WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-student-loan-cancellation-forgiveness-college-debt-f469500465aefa66aca67e3b31b27430">latest attempt</a>&nbsp;at student loan cancellation is free to move ahead — at least temporarily — after a judge in Georgia decided that a legal challenge should be handled by a court in Missouri.

Biden’s plan has been on hold since September after seven Republican-led states challenged it in federal court in Georgia. But on Wednesday, a federal judge decided not to extend the pause and instead dismissed Georgia from the lawsuit, finding that it lacked the legal right, or standing, to sue.

U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall opted to send the suit to Missouri, one of the remaining states in the case. On Thursday, those states filed a request asking the Missouri court to block the plan.

Without a new obstacle, the Biden administration could push&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-department-student-loan-debt-forgiveness-fc7bc28332b1b1faec088ae7a02b5f0c">the proposal</a>&nbsp;toward the finish line as soon as Friday. The Education Department would be free to finalize a rule paving the way for cancellation, though it would likely take days or weeks to carry out.

Biden’s plan would cancel at least some student loan debt for an estimated 30 million borrowers.

It would erase up to $20,000 in interest for those who have seen their original balances increase because of runaway interest. It would also provide relief to those who have been repaying their loans for 20 or 25 years, and those who went to college programs that leave graduates with high debt compared to their incomes.

Biden told the Education Department to pursue cancellation through a federal rulemaking process after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-2d6eec61822b9e7a89ff59453d2486a5">rejected an earlier plan</a>&nbsp;using a different legal justification. That plan would have eliminated up to $20,000 for 43 million Americans.

The Supreme Court rejected Biden’s first proposal in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-biden-student-loans-f566c623ccb3f322523d7e0a2f88b0c5">case brought by Republican states</a>&nbsp;including Missouri, which now takes the lead in the latest lawsuit.

In his order Wednesday, Hall said Georgia failed to prove it was significantly harmed by Biden’s new plan. He rejected an argument that the policy would hurt the state’s income tax revenue, but he found that Missouri has “clear standing” to sue.

Missouri is suing on behalf of MOHELA, a student loan servicer that was created by the state and is hired by the federal government to help collect student loans. In the suit, Missouri argues that cancellation would hurt MOHELA's revenue because it's paid based on the number of borrowers it serves.

In their lawsuit, the Republican states argue that the Education Department had quietly been telling loan servicers to prepare for loan cancellation as early as Sept. 9, bypassing a typical 60-day waiting period for new federal rules to take effect.

The courts are now asking the Missouri court to act quickly saying the Education Department could “unlawfully mass cancel up to hundreds of billions of dollars in student loans as soon as Monday.”

Also joining the suit are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota and Ohio.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721337854914.png" alt="File photo White House" />
 <figcaption>File photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-student-loan-cancellation-forgiveness-college-debt-f469500465aefa66aca67e3b31b27430">latest attempt</a>&nbsp;at student loan cancellation is free to move ahead — at least temporarily — after a judge in Georgia decided that a legal challenge should be handled by a court in Missouri.Biden’s plan has been on hold since September after seven Republican-led states challenged it in federal court in Georgia. But on Wednesday, a federal judge decided not to extend the pause and instead dismissed Georgia from the lawsuit, finding that it lacked the legal right, or standing, to sue.U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall opted to send the suit to Missouri, one of the remaining states in the case. On Thursday, those states filed a request asking the Missouri court to block the plan.Without a new obstacle, the Biden administration could push&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-department-student-loan-debt-forgiveness-fc7bc28332b1b1faec088ae7a02b5f0c">the proposal</a>&nbsp;toward the finish line as soon as Friday. The Education Department would be free to finalize a rule paving the way for cancellation, though it would likely take days or weeks to carry out.Biden’s plan would cancel at least some student loan debt for an estimated 30 million borrowers.It would erase up to $20,000 in interest for those who have seen their original balances increase because of runaway interest. It would also provide relief to those who have been repaying their loans for 20 or 25 years, and those who went to college programs that leave graduates with high debt compared to their incomes.Biden told the Education Department to pursue cancellation through a federal rulemaking process after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-2d6eec61822b9e7a89ff59453d2486a5">rejected an earlier plan</a>&nbsp;using a different legal justification. That plan would have eliminated up to $20,000 for 43 million Americans.The Supreme Court rejected Biden’s first proposal in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-biden-student-loans-f566c623ccb3f322523d7e0a2f88b0c5">case brought by Republican states</a>&nbsp;including Missouri, which now takes the lead in the latest lawsuit.In his order Wednesday, Hall said Georgia failed to prove it was significantly harmed by Biden’s new plan. He rejected an argument that the policy would hurt the state’s income tax revenue, but he found that Missouri has “clear standing” to sue.Missouri is suing on behalf of MOHELA, a student loan servicer that was created by the state and is hired by the federal government to help collect student loans. In the suit, Missouri argues that cancellation would hurt MOHELA's revenue because it's paid based on the number of borrowers it serves.In their lawsuit, the Republican states argue that the Education Department had quietly been telling loan servicers to prepare for loan cancellation as early as Sept. 9, bypassing a typical 60-day waiting period for new federal rules to take effect.The courts are now asking the Missouri court to act quickly saying the Education Department could “unlawfully mass cancel up to hundreds of billions of dollars in student loans as soon as Monday.”Also joining the suit are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota and Ohio.

Court allows Biden student loan forgiveness plan to proceed

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Tim Walz</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;will meet for their first and possibly only vice presidential debate Tuesday, in what could be the last debate for both campaigns to argue their case before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the election</a>.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538521-1/simulcast-cbs-news-vice-presidential-debate">Click here to watch </a>a replay via CSPAN courtesy CBS&nbsp;

Both Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, and Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, focused many of their attacks at the top of the ticket, as is traditional for VP debates. They each pointed to the crises of the day as reasons for voters to choose Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump.

Walz, answering a question on whether he'd support a preemptive strike on Iran after it launched missiles at Israel, painted Trump as too dangerous for the country and the world in an unstable moment.

“What’s fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter,” said Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota. "And the world saw it on that debate stage a few weeks ago, a nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment.”

Vance, in his reply, argued that Trump is an intimidating figure whose presence on the international stage is its own deterrent.

“Donald Trump actually delivered stability," he said.

The debate in New York hosted by CBS News opened with a sober tone that reflected growing domestic and international concerns about safety and security. But it gave way to sharper attacks from both Walz and Vance — and a moment in which the moderators stopped the discussion by cutting the two men's mics.

Walz accused Vance and Trump of villainizing legal immigrants in Vance’s home state. He pointed to the fact that Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had to send in extra law enforcement to provide security to the city’s schools after Vance tweeted about and Trump amplified false claims about Haitians eating pets.

“This is what happens when you don’t want to solve it, you demonize it,” Walz said, saying not doing so would allow people to “come together.”

Vance said the 15,000 Haitians in the city had caused housing, economic and other issues that the Biden-Harris administration was ignoring.

When the debate moderators pointed out that the Haitians living there had legal status, Vance protested that CBS News had said its moderators would not be fact-checking, leaving the onus to the candidates. As Vance continued and the moderators tried to move on, his microphone was cut and neither man could be heard.

Both men found unity on Hurricane Helene, which has devastated several states and caused massive flooding in North Carolina in particular. Walz mentioned the storm’s devastation and talked about working with governors across the country, saying they don’t let politics get in the way of collaborating.

The question about Hurricane Helene led to a moment of political comity as Vance said, “I’m sure Gov. Walz joins me in saying our hearts go out to those innocent people.”

The two Midwesterners struck a noticeably friendlier tone than matchup between Trump and Harris — or, earlier this year, Trump and President Joe Biden before he dropped out of the race.

When they first turned to immigration and the influx of migrants coming over the U.S.-Mexico border, one of the most heated topics of the campaign, the two men credited each other with having good intentions.

“I believe Senator Vance wants to solve this, but by standing with Donald Trump and not working together to find a solution, it becomes a talking point and when it becomes a talking point like this, we dehumanize and villainize other human beings,” Walz said.

Vance echoed the sentiment, saying, “I think you want to solve this problem, but I don’t think that Kamala Harris does.”

Polls have shown Harris and Trump locked in a close contest,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vice-presidential-debate-walz-vance-explainer-campaign-918bc02012b4ec00c3b283fa40f654cd">giving added weight</a>&nbsp;to anything that can sway voters on the margins, including the impression left by the vice presidential candidates. It also might be the last debate of the campaign,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rules-out-third-debate-harris-8ac8051f3247f79f6508d40fbcb138a1">with the Harris and Trump teams failing to agree on another meeting</a>.

