The pro-Palestinian 'uncommitted' movement is at a standstill with top Democrats as the DNC begins
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Of the thousands of delegates expected to gather Monday at the Democratic National Convention, just 36 will belong to the “uncommitted” movement sparked by dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
But that small core has outsized influence.
Anger over U.S. backing for Israel’s offensive in Gaza could generate unwelcome images for convention organizers, with raucous protests expected outside and potentially inside the Chicago arena where Harris will accept the nomination Thursday.
Top Democrats have spent weeks meeting with "uncommitted" voters and their allies — including a previously unreported sit-down between Vice President Kamala Harris and the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan — in an effort to respond to criticism in key swing states like Michigan, which has a significant Arab American population.
Weeks of meetings and calls between pro-Palestinian activists and the Harris campaign have yielded progress in some areas, but their core policy demands remain unmet. The activists want Harris to endorse an arms embargo to Israel and a permanent cease-fire. Harris has supported Biden's negotiations for a cease-fire but rejected an arms embargo.
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An Israeli airstrike kills 18 members of a family in Gaza as mediators hope for a cease-fire
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israel airstrike in Gaza killed at least 18 people, all from the same family, on Saturday, hours after mediators expressed optimism for an imminent cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas after 10 months of war.
A joint statement by mediators the United States, Egypt and Qatar after two days of talks said a proposal to bridge gaps was presented and they expect to work out implementation details next week in Cairo.
The mediation efforts aim to secure the release of scores of Israeli hostages and stop the fighting that has devastated Gaza, where the death toll has surpassed 40,000 and a possible polio outbreak is feared. Talks are also meant to calm regional tensions that have threatened to explode into a wider war if Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon attack Israel in retaliation for recent killings of militant leaders.
Saturday's airstrike hit a house and adjacent warehouse sheltering displaced people at the entrance to the town of Zawaida, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where casualties were taken. An Associated Press reporter there counted the dead.
Among those killed was Sami Jawad al-Ejlah, a wholesaler who coordinated with the Israeli military to bring meat and fish to Gaza. The dead also included his two wives, 11 of their children ages 2 to 22, the children’s grandmother and three other relatives, according to a list provided by the hospital.
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Trump zigzags between economic remarks and personal insults at rally in critical Pennsylvania
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Saturday repeatedly swerved from a message focused on the economy into non sequiturs and personal attacks, including thrice declaring that he was better looking than Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump wound back and forth between hitting his points on economic policy and delivering a smattering of insults and impressions of President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron as he held a rally in northeastern Pennsylvania.
The former president has seemed to struggle to adjust to his new opponent after Democrats replaced their nominee. Over the past week, he has diverged during campaign appearances away from the policies he was billed to speak about and instead diverted to a rotation of familiar attack lines and insults.
As he attacked Democrats for inflation at the top of his speech, Trump asked his crowd of supporters, “You don’t mind if I go off teleprompter for a second, do you? Joe Biden hates her.”
Joseph Costello, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, responded to Trump in a statement by saying, “Another rally, same old show" and that Trump “ resorts to lies, name-calling, and confused rants," because he can't sell his agenda.
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Walz touts Nebraska roots in visit to his home state where there's a battle over one electoral vote
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tim Walz touted his Nebraska roots Saturday in his first trip back to his home state since becoming the Democratic vice presidential nominee, and drew sharp contrasts between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Playing to the crowd, Walz noted his love of Nebraska football and joked about the historical significance of the Stonehenge replica built out of classic cars known as Carhenge that sits near where he taught in the Panhandle. He then emphasized the values he learned growing up of helping neighbors and minding everyone's own business.
“More than anything else — just like here in Nebraska — Minnesota's strength comes from our values,” he said about the state he serves as governor.
Walz stressed that he and Harris believe in helping all Americans succeed — not just the millionaires and billionaires he said Trump and the GOP want to help. It was all part of his appeal for the lone electoral vote in Omaha's swing Second Congressional District that can be split off from the rest of the heavily Republican state that Democrats Joe Biden secured in 2020 and Barack Obama in 2008. That swing vote is sure to be contested. Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is expected to visit Omaha next week for a private fundraiser hosted by Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts.
“I think it just proves the importance that we as the blue dot — CD2 — has,” Omaha teacher Wes Jensen said.
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Hurricane Ernesto weakens into tropical storm as it moves away from Bermuda over open waters
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Ernesto weakened into a tropical storm late Saturday as it moved away from Bermuda over open waters of the Atlantic after crossing over the tiny British territory early in the day with heavy rains and strong winds.
Ernesto forced residents to stay indoors, and more than 23,000 people lost power, officials said. By late Saturday, the storm's maximum sustained winds had decreased to 70 mph (110 kph). It was centered about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northeast of Bermuda and moving north-northeast at 8 mph (13 kph).
The National Hurricane Center had warned of strong winds, a dangerous storm surge and significant coastal flooding for Bermuda.
