A surprise eruption that shot steam, water and dark-colored rock and dirt dozens of feet into the sky Tuesday sent people running for safety in Yellowstone National Park. The hydrothermal explosion happened around 10 a.m. in Biscuit Basin, a collection of hot springs a couple miles (3.2 kilometers) north of the famous Old Faithful Geyser. Video posted online showed a couple dozen people watching from a boardwalk as the eruption sprayed and grew in front of them. As water and debris began to fall, they ran to keep clear, some yelling “Back up!” and “Holy cow!” People then turned to watch the spectacle under a huge cloud of steam. The eruption damaged the boardwalk, an elevated wooden walkway that keeps people off Yellowstone’s fragile and often dangerous geothermal areas. Photos and video of the aftermath showed damaged guardrails and boards covered in rock and silt near muddy pools. No injuries were reported, but the Biscuit Basin area was closed for visitor safety, according to a U.S. Geological Survey statement. The explosion happened in or near Black Diamond Pool, a 120-foot-long (37-meter-long) hot pool that is the basin’s widest thermal feature. A National Park Service aerial photo taken afterward showed the pool somewhat enlarged near the boardwalk compared to recent satellite images and its water turned a muddy beige. The deep Sapphire Pool about 100 yards (91 meters) away retained its usual blue hues. A hydrothermal explosion happens when water suddenly flashes to steam underground. Such blasts are relatively common in Yellowstone. Park geologists were investigating what specifically happened in this case. Similar blasts have happened in Biscuit Basin in 2009, 1991 and after the magnitude 7.2 Hebgen Lake earthquake 40 miles (64 kilometers) away in 1959. Dramatic as it was, the latest was on the small side, according to the statement. Scientists theorize that a series of hydrothermal explosions created Mary Bay on the northeastern side of Yellowstone Lake thousands of years ago. At 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) wide, Mary Bay is the world’s largest known hydrothermal explosion crater. Yellowstone is centered on a huge, dormant volcano. The hydrothermal explosion did not indicate new activity within the volcanic system, which remains at normal levels, according to the Geological Survey. Though no one was hurt, that’s not always the case with Yellowstone’s thermal features. At least 22 people are known to have died from injuries related to thermal features in and around the 3,471-square-mile (9,000-square-kilometer) national park since 1890. Visitors are warned to stay on the boardwalks and trails in thermal areas, where some of the pools and springs have a thin, breakable crust covering the scalding and sometimes acidic water. (AP)
Comments Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance made in 2021 questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’ leadership because she did not have biological children have resurfaced, testing the young conservative senator in his early days campaigning as part of the Republicans’ presidential ticket. During Vance’s bid for the Senate from Ohio, he said in a Fox News interview that “we are effectively run in this country via the Democrats,” and referred to them as “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.” He said that included Harris, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat. “How does it make any sense that we’ve turned our country over to people who don’t really have a direct stake in it?” Vance asked. Harris became stepmother to two teenagers when she married entertainment lawyer Douglas Emhoff in 2014. And Buttigieg announced he and his partner adopted infant twins in September 2021, more than a month before Vance made those comments. The clip has started to spread online, with Hillary Clinton sharing it in a Tuesday post on X and adding sarcastically “what a normal, relatable guy who certainly doesn’t hate women having freedoms.” The Harris campaign contested Vance’s stance, saying “every single American has a stake in this country’s future.” “Ugly, personal attacks from JD Vance and Donald Trump are in line with their dangerous Project 2025 agenda to ban abortion, decimate our democracy, and gut Social Security,” said James Singer, a Harris campaign spokesman, referring to a policy and personnel plan for a second Trump term that was crafted by a host of former administration officials. Trump has been trying to distance himself from it. Project 2025 says the Department of Health and Human Services should “pursue a robust agenda” to protect “the fundamental right to life.” However, the document contains no proposals to cut Social Security, though the Heritage Foundation that oversaw it has long pushed for changes to the entitlement. The plan outlines a dramatic expansion of presidential power and a plan to fire as many as 50,000 government workers. Vance’s spokesperson said the Harris campaign is lying about Vance’s views, noting her record is “littered with countless failures and disasters. “It’s well known that Senator Vance found success in life due in large part to the influence of strong female role models like his grandmother,” spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk said. The recirculated comment may be a sign of the ticket’s troubles appealing to women voters, and on the issue of reproductive rights. It follows the explosive entrance in the race of Harris, who secured the support of enough delegates to become the official nominee in less than 32 hours after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid. It also lays out some of the fears expressed by strategists that Trump took a political risk in picking a running mate who has been in Congress less than two years and is largely untested on a bigger stage. Trump liked Vance’s telegenic qualities and said he reminded him of “a young Abraham Lincoln.” Vance, 39, is a former Marine and businessman who was first elected to public office in 2022. He wrote […]
