From takeaways of the latest indictment of Donald Trump, to Pink's performance of "Nothing Compares 2 U", here are the top national stories from the past week.
Pink sings Nothing Compares 2 U as tribute to Sinéad O'Connor
Oppenheimer's Grandson Blasts Scene In Christopher Nolan Movie
Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens dies from cancer at 70
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian whose character Pee-wee Herman became a cultural phenomenon through films and TV shows, has died.
Reubens died Sunday night after a six-year struggle with cancer that he did not make public, his publicist said in a statement.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens said in a statement released with the announcement of his death. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”
Here's why gas prices keep climbing and what to expect next
NEW YORK — Drivers are in for another headache at the pump as U.S. gas prices continue to rise.
The national average for gas prices stood at about $3.82 a gallon on Thursday — almost 30 cents higher than that seen one month ago, according to motor club AAA. While today's prices at the pump remain far lower than they were last year, when energy costs soared worldwide in the months following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, experts say such a jump is unusual.
"Usually it takes a hurricane to move prices that much," said AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross, who said the rise is especially interesting as "fewer people are are fueling up" their cars this summer compared to years past.
In the U.S., gasoline prices are highly dependent on crude oil. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, has stayed above $80 per barrel since Thursday, standing at over $81 as of Tuesday afternoon. That marks a $12 jump since July 3, according to OPIS global head of energy analysis Tom Kloza.
There are a few factors causing oil prices to rise, Gross and Kloza say, including global supply production cuts and impacts of this summer's extreme heat on refineries.
Here's what you need to know:
WHY ARE GAS PRICES RISING? BLAME THE HEAT AND PRODUCTION CUTS
This summer's record temperatures are partly to blame for the rising gas prices.
"While the heat may be keeping people home, it's also keeps refineries from making refined product," Gross explained, noting that refineries are typically designed to operate between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit (0 and 35 degrees Celsius). "They don't like temperature extremes because they're inherently dangerous places... So they dial back the production for safety purposes, but that then constrains supply."
According to Kloza, there are about 10 million daily barrels of U.S. refining capacity on the Gulf Coast. The heat wave has caused those refineries to operate below normal capacity — resulting in a loss of hundreds of thousands of barrels each day, he said.
Still, "the fact that some refineries are struggling has meant that the ones who are able to operate are making really nice profits," he said. Today's U.S. domestic demand is about 9 million barrels a day, about a half a million below expectations for peak summer months, but the country is exporting a lot of gasoline, he added.
Beyond the heat, Kloza pointed to crude supply cuts from major producing countries in the OPEC+ alliance. In July, for example, Saudi Arabia starting reducing how much oil it sends to the global economy by 1 million barrels each day. Russia is also exporting less, he said.
The cuts aren't OPEC-wide, Gross noted. As inflation eases, he suspects that better economic prospects may also be putting pressure on oil worldwide.
***
WHICH STATES HAVE THE HIGHEST GAS PRICES TODAY?
As always, certain parts of the U.S. are facing high gas prices than others — due to factors ranging from routine maintenance at regional refineries to limited supplies in some states.
On Tuesday, according to the AAA, California had the highest gas prices in the nation at an average of $5.01 a gallon. Washington and Oregon followed at $4.96 and $4.92, respectively.
Mississippi had the lowest average at about $3.29 per gallon, followed by $3.39 in Louisiana and and $3.40 in Alabama.
***
WILL GAS PRICES CONTINUE TO CLIMB?
It's hard to know what gas prices will look like in the coming weeks, experts say.
While relief from the heat can hopefully be expected as we enter the fall, both Gross and Kloza pointed to risk of hurricanes — which, of course, leads refineries to power down.
"If you could guarantee we're not going to have tropical storm force or hurricane winds in the Gulf of Mexico, I'd say it's going to be clear sailing for the rest of the year. But that's a real fly in the ointment," Kloza said, pointing to the unprecedented water temperatures the region has seen recently.
***
HOW CAN I SAVE GAS?
If you're looking to save money and cut back on trips to the pump, there are a few ways you can maximize your mileage per gallon.
One important habit is staying on top of getting your tire pressure checked, Gross said. In addition to safety risks, low tire pressure is "not maximizing your fuel efficiency," costing you more money down the road, he said.
AAA offers additional gas saving tips — which include using cruise control when possible, not overfilling your tank at the pump and removing unneeded items in your car's trunk to cut down on excess weight.