The role of a presidential running mate is typically to serve as an attack dog for the person at the top of the ticket, arguing against the opposing presidential candidate and their proxy on stage. Both Vance and Walz have embraced that role.

Early Tuesday night, Vance was giving a largely measured performance instead of assuming his combative persona from the campaign trail or in media interviews.

Walz, meanwhile, did not deploy the arsenal of folksy zingers that excited Democrats when he was named as Harris’ running mate.

Vance's occasionally confrontational interviews and appearances have underscored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-vice-presidential-debate-vance-7bb8f1cef04af4f42ebc53571f5ebb36">why Trump picked him for the Republican ticket</a>&nbsp;despite his past biting criticisms of the former president, including once suggesting Trump would be “America’s Hitler.”

“When you get something wrong and you change your mind, you ought to be honest with the American people,” he said Tuesday.

Walz had catapulted onto Harris’ campaign by branding Trump and Republicans as “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-trump-vance-weird-c54d506d1f533ee7aa455f7b500322c5">just weird</a>,” creating an attack line for Democrats seeking to argue Republicans are disconnected from the American people.

He was pressed Tuesday on his misleading claim,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-china-tiananmen-square-protests-8d433bf7184e8c430aa31d1f5460fe87">which was investigated</a>&nbsp;this week by Minnesota Public Radio and other outlets, that he was in Hong Kong during the turbulence surrounding the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, part of a broader pattern of inaccuracies that Republicans hope to exploit.

Confronted with his misstatements about his travels to China years ago, Walz defended himself by saying, “I’ve not been perfect.” In fact, he said, “I’m a knucklehead at times.” Eventually, he acknowledged he misspoke about his history.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-jd-vance-tim-walz-vice-president-97a3dc3b00741b02bcea85b51e735c12">new AP-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;found that Walz is better liked than Vance, potentially giving the Republican an added challenge.

Trump, on Tuesday evening, said his advice to Vance was to “have a lot of fun” and praised his running mate as a “smart guy” and “a real warrior.”

The debate in New York hosted by CBS News will give Vance, a Republican freshman senator from Ohio, and Walz, a two-term Democratic governor of Minnesota, the chance to introduce themselves, make the case for their running mates, and go on the attack against the opposing ticket.

Tuesday's matchup could have an outsized impact. Polls have shown Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump locked in a close contest,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vice-presidential-debate-walz-vance-explainer-campaign-918bc02012b4ec00c3b283fa40f654cd">giving added weight</a>&nbsp;to anything that can sway voters on the margins, including the impression left by the vice presidential candidates. It also might be the last debate of the campaign,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rules-out-third-debate-harris-8ac8051f3247f79f6508d40fbcb138a1">with the Harris and Trump teams failing to agree on another meeting</a>.

Vance's occasionally confrontational news interviews and appearances on the campaign trail have underscored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-vice-presidential-debate-vance-7bb8f1cef04af4f42ebc53571f5ebb36">why Trump picked him for the Republican ticket</a>&nbsp;despite his past biting criticisms of the former president, including once suggesting Trump would be “America’s Hitler.”

Walz, meanwhile, catapulted onto Harris’ campaign by branding Trump and Republicans as “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-trump-vance-weird-c54d506d1f533ee7aa455f7b500322c5">just weird</a>,” creating an attack line for Democrats seeking to argue Republicans are disconnected from the American people.

After a Harris-Trump debate in which Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-abc-muir-debate-80459d35f25c8fd3207c558bdb7e2339">complained about the ABC News moderators fact-checking Trump</a>, Tuesday's debate will not feature any corrections from the hosts. CBS News said the onus for pointing out misstatements will be on the candidates, with moderators “facilitating those opportunities.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727831426274.png" alt="Image courtesy CBS via CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy CBS via CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure> NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Tim Walz</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;will meet for their first and possibly only vice presidential debate Tuesday, in what could be the last debate for both campaigns to argue their case before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the election</a>.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538521-1/simulcast-cbs-news-vice-presidential-debate">Click here to watch </a>a replay via CSPAN courtesy CBS&nbsp;Both Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, and Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, focused many of their attacks at the top of the ticket, as is traditional for VP debates. They each pointed to the crises of the day as reasons for voters to choose Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump.Walz, answering a question on whether he'd support a preemptive strike on Iran after it launched missiles at Israel, painted Trump as too dangerous for the country and the world in an unstable moment.“What’s fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter,” said Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota. "And the world saw it on that debate stage a few weeks ago, a nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment.”Vance, in his reply, argued that Trump is an intimidating figure whose presence on the international stage is its own deterrent.“Donald Trump actually delivered stability," he said.The debate in New York hosted by CBS News opened with a sober tone that reflected growing domestic and international concerns about safety and security. But it gave way to sharper attacks from both Walz and Vance — and a moment in which the moderators stopped the discussion by cutting the two men's mics.Walz accused Vance and Trump of villainizing legal immigrants in Vance’s home state. He pointed to the fact that Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had to send in extra law enforcement to provide security to the city’s schools after Vance tweeted about and Trump amplified false claims about Haitians eating pets.“This is what happens when you don’t want to solve it, you demonize it,” Walz said, saying not doing so would allow people to “come together.”Vance said the 15,000 Haitians in the city had caused housing, economic and other issues that the Biden-Harris administration was ignoring.When the debate moderators pointed out that the Haitians living there had legal status, Vance protested that CBS News had said its moderators would not be fact-checking, leaving the onus to the candidates. As Vance continued and the moderators tried to move on, his microphone was cut and neither man could be heard.Both men found unity on Hurricane Helene, which has devastated several states and caused massive flooding in North Carolina in particular. Walz mentioned the storm’s devastation and talked about working with governors across the country, saying they don’t let politics get in the way of collaborating.The question about Hurricane Helene led to a moment of political comity as Vance said, “I’m sure Gov. Walz joins me in saying our hearts go out to those innocent people.”The two Midwesterners struck a noticeably friendlier tone than matchup between Trump and Harris — or, earlier this year, Trump and President Joe Biden before he dropped out of the race.When they first turned to immigration and the influx of migrants coming over the U.S.-Mexico border, one of the most heated topics of the campaign, the two men credited each other with having good intentions.“I believe Senator Vance wants to solve this, but by standing with Donald Trump and not working together to find a solution, it becomes a talking point and when it becomes a talking point like this, we dehumanize and villainize other human beings,” Walz said.Vance echoed the sentiment, saying, “I think you want to solve this problem, but I don’t think that Kamala Harris does.”<h2>The debate could have outsized impact</h2>Polls have shown Harris and Trump locked in a close contest,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vice-presidential-debate-walz-vance-explainer-campaign-918bc02012b4ec00c3b283fa40f654cd">giving added weight</a>&nbsp;to anything that can sway voters on the margins, including the impression left by the vice presidential candidates. It also might be the last debate of the campaign,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rules-out-third-debate-harris-8ac8051f3247f79f6508d40fbcb138a1">with the Harris and Trump teams failing to agree on another meeting</a>.The role of a presidential running mate is typically to serve as an attack dog for the person at the top of the ticket, arguing against the opposing presidential candidate and their proxy on stage. Both Vance and Walz have embraced that role.Early Tuesday night, Vance was giving a largely measured performance instead of assuming his combative persona from the campaign trail or in media interviews.Walz, meanwhile, did not deploy the arsenal of folksy zingers that excited Democrats when he was named as Harris’ running mate.Vance's occasionally confrontational interviews and appearances have underscored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-vice-presidential-debate-vance-7bb8f1cef04af4f42ebc53571f5ebb36">why Trump picked him for the Republican ticket</a>&nbsp;despite his past biting criticisms of the former president, including once suggesting Trump would be “America’s Hitler.”“When you get something wrong and you change your mind, you ought to be honest with the American people,” he said Tuesday.Walz had catapulted onto Harris’ campaign by branding Trump and Republicans as “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-trump-vance-weird-c54d506d1f533ee7aa455f7b500322c5">just weird</a>,” creating an attack line for Democrats seeking to argue Republicans are disconnected from the American people.He was pressed Tuesday on his misleading claim,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-china-tiananmen-square-protests-8d433bf7184e8c430aa31d1f5460fe87">which was investigated</a>&nbsp;this week by Minnesota Public Radio and other outlets, that he was in Hong Kong during the turbulence surrounding the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, part of a broader pattern of inaccuracies that Republicans hope to exploit.Confronted with his misstatements about his travels to China years ago, Walz defended himself by saying, “I’ve not been perfect.” In fact, he said, “I’m a knucklehead at times.” Eventually, he acknowledged he misspoke about his history.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-jd-vance-tim-walz-vice-president-97a3dc3b00741b02bcea85b51e735c12">new AP-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;found that Walz is better liked than Vance, potentially giving the Republican an added challenge.Trump, on Tuesday evening, said his advice to Vance was to “have a lot of fun” and praised his running mate as a “smart guy” and “a real warrior.”___The debate in New York hosted by CBS News will give Vance, a Republican freshman senator from Ohio, and Walz, a two-term Democratic governor of Minnesota, the chance to introduce themselves, make the case for their running mates, and go on the attack against the opposing ticket.Tuesday's matchup could have an outsized impact. Polls have shown Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump locked in a close contest,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vice-presidential-debate-walz-vance-explainer-campaign-918bc02012b4ec00c3b283fa40f654cd">giving added weight</a>&nbsp;to anything that can sway voters on the margins, including the impression left by the vice presidential candidates. It also might be the last debate of the campaign,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rules-out-third-debate-harris-8ac8051f3247f79f6508d40fbcb138a1">with the Harris and Trump teams failing to agree on another meeting</a>.The role of a presidential running mate is typically to serve as an attack dog for the person at the top of the ticket, arguing against the opposing presidential candidate and their proxy on stage. Both Vance and Walz have embraced that role.Vance's occasionally confrontational news interviews and appearances on the campaign trail have underscored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-vice-presidential-debate-vance-7bb8f1cef04af4f42ebc53571f5ebb36">why Trump picked him for the Republican ticket</a>&nbsp;despite his past biting criticisms of the former president, including once suggesting Trump would be “America’s Hitler.”Walz, meanwhile, catapulted onto Harris’ campaign by branding Trump and Republicans as “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-trump-vance-weird-c54d506d1f533ee7aa455f7b500322c5">just weird</a>,” creating an attack line for Democrats seeking to argue Republicans are disconnected from the American people.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-jd-vance-tim-walz-vice-president-97a3dc3b00741b02bcea85b51e735c12">new AP-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;found that Walz is better liked than Vance, potentially giving the Republican an added challenge.After a Harris-Trump debate in which Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-harris-abc-muir-debate-80459d35f25c8fd3207c558bdb7e2339">complained about the ABC News moderators fact-checking Trump</a>, Tuesday's debate will not feature any corrections from the hosts. CBS News said the onus for pointing out misstatements will be on the candidates, with moderators “facilitating those opportunities.”

