AP-Newswatch

Biden vows to keep running as signs point to rapidly eroding support for him on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is vowing to keep running for reelection as he rejects pressure from within his Democratic Party to withdraw after a disastrous debate performance raised questions about his readiness. But in an ominous sign, one of his top allies publicly suggested on Wednesday a way that the party might choose someone else. According to a campaign aides, Biden told his staff that “no one is pushing me out” of the race. But there are signs that support for Biden is rapidly eroding among Democrats on Capitol Hill. Rep. Jim Clyburn, a longtime Biden ally, says he’d support a “mini-primary” in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention next month if Biden were to leave the race.

Democrats in Congress are torn between backing Biden for president and sounding the alarm

WASHINGTON (AP) — After days of no direct talk between Joe Biden and congressional leaders, the president is reaching out in the aftermath of his disastrous debate. But one Biden ally, Rep. James Clyburn, openly discussed the idea on CNN of a “mini-primary” in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention in mid-August. Biden’s debate performance is forcing lawmakers to grapple with a potential crisis that could reach beyond the results of the presidential election. Many Democrats are warning that Biden can’t beat Donald Trump in November and tiptoeing toward embracing the idea that he should withdraw.

Trump revels in legal and political wins while Biden’s campaign reels from their debate

NEW YORK (AP) — In the days since President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance, the Republican nominee has kept a low profile, leaving the focus on the drama engulfing the Democratic Party. The strategy comes as Trump and his campaign revel in a series of legal and political victories heading into the Republican National convention this month. Those victories include a Supreme Court ruling Monday that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution and a ruling Tuesday by the judge in Trump’s New York criminal hush money trial to delay his sentencing, which had been scheduled for next week.

Israel turbocharges West Bank settlement expansion with largest land grab in decades

JERUSALEM (AP) — A settlement tracking group says Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in over three decades. Peace Now said Wednesday that authorities recently approved the appropriation of 12.7 square kilometers (nearly 5 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley. The group’s data indicate it is the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords at the start of the peace process. The Palestinians view the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank as the main barrier to any lasting peace agreement and most of the international community views them as illegitimate. Israel’s government considers the West Bank to be the historical and religious heartland of the Jewish people and is opposed to Palestinian statehood.

Worsening floods and deterioration pose threats to US dam safety

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Floodwaters in rural Minnesota carved a path around a century old dam early last week, causing severe erosion to a riverbank. Several days later, intense rain damaged a dam in Texas. There are roughly 90,000 significant dams in the U.S. More than 4,000 are in poor or unsatisfactory condition and could either kill people or just harm the environment if they failed, according to data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Many dams are in great shape run by competent operators. But other owners have little money to make needed repairs. States have limited power to force fixes and climate change is making bad rain events in some areas more intense, increasing risk.

Why mass shootings and violence increase in the summer

Violence and mass shootings often surge in the summer months. That’s especially true around the Fourth of July. It’s usually one of the deadliest days of the year. The Gun Violence Archive tracks mass shootings and shows June, July, and August have had the highest total number over the past decade. Independence Day tops the list with 58 mass shootings over the last 10 years. Researchers point to a combination of factors that have caused the summer months to see an increase historically in violence and shootings. They say the reasons include more social events, teens out of school and hotter temperatures.

To save spotted owls, US officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of another owl species

U.S. wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan to deploy trained shooters into dense West Coast forests to kill almost a half-million barred owls in coming decades. Their goal is to help spotted owls, which are being crowded out by barred owls from the eastern U.S. Past efforts to save spotted owls focused on protecting the forests where they live. But officials say the proliferation of barred owls in recent years is undermining that earlier work and putting spotted owls on the path to potential extinction. The notion of killing one bird species to save another has divided wildlife advocates and conservationists.

Fossils show huge salamanderlike predator with sharp fangs existed before the dinosaurs

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists have identified a giant salamanderlike predator with sharp fangs that likely ruled waters 280 million years ago. The creature existed before the dinosaurs and likely used its wide, flat head to suck in prey. Findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature. Researchers study such creatures to understand the origins of tetrapods, four-legged animals that clambered onto land with fingers instead of fins and evolved to birds, amphibians and humans. The discovery was in what’s now Namibia in Africa. That area was once encrusted with glaciers and ice, hinting that tetrapods thrived in colder climates much earlier than previously thought.

GM will pay $146 million in penalties because 5.9 million older vehicles emit excess carbon dioxide

WASHINGTON (AP) — General Motors will pay nearly $146 million in penalties to the federal government because 5.9 million of its older vehicles don’t comply with emissions and fuel economy standards. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement Wednesday that certain GM vehicles from the 2012 through 2018 model years didn’t comply with federal fuel economy requirements. The fine comes after the Environmental Protection Agency said its testing showed the GM pickup trucks and SUVs emit 10% more carbon dioxide on average than GM’s initial compliance testing claimed. GM says it complied with all regulations in pollution and mileage certification of its vehicles.

From ‘latte makeup’ to ‘girl dinners,’ TikTok has launched tons of trends. Will its influence last?

NEW YORK (AP) — TikTok and its bite-sized videos arrived in the United States as a global version of the Chinese app Douyin. Less than six years later, the social media platform is deeply woven into the fabric of American consumerism, having shortened the shelf life of trends and revamped how people engage with food and fashion. The popularity of TikTok coupled with its roots in Beijing led Congress, citing national security concerns, to pass a law that would ban the video-sharing app unless its Chinese parent company sells its stake. Both the company, ByteDance, and TikTok have sued on First Amendment grounds. But while the platform faces uncertain times, its influence remains undisputed and for now, arguably unrivaled.