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Trudeau ‘serene’ about invoking Emergencies Act, says police plan to clear protest ‘wasn’t a plan at all’

Published

2 years ago

November 25, 2022

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today dismissed claims that police in Ottawa were on the verge of executing a plan to clear the anti-COVID-19 restrictions occupation last winter, arguing that the plan “wasn’t a plan at all.”

Multiple lawyers pushed back against Trudeau’s claim, suggesting that he hadn’t been properly briefed on plans to clear downtown Ottawa of the protesters who had blocked parts of the capital for weeks.

After six weeks of dramatic witness testimony, Trudeau made his own highly anticipated appearance before the Public Order Emergency Commission. He steadfastly defended his government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 for the first time in the law’s 34-year history.

‘This was necessary’: Trudeau defends decision to invoke Emergencies Act

During his testimony before the Emergencies Act inquiry, Prime Minister Trudeau is asked whether invoking the Emergencies Act will open the ‘floodgates’ and encourage future use.

The commission has heard previously that after initial confusion and dysfunction, the Ottawa Police Service [OPS], the Ontario Provincial Police [OPP] and the RCMP had come together to craft an operational plan.

“We kept hearing there was a plan,” Trudeau testified on Friday before a packed room.

A line of anti-mandate protesters stands face-to-face with a line of police officers in downtown Ottawa on Feb. 19. (Michael Charles Cole/CBC)

“I would recommend people take a look at that actual plan, which wasn’t a plan at all”

Trudeau said the document he heard about was largely about using liaison officers to shrink the footprint of the protest, with details on enforcement “to be determined later.’

“It was not even in the most generous characterizations a plan for how they were going to end the occupation,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau says Ottawa police had no plan to end convoy protest

During his testimony at the Emergencies Act inquiry, the prime minister highlights weak planning from Ottawa Police Services to end the convoy protests.

The question of whether police could have handled the crowds without the Emergencies Act has been raised multiple times at the inquiry, as Commissioner Paul Rouleau considers whether its invocation was truly a measure of last resort.

The night before the law was invoked, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki told Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino’s chief of staff that she felt police had not yet exhausted “all available tools,” according to an email seen by the inquiry. In that email, she also listed a number of measures that could be helpful if the government moved forward.

Jody Thomas, Trudeau’s national security intelligence adviser, testified last week that Lucki failed to pass that information on during a meeting with senior officials on Feb. 13.

“Individuals who are at that meeting are expected to provide information that is of use to decision makers … the prime minister in his cabinet,” Thomas said Thursday.

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki steps out of a vehicle as she arrives at the Public Order Emergency Commission, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Thomas also said she doubted the RCMP had firmed up a plan with the OPP.

“There was no evidence there was a plan,” Thomas said. “We had been told there was a plan multiple times.”

The Emergencies Act says a national emergency is an urgent and critical situation of a temporary nature that “cannot be effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada.”

“That was part of the problem, that not all tools were being used,” Trudeau said.

Rebecca Jones, a lawyer for former Ottawa police chief Peter Sloly, showed Trudeau Lucki’s testimony that she and the head of the OPP were briefed on a plan around Feb. 11.

“We were satisfied with the plan,” Lucki testified last week.

Jones suggested to Trudeau that there was a disconnect between their testimonies.

“I’m going to suggest what happened is that Commissioner Lucki didn’t brief you and your cabinet that there was complete plan on the 13th,” she said.

“I can’t comment on that,” Trudeau said.

Lawyers question how well Trudeau knew the plan

Jones wasn’t the only lawyer to question Trudeau’s assessment of the police plan.

Under cross examination by the Ottawa Police Service’s lawyer, Jessica Barrow, Trudeau said he didn’t have the capacity to do a line-by-line review of the police plan.

“I take you would agree with me that perhaps there was a little bit more substance to the plan than you were aware of on the 13th,” she said.

“I am unable to speak to that,” he said.

Sujit Choudhry, counsel for the Canadian Constitution Foundation, cited the Feb. 13 Ottawa Police plan and pointed out that eight of its pages have been fully redacted.

A man in a dark suit speaks into a microphone. — Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director David Vigneault is seen as he gives testimony at the Public Order Emergency Commission Nov. 21, 2022 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Choudhry asked that the pages be unredacted. The government declined.

