Election 2024 updates: Harris leads Trump among likely voters nationally: Poll

Election 2024 updates: Harris leads Trump among likely voters nationally: Poll
Election 2024 updates: Harris leads Trump among likely voters nationally: Poll
Democratic Presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during the Sigma Gamma Rho’s 60th International Biennial Boule at the George R. Brown Convention Center on July 31, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris secured enough Democratic Party delegate votes to become the party’s nominee, according to the Democratic National Committee. She announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, with the two scheduled to embark on a seven-state trip to some of the biggest battleground states in the election, according to her campaign.

President Donald Trump and his vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance, are set to speak to voters through scheduled rallies and events throughout the week, too. Vance will also be visiting the same battleground states as Harris and her newly minted vice presidential pick.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Harris leads Trump among likely voters nationally: Poll

A poll from Marquette University Law School of voters nationally found Vice President Kamala Harris leading former President Donald Trump among likely voters in a 2024 general election head-to-head matchup.

Among two-way registered voters, Harris leads Trump by four points, 52% to 48%. Yet among two-way likely voters, the vice president leads the former president by six points, 53% to 47%.

The poll, taken from July 24 to Aug. 1, has a margin of error of +/-4.1 percentage points among registered voters; and +/-4.7 percentage points among likely voters.

The poll was taken entirely after the assassination attempt on Trump and President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, and entirely before Harris announced her running mate.

Uncommitted leaders say they brought up arms embargo to Harris in Michigan

Uncommitted leaders say they spoke quickly with Vice President Kamala Harris before her rally in Detroit, Michigan, on Wednesday after they reached out to her team to meet, they told ABC News.

Layla Elabed, the sister of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and Abbas Alawieh, an Uncommitted delegate, say they were in the welcoming line for Harris and Gov. Tim Walz where they communicated to Harris that they wanted to support her but that voters wanted her to consider an arms embargo.

According to the group, the two asked to meet with her about the arms embargo request, and they said she indicated she was open to it and introduced the two leaders to her staff.

According to a campaign official, during the “brief” interaction, Harris “reaffirmed” that the campaign will continue to “engage with those communities.”

“Since October 7, the Vice President has prioritized engaging with Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian community members and others regarding the war in Gaza. In this brief engagement, she reaffirmed that her campaign will continue to engage with those communities,” read a statement from the campaign.

“The Vice President has been clear: she will always work to ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. The Vice President is focused on securing the ceasefire and hostage deal currently on the table. As she has said, it is time for this war to end in a way where: Israel is secure, hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination,” the statement concluded.

Harris has noticeably tried to thread the needle on the war in Gaza in an attempt to bridge divides within the party over the Israel-Hamas war. However, she has been aligned with President Joe Biden in vowing unwavering support for Israel and stressing that the way Israel carries out its war against Hamas matters specifically in regards that to civilian safety.

Pro-Palestinian protesters were present at the Harris-Walz rally on Wednesday, a fairly normal citing at her events. They chanted “Kamala, Kamala you can’t Hide, we won’t vote for genocide.” The crowd booed and drowned out the protesters with chants of “Kamala.”

She quipped her usual line “I’m here because we believe in democracy. Everyone’s voice matters, but I am speaking now. I am speaking now,” but added a more blunt reply: “You know what, if you want Donald Trump to win then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.”

Members of the Uncommitted movement have indicated to ABC News that Harris’ language regarding Gaza in the coming months is crucial to gaining their support, something they’ve said they would not have been able to give to President Biden.

At the end of their Zoom call earlier, before meeting Harris, the leaders acknowledged that former President Donald Trump was actively attacking Palestinians and that they’re “movement will be mobilizing to make sure that … our community understands how dangerous Donald Trump is.”

Alawieh expressed the belief that Harris will “do the right thing” and unite their party around “a more humane Gaza policy.”

The New York Times was first to report on the interaction.

-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim

‘I’m speaking’: Kamala Harris responds to cease-fire protesters during Detroit rally

Vice President Kamala Harris flew into an airport hangar with 15,000 spectators on Wednesday, where she continued a campaign blitz with her newly-minted running mate, Gov. Tim Walz.

The Detroit, Michigan event, in the critical battleground state, was a massive event with frequent applause and roars from the energetic crowd, with one notable interruption.

During her remarks, Harris was met with a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters; however, the crowd tried to drown out the noise, chanting, “Kamala!”

Harris grew increasingly animated, speaking louder with her prepared remarks — at the time focused on Project 2025 — before addressing the persistent protesters directly saying, “Everyone’s voice matters. But I am speaking now. I am speaking now.”

“If you want Donald Trump to win, say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking,” Harris continued.

Harris made headlines when she used the same phrase to shut down then Vice President Mike Pence when the two debated in 2020 and he interrupted her.

Harris, who wrapped the day’s rally following a lengthy slate of prominent Michiganders, acknowledged the importance of the battleground state ahead of November.

“So, it is so good to be back in Michigan. Listen, I am clear, the path to the White House runs right through this state. And with your help, we will win in November. We will win,” Harris said.

-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh

Biden says he’s ‘not confident’ there would be a peaceful transfer of power if Trump loses

President Joe Biden said in an interview with CBS News that he’s “not confident” there would be a peaceful transition of power after the election if former President Donald Trump loses.

“Are you confident that there will be a peaceful transfer of power in 2025?” Robert Costa asked the president.

“If Trump loses, I’m not confident at all,” Biden said in a roughly 30-second clip of the interview released Wednesday by the network.

The full sit-down interview is slated to air Sunday.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

‘I know bullies,’ Walz says as he, Harris tout campaign in Wisconsin rally

At their second joint rally since becoming a ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday ripped former President Donald Trump and sought to project a positive vision for their potential administration.

“Understand in this fight, as Tim Walz likes to point out, we are joyful warriors,” Harris told the crowd in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Walz contrasted the approach with that of former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, saying that as a former teacher, he understands “bullies.”

“What I am is a teacher, I observe things. So, I want to tell you what I observed and you’ve observed … about these guys when you see them, that it’s a very clear thing. Yes, they are creepy and weird as hell. You see it,” he said. “This is not normal. This is not normal behavior. Nobody’s asking for this crazy stuff.”

Walz, who joined the Army Reserve as a teenager, knocked Trump for having “no understanding of service.”

“I’ll tell you what, Donald Trump, he sees the world differently than we see it. He has no understanding of service because he’s too busy servicing himself again and again and again,” he said. “This guy weakens our country to strengthen his own hands.”

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Isabella Murray

Harris HQ posts TikTok after Vance’s plane, Air Force Two on same tarmac

The Harris-Walz campaign posted a video on its TikTok account responding to earlier in the day when Sen. JD Vance’s plane and Air Force Two were on the same tarmac in Wisconsin.

The post used sound from the show “Dance Moms” where instructor and choreographer Abby Lee Miller says, “I just want to sit back and relax and enjoy my evening. When all of a sudden, I hear this agitating, grating voice.”

The video shows the vice president stepping off Air Force Two with Gov. Tim Walz while shaking hands and speaking with local children before panning to Vance’s plane as it pulled up on the tarmac.

-ABC News Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Will McDuffie

Trump previously told Walz he was ‘very happy’ with his handling of George Floyd protests

In the hours after Vice President Kamala Harris announced Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, allies of former President Donald Trump rushed to denigrate the Minnesota Democrat, seizing on criticism of his handling of the riots in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020.

But at the time, Trump expressed support for Walz’s handling of the protests, according to a recording of a phone call obtained by ABC News — telling a group of governors that Walz “dominated,” and praising his leadership as an example for other states to follow.

“I know Gov. Walz is on the phone, and we spoke, and I fully agree with the way he handled it the last couple of days,” Trump told a group of governors on June 1, 2020, according to a recording of the call, in which he also called Walz an “excellent guy.”

“I was very happy with the last couple of days, Tim,” Trump continued. “You called up big numbers and the big numbers knocked them out so fast it was like bowling pins.”

Trump also suggested on the call that it was his encouragement that sparked Walz to call in the National Guard: “I said, you got to use the National Guard in big numbers,” Trump said. A spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign said Wednesday that was untrue.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said Trump lauded Walz only after the governor heeded his advice to enlist support from the National Guard.

-ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman and Katherine Faulders

Harris, Vance planes on same tarmac at same time in Wisconsin

A rare moment took place Wednesday when the respective planes flying Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. JD Vance to separate campaign events in Wisconsin were on the same tarmac.

Vance took the opportunity to rib the Harris-Walz campaign when he walked over to Air Force Two to “check out” what he called his “future plane.”

Vance said he saw Harris’ car, but he didn’t see her because her windows were tinted.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

Harris, Trump tied among Wisconsin voters, poll finds

A poll from Marquette University Law School published Wednesday of voters in Wisconsin found that Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are closely matched among registered voters in a 2024 general election head-to-head matchup.

Among registered voters, Trump and Harris were split 50% to 49%, respectively, and among likely voters, they were split 49% to 50%, according to the poll.

The poll shows virtually no change from the split between President Joe Biden and Trump in a Marquette poll that was conducted in June.

When a few third-party candidates are added in, Harris and Trump are still about even among registered voters, with Harris netting 45%, Trump netting 43% and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. getting 8%, the poll found.

The survey was conducted between July 24 to Aug. 1. It has a margin of error of +/- 4.6 percentage points among registered Wisconsin voters and +/- 4.8 percentage points among likely Wisconsin voters.

-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim

Walz greeted with ‘Let’s go coach’ chants as he visits campaign HQ

Gov. Tim Walz visited the campaign’s Wilmington headquarters Wednesday morning to a cheering crowd.

“I wanted to say thank you myself to the people who have put everything into helping us win. Holy smokes, this team,” he said in a post on X.

Several volunteers and staffers were outside holding signs and shook the governor’s hand as he greeted them, according to a video of the visit on his X account.

The crowd engaged in a chant of “Let’s go coach,” referencing Walz’s time as a high school football coach.

“It’s Friday night lights,” Walz responded.

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim Isabella Murray and Fritz Farrow

Walz greeted with ‘Let’s go coach’ chants as he visits campaign HQ

Gov. Tim Walz visited the campaign’s Wilmington headquarters Wednesday morning to a cheering crowd.

“I wanted to say thank you myself to the people who have put everything into helping us win. Holy smokes, this team,” he said in a post on X.

Several volunteers and staffers were outside holding signs and shook the governor’s hand as he greeted them, according to a video of the visit on his X account.

The crowd engaged in a chant of “Let’s go coach,” referencing Walz’s time as a high school football coach.

“It’s Friday night lights,” Walz responded.

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim Isabella Murray and Fritz Farrow

Harris-Walz campaign boasts ‘explosion of volunteer interest’

The Harris-Walz campaign issued a memo on Wednesday touting its ground game in battleground states, specifically Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

The memo boasted of a “formidable door-knocking operation” in Wisconsin with more than 160 full-time coordinated staffers on the ground, an “explosion of volunteer interest” in Michigan, with more than 9,000 new volunteer sign-ups, and “unprecedented enthusiasm” in Pennsylvania, citing Tuesday’s rally in Philadelphia that the campaign claims brought in more than 14,000 people.

The campaign said it has more than 600 coordinated staff members on the ground in those three states and plans to add 150 more in the first two weeks of August.

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Fritz Farrow

Harris-Walz campaign says it raised $36M in 24 hours since VP announcement

In the first 24 hours since Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, the Harris-Walz campaign has raised $36 million, according to a campaign official.

-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim

22 Democratic governors, including Shapiro and Beshear, praise Harris’ selection of Walz as VP

Twenty-two Democratic governors are lauding the fact that their colleague, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, has joined the 2024 Democratic ticket.

In a statement released on Wednesday, they stressed as a group of leaders — which includes some they said were “elected in very challenging races in battleground and red states” — that they were “thrilled” with Harris’ selection.

The joint statement was notably signed by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who themselves were on the shortlist of potential Harris vice presidential picks. All three had submitted materials to the Democratic nominee’s vetting team, though only Shapiro had traveled to Washington, D.C., on Sunday for an in-person interview with Harris.

“As America’s Democratic governors, we represent a broad and diverse set of 23 states that make up more than half the U.S. population. Many of us were elected in very challenging races in battleground and red states. We make tough decisions as state executives every day, and know what it takes to win. We couldn’t be more thrilled that Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, and will do everything in our power to ensure their success this November,” the statement, first shared with ABC News, reads.

“Overall, there’s no doubt the Harris-Walz ticket is the perfect one-two punch to knock out the GOP’s dangerous agenda and failure to deliver for the American people,” the statement continues.

Other governors who signed on to the letter include California’s Gavin Newsom, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Colorado’s Jared Polis, Maryland’s Wes Moore and North Carolina’s Roy Cooper.

Vance targets Harris’ ‘policy choices’ during Michigan stop

GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance delivered remarks following a briefing with the Shelby Township, Michigan, Police Department on Wednesday, where he went after Vice President Kamala Harris on her “policy choices.”

Vance’s remarks at the event focused on supporting law enforcement and combating undocumented immigration.

“We’ve got to throw Kamala Harris out of office, not give her a promotion, and that’s what our law enforcement needs,” he said.

