty lethal blow not to be in this debate, and it would be detrimental not to be in the next.”Still, Desai said he won’t be dissuaded from voting for Kennedy even if he appears to be a longshot come November.“I think this is probably the strongest I’ve seen an independent candidate in a while, so I’ll give him that,” Desai said. “I think he’s definitely doing well. His policies are strong enough to win, I just don’t know if there’s awareness.”Video below: What’s different about Biden and Trump’s 2024 presidential debate?Kennedy plans to respond in real time to the same questions posed to Biden and Trump in a livestream.Independent and third-party candidates like Kennedy face supremely long odds, but Kennedy’s campaign has spooked partisans on both sides who fear he will tip the election against them. Biden supporters worry his famous Democratic name and his history of environmental advocacy will sway voters from the left. Trump supporters worry his idiosyncratic views, particularly his questioning of the scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and effective, will appeal to people who might otherwise vote for Trump.Christy Jones, 54, a holistic health and mindfulness coach from Glendora, California, worries people won’t know Kennedy is running without him standing next to Biden and Trump at the debate. But she said he’s still all over her social media feeds and she’s confident he’s making himself visible.“I do feel like he could still win if people choose to be courageous,” she said. “If all the people that actually want change voted for him he would be in. People are asking for change.”Until recently, Kennedy’s website promoted a variety of events weeks or more in advance, including public rallies and private fundraisers. He held comedy nights with prominent comedians in Michigan and Tennessee.But since he went to the June 15 premiere of a film on combatting addiction, Kennedy has been dark, though he continues to promote in-person and virtual organizing events for his supporters.

PHOENIX —

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won’t be with his better-known rivals, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, when they debate Thursday in Atlanta.

Video above: Previewing the first presidential debate of 2024

And aside from a livestreamed response to the debate, he also has nothing on his public schedule for the coming weeks. Nor does his running mate, philanthropist Nicole Shanahan.

After a busy spring hopscotching the country for a mix of political rallies, fundraisers and nontraditional campaign events, Kennedy appears to be taking a breather.

Kennedy’s absence from the debate stage and the campaign trail carries risk for his insurgent quest to shake up the Republican and Democratic dominance of the U.S. political system. He lacks the money for a firehose of television commercials, and he must spend much of the money he does have to secure ballot access. Public appearances are a low-cost way to fire up supporters and drive media coverage he needs to stay relevant.

Kennedy himself says he can’t win unless voters know he’s running and believe he can defeat Biden and Trump. That problem will become increasingly acute as the debate, followed by the major party conventions in July and August, push more voters to tune into the race.

Video below: Voters share their thoughts ahead of Biden-Trump debate

Still, Kennedy has maintained a steady stream of social media posts and he continues to sit for interviews, most recently with talk show host Dr. Phil.

“Mr. Kennedy has a full schedule for July with many public events, mostly on the East Coast and including one big rally,” said Stefanie Spear, a Kennedy campaign spokesperson. “We will start announcing the events next week.”

For Thursday’s debate on CNN, the network invited candidates who showed strength in four reliable polls and ballot access in enough states to win the presidency. Kennedy fell short on both requirements.

He’s cried foul about the rules, accusing CNN of colluding with Biden and Trump in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission and threatening to sue.

Sujat Desai, a 20-year-old student from Pleasanton, California who supports Kennedy, said Kennedy’s absence from the debate is a major hurdle for him to overcome.

“I don’t think there’s any way to get awareness if you’re not on the debate stage,” Desai said. “I think it’s a pretty lethal blow not to be in this debate, and it would be detrimental not to be in the next.”

Still, Desai said he won’t be dissuaded from voting for Kennedy even if he appears to be a longshot come November.

“I think this is probably the strongest I’ve seen an independent candidate in a while, so I’ll give him that,” Desai said. “I think he’s definitely doing well. His policies are strong enough to win, I just don’t know if there’s awareness.”

Video below: What’s different about Biden and Trump’s 2024 presidential debate?

Kennedy plans to respond in real time to the same questions posed to Biden and Trump in a livestream.

Independent and third-party candidates like Kennedy face supremely long odds, but Kennedy’s campaign has spooked partisans on both sides who fear he will tip the election against them. Biden supporters worry his famous Democratic name and his history of environmental advocacy will sway voters from the left. Trump supporters worry his idiosyncratic views, particularly his questioning of the scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and effective, will appeal to people who might otherwise vote for Trump.

Christy Jones, 54, a holistic health and mindfulness coach from Glendora, California, worries people won’t know Kennedy is running without him standing next to Biden and Trump at the debate. But she said he’s still all over her social media feeds and she’s confident he’s making himself visible.

“I do feel like he could still win if people choose to be courageous,” she said. “If all the people that actually want change voted for him he would be in. People are asking for change.”

Until recently, Kennedy’s website promoted a variety of events weeks or more in advance, including public rallies and private fundraisers. He held comedy nights with prominent comedians in Michigan and Tennessee.

But since he went to the June 15 premiere of a film on combatting addiction, Kennedy has been dark, though he continues to promote in-person and virtual organizing events for his supporters.

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June 27, 2024
Texas man executed for 2001 abduction and killing of 18-year-old woman