“Prime minister, can I put it to you this way? You said we should read the plan but I think you’d agree we can’t,” he said.

“Indeed,” said Trudeau. “I haven’t read the plan.”

OPS Supt. Robert Bernier, who helped design the force’s plan to end the protest in downtown Ottawa last winter, told the commission last month he was already planning to carry out a police operation when the law was invoked.

When asked whether he thought the federal act was necessary to remove protesters, Bernier said it’s hard for him to say.

“I did not get to do the operation without it,” Bernier responded. “I don’t know what complications I would have had had it not been in place and utilized the common law.”

Ottawa police and representatives of the other police forces moved ahead with what they called the “February 17 plan”, which methodically cleared the downtown core over a weekend. It was one of the largest police operations in Canadian history.

Trudeau says CSIS isn’t the decision-maker

With critics arguing the government did not meet the requirements of the legislation, the inquiry has been considering the legal definition of a public order emergency.

The Emergencies Act defines a national emergency as one that “arises from threats to the security of Canada that are so serious as to be a national emergency.”

The act points back to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act definition of such threats, which include harm caused for the purpose of achieving a “political, religious or ideological objective,” espionage, foreign interference or the intent to overthrow the government by violence. It doesn’t mention economic security.

The head of the spy agency has testified he doesn’t believe the protest met the definition of a national security threat under the CSIS act, but was told the Emergencies Act offered a broader definition of such threats.

Tamara Lich, front left, returns following a break as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waits for questioning to start as he appears as a witnesses at the Public Order Emergency Commission in Ottawa, on Friday, Nov 25, 2022. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

During her examination, commission lawyer Shantona Chaudhury suggested to Trudeau that the protests did “not constitute a threat to the security of Canada as defined in the CSIS Act.”

“As defined for the CSIS Act,” Trudeau responded.

“Those words in the CSIS Act are used for the purpose of CSIS determining that they have authority to act against an individual a group or a specific plot … for example.”

Trudeau said that cabinet — not CSIS — decides whether to invoke the Emergencies Act.

Trudeau explains reasoning behind invoking Emergencies Act

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the Commission’s lawyer that the decision to invoke the Emergencies Act was taken based on the definition of it that states that there were ‘activities supporting the threats or acts of serious violence, threat of serious violence, for political or ideological goals.’

“The purpose of it for this project was to be able to give us in special temporary measures as defined in the Public Order emergency act. That would put an end to this national emergency,” he said.

“There was the use of children as human shields, deliberately. Which was a real concern both at the Ambassador Bridge and the fact that there were kids on Wellington Street, that people didn’t know what was in the trucks, whether it was kids, whether it was weapons, whether it was both.”

The government has claimed solicitor-client privilege to shield the legal advice it received on interpreting the Emergencies Act.

Trudeau said he is “serene and confident” in the choice he made to invoke the act.

CSIS didn’t have tools, mindset to deal with convoy: PM

In an interview with commission counsel in September, Trudeau said CSIS faced challenges during the convoy protests. A summary of that interview was made public Friday.

“He noted that CSIS does not necessarily have the right tools, mandate or even mindset to respond to the threat Canada faced at that moment,” said the summary.

“He noted that CSIS has a very specific mandate, and that when they are determining whether there is a threat to the security of Canada, they are doing so for the purpose of obtaining a warrant, wire tap, or to authorize an investigation of a specific target.”

CSIS’s key mandate is to investigate activities suspected of constituting threats to the security of the country and to report to the government of Canada.

Commissioner Paul Rouleau presides over the Public Order Emergency Commission in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick (The Canadian Press)

“CSIS has been challenged in recent years by the threat of domestic terrorism, which it was not designed to address. He observed that CSIS is limited in its ability to conduct operations on Canadian soil or against Canadians,” said Trudeau’s interview summary.

Trudeau seized with ‘what if’ thoughts

In his September interview, Trudeau said the Incident Response Group, a special committee made up of cabinet ministers and security officials, mused about bringing in legislation to clear the crowds, but felt passing a bill through Parliament would take too long.