When asked by reporters about how a Trump administration would actually deport undocumented immigrants (Trump has repeatedly vowed to deport millions of migrants), Vance gave no real plan on how that would happen but stated: “We are going to deport people now.”

Vance also took aim at his Democratic VP opponent, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a retired National Guardsman, questioning his military service while providing no facts to back up his claim. Vance also called out Walz for his comment during Tuesday’s rally in Philadelphia, where the governor called out the senator’s Ivy League education and support from tech billionaires.

“And if he wants to criticize me for getting an Ivy League education, I’m proud of the fact that my mama supported me, that I was able to make something of myself,” Vance said.

Vance was again asked his thoughts about Trump falsely questioning Harris’ racial identity. Vance said he viewed Trump’s attack on the vice president as her being “a chameleon.”

“I think he was observing the basic foundational reality that Kamala Harris pretends to be something different depending on which audience she’s speaking to,” the senator said.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

Trump says he ‘could not be more thrilled’ about Walz as Harris’ VP pick

Former President Donald Trump said he “couldn’t believe” Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, adding he “could not be more thrilled,” when he called into Fox and Friends Wednesday morning.

“I would say my reaction is, I can’t believe it. I never thought this was going to be the one that was picked,” Trump said. “He’s a very, very liberal man, and he’s a shocking pick, and I’m thrilled. I could not be more thrilled.”

Asked if his campaign thought Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was going to be the VP pick, Trump said he thought Shapiro would’ve been a better choice.

“I would have said it would have been a better choice,” Trump said of Shapiro. “I would have said others were the better, better choice.”

Harris and Walz to hold rallies in Wisconsin, Michigan Wednesday

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are scheduled Wednesday to hold rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan, bringing their “vision for the future” to two battleground states on their first full day of campaigning together.

“Together, they will highlight the choice facing Blue Wall voters between the Trump-Vance agenda to weaken unions and give tax cuts to the wealthy on the backs of the middle class, and the Harris-Walz vision for the future, where everyone has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead,” the Harris campaign said.

At their midday stop in Wisconsin, the pair will be joined by Gov. Tony Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

The pair will then travel to Wayne County Airport in Michigan for an evening rally, the campaign said. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan will join them, the campaign said.

“Their visits come on the heels of over a dozen labor endorsements, including last week’s endorsement from UAW — which represents more than 130,000 members in Michigan alone,” the campaign said.

JD Vance cancels North Carolina rallies due to Tropical Storm Debby

Sen. JD Vance will not be making appearances in North Carolina Thursday, due to the forecast of Tropical Storm Debby in the state, the Trump-Vance campaign said in a statement Tuesday.

Vance had two scheduled rallies in Raleigh and Oakboro.

“The Trump-Vance campaign will be rescheduling these events in North Carolina as soon as possible,” the campaign said.

Harris-Walz campaign says it raised over $20 million since running mate announcement

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s campaign announcement has proven to be a fundraising success, according to a statement from the campaign Tuesday.

The Harris-Walz campaign says it has raised more than $20 million since this morning’s announcement of Walz joining Harris on the Democratic ticket in November.

Walz says he ‘can’t wait’ to debate JD Vance: ‘These guys are creepy’

Gov. Walz came out hard against former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance during his first campaign rally speech as Harris’ vice presidential pick.

“Donald Trump’s not fighting for you or your family,” Walz said. He never sat at that kitchen table, like the one I grew up at, wondering how we were going to pay the bills. He sat at his country club in Mar a Lago wondering how he can cut taxes for his rich friends,” Walz added.

Turning his attention to Vance, Walz said, “His running mate shares his dangerous and backward agenda for this country.”

“I got to tell you, I can’t wait to debate the guy,” Walz continued, quipping, “That is, if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up.”

Calling out the Republican ticket, Walz added, “These guys are creepy. And yeah, it’s just weird as hell.”

Harris and Walz are officially the Democratic nominees: DNC

As Harris and Walz took the stage in Philadelphia, the Democratic National Committee announced they are officially the Democratic nominees for president and vice president.

“Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz officially accepted the nominations today, following the close of delegate voting on Monday, August 5th and the official certification of the roll call by Convention Secretary Jason Rae. Convention Chair Minyon Moore then certified Governor Walz as her running mate,” according to the statement from DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and DNCC Chair Minyon Moore.

Harris addressed the nomination at the campaign rally, saying, “I stand before you today to proudly announce I am now, officially, the Democratic nominee for president of the United States.”

Harris praises Walz’s background in politics and teaching: ‘Our values are the same’

During their first joint campaign rally, Vice President Kamala Harris introduced her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and touted his progressive record as state governor, his background as a high school teacher and football coach and a U.S. military sergeant.

“Since the day that I announced my candidacy, I set out to find a partner who can help build this brighter future. A leader who will help unite our nation and move us forward. A fighter for the middle class. A patriot who believes as I do in the extraordinary promise of America,” Harris of her search for a VP pick.

“Tim is more than a governor. To his wife, Gwen, he is a husband. To his kids, Hope and Gus, he is a dad. To his fellow veterans, he is Sgt. Major Walz, to the people of Southern Minnesota for 12 years, he was congressman. To his former high school students, he was Mr. Walz. And to his former high school football players, he was coach,” Harris said.

“Coach Walz and I may hail from different corners of this great country,” Harris continued, “But our values are the same.”

Harris and Walz take the stage in Philadelphia in first joint campaign rally

Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly announced running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, were met with loud applause and cheers in Philadelphia as they made their first joint appearance.

That massive crowd gave Harris and Walz a long standing ovation as they took the stage to the song “Freedom” by Beyoncé.

Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks ahead of 1st joint Harris-Walz rally

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has taken to the stage and is speaking in Philadelphia ahead of the first joint Harris-Walz rally.

Walz to tout his record, Harris’ strengths as prosecutor during campaign rally: Excerpts

Gov. Tim Walz will tout Vice President Kamala Harris’ history as a prosecutor, senator and vice president at their joint rally tonight in Philadelphia, according to excerpts from his speech that were released ahead of the event.

“She took on predators and fraudsters, took down transnational gangs, stood up against powerful corporate interests, she’s never hesitated to reach across the aisle if it meant improving people’s lives. And — she brings joy to everything she does,” the excepts read.

The governor is also expected to speak about his experiences from his days as a teacher to legislating as an elected official.

“These same values I learned on the family farm and tried to instill in my students, I took to Congress and the state capital, and now, Vice President Harris and I are running to take them to the White House,” the excerpts read.

“Donald Trump — he sees the world differently. He doesn’t know the first thing about service — because he’s too busy serving himself,” the excerpts read.

-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim

Walz, during vetting process, said he never used a teleprompter before: Source

Tim Walz said during the VP vetting process that he had never used a teleprompter before, according to source familiar.

The governor practiced using one before his remarks tonight to be comfortable using it during the joint rally with Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, according to the source.

CNN first reported the teleprompter detail.

-ABC News’ Selina Wang

Walz arrives in Philadelphia: ‘Hello Philly!’

Minnesota Gov. Tim Waz has arrived in Philadelphia ahead of his rally tonight with Vice President Kamala Harris.

He posted a video to X and wrote, “Hello Philly!”

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Isabella Murray

Harris campaign says it raised more than $10M since Walz announcement

The Harris-Walz ticket has raised more than $10 million since this morning’s reveal of Tim Walz as the vice president’s running mate, the campaign said in a release, making it “one of the campaign’s best fundraising days this cycle.”

Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman, added that Pennsylvania’s top elected officials will join the pair at their Philadelphia rally tonight.

Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey are expected to speak, as is Gov. Josh Shapiro, who had been one of the contenders to be Harris’ running mate.

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Fritz Farrow

DNC calls Walz the ‘presumptive nominee for vice president’

The Democratic National Committee, in a post on X, called Tim Walz the “presumptive nominee for Vice President.”

“Kamala Harris has selected Governor Tim Walz to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for vice president of the United States,” the party wrote, with a graphic of it’s “official Democratic ticket.”

-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim, Isabella Murray and Brittany Shepherd

Harris releases video of phone call with Walz

Vice President Kamala Harris released a video showing her speaking with Gov. Tim Walz about being her running mate.

Harris is seen speaking on a cellphone with Walz, who is dressed in a T-shirt, khakis and a camouflage-colored baseball cap, alerting him that he would be her pick.

“The joy that you’re bringing back to the country, the enthusiasm that’s out there it will be a privilege to take this with you across the country,” Walz says in the video.
 

Bill Clinton: ‘Tim Walz has walked the walk’

Former President Bill Clinton praised Gov. Tim Walz’s record on Tuesday afternoon.

“Kamala Harris made a terrific choice with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. His resume speaks for itself,” he said in a statement posted on X.

“Tim Walz has walked the walk, and he’ll be a great vice president,” Clinton added.

Harris’ VP decision ‘stark contrast to Donald Trump’s choice’, Jeffries says

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries released a statement Tuesday praising Gov. Tim Walz after he was picked by Vice President Kamala Harris as her running mate, commending his years of work as a National Guardsman, teacher, House member and governor.

“Throughout his years of public service, including as the top Democrat on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Tim has been a consistent champion on the issues that matter most for everyday Americans,” Jeffries, D-N.Y., said.

“Vice President Harris’ decision is a stark contrast to Donald Trump’s choice,” Jeffries added.

-ABC News’ Lauren Peller

Vance says he wants to debate Walz after he is officially VP nominee

When asked if he’s willing to debate Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. JD Vance said he wants to but is going to wait until Walz is the official vice presidential nominee.

“I absolutely want to debate Tim Walz, but I want to debate him, actually, after he’s actually officially the nominee, and I did call him and congratulate him and offered him my best wishes. I think that’s the polite thing to do,” he said.

-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim, Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa and Kelsey Walsh

Clyburn says Walz will be a ‘strong partner’ for Harris

Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., said in a statement that Gov. Tim Walz has “unparalleled experience” and will be a “strong partner for Kamala Harris.”

“My former House colleague [Tim Walz] will be a strong partner for [Kamala Harris],” he wrote on X.

“As a Governor, veteran, and former public school teacher, his unparalleled experience informs a deep understanding of the issues that matter most to the American people.”

“I look forward to working with this outstanding team toward victory in November,” he added.

-ABC News’ Lauren Peller

Manchin says Walz ‘will bring normality back to the most chaotic political environment’

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin wrote in a statement on X that “I can think of no one better than Governor Walz to help bring our country closer together and bring balance back to the Democratic Party.”

“My friend Governor Tim Walz will bring normality back to the most chaotic political environment that most of us have ever seen,” he said, in part, also calling him “the real deal.”

-ABC News’ Lauren Peller

RFK Jr. criticizes Walz as VP pick

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote on X that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz being picked as Harris’ running mate means that “America’s political divide sharpens.”

“He called Trump supporters ‘fascist’ and ‘weird,’ and they in turn are calling him worse than that,” he said.

-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim

Walz ‘going to bring something else to this ticket in a big way,’ Klobuchar says

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar spoke to ABC News Live about her reaction Gov. Tim Walz being selected as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

The senator called Walz a “close friend,” and said Harris chose the governor for several major reasons.

“She had someone in Tim Walz that one, she trusted, [and] two, she saw as someone that is going to bring something else to this ticket in a big way,” Klobuchar said.

The Minnesota senator, who describes Tim Walz as a “close friend,” gave her thoughts on Vice President Kamala Harris picking the Minnesota governor as her running mate.

The senator said Walz’s experiences as a veteran, teacher, Congress member and governor help the ticket.

“I just like Tim Walz. He is a good leader, he has shown he can get things done across the aisle,” she said.

When asked about the criticism Walz received over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Klobuchar said, “We came out of it strong.”

Klobuchar also addressed the criticism Walz received over the 2020 George Floyd protests, reiterating that the governor embraced peaceful protests but called in the National Guard when they got violent.

“I would like to add, he was someone when the ‘defund the police’ ballot measure was on the ballot in the city of Minneapolis, both of us strongly opposed the measure. He added funding for the police,” she said. “You will see someone who has actually stood with law enforcement and made some tough decisions.”

Vance says he left Walz a voicemail, claims Harris’ pick highlights how ‘radical’ she is

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance responded to the news of Gov. Tim Walz being tapped as Kamala Harris’ running mate, claiming the decision highlights how “radical” Harris is.

“Obviously, the big news of the day is that Tim Walz has been nominated as the VP or is now the presumptive nominee, I should say, for Kamala Harris … My view on it is it just highlights how radical Kamala Harris is,” Vance said.

Vice presidential candidate JD Vance spoke to reporters in Philadelphia about Kamala Harris’ choice for running mate.

When asked by ABC News’ Hannah Demissie if he had been in contact with Walz, Vance said he called Walz but the governor didn’t answer, so he left a voicemail.

“I didn’t get him, but I just said, ‘Look, congratulations. Look forward to a robust conversation and enjoy the ride,’ And maybe he’ll call me back, maybe he won’t,” Vance said.

-ABC News Lalee Ibssa

Biden spoke with Harris, Walz separately today, White House says

President Joe Biden spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday morning before she announced that Gov. Tim Walz would be her running mate, the White House said in a statement.

