Monday, July 22, 2024
Kamala Harris raises $81 million
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now likely the Democratic nominee for the presidency after President Biden dropped out yesterday, said in a speech today that she is “deeply, deeply grateful for his service to our nation.”
Harris’ campaign said it raised $81 million in 24 hours. Biden had almost $100 million in his campaign fund and that money is being transferred to Harris’ fund.
No major Democratic political figure has challenged Harris for the Democratic nomination so far. Hillary Clinton has already endorsed her. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also endorsed her. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed her as well. The only big name that’s still quiet is former president Barack Obama, but he usually doesn’t get involved in the political process until things become official.
So it’s all but certain that Kamala Harris is going to be the Democrats’ nominee for the presidency. Donald Trump said he expects to run against Harris.
I thought that we had to wait until the Democratic National Convention during the last week of August before the nomination could be official, but I read that the DNC would confirm their nominee via a virtual roll call sometime before August 7. DNC members will meet Wednesday to discuss the next steps.
Many are wondering who Harris will pick to be her vice president. There are several names being floated around.
https://www.axios.com/2024/07/22/harris-remarks-biden-drop-out
https://www.axios.com/2024/07/22/kamala-harris-campaign-fundraising
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Secret Service director criticized by lawmakers
US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was criticized by lawmakers during a House hearing today about the Trump assassination attempt.
Cheatle admitted that the Secret Service had an operational failure during Trump’s rally on July 13 in Pennsylvania.
She said the Secret Service was notified between two to five times that there was a suspicious person in the area before Trump took the stage.
Lawmakers asked Cheatle many questions about the gunman, but she did not give any detailed information, pointing to an ongoing FBI investigation.
Several members of Congress told Cheatle she should resign, but she said she would remain on.
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Navy pilot is first U.S. woman to kill an air-to-air contact”
CBS News reported that an U.S. Navy pilot recently became the first American woman to score a “victory in air-to-air combat.” The pilot was flying a F/A-18 Super Hornet in the Red Sea region and shot down a drone launched from a Yemen-based rebel group called the Houthis. The Houthis have been firing many drones towards merchant ships and said it’s a response to the devastation in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war. The Navy said the female pilot shot an air-to-air missile against one of the Houthi attack drones and shot it down.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/476139/strike-fighter-squadron-vfa-32-returns-deployment
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Simone Biles and US gymnastics team in Paris
U.S. gymnastics star Simone Biles posted on Instagram an image of herself and four of her U.S. gymnastics teammates doing a training session in Paris in preparation for the 2024 Olympics.
Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history with 37 Olympic and World Championship medals.
She had to withdraw from most of the competition during the 2020 Summer Olympics due to experiencing the “twisties,” which is a temporary loss of air awareness while doing somersaults. It appears that she’s ready to make a full comeback and compete for more gold medals.
The U.S. gymnastics team is usually one of the strongest sports for the U.S. during the Summer Olympics. The Paris Olympics will have its opening ceremony on Friday, July 26.
https://people.com/simone-biles-photos-us-gymnastics-team-after-landing-paris-olympics-8681230