“For example, the IRG looked at the possibility of special legislation to compel tow truck drivers to fulfil their government contracts. Ultimately, it was determined that the legislative process (up to and including royal assent) would have taken weeks,” said the summary of Trudeau’s interview.

“Therefore, the IRG determined that if the police needed new legal authorities, the response would require the Emergencies Act’s invocation.”

Trudeau reflects on repercussions of not invoking Emergencies Act

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau explains the thought process behind signing the Emergencies Act into effect and the responsibilities that came with making that decision.

Trudeau testified Friday he had to pause a moment when his top public service adviser, Clerk of the Privy Council Janice Charette, sent him a memo advising him to invoke the act around 3:40 p.m. ET on Feb. 14.

“That was a moment that I took with the weight of the decision I was about to take,” he said.

Trudeau would tell the public he was going to invoke the act within the hour.

“What if the worst had happened in those following days? What if someone had gotten hurt?” he said. “What if a police officer had been put in a hospital? What if, when I had an opportunity to do something, I had waited?”

Trudeau’s testimony Friday marks the end of public hearing phase of the commission’s work.

Rouleau says writing report will be a challenge

The inquiry has heard testimony from dozens of witnesses, including Ottawa residents, local officials, police, protesters and senior federal ministers.

The inquiry has heard conflicting views from police and intelligence agency leaders about whether the Emergencies Act powers were needed.

Convoy participants were given a week to tell their side of the story.

Tamara Lich — perhaps the most recognizable of the convoy organizers — told the inquiry late Thursday that she joined the “Freedom Convoy” after failing to get a response from members of Parliament she emailed about ending COVID-19 restrictions.

After 31 days, 76 witnesses and more than 7,000 exhibits, the Emergencies Act inquiry now shifts gears. The commission is winding down its public hearings but will still hear opinions from academics and experts next week.

It’s will then be up to Commissioner Paul Rouleau to weigh the evidence as he drafts his final report, due to be tabled in Parliament in February.

“My difficult task is still in front of me,” said the Ontario Appeal Court justice.

“I’m not going to shy away. It’s very challenging to get this written. My hope is that once it is written and provided, there be enough there that even if you don’t agree with me, the facts will be there.”

What we’ve learned from the Emergencies Act inquiry so far

As the inquiry looking at the use of the Emergencies Act to end last winter’s convoy protests enters a critical phase, David Common looks at what we’ve learned so far about what happened and where things went wrong.

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Shohei Ohtani surpasses 50-50 milestone in spectacular fashion with a 3-homer, 2-steal game

Published

19 mins ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

MIAMI (AP) — Shohei Ohtani looked up at a visiting crowd that turned out to cheer him and the Los Angeles Dodgers — and ended up getting to witness one of the greatest individual performances, and seasons, in major league history.

Fans lifted their phones to capture the moment and chanted “M-V-P!” as Ohtani rounded the bases after he cleared the fence for the 50th time, becoming the first major league player with at least 50 home runs and and 50 stolen bases in a season.

“I almost cried, to be honest,” shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “It was a lot of emotions because of everything that happens behind the scenes that we got to witness every single day.”

The most amazing thing about it? Ohtani’s day wasn’t even finished.

Ohtani raced past the 50-50 milestone in the most spectacular game of his history-making career, becoming the first big league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a game during a 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins on Thursday that also secured a playoff spot for the Dodgers.

Los Angeles’ $700 million Japanese superstar hit his 49th homer in the sixth inning, his 50th in the seventh and his 51st in the ninth. He finished 6 for 6 with 10 RBIs while becoming the first big league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a game.

“It was something I wanted to get over as quickly as possible. And, you know, it’s something that I’m going to cherish for a very long time,” Ohtani said through an interpreter in a televised interview.

Ohtani reached the second deck in right-center on two of his three homers at LoanDepot Park. In the sixth inning, he launched a 1-1 slider from George Soriano 438 feet for his 49th.

Ohtani hit his 50th homer in the seventh, an opposite-field, two-run shot to left against Marlins reliever Mike Baumann. Then, in the ninth, his 51st traveled 440 feet to right-center, a three-run shot against Marlins second baseman Vidal Brujan, who came in to pitch with the game out of hand.

