(CHICAGO) — Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of infamous Mexican drug lord “El Chapo,” pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges during his first court appearance since his high-profile arrest last week.
Guzman Lopez, 38, appeared in federal court in Chicago on Tuesday in an orange jumpsuit before Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman for charges in an indictment brought by the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
He could face the death penalty if convicted, his lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, confirmed to reporters following the court appearance.
His next court date has been set for Sept. 30. Lichtman said there is “massive amounts of discovery” to go through over the next few weeks.
Guzman Lopez was one of two top leaders of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel taken into custody by U.S. authorities last week to face charges for their roles in leading the group’s vast drug trafficking enterprise, the Department of Justice said. The operation had been planned for several months, a Homeland Security Investigations official told ABC News.
Guzman Lopez and Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada were placed under arrest in El Paso, Texas, on Thursday, according to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The two are accused of overseeing the trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl into the U.S.
Zambada’s attorney, Frank Perez, claimed that Guzman Lopez “forcibly kidnapped” his client.
“My client neither surrendered nor negotiated any terms with the U.S. government. Joaquin Guzman Lopez forcibly kidnapped my client,” Perez said in a statement on Sunday. “He was ambushed, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed by six men in military uniforms and Joaquin. His legs were tied, and a black bag was placed over his head. He was then thrown into the back of a pickup truck and taken to a landing strip. There, he was forced onto a plane, his legs tied to the seat by Joaquin, and brought to the U.S. against his will. The only people on the plane were the pilot, Joaquin and my client.”
Lichtman told reporters there is no agreement between the defendant and the U.S. government.
“I know that there’s been a massive amount of rumors and things printed in the press,” Lichtman said. “I don’t know what’s real. I don’t know what’s not real. But it shouldn’t really surprise anybody that there’s a story that seems to be changing every few minutes.”
Zambada made his initial appearance Friday morning in El Paso federal court before Judge Anne Berton, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty to the 12 charges in his 2012 indictment in the Western District of Texas and was ordered detained pending his next hearing, scheduled for Wednesday, according to court records.
Zambada faces multiple federal indictments in jurisdictions across the U.S. for his alleged role in the cartel and has been on the run from U.S. and Mexican law enforcement for years. His fellow co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman, was extradited to the U.S. in 2017, convicted in 2019 and sentenced to life in prison.
Guzman Lopez’s brother, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, was charged last year with two dozen others as part of a crackdown targeting a global drug trafficking network run through the Sinaloa cartel. According to the charges, the cartel used precursor chemicals shipped from China to fuel the fentanyl crisis plaguing the U.S.
Lichtman currently represents Ovidio Guzman Lopez as well. The court discussed the conflict Tuesday, with Lichtman saying that both brothers are fine with him representing them. The government said they are OK with it as well.
Lichtman has also represented El Chapo and his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, in federal cases.
(WASHINGTON) — America has no shortage of big donors or political fundraisers, but five years ago, a relatively small group of people looked at the crowded Democratic field in U.S. presidential election and came to the same conclusion – they would use their money and influence to support a young senator with little national recognition at the time: Kamala Harris.
Some are familiar names to those who follow campaign finance, media titans with known eyes for plucking promising talent out of large pools: superstar Hollywood talent agent Bryan Lourd, Emmy-winning “Glee” producer Ryan Murphy, filmmaker J.J. Abrams, Jeff Shell – now the president of Paramount Global – and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.
But like most campaigns, other early supporters were less well known or moneyed but just as vital: grassroots activists who energized neighbors and posted on social media to drive donations for the woman they wanted to see one day shatter the highest and hardest glass ceiling in America.
“She was not focused on how much money did somebody raise. She was focused on ‘we’re building a community, a network, and a family that believes in my message and wants to help get it to the rest of the country,’ Harris’ 2019 National Finance Chair Jon Henes told ABC News, noting that they raised over 40 million dollars during her primary campaign.
He added, “If you just leave it up to people who can write a big check, you’re not going to be able to build a real movement.”
ABC News spoke to over 25 people from Harris’ 2019 national finance committee, a group in charge of raising money and galvanizing communities to support their candidate. Some of them were known to Harris as a part of her “Ride or Die” crew.
“The finance committee was so diverse – racially, geographically, professionally. It laid the groundwork for this moment,” Henes said. “So what we’re seeing now with these Zoom calls to raise money and the rallies shows the excitement and diversity coming to play.”
The presidential campaign they invested in then fizzled out two months before the 2020 Iowa caucus. Now, however, it has come roaring back – no surprise to many supporters who had watched Harris’ ascent long before the world knew her name.
The prescient early supporters
Neil Makhija, commissioner of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, first met Harris in 2010 when she was running for California attorney general. “I walked up to her and said I had not been that inspired since I heard Barack Obama,” he told ABC News, adding that he further told Harris she would be president one day.
Multiple “bundlers,” as they’re called – people who collect donations from multiple contributors for a candidate and deliver them as a single, large donation – said they saw the same quality in Harris.
Kimberly Marteau Emerson, the regional co-chair of the Southern California Harris Victory Fund PAC, said she also first met Harris in 2010 when she was running for California attorney general. Nearly a decade later, shortly before Harris launched her presidential campaign in 2019, Emerson watched her at an event publicizing her book.
“She communicates like Barack Obama. She is that good. She is a great storyteller,” Emerson says she told her husband, John B. Emerson, also a Harris PAC regional co-chair as well as a Democratic National Convention (DNC) delegate. “She spoke in a way that helped us relate to her and each other. There was a common humanity.”
Emerson said she and her husband knew many candidates who were running in 2020. But the day Harris announced, Emerson texted her: “I’m in.”
Many of Harris’ supporters point to her ability to connect with people. “I thought she had a great people’s touch. And an interest in people in all walks of life,” Wells Fargo Vice Chairman of Investment Banking Frederick Terrell told ABC News. “She was intellectually curious, our conversations were engaging … She will make a fabulous president.”
Yet some people stressed that winning wasn’t the only factor in their decision to invest in Harris.
