Minnesota US Rep. Dean Phillips calls for 'dynamic' new candidate for president in 2024, not Joe Biden
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips said he doesn't want Joe Biden to run for president again in 2024, one of the first Democrats in Congress to bluntly call for him to step aside and for a "new generation" of leadership in the White House.
Phillips, serving his second term in the suburban Third District, first made the comments Thursday in an interview on WCCO Radio, after host Chad Hartman asked him about apprehension from other Democrats about Biden seeking a second term.
"I have respect for Joe Biden, I think he has — despite some mistakes and some missteps, despite his age — I think he's a man of decency, of good principle, of compassion, of empathy and of strength," Phillips said. "But to answer your question directly, which I know is quite rare, Chad, no, I don't. I think the country would be well-served by a new generation of compelling, well-prepared, dynamic Democrats to step up."
Phillips' comments come as many members of his party are privately concerned about a second term for Biden, who is lagging in polls and will be nearly 81 years old during the next presidential election.
—Star Tribune
FBI investigating Russian interference possibly linked to Uhuru Movement in Florida
TAMPA, Fla. — Federal law enforcement officials appear to be investigating members of the Uhuru Movement in St. Petersburg for alleged connections to a Russian government official who prosecutors say directed U.S. political groups in a campaign to sow political divisions, spread pro-Russian propaganda and interfere in U.S. elections.
St. Petersburg police executed search warrants Friday morning at multiple locations, including the Uhuru House at 245 18th Ave. South.
The search warrants appear to be related to an indictment that was unsealed Friday against a Russian national, who is accused of working with the Russian government and intelligence services in efforts to interfere in U.S. politics.
Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, who lives in Moscow, worked with others in Russia in a years-long “foreign malign influence campaign against the U.S.,” according to federal prosecutors. He worked with American political groups to enflame political divisions and spread misinformation, prosecutors said.
—Tampa Bay Times
LA police arrest 7 people for pointing lasers at police helicopters
LOS ANGELES — At least seven people were arrested this month for allegedly pointing lasers at police helicopters, particularly during illegal street takeovers, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Only one of the seven was identified: Xavier Randall, 21, who was arrested on July 2 for pointing a laser at a police helicopter during a street takeover, according to an LAPD news release. Randall was charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and a second, unspecified charge.
The six other people who were arrested are pending criminal charges from the district attorney’s office, authorities said. “The laser strikes present a serious risk of injury to the pilots and crew of the aircraft,” according to the department’s statement. “The attack has its own penal code section created for it due to the risk to the general public caused by an incapacitated or blind pilot.”
In November 2020, Los Angeles outlawed the possession of laser pointers and laser-style devices during public demonstrations, rallies, protests or picket lines.
—Los Angeles Times
Ukrainian grain should be on move 'today or tomorrow,' says Zelenskyy
KYIV, Ukraine — Shipments of Ukrainian grain, which have long been blocked due to Russia's invasion, are set to start moving out of Odessa "today or tomorrow," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday.
Zelenskyy was in the port city to get a feel for the logistics of a deal that was heavily negotiated between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations. "The most important thing for us is that the harbor and the people work," Zelenskyy said in a message shared on Telegram. The video shows the Turkish-flagged ship Polarnet being loaded with Ukrainian grain.
All that is needed now is a signal from Turkey and the U.N. that the ship can leave, said the Infrastructure Ministry. "It's important to us that Ukraine remains a guarantor of worldwide food security."
Both Ukraine and Russia were key suppliers of foodstuffs around the world before Russia launched its invasion in February. In the aftermath, many countries began boycotting Russian goods, while Ukrainian goods became inaccessible because of Russian control of the Black Sea.
—dpa