🎥Walz and Vance face to face: CBS News Vice Presidential debate

SEWARD COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal accident that occurred just after 8p.m. Sunday in Seward County have identified the two who died as 61-year-old Adam J. Flores and 42-year-old Deanna M. Flores both of Bangor Maine.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Adam Flores was pushing Deanna Flores in a wheelchair at Western Avenue near U.S. 54  and Seward County Road 3 and attempted to cross the railroad crossing while the crossing arms were down and warning signals were active.

 They were struck by a Union Pacific Train.&nbsp; Both were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Miller Mortuary.&nbsp; The KHP did not report the relationship between the victims.&nbsp; The engineer and and conductor on the train from Texas were not injured.

SEWARD COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal accident that occurred just after 8p.m. Sunday in Seward County.

The patrol reported a train struck a pedestrian pushing someone in a wheelchair at Western Avenue near U54&nbsp; and Seward County Road 3. The pedestrians attempted to cross the railroad crossing while the crossing arms were down and the warning signals active.&nbsp;

The KHP released no additional details including the names of the victims early Monday. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

SEWARD COUNTY —Authorities investigating a fatal accident that occurred just after 8p.m. Sunday in Seward County have identified the two who died as 61-year-old Adam J. Flores and 42-year-old Deanna M. Flores both of Bangor Maine.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Adam Flores was pushing Deanna Flores in a wheelchair at Western Avenue near U.S. 54 and Seward County Road 3 and attempted to cross the railroad crossing while the crossing arms were down and warning signals were active. They were struck by a Union Pacific Train.&nbsp; Both were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Miller Mortuary.&nbsp; The KHP did not report the relationship between the victims.&nbsp; The engineer and and conductor on the train from Texas were not injured.------------------SEWARD COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal accident that occurred just after 8p.m. Sunday in Seward County.The patrol reported a train struck a pedestrian pushing someone in a wheelchair at Western Avenue near U54&nbsp; and Seward County Road 3. The pedestrians attempted to cross the railroad crossing while the crossing arms were down and the warning signals active.&nbsp;The KHP released no additional details including the names of the victims early Monday. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

KHP: Train struck pedestrians pushing wheelchair across track

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;faced each other on the debate stage Tuesday night for the first and possibly the last time.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538053-1/simulcast-abc-news-presidential-debate">Click here to watch a </a>replay of the simulcast of the debate courtesy ABC and CSPAN&nbsp;

Harris, the Democratic vice president who is a former courtroom prosecutor, was eager to prosecute&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fcb3329def3d47b58b1ef735ea18b0a3">Trump’s glaring liabilities</a>. But she also was tasked with re-reintroducing herself to voters, who are still getting to know her as the party's presidential nominee.

Trump, a Republican now in his third presidential election, was set on painting Harris as an out-of-touch liberal. He also tried to win over skeptical suburban voters — many of them women — turned off by Trump's brash leadership style and his penchant for personal insults.

The 90-minute debate played out inside Philadelphia’s National Constitutional Center. In accordance with rules negotiated by both campaigns, there was no live audience and the candidates' microphones were muted when it was not their turn to speak.

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;will debate for the first — and perhaps, last — time on Tuesday night as the presidential candidates fight to sway voters on the biggest stage in U.S. politics.

The meeting comes just 75 days after President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance triggered a political earthquake that ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">forced him from the race</a>. Few expect such a transformative result this time, but Trump is on a mission to end Harris’ “honeymoon.”

Harris, a former courtroom prosecutor, will enter the night with relatively high expectations against a Republican opponent with 34 felony convictions and a penchant for false statements. The question is whether Harris, who did not particularly stand out during primary debates in her 2020 presidential campaign, can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fcb3329def3d47b58b1ef735ea18b0a3">prosecute Trump’s glaring liabilities</a>&nbsp;in a face-to-face meeting on live television with the world watching.

The 90-minute meeting begins at 8 p.m. CST Tuesday inside Philadelphia’s National Constitutional Center. It will be moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. In accordance with rules negotiated by both campaigns, there will be no live audience.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726016863083.png" alt="Image courtesy ABC via CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy ABC via CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;faced each other on the debate stage Tuesday night for the first and possibly the last time.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538053-1/simulcast-abc-news-presidential-debate">Click here to watch a </a>replay of the simulcast of the debate courtesy ABC and CSPAN&nbsp;Harris, the Democratic vice president who is a former courtroom prosecutor, was eager to prosecute&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fcb3329def3d47b58b1ef735ea18b0a3">Trump’s glaring liabilities</a>. But she also was tasked with re-reintroducing herself to voters, who are still getting to know her as the party's presidential nominee.Trump, a Republican now in his third presidential election, was set on painting Harris as an out-of-touch liberal. He also tried to win over skeptical suburban voters — many of them women — turned off by Trump's brash leadership style and his penchant for personal insults.The 90-minute debate played out inside Philadelphia’s National Constitutional Center. In accordance with rules negotiated by both campaigns, there was no live audience and the candidates' microphones were muted when it was not their turn to speak.--------------NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;will debate for the first — and perhaps, last — time on Tuesday night as the presidential candidates fight to sway voters on the biggest stage in U.S. politics.The meeting comes just 75 days after President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance triggered a political earthquake that ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">forced him from the race</a>. Few expect such a transformative result this time, but Trump is on a mission to end Harris’ “honeymoon.”Harris, a former courtroom prosecutor, will enter the night with relatively high expectations against a Republican opponent with 34 felony convictions and a penchant for false statements. The question is whether Harris, who did not particularly stand out during primary debates in her 2020 presidential campaign, can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fcb3329def3d47b58b1ef735ea18b0a3">prosecute Trump’s glaring liabilities</a>&nbsp;in a face-to-face meeting on live television with the world watching.The 90-minute meeting begins at 8 p.m. CST Tuesday inside Philadelphia’s National Constitutional Center. It will be moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. In accordance with rules negotiated by both campaigns, there will be no live audience.