“To be honest, I’m the one probably most surprised,” Ohtani said. “I have no idea where this came from, but I’m glad that it was going well today.”

Ohtani came into the game with 48 homers and 49 steals. He took care of the stolen bases early, swiping his 50th in the first and his 51st in the second. He has been successful on his last 28 stolen base attempts.

He broke the Dodgers’ franchise record of 49 homers set by Shawn Green in 2001. And he became the third player in major league history with at least six hits, three homers and 10 RBIs in a game, joining Cincinnati’s Walker Cooper in 1949 and Washington’s Anthony Rendon in 2017.

Ohtani has 120 RBIs, trailing only Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees (53 homers, 136 RBIs) in both categories.

Ohtani reached the 50-50 milestone in his 150th game. He was already the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season, needing just 126 games.

His previous career high in homers was 46 for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, when he also made 23 starts on the mound and won his first of two American League MVP awards.

It was another memorable night for Ohtani at LoanDepot Park, where he struck out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout of the United States for the final out of the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship while playing for Japan.

“I’ve had perhaps the most memorable moments here in my career,” Ohtani said, “and this stadium has become one of my favorite stadiums.”

Already the consensus best player in baseball whose accomplishments as a pitcher and batter outpaced even Babe Ruth, Ohtani reached new heights as an offensive player while taking the year off from pitching.

Ohtani signed a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December. The two-way star, who previously spent six years with the Los Angeles Angels, has played exclusively at designated hitter this season as he rehabilitates after surgery a year ago for an injured elbow ligament.

He finished a triple shy of the cycle on Thursday, adding a run-scoring single and two doubles. He was thrown out at third base while trying to stretch his second double into a triple.

“There’s nothing you really can say because there’s nothing anybody can do about it,” teammate and former MVP Mookie Betts said. “He’s just too good.”

First base was open when Ohtani came up to bat in the seventh, but Marlins manager Skip Schumaker decided against intentionally walking him with the Marlins trailing 11-3.

“If it was a tight game, one-run lead or we’re down one, I probably put him on,” Schumaker said. “Down that many runs, that’s a bad move baseball-wise, karma-wise, baseball god-wise. … I think out of respect for the game, we were going to go after him. He hit the home run. That’s just part of the deal. He’s hit (51) of them. He’s the most talented player I’ve ever seen.”

Preparation was a key to Ohtani becoming the first member of the 50-50 club. He regularly huddled with the team’s hitting coaches and studied video of opposing pitchers to understand their tendencies with hitters and baserunners.

“I see all the work he puts in,” catcher Will Smith said recently. “It’s not like he goes out there and it’s too easy for him. He works harder than anybody. He scouts really hard. He’s playing a different game so it’s fun to see.”

Ohtani appeared to make the 50-50 mark his mission. He increased the frequency of his base-stealing attempts, and in turn his success rate went up.

But that may not be the case next year when he returns to the mound.

“He’s not pitching this year so I think he is emptying the tank offensively,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I do think the power, the on-base (percentage), the average, I think he can do that as a pitcher. He’s done something pretty similar like that with his OPS. But as far as the stolen bases go, I’m not sure about that.”

Ohtani’s teammates have enjoyed watching him crush home runs and scamper around the bases.

“I’m honestly kind of trying to learn from him just seeing the way he goes about his day-to-day business. He’s very consistent, the same demeanor throughout,” outfielder Tommy Edman said recently. “I think that’s why he’s such a good player.”

Third baseman Max Muncy added, “Every night I feel like he does something that we haven’t seen.”

What’s next for Ohtani?

The Dodgers are headed to the postseason in October, which will be another first for Ohtani. He never made it there with the Angels, who never had a winning record during his tenure in Anaheim.

Another potential first could be earning National League MVP honors as a designated hitter. No player who got most of his playing time as a DH — without pitching — has ever won MVP, although Don Baylor, Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz placed high in the vote.

It would be Ohtani’s third career MVP award.

___

AP Sports Writer Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

___

AP MLB:

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Harris looks for boost from Oprah as part of digital-first media strategy

Published

19 mins ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris looked for a boost with persuadable and less-motivated voters as she participated in a livestream Thursday evening with former talk show host Oprah Winfrey to focus on her plans to cut costs for the middle class, restore a national right to abortion and address gun violence.

