BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man convicted of breaking into a woman’s home and repeatedly stabbing her was executed Tuesday over the objections of the victim’s family and the prosecutor, who wanted the death sentence commuted to life in prison.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-innocence-missouri-death-row-dcc03c8f998648783f4755818aaec6fd">Marcellus Williams</a>, 55, was convicted in the 1998 killing of Lisha Gayle, who was stabbed during the burglary of her suburban St. Louis home.

Williams was put to death despite questions his attorneys raised over jury selection at his trial and the handling of evidence in the case. His clemency petition focused heavily on how Gayle’s relatives wanted Williams’ sentence commuted to life without the possibility of parole.

“The family defines closure as Marcellus being allowed to live,” the petition stated. “Marcellus’ execution is not necessary.”

As Williams lay awaiting execution, he appeared to converse with a spiritual adviser seated next to him. Williams wiggled his feet underneath a white sheet that was pulled up to his neck and moved his head slightly while his spiritual advisor continued to talk. Then Williams' chest heaved about a half dozen times, and he showed no further movement.

Williams' son and two attorneys watched from another room. No one was present on behalf of the victim's family.

The Department of Corrections released a brief statement that Williams had written ahead of time, saying: “All Praise Be to Allah In Every Situation!!!”

Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he hoped the execution brings finality to a case that “languished for decades, revictimizing Ms. Gayle’s family over and over again.”

“No juror nor judge has ever found Williams’ innocence claim to be credible,” Parson said in a statement.

The NAACP had been among those urging Parson to cancel the execution.

“Tonight, Missouri lynched another innocent Black man,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement.

It was the third time Williams faced execution. He got reprieves in 2015 and 2017, but his last-ditch efforts this time were futile. Parson and the state Supreme Court rejected his appeals in quick succession Monday, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene hours before he was put to death.

Last month, Gayle’s relatives&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-marcellus-williams-4c45626ca0d2614eb03bf65c30ad00cd">gave their blessings to an agreement</a>&nbsp;between the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney’s office and Williams’ attorneys to commute the sentence to life in prison. But acting on an appeal from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office, the state Supreme Court nullified the agreement.

Williams was among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-oklahoma-alabama-missouri-texas-south-carolina-d77a31bea7a4839424afc8889c7d8755">death row inmates in five states</a>&nbsp;who were scheduled to be put to death in the span of a week — an unusually high number that defies a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-decline-report-executions-capital-punishment-fa998133f3b8b0bbe2b80b21c08534f5">yearslong decline</a>&nbsp;in the use and support of the death penalty in the U.S. The first was carried out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-freddie-owens-lethal-injection-0e15aef91dfe9ac9667264dce7df0193">Friday in South Carolina</a>. Texas was also slated to execute a prisoner on Tuesday evening.

Gayle, 42, was a social worker and former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter. Prosecutors at Williams’ trial said he broke into her home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard the shower running and found a large butcher knife. Gayle was stabbed 43 times when she came downstairs. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen.

Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. His girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. She said she later saw the purse and laptop in his car and that Williams sold the computer a day or two later.

Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors that Williams confessed to the killing and provided details about it.

Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted of felonies and wanted a $10,000 reward. They said that fingerprints, a bloody shoeprint, hair and other evidence at the crime scene didn’t match Williams’.

A crime scene investigator had testified the killer wore gloves.

Questions about DNA evidence also led St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">request a hearing</a>&nbsp;challenging Williams’ guilt. But days before the Aug. 21 hearing,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-missouri-death-row-f7b3b4257c8a18542a6686d810472646">new testing showed</a>&nbsp;that DNA on the knife belonged to members of the prosecutor’s office who handled it without gloves after the original crime lab tests.

Without DNA evidence pointing to any alternative suspect, Midwest Innocence Project attorneys reached a compromise with the prosecutor’s office: Williams would enter a new, no-contest plea to first-degree murder in exchange for a new sentence of life in prison without parole. A no-contest plea isn’t an admission of guilt but is treated as such for the purpose of sentencing.