🎥 Harris and Trump face to face: ABC News Presidential Debate 

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday announced 92 additions to its list of Americans banned from entering the country, including some journalists who formerly worked in Russia, and U.S. law-enforcement and business figures.

A ministry statement said the bans were imposed “in response to the Russophobic course pursued by the Biden administration with the declared goal of ‘inflicting a strategic defeat on Moscow’.”

It said the banned journalists represent “leading liberal-globalist publications involved in the production and dissemination of ‘fakes’ about Russia and the Russian armed forces.”

The new list of banned Americans includes 11 current or former staff members of the Wall Street Journal — including its editor Emma Tucker. She had repeatedly criticized Russia for the arrest and conviction on espionage charges of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich, who spent 16 months behind bars before being released in August in a wide Russia-West prisoner exchange.

The ban has also been imposed on five New York Times journalists, including Kyiv bureau chief Andrew Kramer, and four from The Washington Post.

Other Americans on the list include people working for law enforcement agencies, academics, and figures from business and think tanks.

Russia has banned more than 2,000 Americans from entry, according to a ministry list.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="File photo Russian President Vladimir Putin (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)" />
 <figcaption>File photo Russian President Vladimir Putin (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday announced 92 additions to its list of Americans banned from entering the country, including some journalists who formerly worked in Russia, and U.S. law-enforcement and business figures.A ministry statement said the bans were imposed “in response to the Russophobic course pursued by the Biden administration with the declared goal of ‘inflicting a strategic defeat on Moscow’.”It said the banned journalists represent “leading liberal-globalist publications involved in the production and dissemination of ‘fakes’ about Russia and the Russian armed forces.”The new list of banned Americans includes 11 current or former staff members of the Wall Street Journal — including its editor Emma Tucker. She had repeatedly criticized Russia for the arrest and conviction on espionage charges of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich, who spent 16 months behind bars before being released in August in a wide Russia-West prisoner exchange.The ban has also been imposed on five New York Times journalists, including Kyiv bureau chief Andrew Kramer, and four from The Washington Post.Other Americans on the list include people working for law enforcement agencies, academics, and figures from business and think tanks.Russia has banned more than 2,000 Americans from entry, according to a ministry list.

Russia bans more Americans from the country, including journalists

GARDNER, Kansas. –&nbsp;Ricardo Marin-Valadez, a minimum-custody resident of Johnson County Adult Residential Center (ARC) has been apprehended, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Marin-Valadez was taken into custody Sunday night by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. He was arrested without incident on the Kansas Department of Corrections escape warrant.

Marin-Valadez was placed on escape status after not reporting for his scheduled shift Friday morning or returning to the (ARC).

JOHNSON COUNTY –&nbsp; Ricardo Marin-Valadez was placed on escape status at approximately 6:00 p.m. on Friday, after not reporting to his job or returning to the facility, according to the&nbsp;Kansas Department of Corrections.

Marin-Valadez, a 24-year-old Hispanic male, was reported missing when the resident could not be located at the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC). This walkaway does not impact the facility's security or operations.

Marin-Valadez is described as 5-foot 11-inches, and weighs 206 pounds, with a heavy build. He has brown hair and eyes and was last seen wearing black t-shirt and camouflage shorts.

Marin-Valadez was convicted in Johnson County for drug-related convictions. He is serving a 15-month sentence at the ARC, from which he walked away. Under an agreement between the KDOC and JCDOC, residents with release plans appropriate to Johnson County are housed at the ARC.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723306461184.png" alt="Marin-Valadez photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Marin-Valadez photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>GARDNER, Kansas. –&nbsp;Ricardo Marin-Valadez, a minimum-custody resident of Johnson County Adult Residential Center (ARC) has been apprehended, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.Marin-Valadez was taken into custody Sunday night by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. He was arrested without incident on the Kansas Department of Corrections escape warrant.Marin-Valadez was placed on escape status after not reporting for his scheduled shift Friday morning or returning to the (ARC).---------JOHNSON COUNTY –&nbsp; Ricardo Marin-Valadez was placed on escape status at approximately 6:00 p.m. on Friday, after not reporting to his job or returning to the facility, according to the&nbsp;Kansas Department of Corrections.Marin-Valadez, a 24-year-old Hispanic male, was reported missing when the resident could not be located at the Johnson County Department of Corrections (JCDOC) Adult Residential Center (ARC). This walkaway does not impact the facility's security or operations.Marin-Valadez is described as 5-foot 11-inches, and weighs 206 pounds, with a heavy build. He has brown hair and eyes and was last seen wearing black t-shirt and camouflage shorts.Marin-Valadez was convicted in Johnson County for drug-related convictions. He is serving a 15-month sentence at the ARC, from which he walked away. Under an agreement between the KDOC and JCDOC, residents with release plans appropriate to Johnson County are housed at the ARC.

Inmate who walked away from Kan. prison captured in Missouri

ROOKS COUNTY – Robert Lindsey has been found and is safe, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The Silver Alert is canceled. The KBI released no additional details.

ROOKS COUNTY – The Rooks County Sheriff’s Department requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Stockton man.

The whereabouts of Robert Lindsey, 89, are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him. Lindsey was last seen leaving his residence at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday August 10. 

Lindsey is believed to be driving a Grey or Silver Chevy Trailblazer with Kansas license plate 640RSJ.

Lindsey is 5 feet 9 inches tall, 185 pounds, gray hair with blue eyes.If you see him, please call dispatch at (785) 425-6312.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723337328879.png" alt="Robert Lindsey courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Robert Lindsey courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>ROOKS COUNTY – Robert Lindsey has been found and is safe, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The Silver Alert is canceled. The KBI released no additional details.-----------ROOKS COUNTY – The Rooks County Sheriff’s Department requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Stockton man.The whereabouts of Robert Lindsey, 89, are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him. Lindsey was last seen leaving his residence at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday August 10. Lindsey is believed to be driving a Grey or Silver Chevy Trailblazer with Kansas license plate 640RSJ.Lindsey is 5 feet 9 inches tall, 185 pounds, gray hair with blue eyes.If you see him, please call dispatch at (785) 425-6312.&nbsp;

KBI: Silver Alert canceled, missing Stockton man located

CLAY COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 1:30p.m. Saturday in Clay County.

A vehicle was southbound on Kansas 15 one mile north of 30th road. The vehicle struck a northbound vehicle that turned in front of the southbound vehicle while making a westbound turn on Kansas 9 Highway.

Both vehicles came to rest on Kansas 15. The KHP released no additional details early Sunday. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

CLAY COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 1:30p.m. Saturday in Clay County.A vehicle was southbound on Kansas 15 one mile north of 30th road. The vehicle struck a northbound vehicle that turned in front of the southbound vehicle while making a westbound turn on Kansas 9 Highway.Both vehicles came to rest on Kansas 15. The KHP released no additional details early Sunday. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

KHP investigating fatal 2-vehicle crash

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —The Silver Alert for missing 87-year-old Frances Kraft has been canceled, according to the Leavenworth County Sheriff's office. She was found safe and is now with family who are taking her home.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has issued a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Lansing woman.

The whereabouts of 87-year-old Frances M. Kraft, are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate her. Kraft was last seen at her Lansing home at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1. It is believed she was at the Dillons grocery store in Leavenworth until around 11:30 a.m., but she has not returned home. 

She was driving a maroon 2002 Honda Accord bearing tag 9049AEU.

Kraft is a white female who is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs around 135 pounds. She has hazel  eyes, grey hair, and wears glasses. Kraft was last seen wearing a light blue button-up blouse, white jeans and tennis shoes. Kraft has dementia.

If you see Frances Kraft, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about her whereabouts, please call the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office at (913) 682-5724.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722547216775.png" alt="Frances Kraft&nbsp;was driving a maroon 2002 Honda Accord bearing tag 9049AEU." />
 <figcaption>Frances Kraft&nbsp;was driving a maroon 2002 Honda Accord bearing tag 9049AEU.</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —The Silver Alert for missing 87-year-old Frances Kraft has been canceled, according to the Leavenworth County Sheriff's office. She was found safe and is now with family who are taking her home.-------------------LEAVENWORTH COUNTY —The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has issued a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Lansing woman.The whereabouts of 87-year-old Frances M. Kraft, are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate her. Kraft was last seen at her Lansing home at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1. It is believed she was at the Dillons grocery store in Leavenworth until around 11:30 a.m., but she has not returned home. She was driving a maroon 2002 Honda Accord bearing tag 9049AEU.Kraft is a white female who is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs around 135 pounds. She has hazel eyes, grey hair, and wears glasses. Kraft was last seen wearing a light blue button-up blouse, white jeans and tennis shoes. Kraft has dementia.If you see Frances Kraft, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about her whereabouts, please call the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office at (913) 682-5724.