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A Texas man who admitted he kidnapped, sexually assaulted and fatally shot an 18-year-old woman in 2001 was executed Wednesday evening.Ramiro Gonzales, 41, was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. following a chemical injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the January 2001 killing of Bridget Townsend.Gonzales was repeatedly apologetic to the victim’s relatives in his last statement from the execution chamber.“I can’t put into words the pain I have caused y’all, the hurt, what I took away that I cannot give back. I hope this apology is enough,” he said.“I never stopped praying that you would forgive me and that one day I would have this opportunity to apologize. I owe all of you my life and I hope one day you will forgive me,” he added, just before the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began flowing.As the drug took effect, he took seven breaths, then began sounds like snores. Within less than a minute, all movement had stopped.Gonzales kidnapped Townsend, who would have turned 41 on Wednesday, from a rural home in Bandera County, northwest of San Antonio. He later took her to his family’s ranch in neighboring Medina County, where he sexually assaulted her before killing her. Her body wasn’t found until October 2002, when Gonzales led authorities to her remains in southwest Texas after he had received two life sentences for kidnapping and raping another woman.“We have finally witnessed justice be being served,” Townsend’s brother, David, said after watching the execution. “This day marks the end of a long and painful journey for our family. For over two decades we have endured unimaginable pain and heartache.”He said Gonzales’ death “provides us a little bit of peace. I do want to say we are not joyous. We are not happy. This is a very, very sad day for everyone all the way around.”The U.S. Supreme Court declined a defense plea to intervene about 1 and 1/2 hours before the execution’s scheduled start time. The high court rejected arguments by Gonzales’ lawyers that he had taken responsibility for what he did and that a prosecution expert witness now says he was wrong in testifying that Gonzales would be a future danger to society, a legal finding needed to impose a death sentence.“He has earnestly devoted himself to self-improvement, contemplation, and prayer, and has grown into a mature, peaceful, kind, loving, and deeply religious adult. He acknowledges his responsibility for his crimes and has sought to atone for them and to seek redemption through his actions,” Gonzales’ lawyers had written Monday in their unsuccessful request to the Supreme Court for a stay of execution. After re-evaluating Gonzales in 2022, Gripon said his prediction was wrong.Earlier this month, a group of 11 evangelical leaders from Texas and around the country asked the parole board and Gov. Greg Abbott to halt the execution and grant clemency. They had said Gonzalez was helping other death row inmates through a faith-based program.In video submitted as part of his clemency request to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, Gonzales admitted responsibility.“I just want (Townsend’s mother) to know how sorry I really am. I took everything that was valuable from a mother,” said Gonzales, who was 18 years old at the time. “So, every day it’s a continual task to do everything that I can to feel that responsibility for the life that I took.”On Monday, the parole board voted 7-0 against commuting Gonzales’ death sentence to a lesser penalty. Members also rejected granting him a six-month reprieve.Prosecutors described Gonzales as a sexual predator who told police he ignored Townsend’s pleas to spare her life. They argued that jurors reached the right decision on a death sentence because he had a long criminal history and showed no remorse.“The State’s punishment case was overwhelming,” the Texas Attorney General’s Office said. “Even if Dr. Gripon’s testimony were wiped from the punishment slate, it would not have mattered.”Gonzales’ execution was the second this year in Texas and the eighth in the U.S. On Thursday, Oklahoma is scheduled to execute Richard Rojem for the 1984 abduction, rape and killing of a 7-year-old girl.

HUNTSVILLE, Texas —

A Texas man who admitted he kidnapped, sexually assaulted and fatally shot an 18-year-old woman in 2001 was executed Wednesday evening.

Ramiro Gonzales, 41, was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. following a chemical injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the January 2001 killing of Bridget Townsend.

Gonzales was repeatedly apologetic to the victim’s relatives in his last statement from the execution chamber.

“I can’t put into words the pain I have caused y’all, the hurt, what I took away that I cannot give back. I hope this apology is enough,” he said.

“I never stopped praying that you would forgive me and that one day I would have this opportunity to apologize. I owe all of you my life and I hope one day you will forgive me,” he added, just before the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began flowing.

As the drug took effect, he took seven breaths, then began sounds like snores. Within less than a minute, all movement had stopped.

Gonzales kidnapped Townsend, who would have turned 41 on Wednesday, from a rural home in Bandera County, northwest of San Antonio. He later took her to his family’s ranch in neighboring Medina County, where he sexually assaulted her before killing her. Her body wasn’t found until October 2002, when Gonzales led authorities to her remains in southwest Texas after he had received two life sentences for kidnapping and raping another woman.

“We have finally witnessed justice be being served,” Townsend’s brother, David, said after watching the execution. “This day marks the end of a long and painful journey for our family. For over two decades we have endured unimaginable pain and heartache.”

He said Gonzales’ death “provides us a little bit of peace. I do want to say we are not joyous. We are not happy. This is a very, very sad day for everyone all the way around.”

The U.S. Supreme Court declined a defense plea to intervene about 1 and 1/2 hours before the execution’s scheduled start time. The high court rejected arguments by Gonzales’ lawyers that he had taken responsibility for what he did and that a prosecution expert witness now says he was wrong in testifying that Gonzales would be a future danger to society, a legal finding needed to impose a death sentence.

“He has earnestly devoted himself to self-improvement, contemplation, and prayer, and has grown into a mature, peaceful, kind, loving, and deeply religious adult. He acknowledges his responsibility for his crimes and has sought to atone for them and to seek redemption through his actions,” Gonzales’ lawyers had written Monday in their unsuccessful request to the Supreme Court for a stay of execution. After re-evaluating Gonzales in 2022, Gripon said his prediction was wrong.

Earlier this month, a group of 11 evangelical leaders from Texas and around the country asked the parole board and Gov. Greg Abbott to halt the execution and grant clemency. They had said Gonzalez was helping other death row inmates through a faith-based program.

In video submitted as part of his clemency request to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, Gonzales admitted responsibility.

“I just want (Townsend’s mother) to know how sorry I really am. I took everything that was valuable from a mother,” said Gonzales, who was 18 years old at the time. “So, every day it’s a continual task to do everything that I can to feel that responsibility for the life that I took.”

On Monday, the parole board voted 7-0 against commuting Gonzales’ death sentence to a lesser penalty. Members also rejected granting him a six-month reprieve.

Prosecutors described Gonzales as a sexual predator who told police he ignored Townsend’s pleas to spare her life. They argued that jurors reached the right decision on a death sentence because he had a long criminal history and showed no remorse.

“The State’s punishment case was overwhelming,” the Texas Attorney General’s Office said. “Even if Dr. Gripon’s testimony were wiped from the punishment slate, it would not have mattered.”

Gonzales’ execution was the second this year in Texas and the eighth in the U.S. On Thursday, Oklahoma is scheduled to execute Richard Rojem for the 1984 abduction, rape and killing of a 7-year-old girl.