“I’m a values-based supporter. I’m not a frontrunner supporter,” said Jill Louis, who was one of Harris’ 38 line sisters at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Alpha Chapter at Howard University. “We came up in a time when we believed this country stood for freedom and equality … that’s what we’re so steeped in.”
Jubilation over the new likely Democratic nominee
Many donors with whom ABC News spoke for this story said they have been playing the long game in supporting her. And now, with fewer than 100 days remaining before Election Day, many said they’ve never before experienced this level of excitement in politics.
Just an hour after Biden announced on July 21 that he was no longer seeking reelection, top donor and bundler Alex Heckler was in the audience of the Broadway musical “Suffs,” based on the women’s suffrage movement a century ago and co-produced by Hillary Clinton. As the curtain opened and before the lead actress delivered her first line, Heckler recalls, something unexpected happened.
“Before she can say a word, there was an outrageous applause. People started chanting ‘Kamala’ for a minute,” Heckler told ABC News. “I had chills. People in the crowd were crying.”
Wanda James, a DNC delegate from Colorado, said realizing that Harris would likely be the Democratic presidential nominee took her back to former President Obama’s first campaign.
“I feel all 2008 … You could hear the Beatles singing ‘Here Comes the Sun,’ James said. “My phone was ringing and buzzing so much, my phone was hot.”
Others told ABC News that while they were initially relieved and excited by the news that Biden had stepped down and endorsed Harris for the Oval Office, they are also facing a blunt reality.
“Donors recognize it’s more difficult electing a Black woman – [a] double whammy in this world of misogyny and sexism,” said Susie Tompkins Buell, a longtime Democratic donor and activist who’s also a close friend of Hillary Clinton’s, for whom she also was a campaign bundler. Yet Buell also feels Harris is the clear pick to support.
“It’s so obvious. She has the aura. She’s tenacious. She has it all,” Buell declared, but added that supporters “need to understand the reality of this process … This is uncharted territory for all of us.”
Harris’ VP pick
Should Harris secure the Democratic presidential nomination, one of her first tasks will be to select a vice presidential running mate, a process that has already begun.
Areva Martin, a California at-large Democratic delegate who has known Harris since they were both college freshmen, says she’s comforted by the fact that that Harris is supported by strong Democratic leaders.
“I like that she picked Eric Holder to do the vetting,” Martin said, referring to Barack Obama’s former attorney general. “I think he’s brilliant. Bringing Holder in is bringing the Obama coalition.”
ABC News has confirmed the two frontrunners for Harris’ VP pick remain Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Governor Mark Shapiro. Nearly every donor with whom ABC News spoke said they supported both.
Yet a few donors had different ideas. Takeila Hannah, who held the first large fundraiser for Harris in North Carolina during her 2019 campaign, said prior to state Gov. Roy Cooper announcing on July 29 that he was withdrawing from consideration for the position that she would also strongly support him for the job.
“What they have in common is they’ve both been [attorneys general] of states. That’s a language they can speak … they both come from the law,” said Hannah.
Dr. Manan Trivedi, a Democratic donor and former candidate for Pennsylvania’s 6th congressional district, echoed several others with whom ABC News spoke in saying he hoped Harris would make a more unconventional pick to continue shaking up the race. His choice is Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“I know it’s not going to happen. But as a dad of two daughters and a successful wife, I think we’re overdue,” Trivedi said. “And I think Gretchen Whitmer is a dominant force and we need Michigan; it’s not just because she’s female. She has a great record and it brings the race into stark contrast.”
Looking ahead
Since President Biden withdrew from the presidential race just over one week ago, the Harris campaign said it has so far raised over $200 million, including the record-shattering $81 million in donations it received in the 24 hours immediately following Biden’s announcement. That enthusiasm, some donors believe, demonstrates high-level support for the candidate.
Asif Mahmood was deputy national finance chair for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, as well as the financial point person for Asian outreach for Harris’ 2019 campaign. He notes that there are “stark differences” between 2016 and now that work in Harris’ favor, one of which is the major boost Harris has received due to the presidential race focusing on Biden’s age and other perceived weaknesses for as long as it did.
“In 25 years, I haven’t seen the energy Kamala is enjoying right now,” Asif told ABC News. “This is more than Obama energy.”
Even so, Asif said, the campaign cannot afford to be complacent, particularly regarding the swing states that Clinton lost to Trump in 2016. He expects campaign workers to visit those states to bolster efforts there.
Fundraiser Tina Duryea, who’s also a Connecticut delegate to the Democratic National Convention, said it’s not just the big checks that are significant in this moment. Duryea says she raised a respectable amount of money for Harris from grassroots supporters in the 24 hours after Biden’s withdrawal.
“I did TikToks, Facebook posts, Threads, Instagram, and raised 30 thousand from small-donor donations,” Duryea told ABC News.
Michael Kempner, founder and CEO of the global PR film MikeWorldWide, who’s accustomed to collecting high-dollar donations for Democratic candidates, said the Harris candidacy is generating renewed interest from potential supporters.
“I’ve received close to a 100 texts, emails and calls from people who want to be more involved who previously were not enthusiastic,” Kempner said. “The level of excitement feels Obama-esque. There’s a level of enthusiasm [that] in my 40 years I have never experienced.”
(LOS ANGELES) — Two men are dead after they fatally shot one another in an apparent road rage incident in Southern California, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
One of the men had his two children in the car — ages 2 and 5 — at the time of the double shooting.
“It could’ve been so incredibly simple, but unfortunately we have two people who lost their lives instead,” Mara Rodriguez, spokesperson for the sheriff’s department, told Los Angeles ABC station KABC.
Jonathan McConnell, 38, who was driving a motorcycle, was involved in a hit-and-run traffic collision on the 210 Freeway with Aaron Harris, 37, who was driving a sedan, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
McConnell split lanes and collided with the sedan occupied by Harris and his two children, the sheriff’s department said.
Harris then followed McConnell off the freeway and into a parking lot. McConnell met several people known to him in the parking lot, according to the sheriff’s department.
