Harris takes the torch
Kamala Harris kicked open the door on her campaign for president. The director of the Secret Service is facing more calls to step down. And problems at the airports aren’t over yet.
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🧸✋ But first: No pictures, please. Florida sheriff tells people to stop taking roadside selfies with a “depressed” bear.
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Harris works on locking down the nomination
With just 106 days until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris effectively locked up the Democratic nomination for president, a day after President Joe Biden's stunning exit from the 2024 election upended the race for the White House.
How'd we get here? For three weeks, Biden had remained defiant amid a chorus of Democratic detractors calling for him to step aside following his disastrous June 27 debate performance against former President Donald Trump. But Biden finally gave in over the weekend, issuing a letter Sunday addressed to Americans saying "it is in the best interest of my party and my country for me to stand down." Harris moved quickly over the next 24 hours to take the torch, securing support across the Democratic Party that makes her nomination close to inevitable. 🗳️ Here's what to know.
👀 Live updates: Harris pays tribute to Biden in first public remarks since launching campaign.
- Is Biden's exit the latest episode of the "worst reality TV show in the world"?
- Harris is quickly securing delegates needed to become the nominee.
- ActBlue raises nearly $50 million after VP Harris announced campaign.
- Stage is set: No Biden, Bush or Clinton on ballot for first time in decades.
🫣🤗 Election news got you stressed out? You aren't alone. Hang in there – here's how to cope.
Secret Service director grilled on shooting
Embattled Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced heated questioning Monday at the House Oversight Committee's hearing on the agency's missteps in the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Cheatle was repeatedly grilled throughout a hearing that lasted nearly five hours as lawmakers chided her for answers they found unsatisfactory, with Republicans leading the way but Democrats joining in, too.
Calls to resign: Numerous GOP lawmakers and at least one Democratic congressman had called for Cheatle's resignation before Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the committee, joined the push Monday for the director to leave her post. 🔍 Here's what happened in the hearing.
Real quick
- Miss Kansas Alexis Smith talks about what led to viral video calling out abuser.
- How Simone Biles’ pursuit of balance made her a better person and gymnast.
- Is it possible to live without a car? Why some people are going car-free.
- Coconut trees, a 'brat summer': Harris' campaign embraces the memes.
- It's not just smoking – here's what causes lung cancer.
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Days of chaos at Delta Air Lines
It’s been a bad few days for Delta Air Lines passengers. Though much of the global aviation industry was disrupted by Friday’s CrowdStrike outage, Delta seems to be having a uniquely difficult time recovering. According to the airline, the impact on its crew scheduling software is largely to blame. And while Delta said it’s working on recovering operations, it’s little comfort to passengers: As of Monday morning Delta had already posted more than 1,000 additional delays and cancellations. ✈️ A look at what's going on.
California, Utah residents flee from wildfires
Wildfires ignited over the weekend engulfed hundreds of acres of land in California and Utah, prompting evacuation orders as they torched homes, threatened nearby communities and, in Salt Lake City, burned near the state capitol. The fires roared across the West amid an unrelenting stretch of intense heat that's expected to continue through the week. In Southern California, the Hawarden Fire, just 4 miles south of downtown Riverside, began on Sunday afternoon and grew over 520 acres, forcing residents to leave their homes as the fire rapidly expanded. 👉 Here's the latest.
A break from the news
- 🦸♀️ If you’re holding out for a hero, here are the 50 best.
- 🦙 Stressed out by travel? How about an emotional support llama?
Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at Paste BN. Say hi: laura@usatoday.com. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to Paste BN here.