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June 27, 2024
Historic building in Italy damaged by parkour tourists

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Jumping from building to building in an ancient city might seem like a dream for those who practice parkour — a sport that involves making it past obstacles — but it can cause damage to historic buildings.A London-based parkour group, Team Phat, visited the ancient Italian city of Matera, running, climbing and leaping through its streets and over its precious structures.One of the freerunners caused a segment of a historic building to fall off, sending both himself and the building part crashing to the ground.Matera, a city of stone which dates back to the Paleolithic era, is located in the Basilicata region in Southern Italy.In 1993, it was granted UNESCO World Heritage status and was the European Capital of Culture in 2019.A video of parkour stunts in the ancient city was posted by Team Phat on YouTube two months ago, along with a caption explaining that they were “in the beautiful city of Matera” where one of their members, Devon McIntosh, “had a scary fall that could have been really bad.”The video shows the freerunner jumping off a building and attempting to use a stone ledge to help him get to another building across the street. But the ledge could not withstand his force and dramatically broke off.An off-camera member of the team suggests that they “hide the evidence” and McIntosh shows his injury to his leg.The video has attracted many critical comments on social media. “This city is a UNESCO heritage site for a reason,” wrote an Instagram user named Bruno Burke. “We should enjoy our discipline as much as possible, but we should also watch where we step, not only for safety but also for respect of culture and history.”Misbehaving visitorsMany of Matera’s districts and habitable caves were renovated in the second half of the 20th century, as the city regained its charm and became a popular Instagrammable hotspot.Unsurprisingly, international cinema also pays the occasional visit. The 2021 James Bond movie, “No Time to Die” features an exciting car chase through Matera’s streets.The well curated remains of the ancient cave churches, fortified farmhouses and districts make Matera a city of universal value, according to UNESCO.CNN has reached out to Matera’s police force for comment on the parkour incident.Team Phat’s behavior has raised further questions about the conduct of travelers at sites of architectural beauty. At the start of the video, one of the Team Phat members said: “As some of you know, we’ve been banned from Venice and we can never go back.” In March 2023, a Team Phat member jumped into a canal in Venice, following which Mayor Luigi Brugnaro commented on X: “This ‘subject’ should be given a certificate of STUPIDITY…. We are trying to identify him to denounce him and his companion that made the stupid video for social media.”On April 25, entry fee tickets were introduced in Venice. Brugnaro said: “Venice is the first city in the world to start on this journey which could become an example for other fragile cities that must be preserved.”In March, a historic district in Kyoto, Japan, announced that it is banning tourists from entering, following local frustrations about visitors’ poor behavior and failure to follow Japanese customs and etiquette.

MATERA, Italy —

Jumping from building to building in an ancient city might seem like a dream for those who practice parkour — a sport that involves making it past obstacles — but it can cause damage to historic buildings.

A London-based parkour group, Team Phat, visited the ancient Italian city of Matera, running, climbing and leaping through its streets and over its precious structures.

One of the freerunners caused a segment of a historic building to fall off, sending both himself and the building part crashing to the ground.

Matera, a city of stone which dates back to the Paleolithic era, is located in the Basilicata region in Southern Italy.

In 1993, it was granted UNESCO World Heritage status and was the European Capital of Culture in 2019.

A video of parkour stunts in the ancient city was posted by Team Phat on YouTube two months ago, along with a caption explaining that they were “in the beautiful city of Matera” where one of their members, Devon McIntosh, “had a scary fall that could have been really bad.”

The video shows the freerunner jumping off a building and attempting to use a stone ledge to help him get to another building across the street. But the ledge could not withstand his force and dramatically broke off.

An off-camera member of the team suggests that they “hide the evidence” and McIntosh shows his injury to his leg.

The video has attracted many critical comments on social media. “This city is a UNESCO heritage site for a reason,” wrote an Instagram user named Bruno Burke. “We should enjoy our [parkour] discipline as much as possible, but we should also watch where we step, not only for safety but also for respect of culture and history.”

Misbehaving visitors

Many of Matera’s districts and habitable caves were renovated in the second half of the 20th century, as the city regained its charm and became a popular Instagrammable hotspot.

Unsurprisingly, international cinema also pays the occasional visit. The 2021 James Bond movie, “No Time to Die” features an exciting car chase through Matera’s streets.

The well curated remains of the ancient cave churches, fortified farmhouses and districts make Matera a city of universal value, according to UNESCO.

CNN has reached out to Matera’s police force for comment on the parkour incident.

Team Phat’s behavior has raised further questions about the conduct of travelers at sites of architectural beauty. At the start of the video, one of the Team Phat members said: “As some of you know, we’ve been banned from Venice and we can never go back.”

In March 2023, a Team Phat member jumped into a canal in Venice, following which Mayor Luigi Brugnaro commented on X: “This ‘subject’ should be given a certificate of STUPIDITY…. We are trying to identify him to denounce him and his companion that made the stupid video for social media.”

On April 25, entry fee tickets were introduced in Venice. Brugnaro said: “Venice is the first city in the world to start on this journey which could become an example for other fragile cities that must be preserved.”

In March, a historic district in Kyoto, Japan, announced that it is banning tourists from entering, following local frustrations about visitors’ poor behavior and failure to follow Japanese customs and etiquette.

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June 20, 2024
Records expunged for St. Louis couple who waved guns at protesters. They want their guns back

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Records expunged for St. Louis couple who waved guns at protesters. They want their guns back