“The President also spoke with Governor Walz to congratulate him on his selection,” White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Emilie Simons said in a statement.

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez

Harris told Walz they are ‘underdogs’ but is confident they have winning message: Source

Vice President Kamala Harris told Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in a phone call this morning that they are the “underdogs” in this race, but she’s confident that together they have a winning message on reducing costs for the middle class and protecting freedom, a source close to the process told ABC News.

The source added that chemistry was a big piece of Harris’ decision to select Walz.

Harris notified her team this morning that she wanted to inform Walz and the other candidates, the source said, adding that the final decision and execution was done Tuesday morning.

-ABC News’ Selina Wang

Obama praises Tim Walz as VP pick

Former President Barack Obama released a lengthy statement on X congratulating Gov. Tim Walz for being selected as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

“[Tim Walz] believes that government works to serve us. Not just some of us, but all of us. That’s what makes him an outstanding governor, and that’s what will make him an even better vice president,” he wrote.

“By selecting Tim Walz to be her vice president from a pool of outstanding Democrats, Kamala Harris has chosen an ideal partner — and made it clear exactly what she stands for,” Obama said.

Pete Buttigieg praises Tim Walz as VP pick

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was considered as a potential Harris running mate, praised Tim Walz in a statement posted on X, calling him an “effective governor — and also great to work with.”

“I’m excited for what his Midwestern voice, military experience, and common-sense values will bring to our winning ticket, and for everything the Harris-Walz administration will deliver for Americans,” he said.

-ABC News’ Tommy Barone

Gov. Andy Beshear throws full support behind Harris-Walz ticket

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who was also a vice presidential contender, said it was an honor to be considered for the 2024 ticket but threw his full support behind his “great friend” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

“I fully support this new ticket and will work to elect [Kamala Harris] as our next President of the United States,” Beshear said in a statement on X.

-ABC News’ Minnie Noah

Minnesota senators react to Walz as VP pick

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar wrote on X that Walz has been an “incredible leader.”

“Minnesota is known as the land of Vice Presidents, and we’ve got another great one on the way! As a veteran, a high school teacher and football coach, and our Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz has been an incredible leader (and on top of that, a good friend). Let’s go win this!” Klobuchar wrote.

Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith posted a photo of her and Walz eating donuts together, writing: “DONUT count Minnesota out. Congratulations, Governor Walz!”

-ABC News’ Lauren Peller

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly reacts to Harris-Walz ticket

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who made the veepstakes short list, wrote on X that Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz “are going to move us forward.”

“They’re already building a campaign to unite our country — and [Gabby Giffords] and I are ready to do everything we can to help them win.”

-ABC News’ Tommy Barone

Walz says it’s ‘the honor of a lifetime’: ‘I’m all in’

Gov. Tim Walz posted on X on Tuesday, saying he’s “all in” on his new role as Harris’ VP pick.

“It is the honor of a lifetime to join [Kamala Harris] in this campaign. I’m all in. Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what’s possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school. So, let’s get this done, folks! Join us,” he wrote, also linking to a donation page.

-ABC News’ Brittany L. Shepherd and Fritz Farrow

Shapiro expresses support for Harris-Walz ticket

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro posted on X about Vice President Harris’ choice of Tim Walz as a running mate, saying it was “a deeply personal decision for the Vice President — and a deeply personal decision for me.”

“Pennsylvanians elected me to a four-year term as their Governor, and my work here is far from finished — there is a lot more stuff I want to get done for the good people of this Commonwealth,” he wrote, in part, in a statement.

“Over the next 90 days, I look forward to traveling all across the Commonwealth to unite Pennsylvanians behind my friends Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and defeat Donald Trump,” he said. “See you tonig

Harris announces Walz as VP pick on Instagram

Vice President Kamala Harris took to Instagram to announce Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate. Her X page was also updated with a new social wrap that highlights her vice presidential pick, along with a new poster that features the two.

“I am proud to announce that I’ve asked [Gov. Tim Walz] to be my running mate,” Harris wrote on Instagram.

“One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep. It’s personal,” she continued.

“He grew up in a small town in Nebraska, spending summers working on his family’s farm. His father died of cancer when he was 19, and his family relied on Social Security survivor benefit checks to make ends meet. At 17, he enlisted in the National Guard, serving for 24 years. He used his GI Bill benefits to go to college, and become a teacher. He served as both the football coach and the advisor of the Gay-Straight Alliance,” Harris wrote.

“I share this background both because it’s impressive in its own right, and because you see in no uncertain terms how it informs his record. He worked with Republicans to pass infrastructure investments. He cut taxes for working families. He passed a law to provide paid family and medical leave to Minnesotan families,” she continued. “He made Minnesota the first state in the country to pass a law providing constitutional abortion protections after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and as an avid hunter, he passed a bill requiring universal background checks for gun purchases.”

“But what impressed me most about Tim is his deep commitment to his family: Gwen, Gus, and Hope. Doug and I look forward to working with him and Gwen to build an administration that reflects our shared values,” she said.

-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Will McDuffie

Trump campaign fundraising email from JD Vance says ‘I will wipe the floor with Tim Walz’

The Trump campaign sent a fundraising email from Sen. JD Vance on Tuesday with the subject line, “I will wipe the floor with Tim Walz.”

“I have three words for Tim Walz: Bring. It. On,” the fundraising email says.

-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa

Josh Shapiro to attend Harris rally in Philadelphia tonight

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will attend tonight’s rally in Philadelphia and “will do everything he can” to support the Harris-Walz ticket, someone familiar with the campaign’s thinking told ABC News.

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie

Rep. Dean Phillips, Biden primary opponent, said he’s ‘thrilled’ by Walz news

Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, who was one of President Joe Biden’s few primary challengers this cycle, said in a post on X on Tuesday morning that he was “thrilled” by the reports that his “friend” Tim Walz would be Kamala Harris’ VP pick.

“I’m thrilled by reports that my friend and governor will be America’s next Vice President,” Phillips posted, along with a photo of them together.

“Tim is a common-sense, competent and experienced leader whose refreshing normal-ness will be a great contrast to the tiresome weirdness. Let’s go!” he wrote.

Walz and Phillips never served in the House of Representatives together. Walz left his 1st Congressional District seat in 2019, when Phillips was coming in to serve the 3rd District.

Phillips has endorsed Harris’ White House bid.

-ABC News’ Isabella Murray

Rep. Ilhan Omar congratulates Walz

Progressive Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar congratulated her state’s governor on Tuesday.

“Our North Star state Governor has signed universal school meals, paid family and sick leave, marijuana legalization, and protections for reproductive rights into law,” she wrote on X, also sharing a photo of the two.

-ABC News’ Lauren Peller

Pelosi applauds Walz, but says ‘to characterize him as left is so unreal’

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reacted on “Morning Joe” to the news that Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, saying: “Tim Walz is wonderful, and she had many good choices.”

“Tim Walz, I know very well. He served in the House. To characterize him as left is so unreal. It’s just not — he’s right down the middle. He is a heartland of America Democrat. He was the chair of our Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and I don’t want anybody to forget that — he made tremendous, tremendous gains for our veterans,” Pelosi said.

“We made more progress that has ever been made in the history of our country since the GI Bill under his leadership,” she continued.

Pelosi complimented his background and credentials, including serving in the National Guard.

“So, he brings the security credential. He brings the rural credential. And he will do in rural America,” Pelosi said.

“So it’s really mystifying to me to see someone that I worked with, shall we say, right down the middle characterized on the left in his regard. He has [Harris’] confidence obviously,” she added.

“[Walz] has a great vision for our country. It is about working-class families, about rural America, about our veterans. He has won for governor two times in Minnesota,” Pelosi added.

-ABC News’ Lauren Peller

Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum calls Walz a ‘rock-solid Democrat’

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., praised Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday, calling him a “rock-solid Democrat.”

“Tim Walz is my friend and a former colleague whose Midwest values are rooted in selfless service to our nation, caring for his neighbors, and inspiring students, soldiers and citizens to stand together, dream bigger and never give up,” she said in a statement, reacting to the news that Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to pick the Minnesota governor as her running mate.

“Tim is a rock-solid Democrat, a teacher, a football coach, a veteran and a leader who will defend our freedoms and will work to improve the lives of all Americans in every corner of our country,” she said.

-ABC News’ John Parkinson

Trump reacts to news Harris is poised to pick Tim Walz

Donald Trump on Tuesday reacted to the news that Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Trump, in a campaign email, claimed Walz “would be the worst VP in history” and said the governor was “even worse” than Harris.

The pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc., a separate entity from the Trump campaign, also released a statement, claiming Walz and Harris are “both far-left radicals that don’t know how to govern.”

-ABC News’ Rick Klein, Soorin Kim, Lalee Ibssa and Kelsey Walsh

Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Republican, reacts to Walz poised to be Harris’ VP pick

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, a Republican, criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is poised to be Harris’ pick for vice president.

In a post on X, Emmer said, “It’s not surprising @KamalaHarris picked Tim Walz to be her running mate — he embodies the same disastrous economic, open-borders, and soft-on-crime policies Harris has inflicted on our country the last four years.”

-ABC News’ Lauren Peller

Harris poised to pick Tim Walz as vice presidential running mate

Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate to help her challenge Donald Trump and JD Vance in November.

Harris grows Pennsylvania volunteers

Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is touting its robust ground game in Pennsylvania, saying it’s taking “nothing for granted” in the state, ahead of her running mate reveal, which is expected on Tuesday.

About 33,000 people signed up to volunteer for the campaign in Pennsylvania in the last 15 days, according to a campaign memo. The campaign boasts nearly 300 staffers across three dozen offices in the state, the memo said.

The campaign also said it was “doing the work to make inroads in historically-safe Republican areas.”

The campaign sought to contrast Harris’ record with former President Donald Trump’s, citing the vice president’s time as a prosecutor and saying she “is committed to keeping our communities safe and locking up dangerous crooks, criminals, and predators.”

“With only three months until Election Day, Trump’s campaign still lags far behind in the infrastructure needed to win with just three offices in Pennsylvania,” the Harris campaign memo said. “He’s shown he doesn’t want these voters.”

Kamala Harris earns majority of Democratic roll call votes

Vice President Kamala Harris has officially gotten the vast majority of delegate votes in the virtual roll call that nominates her as the Democratic presidential nominee, the Democratic National Committee said in a statement released late Monday.

The roll call, which concluded on Monday evening, still needs to be certified by Convention Secretary Jason Rae, according to the statement, but the announcement makes Harris’s historic nomination effectively official.

Sens. Sanders, Warren join Progressives for Harris Call: ‘We have to beat Trump in November’

On a three-hour organizing call with over 100,000 attendees, numerous high-profile progressive democrats came out to support Vice President Kamala’s Harris’ presidential bid.

Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Reps. Joaquin Castro, Ro Khanna, Ilhan Omar and Jamie Raskin and UAW President Shawn Fain all showed up as well as members of the uncommitted movement who had not yet endorsed Harris but strongly hope she’ll win them over in the next few months.

“The energy and the momentum in this election is on our side. And I am so inspired by the organizing in support of Vice President Harris, starting with the win with black women that mobilized a massive zoom call. And now here tonight, we have progressives coming together,” Warren said on the call.

Sanders, who has not officially said he endorses Harris — although he has encouraged voters to go out and support the candidate — told attendees that “Trump must be defeated” and Harris “must be elected.” He noted that it’s “imperative that Democrats gain control over the House and the Senate.”

“And we in the progressive movement must do all that we can to make that happen,” he added.

“I don’t know if I can add to what has already been said tonight, but my message is pretty clear, and that is all of us together must do everything that we can to defeat Donald Trump and elect Kamala Harris as our next president,” said Sanders.

Harris campaign selling yard signs without revealing running mate’s name

Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is promoting pre-orders for a campaign yard sign with a mockup image featuring her last name and tape and question marks over where her yet-to-be-announced running mate’s last name would be.

“Be one of the first to proudly display your support for Kamala Harris and her running mate,” the campaign said on its website.

JD Vance to also give remarks in same states as Harris this week

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is scheduled to give remarks in the same states on the same days as Vice President Kamala Harris this week, the Trump-Vance campaign announced, as Harris embarks on a battleground state tour.

Vance is scheduled to speak at noon ET in Philadelphia on Tuesday. The event comes as Harris is set to hold a rally with her yet-to-be-announced running mate Tuesday night in the city.

On Wednesday, he is scheduled to deliver remarks in the Detroit suburb of Shelby Township, Michigan, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as Harris also campaigns in those states then.

Then on Thursday, he is set to speak in Raleigh and Oakboro in North Carolina, aligning with Harris’ scheduled visit to the state.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

Bon Iver to campaign with Harris in Wisconsin

Bon Iver will join Harris and her running mate on Wednesday in Eau Claire, Wisconsin — where the Grammy-winning indie folk band was founded — for a “special performance” as part of the campaign’s battleground state tour, the Harris campaign announced on Monday.

-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow, Will McDuffie and Isabella Murray

Harris still deliberating on VP pick: Source

At this moment, Vice President Harris has not decided on a running mate and is still deliberating, according to a source.

