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Harris tells Netanyahu 'it is time' to end the war in Gaza and bring the hostages home (7/26/24)WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday said she urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a cease-fire deal soon with Hamas so that dozens of hostages held by the militants in Gaza since Oct. 7 can return home. Harris said she had a “frank and constructive” conversation with Netanyahu in which she affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself but also expressed deep concern about the high death toll in Gaza over nine months of war and the “dire” humanitarian situation there.. ...
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US arrests 2 leaders of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel: ‘El Mayo’ Zambada and son of 'El Chapo' (7/26/24)WASHINGTON — Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a longtime leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said. A leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel for decades alongside Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Zambada is one of the most notorious drug traffickers in the world and known for running the cartel’s smuggling operations while keeping a lower profile...
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Southwest Airlines plans to start assigning seats, breaking with a 50-year tradition (7/26/24)DALLAS — Goodbye, cattle call. Southwest Airlines said Thursday that it plans to drop the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and will start assigning passengers to seats, just like all the other big airlines. The airline said it has been studying seating options, running tests and surveying customers. Southwest discovered that preferences have changed over the years and the vast majority of travelers now want to know where they are sitting before they get to the airport...
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Harris says she's ready to debate Trump and accuses him of 'backpedaling' from Sept. 10 faceoff (7/26/24)WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters on Thursday that she’s “ready to debate Donald Trump.” She accused him of “backpedaling” away from a previous agreement for a debate hosted by ABC News on Sept. 10. “I think the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on the debate stage,” she said after landing at Joint Base Andrews following a trip to Indiana and Texas...
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Chinese and Russian bombers patrolling off Alaska raise concerns about growing military cooperation (7/26/24)WASHINGTON — Russian and Chinese bombers flew together for the first time in international airspace off the coast of Alaska, in a new show of expanding military cooperation that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday raises concerns. The flights Wednesday were not seen as a threat, and the bombers were tracked and intercepted by U.S. ...
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Newsom orders California state agencies to start clearing homeless encampments (7/26/24)SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies Thursday to start removing homeless encampments on state land in his boldest action yet following a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces...
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Biden signs bill strengthening oversight of crisis-plagued US Bureau of Prisons after AP reporting (7/26/24)WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed into law on Thursday a bill strengthening oversight of the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons after reporting by The Associated Press exposed systemic corruption, failures and abuse in the federal prison system...
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House Republicans vote to rebuke Kamala Harris over administration's handling of border policy (7/26/24)WASHINGTON — House Republicans are moving quickly to emphasize Vice President Kamala Harris's role in the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S. border with Mexico, passing a resolution Thursday that condemns her performance in the job. The resolution, which is purely symbolic, echoes an attack line that Republican Donald Trump has taken against Harris since she rose to become the likely Democratic presidential nominee. ...
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Prosecutors urge judge not to toss out Trump’s hush money conviction, pushing back on immunity claim (7/26/24)NEW YORK — Prosecutors are urging a judge to uphold Donald Trump’s historic hush money conviction, arguing in court papers made public Thursday that the verdict should stand despite the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity. The Manhattan district attorney’s office said in a court filing that the high court’s opinion “has no bearing” on the hush money case because it involves unofficial acts for which the former president is not immune...
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Martin Indyk, former US diplomat and author who devoted career to Middle East peace, dies at 73 (7/26/24)NORWICH, Conn. — Veteran diplomat Martin S. Indyk, an author and leader at prominent U.S. think tanks who devoted years to finding a path toward peace in the Middle East, died Thursday. He was 73. His wife, Gahl Hodges Burt, confirmed in a phone call that he died from complications of esophageal cancer at the couple's home in New Fairfield, Connecticut...
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Venezuela's presidential candidates conclude their campaigns ahead of Sunday's election (7/26/24)CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s government and opposition closed the official presidential campaign season Thursday with demonstrations that drew thousands of people to the streets of the capital. The events three days before the highly anticipated election on Sunday encapsulated the massive disparities between the top contenders, including their resources...
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Biden delivers solemn call to defend democracy as he lays out his reasons for quitting race (7/25/24)WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris...