Harris then stopped his vehicle and shouted threats at McConnell. When McConnell approached the vehicle, Harris fired a gun at him, authorities said.
McConnell then returned fire. Both men died after they were shot, the sheriff’s department said.
An unnamed adult male at the scene also received a non-fatal gunshot wound to his hand during the incident, the sheriff’s department said.
The children were unharmed in the exchange of gunfire, officials sad.
“We all get angry on the roads sometimes, especially these days there’s so much traffic out there and so many things going on,” Rodriguez told KABC. “But this is a great example of how things can go so wrong so quickly.”
(PORTLAND, Ore.) — A lawsuit is accusing an Oregon health care system of negligence after more than 2,000 patients were possibly exposed to HIV and hepatitis.
The plaintiffs — known as E.P, K.R., C.R. and D.C. — all of whom live in Clackamas County, Oregon, said they all received anesthesia for surgeries at various medical centers under Providence Health between March 2022 and February 2024, according to the complaint.
All the patients were later informed that the physician who administered anesthesia “failed to adhere to infection control procedures” and, as a result, all had potentially been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, the complaint says.
It is unclear which protocols were violated. Providence Health declined ABC News’ request for comment, citing “pending litigation.”
Hospital and health officials announced earlier this month that as many as 2,200 patients were possibly exposed to the infections. Providence said in a statement on July 11 that patients were at low risk of exposure and that those who were exposed would either receive a letter in the mail or a notification on the MyChart portal used by Providence.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are encouraging these patients to get a blood test to screen for the aforementioned infections, at no cost,” Providence said in a statement. “If a patient tests positive, Providence will reach out to discuss their test results and next steps. ”
At the time, Oregon Health Authority said in a statement there were no investigations underway but “acknowledge[d] the worry, pain and loss suffered by anyone affected by a health care-associated infection (HAI).”
According to the complaint, the anesthesiologist was employed by Oregon Anesthesiology Group (OAG) but treated patients at various Providence medical centers between 2017 and 2023.
OAG stopped providing services to Providence in November 2023. In June 2024, OAG learned that one of its anesthesiologists had violated infection control practices. The physician was suspended and, following an investigation, terminated, the lawsuit states.
The group did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
“The safety of our patients is our top priority. When we learned that the physician had violated infection control practices, we suspended him, informed our partners Legacy Health and Providence, and then began an investigation that resulted in the physician’s termination,” OAG said in a statement earlier this month, according to USA Today. “Even though the risk of infection was low, new protocols and procedures have been put in place to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
The lawsuit states that the patients now have to undergo medical treatment for exposure “which would not have been necessary in the absence of [the d]efendants’ violations alleged herein, and have to live with severe emotional and mental anguish due to [the defendants’] negligence.”
Additionally, the complaint states that hepatitis and HIV are often not detectable for months after initial infections, so the patient “will live with the anxiety, stress, and emotional distress that they may be infected with hepatitis B, hepatitis C and/or HIV.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that HIV and Hepatitis C may be detected as early as weeks after exposure.
The plaintiffs are suing for negligence and/or gross negligence on the part of Providence and OAG and have asked for a jury trial. They are seeking class action certification and also asking for an unspecified amount in damages, injunctive relief, declaratory judgments, costs and attorneys’ fees, according to the complaint.
“Over 2,000 patients have now learned they were at risk of having contracted an infectious disease because of the defendants’ alleged failure to implement proper protocols to prevent this possible exposure,” Adam Polk of Girard Sharp, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement to ABC News.
“Since shortly after these notifications were sent out, we have been speaking with patients on a daily basis who were impacted by the potential exposure, they are obviously distressed and concerned about their health and the health of their loved ones,” attorney Joe Sauder of Sauder Schelkopf, who is also representing the plaintiffs, told ABC News in a statement.
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris is moving full steam ahead in her bid for the White House, with her campaign saying Sunday it has raised more than $200 million in less than a week.
Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, have several campaign events set up this week as they aim their attacks on Harris.
Harris has secured commitments from enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee if they all honor their commitment when voting, according to ABC News reporting.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Top Biden adviser Anita Dunn leaving White House to help pro-Harris super PAC
Anita Dunn, a top adviser to President Joe Biden, is leaving the White House next week to advise the largest super PAC supporting Vice President Kamala Harris, a source close to Dunn told ABC News.
This marks the first major shakeup to Biden’s inner circle since he announced he was dropping out of the presidential race. Dunn played a key role in Biden’s 2020 campaign and was previously a top adviser to President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns.
“It’s been an honor and privilege to serve in this White House, with this President and this team, during this transformational term,” Dunn said in a statement shared with ABC News. “I am grateful to President Biden and Vice President Harris for their leadership and giving me the opportunity to be part of what they have accomplished for the American people.”
Dunn will be a senior adviser to the super PAC Future Forward and an adviser to its partner organization Future Forward USA. She will work on super PAC efforts that will coordinate with the Harris campaign, according to the source close to Dunn.
Biden said in a statement that he was grateful for Dunn’s work.
“I deeply value her counsel and friendship and I will continue to rely on her partnership and insights as we finish the job over the next six months,” he said.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang
Schumer says he’s not worried about Senate majority if Harris picks senator for VP
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer brushed off concerns Tuesday about keeping the Senate majority if Kamala Harris were to select a Democratic senator as her vice presidential pick.
“I have total confidence that Vice President Harris will choose a great vice-presidential candidate,” Schumer said during his weekly press conference.
Schumer dodged a question about the possibility of a key swing state opening if Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly is chosen as Harris’ running mate.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Harris says she still hasn’t picked VP
Harris told reporters she still hasn’t decided who her running mate will be as she boarded a plane Tuesday for a trip to Atlanta.
“Madam vice president, have you chosen your VP yet? Have you chosen yet?” ABC News’ Fritz Farrow asked.
“Not yet,” Harris said with a smile as she stopped midway up the steps of Air Force Two.
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Biden says he’s talking with Harris about VP choices
President Joe Biden told reporters Monday night after returning from a trip to Texas that he’s “talking” with Harris about her choices for vice president.