A roaring crowd of battleground state voters greeted Vice President Kamala Harris Tuesday as she opened her Democratic political case against Republican former President Donald Trump. In the November election, she said, “it’s a choice between freedom and chaos.” “In this campaign, I promise you, I will proudly put my record against his any day of the week,” Harris said. “We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead.” Harris arrived in the Milwaukee area having locked up nomination support from Democratic delegates after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid on Sunday. It was her first campaign rally since she launched her campaign just two days ago with Biden’s endorsement. The event reflected a vibrancy that had been lacking among Democrats in recent weeks, adding to the evidence along with $100 million in donations since Sunday afternoon, that Harris looks to project a sense of steady confidence about the November election. The vice president has also scored the backing of Democratic officials and political groups, including congressional leaders Charles Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. By stopping in Wisconsin, Harris was going to one of the “blue wall” states along with Michigan and Pennsylvania that Democrats see as essential for securing a presidential victory. The visit comes a week after the Republican National Convention wrapped up in the city and as Harris works to sharpen her message against the GOP nominee with just over 100 days until Election Day. Harris’ trip to the state was a sharp contrast to Biden’s July 6 visit when he was trying to reassure Democrats who were wary after his troubling performance in the June 27 debate against Donald Trump. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is up for reelection this year, skipped the Biden event, but she spoke before Harris on Tuesday. Harris is leaning into her resume as a former district attorney and California attorney general, seeking to draw a contrast with Trump who is the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes. “She’s prepared to meet this moment because she was professionally trained to prosecute a criminal, and unfortunately that’s who the Republicans have put forward,” said Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif. Harris strode onto the stage Tuesday to the anthem “Freedom” from Beyonce’s Lemonade album. She opened by contrasting herself with Trump. “I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused women. Fraudsters who ripped off consumers. Cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type,” she said. Harris also cast her campaign as “people first,” again aiming to draw a contrast with Trump who she said represented special interests and corporations. She also portrayed her rival’s policies as being antiquated and backward looking. “We are not going back,′ she said. “And I’ll tell you why we are not going back. Ours is a fight for the future.” That echoed Barack Obama who frequently deployed the refrain during his 2012 reelection fight to argue against Republican ideas. Harris’ swift ascent over the past few days has required her to vet possible running mates, a process being led by Eric Holder, who was attorney general during Barack Obama’s presidency. But her key impact so far has been galvanizing Democrats. Before the […]
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez will resign Aug. 20 following his conviction for taking bribes for corrupt acts including acting as an agent of the Egyptian government, he wrote in a letter to New Jersey’s governor obtained by The Associated Press. Menendez had insisted after the July 16 verdict that he was innocent and on Tuesday in his letter promised to appeal “all the way,” including to the Supreme Court, he wrote to fellow Democrat, Gov. Phil Murphy. The roughly monthlong delay in leaving gives his staff time for an orderly transition, Menendez wrote. The date also coincides with a Senate payday. He did not mention the federal conviction in the letter but cited his work helping Superstorm Sandy victims and getting transit funding, among other items and addressed the governor directly, reminding him that he had once praised Menendez — before calling for his resignation. “These successes led you, Governor, to call me the ‘Indispensable Senator,'” he wrote. The Senate received a copy of Menendez’s resignation letter, according to Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont, who was presiding in the chamber on Tuesday. The resignation gives Murphy the ability to appoint someone to the Senate for the remainder of Menendez’s term, which expires on Jan. 3. Murphy said in a statement Tuesday that he planned to exercise his power to appoint a temporary senator