Judge Bruce Hilton signed off, as did Gayle’s family. But Bailey appealed, and the state Supreme Court blocked the agreement and ordered Hilton to proceed with an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-missouri-death-row-f7b3b4257c8a18542a6686d810472646">evidentiary hearing</a>, which took place last month.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-missouri-death-row-32fc5ee044353cf62411089d54bc9d9b">Hilton ruled on Sept. 12</a>&nbsp;that the first-degree murder conviction and death sentence would stand, noting that Williams’ arguments all had been previously rejected. That decision was upheld Monday by the state Supreme Court.

Attorneys for Williams, who was Black, also challenged the fairness of his trial, particularly the fact that only one of the 12 jurors was Black. Tricia Bushnell of the Midwest Innocence Project said the prosecutor in the case, Keith Larner, removed six of seven Black prospective jurors.

Larner testified at the August hearing that he struck one potential Black juror partly because he looked too much like Williams — a statement that Williams’ attorneys asserted showed improper racial bias.

Larner contended that the jury selection process was fair.

Williams was the third Missouri inmate put to death this year and the 100th since the state resumed use of the death penalty in 1989.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726156556643.png" alt="Williams photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Williams photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man convicted of breaking into a woman’s home and repeatedly stabbing her was executed Tuesday over the objections of the victim’s family and the prosecutor, who wanted the death sentence commuted to life in prison.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-innocence-missouri-death-row-dcc03c8f998648783f4755818aaec6fd">Marcellus Williams</a>, 55, was convicted in the 1998 killing of Lisha Gayle, who was stabbed during the burglary of her suburban St. Louis home.Williams was put to death despite questions his attorneys raised over jury selection at his trial and the handling of evidence in the case. His clemency petition focused heavily on how Gayle’s relatives wanted Williams’ sentence commuted to life without the possibility of parole.“The family defines closure as Marcellus being allowed to live,” the petition stated. “Marcellus’ execution is not necessary.”As Williams lay awaiting execution, he appeared to converse with a spiritual adviser seated next to him. Williams wiggled his feet underneath a white sheet that was pulled up to his neck and moved his head slightly while his spiritual advisor continued to talk. Then Williams' chest heaved about a half dozen times, and he showed no further movement.Williams' son and two attorneys watched from another room. No one was present on behalf of the victim's family.The Department of Corrections released a brief statement that Williams had written ahead of time, saying: “All Praise Be to Allah In Every Situation!!!”Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he hoped the execution brings finality to a case that “languished for decades, revictimizing Ms. Gayle’s family over and over again.”“No juror nor judge has ever found Williams’ innocence claim to be credible,” Parson said in a statement.The NAACP had been among those urging Parson to cancel the execution.“Tonight, Missouri lynched another innocent Black man,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement.It was the third time Williams faced execution. He got reprieves in 2015 and 2017, but his last-ditch efforts this time were futile. Parson and the state Supreme Court rejected his appeals in quick succession Monday, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene hours before he was put to death.Last month, Gayle’s relatives&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-marcellus-williams-4c45626ca0d2614eb03bf65c30ad00cd">gave their blessings to an agreement</a>&nbsp;between the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney’s office and Williams’ attorneys to commute the sentence to life in prison. But acting on an appeal from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office, the state Supreme Court nullified the agreement.Williams was among&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-oklahoma-alabama-missouri-texas-south-carolina-d77a31bea7a4839424afc8889c7d8755">death row inmates in five states</a>&nbsp;who were scheduled to be put to death in the span of a week — an unusually high number that defies a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-decline-report-executions-capital-punishment-fa998133f3b8b0bbe2b80b21c08534f5">yearslong decline</a>&nbsp;in the use and support of the death penalty in the U.S. The first was carried out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-freddie-owens-lethal-injection-0e15aef91dfe9ac9667264dce7df0193">Friday in South Carolina</a>. Texas was also slated to execute a prisoner on Tuesday evening.Gayle, 42, was a social worker and former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter. Prosecutors at Williams’ trial said he broke into her home on Aug. 11, 1998, heard the shower running and found a large butcher knife. Gayle was stabbed 43 times when she came downstairs. Her purse and her husband’s laptop were stolen.Authorities said Williams stole a jacket to conceal blood on his shirt. His girlfriend asked him why he would wear a jacket on a hot day. She said she later saw the purse and laptop in his car and that Williams sold the computer a day or two later.Prosecutors also cited testimony from Henry Cole, who shared a cell with Williams in 1999 while Williams was jailed on unrelated charges. Cole told prosecutors that Williams confessed to the killing and provided details about it.Williams’ attorneys responded that the girlfriend and Cole were both convicted of felonies and wanted a $10,000 reward. They said that fingerprints, a bloody shoeprint, hair and other evidence at the crime scene didn’t match Williams’.A crime scene investigator had testified the killer wore gloves.Questions about DNA evidence also led St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-death-row-inmate-dna-evidence-0a179b0aafb1a0c0a3e144f7e3592a62">request a hearing</a>&nbsp;challenging Williams’ guilt. But days before the Aug. 21 hearing,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-missouri-death-row-f7b3b4257c8a18542a6686d810472646">new testing showed</a>&nbsp;that DNA on the knife belonged to members of the prosecutor’s office who handled it without gloves after the original crime lab tests.Without DNA evidence pointing to any alternative suspect, Midwest Innocence Project attorneys reached a compromise with the prosecutor’s office: Williams would enter a new, no-contest plea to first-degree murder in exchange for a new sentence of life in prison without parole. A no-contest plea isn’t an admission of guilt but is treated as such for the purpose of sentencing.Judge Bruce Hilton signed off, as did Gayle’s family. But Bailey appealed, and the state Supreme Court blocked the agreement and ordered Hilton to proceed with an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-missouri-death-row-f7b3b4257c8a18542a6686d810472646">evidentiary hearing</a>, which took place last month.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marcellus-williams-missouri-death-row-32fc5ee044353cf62411089d54bc9d9b">Hilton ruled on Sept. 12</a>&nbsp;that the first-degree murder conviction and death sentence would stand, noting that Williams’ arguments all had been previously rejected. That decision was upheld Monday by the state Supreme Court.Attorneys for Williams, who was Black, also challenged the fairness of his trial, particularly the fact that only one of the 12 jurors was Black. Tricia Bushnell of the Midwest Innocence Project said the prosecutor in the case, Keith Larner, removed six of seven Black prospective jurors.Larner testified at the August hearing that he struck one potential Black juror partly because he looked too much like Williams — a statement that Williams’ attorneys asserted showed improper racial bias.Larner contended that the jury selection process was fair.Williams was the third Missouri inmate put to death this year and the 100th since the state resumed use of the death penalty in 1989.