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In fiery speech to Congress, Netanyahu vows 'total victory' in Gaza and denounces US protesters (7/25/24)WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged in a scathing speech to Congress on Wednesday to achieve “total victory” against Hamas and denounced American opponents of the war in Gaza as “idiots,” taking a combative stance in a visit the Biden administration has hoped will yield progress in negotiations to end the fighting...
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Myanmar violence, South China Sea tensions are top issues as Southeast Asian diplomats meet in Laos (7/25/24)VIENTIANE, Laos — Southeast Asian foreign ministers and top diplomats from key partners including the United States and China were gathering in the Laotian capital on Thursday for the start of three days of talks expected to focus on the increasingly violent civil war in Myanmar, tensions in the South China Sea and other regional issues...
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Monday breaks the record for the hottest day ever on Earth (7/25/24)Driven by oceans that won't cool down, an unseasonably warm Antarctica and worsening climate change, Earth's record hot streak dialed up this week, making Sunday, then Monday, the hottest days humans have measured, according to the European climate service...
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John Mayall, tireless and influential British blues pioneer, dies at 90 (7/25/24)LONDON — John Mayall, the British blues musician whose influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars, has died. He was 90. A statement on Mayall's Instagram page announced his death Tuesday, saying the musician died Monday at his home in California. “Health issues that forced John to end his epic touring career have finally led to peace for one of this world’s greatest road warriors,” the post said...
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Plane crashes just after takeoff from Nepal's capital, killing 18 people. Pilot is lone survivor (7/25/24)KATHMANDU, Nepal — A plane crashed Wednesday just after taking off from Nepal’s capital, killing 18 people and injuring a pilot who was the lone survivor. All the people aboard the Saurya Airlines flight including the co-pilot were Nepali except for one passenger, who was a Yemeni national, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said. Authorities have pulled all 18 bodies from the wreckage, police official Basanta Rajauri said...
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Surprise Yellowstone geyser eruption highlights little known hazard at popular park (7/25/24)BILLINGS, Mont. — A surprise eruption of steam in a Yellowstone National Park geyser basin that sent people scrambling for safety as basketball-sized rocks flew overhead has highlighted a little-known hazard that scientists hope to be able to predict someday...
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Trump rally gunman looked online for information about Kennedy assassination, FBI director says (7/25/24)WASHINGTON — The gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is believed to have done a Google search one week before the shooting of “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday, revealing new details about a suspect he said had taken a keen interest in public figures but had otherwise not left behind clear clues of an ideological motive...
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Trump turns his full focus on Harris at first rally since Biden's exit from 2024 race (7/25/24)CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of attack lines Wednesday against his likely new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he called his “new victim to defeat” and accused of deceiving the public about President Joe Biden 's ability to run for a second term...
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Oregon fire is the largest burning in the US. Thunderstorms and high winds are exacerbating it (7/25/24)BOISE, Idaho — Powerful winds and hundreds of lightning strikes from thunderstorms rattled eastern Oregon and Idaho Wednesday afternoon, cutting power and stoking fires, including one in Oregon that is already the largest active blaze in the nation...
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Harris tells roaring Wisconsin crowd November election is 'a choice between freedom and chaos' (7/24/24)WEST ALLIS, Wis. — A roaring crowd of battleground state voters greeted Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday as she opened her public case against Republican former President Donald Trump by declaring November's election will be "a choice between freedom and chaos.”...
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Kamala Harris faces a major test as she looks for a running mate for her White House run (7/24/24)WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris is zeroing in on four potential candidates as she races to choose a running mate for her fledgling campaign, fast-tracking a process that usually takes months but must be finalized in only a few weeks. Eric Holder, the former U.S. ...
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Biden will address the nation Wednesday on his decision to drop his 2024 Democratic reelection bid (7/24/24)WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening on his decision to drop his 2024 Democratic reelection bid. Biden posted on X that he would speak “on what lies ahead” and how he will “finish the job for the American people.” He will speak at 8 p.m. ET...
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Officers left post to go look for Trump rally gunman before shooting, state police boss says (7/24/24)WASHINGTON — Two local law enforcement officers stationed in the complex of buildings where a gunman opened fire at former President Donald Trump left to go search for the man before the shooting, the head of Pennsylvania State Police said Tuesday, raising questions about whether a key post was left unattended as the shooter climbed onto a roof...