to fill Menendez’s seat. He didn’t say who that would be. The seat was already up for election on Nov. 5. Democrats have nominated U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, who’s in a strong position in the Democratic-leaning state. He faces Republican Curtis Bashaw. Menendez, 70, was convicted of charges that he sold the power of his office to three New Jersey businessmen who sought a variety of favors. Prosecutors said Menendez used his influence to meddle in three different state and federal criminal investigations to protect his associates. They said he helped one bribe-paying friend get a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund and another keep a contract to provide religious certification for meat bound for Egypt. He was also convicted of taking actions that benefited Egypt’s government in exchange for bribes, including providing details on personnel at the U.S. embassy in Cairo, ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators regarding lifting a hold on military aid to Egypt. FBI agents found stacks of gold bars and $480,000 in cash hidden in Menendez’s house. After his conviction, Menendez denied all of those allegations, saying “I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent.” But numerous fellow Democrats had urged him to resign, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Murphy had urged the Senate to expel Menendez if he didn’t quit. Only 15 senators have ever been expelled. Sen. William Blount, of Tennessee, was ousted in 1797 for treason. The other 14 were expelled in 1861 and 1862 for supporting Confederates during the Civil War. Menendez faces the possibility of decades in prison. A judge scheduled his sentencing on Oct. 29, a week before the election. His resignation bookends a career spent in politics that started with him getting elected to his local school board just a couple of years after high school graduation. He’s held office at every level in his home state and […]
In the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrency, ASICRUN, a Hong Kong-based technology company, has recently launched a game-changing series of plug-and-play miners, promising to simplify and amplify the crypto mining experience. The AR1, AR2, and EliteAR miners mark a significant stride as the first-ever series of plug-and-play mining hardware to hit the market. Unleashing Unprecedented Hash Power ASICRUN‘s miners have garnered attention not just for their simplicity but also for their extraordinary hash rates, setting them apart in the competitive mining hardware landscape. Users and industry experts alike acknowledge that the hash powers of the AR series surpass any other mining rig to date: AR1 Miner: Bitcoin 1050 TH/s, Litecoin/Doge 400 GH/s, Dash 20 TH/s AR2 Miner: Bitcoin 2200 TH/s, Litecoin/Doge 900 GH/s, Dash 45 TH/s EliteAR Miner: Bitcoin 4900 TH/s, Litecoin/Doge 2200 GH/s, Dash 100 TH/s This potent combination of user-friendliness and unparalleled hash power propels ASICRUN miners into a league of their own. Striking the Balance: Power Consumption and Profitability Beyond impressive hash rates, ASICRUN miners redefine efficiency with modest power consumption. The AR1, AR2, and EliteAR consume only 650W, 1300W, and 2800W, respectively. This balance of power and cost-effectiveness positions ASICRUN miners as formidable processing engines capable of maximizing profitability. Maximizing Profitability with ASICRUN Miners ASICRUN miners not only stand out for their hash rates but also for their profitability. Capable of processing numerous transactions simultaneously, these miners boast a monthly power cost ranging from a nominal $50 to $250. This cost-effectiveness, coupled with their high hash rates, results in substantial monthly profits: Projected Monthly Profits: AR1: Bitcoin $1,897, Litecoin $3,474, Dash $3,591 AR2: Bitcoin $3,974, Litecoin $7,813, Dash $8,011 EliteAR: Bitcoin $8,853, Litecoin $19,700, Dash $17,400 Democratizing Mining: User-Friendly Design ASICRUN has taken a bold step toward democratizing crypto mining with a design that caters to both seasoned miners and enthusiasts without prior experience. These plug-and-play miners come preconfigured with a Linux-based system, allowing users to start mining simply by connecting to a power socket. Operating at a minimum internet speed of just 10 KB/s, users can also opt for free access to ASICRUN‘s mining pool, enhancing their potential for profits. Global Reach, Covered Costs, and Confidence Assurance To ensure a seamless experience for users worldwide, ASICRUN covers delivery and custom fees entirely. Products are delivered globally within a swift 7 business days. Backed by comprehensive warranties for both hardware and software issues, users can mine with confidence, knowing ASICRUN has them covered. Unlocking the Future of Mining with ASICRUN Explore the full potential of ASICRUN’s plug-and-play miners at https://asicrun.com/. ASICRUN, headquartered in Hong Kong with a global presence, is led by a team of industry experts committed to advancing the cryptocurrency mining space through cutting-edge ASIC technology. In a rapidly evolving crypto landscape, ASICRUN’s plug-and-play miners stand as a beacon of simplicity, power, and profitability. Whether you’re a seasoned miner or a newcomer to the crypto world, ASICRUN opens the doors to a future of mining that is both accessible and lucrative.