Man issues statement before executed for 1998 murder

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly adopted a “Pact for the Future” to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Now comes the hard part: uniting the world’s divided nations to move quickly to implement the agreement's 56 actions.

As Czech President Petr Pavel put it Monday at the summit meeting surrounding the pact: “Our work begins at home.”

<a href="https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/ltd/n24/252/89/pdf/n2425289.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the full text of the agreement

The 193-member world body approved the pact Sunday. The document is meant to link nations in tackling challenges ranging from climate change and artificial intelligence to escalating conflicts and increasing inequality and poverty — and improve the lives of the world’s more than 8 billion people.

The 42-page pact was adopted at Sunday’s opening of a two-day “Summit of the Future,” which continued Monday as leaders of many countries gave their views on the challenges facing the world.

And with those remarks, the leaders previewed some themes to expect at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c8dec645b01be23f67c542666c229d9d">assembly's big annual meeting</a>, which gets into full gear Tuesday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for technology regulation that's global but “ensures that national sovereignty and integrity are upheld.” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated his country's frequent complaints about nations dividing into geopolitical blocs, and about countries singlehandedly imposing sanctions.

Leaders from countries ranging from Angola to Ecuador to Slovakia mentioned a roster of other challenges: inequality, youth unemployment, the spread of disinformation, and more.

Right up to Sunday's vote, it was unclear whether the pact would be adopted. In fact, there was so much suspense that U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres had three prepared speeches, one for approval, one for rejection, and one if things weren’t clear, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minster Sergey Vershinin proposed an amendment that would have significantly watered down the agreement. “No one is happy with this pact,” he said.