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Iowa law banning most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy to take effect Monday (7/24/24)DES MOINES, Iowa — An Iowa judge has ruled the state's strict abortion law will take effect Monday, preventing most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. The law passed last year, but a judge had blocked it from being enforced. ...
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Republican leaders urge colleagues to steer clear of racist and sexist attacks on Harris (7/24/24)WASHINGTON — Republican leaders are warning party members against using overtly racist and sexist attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris, as they and former President Donald Trump 's campaign scramble to adjust to the reality of a new Democratic rival less than four months before Election Day...
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Netanyahu visit sparks wave of protests in DC, with all sides criticizing the Israeli PM (7/24/24)WASHINGTON — The arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has touched off a flurry of protests in the nation’s capital, including a sit-in at a congressional office building that ended with multiple arrests. Some of the demonstrations have condemned Israel but others have expressed support while pressuring Netanyahu to strike a cease-fire deal and bring home the hostages still being held by Hamas...
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Netanyahu looks to boost US support in speech to Congress, but faces protests and lawmaker boycotts (7/24/24)WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks before Congress Wednesday in hopes of bolstering U.S. support for continuing Israel’s fight against Hamas and other adversaries, even as the Biden administration is urging him to focus on closing a deal ending the devastating nine-month war in Gaza...
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State election directors fear the Postal Service can't handle expected crush of mail-in ballots (7/24/24)MINNEAPOLIS — State election directors from across the country voiced serious concerns to a top U.S. Postal Service official Tuesday that the system won't be able to handle an expected crush of mail-in ballots in the November election. Steven Carter, manager of election and government programs for the postal service, attempted to reassure the directors at a meeting in Minneapolis that the system's Office of Inspector General will publish an election mail report next week containing “encouraging" performance numbers for this year so far.. ...
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Nashville grapples with lingering neo-Nazi presence in tourist-friendly city (7/24/24)NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Among the throngs of tourists in cowboy attire who flock to Nashville's famed downtown honky-tonks, a small but unsettling group has distracted locals and visitors from the neon lights lately with Nazi salutes and white supremacist rhetoric...
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Secret Service director steps down after assassination attempt against ex-President Trump at rally (7/23/24)WASHINGTON — The director of the Secret Service resigned Tuesday in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump that unleashed an outcry about how the agency failed in its core mission to protect current and former presidents...
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Harris has support of enough Democratic delegates to become party’s presidential nominee: AP survey (7/23/24)WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the support of enough Democratic delegates to become her party’s nominee against Republican Donald Trump, according to an Associated Press survey, as top Democrats rallied to her in the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s decision to drop his bid for reelection...
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JD Vance slams Kamala Harris during his solo campaign debut as the GOP vice presidential nominee (7/23/24)RADFORD, Va. — Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance used his first solo campaign rallies Monday to throw fresh barbs at Vice President Kamala Harris a day after President Joe Biden threw the presidential election into upheaval by dropping out and endorsing his second-in-command to lead Democrats against Donald Trump...
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Biden's withdrawal injects uncertainty into wars, trade disputes and other foreign policy challenges (7/23/24)Joe Biden's withdrawal from the U.S. presidential race injects greater uncertainty into the world at a time when Western leaders are grappling with wars in Ukraine and Gaza, a more assertive China in Asia and the rise of the far right in Europe. During a five-decade career in politics, Biden developed extensive personal relationships with multiple foreign leaders that none of the potential replacements on the Democratic ticket can match. ...
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Secret Service director, grilled by lawmakers on the Trump assassination attempt, says 'we failed' (7/23/24)WASHINGTON — Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said Monday that her agency failed in its mission to protect former President Donald Trump, as lawmakers of both major political parties demanded during a highly contentious congressional hearing that she resign over security failures that allowed a gunman to scale a roof and open fire at a campaign rally...
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Biden passed that torch slowly, hanging on until the wheels finally came off (7/23/24)WASHINGTON — As the formulaic “pass the torch” drumbeat thumped on from lawmakers wanting him to quit the race, President Joe Biden maintained a brave face. Publicly, he vowed he was all in, until the day he got out. But there were telling indications he was listening to that beat long before he ended his campaign for reelection. One sign was over a week ago, when Chuck Schumer visited his Delaware beach house as an emissary of gloom...