23 of 2023's most gas-guzzling cars
23 of 2023's most gas-guzzling cars
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Donald Trump charged by Justice Department for efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss
Donald Trump was charged Tuesday in a Justice Department investigation into his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, a frantic but ultimately failed endeavor that culminated in the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol.
The indictment, the third criminal case brought against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House in 2024, follows a long-running federal investigation into schemes by Trump and his allies to subvert the peaceful transfer of power and keep him in office despite a decisive loss to Joe Biden.
The criminal case comes while Trump leads the field of Republicans vying to capture their party’s presidential nomination. It is sure to be dismissed by the former president and his supporters — and even some of his rivals — as just another politically motivated prosecution. Yet the charges stem from one of the most serious threats to American democracy in modern history.
They focus on the turbulent two months after the November 2020 election in which Trump refused to accept his loss and spread lies that victory was stolen from him. The turmoil resulted in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump loyalists violently broke into the building, attacked police officers and disrupted the congressional counting of electoral votes.
In between the election and the riot, Trump urged local election officials to undo voting results in their states, pressured former Vice President Mike Pence to halt the certification of electoral votes and falsely claimed that the election had been stolen — a notion repeatedly rejected by judges.
The indictment had been expected since Trump said in mid-July that the Justice Department informed him he was a target of its long-running Jan. 6 investigation. A bipartisan House committee that spent months investigating the run-up to the Capitol riot also recommended prosecuting Trump on charges, including aiding an insurrection and obstructing an official proceeding.
By ERIC TUCKER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN - Associated Press
Photos: Trump indictment shows documents stacked in bathroom, bedroom, ballroom
Trump indictment takeaways: The Pence memos, late-night calls, duped 'electors' and the co-conspirators
WASHINGTON — The federal indictment of Donald Trump on Tuesday marks the first time that the former president has been formally held accountable for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. And it adds new details to what was already known about his actions, and those of his key allies, in the weeks leading up to the violent Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
Read the full indictment here:
The newest charges — Trump's third criminal indictment this year — include conspiracy to defraud the United States government and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, the congressional certification of President Joe Biden's victory. It describes how Trump repeatedly told supporters and others that he had won the election, despite knowing that was false, and how he tried to persuade state officials, his own vice president and finally Congress to overturn the legitimate results.
Due to the "dishonesty, fraud and deceit" by Trump and some of his closest allies, the indictment says, his supporters "violently attacked the Capitol and halted the proceeding." In the attack, his supporters beat and injured police officers and broke through windows and doors, sending lawmakers running for their lives.
Some takeaways from Tuesday's indictment:
TRUMP KNEW
As Trump schemed to overturn the 2020 election, many of his aides and allies were under no illusion that Trump — a longtime provocateur — had actually won.
Some aides directly refuted conspiracy theories stirred by Trump and his lawyer, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Others told him point blank he had lost.
"There is no world, there is no option in which you do not leave the White House (o)n January 20th," a unnamed deputy White House counsel told Trump, according to the indictment. Another wrote in an email: "I'll obviously hustle to help on all fronts, but it's tough to own any of this when it's all just conspiracy s--- beamed down from the mothership."
But Trump continued to tell "prolific lies," the indictment says, about the outcome of the election, even after being warned of his false statements by top government officials — citing thousands of dead voters in Georgia, an overcount in Pennsylvania and tens of thousands of noncitizen voters in Arizona. Those theories had been disputed by state and federal officials and even his own staff.
"These claims were false, and the Defendant knew that they were false," the indictment states.
At the same time, Trump privately acknowledged his loss. After the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff urged Trump to not take action on a national security issue, Trump agreed, according to the indictment.
"Yeah, you're right, it's too late for us," Trump said during a Jan. 3 meeting. "We're going to give that to the next guy."
All the while, he repeatedly tweeted and encouraged his supporters to come to Washington on Jan. 6.
***
PENCE'S MEMOS
The indictment includes new details from former Vice President Mike Pence, who had fought efforts to answer questions about his role in presiding over the congressional certification.
Prosecutors cite Pence's "contemporaneous notes" about his interactions with Trump as the former president tried to convince him to delay or reject the legitimate election results on Jan. 6.
The indictment lists several conversations between Trump and Pence in those weeks, including some that were previously unknown. On Dec. 25, Pence called Trump to wish him a Merry Christmas, prosecutors said. But Trump "quickly turned the conversation to January 6 and his request that the Vice President reject electoral votes that day." The vice president pushed back, telling Trump he didn't have the authority.
In another of the calls, on Jan. 1, Trump told Pence, "You're too honest," according to the indictment.