KBI: Silver Alert canceled, missing Kan. woman found safe

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Just before 4p.m. Tuesday, police reported they located the black Volkswagon Passat and two individuals are currently in custody, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

Police are still looking for the puppy and ask the public to assist with any information they may have. The investigation is ongoing.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a car theft with a dog in the vehicle and asking the public for help to find the car.

Just after 5:30a.m. Tuesday, the black Volkswagon Passat with Kansas tag number 0806ABC, was reportedly stolen from the Kwik Shop at SW 6th&nbsp;and Macvicar in Topeka, according to Topeka Police.

It was also determined there was a puppy inside the vehicle at the time it was stolen. Police released recent photos of the vehicle and the dog.

If you see this vehicle or have any information about where the vehicle may be, call 911 or report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722349064686.png" alt="Volkswagon Passat with Kansas tag number 0806ABC" />
 <figcaption>Volkswagon Passat with Kansas tag number 0806ABC</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Just before 4p.m. Tuesday, police reported they located the black Volkswagon Passat and two individuals are currently in custody, according to police spokesperson Rosie Nichols.Police are still looking for the puppy and ask the public to assist with any information they may have. The investigation is ongoing.-------------SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a car theft with a dog in the vehicle and asking the public for help to find the car.Just after 5:30a.m. Tuesday, the black Volkswagon Passat with Kansas tag number 0806ABC, was reportedly stolen from the Kwik Shop at SW 6th&nbsp;and Macvicar in Topeka, according to Topeka Police.It was also determined there was a puppy inside the vehicle at the time it was stolen. Police released recent photos of the vehicle and the dog.If you see this vehicle or have any information about where the vehicle may be, call 911 or report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007.

Search for puppy continues: Police locate stolen car, make arrests

WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of the Secret Service said Tuesday he “cannot defend” why the roof used by the gunman in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was not secured.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?537370-1/secret-service-fbi-officials-testify-attempted-assassination-fmr-pres-trump">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch a replay of the hearing

Ronald Rowe, testifying before two Senate committees, said recently traveled to the Pennsylvania shooting site and “What I saw made me ashamed.”

The FBI’s No. 2 official said a social media account believed to be associated with the gunman suspected in the assassination attempt espoused political violence and included antisemitic and anti-immigrant sentiment. The posts were from the 2019 and 2020 timeframe, when the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, would have been in high school.

Senate lawmakers are grilling the officials about law enforcement lapses in the hours before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;of Trump in the latest in a series of congressional hearings dedicated to the shooting.

Rowe became acting director of the agency last week after Kimberly Cheatle resigned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-director-trump-rally-8b1b13cece2ff25590c81093032dceb4">in the aftermath of a House hearing</a>&nbsp;in which she was berated by lawmakers and failed to answer specific questions about the communication failures preceding the July 13 shooting.

Rowe is being joined by FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate at a joint hearing of the Senate committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security.

“If this happened in the military, a lot of people would be fired,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. "And if a lot of people are not fired, the system failed yet again.

He added: “Nothing’s going to change until somebody loses their job.”

The hearing comes one day after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-9c3838fcf9753b3e61caf97804112fca">FBI released new details about its investigation into the shooting</a>, revealing that the gunman had looked online for information about mass shootings, power plants, improvised explosive devices and the May assassination attempt of the Slovakian prime minister.

The FBI also said that Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has agreed to be interviewed by agents as a crime victim.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bullet-shrapnel-ronny-jackson-christopher-wray-cb780b9d1a078f0be4191682e75101cf">The bureau said last week</a>&nbsp;that the former president had been struck in the ear by a bullet or fragment of one. Trump said Monday evening that he expected that interview to take place on Thursday.

But most of the questions Tuesday are expected to be directed at Rowe as lawmakers demand answers about how Crooks was able to get so close to Trump. Investigators believe Crooks fired eight shots in Trump's direction from an AR-style rifle after scaling the roof of a building of some 135 meters (147 yards) from where Trump was speaking in Butler, Pennsylvania.

One rallygoer was killed, and two others were injured. Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

At her hearing last week, Cheatle said the Secret Service had “failed” in its mission to protect Trump. She called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades and vowed to “move heaven and earth” to get to the bottom of what went wrong and make sure there’s no repeat of it.

Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the rally. She also revealed that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally.

Cheatle said she apologized to Trump in a phone call after the assassination attempt.

In a Monday night interview on Fox News Channel, Trump defended the Secret Service agents who protected him from the shooting but said that someone should have been on the roof with Crooks and that there should have been better communication with local police.

“They didn’t speak to each other," he said.

He praised the sniper who killed Crooks with what he said was an amazing shot but noted: “It would have been good if it was nine seconds sooner.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of the Secret Service says he “cannot defend” why the roof used by the gunman in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was not secured.

Ronald Rowe is testifying Tuesday before two Senate committees. Rowe says he recently traveled to the Pennsylvania shooting site and says what he saw made him ashamed.

The FBI’s No. 2 official says a social media account believed to be associated with the gunman suspected in the assassination attempt espoused political violence and included antisemitic and anti-immigrant sentiment. The posts were from the 2019 and 2020 timeframe, when the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, would have been in high school.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate lawmakers on Tuesday are expected to grill the acting director of the Secret Service about law enforcement lapses in the hours before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;of former President Donald Trump in the latest in a series of congressional hearings dedicated to the shooting.

Ronald Rowe became acting director of the agency last week after his predecessor, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-director-trump-rally-8b1b13cece2ff25590c81093032dceb4">in the aftermath of a House hearing</a>&nbsp;in which she was berated by lawmakers from both parties and failed to answer specific questions about the communication failures preceding the July 13 shooting.

Rowe will be joined by FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate at a joint hearing of the Senate committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security.

The hearing comes one day after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-9c3838fcf9753b3e61caf97804112fca">FBI released new details about its investigation into the shooting</a>, revealing that the gunman,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks,</a>&nbsp;had looked online for information about mass shootings, power plants, improvised explosive devices and the May assassination attempt of the Slovakian prime minister.

The FBI also said that Trump has agreed to be interviewed by agents as a crime victim;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bullet-shrapnel-ronny-jackson-christopher-wray-cb780b9d1a078f0be4191682e75101cf">the bureau said last week</a>&nbsp;that the former president had been struck in the ear by a bullet or fragment of one. Trump said Monday evening that he expected that interview to take place on Thursday.

But the bulk of the questions Tuesday are expected to be directed at Rowe as lawmakers demand answers about how Crooks was able to get so close to Trump. Investigators believe Crooks fired eight shots in Trump's direction from an AR-style rifle after scaling the roof of a building of some 135 meters (147 yards) from where Trump was speaking in Butler, Pennsylvania.

One rallygoer was killed and two others were injured. Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service countersniper.