Updated: 11:40 AM PDT Jun 6, 2024

Evening, America, we’re Mark and Patty McCloskey were speaking to you tonight from ST Louis, Missouri, where just weeks ago you may have seen us defending our home as a mob of protesters descended on our neighborhood. America is such a great country that not only do you have the right to own a gun and use it to defend yourself, but thousands of Americans will offer you free advice on how to use it. At least that’s what we experienced. What you saw happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country. And that’s what we want to speak to you about tonight. That’s exactly right. Whether it’s the de funding of police ending cash bail so criminals can be released back out on the streets the same day to riot again were encouraging anarchy and chaos on our streets. It seems as if the Democrats no longer view that governments job as protecting honest citizens from criminals, but rather protecting criminals from honest citizens, not a single person in the out of control mob. You saw our house was charged with a crime. But you know who waas we were. They’ve actually charged us with felonies for daring to defend our home. On top of that, consider this. The Marxist liberal activist leading the mob toe our neighborhood, stood outside our home with a bullhorn, screaming, You can’t stop the revolution! Just weeks later, that same Marxist activist one the Democrat nomination toe hold a seat in the U. S. House of Representatives in the city of ST Louis. That’s the same is winning the general election. That Marxist revolutionary is now going to be the congresswoman from the first District of Missouri. These radicals air not content with marching in the streets. They want to walk the halls of Congress. They want to take over. They want power. This is Joe Biden’s party. These are the people who will be in charge of your future and the future of your Children. They’re not satisfied with spreading the chaos and violence into our communities. They want to abolish the suburbs altogether by ending single family homes. Owning this forced rezoning would bring crime, lawlessness and low quality apartments into now thriving suburban neighborhoods. President Trump smartly ended this government overreach, but Joe Biden wants to bring it back. These are the policies that are coming to a neighborhood near you. So make no mistake, no matter where you live, your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats. America at this moment in history, if you stand up for yourself and for the values our country was founded on, the mob, spurred on by their allies in the media, will try to destroy you. You’ve seen us on your TV screens and Twitter feeds. You know that we’re not the kind of people who back down. Thankfully, neither is Donald Trump. President Trump will defend the God given right of every American to protect their homes and their families. But more than that, Trump’s vision for America is a country. We have an opportunity to work hard and build the life you dream of with a job you love with your Children being educated in great schools in a community where your family can play in the backyard without fear, worship in a church without shame and express your beliefs without retribution. Trump brought us the greatest economy our country had ever seen. The Democrats have brought us nothing but destruction when we don’t have basic safety and security in our communities will never be free to build a brighter future for ourselves, for our Children or for our country. That’s what’s at stake in this election. And that’s why we must re elect Donald Trump. God bless you. God bless the president and God bless these United States.

Records expunged for St. Louis couple who waved guns at protesters. They want their guns back

Updated: 11:40 AM PDT Jun 6, 2024

A judge has expunged the misdemeanor convictions of a St. Louis couple who waved guns at racial injustice protesters outside their mansion in 2020. Now they want their guns back.Video above: Mark and Patricia McCloskey speak at the RNCAttorneys Mark and Patricia McCloskey filed a request in January to have the convictions wiped away. Judge Joseph P. Whyte wrote in an order Wednesday that the purpose of an expungement is to give people who have rehabilitated themselves a second chance, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. City prosecutors and police opposed the expungements.Immediately after the judge’s ruling, Mark McCloskey demanded that the city return the two guns seized as part of his 2021 guilty plea to misdemeanor assault. Republican Gov. Mike Parson pardoned the couple weeks after the plea.“It’s time for the city to cough up my guns,” he told the Post-Dispatch.If it doesn’t, he said, he’ll file a lawsuit.The McCloskeys said they felt threatened by the protesters, who were passing their home in June 2020 on their way to demonstrate in front of the mayor’s house nearby. It was one of hundreds of demonstrations around the country after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The couple also said the group was trespassing on a private street.Mark McCloskey emerged from his home with an AR-15-style rifle, and Patricia McCloskey waved a semi-automatic pistol.

ST. LOUIS —

A judge has expunged the misdemeanor convictions of a St. Louis couple who waved guns at racial injustice protesters outside their mansion in 2020. Now they want their guns back.

Video above: Mark and Patricia McCloskey speak at the RNC

Attorneys Mark and Patricia McCloskey filed a request in January to have the convictions wiped away. Judge Joseph P. Whyte wrote in an order Wednesday that the purpose of an expungement is to give people who have rehabilitated themselves a second chance, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. City prosecutors and police opposed the expungements.

Immediately after the judge’s ruling, Mark McCloskey demanded that the city return the two guns seized as part of his 2021 guilty plea to misdemeanor assault. Republican Gov. Mike Parson pardoned the couple weeks after the plea.

“It’s time for the city to cough up my guns,” he told the Post-Dispatch.

If it doesn’t, he said, he’ll file a lawsuit.

The McCloskeys said they felt threatened by the protesters, who were passing their home in June 2020 on their way to demonstrate in front of the mayor’s house nearby. It was one of hundreds of demonstrations around the country after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The couple also said the group was trespassing on a private street.

Mark McCloskey emerged from his home with an AR-15-style rifle, and Patricia McCloskey waved a semi-automatic pistol.

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June 6, 2024
Larry Allen, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys, dies suddenly at 52