***
LATE NIGHT CALLS
The indictment says that Trump "redoubled" his efforts even in the late night hours after his supporters attacked the Capitol. It lays out several attempts by Trump, through his aides and co-conspirators, to contact multiple senators and at least one House member just before the two chambers reconvened to finally certify Biden's win.
At 7:01 p.m. that night, the indictment says, as Trump's allies were making calls, White House counsel Pat Cipollone called Trump to ask him to withdraw any objections and allow the certification. Trump refused, the indictment says.
"As violence ensued, the Defendant and co-conspirators exploited the disruption by redoubling efforts to levy false claims of election fraud and convince Members of Congress to further delay the certification based on those claims," the indictment says.
***
FAKE ELECTORS DUPED INTO 'CRAZY PLAY'
Early on, Trump's team orchestrated a scheme to enlist officials in seven states he had lost — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Mexico, Wisconsin — to have them submit alternate election certificates saying he had actually won when Congress met to certify the vote Jan. 6.
The conspirators told most of the local officials that the certificates they were signing saying Trump won the election in their states would only be used if the court cases being waged over the election results showed that outcome.
But prosecutors allege that's not true.
What started as a legal strategy quickly evolved into a corrupt plan to stop Biden's count on Jan. 6, the indictment said.
Told by a colleague what was going on, Trump's deputy campaign manager called it a "crazy play." They refused to put their names on a statement about it, because none of them could "stand by it."
The indictment alleges Trump enlisted six people to help him try to overturn the 2020 election. The six people are not explicitly named, but the indictment includes details that make it possible to identify most of them.
As "Co-Conspirator 1" and "Co-Conspirator 2," lawyers Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman are quoted from their remarks at the "Stop the Steal" rally prior to the riot urging Pence to throw out the votes of valid electors.
A third lawyer, Sidney Powell, named as "Co-Conspirator 3," filed a lawsuit in Georgia that amplified false or unsupported claims of election fraud. The indictment quotes Trump as privately conceding Powell's claims sounded "crazy."
Jeffrey Clark, a Justice Department official who championed Trump's false claims of election fraud, is described as "Co-Conspirator 4."
"Co-Conspirator 5" is lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, who the indictment says "assisted in devising and attempting to implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding."
"Co-Conspirator 6" is an unknown political consultant who also assisted with the fake electors plan.
There are no known charges against the listed co-conspirators.
Giuliani aide Ted Goodman said in a statement that "every fact" the former New York City mayor had "establishes the good faith basis President Donald Trump had for the actions he took during the two-month period charged in the indictment." Eastman lawyer Harvey Silverglate said his client denied any wrongdoing.
***
CONGRESSIONAL INSPIRATION
Much of the evidence in the indictment — including repeated efforts by White House advisers to tell Trump that he lost the election — was first laid out by the Democrat-led House Jan. 6 committee last year.
In its final report issued in December, the committee said it was making several so-called criminal referrals for Trump to the Justice Department, including obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
A criminal referral from Congress is not binding, but it is a formal notification from Congress to the Justice Department that lawmakers believe they have found criminal activity.
The panel's final report asserted that Trump criminally engaged in a "multi-part conspiracy" to overturn the results and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol.
The sheer number of investigations, criminal cases and lawsuits brought against Trump are unprecedented for a former president. The same could be said for the tens of millions of dollars in legal fees paid out to attorneys representing him and his allies, straining the finances of his campaign.
An Associated Press analysis of recent fundraising disclosures shows Trump's political committees have paid out at least $59.2 million to more than 100 lawyers and law firms since January 2021.
The threat posed by the colossal drain of resources has led Trump's allies to establish a new legal defense fund, the Patriot Legal Defense Fund.
Images of chaos: AP photographers capture US Capitol riot
$1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot drawing offers shot at 6th largest prize ever; here are the winning numbers
An estimated $1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot is up for grabs Tuesday night, giving lottery players a chance to snap an unlucky streak that has stretched on for months.
Here are the winning numbers in Tuesday’s drawing: 8, 24, 30, 45, 61, and Mega 12.
No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since April 18, allowing it to roll over again and again until it reached its status as the sixth-largest in U.S. history. Tuesday night’s drawing is the 30th since someone last won the jackpot.
The drought is due to a combination of poor luck and terrible odds, as the chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is 1 in 302.6 million. The odds of winning smaller prizes, ranging from $1 million to $2, are significantly better.
The $1.1 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who chooses to collect through an annuity, with annual payments over 30 years. A sole winner who opts for a lump sum payment would receive an estimated $550.2 million.
Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The largest lottery jackpots in US history
The largest lottery jackpots in US history
#15. $632.6 million
#14. $648 million
#13. $656 million
#12. $687.8 million
#11. $699.8 million
#10. $731.1 million
#9. $754.6 million
#8. $758.7 million
#7. $768.4 million
#6. $1.08 billion
#5. $1.1 billion
#4. $1.3 billion
#3. $1.5 billion
#2. $1.6 billion
#1. $2.04 billion
Sinead O’Connor told her kids what to do if she was found dead
Sinead O’Connor knew the value of her music legacy.
In a 2021 interview with People magazine to promote her memoir “Rememberings,” O’Connor said she had explained to her children the importance of protecting her music and finances.
To that end, she said she told them to call her accountant before they telephoned 911 should she ever be found dead.
“See, when the artists are dead, they’re much more valuable than when they’re alive,” she told the publication. “Tupac has released way more albums since he died than he ever did alive, so it’s kind of gross what record companies do.”
“That’s why I’ve always instructed my children since they were very small, ‘If your mother drops dead tomorrow, before you called 911, call my accountant and make sure the record companies don’t start releasing my records and not telling you where the money is,’” she further explained.
The Irish singer died this week after being found unresponsive at a home in London. She was 56.
No cause of death has been released, but London police said Thursday it was not being treated as suspicious.
O’Connor was the mother of four children. Her 17-year-old son Shane died last year after going missing in the days prior.
She was a vocalist known for her pure and crisp voice, paired with exceptional songwriting abilities that evoked her views on politics, spirituality, history and philosophy.
Her first album, “The Lion and the Cobra,” was released to critical acclaim in 1987, but it was O’Connor’s 1990 sophomore album, “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” which broke her through as a well-known artist.
US cyclist and ‘rising star’ of sport dies aged 17 after being hit by a vehicle while training
American cyclist Magnus White, hailed as a “rising star” of the sport, has died in a training accident in Boulder, Colorado, at the age of 17, USA Cycling announced on Sunday.
The governing body said that White was preparing to compete in the cross-country discipline at the junior Mountain Bike World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when he was struck by a vehicle.
“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We ride for Magnus.”
White specialized in off-road cycling and competed for the US team at the Cyclocross World Championships in 2022 and 2023. He started racing at a national level at the age of 10, according to USA Cycling.
This year was the first time he had earned a place in the Mountain Bike World Championships team. He was due to compete in Glasgow on August 10.
“White fell in love with cycling at an early age through Boulder Junior Cycling,” the USA Cycling statement added.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community.”
CNN has contacted the Colorado State Patrol for comment.
Running from August 3 to August 13, the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships will be hosted in Glasgow and across Scotland.
Photos: Those we've lost in 2023
Tina Turner
Raquel Welch
Jim Brown
Harry Belafonte
Lisa Marie Presley
David Crosby
Lance Reddick
Richard Belzer
Cindy Williams
Alan Arkin
Gordon Lightfoot
Jeff Beck
Bobby Caldwell
Gary Rossington
Wayne Shorter
Jerry Springer
Jacklyn Zeman
John Beasley
Michael Lerner
Tom Sizemore
Charles Kimbrough
Julian Sands
Cynthia Weil
Sheldon Harnick
Barrett Strong
Willis Reed
Tim McCarver
Billy Packer
The Iron Sheik
Treat Williams
Daniel Ellsberg
Pat Robertson
Robert Blake
Ted Kaczynski
Lloyd Morrisett
Chaim Topol
Len Goodman
Burt Bacharach
Stella Stevens
Barry Humphries
Annie Wersching
Dave Hollis
Christine King Farris
David Jude Jolicoeur
Robbie Knievel
Gina Lollobrigida
Lynette Hardaway ("Diamond")
Adam Rich
Bobby Hull
Charles White
Jerry Richardson
Sister André
Tatjana Patitz
Russell Banks
Cardinal George Pell
Ken Block
Walter Cunningham
Anton Walkes
Pat Schroeder
Seymour Stein
Klaus Teuber
Ginnie Newhart
Vida Blue
Martin Amis
Doyle Brunson
Hodding Carter III
Ray Stevenson
Astrud Gilberto
Tori Bowie
Silvio Berlusconi
John Goodenough
Coco Lee
Jane Birkin
Tony Bennett
Sinéad O’Connor
Angus Cloud
Thousands overwhelm New York’s Union Square for Twitch streamer’s giveaway, tossing chairs and pounding cars
A crowd of thousands that packed Manhattan's Union Square for a popular livestreamer's hyped giveaway got out of hand Friday afternoon, with some clambering on vehicles, hurling chairs and throwing punches, leaving police struggling to rein in the chaos.
