Venezuelan opposition says it has proof its candidate defeated President Maduro in disputed election
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — As thousands of people demonstrate across Venezuela, opposition candidate Edmundo González has announced that his campaign has the proof it needs to show he won the country’s disputed election whose victory electoral authorities handed to President Nicolás Maduro. González and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told reporters they have obtained more than 70% of tally sheets from Sunday’s election, and they show González with more than double Maduro’s votes. Both called on people, some of whom protested in the hours after Maduro was declared winner, to remain calm and invited them to gather peacefully at 11 a.m. Tuesday to celebrate the results.
Biden proposed enforceable ethics code and term limits for Supreme Court. How might they work?
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden went public Monday with major changes he’s proposing for the U.S. Supreme Court: an enforceable code of ethics, term limits for justices and a constitutional amendment that would limit the justices’ recent decision on presidential immunity. There’s almost no chance of the proposal passing a closely divided Congress, but the ideas could still spark conversation with public confidence in the court hitting an all-time low amid ethical revelations about some justices. The proposal also comes against the backdrop of a tight presidential election and growing Democratic outrage about recent decisions from the conservative-majority court.
Focused on legacy, Biden calls out Trump and says how civil rights led him into politics
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — No longer on the campaign trail, President Joe Biden delivered a speech at the LBJ Presidential Library designed to help cement his legacy. Slightly more than a week after dropping out of this year’s election, Biden on Monday marked the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act by speaking out for the rule of law and democratic principles. All the while, he warned about the threat he sees if Republican Donald Trump returns to the White House. Biden followed his denunciations of Trump with a mix of nostalgia for his early days in politics during the era of Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson.
NC Gov. Cooper opted out of Harris VP vetting, in part over worry about GOP lieutenant: AP sources
WASHINGTON (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper opted not to be a candidate in Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate search. That’s according to three people familiar with the matter. He withdrew in part because of concerns that his Republican lieutenant governor would assume control when he travels out of state if he were selected. The people said Cooper withdrew before Harris formally began soliciting vetting material from potential vice presidents. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive search process. Harris’ search is ongoing and her teams of lawyers and political aides are still reviewing information on a narrowing list of potential candidates.
2 children dead and 11 people injured in stabbing rampage at a dance class in England, police say
LONDON (AP) — Police say two children have died and 11 other people have been injured in a stabbing in northwest England. Merseyside Police said a 17-year-old boy was arrested and a knife seized after the bloody attack Monday in Southport, a seaside town near Liverpool. Police say the attack happened at a community center where a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event for primary school-aged children was held. A nearby shop owner says he saw between seven and 10 bleeding children run from the building. Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls the attack “horrendous and deeply shocking.”
California man defends his home as wildfires push devastation and spread smoke across US West
COHASSET, Calif. (AP) — As the largest wildfire in California this year approached the small town of Cohasset, Ron Ward was prepared with a sprinkler system he had just finished installing around his ranch after losing his homeowners insurance. He says the flames reached withing feet of his house and then stopped. The Park Fire was one of more than 100 large active wildfires burning in the U.S. on Monday. Officials say it has blazed through more than 575 square miles. The man arrested on suspicion of starting the fire by pushing a burning car into a gully has been charged with arson. It was unclear whether he had legal representation to speak on his behalf.
Trump agrees to be interviewed as part of an investigation into his assassination attempt, FBI says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI says former President Donald Trump has agreed to be interviewed as part of its investigation into his attempted assassination in Pennsylvania. A special agent said Monday the expected interview with the 2024 Republican presidential nominee is part of the FBI’s standard protocol to speak with victims of federal crimes during investigations. The FBI says Trump was struck by a bullet or bullet fragment during the July 13 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The FBI disclosed the planned conversation with Trump as it revealed new details about the gunman, including internet searches that reveal an interest in mass shootings and the attempted assassination this year of Slovakia’s prime minister.
Israeli military detains 9 soldiers over alleged abuse of a detainee at a shadowy military facility
SDE TEIMAN BASE, Israel (AP) — The Israeli military says it is holding nine soldiers for questioning following allegations of “substantial abuse” of a detainee at a shadowy facility where Israel has held Palestinian prisoners throughout the war in Gaza. The military did not disclose additional details surrounding the alleged abuse. It says its top legal official has launched a probe. An investigation by The Associated Press and reports by rights groups have exposed abysmal conditions at the Sde Teiman facility, Israel’s largest detention center. The military has generally denied ill-treatment of detainees. The detentions of soldiers prompted an outcry among members of Israel’s far-right government.
US boosting alliance with the Philippines with military funding and pact amid concern over China
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine official says Washington officials in Manila for talks will announce $500 million in funding to boost Philippine defenses and progress in a proposed military pact. Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez says they’re doing so given that China’s aggressive actions in the region “will not stop.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are holding talks with their Filipino counterparts Tuesday. They also are calling on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has fortified Manila’s decades-old treaty alliance with Washington as hostilities between Philippine and Chinese forces have flared in the disputed South China Sea. Marcos has underscored the need for a U.S. military presence for Asian stability and peace.
The U.S. men’s gymnastics team ended a lengthy Olympic medal drought. They hope the NCAA notices
PARIS (AP) — The U.S. men’s gymnastics team hopes the program’s first Olympic team medal in 16 years can give the sport a boost back home. The Americans surged to bronze in the team final to give the U.S. its first team medal since Beijing in 2008. The team says their NCAA careers helped prepare them for the moment. Paul Juda says he hopes their performance will help college athletic directors see the importance of NCAA programs help fuel the U.S. Olympic team.