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Donald Trump's lawyers urge New York appeals court to overturn 'egregious' civil fraud verdict (7/23/24)NEW YORK — Fresh off victories in other legal cases, Donald Trump on Monday pressed a New York appeals court to overturn the nearly $500 million New York civil fraud judgment that threatens to drain his personal cash reserves as he campaigns to retake the White House...
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CrowdStrike CEO called to testify to Congress over cybersecurity's firm role in global tech outage (7/23/24)WASHINGTON — U.S. House leaders are calling on CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz to testify to Congress about the cybersecurity company's role in sparking the widespread tech outage that grounded flights, knocked banks and hospital systems offline and affected services around the world...
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Israel orders evacuation of part of Gaza humanitarian zone as war's toll passes 39,000 Palestinians (7/23/24)DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military ordered the evacuation Monday of part of a crowded area in the Gaza Strip it had designated a humanitarian zone, saying it is planning an operation against Hamas militants there. The order triggered a new flight of Palestinians, many of whom had taken refuge there just in the past weeks...
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Venezuelan opposition voters band to safeguard election, warning of the ruling party's tricks (7/23/24)SABANETA, Venezuela — Tears roll down the face of Tanyia Colmenares when she recalls her truncated dream of being a lawyer, which ended after two semesters in law school when she had to drop out to survive Venezuela's complex crisis. While she never got to defend a client in court, she has agreed to try to defend something far greater at the end of this month: Venezuela's democracy...
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Too many pills? How to talk to your doctor about reviewing what’s needed (7/23/24)Swallowing a handful of pills is a daily ritual for many people, from young adults coping with anxiety to older adults managing chronic conditions. Overall, 13% of people in the U.S. take five or more prescription drugs. For those 65 and older, that number is 42%...
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Biden drops out of 2024 race; VP Harris gets his nod (7/22/24)WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for reelection after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent's fitness for office. The unprecedented announcement, delivered less than four months before the election, immediately upended a campaign that both political parties view as the most consequential in generations. ...
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Democrats rallying around Harris as she vows to 'earn and win' party nomination for president (7/22/24)WASHINGTON — Democrats quickly rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris as their likely presidential nominee Sunday after President Joe Biden 's ground-shaking decision to bow out of the 2024 race, a volatile fast-moving political situation just months before the November election. ...
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What to know about Kids Online Safety Act, its chances of passing (7/22/24)The last time Congress passed a law to protect children on the internet was in 1998 — before Facebook, before the iPhone and long before today’s oldest teenagers were born. Now, a bill aiming to protect kids from the harms of social media, gaming sites and other online platforms appears to have enough bipartisan support to pass, though whether it actually will remains uncertain. ...
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President Joe Biden exits presidential race; supports VP Harris (7/21/24)Media reports early Sunday afternoon, July 21, indicate President Joe Biden will exit the 2024 presidential race. The presumptive Democratic nominee has said he will remain president.
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Trump urges unity after assassination attempt while proposing sweeping populist agenda in RNC finale (7/19/24)MILWAUKEE — Donald Trump, somber and bandaged, accepted the GOP presidential nomination on Thursday at the Republican National Convention in a speech that described in detail the assassination attempt that could have ended his life just five days earlier before laying out a sweeping populist agenda, particularly on immigration. ...
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Rally shooter had photos of Trump, Biden, other US officials on his phone, AP sources say (7/19/24)WASHINGTON — The 20-year-old Pennsylvania man who tried to assassinate Donald Trump had photos on his phone of the former Republican president, President Joe Biden and other officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Chris Wray, according to two people familiar with the matter. ...
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Obama, Pelosi, other Democrats push for Biden to reconsider 2024 race (7/19/24)WASHINGTON — Democrats at the highest levels are making a critical push for President Joe Biden to rethink his election bid, with former President Barack Obama expressing concerns to allies and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi privately telling Biden the party could lose the ability to seize control of the House if he doesn't step away from the 2024 race. ...
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Thousands celebrate life of former fire chief killed at Trump rally, private funeral set for Friday (7/19/24)FREEPORT, Pa. — Thousands of mourners paid their respects at a Pennsylvania banquet hall Thursday to the family of a former fire chief who was shot and killed during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. ...