Aerial TV news footage showed a surging, tightly packed crowd running through the streets, scaling structures in the park and snarling traffic. Shouting teenagers swung objects at car windows, threw paint cans and set off fire extinguishers. Some people climbed on a moving vehicle, falling off as it sped away. Others pounded on or climbed atop city buses.
By 5:30 p.m., police officers in growing numbers had regained control of much of the area, but small skirmishes were still breaking out, with young people knocking over barricades and throwing bottles and even a flowerpot at officers. Police were seen wrestling people to the ground and chasing them down the street.
Police planned to charged the streamer, Kai Cenat, with inciting a riot, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said in the evening. Officers arrested 65 people, including 30 juveniles.
A number of people were injured, including some officers. Details and numbers were not yet available.
“People were suffering out here,” Maddrey said, adding that he saw people bleeding and having asthma and panic attacks. Some motorists were trapped as people climbed on top of their cars. Maddrey said several police vehicles were damaged, including his.
On his Instagram feed, Cenat had an image promoting a giveaway at 4 p.m. in the park. People started lining up as early as 1:30 p.m. By 3 p.m., the crowd had swelled and was getting unruly. Some young people leaving the park said they had come expecting to get a computer for livestreaming or a new PlayStation.
Skylark Jones, 19, and a friend came to see Cenat and try to get something from his giveaway, which they said was promoted as a chance for things like gaming consoles or a gaming chair.
When they arrived the scene was already packed. Bottles were being thrown. There was a commotion even before Cenat appeared, they said.
“It was a movie,” Jones said. Police “came with riot shields, charging at people.”
Cenat, 21, is a video creator with 6.5 million followers on the platform Twitch, where he regularly livestreams. He also boasts 4 million subscribers on YouTube, where he posts daily life and comedy vlogs ranging from “Fake Hibachi Chef Prank!” to his most recent video, “I Rented Us Girlfriends In Japan!”
His 299 YouTube videos have amassed more than 276 million views among them. In December he was crowned streamer of the year at the 12th annual Streamy Awards. Messages sent to his publicist, management company and an email address for business inquiries were not immediately returned.
Livestreaming on Twitch from a vehicle as the event gathered steam, Cenat displayed gift cards he planned to give away. Noting the crowd and police presence, he urged, “Everybody who’s out there, make sure y’all safe. ... We’re not gonna do nothin’ until it’s safe.”
Eventually he and an entourage got out of the vehicle and hustled through an excited crowd, crossed a street and went into the park, where Cenat was at the center of a cheering, shoving mob.
Maddrey said Cenat at some point in the afternoon was removed “for his safety” and police were in contact with him. Videos posted on social media and taken from news helicopters showed Cenat being lifted over a fence and out of the crowd and then placed in a police vehicle.
The police chief also said a city bus filled with people who were arrested came under attack, and more police had to be sent to protect it. Numerous people were seen in hand restraints, sitting on the sidewalks, and multiple young men were taken away in handcuffs.
“We have encountered things like this before but never to this level of dangerousness,” Maddrey said.
Businesses adjoining the square closed their doors. Carina Treile, manager of Petite Optique, an eyeglass shop nearby, sheltered inside while police dispersed the crowd.
“Usually with people giving away free stuff, it’s never like this. It's very organized,” she said. “And here we have a very chaotic scene.”
Loud bangs at one point frightened some in the crowd.
“That was a little bit scary, especially when people started running," Treile said.
Police, some with batons, used metal barricades to push the crowd back and loudspeakers to repeatedly declare the gathering unlawful.
“Listen, we’re not against young people having a good time, we’re not against young people gathering,” Maddrey said. “But it can’t be to this level where it’s dangerous. A lot of people got hurt today.”
Photos: Twitch streamer's giveaway sparks chaos in New York as police disperse thousands
RFK Jr. says he's not anti-vaccine. His record shows the opposite. It's one of many inconsistencies
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic because of his strident opposition to vaccines. Yet, he insists he's not anti-vaccine. He has associated with influential people on the far right – including Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon and Michael Flynn – to raise his profile. Yet, he portrays himself as a true Democrat inheriting the mantle of the Kennedy family.
As he challenges President Joe Biden, the stories he tells on the campaign trail about himself, his life's work and what he stands for are often the opposite of what his record actually shows.