Axios reports that a secret trilateral meeting was held in Abu Dhabi last Thursday, attended by representatives from the US, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to discuss plans for Gaza’s governance after the Israel-Hamas war. The meeting suggests Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is beginning to recognize the need for a realistic plan for Gaza’s future. The UAE’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed hosted the meeting, which was attended by President Biden’s top Middle East adviser Brett McGurk, State Department counselor Tom Sullivan, Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, and two senior Israeli defense officials. The UAE has proposed deploying a temporary international mission to Gaza, led by the Palestinian Authority, to address the humanitarian crisis, establish law and order, and lay the groundwork for governance. However, this proposal comes with conditions, including the Palestinian Authority conducting meaningful reforms and agreeing to a political process based on the two-state solution. The US has been pressing Netanyahu to seriously discuss a day-after plan, and President Biden is expected to discuss this with Netanyahu during their meeting in Washington this week. The Biden administration wants to ensure a plan is in place to prevent a power vacuum in Gaza that could be filled by Hamas or lawlessness. Netanyahu has previously rejected proposals for a day-after plan, but Israeli officials say he is now showing more willingness to support a plan similar to the Emirati proposal. However, friction points remain, including Netanyahu’s reluctance to end the war and his rejection of an official role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
U.S. regulators are investigating how Delta Air Lines is treating passengers affected by canceled and delayed flights as the airline struggles to recover from a global technology outage. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the Delta investigation on the X social media platform Tuesday “to ensure the airline is following the law and taking care of its passengers during continued widespread disruptions.” “All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld,” Buttigieg said. Delta and its Delta Connection partners canceled about 500 flights on Tuesday by midday on the East Coast, accounting for about two-thirds of all cancellations in the United States, according to trackng platform FlightAware. The outage began Thursday night into Friday morning, after a faulty software upgrade from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike to more than 8 million Microsoft computers around the world. The Atlanta-based carrier has canceled more than 6,600 flights since the outage started, far more than any other airline, according to figures from FlightAware and travel-data provider Cirium. Delta said it was cooperating with the investigation. “We remain entirely focused on restoring our operation after cybersecurity vendor CrowdStrike’s faulty Windows update rendered IT systems across the globe inoperable,” an airline spokesperson said in a statement. “Across our operation, Delta teams are working tirelessly to care for and make it right for customers impacted by delays and cancellations as we work to restore the reliable, on-time service they have come to expect from Delta.” Delta has said upward of half its technology systems run on Microsoft Windows, including a tool the airline uses to schedule pilots and flight attendants. The systems could not keep up with the high number of changes triggered by the outage. The collapse at Delta is stunning for an outfit that was widely viewed as the best big U.S. airline – the most profitable before and after the pandemic, and the best-run operation. Delta has almost always ranked near the top among all U.S. carriers for on-time performance. The Transportation Department said it launched the investigation after seeing Delta’s continued widespread flight disruptions “and reports of concerning customer service failures.” The department said the investigation will evolve as it “processes the high volume of consumer complaints we have already received against Delta.” Investigators are likely to focus on whether Delta is complying with federal rules and offering prompt refunds to passengers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed. In a text provided to The Associated Press, a Delta passenger whose flight was canceled Saturday was told, “If you prefer not to rebook your trip, your ticket value will automatically be available as an eCredit that can be used towards a future Delta ticket.” In Washington, lawmakers are beginning to weigh in. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., chair of the Senate committee that oversees airlines, said in a letter to Delta CEO Ed Bastian that she is “concerned” that Delta is not complying with passenger rights contained in a law that Congress passed in May. “While the technology outage was clearly not caused by Delta or any airline, I am nevertheless concerned that Delta is failing to meet the moment and adequately protect the needs of passengers,” Cantwell wrote. Delta’s meltdown mirrors that of Southwest Airlines, which canceled nearly 17,000 flights over 15 days in December […]