The event, billed as “Unite for America,” and hosted by Winfrey from suburban Michigan, one of this election’s key battlegrounds, sought to tap into the same energy as long-running Winfrey’s talk show, which drove bestseller lists and allowed celebrities to share their softer side and everyday people to share stories of struggle and inspiration.

It leaned on celebrities like Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Lopez and Meryl Streep, but also the stories of ordinary voters to promote Harris’ message over the course of 90 minutes and to draw a contrast with former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee. More than 300,000 people were watching the Harris campaign livestream on YouTube alone and the event was also being streamed on other major social media platforms.

“We each have those moments in our lives when it’s time to step up,” Harris said when Winfrey asked about her overnight transformation as she went from President Joe Biden’s running mate to being the Democratic nominee in her own right after he suddenly dropped out in July. “I felt a sense of responsibility, to be honest with you, and with that comes a sense of purpose.”

Winfrey told Harris it looked as if a “veil dropped” and she “stepped into your power.”

At one point Harris reminded viewers that she owns a gun — which surprised Winfrey — saying, “If somebody’s breaking into my house they’re gettin’ shot.” She added, “I probably shouldn’t have said that.”

Harris was given the chance to talk about her plans to reduce the cost of housing and lower taxes for the middle class, as she took questions from voters in Michigan and Virginia.

Oprah recognized Hadley Duvall in the audience, a 22-year-old woman who became an abortion rights advocate after she was raped by her stepfather as a child.

“You can’t wait until it’s too late to care about reproductive healthcare, because then it’s too late,” said Duvall, who is featured in a new Harris campaign ad. “Thank you for hearing us and seeing us when the Supreme Court won’t,” Duvall added in praise of Harris.

Harris and Winfrey also welcomed the mother and sister of a young Georgia mother who died after waiting 20 hours for a hospital to treat her complications from an abortion pill. Amber Thurman’s death, first reported Monday by ProPublica, occurred just two weeks after Georgia’s strict abortion ban was enacted in 2022 following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn nationwide abortion rights. Harris has blamed her death on Trump.

“Amber was not a statistic, she was loved by a family, a strong family and we would have done whatever to get my baby, our baby, the help that she needed,” said Thurman’s mother, Shanette Williams.

Harris praised their courage in speaking out and called out a “healthcare crisis” caused by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “They have no right to be in your womb,” added Winfrey.

Natalie Griffith, a student who was shot twice last month at Apalachee High School in Georgia, joined with her parents. Her mother described the fear she felt after learning about the gunfire at her child’s school.

“No parent should go through this,” Marilda Griffith said through tears, describing rushing out of work, then running to the school to learn if her daughter was OK. She appealed for federal action to curb gun violence.

Harris, after pointing out that she herself owns a gun, said assault-style rifles were designed to kill as many people as possible on a battlefield, and “don’t belong on the streets of a civil society.”

The event comes as Harris is working to continue to share her biography and governing philosophy with voters during her abbreviated presidential campaign, with early voting already underway in some states.

Harris has limited her interactions with the traditional media, instead prioritizing digital engagement and casual — and often more controlled — moments that her campaign hopes will reach voters who increasingly get their news from digital sources.

“I want to bring my daughters to the White House to meet this Black woman president,” comedian Chris Rock said.

The in-the-round stage has the appearance of a college campus, with faux brick pillars and a background of trees and green turf under the chairs of the several hundred guests in the audience. Dozens more supporters were featured on video screens in the hall.

“I look around at these screens, Oprah, and I look at who’s in the room, and this is America,” Harris said.

The event is meant as a unifying event of Harris supporter groups that spun off organically after a “Black Women for Harris” call drew tens of thousands of viewers — and raised $1.5 million — in the hours after Harris took over for Biden after he ended his campaign. They included “White Dudes for Harris,” “Comedians for Harris” and ‘Swifties for Harris.”

The event included a direct call to action to viewers to volunteer for Harris’ campaign and to make calls and knock on doors for the Democrat.

Winfrey ended with a call “for all decent people, for all caring people” to back Harris, saying of Trump, “We’re better than this.”

—

Miller reported from Washington.