Though Kennedy's primary challenge to a sitting president is widely considered a long-shot, he's been sucking up media attention due to his famous name and the possibility that his run could weaken Biden ahead of what is expected to be a close general election in 2024. He's drawn praise from Republican presidential candidates like Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Meanwhile, Trump supporters, including his longtime ally Roger Stone, have ginned up interest by floating a Trump-Kennedy unity ticket.
Keep scrolling for a collection of photos from the life of RFK Jr.
Debra Duvall, 62, who lives in Fort Myers, Florida, and said she serves on the Lee County GOP executive committee, described herself as a longtime Trump supporter, but said she's torn for 2024.
"I'll take Trump or RFK. Either one," she said, explaining that she was drawn to both because she believes they can't be bought.
That kind of support has demonstrated some of the contradictions in Kennedy's candidacy. He has said he wants to "reclaim" the Democratic Party, while aligning himself with far right figures who have worked to subvert American democracy. He touts his credentials as an environmentalist, yet pushes bitcoin — a cryptocurrency that requires massive amounts of electricity from supercomputers to generate new coins, prompting most environmental advocates to loudly oppose it.
And though he peppers his speeches, podcast appearances and campaign materials with invocations of the Democratic Party legacies of his uncle President John F. Kennedy and his father Robert F. Kennedy, his relatives have distanced themselves from him and even denounced him.
"He's trading in on Camelot, celebrity, conspiracy theories and conflict for personal gain and fame," Jack Schlossberg, President Kennedy's grandson, said of his cousin in an Instagram video earlier this month. "I've listened to him. I know him. I have no idea why anyone thinks he should be president. What I do know is, his candidacy is an embarrassment."
Kennedy's recent comments that COVID-19 could have been "ethnically targeted" to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people — which he denies were antisemitic but concedes he should have worded more carefully — also drew a condemnation from his sister, Kerry Kennedy.
The contradictions between what Kennedy says and his track record were nowhere more apparent than when he testified before a congressional committee this month at the invitation of Republican members.
Anti-vaccine activists, some who work for Kennedy's nonprofit group Children's Health Defense, sat in the rows behind him, watching as he insisted "I have never been anti-vaxx. I have never told the public to avoid vaccination."
But that's not true. Again and again, Kennedy has made his opposition to vaccines clear. Just this month, Kennedy said in a podcast interview that "There's no vaccine that is safe and effective" and told FOX News that he still believes in the long-ago debunked idea that vaccines can cause autism. In a 2021 podcast he urged people to "resist" CDC guidelines on when kids should get vaccines.
"I see somebody on a hiking trail carrying a little baby and I say to him, better not get them vaccinated," Kennedy said.
That same year, in a video promoting an anti-vaccine sticker campaign by his nonprofit, Kennedy appeared onscreen next to one sticker that declared "IF YOU'RE NOT AN ANTI-VAXXER YOU AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION."
A close examination of Kennedy's campaign finance filings shows that the anti-vaccine movement lies at the heart of his campaign.
Several of his campaign staff and consultants have worked for his anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense, including Mary Holland, the group's president on leave, campaign spokeswoman Stefanie Spear, and Zen Honeycutt, who hosted a show for the group's TV channel, CHD TV.
Children's Health Defense currently has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines.
The campaign paid KFP Consulting, a Texas-based company run by Del Bigtree, head of the anti-vaccine group ICAN, and a leading voice in the movement, more than $13,000 for communications consulting, the AP found. Bigtree appeared to still be working for the campaign last week, when an AP reporter saw him helping facilitate a Kennedy event in New York.
Kennedy also has received substantial support from activists who have spread misinformation about the coronavirus and vaccines, including Steve Kirsch, an entrepreneur who has falsely claimed COVID-19 vaccines kill more people than they save, chiropractors Patrick Flynn and Kevin Stillwagon, and others.
Ty and Charlene Bollinger, who run an anti-vaccine business and who the AP has previously reported have had a financial relationship with Kennedy, gave more than $6,000. The couple, along with Kennedy's communication consultant Bigtree, were involved in hosting a rally near the Capitol on Jan. 6, and Ty Bollinger has said he was among the people who crowded at the Capitol doors in an attempt to get inside, though he said he did not enter.
American Values 2024, a super PAC supporting Kennedy, is run by close associates to Kennedy who have propped up anti-vaccine ideas — the former head of the New York chapter of Children's Health Defense John Gilmore is its CEO and Kennedy's publisher Tony Lyons is its co-chair.
The Kennedy campaign did not return emails seeking comment about a number of questions, including how he can say he is not anti-vaccine given his record and his support from anti-vaccine activists.