It turned out he was wrong. Some 143 countries, including Africa's 54 nations, voted not to take action on Russia's amendment. Only six countries supported Russia -- Iran, Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua, Sudan and Syria. Fifteen countries abstained.

Assembly President Philémon Yang then put the pact to a vote and banged his gavel, signifying the consensus of all U.N. member nations that was required for approval — to vigorous applause.

Russia has made significant inroads in Africa, in countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Central African Republic. The rejection of Russia’s amendments by African countries and Mexico, a major Latin American power, was seen as a blow to Moscow by some diplomats and observers.

Vershinin complained at the summit Monday that the pact contains some “unacceptable elements." His country wants “to disassociate ourselves from the consensus” on it, he said.

He spoke about an hour before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who referred to Russia and supporters of its proposed amendment as “accomplices” in opposing efforts to make the U.N. more effective.

Guterres, clearly relieved by the pact's approval, then issued a challenge to the leaders: Implement the pact. Prioritize dialogue and negotiations. End “wars tearing our world apart” from the Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan. Reform the powerful U.N. Security Council. Accelerate changes to the international financial system. Ramp up a transition from fossil fuels. Listen to young people and include them in decision-making.

For all the endorsements of the agreement, some speakers noted shortcomings.

The Marshall Islands’ president, Hilda Heine, said it’s “hard not to be frustrated over apparent political limitations” in the pact.

“There is an incredible and persistent gap between ambitious solutions and international finance at hand," she said.

Speaking for the U.N.’s main bloc of developing countries — the Group of 77, which now has 134 members, including China — Ugandan Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja regretted that the pact doesn’t recognize actions that developed countries should take to close the widening gaps between them and developing countries.

In a rare move at a high-level U.N. meeting where leaders often exceed the announced time limit, speeches were muted after five minutes.

The Pact for the Future says world leaders are gathering “at a time of profound global transformation,” and it warns of “rising catastrophic and existential risks” that could tip people everywhere “into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown.”

Guterres singled out a number of key provisions in the pact and its accompanying annexes, a Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations.

The pact commits world leaders to reform the 15-member Security Council, to make it more reflective of today’s world and “redress the historical injustice against Africa,” which has no permanent seat, and to address the under-representation of the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America.

It also “represents the first agreed multilateral support for nuclear disarmament in more than a decade,” Guterres said, and it commits “to steps to prevent an arms race in outer space and to govern the use of lethal autonomous weapons.”

The Global Digital Compact “includes the first truly universal agreement on the international governance of artificial intelligence,” the U.N. chief said.