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The Latest: Both presidential candidates making appearances to fire up core supporters

Published

19 mins ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

Both major presidential candidates are making appearances Thursday meant to fire up their core supporters. Vice President Kamala Harris is participating in a livestream with Oprah Winfrey, who has endorsed Harris and spoke at the Democratic convention in August. Donald Trump will be in Washington to address a “Fighting Anti-Semitism in America” evening event with Miriam Adelson, a co-owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and widow of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who founded the Las Vegas Sands casino and was one of the Republican Party’s largest donors.

Follow the AP’s Election 2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Here’s the latest:

Harris talks openly about her gun ownership

Vice President Kamala Harris has grown more open about her gun ownership in recent weeks, but on Thursday she for the first time said what she’d do with the handgun she owns.

Speaking during a campaign event hosted by the talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Harris was addressing her efforts to cut down on violence and pass a new ban on assault-style weapons, when she referenced owning a handgun — surprising Winfrey.

“If somebody’s breaking into my house they’re gettin shot,” Harris added. She continued: “I probably shouldn’t have said that. My staff will deal with that later.”

Oprah and Kamala Harris host town hall

A live stream with Vice President Kamala Harris and talk show host Oprah Winfrey billed as a “Unite for America” rally kicked off with more than 230,000 viewers on YouTube alone even before Harris joined, as the Democrat looks to digital-first events to reach voters.

The event is hosted by Winfrey from suburban Michigan, one of this election’s key battlegrounds, and is leaning on celebrities like Brian Cranston, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Rock, and Meryl Streep, but also the stories of ordinary voters to promote Harris’s message.

“I want to bring my daughters to the White House to meet this Black woman president,” said comedian Chris Rock.

Trump speaks to Jewish leaders in D.C.

Donald Trump is appearing before Jewish leaders in Washington D.C. to talk about antisemitism.

But as the former president is wont to do, he’s taken a large detour at the top of his speech, name-checking his Republican allies in the crowd, discussing the Green New Deal “scam” and pontificating about his polling numbers at length.

Trump was roughly an hour late to his speech, which was slated to begin around 6 p.m.

“Kamala Harris has done absolutely nothing. She has not lifted a single finger to protect you, or protect your children, or even protect you with words… I’m here to tell you today that this ugly kind of antisemitic hate for all of us — bigotry and hate — will be turned back … starting at noon on Jan. 23rd,” he said.

“With your vote, I will be your protector and defender and I will be the best friend Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House.”

North Carolina representative reacts to Robinson media report

On Capitol Hill in Washington, Republican Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chairman of the House GOP’s campaign committee, told reporters the report’s findings were “concerning.”

Republicans are trying a new approach to abortion in the race for Congress

In the most contested races for control of the U.S. House, many Republican candidates are speaking up about women’s rights to abortion access and reproductive care in new and surprising ways, a deliberate shift for a GOP blindsided by some political ramifications of the post-Roe v. Wade era.

Looking directly into the camera for ads, or penning personal op-eds in local newspapers, the Republicans are trying to distance themselves from some of the more aggressive anti-abortion ideas coming from their party and its allies. Instead, the Republican candidates are working quickly to spell out their own views separate from a GOP that for decades has worked to put restrictions on reproductive care.

It’s a remarkable about-face as the Republican Party works to prevent losses this November that could wipe out its majority control of the House. It comes in a fast-moving election season with high-profile and gripping stories of women’s lives being upended and endangered by abortion restrictions.

Read more here.

Trump begins to distance himself from Robinson

Trump’s campaign appears to be distancing itself from Robinson in the wake of the CNN reporting, which AP has not independently verified.

In a statement to AP, which reached out for comment on the reporting, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that the GOP nominee’s campaign “is focused on winning the White House and saving this country,” calling North Carolina “a vital part of that plan.”

Leavitt went on to contrast Trump’s economic record with that of Harris, but did not mention Robinson by name or answer questions as to whether he would appear with Trump at a Saturday campaign rally in Wilmington, or had been invited to do so.

Harris’ campaign reminds voters of Trump’s ties to North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson

As CNN published a report that Trump ally and North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson posted strongly worded racial and sexual comments on an online message board, Harris’ campaign reminded voters of the gubernatorial nominee’s linkages to Trump.