Kennedy's run is also getting plenty of financial support from the right. A super PAC supporting Kennedy's presidential run, called Heal the Divide PAC, has deep ties to Republicans, Federal Election Commission records show.
The committee's address is listed in the care of RTA Strategy, a campaign consulting firm that has been paid for its work to help elect Republicans including Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and the former Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker.
The PAC's treasurer, who works for RTA Strategy, is Jason Boles, a past donor to Trump and many other Republicans who includes "MAGA" and "AmericaFirst" in his bio on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Kennedy denied knowing Boles or the Heal the Divide PAC when it came up at the congressional hearing, saying, "I've never heard of Mr. Boles, and I've never heard of that super PAC."
The 2024 presidential field, in the order they've announced
Donald Trump, Republican
Nikki Haley, Republican
Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican
Marianne Williamson, Democrat
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Democrat
Larry Elder, Republican
President Joe Biden, Democrat
Asa Hutchinson, Republican
Tim Scott, Republican
Ron DeSantis, Republican
Mike Pence, Republican
Chris Christie, Republican
Doug Burgum, Republican
Francis Suarez, Republican
Will Hurd, Republican
But video available online shows he was a guest speaker at a Heal the Divide event just two days earlier. The video features a "Heal the Divide 2024" logo with clips of him speaking at length about plans to back the U.S. dollar with bitcoin and precious metals.
Kennedy says that as president, he would fight for government honesty and transparency, heal the political divide, reverse economic decline, end war and preserve civil liberties. He has made freedom of speech a major part of his platform, arguing that the government's communication with social media companies unfairly censors protected speech.
Kennedy's press office did not respond to several messages asking about his support from the far right.
It also did not respond to questions about whether his stance on bitcoin was at odds with being an environmentalist.
Kennedy lists the environment as one of six top priorities on his campaign website and has spent many years speaking against pollution and climate change as an environmental lawyer. Yet he has made supporting the energy-intensive cryptocurrency bitcoin a key part of his platform.
Bitcoin mining, the process of generating new coins, uses massive amounts of electricity — more than some entire countries use, said Scott Faber of the Environmental Working Group.
That's because it works by tasking a network of supercomputers with solving complex mathematical puzzles — even as some other cryptocurrencies have adopted far more energy efficient mining methods.
"No one who claims to be an environmentalist could support a digital asset that needlessly consumes more electricity than all Americans use to power the lights in our homes," Faber said. "In fact, bitcoin produces more climate pollution than any other digital asset."
Despite the environmental downsides of bitcoin, some Democrats, including elected officials, have advocated for the currency.
Kennedy, for his part, told a crowd at Bitcoin 2023 that environmentalists like himself "will continue to pressure you to improve." Online, he has promoted the argument that demand for bitcoin will boost investment in new renewable energy projects.
Regardless, his financial disclosure documents show he has already personally invested between $100,001 and $250,000 in bitcoin, and he promised at Bitcoin 2023 that he wouldn't let the environmental argument hinder the currency's use.
"As president, I will make sure that your right to hold and use bitcoin is inviolable," he said.
During the past several years, Kennedy has cultivated his ties to the far right. He has appeared on Infowars, the channel run by Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. He has granted interviews to Trump ally Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson. After he headlined a stop on the ReAwaken America Tour, the Christian nationalist road show put together by former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, he was photographed backstage with Flynn, Charlene Bollinger and Trump ally Roger Stone.
Those appearances have led to goodwill on the right, and he has found enthusiastic support among a segment of Trump's base, with some suggesting him as a potential vice presidential pick.
At a July 1 rally in the tiny town of Pickens, South Carolina, Adrian Palashevsky – a small businessman who described himself as more of a "libertarian" than a Republican – posited a unity ticket, with Kennedy as his top pick for Trump's VP.
"I think they would get along just fine," he said. "They're both anti-establishment, and that's why they're under so much attack."
DeSantis, one of Trump's Republican challengers, has also indulged in praise for the fringe candidate, saying in a recent interview that while he wouldn't make Kennedy vice president, he would consider appointing him to one of the federal agencies that regulates vaccine safety and protects public health.
"If you're president, you know, sic him on the FDA if he'd be willing to serve, or sic him on CDC," DeSantis said.
Not everyone is buying the Kennedy mystique.
At the annual meeting of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials in New York earlier this month, Kennedy leaned heavily on his family legacy, mentioning his father's alliance with labor leader Cesar Chavez and his uncle's work in Latin American countries.
