Kamala Harris 'narrows her choice for VP to two contenders'

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

Kamala Harris has narrowed her vice presidential choice down to two governors, according to a new report on Monday.

She is looking at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Harris met with those two men and Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona at her home in Washington D.C. on Sunday. She is expected to announce her decision early Tuesday.

She and her running mate will make their first public appearance together on stage in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening.

The candidates will be informed on Monday night or Tuesday morning whether they were picked, the sources said. The Harris campaign plans a social media announcement featuring the duo.

President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris got briefed on the ongoing threats posed by Iran and its proxies, the White House said Monday, following reports several U.S. personnel were injured in a rocket attack on a U.S. air base in western Iraq.

‘Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris were briefed by the national security team on developments in the Middle East,’ according to the White House press office following the meeting in the White House Situation Room.

‘The briefing focused on the threats posed by Iran and its proxies to Israel and to U.S. servicemembers in the region. The President and Vice President were briefed on the attack at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. They discussed the steps we are taking to defend our forces and respond to any attack against our personnel in a manner and place of our choosing.’

‘They were updated on U.S. military efforts to support the defense of Israel should it be attacked again. They were also briefed on continued diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tension and to bring the ceasefire and hostage release deal to a conclusion. The President and Vice President will continue to receive regular updates from their national security team,’ the White House said.

Former President Donald Trump appeared on a 23-year-old live streamer's show in a wild interview aimed at boosting his appeal with younger voters ahead of the election.

In a wide-ranging 1.5-hour-long appearance with popular Kick host Adin Ross at Mar-a-Lago, the former president talked about the American dream, his opponent Kamala Harris and her upcoming VP pick, Squad leader Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's resemblance to the former first lady of Argentina and much, much more.

Ross - who is friends with Trump's youngest son, Barron - also on the stream gifted the president a Rolex watch, a Diet Coke (Trump's favorite soda) and wrapped Tesla cybertruck with an image of Trump pumping his fist after his near-assassination.

The former president also told Ross that he is one of Barron Trump's favorite internet personalities. 'My son Barron says hello. He's a great young guy but he's a big fan of yours,' Trump said.

Former Donald Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis has reached a cooperation agreement with Arizona prosecutors overseeing the prosecution of a 'fake electors' scheme.

Prosecutors are dropping nine charges against her, Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement, in a case where 18 Republicans have been charged in a scheme to try snatch away the state's 11 electoral votes and award them to Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Ellis was a prominent Trump campaign attorney, and famously accompanied former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani as he made claims of election fraud in a series of states Trump was contesting.

Ellis will cooperate with Arizona prosecutors in exchange for charges being dropped against her in a fake electors case, the state AG's office announced Monday.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

Kamala Harris has not decided on her running mate yet, her campaign said.

Amid speculation on X that she has chosen her vice presidential candidate, spokesman Kevin Munoz said that is not the case.

'We understand the excitement and interest here, but VP Harris has made no decision on a running mate yet!,' he wrote on X.

Harris has narrowed her choice down to two governors, according to a new report on Monday.

She is looking at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The contenders are expected to be informed of her decision on Monday night or Tuesday morning.

Harris and her running mate are scheduled to be in Philadelphia on Tuesday night for their first campaign event together.

A lumber jack, a mariner, and a moose could get the boot when Maine voters go to the polls in November and vote on a proposed for a new state flag.

The new flag, the result of a contest, features a in image of an Eastern white pine with a blue star in the corner as the official banner for the Pine Tree State. The current version is more crowded, and features moose in front of the pine tree blanked by the sailor and lumberjack. It also has a star and the state motto: Dirigo, Latin for ‘I lead.’

It has similarities to the state’s flag from 1901-1909.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., posted a touching tribute to his son, who has endured a slew of health issues, on X on Monday.

'Stephen’s faced so many challenges—tuberous sclerosis, autism, epilepsy, nonverbal. He does it every day with a smile,' Schmitt said.