In a Monday night interview on Fox News, Trump defended the Secret Service agents who protected him from the shooting but said someone should have been on the roof with Crooks and that there should have been better communication with local police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722350953670.png" alt="Image of the roof used by the gunman during testimony from acting director of the Secret Service" />
 <figcaption>Image of the roof used by the gunman during testimony from acting director of the Secret Service</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of the Secret Service said Tuesday he “cannot defend” why the roof used by the gunman in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was not secured.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?537370-1/secret-service-fbi-officials-testify-attempted-assassination-fmr-pres-trump">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch a replay of the hearing<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. Secret Service Acting Director Rowe: &quot;The attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump on Saturday, July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania was a failure on multiple levels.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/M6aKX5qyx5">pic.twitter.com/M6aKX5qyx5</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1818295295119118430?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. Secret Service Acting Director: &quot;Neither the Secret Service counter sniper teams nor members of the former president&#39;s security detail had any knowledge that there was a man on the roof...those personnel were not aware the assailant had a firearm until they heard gunshots.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/t3OU06Hy0p">pic.twitter.com/t3OU06Hy0p</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1818298232792895978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ronald Rowe, testifying before two Senate committees, said recently traveled to the Pennsylvania shooting site and “What I saw made me ashamed.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. Secret Service Acting Director Rowe provides lawmakers with images from the roof where the gunman was and the line of sight issues: &quot;This is what our counter sniper team saw; shooter, no elbows. You barely make out the crown of his head.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LPJ1UIU7mG">pic.twitter.com/LPJ1UIU7mG</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1818305652025933986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">FBI Deputy Director Abbate outlines latest timeline of events leading up to the attempted assassination of former President Trump: &quot;Officers lost sight of the subject from approximately 6:02pm to 6:08pm, but continued to communicate with each other in an attempt top locate him.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/cziC22XFgn">pic.twitter.com/cziC22XFgn</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1818298750713921847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The FBI’s No. 2 official said a social media account believed to be associated with the gunman suspected in the assassination attempt espoused political violence and included antisemitic and anti-immigrant sentiment. The posts were from the 2019 and 2020 timeframe, when the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, would have been in high school.Senate lawmakers are grilling the officials about law enforcement lapses in the hours before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;of Trump in the latest in a series of congressional hearings dedicated to the shooting.Rowe became acting director of the agency last week after Kimberly Cheatle resigned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-director-trump-rally-8b1b13cece2ff25590c81093032dceb4">in the aftermath of a House hearing</a>&nbsp;in which she was berated by lawmakers and failed to answer specific questions about the communication failures preceding the July 13 shooting.Rowe is being joined by FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate at a joint hearing of the Senate committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security.“If this happened in the military, a lot of people would be fired,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. "And if a lot of people are not fired, the system failed yet again.He added: “Nothing’s going to change until somebody loses their job.”The hearing comes one day after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-9c3838fcf9753b3e61caf97804112fca">FBI released new details about its investigation into the shooting</a>, revealing that the gunman had looked online for information about mass shootings, power plants, improvised explosive devices and the May assassination attempt of the Slovakian prime minister.The FBI also said that Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has agreed to be interviewed by agents as a crime victim.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bullet-shrapnel-ronny-jackson-christopher-wray-cb780b9d1a078f0be4191682e75101cf">The bureau said last week</a>&nbsp;that the former president had been struck in the ear by a bullet or fragment of one. Trump said Monday evening that he expected that interview to take place on Thursday.But most of the questions Tuesday are expected to be directed at Rowe as lawmakers demand answers about how Crooks was able to get so close to Trump. Investigators believe Crooks fired eight shots in Trump's direction from an AR-style rifle after scaling the roof of a building of some 135 meters (147 yards) from where Trump was speaking in Butler, Pennsylvania.One rallygoer was killed, and two others were injured. Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service counter-sniper.At her hearing last week, Cheatle said the Secret Service had “failed” in its mission to protect Trump. She called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades and vowed to “move heaven and earth” to get to the bottom of what went wrong and make sure there’s no repeat of it.Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the rally. She also revealed that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally.Cheatle said she apologized to Trump in a phone call after the assassination attempt.In a Monday night interview on Fox News Channel, Trump defended the Secret Service agents who protected him from the shooting but said that someone should have been on the roof with Crooks and that there should have been better communication with local police.“They didn’t speak to each other," he said.He praised the sniper who killed Crooks with what he said was an amazing shot but noted: “It would have been good if it was nine seconds sooner.”------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of the Secret Service says he “cannot defend” why the roof used by the gunman in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was not secured.Ronald Rowe is testifying Tuesday before two Senate committees. Rowe says he recently traveled to the Pennsylvania shooting site and says what he saw made him ashamed.The FBI’s No. 2 official says a social media account believed to be associated with the gunman suspected in the assassination attempt espoused political violence and included antisemitic and anti-immigrant sentiment. The posts were from the 2019 and 2020 timeframe, when the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, would have been in high school.Senate lawmakers are grilling the officials about law enforcement lapses in the hours before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;of Trump in the latest in a series of congressional hearings dedicated to the shooting.Rowe became acting director of the agency last week after Kimberly Cheatle resigned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-director-trump-rally-8b1b13cece2ff25590c81093032dceb4">in the aftermath of a House hearing</a>&nbsp;in which she was berated by lawmakers and failed to answer specific questions about the communication failures preceding the July 13 shooting.Rowe is being joined by FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate at a joint hearing of the Senate committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security.“If this happened in the military, a lot of people would be fired,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. "And if a lot of people are not fired, the system failed yet again.He added: “Nothing’s going to change until somebody loses their job.”The hearing comes one day after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-9c3838fcf9753b3e61caf97804112fca">FBI released new details about its investigation into the shooting</a>, revealing that the gunman had looked online for information about mass shootings, power plants, improvised explosive devices and the May assassination attempt of the Slovakian prime minister.The FBI also said that Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has agreed to be interviewed by agents as a crime victim.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bullet-shrapnel-ronny-jackson-christopher-wray-cb780b9d1a078f0be4191682e75101cf">The bureau said last week</a>&nbsp;that the former president had been struck in the ear by a bullet or fragment of one. Trump said Monday evening that he expected that interview to take place on Thursday.But most of the questions Tuesday are expected to be directed at Rowe as lawmakers demand answers about how Crooks was able to get so close to Trump. Investigators believe Crooks fired eight shots in Trump's direction from an AR-style rifle after scaling the roof of a building of some 135 meters (147 yards) from where Trump was speaking in Butler, Pennsylvania.One rallygoer was killed, and two others were injured. Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service counter-sniper.At her hearing last week, Cheatle said the Secret Service had “failed” in its mission to protect Trump. She called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades and vowed to “move heaven and earth” to get to the bottom of what went wrong and make sure there’s no repeat of it.Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the rally. She also revealed that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally.Cheatle said she apologized to Trump in a phone call after the assassination attempt.In a Monday night interview on Fox News Channel, Trump defended the Secret Service agents who protected him from the shooting but said that someone should have been on the roof with Crooks and that there should have been better communication with local police.“They didn’t speak to each other," he said.He praised the sniper who killed Crooks with what he said was an amazing shot but noted: “It would have been good if it was nine seconds sooner.”--------WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate lawmakers on Tuesday are expected to grill the acting director of the Secret Service about law enforcement lapses in the hours before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">attempted assassination</a>&nbsp;of former President Donald Trump in the latest in a series of congressional hearings dedicated to the shooting.Ronald Rowe became acting director of the agency last week after his predecessor, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/secret-service-director-trump-rally-8b1b13cece2ff25590c81093032dceb4">in the aftermath of a House hearing</a>&nbsp;in which she was berated by lawmakers from both parties and failed to answer specific questions about the communication failures preceding the July 13 shooting.Rowe will be joined by FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate at a joint hearing of the Senate committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security.The hearing comes one day after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-9c3838fcf9753b3e61caf97804112fca">FBI released new details about its investigation into the shooting</a>, revealing that the gunman,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5">20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks,</a>&nbsp;had looked online for information about mass shootings, power plants, improvised explosive devices and the May assassination attempt of the Slovakian prime minister.The FBI also said that Trump has agreed to be interviewed by agents as a crime victim;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-bullet-shrapnel-ronny-jackson-christopher-wray-cb780b9d1a078f0be4191682e75101cf">the bureau said last week</a>&nbsp;that the former president had been struck in the ear by a bullet or fragment of one. Trump said Monday evening that he expected that interview to take place on Thursday.But the bulk of the questions Tuesday are expected to be directed at Rowe as lawmakers demand answers about how Crooks was able to get so close to Trump. Investigators believe Crooks fired eight shots in Trump's direction from an AR-style rifle after scaling the roof of a building of some 135 meters (147 yards) from where Trump was speaking in Butler, Pennsylvania.One rallygoer was killed and two others were injured. Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service countersniper.At her hearing last week, Cheatle said the Secret Service had “failed” in its mission to protect Trump. She called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades and vowed to “move heaven and earth” to get to the bottom of what went wrong and make sure there’s no repeat of it.Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the rally. She also revealed that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally.Cheatle said she apologized to Trump in a phone call after the assassination attempt.In a Monday night interview on Fox News, Trump defended the Secret Service agents who protected him from the shooting but said someone should have been on the roof with Crooks and that there should have been better communication with local police.“They didn’t speak to each other," he said.

🎥Senators grill Secret Service, FBI on Trump assassination attempt

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement continue investigating after an 11-month-old girl was found in the canal in Wichita earlier this week and arrested a Kansas felon in the case&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=320252">34-year-old Vincent Perez&nbsp;</a>.&nbsp; He has been identified as the child's father, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford.