More than 10K people expected at Harris’ Philly rally: Source

More than 10,000 people are expected to attend Harris’ rally Tuesday night in Philadelphia, where she’ll be joined by her new running mate, according to a source familiar with the plans.

That would make this the biggest event yet for the Harris campaign.

Harris is looking to build off her momentum. Pennsylvania kicks off her swing through seven battleground states in five days.

The pace of her campaign is in stark contrast to Trump’s, which has only one rally scheduled this week — in Montana on Friday.

Usha Vance says husband’s ‘childless cat ladies’ comment was a ‘quip’

In her first interview since her husband was named former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Usha Vance sat down with Fox & Friends where she discussed her husband’s “childless cat ladies” comment that has gained attention recently — calling it a “quip.”

“The reality is, JD made a quote – I mean, he made a quip, and he made a quip in service of making a point that he wanted to make that was substantive,” Usha Vance said of the comments her husband made in 2021. “And I just wish sometimes that people would talk about those things and that we would spend a lot less time just sort of going through this three-word phrase or that three-word phrase.”

She continued, “What he was really saying is that it can be really hard to be a parent in this country, and sometimes our policies are designed in a way that make it even harder.”

She added that her husband “would never ever ever want to say something to hurt someone who was trying to have a family who really was struggling with that.”

JD Vance has called the comments “sarcastic.”

“Let’s try to look at the real conversation that he’s trying to have and engage with it and understand for those of us who do have families, for the many of us who want to have families, and for whom it’s really hard,” Usha Vance said on Monday. “What can we do to make it better? What can we do to make it easier to live in 2024?”

-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh, Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa and Soorin Kim

Pelosi says she spoke with Biden ahead of his withdrawal ‘asking for a campaign that would win’

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, in an interview with Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopolous on Monday morning, said that she spoke with President Joe Biden ahead of his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race “asking for a campaign that would win.” She also said Biden was “the only person that I spoke to” about Biden possibly withdrawing.

“The only person that I spoke to about this was the president. Other people called me about what their views were about it, and — but I rarely even returned a call, much less initiated one,” Pelosi said.

Later, she added, “I wasn’t asking him to step down. I was asking for a campaign that would win, and I wasn’t seeing that on the horizon.”

-ABC News’ Oren Openheim

Harris VP pick ‘most important’ decision, Pelosi says

Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice for her running mate is a the “most important” decision she has to make as her campaign gets started, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

All of her choices appear to be good, Pelosi added.

“It’s a difficult decision because they are all so great,” she told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America on Monday. “It is the most important decision for her to make. Not just about who can help win, but who can help serve and lead and whose confidence she trusts.”

Harris and to-be-announced running mate to launch seven-state tour Tuesday

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, who is yet to be named, will go on tour, hitting seven battleground states in five days, the Harris campaign said Monday.

The tour will be an effort to “introduce the new Democratic ticket” and “speak directly with voters in their communities and cement the contrast between our ticket and Trump’s,” campaign said.

The tour, which kicks off Tuesday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will feature rallies in cities and stops at college campuses, including HBCUs, union halls, family-owned restaurants and their field offices, the campaign said.

The tour will continue through Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Detroit, Michigan; Durham, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Phoenix, Arizona; and Las Vegas, Nevada, the campaign said.

Harris interviewing top VP contenders today at her residence: Source

Vice President Harris is meeting with top running mate candidates Sunday at her residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., according to a source familiar with the matter.

Harris is meeting with at least three leading contenders — Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, according to the source.

The meetings were earlier reported by The New York Times.

Sen. JD Vance says he wears VP pick criticism as a ‘badge of honor’

In a Fox News interview Sunday, Sen. JD Vance responded to criticism of him being picked as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, saying he takes it as a “badge of honor.”

“All I can do is go out there and prosecute the case against Kamala Harris to remind people that things were more prosperous and more peaceful when Donald Trump was president,” Vance said. “Look, I recognize there are a lot of folks even in the GOP establishment and certainly on the far left who don’t like the fact that Donald Trump picked me, I actually take their criticism as a badge of honor.”

Vance also hit back at Democrats who’ve called him “weird,” calling it “a lot of projection.”

“They can call me whatever they want to. The middle school taunts don’t bother me,” he said. “What offends me is what Kamala Harris has done to this country over three and a half years.”

Harris campaign launches ‘Republicans for Harris’ outreach program

Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign announced Sunday that it would be launching a “Republicans for Harris” program aimed at reaching Republican voters who could be convinced to vote for Harris. The program will include digital advertising, phone banking, events and other initiatives, according to the campaign.

The program — and Harris herself — have been endorsed by a number of Republican figures, including former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.

“I might not agree with Vice President Kamala Harris on everything, but I know that she will fight for our freedom, protect our democracy, and represent America with honor and dignity on the world stage,” Grisham wrote in a statement released by the Harris campaign.

The “Republicans for Harris” program will hold kickoff events starting this week, per the campaign.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Maui wildfires a year later: The major developments amid the cleanup and recovery

Maui wildfires a year later: The major developments amid the cleanup and recovery
Maui wildfires a year later: The major developments amid the cleanup and recovery
Mario Tama/Getty Images

(MAUI, Hawaii.) — Thursday marks one year since the start of the devastating wildfires in West Maui that left 100 people dead or missing, destroyed thousands of structures and parched the local landscape.

The historic town of Lahaina, the former capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, was damaged beyond recognition in the weeklong series of fires. A community plagued by a housing crisis and power struggles with the tourism industry were among the issues tested in the aftermath of the wildfire.

There has been much progress in the year since the fires, and yet a lot remains to be done, according to community leaders who have witnessed the transformation in West Maui. The emotional scars are especially raw, and affordable housing within and surrounding the burn zone remains a central issue, Maui County council member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez told ABC News.

Maui – and the Hawaiian Islands as a whole – have been facing a housing crisis that predates the wildfire tragedy. The destruction highlighted the state’s ongoing struggles with high housing costs, lack of affordable housing options, and low wages.

These are the major developments in West Maui in the year since the wildfires:

Reopening of tourism

West Maui reopened for tourism on Oct. 8, just two months after the outbreak of the wildfires. The decision was considered controversial, with business owners calling for economic relief and a return to normalcy and residents insisting they needed more time to heal and recover.

The initial reopening entailed that Lahaina would remain closed to the public, but the decision still sparked outrage from some members in the community, thousands of whom remained displaced and were taking up refuge at West Maui hotels, ABC News previously reported. Many had not yet been allowed back to the burn sites to survey the damage of their homes and feared that they would be kicked out of hotels to allow paying customers to stay in their place, community members told ABC News.

Tourism in West Maui opened before survivors of the fire were able to secure housing — exacerbating an affordable housing crisis that existed long before the fires, said Rawlins-Fernandez. Rent prices for vacation rentals rose astronomically as a result of the reopening, and at least 1,400 people have left Maui in the past year, she added.

Days before the reopening for tourism, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green stated that while he was sympathetic to those who were not ready for visitors to return, Maui and the state needed the money that the tourists bring. The number of visitors to Maui plummeted by 70% following the fires, The Associated Press reported in September.

“On October 8, 2023, we welcomed the return of visitors to West Maui to support Maui’s economy and keep our people employed so they can continue to live on Maui and recover,” Green said in an emailed statement to ABC News. “We continue to encourage respectful travel, supporting local businesses and participation in volunteer opportunities that mālama (give back to) Hawai‘i. With targeted efforts and campaigns showcasing Maui’s readiness to welcome visitors, we are committed to supporting the state and Maui’s economic recovery and hope to see continuous improvements over the upcoming months.”

In Maui, 70% of every dollar is generated directly or indirectly by the visitor industry, according to the Maui Economic Development Board.

But the community rallied, and locals groups continue to work tirelessly to find affordable housing for residents — a project that will undoubtedly be long-term, Rawlins-Fernandez said.

Reopening of key locations in West Maui

By December, some of the most iconic locations in West Maui began to reopen.

Places like Banyan Tree Park, the Lahaina public library and the opening of an elementary school marked positive milestones as the arduous cleanup and recovery process continued.

But just four months before, such swift progress may have seemed unthinkable.

When the fires broke out, Timothy Griffin, the County of Maui arborist who cares for the historic banyan tree, said he heard through “coconut wireless,” the island’s unofficial phone tree in which information spreads like wildfire, that the 150-year-old tree that often serves as the symbol of Lahaina had been destroyed to ash.

Drone footage that showed browned and curled leaves still attached to the tree proved the rumor mill very wrong, a good indicator that it wasn’t completely burned and charred, Griffin said.

“I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t a pile of ash,” he said.

The tree was protected by its surroundings. The fire stayed high, flashing over the top of the canopy toward the old courthouse on the other side of the park — the walls of which are made of thick concrete, preventing the fire from roaring back at a lower level and destroying the trunk, Griffin said.

The beloved tree was heavily damaged, but by September it started to show signs of growth.

The recovery that arborists expected to see in three months happened in three weeks, a stark sign that the famous banyan tree would survive and thrive, Griffin said. About 40% of the tree was lost, so the dead wood has been removed, and the tree will undergo a form of “reconstructive surgery” over the next 10 to 20 years to guide and prune the new growth to become a new canopy.

The reopening of Bayan Tree Park, well as the library and schools, can seem like hollow celebrations when Maui residents still don’t have a place to live, Rawlins-Fernandez said. But watching the children of West Maui rise up from the tragedy has brought the community the most hope and joy in the past year, he added.

Events like school plays and high school football games have provided the community with a forum for normalcy — especially in a time when students are still being bussed into their campuses from all over the island, where housing is more available, a stark reminder of the work left to be done, Rawlins-Fernandez said.

Cleanup ahead of schedule

Once the fires were contained, it became immediately clear that the environmental impact would last for years to come. Debris and toxic chemicals, much of it byproduct from coming into contact with the inferno, littered West Maui.

One year after the fire, cleanup efforts have surpassed what many federal, state and local agencies thought were possible during the time frame, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Col. Eric Swenson told ABC News.

As a result of the fires, the power grid was destroyed; water service interrupted; entire neighborhoods destroyed; and a seemingly never-ending pile of debris to dispose of from a small island.

But the workers, many of whom live in West Maui, worked diligently. By late July, nearly all of the 1,399 homes in Lahaina had been removed, with dozens being built in Lahaina and Kula, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen told Hawaii News Now. Water is expected to be restored to Lahaina by August and wastewater by January, Bissen said, adding that all projects are ahead of schedule.

Swenson believes the participation by locals fueled the recovery efforts — power, water, sewer, debris and housing.

“There was an awful lot of people from the community who are invested in the success of this recovery operation, and that allowed us to go faster than probably any other recovery effort that we’ve undertaken,” he said.

Residential debris removal is expected to be done by January and commercial debris removal by February, Swenson said.

Strides being made on housing on Maui

The biggest long-term development in the year since the wildfires regarding Hawaii’s housing crisis may be a bill signed into law by Hawaii Gov. Josh Green that gives counties more authority to regulate short-term vacation rentals.

In West Maui, almost half of all dwellings were used solely as short-term vacation rentals to be rented out to tourists, according to state officials.

“We know the majority of STRs in Hawai’i are illegal, owned by non-residents, and contribute to skyrocketing housing costs,” Green said in a post on X at the time.

As Maui County also phases out short-term rentals, hundreds of families impacted by the wildfire continue to utilize rental assistance, mortgage assistance, and temporary housing backed by federal, state, and local agencies.

In April, a collaborative effort between the state, Maui County, Hawai’i Community Foundation, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and others announced 50 two-bedroom homes to be given to displaced families with donated furniture.

In June, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands awarded 52 turnkey homes — homes that don’t require major repairs or improvements — to Native Hawaiian residents in Waikapū, Maui, with prices between $509,800 to $699,000.

The department plans to award 137 turnkey homes total and 24 improved vacant lots in the region.

“The department will persistently seek out lands in areas we can establish secure and resilient communities for those we serve,” Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Director Kali Watson told ABC News. “The people of Maui have faced numerous challenges since the wildfires. We hope these homes will inspire and uplift a community recovering from a devastating tragedy.”

FEMA has also leased residential properties for more than 1,200 households who needed temporary housing for either 18 months or until February 2025.

The agency says it plans to complete Kilohana, a group housing site expected to contain 169 units for eligible survivors to use for temporary housing, by October 2024.

The news of longer term housing comes as the state concludes its Non-Congregate Sheltering program, which provided shelter and assistance to 7,796 individuals and 3,071 households displaced by the Lahaina wildfires,.

Community looks within for support

Emergency assistance programs from federal and state programs have continued to play a role in supporting affected residents in the months following the tragedy.

But now, residents say support from the community on Maui and beyond lending a helping hand has been a major source of stability.

One group called Help Maui Rise says it disperses 100% of donated funds directly to families without any administrative or processing fees.

“We would get messages from people just thanking us for $100 and it was really heartbreaking because it seems like so little … We realized that $100 could mean dinner, it could mean groceries, it could mean baby formula, it’s stuff that you just assume they have the money for,” Kenna Reed, co-founder of Help Maui Rise, told ABC News.