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced on Tuesday morning that 14 Palestinian factions, including the rival groups of the Hamas terror organization and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah, agreed to a deal to work toward a national unity government to govern Palestinians, including those in Gaza after the war. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group was one of the signatories as well. Israel’s Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz responded to the report by stating: “Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement in China for joint control of Gaza after the war. Instead of rejecting terrorism, Mahmud Abbas embraces the murderers and rapists of Hamas, revealing his true face.” “In reality, this won’t happen because Hamas’s rule will be crushed, and Abbas will be watching Gaza from afar. Israel’s security will remain solely in Israel’s hands.” The two rival Palestinian terror groups, along with 12 other political factions, met with Yi in Beijing, concluding talks that started Sunday, according to a post on social media platform Weibo from Chinese TV network CGTN. The agreement also underscores China’s growing role in Middle East diplomacy, with success in the restoration of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. “But to be sure, China is still the process of trying to earn credibility as a global mediator,” said James Char, a research fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. A joint statement issued after the most recent talks in Beijing gave no details on how or when the government would be formed, saying only that it would be done “by agreement among the factions.” According to the joint statement, the two groups are committed to the creation of a Palestinian state on lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Hamas previously said it would accept a state based on 1967 borders, while also refusing to officially recognize Israel. The Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, abides by interim peace agreements with Israel signed in the early 1990s. Fatah and Hamas have been rivals since Hamas violently routed forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah in Gaza in 2007, taking over the impoverished coastal enclave. The two groups signed the Beijing Declaration on “ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity,” according to state broadcaster CCTV. Fatah and Hamas have been rivals since Hamas violently routed forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah in Gaza in 2007, taking over the coastal enclave. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem & AP)
Multiple wildfires in the Canadian Rockies’ largest national park sent up to 25,000 visitors and residents fleeing west over the last open mountain road Tuesday, navigating through darkness and soot following a government alert during the area’s busiest tourist time of the year. “It’s wall-to-wall traffic,” Carolyn Campbell, an Edmonton resident, said by phone from her vehicle. “(The smoke) is pretty thick. We’ve got masks in the car.” She said it took hours to move just seven kilometers (about four miles), and worried about others who fled with little gas in their tanks. Hundreds of wildfires are burning in western Canada, and those fleeing Jasper National Park and Jasper town — home to 4,700 full-time residents — in Alberta province were given the unusual order later Tuesday to make a vast U-turn east if they needed a place to stay. To the west, British Columbia province already had more than 300 wildfires of its own. Stephen Lacroix with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency said Jasper town estimated about 10,000 people, including seasonal workers, were there when the evacuation call went out. Lacroix said police were going door to door to make sure everyone has left. He also said Parks Canada estimated about 15,000 people had been in the park. Photos and videos shared on social media overnight into Tuesday showed long lines of vehicles, their headlights glowing, inching through swirling tendrils of smoke. Fires threatening from the northeast cut off highway access east to Alberta’s capital, Edmonton. Another fire roaring up from the south forced the closure of the north-south Icefields Parkway. That left one route open west to British Columbia. But Alberta fire officials said British Columbia had its hands full with its own evacuations. Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said reception centers were instead being set up in Grande Prairie and Calgary in Alberta, requiring long detours through parts of British Columbia by the drivers fleeing the Jasper area. Alberta has been baking under scorching temperatures that have forced another 7,500 people out of a string of remote communities. About 170 wildfires were burning across the province. The Municipality of Jasper and Jasper National Park said the evacuation was “progressing well,” and park and town officials scrambled to clear traffic gridlock, find fuel for vehicles and help vulnerable people to safety while marshaling resources to battle the fires. “Everyone in Jasper must evacuate now,” the Alberta government said in an emergency alert late Monday. Parks Canada noted “an evolving and dynamic situation.” Evacuees were told they had five hours to clear out — by 3 a.m. Tuesday — and carry with them key documents, pets, medication and any other emergency supplies. Parks Canada said evacuations had been carried out at numerous campgrounds as well as the Athabasca Hostel and the Palisades Stewardship and Education Centre. Katie Ellsworth, fire management officer with Parks Canada, said helicopters were dousing targets with water and looking to evacuate hikers who might be trapped in the backcountry. Jasper National Park said reservations from July 23 to Aug. 6 were being cancelled and would be fully refunded. Many evacuees at first sought refuge in Valemount, British Columbia, a town of 1,000 people about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Jasper. “The community’s pretty full,” town administrator Anne Yanciw said. “Every parking lot, boulevard, […]
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have released a propaganda video showcasing what they claim to be the drone used in last week’s attack on Tel Aviv. The so-called Jaffa drone allegedly struck a residential building in central Tel Aviv early Friday, resulting in one fatality and multiple injuries. The video displays the Jaffa drone in an exhibition setting and purportedly captures the launch of the drone that hit Tel Aviv. According to the IDF, the drone has been identified as a modified Iranian-made Samad-3, enhanced for an extended range. This adaptation allowed it to travel approximately 2,600 kilometers, flying over Africa, Egypt, and part of the Mediterranean, to reach Israel from the west. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Dion Marsh, a 29-year-old man from Manchester, New Jersey, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community in Lakewood and surrounding areas. Marsh pleaded guilty to six counts, including five hate crimes violations and one count of carjacking. Marsh targeted his victims because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews, attacking them with a vehicle and a knife, and attempting to kill them. The victims suffered various injuries, including broken bones and stab wounds. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Sellinger stated that the defendant’s actions were a “brutal and hate-filled rampage” and that the sentence holds him accountable for his crimes. Clarke emphasized that hate-fueled attacks on the Orthodox Jewish community are “abhorrent, unlawful, and contrary to our values as Americans.” She added that the Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute senseless hate crimes. The FBI’s Newark Special Agent in Charge, James E. Dennehy, noted that the victims were targeted because of their religious beliefs and clothing, and that the FBI will aggressively pursue anyone who violates someone’s constitutional rights. In addition to the prison term, Marsh was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Vice President Kamala Harris flew to her first battleground state Tuesday after locking up nomination support from Democratic delegates, determined to prosecute the Democrats’ political case against Republican former President Donald Trump. Just two days after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid, Harris arrived in Milwaukee, where she was to hold her first campaign rally since she launched her campaign on Sunday with Biden’s endorsement. Harris has raised more than $100 million since Sunday afternoon. The vice president has also scored the backing of Democratic officials and political groups, including congressional leaders Charles Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries in a sign of her party’s focus on beating Trump. Harris planned to lean into her resume as a former district attorney and California attorney general, seeking to draw a contrast with Trump who is the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes. “She’s prepared to meet this moment because she was professionally trained to prosecute a criminal, and unfortunately that’s who the Republicans have put forward,” said Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif. Tuesday’s visit was scheduled before Biden ended his campaign, but it took on new resonance as Harris looked to project calm and confidence after weeks of Democratic Party turmoil o ver Biden’s political future. The visit comes a week after the Republican National Convention wrapped up in the city and as Harris works to sharpen her message against the GOP nominee with just over 100 days until Election Day. Wisconsin is part of the Democrats’ “blue