Biden was also asked about hitting the trail for Harris, and said he “did” with his trip.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Vance, in 2020, said those without kids are ‘more sociopathic’
As Vance continues to face criticism for his 2021 comments about “childless cat ladies,” more of his previous comments about individuals without kids have resurfaced.
In a podcast from November 2020, Vance said those without kids — especially in America’s leadership class — were “more sociopathic” than those with kids and made the country “less mentally stable.”
Vance’s comments occurred on the podcast after he discussed the impact having children had on him.
Vance also added that the “most deranged” and “most psychotic” people on Twitter, now known as X, are people who don’t have kids.
“There’s just these basic cadences of life that I think are really powerful and really, really valuable when you have kids in your life, and the fact that so many people, especially in America’s leadership class, just don’t have that in their lives, you know, I worry that it makes people more sociopathic, and ultimately, our whole country a little bit less less mentally stable,” Vance said in the podcast.
“And of course, you talk about going on Twitter. Final point I’ll make is you go on Twitter, and almost always the people who are most deranged and most psychotic, are people who don’t have kids at home.”
CNN was the first to report on the podcast.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
Trump out with $12M ad buy criticizing Harris on the border
Trump’s campaign is targeting Harris in its biggest television ad buy since at least January, reserving eight-figure dollar worth of airtime in six key battleground states, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact.
The 30-second ad zeroes in on the rhetoric that Harris “failed” in her role handling immigration issues in President Biden’s administration, calling her “weak” and “dangerously liberal.”
“This is America’s border czar, and she’s failed us. Under Harris, over ten million illegally here, a quarter of a million Americans dead from fentanyl, brutal migrant crimes, and ISIS now here,” a narrator in the ad says, followed by an interview clip of Harris appearing to admit she hasn’t visited the border.
Harris was assigned to address the root causes of migration in Central and South America. She made one visit to the southern border operations in June 2021.
The Harris campaign hit back that Trump was responsible for “killing the toughest border deal in decades” and accused him of misrepresenting her record.
“As a former district attorney, attorney general, and now vice president, Kamala Harris has spent her career taking on and prosecuting violent criminals and making our communities safer. She’ll do the same as president,” said Harris campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa.
-ABC News’ Soorin Kim and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Trump attempts to clean up Vance’s ‘childless cat ladies’ comments
Appearing on Fox News The Ingraham Angle on Monday night, Trump attempted to clean up his vice presidential pick’s previous comments about “childless cat ladies,” but didn’t really address the comments.
Instead, he rambled about how Vance is pro-family.
“He made a statement having to do with families. That doesn’t mean that people that aren’t a member of a big and beautiful family with 400 children around and everything else, it doesn’t mean that a person doesn’t have, he’s not against anything, but he loves family. It’s very important to him. He grew up in a very interesting family situation, and he feels family is good, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong in saying that,” Trump said downplaying Vance’s comments.
Gloria Steinem, Chelsea Clinton and more participate in ‘Women for Harris’ call
The Democratic National Committee held a “Women for Harris” call on Monday night.
Over the course of two-and-a-half hours, viewers heard from Chelsea Clinton, California Sen. Laphonza Butler, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Gloria Steinem, Ana Navarro and leaders of organizations like Emily’s List and Mom’s Demand Action.
Clinton lamented her mother’s loss in 2016 but told viewers that defeating the former president is even more important than it was in 2016 because Americans now have a “record” of things to hold him accountable for.
“My mom put a few more cracks in that glass ceiling. And Vice President Harris is going to obliterate that glass ceiling,” Clinton said.
The call included a host of organizations who support Harris, including Black women who held the first iteration of these pop up fundraising calls with the group Win with Black Women. Glynda Carr, founder of Higher Heights PAC, which supports Black women leadership, told attendees what made this call uniquely important was the realization that women from all walks of life are “stronger together.”
Another “Women for Harris” call is planned for Tuesday night.
Harris launches $50 million ad campaign
Vice President Kamala Harris rolled out an aggressive $50 million, three-week advertising blitz for the first ad of her presidential campaign on Tuesday, in which she introduces herself to voters, highlights her career and takes hits at former President Donald Trump.
“The one thing Kamala Harris has always been: fearless,” a narrator says at the start of the minute-long ad, as pictures of Harris over the years — from a toddler to college graduate to vice president — flash on screen.
“As a prosecutor, she put murderers and abusers behind bars,” the narrator continued. “As California’s attorney general, she went after the big banks and won $20 billion for homeowners. And as vice president, she took on the big drug companies to cap the cost of insulin for seniors. Because Kamala Harris has always known who she represents.”
The spot then leads into laying out Harris’ vision and attacking Trump, using footage from her first rally of the campaign last week in a high school gym just outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead. Where every senior can retire with dignity,” Harris said in the footage from the rally. “But Donald Trump wants to take our country backward, to give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations and end the Affordable Care Act.”
“But we are not going back,” she added.
Harris campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillon, said in a statement that because of Harris’ prosecutorial, congressional and vice-presidential experience, the vice president is “uniquely suited to take on Donald Trump, a convicted felon who has spent his entire life ripping off working people, tearing away our rights, and fighting for himself.”
‘White Dudes for Harris’ raises over $4 million in 3 hours
The “White Dudes for Harris” livestream held on Monday night raised over $4 million over three hours in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid, organizers said.
The event featured participants from politics and a parade of celebrities — including “The Dude” himself, The Big Lebowski’s Jeff Bridges — all making their own call to action for other white men to step up in their support for Harris.
Over 190,000 people tuned into the Zoom call, organizers of the unofficial event said at the conclusion of the stream.
Among the recognizable faces that cropped up during the livestream were Star Wars icon Mark Hamill, Supernatural alum Misha Collins, The West Wing alum Bradley Whitford, Frozen’s Josh Gad and singer Josh Groban. Several potential running mates for Harris also joined the event, including North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who withdrew from contention for vice president on the Democratic ticket around the time he spoke at the meeting. He did not mention his withdrawal on the call.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, all still in the running for Harris’ vice-presidential pick, were also part of the “White Dudes for Harris” meeting.