Maui residents who lost everything in the island’s wildfires say they have forgotten what normal life felt like before the tragedy. Community-born programs like Help Maui Rise have not only offered financial support but also emotional support, they say.

After the fires, Lahaina resident Dusty Renan says he stepped down from his role managing a company he had held for 18 years.

He told ABC News that the stress, anxiety and depression he faced in the months after losing his family’s apartment and all their belongings made the break a necessity for his health and family.

Accessing funding from larger organizations has proven difficult, he says, with Renan getting rejected or fighting through red tape to get assistance for his family. That’s when community-backed organizations stepped in.

“We made it through thanks to resources and people – it’s the people that really made a difference in all of this. And it was the people that kind of gave us hope and kind of helped us to move forward,” said Renan.

He added, “I just want Lahaina back, I want Lahaina to be strong.”

Zoe Chesson, a mother with two young children, told ABC News that her family stayed with friends and relatives immediately after the wildfires destroyed their home, but eventually had to move off Maui to the Island of Hawaii, or the Big Island, following the tragedy.

“Everything is starting completely from scratch,” Chesson told ABC News. “It’s been kind of a journey.”

Chesson, who lived in Lahaina all her life, said that the tight-knit community is unlike any other.

She recalled an experience when she had been grilling outside, and neighbors had seen the smoke and came to check on the family to make sure they didn’t have a fire.

“My husband and I looked at each other and we were like, we can never live anywhere else,” said Chesson.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Taylor Swift concert terror plot suspect had chemical substances, technical devices at his home: Officials

Taylor Swift concert terror plot suspect had chemical substances, technical devices at his home: Officials
Taylor Swift concert terror plot suspect had chemical substances, technical devices at his home: Officials
Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images

(VIENNA, Austria) — Chemical substances and technical devices were found at the house of a 19-year-old Austrian suspected of planning an attack on upcoming Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna, Austria, the public security director at Austria’s Ministry of Interior, Franz Ruf, told public broadcaster ORF’s Oe1 program in an interview Thursday.

Ruf added that these are still being evaluated by investigators. He previously confirmed during a press conference on Wednesday that chemical substances had been secured and were being evaluated.

Three of Swift’s concerts scheduled this week in Vienna were canceled after two suspects were arrested Wednesday for allegedly plotting a terror attack, authorities said.

The cancellations came hours after authorities announced a 19-year-old Austrian citizen was arrested Wednesday morning and a second suspect was arrested in the afternoon.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News’ Aaron Katersky, Felix Franz, Will Gretsky, Emily Shapiro, Josh Margolin and Luke Barr contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Do voters care about climate change? How going green divides this election

Do voters care about climate change? How going green divides this election
Do voters care about climate change? How going green divides this election
Getty Images – STOCK/Dmitrii Marchenko

(WASHINGTON) — As voters prepare to head to the polls in November, inflation, foreign policy and reproductive rights have dominated the national conversation, with environmental policy failing to emerge as a major ballot issue.

But with climate change fueling more damaging and deadly weather events, experts question if the effects of global warming have fallen victim to over-politicization on the national stage.

“There’s no innate reason that addressing climate change should be a partisan issue, but unfortunately, it has become one,” Gregory Dotson, former chief counsel of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and current environmental law professor at the University of Oregon, told ABC News.

“This is an extremely consequential election with regard to climate change,” Dotson added.

National polls from the Pew Research Center released in Feb. 2024, found that Americans on both sides of the political aisle rank climate change initiatives as a far lower policy priority than other ballot issues.

Between party lines, however, Democrats are substantially more likely than Republicans to prioritize protecting the environment (63% vs. 23%) and dealing with climate change (59% vs. 12%), according to the survey.

Still, these findings may underestimate the public’s support for climate initiatives despite not being a top voting priority.

“The large majority of Americans would prefer government action on climate change, but that doesn’t mean that they prioritize the issue when they’re going into their polling place and voting,” Nathaniel Stinnett, executive director of the Environmental Voter Project, told ABC News.

Stinnett referred to the general public’s concern over environmental issues as “a mile wide and an inch deep,” meaning there is general awareness, but it’s not pushing the needle one way or the other politically.

The campaign for the White House this election sees Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on the Democratic ticket and former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance as the Republican nominees.

Among the several issues that contrast the parties is their approach to climate.

Trump and Vance have been vocal about domestic oil production on the campaign trail, vowing to reverse clean energy projects “on day one” and denouncing the Green New Deal as a “scam.”

Trump claimed at the Republican National Convention in July that an increased domestic production of oil and gas would lead to a “large-scale decline in prices,” for Americans at the gas pump.

The U.S. averaged a record-breaking 12.9 million barrels of crude oil production per day in 2023 under President Joe Biden’s tenure, breaking the previous global record set in 2019 under Trump’s leadership, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“We can look at what the previous administration did on environmental policy, and they did not think this is something that was important and worth addressing,” Dotson said of Trump’s administration.

Trump has said his motivation behind withdrawing from climate initiatives, such as the Paris Climate Accord, is driven by economic needs and the push for energy independence.

“If Vice President Harris wins, I don’t think you would anticipate major changes, major reversals to address climate change,” Dotson added, specifically referencing the Inflation Reduction Act, which offers funding, programs and incentives to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy.

Harris and her newly announced running mate, Walz, bring a history of progressive environmental measures to the race, with nonprofit climate groups dubbing the Democratic nominees a “winning ticket on climate.”

As a U.S. senator, Harris was an early co-sponsor of the Green New Deal and in 2019, as a candidate for president, Harris unveiled a plan to spend $10 trillion to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a goal of getting to a zero-emissions economy by 2045.

As governor, Walz has pushed for climate action and growth in renewable energy. In 2019, he signed an executive order calling climate change an “existential threat,” and in 2023, he championed a budget bill requiring Minnesota to reach 100% of electricity from carbon-free resources by 2040.

In the countdown to the election, wildfires are raging across the West, tropical storms have threatened the East and unprecedented temperatures are affecting much of the nation.

The frequency and severity of these weather events are increased by the rise in greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through the burning of coal, natural gas and oil. The U.S. is the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China.

“There is nothing that’s going to affect people’s health, livelihood and safety more than environmental issues,” Paul Anastas, a professor in Yale University’s School of the Environment and former chief scientist in the Environmental Protection Agency, told ABC News.

“That is not the way it’s being addressed publicly, but I think it needs to be,” Anastas added, maintaining that if climate change were characterized as a health and safety issue, it wouldn’t be as divisive among party lines.

Anastas, who co-founded the Green Chemistry Institute and has won the Nobel Prize for his work in sustainability, fears that the conversation surrounding climate change is missing an integral piece – the solutions.

If the country is going to transition to clean energy, Anastas believes the existing oil and gas infrastructure is the best fit to make that a reality.

His work includes research on producing green hydrogen and alternate, nonpolluting ways to produce sustainable aviation fuels with carbon dioxide.

“No one has the infrastructure today better to make and transport that hydrogen than the oil and gas industry,” Anastas said. “The people who are making money off causing the problem are probably going to need to make money off advancing the solution,” he added.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Despite new criticism, Trump told Walz in 2020 he was ‘very happy’ with his handling of George Floyd protests

Despite new criticism, Trump told Walz in 2020 he was ‘very happy’ with his handling of George Floyd protests
Despite new criticism, Trump told Walz in 2020 he was ‘very happy’ with his handling of George Floyd protests
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — In the hours after Vice President Kamala Harris announced Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, allies of former President Donald Trump rushed to denigrate the Minnesota Democrat, seizing on criticism of his handling of the riots in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020.

“He allowed rioters to burn down the streets of Minneapolis,” Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican candidate for vice president, said Tuesday.

But at the time, Trump expressed support for Walz’s handling of the protests, according to a recording of a phone call obtained by ABC News — telling a group of governors that Walz “dominated,” and praising his leadership as an example for other states to follow.

“I know Gov. Walz is on the phone, and we spoke, and I fully agree with the way he handled it the last couple of days,” Trump told a group of governors on June 1, 2020, according to a recording of the call, in which he also called Walz an “excellent guy.”

“I was very happy with the last couple of days, Tim,” Trump continued. “You called up big numbers and the big numbers knocked them out so fast it was like bowling pins.”

Trump also suggested on the call that it was his encouragement that sparked Walz to call in the National Guard: “I said, you got to use the National Guard in big numbers,” Trump said. A spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign said Wednesday that was untrue.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said Trump lauded Walz only after the governor heeded his advice to enlist support from the National Guard.

“Governor Walz allowed Minneapolis to burn for days, despite President Trump’s offer to deploy soldiers and cries for help from the liberal Mayor of Minneapolis,” Leavitt said in a statement to ABC News. “In this daily briefing phone call with Governors on June 1, days after the riots began, President Trump acknowledged Governor Walz for FINALLY taking action to deploy the National Guard to end the violence in the city.”

Trump’s contemporaneous approval of Walz’s decision-making in the wake of George Floyd’s murder undermines one of Republicans’ most vocal lines of attack against the vice presidential nominee. Critics have accused Walz of stalling the mobilization of the National Guard to quell rioters who set fire to 1,500 buildings, caused some $500 million in property damage, and were linked to at least three deaths.

Walz, himself a 24-year veteran of the National Guard, ultimately summoned more than 7,000 guardsmen to the Twin Cities. But that decision came 18 hours after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey initially asked the governor to activate military personnel.

“This hesitation cost Minnesotans their lives, communities, and livelihoods,” according to an investigative report compiled by Republicans in the state Senate.

At the time, Walz condemned the Republicans’ report — which was published just weeks before his 2022 reelection — as a political hit job that was “unhelpful.” More recently, Walz brushed aside scrutiny of his handling of the protests.

“It is what it is,” he recently told reporters. “And I simply believe that we try to do the best we can.”

Inside the aftermath

In the days after the murder of George Floyd, as agitators set fires and laid siege to a police precinct, city officials scrambled to contain the unrest.

Floyd, a Black man, was killed by Officer Derek Chauvin on Monday, May 25, 2020. By Wednesday evening, the city’s police “had expended all available resources,” according to a copy of the written request for the National Guard prepared by police officials.

At 6:29 p.m. that Wednesday, Frey called Walz to request the National Guard, he later told the Star-Tribune. That verbal communication was followed up hours later, at 9:11 p.m., with a written request from city police officials. A copy of the written request obtained by state senators indicated that the city would need 600 guardsmen to help with area security, transportation assistance and logistical support.

That evening, Frey’s office crafted a draft press release announcing that the National Guard had been called in, but did not disseminate it, according to records released by the city and reported by local outlets. Instead, city aides would have to wait another 15 hours before Walz would formally mobilize the National Guard.

In text messages released by the city, a member of the mayor’s staff asked, “What’s happening? As far as the Guard,” around 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday night. Another staffer replied that Frey “said Walz was hesitating.”

“According to Minneapolis officials, the governor’s office responded that they would consider the request, but the city did not receive any follow-up until much later,” according to an after-action report commissioned by the state.

On Thursday afternoon, Walz imposed a curfew on city residents and formally mobilized the National Guard. The first troops arrived within hours, and by that weekend, the unrest had largely been quelled.

On Friday, Walz told reporters he had spoken with Trump the day before and that Trump had “pledged his support in terms of anything we need in terms of supplies to get to us.”

Days later, on the June 1 phone call with governors, Walz thanked Trump and accepted his praise before making comments of his own — expressing support for peaceful protesters and suggesting that governors who might otherwise hesitate to call in the National Guard could do so delicately, and frame them as “not an occupying force,” but instead as “neighbors, teachers, business owners.”

“That’s a really effective method,” Walz said.

Trump agreed, but added his own spin on the role of guardsmen.

“It got so bad a few nights ago that the people wouldn’t have minded an occupying force,” Trump said. “I wish we had an occupying force in there.”

An ‘unproductive’ spat

A pair of after-action reports commissioned by the city and state cited private miscommunications and public disputes between Walz and Frey as impediments to effectively handling the protests. At one point, Walz characterized the city’s response as an “abject failure.”

“Several interviewees blamed the Mayor and Governor for their public disagreements about the response to the protests and expressed that this was unproductive,” according to the report commissioned by the city, which was released in March 2022.

The state-commissioned report arrived at a similar conclusion: “Other state officials claim that the request became complicated when elected officials became involved (i.e., the Minneapolis mayor, the governor’s office).”

Another complicating factor, those after-action reports indicated, was the failure of city officials to articulate their needs. The requests made on May 27 “initially lacked clarity and that more information and time was needed for [the state’s emergency management office] to develop the necessary details of the mission to activate the Minnesota Guard,” one report said.

For his part, Walz initially argued that mobilizing thousands of National Guardsmen requires time.

“The average person maybe assumes that there’s soldiers waiting in helicopters to drop in like they do in movies,” Walz said that Tuesday, May 26. “Actually, they’re band teachers and small business owners. They’re folks working in a garage in Fergus Falls who get a call that says you’ve got 12 hours to report to your armory.”

Days later, however, Walz told a reporter that “if the issue was that the state should have moved faster, that is on me.”

Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, the director of the Minnesota National Guard at the time, later testified before state senators that, had the National Guard been deployed sooner, the protests might not have been so destructive.

“If we had done things differently on Tuesday, as it relates to numbers, as it relates to tactics, could we have avoided some of this? My unprofessional opinion as it relates to law enforcement is ‘yes,'” Jensen said. “My professional military opinion is ‘yes.'”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jan. 6 rioter taken into custody after threatening posts targeting Justice Barrett, AG Garland

Jan. 6 rioter taken into custody after threatening posts targeting Justice Barrett, AG Garland
Jan. 6 rioter taken into custody after threatening posts targeting Justice Barrett, AG Garland
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — A Nevada man awaiting trial for charges stemming from his alleged participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol was taken into custody this week for a series of threatening statements prosecutors say he made targeting public officials, including Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Attorney General Merrick Garland.

According to court records obtained by ABC News, prosecutors moved to revoke Bradley Nelson’s bail following a series of statements and social media posts as recent as last month — that included an image posted Garland with crosshairs drawn on his head. Prosecutors moved to revoke his bail two days after his post about Garland.

Another post that concerned prosecutors targeted Barrett and followed the Supreme Court’s decision in Fischer v. United States involving an obstruction statute leveled against dozens of Jan. 6 rioters, including Nelson himself. Justice Barrett notably dissented from a majority opinion that significantly narrowed the statute’s use against participants in the Capitol attack.

“I pray to God with all my [expletive] heart that somebody cuts your [expletive] throat from ear to ear you worthless piece of [expletive],” Nelson allegedly posted of Barrett roughly an hour after the court’s ruling was made public.

Other posts flagged by prosecutors included an image posted by Nelson in August of 2023 of Judge Scott McAfee, the Georgia judge overseeing Trump’s election interference case brought by the Fulton County District Attorney, with crosshairs over his head.

Nelson also allegedly posted an image of New York Attorney General Letitia James with crosshairs that included the comment he would, “give every [expletive] thing I have to watch that [expletive]’s head explode, or at least the back of her head blowout,” the filing says.

A federal judge in Maryland ordered Nelson detained on Tuesday based on the statements, and also raised concerns about specific recent comments he made about FBI agents involved in his Jan. 6 case that were escalating in recent weeks.

According to the order, Nelson never disputed making any of the specific statements or posts, but instead argued that none amounted to threats, which the judge said he didn’t find convincing.

Whether Nelson continues to remain in custody, however, will be up to the D.C. district judge overseeing his case, Judge John Bates.

Nelson was first arrested in March of 2023 on several charges including entering and remaining on restricted grounds and violent and disorderly conduct in the Capitol.

Prosecutors said Nelson posted extensive sentiments online in advance of the riot about his desire for violence against public officials including Sen. Mitch McConnell and former Attorney General William Barr, though he was not accused of assaulting police during the riot itself.

Nelson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is set to go to trial in December.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

What is Tim Walz’s record on the economy? Look at Minnesota

What is Tim Walz’s record on the economy? Look at Minnesota
What is Tim Walz’s record on the economy? Look at Minnesota
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

(Bloomington, Minn.) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, has enacted economic policies in the state on key issues like job creation and taxes.

The track record, stretching back to 2018, indicates how he may approach such issues if granted the nation’s second-highest office.

His positions could also help shape perceptions of the Harris-Walz ticket on the economy, which ranks as one of the most important issues among voters.

Here’s what to know about where Walz stands on key economic issues:

Jobs

During his tenure, Walz has sought to boost employment in Minnesota.

In 2020, he enacted the $1.9 billion Local Jobs and Projects Plan, which invested in construction and renovation projects as a means of restoring employment after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, the state has lagged behind the nation as a whole in the number of jobs created since the outbreak of the pandemic. Total nonfarm payrolls in Minnesota have grown by just 0.5% since 2020, which lags far behind a rate of 5.8% nationwide over that period, according to a Reuters analysis of data released by the Bureau of Labor statistics.

Walz has signed into law a series of measures viewed as pro-worker. Last year, Minnesota established paid sick and medical leave, banned non-compete agreements and expanded protections for Amazon warehouse workers. In May, Minnesota enacted a measure providing a raise for Uber and Lyft drivers while averting a threat made by those companies to stop doing business in the state.

The AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor organization, praised the selection of Walz as vice presidential nominee. “We know that Gov. Walz will be a strong partner in the Harris White House, fighting every day to improve the lives of workers in communities across America,” AFL-CIO President Liz Schuler said in a statement on Tuesday.

Taxes

Last year, Walz enacted tax reform legislation that included a child tax credit worth up to $1,750 for each child 17 years old and younger in households earning up to about $96,000 a year

In addition, Walz expanded tax exemptions for social security payments as well as income resulting from student loan forgiveness.

To help offset these tax cuts, Walz enacted tax increases for some wealthy individuals and corporations. The state imposed a 1% surtax on capital gains, dividends, and other investment income that exceeds $1 million in a year. He also raised taxes for corporations that bring in a portion of their revenue abroad.

Minnesota is expected to end 2025 with a $3.7 billion budget surplus, according to a projection issued in February by the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget, a state agency.

“Minnesota stands apart from the pack with a moderately progressive tax system that asks slightly more of the rich than of low- and middle-income families,” the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a non-partisan think tank, said on Tuesday.

Tax Foundation, a non-partisan advocacy group focused on tax reform, on Tuesday pointed to Walz’s record of supporting some tax increases.

“Gov. Walz’s tax policy record is notable because of how much it contrasts with broader national trends,” the organization said. “In recent years, most governors have championed tax cuts. Walz, rare among his peers, chose tax increases.”

Economic growth and inflation

In recent years, economic growth in Minnesota has trailed the rate of growth in the U.S. overall.

In 2023, inflation-adjusted gross domestic product in Minnesota grew 1.2%, less than half of the 2.5% expansion nationwide, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data showed. The previous year, Minnesota’s inflation-adjusted GDP grew nearly one percentage point slower than the rate nationwide, according to BEA data.

Inflation in a key metropolitan area of Minnesota, meanwhile, is lower than the nationwide average.

As of May, prices in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area rose 2.6% over the previous year, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed. Consumer prices increased 3.3% nationwide over that period, BLS found.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Biden reflects on deadly Maui wildfire, saying community shows ‘strength and resilience’ a year later

Biden reflects on deadly Maui wildfire, saying community shows ‘strength and resilience’ a year later
Biden reflects on deadly Maui wildfire, saying community shows ‘strength and resilience’ a year later
Mario Tama/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden penned a letter to commemorate one year since the fatal fires in Maui.

In the letter, he reflected on the devastation he saw in his visit to the island and how the flames impacted the communities in Lahaina and Kula.

“We said a silent prayer before your beloved banyan tree, which had been charred by the flames, but was still clinging to life. That sacred tree still stands today. Its new growth reflects the strength and resilience of your community,” Biden wrote in the letter to the people of Maui.

A devastating wildfire tore through the Hawaii island of Maui on Aug. 8, 2023, killing dozens of people and destroying the town of Lahaina. In the letter, Biden remembered the “tremendous loss and devastation” and also honored the “courage and kindness” that existed in the “darkest of moments.”

Biden pointed to the work of first responders and the way that neighbors helped and supported each other in those harrowing days.

“We continue to hold the people of Maui in our hearts and prayers,” Biden said in the letter.

In addition, the White House is touting their efforts to continue to pursue “a coordinated and comprehensive Federal response” and help the long-term recovery of the community. The administration pointed to the “nearly $3 billion in Federal support to response, recovery, and rebuilding efforts.”

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Tropical Storm Debby live updates: Debby makes 2nd landfall in South Carolina

Tropical Storm Debby live updates: Debby makes 2nd landfall in South Carolina
Tropical Storm Debby live updates: Debby makes 2nd landfall in South Carolina
ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Debby is slamming the Southeast with heavy rain after making landfall in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday.

At least six people have been killed in Florida and Georgia.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Debby makes 2nd landfall in South Carolina

Tropical Storm Debby made a second landfall early on Thursday, moving over South Carolina after regaining some strength over the Atlantic.

The storm made its landfall near Bulls Bay, a coastal about 20 miles northeast of Charleston, bringing with it a major flood treat, the National Hurricane Center said.

Maximum sustained winds were at about 50 mph as the storm hit land, weather officials said.

Storm still 60 mph as it crosses South Carolina coast

As of 11 p.m. ET, the center of Tropical Storm Debby is about to cross the coast of South Carolina. It will likely cross in the next few hours.

The storm’s strength has remained unchanged, with maximum sustained winds remaining at 60 mph.

A Tropical Storm Warning continues from Edisto Beach, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina.

Debby is currently located 25 miles east-northeast of Charleston, South Carolina and crawling at 3 mph toward the north-northwest.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect for parts of coastal North Carolina.

-ABC News Meteorologist Melissa Griffin

Debby’s winds at 60 mph as it drifts off South Carolina coast

Debby has sustained winds of 60 mph as it drifts roughly 85 miles off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, moving at 3 mph.

The tropical storm is expected to make landfall again late Wednesday into early Thursday morning near Myrtle Beach.

The storm is expected to bring significant to catastrophic flooding, with flood watches and warnings covering much of the Carolinas. The high risk for excessive rainfall stretches from North Carolina into southern Virginia on Thursday.

A tornado watch is also in effect until 11 p.m. ET Wednesday for eastern North and South Carolina, where spin-up tornadoes are possible.

-ABC News’ Daniel Amarante

Latest forecast

Tropical Storm Debby — currently sitting off shore of Charleston, South Carolina — is forecast to make a second landfall Wednesday night between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, bringing more heavy rain.

A rare “high risk” for flash flooding is ongoing for the Carolinas, including the cities of Myrtle Beach, Wilmington and Raleigh. Flooding could be catastrophic. Rain totals could reach 20 to 25 inches in South Carolina and 15 inches in North Carolina before Debby moves north.

By Thursday afternoon and evening, the heaviest rain will be targeting North Carolina and Virginia. Click here to read more.

When Debby is forecast to make its 2nd landfall

Tropical Storm Debby — currently sitting off shore of Charleston, South Carolina — is forecast to make a second landfall Wednesday night between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Another 6 inches of rain is possible for the Carolinas over the next 24 hours before Debby exits the region. A rare “high risk” for flash flooding is ongoing for the Carolinas, including the cities of Myrtle Beach, Wilmington and Raleigh.

By Thursday afternoon, Debby will begin to move north. By Friday, the storm will bring heavy rain and potentially flooding to Virginia, and then will reach the Northeast and New England.

-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin

Curfew lifted in Charleston

A city-wide curfew was lifted Wednesday morning in flood-prone Charleston, South Carolina.

No rescues were needed due to the curfew, Mayor William Cogswell said.

“After assessing overnight conditions, officials have determined that it is safe to return to normal activities,” the mayor said in a statement, but he added that the ongoing storm may still lead to downed trees and power lines.

“Several roads remain closed and are barricaded,” the mayor said. “Please avoid driving around barricades or entering flood waters.”

Debby’s winds at 45 mph ahead of expected second landfall Thursday

Tropical Storm Debby’s winds slightly strengthened early Wednesday, rising to about 45 mph, as the storm moved over warm water in the Atlantic about 65 miles from the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.

Debby is expected to remain a tropical storm into Thursday, when it’s forecast to make a second landfall in South Carolina.

The National Hurricane Center said it expects the storm to not strengthen much more, maybe rising up to about 50 mph ahead of that landfall.

The storm is then forecast to continue inland overnight into Friday, with its winds slowing as it travels through North Carolina and into Virginia.

Debby is slowly moving eastward offshore

Tropical Storm Debby is slowly moving eastward offshore the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.

Debby is moving east at 5 mph while max sustained winds remain at 40mph, with its center currently about 50 miles east of Savannah, Georgia, as of 11 p.m. ET.

Tornado Watch remains in effect across eastern South Carolina and North Carolina, from Myrtle Beach to Morehead City until 1 a.m. ET.

Flood Watches remain in effect from Georgia to Virginia as bands of heavy rain will continue through the night.

Debby will be back over open water tonight and could gain a bit more strength over the next 24 hours, but is forecast to remain at tropical storm intensity.

A second landfall is expected in South Carolina Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning.

Six killed including two kids

At least six people have been killed from Debby, authorities said.

A 13-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home Monday morning in Levy County, Florida, which encompasses Cedar Key, according to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards.”

In Hillsborough County, Florida, which encompasses Tampa, a driver of a semi was killed when the truck went into a canal off Interstate 275 Monday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies recovered the semi and found the driver dead inside the cab, authorities said.

In Dixie County, Florida, a driver “lost control due to the inclement weather and wet roadway” on Sunday night, crashing into the center median guardrail and then overturning the car, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The driver, a 38-year-old woman, and a passenger, a 12-year-old boy, were killed, authorities said.

Another passenger, a 14-year-old boy, was seriously injured, the highway patrol said.

In Gulfport, Florida, a 48-year-old man died after he tried to ride out the storm on his sailboat which was anchored off Gulfport’s Veteran’s Park, police said, according to ABC Tampa affiliate WFTS-TV.