But in his nearly 20-minute speech, he didn't lay out any plan or policy proposals of his own, or talk about specific issues facing the Latino community. He spent most of his time telling a story about getting arrested with the Mexican American actor Edward Olmos in 2001, an attempt at relating with the community that disappointed both Republicans and Democrats in the audience.
Mario Ceballos, president of a PAC representing LGBTQ+ Latinos, said Kennedy's speech — and the candidate's conspiracy theory beliefs — saddened him.
"When I was living in Mexico, Kennedy was an American president that my whole family respected," Ceballos said. "And what he is presenting are esoteric, dangerous options that are actually going to hurt the same people that his father and uncle wanted to help."
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A former Republican attorney general candidate and another supporter of former President Donald Trump have been criminally charged in Michigan in connection with accessing and tampering with voting machines after the 2020 election, according to court records.
Matthew DePerno, a Republican lawyer who was endorsed by Trump in an unsuccessful run for Michigan attorney general last year, was charged with undue possession of a voting machine and conspiracy, according to Oakland County court records.
Daire Rendon, a former Republican state representative, was charged with conspiracy to commit undue possession of a voting machine and false pretenses.
Both were arraigned remotely Tuesday afternoon, according to Richard Lynch, the court administrator for Oakland County’s 6th Circuit.
Those charged in Michigan are the latest facing legal consequences for alleged crimes committed after embracing Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen.
The charges come as the former president is investigated for election interference in Georgia. Separately, Trump said in mid-July that he is a target of a federal investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Photos: Trump indictment shows documents stacked in bathroom, bedroom, ballroom
Montana couple shoot bear in their living room
Seeley Oblander and her fiancé woke up to their dog Mazzy going nuts Thursday morning.
“We brushed it off,” she said. They live in the country and figured the dog was just harassing a raccoon or a skunk.
But the dog wouldn’t quit. This was different.
It was about 3 a.m. when Seeley’s partner Tom Bolkcom finally walked downstairs to see what was going on.
“Tom looked behind him and five feet away in the living room was a black bear. They stood face to face for about five seconds,” Seeley said. The bear had broken in through a window of the home about 15 miles from Red Lodge.
The bear started making noises like he owned the place and wasn’t leaving. And, because the bear was between Tom and the door, there was no way to show him out.
Tom ran for his gun and shot the bear, who then ran from room to room with Tom after him.
“Tom shot him three or four more times until it was done,” Seeley said, whose role in the episode was “to hide downstairs and let Tom handle it.”
The couple had been up with family until about midnight that morning. They were preparing to travel to Arizona where Seeley had a bachelorette party planned with friends.
With a dead bear in their sun room and a trail of blood around the house, the couple called a game warden to come and sort it out.
“We wanted it out of our house, the bear smelled awful, and he really made a mess,” Seeley said.
The warden said shooting the bear was probably the best thing to do. Once they get in your house they usually come back and want to get in again, she said.
The couple still had to leave at 6 a.m. to make their flight in Billings, so they called family to come and get the bear out of the house and tidy up. They rolled it onto a tarp and tugged it out into the yard. They figured it weighed from 250 to 300 pounds.
And, they don’t get to keep the bear, to maybe make into a rug as a warning to other bears.
“It was a hectic morning, I can tell you that,” Seeley said.
***
Wanna go for a hike? 5 tips for safe trekking with your dog
Know your breed
The amount of physical activity your dog needs is heavily influenced by their breed. A high-energy breed, like a border collie, may have a much easier time on a hike than a lower energy breed. The exercise limits of your dog are an important factor to keep in mind before heading out on an adventure. Research your breed and check with your veterinarian to make sure your plans are in line with your dog’s physical limits.
Carry water for the dog
Hiking can be exhausting for dogs, too, so it’s important to keep them hydrated. Make sure you bring water and offer your dog a drink every half hour. A collapsible bowl or dog travel bottle is an easy way to carry everything you need for hydration.
Always have a leash
Many hiking trails require dogs to be on leash. Even if your trail doesn’t have a leash requirement, it’s a good idea to have one with you. Keeping your dog on a leash will help if you need to steer him away from anything along the trail, like poisonous plants or other animals.
Clean up after your dog
Always bring waste bags with you to clean up after your dog even if you don’t think you’ll be out that long. Your dog will eventually need a bathroom break and it is better to be prepared with a cleanup bag.
Remember a first aid kit
It is best to always have some medical essentials with you, like a small tube of antibiotic cream for minor cuts, roll-on bandages and a clean bandana to use as a tourniquet in case of major bleeding or bone fractures.