The center said 7 to 9 inches (17-22.5 centimeters) of rain was expected to fall on Bermuda. “This rainfall will likely result in considerable life-threatening flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas on the island,” it said.
Due to the large size of the storm and its slow movement, gusts sometimes up to hurricane force were expected through Saturday night and tropical storm-strength winds were expected to continue well into Sunday, the Bermuda government said.
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Venezuelans in Caracas and across the world demonstrate to defend opposition’s victory claim
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelans across the world — some with flags and other patriotic paraphernalia — responded to a call from their country’s political opposition Saturday and took to the streets to defend the faction’s claim to victory over President Nicolás Maduro in last month’s disputed presidential election.
The demonstrations in Tokyo, Sydney, Mexico City and several other cities were an effort by the main opposition coalition to make visible what they insist is the real outcome of the election. They also called on governments to throw their support behind candidate Edmundo González and express support to Venezuelans who are fearful in their home country of speaking against Maduro and his allies during a brutal repression campaign.
As thousands of Venezuelans waved the national flag, opposition leader María Corina Machado made her way through the streets of Caracas on a truck while shouting “brave” and “freedom.” Then, before a crowd, she said it was the moment “that every vote is respected.”
“Let the world and everyone in Venezuela recognize that the president-elect is Edmundo González,” she said while being applauded by thousands of cheering supporters.
Earlier, González, the opposition candidate wrote on his X account: “They will not be able to cover up the reality of July 28: we won resoundingly.” He didn't show up at the demonstration in Caracas.
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Ex-Rep. George Santos expected to plead guilty to multiple counts in fraud case, AP source says
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos is expected to plead guilty to multiple counts in his federal fraud case, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Santos, a Republican from New York, is expected to enter the plea at a court hearing planned for Monday on Long Island, the person said.
The person could not publicly discuss details of the plea and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Messages were left seeking comment from Santos and three lawyers representing the former congressman.
The court hearing was scheduled for Monday afternoon after prosecutors and Santos’ lawyers jointly requested one on Friday. They also sought and received a delay in certain pre-trial deadlines.
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Immigrants prepare for new Biden protections with excitement and concern
MIAMI (AP) — Roberto Garcia crossed the border from Mexico in 2009 looking for a better life. For the past eight years, he has been married to an American woman, and they have three kids who are all American citizens. The only one in the family who is not is Garcia.
Seven years ago, he applied to legalize his status through a process that, if approved, would still require him to return to Mexico with no guarantee that he would be allowed back into the United States.
The possibility of being separated from his family or — in a worst case scenario — being unable to return home to Los Angeles has been stressful. So has the wait. It has been seven years and Garcia has not yet gotten an appointment at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, just across the border in Mexico.
Now, a Biden administration program launching Monday will allow some spouses of U.S. citizens without legal permission to stay in the U.S. to legalize their status without leaving the country. That is giving Garcia, and others like him, new hope.
“Finally, there is a light that this is possible,” the 37-year-old said. “I imagine I will soon have the important documents that so many people want to have.”
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Bird flu restrictions cause heartache for 4-H kids unable to show off livestock at fairs across US
EVART, Mich. (AP) — Alison Smith stared at the virtually empty dairy barn inside the Osceola County Fairgrounds, once bustling with teens and preteens preparing to show their prized animals but now eerily silent as an invisible virus once again interfered with a cherished summertime rite.
Smith, a 16-year-old from the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area, had invested a significant amount of time over the past year preparing two heifers, Evergreen and Perfect, for competition at the fair. But like hundreds of fairs nationwide, a recent bird flu outbreak, now spreading among mammals, forced significant changes — or outright cancellations — of the livestock contests that are a hallmark of summer fairs.
“Normally, we have a million cows in here,” Smith said. “And just a lot of people talking and having fun catching up in the dairy barn.”
States have tightened restrictions on dairy cows following the bird flu outbreak that has spread to millions of poultry flocks nationwide and nearly 200 dairy herds across 13 U.S. states since March. More than a dozen farmworkers also have been infected this year, with all experiencing relatively mild symptoms.
The risk to humans from the bird flu virus remains low, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Latest search for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre victims ends with 3 more found with gunshot wounds
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The latest search for the remains of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre victims has ended with three more sets containing gunshot wounds, investigators said.
The three are among 11 sets of remains exhumed during the latest excavation in Oaklawn Cemetery, state archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck said Friday.
“Two of those gunshot victims display evidence of munitions from two different weapons,” Stackelbeck said. “The third individual who is a gunshot victim also displays evidence of burning.”
Forensic anthropologist Phoebe Stubblefield, who will remain on site to examine the remains, said one victim suffered bullet and shotgun wounds while the second was shot with two different caliber bullets.
Searchers are seeking simple wooden caskets because they were described at the time in newspaper articles, death certificates and funeral home records as the type used for burying massacre victims, Stackelbeck has said.
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