'TS has caused tubers to grow in different organs. He’s had brain surgery & today kidney surgery. Just waiting for him to wake up. He’s resilient & my inspiration.'

Schmitt is at the hospital with his son instead of out on the campaign trail one day ahead of Missouri's primaries, where there are contentious races for attorney general and governor.

Rockets were reportedly fired at Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base which hosts U.S. and other international forces.

Two Katyusha rockets were fired at the base in western Iraq, security sources said.

It was not clear if the attack caused any casualties or damage inside the base, the sources said.

One security source said the rockets fell inside the base.

President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with his national security team in the Situation Room later on Monday amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel.

The Islamic Republic could attack Israel in the next 24 to 48 hours following a major attack by Hezbollah that left two IDF soldiers injured, top western diplomats have warned.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told the G7 yesterday that an attack in response to Israel killing Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Fuad Shukr in Beirut, was imminent, as reported by Axios.

Over 80 Republicans and Democrats are urging Joe Biden to allow the use of psychedelic drugs for struggling military veterans.

MDMA, also known as ecstasy, is a psychedelic that has been found in some studies to help with the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Due to its high abuse potential, the Schedule I drug is currently illegal in the U.S. to take recreationally or for medical purposes.

But an overwhelming number of lawmakers want the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to green-light MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) for veterans with PTSD.

Millions of Americans suffer from PTSD and more combat veterans have died to suicide than to war in recent years, Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich., a retired three-star general, points out in a letter to Biden asking for a path for treatment for soldiers.

'The evidence is clear: MDMA-AT is a safe and effective form of therapy for our veterans who suffer from invisible wounds of service,' Bergman said in an exclusive statement to DailyMail.com.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

President Joe Biden arrived back at the White House on Monday afternoon to meet with his national security team about the situation in the Middle East.

The president disembarked Marine One with first lady Jill Biden. He gave her a kiss and headed to the Oval Office.

Biden didn’t respond to shouted questions about the Middle East and the stock market.

Nancy Pelosi revealed the brutal reason she wanted President Joe Biden to exit the presidential race and admitted she feels guilty over the attack on her husband Paul Pelosi.

'I was asking for a campaign that would win. And I wasn't seeing that on the horizon,' she told ABC's Good Morning America on Monday.

She also revealed she felt guilty about the 2022 attack on her husband Paul at their San Francisco home.

'What was sad about my husband's situation is he's not very political. They were after me. And I feel guilty about his paying the price,' she told ABC's George Stephanopoulos.

And now there's a picture.

The New Yorker on Monday released the picture of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy with his hand in the mouth of the dead bear cub he later deposited in New York's Central Park.

It's the latest strange tale out of an extraordinarily odd presidential campaign.

Kennedy joked to The New Yorker: 'Maybe that's where I got my brain worm.'

President Biden has completed his call with Jordan’s King Abdullah, amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas fears Iran could strike Israel at any time.

‘The leaders discussed their efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, including through an immediate ceasefire and hostage release deal,’ according to a White House readout of the call.

‘The President thanked His Majesty for his friendship, and affirmed unwavering U.S. support for Jordan as a partner and ally in promoting regional peace and security. The President offered his congratulations to King Abdullah and to Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa on the birth of a baby girl, Iman, over the weekend.’

The call came shortly before Biden headed back to the White House from Delaware.

Former President Donald Trump joined popular 'Kick' online streamer Adin Ross during his show Monday.

Trump, 78, is working on garnering more votes from the younger GenZ generation who overwhelmingly favor Kamala Harris.

'We want the American dream and we are going to give you the American dream,' Trump said of his message to the younger generation. Over 350,000 tuned in to the event to watch.

The former president noted how Biden's administration has been infamous for a poor economy and global wars.

Trump added that the current administration has frustrated younger generations, adding he will restore hope.

