Trump-Pence divide revealed in new court filing

A court filing reveals new details about the sharp disagreement between Donald Trump and Mike Pence after the 2020 presidential election. The special counsel’s court filing last week offered a detailed look at the exchanges between then-President Trump and then-Vice President Pence. For weeks, Trump pressured his VP to stop the election certification in Congress, telling him people are going to “hate your guts” and “think you’re stupid” if he failed. When Pence said he didn’t have the authority to change the outcome, Trump berated him as being “too honest.” The disagreement led to a falling out between the two men.

Harris fails to win endorsement from firefighters union

A firefighters union has declined to endorse Kamala Harris for president. The vice president stopped by a firehouse near Detroit on Friday during her swing through the battleground state of Michigan. But she failed to win the backing of the International Association of Firefighters. For 2024, the union declined to back any candidate in the White House race. Last month, the Teamsters also decided against an endorsement. Harris still enjoys support from many unions, but has struggled to lock down the same support from organized labor that Joe Biden won four years ago.

Trump to hold rally at PA site where he was shot in June

Donald Trump returns to the site where he survived an assassination attempt this summer. The former president is set to hold a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, late this afternoon. It’s the town where he was shot by a would-be assassin two days before the start of the Republican National Convention. Today’s event will take place at the same property where a gunman’s bullets grazed Trump’s right ear, killed an attendee, and wounded several others. The Trump campaign says the former president will be joined by running mate JD Vance, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and several Pennsylvania law enforcement officers.

Supreme Court leaves in place two Biden environmental rules

The Supreme Court has left in place two Biden administration environmental regulations. Justices are allowing regulations aimed at reducing emissions of methane and toxic mercury. Their orders were released after industry groups and Republican-leaning states tried to block the rules. The Environmental Protection Agency insisted the regulations were legal, but the challengers said the EPA overstepped its authority. The legal fight is expected to continue in lower courts. GC, Wash.

Biden dismisses Rubio claim that jobs numbers are “fake”

President Biden is defending the authenticity of the just-released September jobs report. After the Labor Department reported that a surprisingly strong 254-thousand jobs were added last month, Republican Senator Marco Rubio dismissed the government report as “fake.” At the White House, President Biden responded by saying “anything MAGA Republicans don’t like they call fake. Anything. The job numbers are what the job numbers are. They’re real.” Rubio claimed that the Biden-Harris administration releases inflated jobs numbers for good headlines only to revise them downward later.

Biden welcomes suspension of dockworkers’ union strike

President Biden welcomes the suspension of the strike by union dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports. The president told reporters he was pleased that the union representing 45-thousand dockworkers reached a deal to suspend a three-day strike until mid-January. The three-month halt to the strike will give both sides time to negotiate a new contract. Mr. Biden said he hopes the agreement holds.

After viewing Carolina storm damage, Biden to visit FL, GA

President Biden will travel to two more states hit hard by Hurricane Helene. After traveling to North and South Carolina yesterday to survey storm damage and meet with officials, the president heads to Georgia and Florida today. He’s pledging federal assistance to help communities and families rebuild, and says it’ll cost billions of dollars. Mr. Biden also directed up to one-thousand active-duty troops to help with response and recovery efforts.

Prosecutors offer new evidence in Trump election interference case

The special counsel is offering new evidence in the Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case. In a newly unsealed court filing from special counsel Jack Smith’s team Trump is accused of knowingly pushing false voter fraud claims and resorting to “crimes” to stay in power. Federal prosecutors said Trump was acting outside the scope of his duties as president when he pressured state officials and then-Vice President Mike Pence to try to overturn his 2020 election defeat, A Trump spokesman blasted the filing as a “partisan unconstitutional witch hunt.”

US would not support Israeli strike on Iran nuclear sites

The United States does not support an Israeli attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities. President Biden said “the answer is no” when asked whether he would support an Israeli strike against Iran’s nuclear sites. The U-S and allies are scrambling to keep the Mideast conflict from spreading further. They are urging Israel to show restraint as it weighs retaliation against Iran for firing about 180 missiles at the Jewish state earlier this week.

Feds may bring additional charges against NYC mayor

Federal prosecutors say they might bring additional charges against New York City’s mayor. The corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams could include more charges and indictments. Prosecutors made that disclosure during Adams’ first court appearance here in Manhattan since pleading not guilty to bribery charges last week. It’s alleged that he accepted about $100,000 worth of travel, meals, and entertainment from Turkish officials who wanted to gain influence. Prosecutors also say Adams obtained illegal campaign contributions. GC, NY.

Biden to survey hurricane damage in the Carolinas

Vance, Walz disagree over threats to democracy

VP hopefuls engage in civil, respectful debate

The vice presidential nominees engaged in a calm and civil debate that was unlike some of the campaign trail rhetoric. The tone of the JD Vance-Tim Walz debate was strikingly polite and respectful in the polarized environment of the 2024 campaign. But the friendly discussion didn’t shy away from sharp differences between the two campaigns on a host of issues. Instead of aiming their attacks at each other, the two VP hopefuls went after each other’s running mates.