JD Vance said Democratic ticket switch to Harris was ‘sucker punch’: Report
Sen. JD Vance, running mate to former President Donald Trump, said over the weekend that Kamala Harris moving to the top of the Democratic ticket was a “sucker punch,” according to the Washington Post.
“All of us were hit with a little bit of a political sucker punch,” Vance said to donors over the weekend in Minnesota, per an audio recording the paper said it had obtained. “The bad news is that Kamala Harris does not have the same baggage as Joe Biden, because whatever we might have to say, Kamala is a lot younger. And Kamala Harris is obviously not struggling in the same ways that Joe Biden did.”
When asked about the report and Vance’s “sucker punch” comment, a spokesperson for the vice presidential contender took aim at Harris.
“Poll after poll shows President Trump leading Kamala Harris as voters become aware of her weak, failed and dangerously liberal agenda. Her far-left ideas are even more radioactive than Joe Biden, particularly in the key swing states that will decide this election like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin,” Vance spokesperson William Martin said in a statement.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will not be Kamala Harris’ VP pick
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statement on Monday night signaling that he’s removed himself from contention as a vice presidential running mate for presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
“I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for President. I know she’s going to win and I was honored to be considered for this role. This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket,” he said in a post on X.
“As l’ve said from the beginning, she has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we’ll all work to make sure she wins,” he added.
Trump says he’ll ‘probably end up debating’ Harris
Former President Donald Trump seems to be one step closer to formally agreeing to debate his opponent for the presidency, Vice President Kamala Harris.
During an interview on The Ingraham Angle Monday night, Trump told the Fox News host that he will “probably end up debating” Harris. In his remarks, though, he also appeared to downplay the necessity of debates.
“I want to do a debate, but I also can say this. Everybody knows who I am. And now people know who she is,” he said.
“If you’re going to have a debate, you gotta do it, I think, before the votes are cast. I think it’s very important that you do that. So, the answer is yes, but I can also make a case for not doing it,” Trump said.
A short while later, a spokesperson for Harris’ campaign issued a statement on Trump’s comments on Fox, insisting that the vice president will be at the next debate no matter what.
“Why won’t Donald Trump give a straight answer on debating Vice President Harris? It’s clear from tonight’s question-dodging: he’s scared he’ll have to defend his running mate’s weird attacks on women, or his own calls to end elections in America in a debate against the vice president. Vice President Harris will be on the debate stage September 10th. Donald Trump can show up, or not,” the statement said.
Megan Thee Stallion to perform at VP Kamala Harris’ campaign rally in Atlanta: Source
Rapper Megan thee Stallion will give a special performance at Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday, a source familiar confirmed to ABC News.
In addition to Megan thee Stallion, Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and former Rep. Stacey Abrams will be in attendance, supporting Harris’ 2024 presidential bid.
The news was first reported by Billboard.
Marianne Williamson suspends her Democratic presidential bid, again
Democratic long-shot nominee Marianne Williamson has suspended her campaign for president, announcing on X Monday that it is “time to let go” of her bid for the White House.
Williamson said she failed to register for the Democratic National Convention’s candidate directory by Saturday evening’s deadline.
Harris will be at ABC News debate with or without Trump, her campaign says
Vice President Kamala Harris will be at ABC News’ Sept. 10 debate with or without former President Donald Trump, her campaign communications director said Monday.
“As Vice President Harris said last week, the American people deserve to hear from the two candidates running for the highest office in the land and she will do that at September’s ABC debate,” her campaign communications director, Michael Tyler, said in a statement first reported by the Hill. “If Donald Trump and his team are saying anything other than ‘we’ll see you there’ — and it appears that they are — it’s a convenient, but expected backtrack from Team Trump. Vice President Harris will be there on September 10th — we’ll see if Trump shows.”
While Harris has previously affirmed her intention to be at the debate, this statement takes it a step further by saying she’ll show up regardless of Trump’s presence.
Trump accepted the debate when Biden was still the presumptive Democratic nominee, though his campaign has since said they’re waiting until there is an official Democratic nominee before agreeing to debates.
Election content on social media ‘could be propaganda’ for foreign adversaries: ODNI
Content about the election on social media “could be propaganda” for foreign adversaries, officials with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned on Monday.
“The American public should know that content that they read online, especially on social media, could be foreign propaganda, even if it appears to be coming from fellow Americans or originating in the United States,” an ODNI official said on a conference call with reporters on Monday. “In short, foreign influence actors are getting better at hiding their hand and using Americans to do it.”
Russia is still pervasive in this space and remains the biggest threat to the election, according to the officials.
The officials also warned that the influence operators will use the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump “as part of their narratives portraying the event to fit their broad goals.”
-ABC News’ Luke Barr
DNC says it raked in $6.5M in grassroots donations in 24 hours after Biden endorsed Harris
The Democratic National Committee is claiming it has raised $6.5 million in grassroots donations in the 24 hours after President Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Harris on July 21.
The DNC said $1 million was donated in the 5 p.m. hour alone for what they’re claiming is a record for its best online fundraising day of all time.
The DNC is making a significant push in battleground states, investing an additional $15 million into those crucial states this month to fund new field offices, build data infrastructure, mobilize volunteers and strengthen coordinated campaigns.
“Democratic voters, volunteers, and grassroots donors are fired up,” chairman Jaime Harrison said in a memo. “We are confident that in our battleground states, Democrats will win up and down the ballot in November.”
-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
5:28 PM EDT Gov. Andy Beshear rallies for Harris in Atlanta, calls out JD Vance
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear spoke on Sunday at the opening of Kamala Harris’ campaign office in Forsyth County, Georgia.
The possible VP pick for Harris has been an effective surrogate for the vice president’s White House bid over the weekend, coming to the metro Atlanta event fresh off of a stump in Iowa on Saturday night.
The red-state governor introduced himself to the Southern audience on Sunday while boosting Harris’ candidacy and taking a number of swipes at Trump’s Vice Presidential pick, JD Vance.