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Larry Allen, one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL during a 14-year career spent mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, has died. He was 52.Allen died suddenly on Sunday while on vacation with his family in Mexico, the Cowboys said.A six-time All-Pro who was inducted into the Pro Football of Hall of Fame in 2013, Allen said few words but let his blocking do the talking.“Larry, known for his great athleticism and incredible strength, was one of the most respected, accomplished offensive linemen to ever play in the NFL,” the Cowboys said Monday. “His versatility and dependability were also signature parts of his career. Through that, he continued to serve as inspiration for many other players, defining what it meant to be a great teammate, competitor and winner.”The former Sonoma State lineman drafted in the second round by the Cowboys in 1994 — the year before the last of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles — Allen once bench-pressed 700 pounds while dumbfounded teammates watched, then mobbed him.Allen played 12 years in Dallas and two in San Francisco.Allen was feared enough among his peers that notorious trash-talker John Randle of the Minnesota Vikings decided to keep to himself when he faced the Cowboys, so as to avoid making Allen mad.“He never said nothin’,” Nate Newton, one of Allen’s mentors on Dallas’ offensive line, told The Associated Press for its Hall of Fame story on Allen 11 years ago. “Every now and then you’d hear him utter a cuss word or hear him laugh that old funny laugh he had.”Allen entered the Hall of Fame about a year after his mother died, knowing her presence would have helped him get through a speech after a career spent trying to avoid the spotlight.“I miss her,” Allen said before going into the hall. “Whenever I’d get nervous or had a big game and got nervous, I’d give her a call, and she’d start making me laugh.”The Cowboys were coming off consecutive Super Bowl wins when they drafted Allen. He was surrounded by Pro Bowl offensive linemen but didn’t take long to get noticed, eventually making 11 Pro Bowls himself.Late in his rookie season, Allen saved a touchdown by running down Darion Conner when it looked like the New Orleans linebacker only had Troy Aikman to beat down the sideline. Most of the rest of his career was defined by power — first as a tackle, where the Cowboys figured he would be a mainstay, and ultimately as a guard.“The National Football League is filled with gifted athletes, but only a rare few have combined the size, brute strength, speed and agility of Larry Allen,” the Hall of Fame said in a statement. “What he could do as an offensive lineman often defied logic and comprehension.”Allen spent his final two seasons closer to home with the San Francisco 49ers. Then, true to his personality as a player, Allen retired to a quiet life in Northern California with his wife and three kids.“He was deeply loved and cared for by his wife, Janelle — whom he referred to as his heart and soul — his daughters Jayla and Loriana and son, Larry III,” the Cowboys said.Allen was playing at Butte College when his coach at Sonoma State, Frank Scalercio, discovered him at the junior college where the lineman landed after attending four high schools in the Los Angeles area in part because his mom moved him around to keep him away from gangs.Then an assistant for Sonoma, Scalercio was recruiting another player when he saw Allen throw an opponent to the ground for the first time.“I kinda forgot about the guy I was actually recruiting,” Scalercio said.Allen ended up at tiny Sonoma, a Division II school, because his academic progress wasn’t fast enough to get him to Division I, where he probably belonged.“He could literally beat the will out of his opponents, with many quitting midgame or not dressing at all rather than face him, but that was only on the field,” the Hall of Fame said. “Off it, he was a quiet, gentle giant.”In retirement, Allen showed up at Sonoma basketball games — the football program was dropped a couple of years after Allen left — and happily signed autographs and posed for pictures.“He’s even bigger now than he ever was on campus,” Tim Burrell, a friend of Allen’s, said in 2013. “Everybody loves him.”

DALLAS —

Larry Allen, one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL during a 14-year career spent mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, has died. He was 52.

Allen died suddenly on Sunday while on vacation with his family in Mexico, the Cowboys said.

A six-time All-Pro who was inducted into the Pro Football of Hall of Fame in 2013, Allen said few words but let his blocking do the talking.

“Larry, known for his great athleticism and incredible strength, was one of the most respected, accomplished offensive linemen to ever play in the NFL,” the Cowboys said Monday. “His versatility and dependability were also signature parts of his career. Through that, he continued to serve as inspiration for many other players, defining what it meant to be a great teammate, competitor and winner.”

The former Sonoma State lineman drafted in the second round by the Cowboys in 1994 — the year before the last of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles — Allen once bench-pressed 700 pounds while dumbfounded teammates watched, then mobbed him.

Tim Sharp
Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame Inductee Larry Allen shows off his Hall of Fame ring at halftime of an NFL football game, Oct. 13, 2013, in Arlington, Texas.

Allen played 12 years in Dallas and two in San Francisco.

Allen was feared enough among his peers that notorious trash-talker John Randle of the Minnesota Vikings decided to keep to himself when he faced the Cowboys, so as to avoid making Allen mad.

“He never said nothin’,” Nate Newton, one of Allen’s mentors on Dallas’ offensive line, told The Associated Press for its Hall of Fame story on Allen 11 years ago. “Every now and then you’d hear him utter a cuss word or hear him laugh that old funny laugh he had.”

Allen entered the Hall of Fame about a year after his mother died, knowing her presence would have helped him get through a speech after a career spent trying to avoid the spotlight.

“I miss her,” Allen said before going into the hall. “Whenever I’d get nervous or had a big game and got nervous, I’d give her a call, and she’d start making me laugh.”

The Cowboys were coming off consecutive Super Bowl wins when they drafted Allen. He was surrounded by Pro Bowl offensive linemen but didn’t take long to get noticed, eventually making 11 Pro Bowls himself.

Late in his rookie season, Allen saved a touchdown by running down Darion Conner when it looked like the New Orleans linebacker only had Troy Aikman to beat down the sideline. Most of the rest of his career was defined by power — first as a tackle, where the Cowboys figured he would be a mainstay, and ultimately as a guard.

“The National Football League is filled with gifted athletes, but only a rare few have combined the size, brute strength, speed and agility of Larry Allen,” the Hall of Fame said in a statement. “What he could do as an offensive lineman often defied logic and comprehension.”

Allen spent his final two seasons closer to home with the San Francisco 49ers. Then, true to his personality as a player, Allen retired to a quiet life in Northern California with his wife and three kids.

“He was deeply loved and cared for by his wife, Janelle — whom he referred to as his heart and soul — his daughters Jayla and Loriana and son, Larry III,” the Cowboys said.

Allen was playing at Butte College when his coach at Sonoma State, Frank Scalercio, discovered him at the junior college where the lineman landed after attending four high schools in the Los Angeles area in part because his mom moved him around to keep him away from gangs.

Then an assistant for Sonoma, Scalercio was recruiting another player when he saw Allen throw an opponent to the ground for the first time.

“I kinda forgot about the guy I was actually recruiting,” Scalercio said.

Allen ended up at tiny Sonoma, a Division II school, because his academic progress wasn’t fast enough to get him to Division I, where he probably belonged.

“He could literally beat the will out of his opponents, with many quitting midgame or not dressing at all rather than face him, but that was only on the field,” the Hall of Fame said. “Off it, he was a quiet, gentle giant.”

In retirement, Allen showed up at Sonoma basketball games — the football program was dropped a couple of years after Allen left — and happily signed autographs and posed for pictures.

“He’s even bigger now than he ever was on campus,” Tim Burrell, a friend of Allen’s, said in 2013. “Everybody loves him.”