As for human rights, Guterres said, “in the face of a surge in misogyny and a rollback of women’s reproductive rights,” the document commits governments to removing legal, social and economic barriers facing women and girls.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727178356886.png" alt="First page of the new "Pact for the Future"" />
 <figcaption>First page of the new "Pact for the Future"</figcaption>
 </figure>UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly adopted a “Pact for the Future” to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Now comes the hard part: uniting the world’s divided nations to move quickly to implement the agreement's 56 actions.As Czech President Petr Pavel put it Monday at the summit meeting surrounding the pact: “Our work begins at home.”<a href="https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/ltd/n24/252/89/pdf/n2425289.pdf">Click here to read</a>&nbsp;the full text of the agreementThe 193-member world body approved the pact Sunday. The document is meant to link nations in tackling challenges ranging from climate change and artificial intelligence to escalating conflicts and increasing inequality and poverty — and improve the lives of the world’s more than 8 billion people.The 42-page pact was adopted at Sunday’s opening of a two-day “Summit of the Future,” which continued Monday as leaders of many countries gave their views on the challenges facing the world.And with those remarks, the leaders previewed some themes to expect at the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c8dec645b01be23f67c542666c229d9d">assembly's big annual meeting</a>, which gets into full gear Tuesday.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for technology regulation that's global but “ensures that national sovereignty and integrity are upheld.” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated his country's frequent complaints about nations dividing into geopolitical blocs, and about countries singlehandedly imposing sanctions.Leaders from countries ranging from Angola to Ecuador to Slovakia mentioned a roster of other challenges: inequality, youth unemployment, the spread of disinformation, and more.<h2>Russia tried to change the pact</h2>Right up to Sunday's vote, it was unclear whether the pact would be adopted. In fact, there was so much suspense that U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres had three prepared speeches, one for approval, one for rejection, and one if things weren’t clear, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minster Sergey Vershinin proposed an amendment that would have significantly watered down the agreement. “No one is happy with this pact,” he said.It turned out he was wrong. Some 143 countries, including Africa's 54 nations, voted not to take action on Russia's amendment. Only six countries supported Russia -- Iran, Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua, Sudan and Syria. Fifteen countries abstained.Assembly President Philémon Yang then put the pact to a vote and banged his gavel, signifying the consensus of all U.N. member nations that was required for approval — to vigorous applause.Russia has made significant inroads in Africa, in countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Central African Republic. The rejection of Russia’s amendments by African countries and Mexico, a major Latin American power, was seen as a blow to Moscow by some diplomats and observers.Vershinin complained at the summit Monday that the pact contains some “unacceptable elements." His country wants “to disassociate ourselves from the consensus” on it, he said.He spoke about an hour before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who referred to Russia and supporters of its proposed amendment as “accomplices” in opposing efforts to make the U.N. more effective.<h2>The secretary-general issues a challenge</h2>Guterres, clearly relieved by the pact's approval, then issued a challenge to the leaders: Implement the pact. Prioritize dialogue and negotiations. End “wars tearing our world apart” from the Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan. Reform the powerful U.N. Security Council. Accelerate changes to the international financial system. Ramp up a transition from fossil fuels. Listen to young people and include them in decision-making.For all the endorsements of the agreement, some speakers noted shortcomings.The Marshall Islands’ president, Hilda Heine, said it’s “hard not to be frustrated over apparent political limitations” in the pact.“There is an incredible and persistent gap between ambitious solutions and international finance at hand," she said.Speaking for the U.N.’s main bloc of developing countries — the Group of 77, which now has 134 members, including China — Ugandan Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja regretted that the pact doesn’t recognize actions that developed countries should take to close the widening gaps between them and developing countries.In a rare move at a high-level U.N. meeting where leaders often exceed the announced time limit, speeches were muted after five minutes.<h2>There's a long list of things to tackle</h2>The Pact for the Future says world leaders are gathering “at a time of profound global transformation,” and it warns of “rising catastrophic and existential risks” that could tip people everywhere “into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown.”Guterres singled out a number of key provisions in the pact and its accompanying annexes, a Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations.The pact commits world leaders to reform the 15-member Security Council, to make it more reflective of today’s world and “redress the historical injustice against Africa,” which has no permanent seat, and to address the under-representation of the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America.It also “represents the first agreed multilateral support for nuclear disarmament in more than a decade,” Guterres said, and it commits “to steps to prevent an arms race in outer space and to govern the use of lethal autonomous weapons.”The Global Digital Compact “includes the first truly universal agreement on the international governance of artificial intelligence,” the U.N. chief said.As for human rights, Guterres said, “in the face of a surge in misogyny and a rollback of women’s reproductive rights,” the document commits governments to removing legal, social and economic barriers facing women and girls.___

Read U.N. approved Pact for the Future to transform global governance

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/johnny-cash">Johnny Cash</a>&nbsp;now stands among the most famous politicians, trailblazers and activists of American history as he became the first professional musician to be honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol.

Congressional leaders from both parties and members of the Cash family were among the several hundred guests who gathered Tuesday for the unveiling of the statue. They shared their memories of a man who grew up on an Arkansas cotton farm and turned a love of music into a decades-long career that gave voice to the struggles and triumphs of everyday Americans.

"Some may ask: Why should a musician have a statue here in the halls of the great American republic?" Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;said at unveiling ceremony. “The answer is pretty simple. It’s because America is about more than laws and politics.”