“Are you ready to beat Donald Trump? Are you ready to beat JD Vance? Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris president of the United States of America?” Beshear asked the crowd, adding, “Let’s win this race,”
“Let me tell you just a bit about myself,” Beshear said. “I’m a proud pro-union governor. I’m a proud pro-choice governor. I am a proud pro-public education governor. I am a proud pro-diversity governor and I’m a proud Harris for president governor,” he added.
Calling out Vance, Beshear said, “Just let me be clear. JD Vance ain’t from Kentucky. He ain’t from Appalachia. And he ain’t gonna be the vice president of the United States.”
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
2:18 PM EDT Former Vice President Al Gore endorses Kamala Harris
Former Vice President Al Gore endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday.
“As a prosecutor, [Kamala Harris] took on Big Oil companies — and won. As [VP], she cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the most significant investment in climate solutions in history, the Inflation Reduction Act. That’s the kind of climate champion we need in the White House,” he wrote on X.
“With so much at stake in this year’s election — from strengthening democracy in the US and abroad, to expanding opportunity for the American people, to accelerating climate action — I’m proud to endorse Kamala Harris for President,” he added.
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim
July 28, 2024, 10:42 AM EDT Vance says Trump ‘doesn’t care’ about his past criticism
During a quick stop at a diner in Minnesota on Sunday morning, Sen. JD Vance on Sunday spoke about his past criticisms of former President Donald Trump.
When asked by ABC News if he and Trump have talked about his past criticism of the former president, Vance said yes, adding that Trump “doesn’t care about what I said eight years ago.”
“I mean, look, President Trump and I have talked a lot about this,” Vance said. “In fact, I sometimes joke that I wish that he had the memory of Joe Biden, because he’s got a memory like a steel trap, and he certainly remembers criticisms that people have made.”
“But this is where the media, I think, really misses Trump — Donald Trump accepts that people can change their mind, and you ask, ‘Why did I change my mind on Donald Trump?’ Because his agenda made people’s lives better,” Vance said.
“This whole thing is not about red team versus blue team or winning an election for its own sake. It’s about getting a chance to govern so that you can bring down the cost of groceries, close that border and stop the fentanyl coming across our country for four years,” Vance continued, saying he was “wrong” about Trump.
“He did a better job of that than anybody that I’ve ever seen as president in my lifetime. So I changed my mind, because he did a good job. And that’s what you do when people do a good job and you’re wrong. I’ve talked to President Trump a lot about it, but look, he, I mean, he just, he doesn’t… He doesn’t care about what I said eight years ago. He cares about whether we together [and] can govern the country successful.”
When asked again if the two have talked about the subject, specifically in the last week since his comments have resurfaced, Vance admitted that they haven’t spoken about it and their conversations have focused on the race ahead.
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh, Soorin Kim and Hannah Demissie
(WASHINGTON) — Paul Dans, the director of the Heritage Foundation’s controversial Project 2025, is stepping down amid intense scrutiny of the conservative blueprint.
Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, confirmed that Dans announced he is leaving his position.
“When we began Project 2025 in April 2022, we set a timeline for the project to conclude its policy drafting after the two party conventions this year, and we are sticking to that timeline,” Roberts posted on X.
“Paul, who built the project from scratch and bravely led this endeavor over the past two years, will be departing the team and moving up to the front where the fight remains,” he wrote.
However, it doesn’t look like Project 2025 is nearing its end as Roberts also claimed that they will “continue our efforts to build a personnel apparatus for policymakers of all levels.”
Project 2025, organized by the Heritage Foundation but backed by more than 100 groups and authored by several allies of Donald Trump, is a 922-page document outlining conservative policy priorities.
It includes expanding presidential power, eliminating the Department of Education, taking the abortion pill mifepristone off the market, cutting federal funding for clean energy research, restricting welfare programs and more.
The initiative has been a point of controversy in the 2024 campaign, as Democrats heavily campaign against what they’ve called its “dangerous” proposals.
Trump has sought to distance himself from Project 2025, saying he knew “nothing” about it and “no idea” who was behind it. But several of the former president’s current and former advisers and appointees have authored or supported the project, including Christopher Miller and Ben Carson.
The Trump campaign celebrated the news of Dans’ departure from the presidential transition initiative.
“Reports of Project 2025’s demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign — it will not end well for you,” campaign officials Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita wrote in a statement.
The Harris campaign on Tuesday quickly tried to pour cold water on the idea there’s daylight between potential second term Trump policies and Project 2025’s platform, highlighting the close ties he has to members affiliated with the group.
“Project 2025 is on the ballot because Donald Trump is on the ballot. This is his agenda, written by his allies, for Donald Trump to inflict on our country,” Harris for President campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement.
(BEIRUT, Lebanon) — Israel has launched a strike on Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, on Tuesday targeting a senior Hezbollah commander as tensions along Israel’s northern border continue to escalate.
Fouad Shukr, also known as Al-Hajj Mohsen, was targeted in the strike, though it’s still unclear if he was killed, according to three security sources familiar with the operation. Shukr is a senior adviser on military affairs to Hasan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Hezbollah. He also had a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture, via the U.S. government.
“The IDF targeted in Beirut the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and killed many Israeli civilians,” the Israel Defense Forces told ABC News in a statement.
“Hezbollah crossed the red line,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on social media.
Israel struck Dahiya, a district in Beirut’s southern suburbs that is a stronghold of militant group Hezbollah.
Twelve people, including children playing soccer, were killed in a strike on the Golan Heights over the weekend. Hezbollah denied responsibility, but both the U.S. and Israel have said the missile used in the attack came from a Hezbollah-controlled location.
“This attack was conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement Sunday. “It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control. It should be universally condemned.”
In recent days, Hezbollah has said that any strike in Beirut would be met with a strong response of their own.
The U.S. was given advanced notice ahead of Israel’s strike in Beirut, according to a U.S. official familiar with matter. The message was communicated via security channels and limited operational detail was shared, the official said.
It’s still unclear whether the strike successfully eliminated its target, and assessments are ongoing, according to the U.S. official.