In one X post, Harris’ campaign played video clips of Trump praising Robinson – including calling him “better than Martin Luther King” – over headlines from CNN’s reporting.

Another showed Robinson and Trump standing side-by-side giving Trump’s signature thumbs up pose, with the campaign adding a corresponding emoji to the post.

CNN reported Thursday that Robinson, who would become North Carolina’s first Black governor, attacked civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in searing terms and once referred to himself as a “black NAZI.”

Robinson has stumped in North Carolina with Trump several times and spoke at this summer’s Republican National Convention. But he wasn’t with Vance as the GOP vice presidential nominee campaigned in Raleigh on Wednesday, and Trump’s campaign didn’t respond to a question seeking comment as to whether he would appear with the presidential nominee on Saturday in Wilmington.

Wisconsin election officials ask Supreme Court to determine Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ballot fate

Election officials in Wisconsin are asking the state’s liberal-controlled Supreme Court to decide whether independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name should stay on the presidential ballot without waiting for an appellate ruling.

Kennedy suspended his campaign in August and endorsed Donald Trump. He’s been trying to get his name off ballots in key battleground states like Wisconsin. A Dane County judge ruled Monday that state law mandates candidates must remain on the ballot unless they die. Kennedy has filed an appeal with the 2nd District Court of Appeals.

Attorneys for the Wisconsin Election Commission asked the state Supreme Court on Thursday to take the case directly. They argued that the case needs a fast, final resolution since clerks have started sending absentee ballots to voters.

Georgia election rule changes by Trump allies raise fear of chaos in November

The state that handed former President Donald Trump one of his narrowest losses four years ago is immersed in election controversies even before the first ballots of this year’s presidential race are cast.

The turmoil springs from a revamp of the state election board that gave Trump allies a majority. They have been making changes to election rules that have raised alarms among Democrats and others.

Georgia Republicans say they are just trying to ensure the accuracy of the vote this November. Democrats say the GOP’s tactics are laying the groundwork for another attempt to overturn the will of the voters should Trump once again lose a close election.

President Biden says Federal Reserve’s decision to lower interest rates signals inflation has eased

President Joe Biden said Thursday the Federal Reserve’s decision to lower interest rates was “an important signal” that inflation has eased as he poked at Donald Trump’s economic policies as a failure in the past and sure to “fail again” if revived.

“Lowering interest rates isn’t a declaration of victory,” Biden told the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. “It’s a declaration of progress, to signal we’ve entered a new phase of our economy and our recovery.”

The Democratic president emphasized that there was more work left to do, but he used his speech to burnish his economic legacy even as he criticized Trump, his Republican predecessor who is running for another term.

“Trickle down down economics failed,” Biden said. “He’s promising again trickle down economics. It will fail again.”

Hospitality union is knocking on millions of doors to support Harris’ presidential candidacy

The hospitality union UNITE HERE says it has knocked on more than 1 million doors on behalf of Kamala Harris’ presidential candidacy, saying that it expects to reach 3.5 million voters in 10 states by Election Day.

Gwen Mills, the union’s president, said the ground game has been more aggressive than in 2016 and 2020 campaigns. She said the process started earlier than in previous elections and more of her members are taking longer leaves of absence from their jobs to contact potential voters. The union has roughly 300,000 members and 1,800 of them are active in canvassing for the vice president.

Harris is relying on aggressive union outreach to help drive turnout in a close race against former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.

The Teamsters union snubbed Harris on Wednesday by declining to endorse either major presidential candidate. But the United Auto Workers, American Federation of Teachers and the umbrella organization AFL-CIO are all working for Harris.

U.S. Senator introduces bill to provide security protections to presidential and vice presidential candidates

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott announced Thursday morning that he’s leading a bill meant to provide protections to presidential and vice presidential candidates and spouses at the same level of protection provided to the sitting president.

Scott introduced this bill with 11 other Republican senators, and he said in an interview that he’s been texting back and forth with Trump. He said that from these conversations, he understands that Trump is “committed to winning the race and committed to fighting.”

In this interview, he said that his bill would push these protections for Trump as a major presidential candidate, but he clarified that his bill wouldn’t apply to former presidents, including former President Barack Obama or President Joe Biden after November.