In Moultrie, Georgia, a 19-year-old man was struck and killed by a fallen tree while he was inside a home on Monday, according to Moultrie police.

What to expect Tuesday evening

Debby is moving at just 3 mph, with its center located about 10 miles east of Savannah, Georgia, as of 5 p.m. ET.

Tornadoes are possible in South Carolina and North Carolina on Tuesday night.

After a day of heavy rainfall, the coastal cities of Savannah and Charleston, South Carolina, could see a few more inches of rain this week. Both cities are under flash flood warnings.

But going forward, the worst of the rain will be focused further north. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Lumberton, North Carolina, are forecast to get hit the hardest over the next 24 to 36 hours.

More than 1,000 flights canceled

More than 1,000 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Tuesday as Debby slams the Southeast and thunderstorms strike the Northeast. Ground stops are in place at the New York City area’s three airports.

South Carolina braces for severe flooding

The threat of severe flooding is very high across South Carolina with Tropical Storm Debby “creeping across our state,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster warned on Tuesday.

More than 90,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 90,000 customers remain without power in Florida, more than 24 hours after Debby tore through the state.

“Restoration is taking longer in areas with flooding and heavy vegetation, as crews must wait for the water to recede and clear through debris before they can restore power,” Florida Power & Light said Tuesday morning. “Rest assured, we’ll continue working until everyone who can safely receive power is restored. Avoid these flooded areas and stay away from downed power lines.”

Charleston’s curfew extended as city faces flash flood warning

A curfew in Charleston, South Carolina, has been extended to 7 a.m. Wednesday as the flood-prone city braces for potentially life-threatening flooding.

“Residents are advised to stay off the roads unless there is an urgent emergency,” the Charleston Fire Department said.

Charleston is under a flash flood warning. Up to 1 foot of rain has already fallen in the city, with more to come.

Five killed including two kids

At least five people have been killed from Debby, authorities said.

A 13-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home Monday morning in Levy County, Florida, which encompasses Cedar Key, according to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards.”

In Hillsborough County, Florida, which encompasses Tampa, a driver of a semi was killed when the truck went into a canal off Interstate 275 Monday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies recovered the semi and found the driver dead inside the cab, authorities said.

In Dixie County, Florida, a driver “lost control due to the inclement weather and wet roadway” on Sunday night, crashing into the center median guardrail and then overturning the car, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The driver, a 38-year-old woman, and a passenger, a 12-year-old boy, were killed, authorities said.

Another passenger, a 14-year-old boy, was seriously injured, the highway patrol said.

In Moultrie, Georgia, a 19-year-old man was struck and killed by a fallen tree while he was inside a home on Monday, according to Moultrie police.

19-year-old hit by tree dies in Georgia

A 19-year-old died after being hit by a tree in Moultrie, Georgia, a local coroner told ABC News affiliate WALB-TV, bringing the storm’s death toll to five.

More than 150,000 customers without power, tracker says

More than 150,000 customers were without power early Tuesday in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, according to PowerOutage.us, a tracker of energy providers.

Florida had the highest number of outages, with more than 116,000, followed by more than 26,000 in George and almost 12,000 in South Carolina.

Debby to bring historic 10-20 inches of rainfall: Forecast

Despite weakening since moving over land, Debby is still maintaining its tropical storm status, producing maximum sustained wind speeds of 45 mph.

As of 11 p.m. ET, over 150,000 customers in Florida and Georgia are still without power, according to PowerOutage.us.

With Debby’s center about 35 miles west of Brunswick, Georgia, much of the heavy rain and showers have since moved out of Florida (except for the extreme northeastern corner of the state closer to the Georgia border). However, with the storm slowing down even more, Debby will stay stuck over the Southeast for the better part of this week, meandering over Georgia and the Carolinas.

Even though the storm is expected to weaken a bit more overnight, Debby is still expected to bring historic rainfall and life-threatening flooding to portions of southeastern Georgia and the coastal areas of the Carolinas over the next few days. Rainfall totals from this event are expected to reach between 10 and 20 inches.

Already, portions of southeastern Georgia and South Carolina have seen between 3 to 6 inches of rainfall, but with rainfall rates of 1.5 to 3 inches per hour possible, flood alerts remain in effect.

A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Charleston, South Carolina, where rainfall rates between 1.5 and 2.5 inches are expected. Ongoing or new flooding is expected, with an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain possible over the next few hours.

As onshore flow continues, storm surge remains an issue in Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Storm surge alerts remain in effect up the Georgia and Carolina coastlines.

Rainfall aside, Debby could also generate some spin-up tornadoes as it swirls over the Georgia-South Carolina border tonight. As a result, a Tornado Watch also remains in effect for parts of southeastern Georgia and South Carolina until 1 a.m. ET.

Over the next 48 hours, Debby is expected to meander back over the Atlantic but will continue to hug the coastline before heading back inland over the Carolinas again. Slight strengthening can’t entirely be ruled out as it moves back over water, but ultimately, Debby is expected to weaken once it moves back inland. Strength aside, it will still bring significant rainfall to portions of the Southeast, which will likely lead to catastrophic flooding in some areas.

Debby is expected to eventually drift toward the north/northeast by the end of the week into the weekend. As it heads north, it will likely weaken to a tropical depression or remnant low. Regardless, heavy rainfall is still expected up the I-95 corridor heading into this weekend.

Power returns to some Florida customers as Debby moves northeast

As of Monday evening, 146,034 customers are without power in Florida, according to the latest update from a U.S. power outage map.

This marks an improvement from Monday morning, which saw nearly 300,000 customers without power at 9:50 a.m. ET, the height of outages across the state.

During a press conference in Tallahassee Monday morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state’s emergency department had 17,000 linemen working to restore power in the wake of the storm.

“We have a lot of restoration personnel ready to go,” DeSantis said.

Debby weakening, but threats of tornadoes, heavy rain continue

Tropical Storm Debby continues to weaken, with maximum sustained winds down to 45 mph as of 8 p.m. ET. The weather pattern is moving very slowly to the northeast at 6 mph, and the center is currently about 50 miles east of Valdosta, Georgia.

Even though Debby is now inland and continues to weaken, many of the impacts — especially the heavy rainfall and dangerous flash flood threat — will not abate for several days. For many locations in coastal Georgia and South Carolina, the worst is yet to come.

The tornado threat continues along portions of the Georgia and South Carolina coasts this evening and into tonight. A Tornado Watch remains in effect from Savannah, Georgia, to Charleston, South Carolina, until at least 1 a.m. ET.

Parts of Florida, including Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, are reporting over a foot of rain from Debby, and portions of Suwannee County, including Live Oak, are getting around a foot as well.

So far, parts of Georgia, including Savannah, are reporting nearly 4″ of rain. The same can be said for Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Conditions will continue to deteriorate across much of South Carolina overnight Monday into Tuesday, with widespread areas of heavy rain and the potential for dangerous, significant flash flooding during nighttime hours.

Coastal flooding and storm surges will continue to increase in the coming hours as winds increase and more persistent heavy rain moves in, heading into high tide along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts.

By late Tuesday afternoon or early evening, the center of Debby will likely be moving off the Southeast coast and into the Atlantic, where it will meander for about 24 hours before likely turning back toward the coast and potentially making another landfall as a tropical storm somewhere along the South Carolina coast by Thursday morning or afternoon.

More than 163,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 163,000 customers are without power in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Curfew set for Charleston, South Carolina

A curfew will go into effect overnight for Charleston, South Carolina, due to Debby, city officials said Monday.

Thoroughfares leading into the peninsula will be closed from 11 p.m. ET Monday to noon ET Tuesday, the city said, as the region braces for potential impacts such as tropical storm-force winds, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes.

“We urge everybody to stay inside, stay indoors and do not travel,” Charleston Mayor William Cogswell said at a press briefing Monday evening.

Biden approves emergency declaration request from South Carolina

President Joe Biden has approved a request from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster for an emergency declaration in the state due to Debby, the White House said.

The declaration allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to mobilize and provide equipment and resources necessary.

“The President continues to urge residents to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of State and local officials,” the White House said in a statement.

North Carolina governor declares state of emergency

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency ahead of severe weather, including life-threatening flash flooding, expected across the state due to Debby.

“This weather has the potential to bring intense rain and flooding to North Carolina and we are preparing for it,” Cooper said in a statement. “As the weather becomes more severe, I urge everyone to take precautions and stay safe.”

The emergency declaration will allow for the state to mobilize resources to respond to the storm.

Tropical Storm Debby slowing down as it moves across US

Tropical Storm Debby continues to weaken and slow down in forward speed as the center moves near the Florida-Georgia state line as of 5 p.m. ET.

Maximum sustained winds are down to 50 mph, and Debby is moving to the northeast at 6 mph. The center is currently about 30 miles southeast of Valdosta, Georgia.

As of Monday afternoon, all tropical weather and storm surge alerts have been canceled across Florida’s Gulf Coast as conditions improve across much of the state.

Debby will move across southeastern Georgia through Monday evening, with the worst impacts focused there and into the Jacksonville, Florida, area. Heavy rain continues to overspread southern South Carolina as well.

-ABC News meteorologist Daniel Peck

More than 199,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 199,000 customers are without power in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Latest forecast

Debby is moving inland across north Florida Monday afternoon after dumping more than 1 foot of rain in the state.

Tornadoes are possible Monday afternoon in Florida, including in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville, as well as in the coastal cities of Savannah, Georgia, and Beaufort, South Carolina.

The biggest concern this week is flash flooding from the widespread, relentless rain. A flash flood emergency remains in effect in Suwannee County, Florida, northwest of Gainesville, where 10 to 15 inches of rain has fallen so far.

Debby will slowly churn into southeastern Georgia throughout Monday afternoon and evening. Conditions will deteriorate in Savannah, Georgia, throughout the day.

-ABC News’ Dan Peck

4 killed including 2 kids

At least four people have been killed from Debby, authorities said.

13-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home Monday morning in Levy County, Florida, which encompasses Cedar Key, according to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards.”

In Hillsborough County, Florida, which encompasses Tampa, a driver of a semi was killed when the truck went into a canal off Interstate 275 Monday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies recovered the semi and found the driver dead inside the cab, authorities said.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told ABC News Live. “We really ask everyone, one, to be aware of the weather situations in your area, and then heed the warnings. Especially the high wind and the water.”

In Dixie County, Florida, a driver “lost control due to the inclement weather and wet roadway” on Sunday night, crashing into the center median guardrail and then overturning the car, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The driver, a 38-year-old woman, and a passenger, a 12-year-old boy, were killed, authorities said.

Another passenger, a 14-year-old boy, was seriously injured, the highway patrol said.

Flash flood emergency issued in Suwannee County, Florida

A flash flood emergency has been issued in Suwannee County in north Florida, northwest of Gainesville, where officials are reporting that water is entering structures.

Ten to 15 inches of rain has inundated the county so far and another 3 to 6 inches of rain is expected.

-ABC News’ Dan Peck

More than 1,600 flights canceled

More than 1,600 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday, and that number is expected to continue to climb.

American Airlines is seeing the biggest impacts because of its hubs in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina.

American Airlines said it canceled operations at airports in Gainesville, Sarasota and Tallahassee until noon on Monday.

Sunday was one of the worst air travel days of the year with more than 2,400 cancellations.

Biden briefed on storm

President Joe Biden was briefed Monday morning on the administration’s ongoing response to Debby, according to a White House official.

On Saturday, Biden approved Florida’s request for an emergency declaration and deployed rescue personnel, meals and water, the official said.

The Biden administration is in touch with officials from Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed staff to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina as the storm moves north, the official said.

More than 300,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 300,000 customers are without power in Florida Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

More than 1,200 flights canceled

More than 1,200 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday, and that number is expected to continue to climb.

American Airlines is seeing the biggest impacts because of its hubs in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sunday was one of the worst air travel days of the year with more than 2,400 cancellations.

Storm surge, flooding major threats

Storm surge and flooding are major threats to Florida as Hurricane Debby slams the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Monday.

Significant flooding has already impacted the Bradenton and Sarasota County area up to North Florida, he said.

More than 250,000 customers without power in Florida

More than 250,000 customers are without power in Florida Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Debby makes landfall in Florida

Hurricane Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, on Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.

More than 135,000 customers without power in Florida, tracker says

More than 135,000 customers were without power in Florida early Monday, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.

Debby approaches landfall with 80 mph winds

Hurricane Debby is “very near” landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said at 5 a.m. ET.

“Expected to bring life-threatening storm surge in portions of Florida and major flooding in the southeastern United States,” the center said in an update.

The Category 1 storm had maximum sustained winds of an about 80 mph as it approached Big Bend, a northern area near the Panhandle, the center said.

Debby strengthens, with maximum sustained winds up to 80 mph

Hurricane Debby continued to strengthen, with maximum sustained winds rising to 80 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.

More than 10 inches of rain fell on the west coast of Florida, around the Tampa Bay area, where water rescues have been on going near Clearwater. Significant flooding also has been reported in Fort Myers area.

Storm surge has been rising quickly now along the Big Bend area in Florida, from Cedar Key to Keaton Beach, where up to 10 feet of Gulf water could inundate the coastline. The storm is forecast to make landfall in that area on Monday morning.