U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Pate said earlier that the U.S. has been in “continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts” since the weekend.
“The United States is going to continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the blue line,” Pate said.
“Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad, and it’s unwavering, especially as it defends itself against Iran backed threats, including threats from Hezbollah,” Pate told reporters.
ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston contributed to this report.
(BEIRUT, Lebanon) — Two people are dead and 20 others were injured after Israel launched a strike on Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, on Tuesday that targeted a senior Hezbollah commander as tensions along Israel’s northern border continue to escalate.
The strike hit a residential building in Haret Hreik, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.
Fouad Shukr, also known as Al-Hajj Mohsen, was targeted in the strike, according to three security sources familiar with the operation. Shukr is a senior adviser on military affairs to Hasan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Hezbollah. He also had a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture, via the U.S. government.
The IDF claimed that Shukr was killed in the strike.
“The IDF targeted in Beirut the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and killed many Israeli civilians,” the Israel Defense Forces told ABC News in a statement.
“Hezbollah crossed the red line,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on social media.
Israel struck Dahiya, a district in Beirut’s southern suburbs that is a stronghold of militant group Hezbollah.
Twelve people, including children playing soccer, were killed in a strike on the Golan Heights over the weekend. Hezbollah denied responsibility, but both the U.S. and Israel have said the missile used in the attack came from a Hezbollah-controlled location.
“This attack was conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement Sunday. “It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control. It should be universally condemned.”
In recent days, Hezbollah has said that any strike in Beirut would be met with a strong response of their own.
Lebanese Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the area struck was meters away from one of the largest hospitals in Lebanon and said they reserve the right to respond to Israel’s attack.
“This criminal act that occurred tonight is a link in a series of aggressive operations that are claiming civilians in a clear and frank violation of International law and international humanitarian law, which is something we put in place for the international community, which must bear its responsibilities and press with all force to oblige Israel to stop its aggression and threats and implement international resolutions,” Mikati said Tuesday.
The U.S. was given advanced notice ahead of Israel’s strike in Beirut, according to a U.S. official familiar with matter. The message was communicated via security channels and limited operational detail was shared, the official said.
It’s still unclear whether the strike successfully eliminated its target, and assessments are ongoing, according to the U.S. official.
U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Pate said earlier that the U.S. has been in “continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts” since the weekend.
“The United States is going to continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the blue line,” Pate said.
“Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad, and it’s unwavering, especially as it defends itself against Iran backed threats, including threats from Hezbollah,” Pate told reporters.
ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston contributed to this report.
(LOS ANGELES) — As the Park Fire in Northern California became the fifth largest wildfire in state history on Tuesday, firefighters were dealt a new challenge when another blaze erupted in Southern California and quickly blew up into a major conflagration, prompting mass evacuations, officials said.
At the same time, Colorado firefighters attacked the Alexander Mountain Fire that ignited Monday near the Roosevelt National Forest in Larimer County north of Boulder and quickly spread to more than 1,800 acres as more than 20 different state agencies, including 12 local fire companies, raced to battle the out-of-control flames.
The Nixon Fire
California firefighters were confronting 15 active blazes on Tuesday, including three that started on Monday. Among the biggest new fires is the Nixon Fire that ignited around 12:30 p.m. local time Monday off Richard Nixon Boulevard in Riverside County, northeast of the town of Aguanga, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
As of Tuesday morning, the Nixon Fire had grown to 3,750 acres and was 0% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Several structures in the fire zone were damaged, but it was unclear if they were homes. More than 1,100 structures were being threatened by the fire, according to Cal Fire.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents in the area.
At least 255 fire personnel, including 44 fire engine crews, two helicopter crews and numerous firefighting air tankers, were battling the fire on Tuesday.
The Park Fire
As of Tuesday morning, the Park Fire, which was deliberately started on Wednesday and spread through Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties in Northern California, had grown to 383,619 acres — which sent it leapfrogging over the 2020 Creek Fire, which tore through Central California’s Sierra National Forest, to become the fifth largest wildfire in state history, officials said.
The Park Fire has destroyed 192 structures, including homes and commercial property, and damaged another 19 structures in a path of destruction that started in Bidwell Park near the city of Chico and spread about 90 miles north to the Lassen National Forest, according to Cal Fire.
The monster blaze, encompassing nearly 600 square miles, was 14% contained on Tuesday morning, up from 12% on Monday, according to Cal Fire.
As more than 5,300 firefighters fought the Park Fire from the air and ground on Monday evening, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea issued a dire warning to residents defying mandatory evacuation orders.
“If the fire blows over, I can’t make any promise or guarantee that we can get up there to save your life,” Honea said during a news conference.
Meanwhile, the suspect arrested on suspicion of starting the Park Fire was formally arraigned on Monday. Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico, was charged with felony arson with an enhancement of special circumstances due to prior convictions. His arraignment was continued to Thursday, when he is expected to enter a plea. Stout was ordered to be held without bail.
Stout was allegedly spotted just before 3 p.m. PT on Wednesday pushing a burning car down a gully called “Alligator Hole” in Bidwell Park, near Chico, sparking the Park Fire, prosecutors said.
Weather conditions in the Chico area will be heating up in the coming days. The high temperatures will reach the lower 90s on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, temperatures are forecast to climb into the upper 90s and reach triple digits by Thursday and into the weekend.
The Alexander Mountain Fire in Colorado
Colorado firefighters were trying to get the upper hand on the Alexander Mountain Fire, which was first reported around 10:30 a.m. local time on Monday, according to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. The fire burning in a remote mountainous area near Roosevelt National Park grew to 1,820 acres by Tuesday afternoon and was 0% contained, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office ordered residents in the Alexander Mountain and Palisade Mountain areas to “evacuate immediately” as local fire crews and firefighting aircraft raced to battle the blaze.
“We are thankful for the incredible support and partnership from the community and partner agencies,” Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said of the multiple fire departments that responded to the fire. “The Larimer County community rallied in support of us today — listening to the evacuation orders, and pulling together in our time of need.”