Scott also said he supported the state investigation on the assassination attempt and believes that federal prosecutors needed to be more transparent about details to avoid misinformation.

“Here’s a guy that’s now twice, in what 64 days, somebody tried to kill him,” Scott said. “This is not normal, and we’ve got to figure this out.”

Trump no longer visiting a Polish-American shrine in Pennsylvania

Donald Trump is no longer planning to visit a Polish-American shrine in Pennsylvania Sunday where he would have crossed paths with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

That’s according to a person familiar with Trump’s plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the trip, which had not been formally announced. It’s unclear why the change was made, but Trump will be in Pennsylvania Monday for a pair of campaign events in the critical battleground state.

Duda’s office has said he will attend a Roman Catholic Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa followed by the unveiling of a monument to the anti-communist Solidarity movement.

He’ll be in the U.S. for the United Nations General Assembly happening in New York.

Trump’s campaign argues its case to Hispanic voters

Trump’s campaign is making its argument that Hispanic voters are better suited to pick the GOP nominee over Harris this November.

During a call held with reporters Thursday to mark National Hispanic Heritage Month, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said Harris “has tried to undo” Trump’s achievements that benefit Hispanic Americans and that the “world was just a safer and more stable place” under the Republican president’s administration.

Rubio cited Harris’ co-sponsorship while in the U.S. Senate of a bill aimed at making it easier for the Cuban military to benefit and profit from American tourism and “making all kinds of concessions to Venezuela.”

Trump’s campaign held the call to mark National Hispanic Heritage Month, an annual tradition that showcases the diversity and culture of Hispanic people. The month is celebrated each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Rubio and former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado gave remarks on the call in both English and Spanish.

Immigration wasn’t a focus of Thursday’s call, but it has been a major line of contrast between Harris and Trump. Speaking at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual leadership conference on Wednesday, Harris criticized Trump’s promise to deport millions of people who are in the United States illegally, questioning whether he would rely on massive raids and detention camps to carry it out.

Trump has promised to carry out “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country” if he’s elected in November but has offered no details on how such an operation would work.

Kamala Harris steps up outreach to Mormon voters in battleground Arizona

Vice President Kamala Harris is stepping up her efforts to win over voters who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, enlisting prominent members of the faith to make the case in pivotal Arizona that Donald Trump does not align with the church’s values.

Her state campaign announced on Thursday an advisory committee to formalize the outreach to current and former members of the church, widely known as the Mormon church.

With nearly 450,000 church members in Arizona, about 6% of the state’s population, Latter-day Saints and former church members could prove critical in what will likely be an extremely close race.

Latter-day Saints have traditionally voted Republican and are likely to remain part of the GOP coalition. Clustered in solidly Republican states, they have long been a major force in GOP primaries and local politics across the West, but they have not held much sway in national elections. In 2020, about 7 in 10 Mormon voters nationally supported Trump, according to AP VoteCast, while about one-quarter backed Democrat Joe Biden.

Leaders of Democratic protest of Israel-Hamas war won’t endorse Harris but warn against Trump

Leaders of a Democratic protest vote movement against the Israel-Hamas war said Thursday that they would not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris ’ presidential bid but strongly urged their supporters to vote against Donald Trump in November.

The “Uncommitted” movement drew hundreds of thousands of votes in Democratic primaries earlier this year in protest of President Joe Biden ’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. The group’s leaders urged the administration to change its policy on the conflict, warning that some Democratic voters might otherwise abstain from voting in November, particularly in swing state Michigan.

Despite months of discussions with top Democratic officials, discontent within the protest-vote ranks only grew after the Democratic National Convention when they were denied a speaker on stage and other demands weren’t met.

Harris’ “unwillingness to shift on unconditional weapons policy or to even make a clear campaign statement in support of upholding existing U.S. and international human rights law has made it impossible for us to endorse her,” movement leaders said in a statement.

Group leaders also made clear in their statement that they strongly opposed supporters voting for Trump or a third-party candidate who “could help inadvertently deliver a Trump presidency.” Instead, they urged voters to register “anti-Trump votes and vote up and down the ballot.”

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