As for Kamala Harris, 'She's ultra-left, ultra-radical,' Trump said, adding she 'destroyed California.'

According to the Morning Consult, Harris is now four points ahead of Donald Trump in a national matchup 48% to 44%.

With Independent voters, a block crucial to winning the election, Harris also took the lead 42% compared to Trump's 37%.

She also overwhelmingly captured 69% of black voters coming on the heels of Trump's controversial remarks that he didn't know Harris is black.

The poll was conducted between August 2-4 and asked registered voters who they would be voting for if the election were held today.

By Emily Goodin, senior White House correspondent

President Joe Biden was briefed on Hurricane Debby this morning, the White House said as the catagory 1 storm made landfall in Florida.

Forecasters warn of historic storm surge and 20 to 30 inches of rain. It is also expected to hit up to ten states up the East Coast.

This morning, President Biden was briefed on the Administration’s ongoing response to Hurricane Debby. On Saturday, President Biden approved Florida’s request for an Emergency Declaration, and deployed rescue personnel, meals, and water. Our Administration is in touch with officials from Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, and FEMA has deployed staff to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina to assist as needed. We urge residents to remain cautious and listen to State and local officials, the White House said.

Biden is at his home in Wilmington, Del., and scheduled to return to the White House on Monday afternoon.

Democrats want to stifle election prediction betting markets Polymarket, PredictIt and others saying they're a 'threat' to democracy.

As Republican nominee Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris poll within a point and the red-hot race heats up, prediction markets have been a helpful tool to gauge voter sentiment, showing which candidate people are betting on to win.

Popular platforms PredictIt and Polymarket have raked in millions worth of political prediction bets and boast a booming number of loyal users.

But their rapid growth is now in danger, as a group of Democrats is calling for betting on elections to be outlawed, saying the practice is a threat to Democracy.

'Mass commodification of our democratic process would raise widespread concerns about the integrity of our electoral process,' the lawmakers wrote in a letter, pleading with a trading regulator to ban the bets. 'Such an outcome is in clear conflict with the public interest and would undermine confidence in our political process.'

The Harris campaign boasts dozens of Republican supporters, including former governors, members of Congress and even ex-Trump administration officials.

A new rollout of the endorsements included a number of names that were already openly critical of the former president like former Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Ill., and ex-Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld.

Olivia Troye, former national security advisor to then-Vice President Mike Pence, was also included on the list.

So was Chuck Hagel, who served in the Senate as a Republican from Nebraska but worked as Barack Obama's defense secretary. Ray Lahood, Obama's Transportation secretary and a former Republican House member, also endorsed Harris.

The Democratic Party blasted Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as a ‘deeply troubled, reckless, dangerous man’ after he posted a video confirming key aspects of a New Yorker report that he dumped a dead bear cub in Central Park years ago.

The article quoted a source who said Kennedy ‘thought it would be funny to make it look as if the animal had been killed by an errant cyclist,’ and he dumped the carcass along with a bike in the park in 2014, prompting an NYPD investigation. RFK, Jr. posted a video with Roseanne Barr describing the incident before the story came out.

‘The RFK Jr. running for president is the same RFK Jr. portrayed in this story: a deeply troubled, reckless, and dangerous man,’ said DNC spokesman Matt Corridoni.

‘He doesn’t think the rules apply to him and he refuses to consider the consequences of his actions. That is why he is willing to play the role of spoiler for Donald Trump in this election and why he has floated endorsing Trump in exchange for a job in a Trump administration. RFK Jr. has always put RFK Jr. first and he has no regard for the disastrous impact his actions would have on the American people,’ he said.

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Sen. J.D. Vance's wife is coming to the rescue amid criticsm of his 'childless cat lady' comments.

The mother-of-three also opened up about how she is dealing with the unrelenting negative press ever since her husband became Donald Trump's running mate.

We've been doing this now for a little while and I've grown accustomed to it and grown a thick skin.