Vance, Walz discuss Mideast crisis and debate global leadership

At their vice presidential debate, JD Vance and Tim Walz discussed the Mideast crisis and who would provide the best global leadership. Debating on a day when Iran fired missiles at Israel, Walz touted Kamala Harris as a steady leader and argued that Trump is unstable. But Vance said there were fewer wars during the Trump administration and that peace was achieved through strength. Both men voiced support for Israel in a debate that was incredibly civil and respectful in tone.

It’s VP Debate Night for Vance, Walz in New York City

It’s Vice Presidential Debate Night between JD Vance and Tim Walz. Tonight’s debate is the only scheduled face-to-face encounter between the two vice presidential nominees. With no more presidential debates on the schedule before the election, the VP debate could be the 2024 campaign’s final major prime-time event. With the two campaigns in a virtual tie and the unpredictable nature of this contest, tonight’s undercard between Vance and Walz could matter more than most VP debates.

After bickering from afar, VP nominees to face each other

The vice presidential debate could feature some sharp exchanges. Governor Tim Walz made national headlines by calling the Republican ticket “weird.” Senator JD Vance has repeatedly labeled his Democratic rivals as extreme liberals. After criticizing each other from afar, the two VP nominees will face each other for 90 minutes on the debate stage. Tonight’s face-off comes five weeks before Election Day and with polls showing a neck-and-neck race.

Ground rules for the Vance-Walz vice presidential debate

The ground rules are set for the New York City debate between Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz. The two sides agreed that the vice presidential candidates’ microphones will stay on while their opponent is speaking, unlike the two presidential debates. Each candidate will have two minutes for a closing statement. Vance won a virtual coin toss and will speak last. CBS, which is hosting the debate, also said it would be up to the candidates, not the moderators, to fact-check each other in real-time. There will be no audience.

Vance, Walz in final preparations before their VP debate

The two vice presidential candidates have been getting ready for Tuesday night’s debate. Both Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz have engaged in traditional preparation, complete with mock debate sessions. Vance was prepping and practicing in Ohio, with Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer standing in for Walz. On the Democratic side, Walz Walz, also worked with a stand-in — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. CBS will host the 90-minute debate Tuesday night at its Broadcast Center in New York City.

NYC mayor accepted harmless ‘courtesies,’ not bribes, his lawyer says

New York City’s mayor wants a judge to toss out the bribery charges against him. Mayor Eric Adams this week launched a legal attack on the federal corruption case against him. His attorney asked a judge to dismiss charges that the Democratic mayor accepted lavish travel benefits and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals in exchange for favors. An attorney for Adams described the gifts as “courtesies,” not a federal crime. And he denied there was any quid pro quo.

Biden hopes to visit Helene-damaged communities soon

President Biden says the damage from Hurricane Helene is “stunning.” The president was briefed again on Sunday evening about the impact of the devastating storm on an enormous swath of the Southeast. Among the tragic stories is the North Carolina county that includes the city of Asheville, where at least 30 people were killed. Mr. Biden says he hopes to visit Hurricane Helene-impacted areas this week as long as it does not disrupt rescue and recovery operations.

Biden “saddened” by Helen’s death, destruction; promises aid

President Biden is expressing sorrow over the loss of life and devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The president said he’s “deeply saddened” by the aftermath of the storm across the Southeast, and that his administration is “focused on life-saving and life-sustaining response and recovery efforts.” “The road to recovery will be long,” he said, but he pledged ongoing support and the necessary federal resources to help communities begin to rebuild.

Trump, Harris send Ukraine’s president different signals

Ukraine’s president is receiving different signals from Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Vice President Harris, followed by face-to-face talks with former President Trump on Friday. The two meetings offered a contrast. At the White House, Harris emphasized unwavering U-S support for Ukraine’s struggle against the Russian invasion and slammed Trump’s suggestion that Kyiv should give up territory for the sake of peace. In New York, Trump called for a “fair deal” after previously criticizing U-S assistance for Ukraine and praising Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Pentagon not supporting Israel’s operations in Lebanon

The U-S military is not supporting Israel’s operations in Lebanon. The Pentagon confirmed that Israel is not receiving any U-S intelligence support as it carries out strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. President Biden is calling for a 21-day ceasefire, which has been rejected by Israel so far. During a speech at the United Nations, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to keep up operations against Hezbollah until tens of thousands of Israeli citizens displaced by rocket attacks can return home.

Biden calls Hezbollah leader’s death “measure of justice”

President Biden calls Israel’s killing of Hezbollah’s leader a “measure of justice.” In a written statement, the president said that Hezbollah under Hasan Nasrallah’s watch has been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans over the past four decades. While Mr. Biden said the United States “fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself” against Iran-supported terrorist groups, he said his administration’s “aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.”