Smoke spreading across the Northwest
The fires in the West are spreading smoke across the Northwest.
By Wednesday afternoon, the smoke is expected to remain heavy in the Northern California region, but farther east, it will be pushed south. Medium to heavy smoke is possible from Salt Lake City to Denver on Wednesday afternoon, while places farther north that have been under heavy smoke for days will finally get a break as they get rainfall and cooler temperatures.
Air quality alerts were issued for Boise, Idaho, and Denver due to the smoky conditions, officials said.
Red flag warnings signaling elevated fire danger were issued for at least Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.
(WASHINGTON) — The Senate passed two key pieces of legislation aimed at keeping children safe on the internet Tuesday afternoon, marking a major step in Congress’ ongoing effort to regulate massive tech companies.
The two bills, which beef up privacy protection for children and limit targeted advertisements toward them, passed with overwhelming support by senators from both sides of the aisle, 91-3.
The Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act have been years in the making as advocates — including parents who have lost their children to suicide, drug use, viral challenges and more — have argued there needs to be more guardrails for children and teens on social media.
The bill now heads to the House of Representatives where it will face further consideration.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has not yet committed to bringing it up for a vote but has signaled a willingness to consider it.
“I am looking forward to reviewing the details of the legislation that comes out of the Senate. Parents should have greater control and the necessary tools to protect their kids online. I am committed to working to find consensus in the House,” Johnson said in a statement to ABC News.
The package, if signed into law, would create a “duty of care” that mandates that companies must take reasonable measures to prevent and mitigate harms to children and teens, and gives parents and guardians more control over how their children use social media platforms. They also create privacy protections for those under 17, prohibit targeted advertising for young people and allow parents the power to erase content.
It has been more than a decade since Congress enacted meaningful legislation to protect children on the internet. Federal laws on the books were written before Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok were even invented.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the bills “perhaps the most important updates in decades to federal laws that protect kids on the internet” during floor remarks on Monday afternoon.
“Too many kids experience relentless online bullying. Too many kids have their personal data collected and then used nefariously,” Schumer said. “And sadly, sadly, too many families have lost kids because of what happened to them on social media.”
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., have championed the legislation in the Senate and have been fighting for its passage for years. At a press conference last week, the two were flanked by parents holding photos of their children who have lost their lives due to interactions they had via social media.
One mother, Julianna Arnold, shared the story of her daughter passing after an Instagram drug dealer sold her counterfeit drugs. Another parent, Todd Minor, shared the story of his son who died while participating in a viral challenge he saw on TikTok. Both parents are advocates with ParentsSOS, an organization that advocates for safety for kids and teens online.
Blackburn was in tears addressing parents, telling them she is “happy to be a part” of changing the outcome for families like theirs.
Blumenthal, who has helmed a number of hearings about regulating tech, said the legislation is necessary in part because large tech companies have shown that their products cause harm.
“We’ve seen from their own documents, their own files, their own evidence that their business model is to get more eyeballs for longer periods of time, so they get more advertisers and more dollars knowing that those profits are derived from destroying lives, destroying lives of your children,” he said.
Leading tech companies such as Snap, X and Microsoft have all publicly endorsed the legislation.
“The safety and well-being of young people on Snapchat is a top priority. That’s why Snap has been a long-time supporter of the Kids Online Safety Act. We applaud Senators Blackburn, Blumenthal and the 68 other co-sponsors of this critical legislation for their leadership and commitment to the privacy and safety of young people,” Snap said in a statement.
Several tech lobbying groups, however, chastised the bill.
NetChoice called the Kids Online Safety Act “unconstitutional.”
“Parents need solutions that are legal and meaningful, but KOSA is neither. KOSA’s data privacy, cybersecurity, censorship, and constitutional risks remain unaddressed. NetChoice hopes to work with lawmakers in the House to protect minors and families from KOSA’s many issues,” Carl Szabo, NetChoice’s vice president and general counsel, said in a statement.
Internet lobbying group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) echoed concerns the legislation could result in tech companies implementing policies that restrict free speech.
“The Senate just passed a bill that will let the federal and state governments investigate and sue websites that they claim cause kids mental distress. It’s a terrible idea to let politicians and bureaucrats decide what people should read and view online,” Joe Mullin, EFF’s senior policy analyst, said in a statement.
Google, which owns YouTube, declined to comment to ABC News. It has said it supports “several important bipartisan bills focused on online child safety,” but not specifically KOSA.
And while Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said in a statement, “We support the development of age-appropriate standards for teens online, and appreciate KOSA’s attempt to create a consistent set of rules for the industry to follow.”
“However, we think there’s a better way to help parents oversee their teens’ online experiences: federal legislation should require app stores to get parents’ approval whenever their teens under 16 download apps,” Meta added.
TikTok declined to comment to ABC News.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who voted against the bill, also gave a speech on the floor before the vote, during which he raised concerns about the bill potentially limiting freedom of speech.
“The bill they’ve written promises to be Pandora’s box of unintended consequences,” Paul said. “It is perhaps understandable that those who sit in this body might seek a government solution to protecting children from any harms that may result in spending too much time on the internet. But before we impose a drastic first-of-its-kind legal duty on online platforms, we should ensure that the positive aspects of the internet are preserved. That means we have to ensure that the first amendment rights are protected,” Paul said.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., also said voting against the legislation, citing concerns that the bill could restrict certain kinds of speech.
“Unfortunately, KOSA’s improvements, while constructive, remain insufficient. I fear this bill could be used to sue services that offer privacy-enhancing technologies like encryption or anonymity features that are essential to young people’s ability to communicate securely and privately without being spied on by predators online. I also take seriously concerns voiced by the American Civil Liberties Union, Fight for the Future, and LGBTQ+ teens and advocates that a future MAGA administration could still use this bill to pressure companies to censor gay, trans and reproductive health information,” Wyden said in a statement.
Advocates for the legislation challenge those concerns.
“There are endless myths and misconceptions that have been spread,” Blumenthal said. “There’s no censorship in this bill, it is about product design. There is no invasion of privacy in this bill, we have chosen not to collect information from kids.”