Usha said the Ohio senator never meant to 'hurt' women who are struggling to start a family.

She also said that some of the classifications she sees of her husband are 'not accurate' and the criticism is 'not the J.D. I know.'

Another top official is leaving the White House to boost Vice President Kamala Harris’ reelection effort, as senior economic advisor Gene Sperling prepares to join the campaign.

Sperling, who has helped guide Biden’s economic policy after serving in the Obama and Bill Clinton administrations, will serve as a senior economic advisor for Harris on her policy staff. News of her departure comes after the White House announced another top Biden advisor, Anita Dunn, was leaving to advise a pro-Harris super PAC.

Harris has kept on members of Biden’s campaign team headquartered in Wilmington, while also bringing on a string of new figures including former Obama campaign guru David Plouffe as a senior advisor.

‘Under Gene’s leadership, the American Rescue Plan has delivered economic relief to cities and counties across the country, protected millions of union pensions, made the largest-ever federal investment in public safety, and kept thousands of small businesses afloat,’ Biden said in a statement to the AP.

Former president Jimmy Carter has revealed he is hoping to live long enough to vote for Kamala Harris in November.

The 99-year-old shared his dying wish from the Georgia home where he is receiving end of life care.

'I'm only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris,' Carter told his son Chip, his grandson Jason Carter told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

Carter is due to turn 100 on October 1, days before Harris will face off against Donald Trump in the presidential election.

In recent days, Jason Carter said his grandfather is 'more alert and interested in politics and the war in Gaza'.

Progressive Squad member Rep. Cori Bush is in real danger of losing her reelection bid as her Democratic challenger has surged in recent polling.

The Missouri Democrat is in a hotly-contested race against a centrist challenger who has been hammering Bush for her record of supporting pro-Gaza protests and causes.

A shocking survey one week out from the primary race shows Bush's campaign trailing by a massive six points as she looks to avoid being the second progressive Squad member ousted this year.

If Bush loses her primary next week it would make her the second Squad member to lose reelection this year after Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., lost his primary to a more moderate Democrat earlier this summer.

The Mellman Group on behalf of the Democratic Majority For Israel PAC released a poll this week showing Bush's challenger St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell ahead of her 48 percent to 42 percent.

By Geoff Earle, Deputy U.S. Political Editor for DailyMail.com

Former President Donald Trump is sounding the alarm as the Dow futures dropped 1,200 points following a global sell-off amid fears of a recession.

Stock markets are crashing, job numbers are terrible, we are heading to World War III.

And we have two of the most incompetent 'leaders' in history. This is not good!!!

Then, he posted a quote from the ‘Legendary Howard Lutnick,’ a billionaire investor who said Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been rising in the polls, would ‘destroy’ the markets’ and that a Trump loss would drive market turmoil.

Japan down 12%, India down 6%. Germany way down also. U.S. really bad. This is a preview of the world markets without Donald J. Trump in the White House.

None of this happens if Trump is in. Kamala and the markets don’t go together. She’ll destroy the markets. She’s in power now and look at what is happening. One week of the fake media saying better polls and you get a market crash.

Trump’s posts come after he previously took credit for the rise in U.S. stocks, saying markets were betting on a Trump victory.

Lutnick, the Cantor Fitzgerald CEO, cohosted a Hamptons megafundraiser on Friday, with hopes of bringing in $10 million for Trump.

Trump senior adviser Chris LaCivita wrote on X: 'Bidenomics isn't working.'

He shared a clip of an attack ad against Harris for the United States' current economic woes.

Vice President Kamala Harris will be taken off the campaign trail at a pivotal moment to attend a meeting at the White House Situation Room over Iran's imminent attack on Israel.

Harris and Biden will meet with top security officials with Middle East tensions at a tipping point.

Tehran is getting ready to respond to back-to-back assassinations by Israel in the last week and Benjamin Netanyahu has warned he is ready for a 'multi-front war' with Iran and its proxies.