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June 3, 2024
LGBTQ+ Pride Month is starting to show its colors around the world. What to know

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Pride Month, the worldwide celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and rights, kicks off Saturday with events around the globe.Video above: New LGBTQ+ bar set to open in Kansas City, MissouriBut this year’s festivities in the U.S. will unfold against a backdrop of dozens of new state laws targeting LGBTQ+ rights, particularly transgender young people.Here are things to know about the celebrations and the politics around them.Why is June Pride Month?The monthlong global celebration began with Gay Pride Week in late June 1970, a public celebration that marked the first anniversary of the violent police raid at New York’s Stonewall Inn, a gay bar.At a time when LGBTQ+ people largely kept their identity or orientation quiet, the June 28, 1969, raid sparked a series of protests and catalyzed the movement for rights.The first pride week featured marches in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, and it has grown ever since. Some events fall outside of June: Tokyo’s Rainbow Pride was in April and Rio de Janeiro has a major event in November.In 1999, President Bill Clinton proclaimed June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.What’s being celebrated?Pride’s hallmark rainbow-laden parades and festivals celebrate the progress the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement has made.In the U.S. in April, a federal appeals court ruled North Carolina and West Virginia’s refusal to cover certain health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance is discriminatory.Video below: Weekend LGBTQ+ Pride festival kicks off in West Hollywood, CaliforniaIn one compromise in March, a settlement of legal challenges to a Florida law critics called “Don’t Say Gay” clarifies that teachers can have pictures on their desks of their same-sex partners and books with LGBTQ+ themes. It also says books with LGBTQ+ characters and themes can remain in campus libraries and gay-straight alliance chapters at schools need not be forced underground.Greece this year legalized same-sex marriage, one of three dozen nations around the world to do so, and a similar law approved in Estonia in June 2023 took effect this year.What’s being protested?Rights have been lost around the world, including heavy prison sentences for gay and transgender people in Iraq and the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” in Uganda. More than 60 countries have anti-LGBTQ+ laws, advocates say.Tightening of those laws has contributed to the flow of people from Africa and the Middle East seeking asylum in Europe.In recent years, Republican-controlled U.S. states have been adopting policies that target LGBTQ+ people, and particularly transgender people, in various ways.Twenty-five states now have laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Some states have taken other actions, with laws or policies primarily keeping transgender girls and women out of bathrooms and sports competitions that align with their gender.GOP state attorneys general have challenged a federal regulation, set to take effect in August, that would ban the bathroom bans at schools. There also have been efforts to ban or regulate drag performances.Most of the policies are facing legal challenges.Video below: Thousands take part in LGBTQ+ Pride march in JerusalemSince Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, leading to restrictive abortion laws in most GOP-controlled states, LGBTQ+ advocates are worried about losing ground too, said Kevin Jennings, CEO of nonprofit civil rights organization Lambda Legal. On the eve of Pride, the organization announced a $180 million fundraising goal for more lawyers to challenge anti-LGBTQ+ laws.Progress such as the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide could be lost without political and legal vigilance, Jennings said.“Our community looks at what happened to reproductive rights thanks to the Dobbs decision two years ago and has enormous anxiety over whether we’re about to have a massive rollback of what we’ve gained in the 55 years since Stonewall,” Jennings said.What about businesses?While big businesses from Apple to Wells Fargo sponsor events across the U.S., a pushback made ripples last year at one major discount retailer.Target was selling Pride-themed items last June but removed some from stores and moved displays to the back of some locations after customers tipped them over and confronted workers. The company then faced additional backlash from customers who were upset the retailer gave in to people prejudiced against LGBTQ+ people.This year, the store has said it would not carry the items at all its stores. But the company remains a major sponsor of NYC Pride.Are events safe?Keeping the events safe is the top priority, organizers said, but there could be challenges.The FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an advisory in May that foreign terrorist organizations could target events associated with Pride. The same month, the State Department renewed a security warning for Americans overseas, especially LGBTQ+ people and events globally.Law enforcement officials noted ISIS sympathizers were arrested last year for attempting to attack a June 2023 Pride parade in Vienna and that ISIS messaging last year called for followers to attack “soft targets.”The agencies say people should always watch out for threats made online, in person or by mail. People should take note if someone tries to enter a restricted area, bypass security or impersonate law enforcement and call 911 for emergencies and report threats to the FBI.NYC Pride has a heavy security presence and works with city agencies outside the perimeter, said Sandra Perez, the event’s executive director. The group expects 50,000 people marching in its June 30 parade and more than 1.5 million people watching.“The fight for liberation isn’t over,” Perez said. “The need to be visible and the need to be mindful of what we need to do to ensure that the future generations don’t have these struggles is really top of mind.”

Pride Month, the worldwide celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and rights, kicks off Saturday with events around the globe.

Video above: New LGBTQ+ bar set to open in Kansas City, Missouri

But this year’s festivities in the U.S. will unfold against a backdrop of dozens of new state laws targeting LGBTQ+ rights, particularly transgender young people.

Here are things to know about the celebrations and the politics around them.

Why is June Pride Month?

The monthlong global celebration began with Gay Pride Week in late June 1970, a public celebration that marked the first anniversary of the violent police raid at New York’s Stonewall Inn, a gay bar.

At a time when LGBTQ+ people largely kept their identity or orientation quiet, the June 28, 1969, raid sparked a series of protests and catalyzed the movement for rights.

The first pride week featured marches in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, and it has grown ever since. Some events fall outside of June: Tokyo’s Rainbow Pride was in April and Rio de Janeiro has a major event in November.

In 1999, President Bill Clinton proclaimed June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.

What’s being celebrated?

Pride’s hallmark rainbow-laden parades and festivals celebrate the progress the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement has made.

In the U.S. in April, a federal appeals court ruled North Carolina and West Virginia’s refusal to cover certain health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance is discriminatory.

Video below: Weekend LGBTQ+ Pride festival kicks off in West Hollywood, California

In one compromise in March, a settlement of legal challenges to a Florida law critics called “Don’t Say Gay” clarifies that teachers can have pictures on their desks of their same-sex partners and books with LGBTQ+ themes. It also says books with LGBTQ+ characters and themes can remain in campus libraries and gay-straight alliance chapters at schools need not be forced underground.

Greece this year legalized same-sex marriage, one of three dozen nations around the world to do so, and a similar law approved in Estonia in June 2023 took effect this year.