Each state selects two statues to place within the Capitol. The Cash statue is the second new figure Arkansas has sent to replace two existing images that had represented the state at the U.S. Capitol for more than 100 years. Another statue depicting civil rights leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-statues-capitol-johnny-cash-daisy-bates-b8b76e7e10586ffff02e37d0c4a22c9d">Daisy Bates</a>&nbsp;was unveiled at the Capitol earlier this year. Bates mentored the nine Black children who desegregated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-us-news-race-and-ethnicity-ar-state-wire-ap-top-news-592c11254b9f45b29846a666d08d51c4">Little Rock Central High School in 1957</a>.

The state’s legislature in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-music-united-states-congress-general-news-50557f16be5d42ada5f47158cf9c55df">2019 voted to replace</a>&nbsp;Arkansas’ two prior statues, which depicted little-known figures from the 18th and 19th centuries, with Bates and Cash.

Known as the “The Man in Black,” Cash was a vivid storyteller who sang with a deep voice songs like “I Walk The Line," “Ring of Fire,” “Jackson” and “A Boy Named Sue.” The statue depicts the singer with a guitar slung across his back and a Bible in his hand. Little Rock sculptor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnny-cash-capitol-arkansas-daisy-bates-statue-07cb4d7739fe3301bb9a827e5283e454">Kevin Kresse</a>&nbsp;created the statue.

Democratic leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">Hakeem Jeffries</a>&nbsp;said artistic creativity is an important part of the country's growth, and Cash's “substance” and “swagger” inspired generations of artists from every genre imaginable. He quoted singers such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bob-dylan">Bob Dylan</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/snoop-dogg">Snoop Dogg</a>&nbsp;about Cash's impact.

“He called Johnny Cash a real American gangster. That a compliment from Snoop Doggy Dog,” Jeffries said as the audience laughed. “What a life, what a legend, what a legacy.”

Arkansas Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sarah-huckabee-sanders">Sarah Huckabee Sanders</a>&nbsp;led a group of Arkansas lawmakers at the ceremony. She said she grew up in a musical family where “after God and country, came Johnny Cash.” She noted how Cash struggled with addiction but went on to perform for prisoners and held a deep religious faith. She described him as a “hymn-singing Christian” who also experienced difficult times.

“When so much in today's world is fake, Johnny Cash was very real,” Sanders said.

Cash's daughter, Rosanne Cash, said her father would have viewed the statue “as the ultimate” honor in his life. She said her father's hard upbringing instilled in him a strong work ethic and that he loved the idea of America as a place of dreams and refuge.

“This man was a living redemption story,” Rosanne Cash said. “He encountered darkness and met it with love.”

Cash was born in Kingsland, a tiny town about 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Little Rock. He died in 2003 at age 71. His&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arkansas-government-and-politics-johnny-cash-cbdb7a6d65676c361ba0169eec8bdacd">achievements</a>&nbsp;include 90 million records sold worldwide spanning country, rock, blues, folk and gospel. He is among the few artists inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame.

Cash's statue will be the newest added to the Capitol since one from North Carolina depicting the Rev.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/billy-graham-statue-capitol-north-carolina-f09c82dedf4126a929bcd27147dedb8e">Billy Graham</a>&nbsp;was unveiled in May.