Just after 1p.m. Tueday, police were dispatched to conduct a welfare check in the vicinity of Interstate 135 and Pawnee in Wichita after receiving a report of a child in the canal, according to Officer Kristopher Gupilan.

Officers, with the assistance of the Wichita Fire Department, located the child within the canal. She was safely extracted from the canal and transported to a local hospital for precautionary medical evaluation and later placed into police protective custody, according to Gupilan.&nbsp;

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding how the child ended up in the canal continues.

Police believed Perez had information pertinent to the investigation. On Tuesday night, police asked the public for assistance in locating him for questioning. Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, police booked&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=320252">Perez&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;into the Sedgwick County jail on<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=320252">&nbsp;requested charges of</a>&nbsp;endangering a child, aggravated battery and a parole violation, according to online jail records.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Perez has previous convictions for theft, aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, criminal possession of a weapon and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721927142112.png" alt="Perez-photo Sedgwick Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Perez-photo Sedgwick Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement continue investigating after an 11-month-old girl was found in the canal in Wichita earlier this week and arrested a Kansas felon in the case&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=320252">34-year-old Vincent Perez&nbsp;</a>.&nbsp; He has been identified as the child's father, according to Wichita Police spokesman Andrew Ford.Just after 1p.m. Tueday, police were dispatched to conduct a welfare check in the vicinity of Interstate 135 and Pawnee in Wichita after receiving a report of a child in the canal, according to Officer Kristopher Gupilan.Officers, with the assistance of the Wichita Fire Department, located the child within the canal. She was safely extracted from the canal and transported to a local hospital for precautionary medical evaluation and later placed into police protective custody, according to Gupilan.&nbsp;The investigation into the circumstances surrounding how the child ended up in the canal continues.Police believed Perez had information pertinent to the investigation. On Tuesday night, police asked the public for assistance in locating him for questioning. Just after 11a.m. Wednesday, police booked&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=320252">Perez&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;into the Sedgwick County jail on<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=320252">&nbsp;requested charges of</a>&nbsp;endangering a child, aggravated battery and a parole violation, according to online jail records.&nbsp;&nbsp;Perez has previous convictions for theft, aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, criminal possession of a weapon and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. felon jailed after baby found in canal is the child's father

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal carjacking in Kansas City are&nbsp;attempting to locate have have released images of the truck involved in a fatality

&nbsp;The victim is the registered owner of the vehicle.

Just after 1p.m. Wednesday,&nbsp;a suspect was attempting to steal a white Ford F350 in the&nbsp;2900 Block of Paseo in Kansas City, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

The owner attempted to stop the suspect from stealing the truck.&nbsp; The suspect drove away while dragging the owner with the vehicle. The victim was dislodged from the vehicle. and thrown to the pavement. The suspect left the scene in the stolen Ford without stopping. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to DiMaratino.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721341702302.png" alt="White 1999 Ford F350 2-door Lic# 4YHP39 (MO) VIN: 1FTWX32S0XED4" />
 <figcaption>White 1999 Ford F350 2-door Lic# 4YHP39 (MO) VIN: 1FTWX32S0XED4</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal carjacking in Kansas City are&nbsp;attempting to locate have have released images of the truck involved in a fatality&nbsp;The victim is the registered owner of the vehicle.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721341746351.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 1p.m. Wednesday,&nbsp;a suspect was attempting to steal a white Ford F350 in the&nbsp;2900 Block of Paseo in Kansas City, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.The owner attempted to stop the suspect from stealing the truck.&nbsp; The suspect drove away while dragging the owner with the vehicle. The victim was dislodged from the vehicle. and thrown to the pavement. The suspect left the scene in the stolen Ford without stopping. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to DiMaratino.

KCPD asking for help to locate vehicle in deadly carjacking

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">highly anticipated news conference</a>&nbsp;Thursday to deliver a forceful defense of his foreign and domestic policies, and batted away questions about his ability to serve another four years even as he flubbed a reference to Donald Trump in one of his first answers.

“I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started,” Biden said as he insisted his support among the electorate was strong and he would stay in the race and would win.

Fumbles notwithstanding, the president pushed back at every suggestion that was slowing down or showing noticeable signs of decline, or that he was not in command of the job. But he was facing a growing chorus of calls from lawmakers, celebrities and other prominent Democrats to step aside from the 2024 race.

“My schedule has been full bore,” he declared. “So if I slow down and I cant get the job done, that’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing it. But there’s no indication of that yet — none.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-11-2024">Democrats are facing</a>&nbsp;an intractable problem. Top donors, supporters and key lawmakers are doubtful of Biden’s abilities to carry on his reelection bid after his disastrous June 27 debate performance, but the hard-fighting 81-year-old president refuses to give up as he prepares to take on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;in a rematch.

The first questioner of Biden’s press conference asked about him losing support among many of his fellow Democrats and unionists, and asked about Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden was at first defiant, saying the “UAW endorsed me, but go ahead,” meaning the United Auto Workers. But then he mixed up Harris and Trump, saying, “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be Vice President if she wasn’t qualified."

As of Thursday evening, a dozen House Democrats had called for him to exit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>. The press conference was an effort to show he's up for another four years; voters are watching and elected officials are deciding whether to press for another choice.

Trump weighed in live on Biden’s news conference with a post on his social media network of a video clip of the president saying “Vice President Trump.”

Trump added sarcastically, “Great job, Joe!”

Earlier, Biden's campaign laid out what it sees as its path to keeping the White House in a new memo, saying that winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest pathway” to victory. And it declared no other Democrat would do better against Trump.

“There is also no indication that anyone else would outperform the president vs. Trump,” said the memo from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez that was obtained by The Associated Press.

The memo sought to brush back “hypothetical polling of alternative nominees ” as unreliable and it said such surveys “do not take into account the negative media environment that any Democratic nominee will encounter.”

Meanwhile, the campaign has been quietly surveying voters on Vice President Kamala Harris to determine how she’s viewed among the electorate, according to two people with knowledge of the campaign who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to talk about internal matters.

The people said the polling was not necessarily to show that she could be the nominee in Biden’s place, but rather to better understand how she’s viewed. The research came after Trump stepped up his attacks against Harris following the debate, according to another person familiar with the effort. The survey was first reported by The New York Times.

“I think I’m the best qualified person to do the job,” he said Thursday.

While Biden has expressed confidence in his chances, his campaign on Thursday acknowledged he is behind, and a growing number of the president’s aides in the White House and the campaign privately harbor doubts that he can turn things around.

But they’re taking their cues from Biden, expressing that he is in 100% unless and until he isn’t, and there appears to be no organized internal effort to persuade the president to step aside. His allies were well aware heading into the week there would be more calls for him to step down, and they were prepared for it.

But in announcing a compact that would bring together NATO countries to support Ukraine, Biden referred to the nation’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” to audible gasps in the room. He quickly returned to the microphone: “President Putin - he’s going to beat President Putin ... President Zelenskyy,” Biden said.

Then he said: “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” in an effort to explain the gaffe.

“I’m better” Zelenskyy replied. “You’re a hell of a lot better,” Biden said back.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Biden’s team to meet with senators privately at the lunch hour to discuss concerns and the path forward, but some senators groused they would prefer to hear from the president himself. In the Senate, only Peter Welch of Vermont has so far called for Biden to step out of the race.

The 90-minute conversation with the president's team, which one person said included no new data, polling or game plan on how Biden would beat Trump, did not appear to change senators' minds. The person was granted anonymity to discuss the closed door session.

The meeting was frank, angry at times and also somewhat painful, since many in the room know and love Biden, said one senator who requested anonymity to discuss the private briefing. Senators confronted the advisers over Biden’s performance at the debate and the effect on Senate races this year

One Democrat, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said afterward, “My belief is that the president can win, but he’s got to be able to go out and answer voters' concerns. He’s got to be able to talk to voters directly over the next few day."

At the same time, influential senators are standing strongly with Biden, leaving the party at an impasse.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told AP he thinks Biden "is going to win this election. I think he has a chance to win it big.”

Sanders said he has been publicly critical of the campaign, and said Biden needs to talk more about the future and his plans for the country. “As we come closer to Election Day, the choices are very clear," he said.

__ Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long, Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking, Farnoush Amiri and Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;was scheduled to hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">a news conference</a>&nbsp; at 5:30p.m. CDT Thursday, the key event in a monumental week during which the Democratic incumbent is fending off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-white-house-election-e908d7e27c3baa6cfbbba1d391deec7f">calls for him to step aside as the party's presumptive nominee</a>&nbsp;following a shaky debate performance. The start of the press conference was delayed.

