AP-Newswatch

Biden pushes his ‘blue wall’ sprint with a Michigan trip as he makes the case for his candidacy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and his team have been on a relentless sprint to convince lawmakers, donors and voters that he is still up for the job since his disastrous debate performance on June 27. He continues that effort Friday with a trip to Michigan, one in trio of “blue wall” states that his campaign now says is the clearest path to victory in November. That strategy is why Biden is redoubling his efforts in the Midwestern states, hitting Detroit nearly one week after he campaigned in Madison, Wisconsin; Philadelphia; and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Friday’s trip comes after a lengthy news conference during which Biden batted away questions about his age and fitness to serve.

Republicans are gathering in Milwaukee to nominate Donald Trump again. Here’s what to expect

Republicans have nominated Donald Trump for the presidency twice before. But the third time will be different. The Republican National Convention that begins Monday in Milwaukee marks the first time Trump comes into a summer convention with the GOP in crisp lockstep behind him and Democrats reeling. Delegates will hear from Trump and ratify the GOP platform that he approved. They’ll be introduced to Trump’s vice presidential running mate. And, of course, they’ll hear plenty of speakers mock President Joe Biden as a failure.

Two weeks that imperiled Biden’s presidency left him on probation in the court of Democratic opinion

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s been two weeks since President Joe Biden’s debate with Donald Trump and Democrats are torn over what to do about their predicament. There’s rampant gloom in the party about Biden’s chances in the fall if he stays in the race. And there’s not much time to replace him if he decides to quit the campaign, despite his vows to dig in and take on Trump. By late Thursday, more than 15 Democratic lawmakers had called on Biden to end his candidacy. After days of reckoning, many more are known to be harboring that wish.

Key takeaways from Biden’s news conference: Insistence on staying in the race and flubbed names

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden faced a test Thursday that he had avoided so far this year — a solo news conference with questions from the White House press corps. He made at least two notable flubs, referring at an event beforehand to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” and then calling Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump” when asked about her by a reporter. But he also gave detailed responses about his work to preserve NATO and his plans for a second term. And he insisted he’s not leaving the race even as a growing number of Democratic lawmakers ask him to step aside.

Emergency workers uncover dozens of bodies in a Gaza City district after Israeli assault

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Civil defense workers are retrieving dozens of bodies from collapsed buildings and rubble-covered streets after an Israeli assault in a district of Gaza City. Israeli forces reportedly pulled out of parts of the Tal al-Hawa and Sanaa neighborhoods following days of bombardment and fighting there. The Israeli military said it was fighting Hamas militants who regrouped in the district, including in the abandoned headquarters compound of a U.N. agency. Meanwhile, talks on a cease-fire deal continued in Cairo.

2 buses carrying more than 50 people were swept into a river by a landslide in Nepal

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A landslide has swept two buses carrying more than 50 people into a swollen river in Nepal, and continuous rain and more landslides were making rescue efforts difficult. Three survivors apparently swam to safety, but rescuers had not found any trace of the buses Friday. Heavy monsoon downpours have swollen the river and turned the water murky brown, making it even more difficult to see the wreckage. Elsewhere in the country, 17 people have died and three more injured due to landslides in different districts in the past 24 hours, he said.

More than 6 in 10 U.S. adults support protecting access to IVF, AP-NORC poll finds

WASHINGTON (AP) — According to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, relatively few Americans fully endorse the idea that a fertilized egg should have the same rights as a pregnant woman. But a significant share – 46% — say it describes their views at least somewhat well. Meanwhile, more than 6 in 10 U.S. adults support protecting access to in vitro fertilization, or IVF, a type of fertility treatment where eggs are combined with sperm outside the body in a lab to form an embryo. The new poll comes as questions grow around reproductive health access in the continued fallout from the decision by the Supreme Court to end federal abortion protections.

Data of nearly all AT&T customers downloaded to a third-party platform in security breach

The data of nearly all customers of the telecommunications giant AT&T was downloaded to a third-party platform in a 2022 security breach in a year already rife with massive cyberattacks. The company said Friday that the breach hit customers of AT&T’s cellular customers, customers of mobile virtual network operators using AT&T’s wireless network, as well as its landline customers interacted with those cellular numbers.

Alec Baldwin trial on hold as judge considers defense request to dismiss case over disputed ammo

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial has been put on hold while the judge considers a defense motion to dismiss the case over disputed ammunition. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer sent the jury home Friday and told them to return Monday. A hearing on the issue raised more questions and prompted her to call for further testimony outside the presence of jurors. The defense has argued that prosecutors hid evidence from them about the ammunition that may be related to the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film “Rust” in 2021.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz beats Daniil Medvedev to return to the Wimbledon final

LONDON (AP) — Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to return to the Wimbledon final. The victory at Centre Court on Friday moves the No. 3-seeded Alcaraz a step closer to a fourth Grand Slam title at age 21. Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg are the only men who have won multiple Wimbledon titles in the Open era before turning 22. Alcaraz also was the champion at the U.S. Open in 2022 and the French Open last month. He is 3-0 in major finals so far and will face Novak Djokovic or Lorenzo Musetti at the All England Club on Sunday.