wall” of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania that is critical for their hopes to win in November’s election. The vice president previewed the themes that will be prominent in her campaign against Trump on Monday during a stop at her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, contrasting her time as a prosecutor with Trump’s convictions — “I know Donald Trump’s type,” she said — and casting herself as a defender of economic opportunity and abortion access. “This election will present a clear choice between two different visions. Donald Trump wants to take our country back to a time before many of us had full freedoms and equal rights,” she said in a statement responding to the AP delegate tally. “I believe in a future that strengthens our democracy, protects reproductive freedom and ensures every person has the opportunity to not just get by, but to get ahead.” “I am grateful to President Biden and everyone in the Democratic Party who has already put their faith in me, and I look forward to taking our case directly to the American people,” she added. By Monday night, Harris, who also ran for president in 2020, had the support of well more than the 1,976 delegates she’ll need to win on a first ballot, according to the AP tally of delegates. No other candidate was named by a delegate contacted by the AP. Still, the AP is not calling Harris the new presumptive nominee. That’s because the convention delegates are still free to vote for the candidate of their choice at the convention in August or if Democrats go through with a virtual roll call ahead of that gathering in Chicago. The AP tally is based on interviews with individual delegates, public statements from state parties, many of which have announced that their delegations are supporting Harris […]
The Israeli Defense Forces reported that dozens of gunmen have been neutralized during a renewed operation in Khan Younis, located in southern Gaza. This latest offensive, initiated yesterday, follows the IDF’s identification of Hamas regrouping in the area, three months after their withdrawal from the city. The operation involves the 98th Division, which has been targeting Hamas forces both above and below ground. Within the first 24 hours, the IDF confirmed that clashes, tank shelling, and airstrikes have resulted in the elimination of numerous gunmen. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A newly released Quinnipiac University poll, unveiled on Monday, shows Donald Trump securing 49% of the voter support, narrowly ahead of VP Kamala Harris, who has 47%. In a broader, hypothetical six-way race including other contenders like independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s lead slightly widens. He is favored by 45% of voters, while Harris holds 41%. Kennedy Jr. emerges as the most popular among independent or third-party candidates, garnering 6% support, according to the poll. This survey is among the first to surface since President Biden announced his withdrawal from the race on Sunday, citing it as a decision made “in the best interest of my party and the country.” The poll also reveals that Trump’s approval ratings have reached their highest point in the history of the poll, with 46% of respondents viewing him favorably and 49% unfavorably. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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. The president departed Delaware shortly before 2 p.m. on Tuesday, after nearly a week of isolating at his Rehoboth Beach home after his second bout with COVID-19. Biden is now testing negative for the virus and his symptoms have resolved, according to a letter from his doctor, Kevin O’Connor, released Tuesday. Holding a blue paper mask, he told reporters that “I am feeling well” but did not answer other questions, such as whether Vice President Kamala Harris can defeat Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Biden has not been seen publicly since July 17, but he called into a campaign meeting on Monday to address staff and express his support for Harris’ bid to replace him a day after announcing he would leave the race. (AP)
FROM SORROW TO CELEBRATION This year, make the days of mourning truly meaningful…and discover the hope of rebuilding. Rabbi Paysach Krohn shares his compelling insights and — of course — dozens of uplifting stories that open new vistas of understanding of both the tragedy of Churban and the glorious opportunities we have to hasten the geulah. From Sorrow to Celebration is a groundbreaking work which includes unique sections on the Bais HaMikdash, Ahavas Yisrael, Shabbos Nachamu, Mashiach and Geulah and the joyous day of Tu B’Av, as well as brief biographies and riveting stories of gedolim whose yahrzeits fall in the period of the Three Weeks until Tu B’Av. Watch Rabbi Krohn as he tells over some of the stories included in the book here. From Sorrow to Celebration is available at your local Hebrew bookseller or here and 1-800 Mesorah (637-6724). GRAB IT while it is still in stock! BROWSE all ArtScroll’s Three Week titles here.