It's just the type of event that many political watchers have said Biden needs to pull off successfully to turn back demands — including from within his own party — that he withdraw from his reelection battle against presumptive Republican nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.

Biden has argued that he had a singularly bad night in Atlanta and that it wasn't representative of his mental acuity. A strong performance Thursday could convince members of his party that he still has the ability both to win in November and to serve a second term. A weak effort — or stumbles similar to his debate performances — could make the calls for him to withdraw grow much louder.

Here are the details on what White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has referenced as Biden's “big boy” news conference:

Biden is scheduled to take questions from the White House press corps at 5:30 p.m. CDT Thursday. 

It had initially been slated for 6:30 p.m., but the White House moved the time to an hour later.

Biden will be speaking from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, a short distance from the White House, where many events of the ongoing NATO summit are being held.

Will Biden know the questions ahead of time?

Aside from some apparent exceptions — like incidents in which two radio hosts said Biden's campaign&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-black-radio-questions-approval-ff92ebeff33df7ef5a87a59f776c981c">sent them planned questions</a>&nbsp;ahead of time — it's not standard practice for the president to know precisely what will come up during interviews or news conferences.

His aides prepare him for a host of possibilities based off the headlines of the day, so they’re prepping him for the likelihood that journalists will want to ask about his fitness for office, the NATO summit or other topics.

That's not set in stone, and there's not a ton of precedent.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">highly anticipated news conference</a>&nbsp;Thursday to deliver a forceful defense of his foreign and domestic policies, and batted away questions about his ability to serve another four years even as he flubbed a reference to Donald Trump in one of his first answers.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4YF3ksozMBw?si=nlBcj3GuY9-xotbs&amp;start=4321" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started,” Biden said as he insisted his support among the electorate was strong and he would stay in the race and would win.Fumbles notwithstanding, the president pushed back at every suggestion that was slowing down or showing noticeable signs of decline, or that he was not in command of the job. But he was facing a growing chorus of calls from lawmakers, celebrities and other prominent Democrats to step aside from the 2024 race.“My schedule has been full bore,” he declared. “So if I slow down and I cant get the job done, that’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing it. But there’s no indication of that yet — none.”<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-biden-trump-campaign-updates-07-11-2024">Democrats are facing</a>&nbsp;an intractable problem. Top donors, supporters and key lawmakers are doubtful of Biden’s abilities to carry on his reelection bid after his disastrous June 27 debate performance, but the hard-fighting 81-year-old president refuses to give up as he prepares to take on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;in a rematch.The first questioner of Biden’s press conference asked about him losing support among many of his fellow Democrats and unionists, and asked about Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden was at first defiant, saying the “UAW endorsed me, but go ahead,” meaning the United Auto Workers. But then he mixed up Harris and Trump, saying, “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be Vice President if she wasn’t qualified."As of Thursday evening, a dozen House Democrats had called for him to exit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">the race</a>. The press conference was an effort to show he's up for another four years; voters are watching and elected officials are deciding whether to press for another choice.Trump weighed in live on Biden’s news conference with a post on his social media network of a video clip of the president saying “Vice President Trump.”Trump added sarcastically, “Great job, Joe!”Earlier, Biden's campaign laid out what it sees as its path to keeping the White House in a new memo, saying that winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest pathway” to victory. And it declared no other Democrat would do better against Trump.“There is also no indication that anyone else would outperform the president vs. Trump,” said the memo from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez that was obtained by The Associated Press.The memo sought to brush back “hypothetical polling of alternative nominees ” as unreliable and it said such surveys “do not take into account the negative media environment that any Democratic nominee will encounter.”Meanwhile, the campaign has been quietly surveying voters on Vice President Kamala Harris to determine how she’s viewed among the electorate, according to two people with knowledge of the campaign who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to talk about internal matters.The people said the polling was not necessarily to show that she could be the nominee in Biden’s place, but rather to better understand how she’s viewed. The research came after Trump stepped up his attacks against Harris following the debate, according to another person familiar with the effort. The survey was first reported by The New York Times.“I think I’m the best qualified person to do the job,” he said Thursday.While Biden has expressed confidence in his chances, his campaign on Thursday acknowledged he is behind, and a growing number of the president’s aides in the White House and the campaign privately harbor doubts that he can turn things around.But they’re taking their cues from Biden, expressing that he is in 100% unless and until he isn’t, and there appears to be no organized internal effort to persuade the president to step aside. His allies were well aware heading into the week there would be more calls for him to step down, and they were prepared for it.But in announcing a compact that would bring together NATO countries to support Ukraine, Biden referred to the nation’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” to audible gasps in the room. He quickly returned to the microphone: “President Putin - he’s going to beat President Putin ... President Zelenskyy,” Biden said.Then he said: “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” in an effort to explain the gaffe.“I’m better” Zelenskyy replied. “You’re a hell of a lot better,” Biden said back.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited Biden’s team to meet with senators privately at the lunch hour to discuss concerns and the path forward, but some senators groused they would prefer to hear from the president himself. In the Senate, only Peter Welch of Vermont has so far called for Biden to step out of the race.The 90-minute conversation with the president's team, which one person said included no new data, polling or game plan on how Biden would beat Trump, did not appear to change senators' minds. The person was granted anonymity to discuss the closed door session.The meeting was frank, angry at times and also somewhat painful, since many in the room know and love Biden, said one senator who requested anonymity to discuss the private briefing. Senators confronted the advisers over Biden’s performance at the debate and the effect on Senate races this yearOne Democrat, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said afterward, “My belief is that the president can win, but he’s got to be able to go out and answer voters' concerns. He’s got to be able to talk to voters directly over the next few day."At the same time, influential senators are standing strongly with Biden, leaving the party at an impasse.Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, told AP he thinks Biden "is going to win this election. I think he has a chance to win it big.”Sanders said he has been publicly critical of the campaign, and said Biden needs to talk more about the future and his plans for the country. “As we come closer to Election Day, the choices are very clear," he said.__ Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long, Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking, Farnoush Amiri and Linley Sanders contributed to this report.------------President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;was scheduled to hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-press-conference-nato-campaign-f213c40509e35ed485ed3c57277ee911">a news conference</a>&nbsp; at 5:30p.m. CDT Thursday, the key event in a monumental week during which the Democratic incumbent is fending off&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-white-house-election-e908d7e27c3baa6cfbbba1d391deec7f">calls for him to step aside as the party's presumptive nominee</a>&nbsp;following a shaky debate performance. The start of the press conference was delayed.It's just the type of event that many political watchers have said Biden needs to pull off successfully to turn back demands — including from within his own party — that he withdraw from his reelection battle against presumptive Republican nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.Biden has argued that he had a singularly bad night in Atlanta and that it wasn't representative of his mental acuity. A strong performance Thursday could convince members of his party that he still has the ability both to win in November and to serve a second term. A weak effort — or stumbles similar to his debate performances — could make the calls for him to withdraw grow much louder.Here are the details on what White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has referenced as Biden's “big boy” news conference:<h2>When is the news conference?</h2>Biden is scheduled to take questions from the White House press corps at 5:30 p.m. CDT Thursday. It had initially been slated for 6:30 p.m., but the White House moved the time to an hour later.<h2>Where is Biden speaking?</h2>Biden will be speaking from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, a short distance from the White House, where many events of the ongoing NATO summit are being held.<h2>Will Biden know the questions ahead of time?</h2>Aside from some apparent exceptions — like incidents in which two radio hosts said Biden's campaign&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-black-radio-questions-approval-ff92ebeff33df7ef5a87a59f776c981c">sent them planned questions</a>&nbsp;ahead of time — it's not standard practice for the president to know precisely what will come up during interviews or news conferences.His aides prepare him for a host of possibilities based off the headlines of the day, so they’re prepping him for the likelihood that journalists will want to ask about his fitness for office, the NATO summit or other topics.<h2>How many questions will he take?</h2>That's not set in stone, and there's not a ton of precedent.Biden hasn’t held very many news conferences that aren’t tied to a foreign leader’s visit or trips abroad. Typically, those are what’s known in the business as a “2+2,” meaning two reporters from the U.S. and two foreign reporters ask questions.<h2>What's up next?</h2>Biden returns to the campaign trail with a trip to Michigan Friday. He will also do an interview with NBC on Monday.

Misc