Coast Guard rescues two adrift in sailboat off Florida coast

Two people were rescued Sunday from a boat that was adrift in about 20-foot seas off the coast of Boca Grande, Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The boaters were airlifted from their 34-foot sailboat after the vessel lost its sail about 73 miles off shore, the guard said.

The sailboat had been on course for Tarpon Springs from Key West, officials said. A friend of the boaters contacted the Coast Guard at about 5 p.m. Saturday, telling officials they had missed their check-in.

“We received an updated satellite position from the boaters’ friend, which led to them being successfully located,” Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hooper, a search and rescue mission coordinator, said in a statement.

The boaters were rescued by a crew on an Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter at about 11 a.m. on Sunday, the Coast Guard said. They had been adrift in seas that were between 15 and 20 feet, with wind speeds at about 50 knots. Visibility was low.

The names of the people on the boat were not released.

Debby strengthens into a hurricane

The National Hurricane Center has upgraded Tropical Storm Debby to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph.

The forecast is still on track for more strengthening overnight as Debby feeds off the warm water in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Water temperatures running 3 to 5 degrees above average are providing plenty of fuel for this storm to intensify before landfall, which will happen around 7 a.m. ET along the Big Bend region of Florida.

Tropical Storm Debby nearing hurricane strength at 70 mph

While still a tropical storm, Debby is nearing hurricane strength, producing maximum sustained wind speeds up to 70 mph.

Debby will continue to intensify rapidly overnight as it travels northward over the Gulf’s warm waters. It is forecast to become a hurricane tonight. It is expected to strengthen to at least a strong Category 1 hurricane before making landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region Monday morning (around 7 a.m. ET), producing sustained wind speeds near 85 mph and wind gusts reaching over 100 mph possible.

Located about 90 miles southwest of Cedar Key, Florida, the storm continues to impact the Florida Gulf Coast with heavy rainfall, storm surge, powerful winds and even spin-up tornadoes.

A reported wind gust of 56 mph was reported in St. Petersburg, with two tornadoes reported in central Florida.

A 60-mph wind gust was also reported near Sarasota, Florida.

Numerous reports of flooding from heavy rainfall and surges have also been submitted up Florida’s Gulf Coast.

The Tornado Watch covering much of northern and central Florida and southern Georgia has been extended until 6 a.m. ET on Monday.

Once Debby moves over land, it will weaken. However, the lack of a steering current will cause the storm to slow down considerably. While its exact track remains questionable, model guidance suggests the storm will drift over the Atlantic or Southeast coastline late Monday night into Tuesday before meandering back over Georgia and the Carolinas. Interaction with the Atlantic could reenergize Debby, but that will greatly depend on the storm’s path.

Even though Debby’s track and timing remain uncertain later this week, there is high confidence that it will bring historic rainfall and significant flooding across portions of the Southeast.

Rainfall ranging between 6 to 12 inches is possible from Florida’s Big Bend region through southeastern Georgia and into the Carolinas. Parts of coastal Georgia and South Carolina will be in the bullseye for the heaviest rainfall. There, widespread totals between 10 to 20 inches are possible, with some places even seeing up to 30 inches locally. Because of this, significant urban and river flooding is anticipated.

Rainfall aside, hurricane and tropical storm force winds will continue to whip across Florida and will likely intensify Sunday night into Monday as the storm moves closer to the coast — with areas just south and east of the storm’s eyewall seeing the strongest gusts early Monday morning.

Storm surge will also worsen along Florida’s northern and central Gulf coast tonight into Monday morning, with the highest surge expected between Suwannee River and Ochlockonee River (6 to 10 feet).

All tropical alerts remain unchanged from the last update.

Tropical Storm Debby on track to become a hurricane overnight

As of 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Tropical Storm Debby still has winds of 65 mph and is forecast to undergo rapid intensification into a hurricane overnight, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Debby is expected to make landfall as a hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend region on Monday morning around 7 a.m.

Rain is expected to be the most impactful element from this storm, affecting a wide area over an extended period of time.

“Across portions of southeast Georgia and South Carolina, 10 to 20 inches of rainfall, with local amounts to 30 inches, are expected through Friday morning,” the National Hurricane Center said. “This potentially historic rainfall will likely result in areas of catastrophic flooding.”

Evacuations ordered in Alachua County, Florida, as Debby set to make landfall

An evacuation order was issued Sunday for residents of Alachua County, Florida, residing in mobile homes, manufactured homes and recreational vehicles ahead of the arrival of Debby, which is forecast to be a hurricane when it makes landfall on Monday.

People living in areas close to rivers and lakes, and low-lying areas that tend to flood in Alachua County are also encouraged to evacuate, according to a statement issued by county officials.

Gainesville is the largest city in Alachua County.

“We encourage residents affected to find alternative housing with friends, family or short-term rentals,” according to the county’s statement.

Alachua County is opening three shelters for residents in need.

Tornado watch issued as Debby runs parallel to Florida’s Gulf Coast

A tornado watch was issued Sunday afternoon by the National Weather Service as Tropical Storm Debbie moved northward in the Gulf of Mexico parallel to Florida’s Gulf Coast.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said Debby was still a tropical storm with winds of 65 mph and forecasted to bring severe weather, including heavy rain, to coastal communities Sunday afternoon.

A tornado watch is in effect for much of Florida through Sunday evening.

Debby is expected to become a hurricane Sunday evening and will likely make landfall sometime between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Monday in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Panhandle.

Once Debby makes landfall, the storm is expected to slow down and essentially stall over the Southeast, dropping potentially historic amounts of rainfall as it moves into Georgia and South Carolina.

A hurricane warning is in effect for the west coast of Florida from the Ochlockonee River southwest of Tallahassee to the Suwannee River northwest of Gainesville.

More than 1,600 flights canceled due to Debby and Northeast thunderstorms

Tropical Storm Debby and thunderstorms in the Northeast were causing airlines to cancel or delay flights on Sunday.

American Airlines said it canceled 601 flights, or about 16% of its flights, on Sunday, the most of any airline.

Debby, now a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall around the Big Bend area of the Florida Panhandle on Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane.

Also causing delays and cancellations were severe thunderstorms moving up the East Coast. Parts of the mid-Atlantic states are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. ET Sunday, including the cities of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City.

The most flights canceled on Sunday were at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where 214 flights were canceled and another 172 were delayed, according to FlightAware.

In New York City, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy international airports reported a combined 363 flights canceled and 258 delayed on Sunday.

Miami International Airport reported 209 canceled flights and 151 delayed fights. Airports in Orlando, Tampa, Philadelphia, Newark, Washington, D.C., and Dallas-Fort Worth all reported more than 100 flight cancellations on Sunday.

Ten million people under tropical storm alert on Florida’s Gulf Coast

About 10 million people along Florida’s west coast and up through Georgia and South and North Carolina were under a tropical storm alert Sunday as Debby took aim at the area and is forecast to make landfall in the Panhandle region on Monday.

Debby, now a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico about 190 miles southwest of Tampa, is expected to make landfall sometime between 7 and 8 a.m. in Big Bend on the Florida Panhandle as a Category 1 hurricane, state emergency officials said.

Debby is expected to create a storm surge of 4 to 7 feet in Cedar Key and Crystal River on the Florida west coast and a 2- to 5-foot storm surge farther south in Tampa and Sarasota.

The storm is forecast to move into the cities of Tallahassee and Jacksonville, bringing up to 20 inches of rain to some parts, before causing potential flooding in Georgia and the Carolinas on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

National Guard put on alert for search and rescue: DeSantis

Members of the Florida National Guard have been advised to be prepared to conduct search-and-rescue missions once Tropical Storm Debby makes landfall on Monday, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Widespread flooding is expected for the Florida Panhandle region, particularly in the Big Bend area where Debby is expected to make landfall Monday morning as a category 1 hurricane, DeSantis said during a news conference Sunday morning.

DeSantis said the Florida National Guard and the state’s Emergency Response Team are prepared to conduct search-and-rescue and provide humanitarian assistance.

“The Florida National Guard is standing by with 3,000 service members ready to assist the state Emergency Response Team, which includes search-and-rescue, route clearance, commodity distribution and protection of critical infrastructure,” DeSantis said.

The governor said at least 12 swift boat crews and flat-bottom jon boat crews are also standing by to help with rescues.

He said that more than 30,000 bottles of water, more than 160,000 meals and nearly 14,000 tarps have been pre-staged in parts of Florida that are expected to be hit hard by the storm.

DeSantis said Florida utility companies have notified up to 17,000 linemen to be ready to spring into action once it is safe to repair any damage.

Flooding forecast as Debby expected to bring up to 20 inches of rain

Florida residents in the Big Bend region of the Panhandle were warned Sunday that Debby is going to bring “catastrophic rain to the area” that will cause flooding and power outages.

Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said during a news conference on Sunday that once the Debby makes landfall as a possible Category 1 hurricane on Monday morning, winds will subside quickly, but the slow-moving storm will produce an abundance of rain.

“We’re going to be in a catastrophic rain situation where we have situations in Florida that will receive 15, maybe as high as 20 inches of rain,” Guthrie said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told residents who are in the path of the storm to expect widespread power outages.

“It’s possible that you could have serious intensification between now and landfall. It could get up to 85, 90 and 95 mph sustained winds. That is absolutely possible, particularly in parts of the state like here in Tallahassee. There’s going to be a lot of trees that are going to fall down and you’re going to have debris. You are going to have power interruptions,” the governor said.

Gov. DeSantis advises residents to make final preparations for Debby

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis advised residents of the state’s Panhandle region on Sunday that they should be finalizing preparations for when Tropical Storm Debby makes its anticipated landfall Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane.

“Now this is a storm that is potentially dangerous. Residents should be finalizing all of their preparations now,” DeSantis said during a news conference at the state’s Emergency Operation Center in Tallahassee.

DeSantis said Tropical Storm Debby was in the Gulf of Mexico about 190 miles southwest of Tampa as of Sunday morning with sustained winds of about 50 mph.

“But those are expected to increase,” DeSantis said. “Tropical Storm Debby is likely to become a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida.”

He said the storm was on a similar track taken by Hurricane Idalia in 2023. Idalia made landfall in Big Bend on Aug. 30, 2023, as a Category 3 hurricane and caused a devastating storm surge of 7 to 12 feet across the coastal Big Bend region in Levy, Dixie and Taylor counties.

“This storm is a similar track,” DeSantis said. “It may be a tick to the west of that. It very well may have greater impacts here in the Tallahassee region than Hurricane Idalia did. Once it crosses landfall and enters the Florida Panhandle/Big Bend Region, wherever it does, it’s going to move very slowly across northern Florida and southeast Georgia.”

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Wearing masks in public is now illegal in this New York county, with exceptions

Wearing masks in public is now illegal in this New York county, with exceptions
Wearing masks in public is now illegal in this New York county, with exceptions
Getty Images – STOCK/MoMo Productions

(NEW YORK) — Lawmakers in a suburban New York county approved a bill to ban masks in public spaces, saying concealing your identity is a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to a year of jail time and a $1,000 fine.

Proponents of the Mask Transparency Act in Nassau County, Long Island, say the ban will combat crime during protests.

It was introduced in response to “antisemitic incidents, often perpetrated by those in masks” in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, Legislator Howard Kopel said during a public meeting on the mandate this week.

The ruling does have exceptions, however, with individuals wearing face coverings for religious or health reasons being exempt.

“This legislature finds that masks and facial coverings that are not worn for health and safety concerns or for religious or celebratory purposes are often used as a predicate to harassing, menacing or criminal behavior,” according to the bill.

The bill gives local authorities the right to demand individuals remove their masks during a traffic stop or “when the officer has reasonable suspicion of criminal activity and/or intention to partake in criminal activity.”

Those opposing the bill say it threatens protesters from expressing their views anonymously and could lead to retaliation, as well as posing a health risk with COVID-19 on the rise across the country.

“Nassau County’s mask ban is a dangerous misuse of the law to score political points and target protestors,” Susan Gottehrer, regional director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement.

“Making anonymous protest illegal chills political action and is ripe for selective enforcement, leading to doxxing, surveillance and retaliation against protesters,” Gottehrer said.

The Mask Transparency Act, approved this week, saw a split decision between local leaders with 12 Republicans supporting the legislation and seven Democrats opposing it.

The bill is headed to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s desk to sign into effect.

“Unless someone has a medical condition or a religious imperative, people should not be allowed to cover their face in a manner that hides their identity when in public,” Blakeman said Monday after the vote.

Positive cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in the U.S., with the CDC reporting over a 16% increase in cases between the end of July and the start of August.

Gottehrer warns that this mask ban could endanger the health and even lives of residents, saying, “face coverings are critical to protecting the health of an individual, their family, and their community.”

“Nassau County police officers are not health professionals or religious experts capable of deciding who needs a mask and who doesn’t,” Gottehrer added.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has also considered a mask ban on New York City Transit with support from NYC Mayor Eric Adams.

“On a subway, people should not be able to hide behind a mask to commit crimes,” Hochul said.

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