A halting Biden tries to confront Trump at debate but sparks Democratic anxiety about his candidacy
ATLANTA (AP) — A raspy and sometimes halting PresidentJoe Bidenrepeatedly sought to confront Donald Trump in their first debate ahead of the November election. But Biden’s uneven performance crystallized the concerns of many Americans that at, age 81, he is too old to serve as president. It sparked a fresh round of calls for the Democrat to step aside. Meanwhile, the 78-year-old Trump’s rhetoric offered Americans an unwelcome reminder of the bombast he launched daily during his tumultuous four years in office, as he struggles to win over skeptical voters. He declined to clearly state he would accept the results of the November election.
Debate-watchers in the Biden and Trump camps seem to agree on something: Biden had a bad night
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans have gathered in watch parties, bars, a bowling alley and other venues to watch Joe Biden and Donald Trump go head-to-head in their debate. Trump supporters, happily, and Biden supporters, in their angst, seemed to largely agree they had witnessed a lopsided showdown, with Trump coming out on top. By the end of the 90-plus minutes, some Democrats were saying what partisans say to put the best face on things: It’s still early. One debate doesn’t necessarily sway the nation. Judge him by what he’s done and wants to do, not by how he says things. But it's clear that many Democrats were let down.
Debate takeaways: Trump confident, even when wrong, Biden halting, even with facts on his side
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump held an unusually early debate on Thursday night in Atlanta, speaking to an electorate that has expressed strong dissatisfaction with their choice of candidates. It was contentious from the start. Trump projected confidence and certitude even when he was wrong on the facts. Biden at times was halting, and had some difficulty finishing off his thoughts. The debate became bitterly personal, almost from the start.
Biden's debate performance spurs Democratic panic about his ability to lead party against Trump
ATLANTA (AP) — Above all, Joe Biden’s allies have wanted him to demonstrate strength and energy on the debate stage this week to help put to rest questions about the 81-year-old Democrat’s physical and mental acuity. But on the biggest stage in U.S. politics on Thursday night, Biden did not meet their modest expectations. And by the end of the 90-minute affair, the Democratic president’s allies — party strategists and rank-and-file voters alike — panicked about his chances against former President Donald Trump this fall. They cited a debate performance punctuated by repeated stumbles, uncomfortable pauses, and a quiet speaking style that was often difficult to understand. Publicly and privately, Democrats questioned whether the party could or should replace him.
FACT FOCUS: Here's a look at some of the false claims made during Biden and Trump's first debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have met for their first debate of the 2024 season, and there was no shortage of false claims. The Associated Press examined their statements during the 90-minute debate Thursday night. Trump once again falsely asserted that the U.S. had the greatest economy in history during his presidency and spread misleading claims about Jan. 6, migrant crime and the environment. Biden also had some misfires. For example, he overstated it when he asserted that Trump encouraged people to drink bleach to address COVID-19.
Iran votes in snap poll for new president after hard-liner's death, but turnout remains a question
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranians are voting in a snap election to replace the late hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, with the race’s sole reformist candidate vowing to seek “friendly relations” with the West after he cast a ballot in an effort to boost his campaign. The remarks Froday by the cardiac surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian come after he and his allies found themselves targeted by a veiled warning from the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, over outreach to the United States. Pezeshkian’s comments, after the race’s three other hard-line candidates voted, appeared aimed to boost turnout as public apathy has become pervasive in the Islamic Republic after years of economic woes, mass protests and tensions in the Middle East.
Russia warns it can take unspecified measures in response to US drone flights over Black Sea
Russia’s Defense Ministry says officials have been ordered to prepare a response to U.S. drone flights over the Black Sea, in an apparent warning that Moscow may take forceful action to ward off the American reconnaissance aircraft. The Russian Defense Ministry noted an “increased intensity” of U.S. drones over the Black Sea, saying that they “conduct intelligence and targeting for precision weapons supplied to the Ukrainian military by Western countries for dealing strikes on Russian facilities.” Washington and Moscow have clashed before over U.S. drones in the Black Sea. In a 2023 incident, a Russian fighter jet damaged an American drone there, causing it to crash. A repeat of such a confrontation could further fuel tensions over the war in Ukraine.
Bolivia’s president lambasts accusations of a self-coup as 'lies' as his supporters rally
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivian President Luis Arce has denied being behind an attempted coup against him and said the general who apparently led it “acted on his own,” lashing out at accusations that he had asked for the mutiny in a plan to boost his popularity. In his first appearance before the press since the failed apparent coup, Arce called suggestions of a self-coup “lies,” and he added: “I am not a politician that is going to win popularity through the blood of the people.” Arce earlier said his government announced that a total of 17 people had been arrested for their alleged involvement in the attempted coup, including Gen. Juan José Zúñiga.
Survivors of Israel music festival massacre unite to build a healing community
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — In the months since Hamas’ surprise attack sent them scattering across fields or hiding in desert brush, survivors of a massacre at a trance festival in Israel have come together as a community to heal. On Thursday, some 30,000 people attended the Tribe of Nova's first mass gathering since the Oct. 7 attack. The Nova Healing Concert is just one part of a robust network of therapy and support that the survivors have built for themselves in the chaotic months since the attack, as Israeli authorities struggle to provide services to devastated communities.
A father who lost 2 sons in a Boeing Max crash waits to hear if the US will prosecute the company
Families of the 346 people who died in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jetliners are waiting to hear if the Justice Department will prosecute the U.S. aerospace company. In both the October 2018 crash in Indonesia and the March 2019 crash in Ethiopia, software pitched the plane's nose down based on faulty readings from a single sensor. Boeing avoided a trial when prosecutors approved an agreement that meant a felony fraud charge they brought could be dropped in three years. California residents Ike and Susan Riffel lost two sons in the Ethiopia crash. Ike Riffel fears that instead of putting Boeing on trial, the government will offer the company another shot at corporate probation.
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