Lindsey Graham has told Donald Trump what he needs to do to beat Kamala Harris after polls showed the vice president was rapidly catching up with him.

Overall the race is a dead-heat, according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll. Nationally, Harris leads Trump by 50 percent to 49 percent among likely voters. In battleground states, the race is now tied at 50 percent each.

Graham, the South Carolina senator, said Trump needs to stick to the issues Harris is weak on, rather than causing controversy over her identity as a biracial woman.

'The problem I have with Kamala Harris is not her heritage, it's her judgment,' Graham told Fox News Sunday.

'She has been wrong about everything. When she tried to explain what she would do about inflation and an upcoming recession, it made no sense. It's gibberish.'

Stock markets around the globe have continued to plunge on Monday amid fears the US economy may be on track for a recession as Japan suffered its worst sell-off since 'Black Monday' in 1987.

Experts at investment bank Goldman Sachs said they now believed there was a staggering 25 per cent chance of a recession in the US - up ten percent from their previous estimate of 15 per cent, while JP Morgan put the chances of a recession at 50 per cent.

US stock index futures tumbled on Monday, with those tied to the Nasdaq falling nearly 4 per cent, but traders are now ramping up bets that the Federal Reserve will announce an emergency interest rate cut in response to the global stock market crash and to avoid a huge recession.

The sell-off followed the release of a dismal unemployment report last week.

Employers added just 114,000 jobs last month, according to Labor Department data released Friday, far below the Dow Jones estimate of 185,000.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi revealed what exactly her role was in Democrats' efforts to get President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race the led to his dramatic exit and Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the nominee.

Pelosi shared her thoughts on the president, his fitness for the job and his decision to step aside in an interview with veteran journalist Lesley Stahl for CBS Sunday Morning ahead of the release of her new book 'The Art of Power.'

Pelosi was asked what she told Biden to persuade him to step aside ahead of his dramatic exit from the 2024 presidential race on July 21.

'Well I've never shared any conversations with the President of the United States publicly, no,' Pelosi said with a smile.  Pelosi said that Biden knows that she loves him 'very much.'

Stahl pressed Pelosi over reporting that she was in fact the leader of a pressure campaign for Biden to drop out.

'No, I wasn't the leader of any pressure...' Pelosi said shaking her head.

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly caused a stir by suggesting he was no longer in consideration for Kamala Harris' running mate.

In a now-deleted social media post, Kelly wrote Sunday evening:

I spent my life in the Navy and at NASA , where the mission always comes first. Now, my mission is serving Arizonans.

By writing 'serving Arizonans,' many speculated the former astronaut meant he'd lost his chance to be the next Democratic vice president.

Just 30 minutes after the original X post, Kelly deleted and replaced it with:

Whether it was from my time in the Navy and at NASA, serving in the United States Senate , or visiting our troops overseas: I've learned that when your country asks you to serve, you always answer the call.

Kelly is considered among the top three men Harris is consideirng for the role, along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

By Katelyn Caralle, Senior U.S. Political Reporter

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce her running mate by Tuesday at the latest.

Harris and her pick will appear for the first time together at a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

The race for Democratic VP appears to be down to three men – Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. All three met with Harris on Sunday.

Three others thought to be under consideration are Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

The closely-watched decision will immediately kick-off a five-day, seven-state campaign tour this week in battleground states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with his national security team in the Situation Room later on Monday amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel.

The Islamic Republic could attack Israel in the next 24 to 48 hours following a major attack by Hezbollah that left two IDF soldiers injured, top western diplomats have warned.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told the G7 yesterday that an attack in response to Israel killing Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Fuad Shukr in Beirut, was imminent, as reported by Axios.

Meanwhile Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III reportedly spoke to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Sunday to assure the Jewish state of US support.

It would be the second time during the growing crisis in the Middle East that Iran has directly attacked Israel, the first being in April when it sent a salvo of missiles and drones overnight.