What’s being protested?

Rights have been lost around the world, including heavy prison sentences for gay and transgender people in Iraq and the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” in Uganda. More than 60 countries have anti-LGBTQ+ laws, advocates say.

Tightening of those laws has contributed to the flow of people from Africa and the Middle East seeking asylum in Europe.

In recent years, Republican-controlled U.S. states have been adopting policies that target LGBTQ+ people, and particularly transgender people, in various ways.

Twenty-five states now have laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Some states have taken other actions, with laws or policies primarily keeping transgender girls and women out of bathrooms and sports competitions that align with their gender.

GOP state attorneys general have challenged a federal regulation, set to take effect in August, that would ban the bathroom bans at schools. There also have been efforts to ban or regulate drag performances.

Most of the policies are facing legal challenges.

Video below: Thousands take part in LGBTQ+ Pride march in Jerusalem

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, leading to restrictive abortion laws in most GOP-controlled states, LGBTQ+ advocates are worried about losing ground too, said Kevin Jennings, CEO of nonprofit civil rights organization Lambda Legal. On the eve of Pride, the organization announced a $180 million fundraising goal for more lawyers to challenge anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

Progress such as the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide could be lost without political and legal vigilance, Jennings said.

“Our community looks at what happened to reproductive rights thanks to the Dobbs decision two years ago and has enormous anxiety over whether we’re about to have a massive rollback of what we’ve gained in the 55 years since Stonewall,” Jennings said.

What about businesses?

While big businesses from Apple to Wells Fargo sponsor events across the U.S., a pushback made ripples last year at one major discount retailer.

Target was selling Pride-themed items last June but removed some from stores and moved displays to the back of some locations after customers tipped them over and confronted workers. The company then faced additional backlash from customers who were upset the retailer gave in to people prejudiced against LGBTQ+ people.

This year, the store has said it would not carry the items at all its stores. But the company remains a major sponsor of NYC Pride.

Are events safe?

Keeping the events safe is the top priority, organizers said, but there could be challenges.

The FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an advisory in May that foreign terrorist organizations could target events associated with Pride. The same month, the State Department renewed a security warning for Americans overseas, especially LGBTQ+ people and events globally.

Law enforcement officials noted ISIS sympathizers were arrested last year for attempting to attack a June 2023 Pride parade in Vienna and that ISIS messaging last year called for followers to attack “soft targets.”

The agencies say people should always watch out for threats made online, in person or by mail. People should take note if someone tries to enter a restricted area, bypass security or impersonate law enforcement and call 911 for emergencies and report threats to the FBI.

NYC Pride has a heavy security presence and works with city agencies outside the perimeter, said Sandra Perez, the event’s executive director. The group expects 50,000 people marching in its June 30 parade and more than 1.5 million people watching.

“The fight for liberation isn’t over,” Perez said. “The need to be visible and the need to be mindful of what we need to do to ensure that the future generations don’t have these struggles is really top of mind.”

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June 1, 2024
Man convicted in 2022 firebombing of Planned Parenthood clinic gets 6 years in prison

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The third of three defendants convicted in the 2022 firebombing of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Southern California – a 22-year-old Irvine man – was sentenced Thursday to six years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said.Related video above: The state of abortion access explainedTibet Ergul and his co-defendant Chance Brannon used a Molotov cocktail in March 2022 to damage a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa, a city in Orange County, California, because it provided reproductive health services, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a news release. Another man, Xavier Batten, was recently sentenced for allegedly advising the pair on how to use the Molotov cocktail.“This defendant’s hatred toward others led him to plotting and carrying out violence,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We will not allow bigoted intolerance to divide us. My office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes motivated by hate in order to keep our community safe.”They also planned to attack an electrical substation with firearms or a Molotov cocktail “to debilitate Orange County’s power grid,” the release said.At another point, Ergul had sent Brannon a letter saying: “The rifle is in a box in my room waiting to be used in the upcoming race war,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. And in the summer of 2023, Ergul and Brannon discussed and researched how to attack the Dodger Stadium parking lot or electrical room on a night celebrating LGBTQ pride, including by using a device that could be detonated remotely, Ergul said in his plea agreement.Ergul pleaded guilty on Feb. 29 to one felony count of conspiracy to damage an energy facility and one misdemeanor count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility, the release said.In addition to the prison sentence, Ergul is also required to pay $1,000 in restitution.Ergul’s attorney Sheila Mojtehedi said in an email to CNN that her client “appreciates the government and the Court’s consideration.”“He looks forward to closing this chapter and moving on with his life,” Mojtehedi said.“Mr. Ergul chose violence and destruction while targeting a wide array of innocent victims with whom he disagreed ideologically, putting their lives at risk,” said Amir Ehsaei, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, in a statement.The sentence will “prevent further acts of violence by Mr. Ergul,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Battaglia of the NCIS Marine West Field Office.How the alleged firebombing happenedErgul and Brannon, who at the time was an active-duty U.S. Marine, “wanted to make a statement about abortion, scare pregnant women away from obtaining abortions, deter doctors, staff, and employees at the clinic from providing abortions, and intimidate the clinic’s patients,” the release said.They allegedly assembled the Molotov cocktail in Ergul’s garage on March 12, 2022. On the morning of March 13 – disguised in dark clothing, masks, hoods and gloves – the two allegedly ignited the Molotov cocktail and threw it at the clinic’s entrance, starting a fire. Because of the damage, the clinic was forced to temporarily close and reschedule approximately 30 patient appointments, according to the release.Ergul said in his plea agreement that in June 2022 – following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade – he and Brannon planned to use a second Molotov cocktail to attack another Planned Parenthood clinic, but they abandoned their plan after seeing law enforcement near the clinic, according to the attorney’s office.Ergul has been in federal custody since June 2023, and was the final defendant to be sentenced in the case.Last month, Brannon was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role. He pleaded guilty in November 2023 to one count of conspiracy, one count of malicious destruction of property by fire and explosives, one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of intentionally damaging a reproductive health services facility in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.On May 13, Batten, 21, of Florida, was sentenced to 3.5 years in federal prison for advising Ergul and Brannon on how to construct the Molotov cocktail used in the Planned Parenthood attack. He had pleaded guilty on Jan. 19 to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility.