Former President Donald Trump announced via his Truth Social network that he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tomorrow at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. While Trump did not specify the exact time of the meeting, it is expected to occur after Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Washington time (9 p.m. Israel time). Trump highlighted his previous term’s achievements, stating, “During my first term, we had Peace and Stability in the Region, even signing the Abraham Accords – And we will have it again.” He also criticized Vice President Kamala Harris, saying, “millions are dying, and Kamala Harris is in no way capable of stopping it.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Federal officials are investigating an incident in which a Southwest Airlines jet flew as low as 150 feet (45 meters) over water while it was still about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from its intended landing spot at the airport in Tampa, Florida. The pilots skipped over the Tampa airport and landed instead at Fort Lauderdale, 200 miles (320 kilometers) away. The July 14 flight followed a similar incident last month in Oklahoma City in which a Southwest jet flew at an unusually low altitude while still miles from the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that it is investigating the incident. Southwest flight 425, which took off from Columbus, Ohio, reached its low point as it flew over Old Tampa Bay near the Courtney Campbell Causeway, according to Flightradar24. Three previous Southwest flights to Tampa passed the same point at about 1,225 feet (375 meters) in altitude, the flight-tracking service said. “Southwest Flight 425 safely diverted to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on July 14 after the crew discontinued their planned approach into Tampa International Airport,” the airline said in a statement. Dallas-based Southwest said it is in contact with the FAA “to understand and address any irregularities. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.” The FAA is still investigating a June 18 flight in which a Southwest jet triggered a low-altitude alert at about 525 feet (160 meters) above ground and 9 miles (14 kilometers) from the Oklahoma City airport. An air traffic controller reached out to that crew after getting an automated warning in the control tower. The plane circled the airport – a “go-around” – before making an uneventful landing. In April, a Southwest flight went into a dive off the coast of Hawaii and came within 400 feet (120 meters) of the ocean before the plane began to climb. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating a Southwest jet that did an unusual “Dutch roll” and was discovered to have damage to its tail after a flight from Phoenix to Oakland, California. Investigators say the plane had been parked outside during a severe storm. (AP)
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Comedian Jon Stewart is pressing the Biden administration to fix a loophole in a massive veterans aid bill that left out some of the first U.S. troops who responded after the Sept. 11 attacks and got sick after deploying to a base contaminated with dangerous levels of uranium. Special operations forces deployed to Karshi-Khanabad, or “K2,” in Uzbekistan about three weeks after the 2001 attacks. K2 was a former Soviet air base that U.S. forces used to strike Taliban targets inside Afghanistan in the earliest days of the war. The base was a former chemical weapons processing site and littered with Soviet-era debris, including demolished bunkers, missile parts and highly radioactive uranium powder, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. It’s not clear why uranium powder was on the ground or how it got there. But it’s worrying those who served at K2. Thousands of K2 veterans in the years since have reported complex medical conditions, some of which are known to be connected to radiation exposure. “Imagine you’re stationed inside the meth lab on ‘Breaking Bad,’” Stewart said in an interview with the AP. “These guys were exposed to a toxic soup of basically an exploded chemicals and nuclear weapon facility.” A massive veterans aid bill called the PACT Act that was signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022 addressed many of the health issues facing K2 veterans. But it didn’t include coverage for radiation exposure at K2. K2 veterans have pressed the Department of Veterans Affairs for help for years, but so far the VA has not acted. The agency has said it is still studying the issue and looking to the Pentagon for additional information before it determines whether to add radiation exposure as a condition K2 service members can get coverage for. “All presumptive conditions established by the VA, rather than by legislation, require a factual rationale,” said VA spokesman Terrence Hayes. It’s been more than 20 years since troops first deployed to K2 and almost two years since Biden celebrated the PACT Act’s passage. But K2 veterans are still facing the claim denials the PACT Act was supposed to fix. Data obtained by the AP shows the soil at K2 recorded uranium radiation levels up to 40,000 times higher than what would have been expected if it were natural uranium, according to Arjun Makhijani, a nuclear fusion specialist and president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, who reviewed the data. Even if it were in its least radioactive form, depleted uranium, the soil was up to 24,000 times above what would have been found in nature. Air samples were more than 30 to 100 times the levels that would have been found in normal air samples, Makhijani said. The radiation levels the health team recorded were significant enough that anyone not wearing protective gear would have breathed in high levels of contamination when the dust was kicked up, especially during activities such as earth moving, Makhijani said. The radiation data was captured in November 2001 by former Army Sgt. Matthew Nicholls, who was part of an Army environmental health team quickly deployed to collect air, water and soil samples from K2 after local Uzbek workers who were preparing the site for arriving U.S. forces fell ill with headaches, nausea and […]