COSTA MESA, Calif. —

The third of three defendants convicted in the 2022 firebombing of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Southern California – a 22-year-old Irvine man – was sentenced Thursday to six years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said.

Related video above: The state of abortion access explained

Tibet Ergul and his co-defendant Chance Brannon used a Molotov cocktail in March 2022 to damage a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa, a city in Orange County, California, because it provided reproductive health services, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a news release. Another man, Xavier Batten, was recently sentenced for allegedly advising the pair on how to use the Molotov cocktail.

“This defendant’s hatred toward others led him to plotting and carrying out violence,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We will not allow bigoted intolerance to divide us. My office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes motivated by hate in order to keep our community safe.”

They also planned to attack an electrical substation with firearms or a Molotov cocktail “to debilitate Orange County’s power grid,” the release said.

At another point, Ergul had sent Brannon a letter saying: “The rifle is in a box in my room waiting to be used in the upcoming race war,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. And in the summer of 2023, Ergul and Brannon discussed and researched how to attack the Dodger Stadium parking lot or electrical room on a night celebrating LGBTQ pride, including by using a device that could be detonated remotely, Ergul said in his plea agreement.

Ergul pleaded guilty on Feb. 29 to one felony count of conspiracy to damage an energy facility and one misdemeanor count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility, the release said.

In addition to the prison sentence, Ergul is also required to pay $1,000 in restitution.

Ergul’s attorney Sheila Mojtehedi said in an email to CNN that her client “appreciates the government and the Court’s consideration.”

“He looks forward to closing this chapter and moving on with his life,” Mojtehedi said.

“Mr. Ergul chose violence and destruction while targeting a wide array of innocent victims with whom he disagreed ideologically, putting their lives at risk,” said Amir Ehsaei, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, in a statement.

The sentence will “prevent further acts of violence by Mr. Ergul,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Battaglia of the NCIS Marine West Field Office.

How the alleged firebombing happened

Ergul and Brannon, who at the time was an active-duty U.S. Marine, “wanted to make a statement about abortion, scare pregnant women away from obtaining abortions, deter doctors, staff, and employees at the clinic from providing abortions, and intimidate the clinic’s patients,” the release said.

They allegedly assembled the Molotov cocktail in Ergul’s garage on March 12, 2022. On the morning of March 13 – disguised in dark clothing, masks, hoods and gloves – the two allegedly ignited the Molotov cocktail and threw it at the clinic’s entrance, starting a fire. Because of the damage, the clinic was forced to temporarily close and reschedule approximately 30 patient appointments, according to the release.

Ergul said in his plea agreement that in June 2022 – following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade – he and Brannon planned to use a second Molotov cocktail to attack another Planned Parenthood clinic, but they abandoned their plan after seeing law enforcement near the clinic, according to the attorney’s office.

Ergul has been in federal custody since June 2023, and was the final defendant to be sentenced in the case.

Last month, Brannon was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role. He pleaded guilty in November 2023 to one count of conspiracy, one count of malicious destruction of property by fire and explosives, one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of intentionally damaging a reproductive health services facility in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

On May 13, Batten, 21, of Florida, was sentenced to 3.5 years in federal prison for advising Ergul and Brannon on how to construct the Molotov cocktail used in the Planned Parenthood attack. He had pleaded guilty on Jan. 19 to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility.

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June 1, 2024
‘Son of Sam’ killer Berkowitz denied parole in 12th attempt

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“Son of Sam” killer David Berkowitz, who set New York City on edge with late-night shootings in the 1970s, was denied parole after his twelfth board appearance.Berkowitz, 70, was rejected after a Board of Parole prison interview on May 14, according to information listed on a state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision web site. Officials with the corrections agency would not provide additional information on Tuesday.Berkowitz terrorized the city with a series of shootings that killed six people and wounded seven beginning in July 1976. The shooter targeted young women and couples sitting in cars. The papers called him the ”.44 Caliber Killer.” In taunting notes to police and a journalist, he called himself “Son of Sam” and said he received demonic messages to kill.Berkowitz was arrested Aug. 10, 1977, a little more than a year after the first victim, Donna Lauria, was shot and killed in the Bronx.The New York Police Department formed a 200-person task force to find the killer. The case was finally cracked after a witness reported a strange man on the street near the final shooting. Police checked traffic tickets that had been issued in the area and traced them to Berkowitz’s car and home in nearby Yonkers.Berkowitz was sentenced in 1978 to the maximum prison term of 25 years to life for each of the six slayings. He first became eligible for parole in 2002.Berkowitz has since expressed remorse and said he is a born-again Christian. He is being held at Shawangunk Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison about 60 miles north of New York City.

ALBANY, N.Y. —

“Son of Sam” killer David Berkowitz, who set New York City on edge with late-night shootings in the 1970s, was denied parole after his twelfth board appearance.

Berkowitz, 70, was rejected after a Board of Parole prison interview on May 14, according to information listed on a state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision web site. Officials with the corrections agency would not provide additional information on Tuesday.

Berkowitz terrorized the city with a series of shootings that killed six people and wounded seven beginning in July 1976. The shooter targeted young women and couples sitting in cars. The papers called him the ”.44 Caliber Killer.” In taunting notes to police and a journalist, he called himself “Son of Sam” and said he received demonic messages to kill.

Berkowitz was arrested Aug. 10, 1977, a little more than a year after the first victim, Donna Lauria, was shot and killed in the Bronx.

The New York Police Department formed a 200-person task force to find the killer. The case was finally cracked after a witness reported a strange man on the street near the final shooting. Police checked traffic tickets that had been issued in the area and traced them to Berkowitz’s car and home in nearby Yonkers.

Berkowitz was sentenced in 1978 to the maximum prison term of 25 years to life for each of the six slayings. He first became eligible for parole in 2002.

Berkowitz has since expressed remorse and said he is a born-again Christian. He is being held at Shawangunk Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison about 60 miles north of New York City.

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May 29, 2024