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/johnny-cash">Johnny Cash</a>&nbsp;now stands among the most famous politicians, trailblazers and activists of American history as he became the first professional musician to be honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Johnny Cash Statue Unveiling in the U.S. Capitol. <a href="https://t.co/ErfipvXmdC">pic.twitter.com/ErfipvXmdC</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1838603265392398630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Congressional leaders from both parties and members of the Cash family were among the several hundred guests who gathered Tuesday for the unveiling of the statue. They shared their memories of a man who grew up on an Arkansas cotton farm and turned a love of music into a decades-long career that gave voice to the struggles and triumphs of everyday Americans."Some may ask: Why should a musician have a statue here in the halls of the great American republic?" Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;said at unveiling ceremony. “The answer is pretty simple. It’s because America is about more than laws and politics.”Each state selects two statues to place within the Capitol. The Cash statue is the second new figure Arkansas has sent to replace two existing images that had represented the state at the U.S. Capitol for more than 100 years. Another statue depicting civil rights leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-statues-capitol-johnny-cash-daisy-bates-b8b76e7e10586ffff02e37d0c4a22c9d">Daisy Bates</a>&nbsp;was unveiled at the Capitol earlier this year. Bates mentored the nine Black children who desegregated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-us-news-race-and-ethnicity-ar-state-wire-ap-top-news-592c11254b9f45b29846a666d08d51c4">Little Rock Central High School in 1957</a>.The state’s legislature in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/national-national-music-united-states-congress-general-news-50557f16be5d42ada5f47158cf9c55df">2019 voted to replace</a>&nbsp;Arkansas’ two prior statues, which depicted little-known figures from the 18th and 19th centuries, with Bates and Cash.Known as the “The Man in Black,” Cash was a vivid storyteller who sang with a deep voice songs like “I Walk The Line," “Ring of Fire,” “Jackson” and “A Boy Named Sue.” The statue depicts the singer with a guitar slung across his back and a Bible in his hand. Little Rock sculptor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnny-cash-capitol-arkansas-daisy-bates-statue-07cb4d7739fe3301bb9a827e5283e454">Kevin Kresse</a>&nbsp;created the statue.Democratic leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hakeem-jeffries">Hakeem Jeffries</a>&nbsp;said artistic creativity is an important part of the country's growth, and Cash's “substance” and “swagger” inspired generations of artists from every genre imaginable. He quoted singers such as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bob-dylan">Bob Dylan</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/snoop-dogg">Snoop Dogg</a>&nbsp;about Cash's impact.“He called Johnny Cash a real American gangster. That a compliment from Snoop Doggy Dog,” Jeffries said as the audience laughed. “What a life, what a legend, what a legacy.”Arkansas Gov.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sarah-huckabee-sanders">Sarah Huckabee Sanders</a>&nbsp;led a group of Arkansas lawmakers at the ceremony. She said she grew up in a musical family where “after God and country, came Johnny Cash.” She noted how Cash struggled with addiction but went on to perform for prisoners and held a deep religious faith. She described him as a “hymn-singing Christian” who also experienced difficult times.“When so much in today's world is fake, Johnny Cash was very real,” Sanders said.Cash's daughter, Rosanne Cash, said her father would have viewed the statue “as the ultimate” honor in his life. She said her father's hard upbringing instilled in him a strong work ethic and that he loved the idea of America as a place of dreams and refuge.“This man was a living redemption story,” Rosanne Cash said. “He encountered darkness and met it with love.”Cash was born in Kingsland, a tiny town about 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Little Rock. He died in 2003 at age 71. His&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arkansas-government-and-politics-johnny-cash-cbdb7a6d65676c361ba0169eec8bdacd">achievements</a>&nbsp;include 90 million records sold worldwide spanning country, rock, blues, folk and gospel. He is among the few artists inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame.Cash's statue will be the newest added to the Capitol since one from North Carolina depicting the Rev.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/billy-graham-statue-capitol-north-carolina-f09c82dedf4126a929bcd27147dedb8e">Billy Graham</a>&nbsp;was unveiled in May.___

🎥Johnny Cash's statue unveiled at the US Capitol

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities took a man into custody who they believe fired shots from inside a car at the driver after hitting him with the gun then attempting to shoot the man in the head.

 A woman and child were also inside the vehicle and the shooter allegedly missed because the woman was able to hit the gun away.  She was also allegedly hit with the gun. 

 Just after 9p.m. Sunday, police were called to the area of Morningside and Brush Creek in Lawrence after residents heard gunshots. Once the car got to that area, the disturbance continued and the man, woman and child were able to get away but hit a car when they fled. 

Police ultimately took the suspect into custody on requested charges of attempted second degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated child endangerment. 

The investigation continues to determine everything that happened. The adult victims had obvious facial injuries.  The 5-year-old child was physically unharmed.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities took a man into custody who they believe fired shots from inside a car at the driver after hitting him with the gun then attempting to shoot the man in the head. A woman and child were also inside the vehicle and the shooter allegedly missed because the woman was able to hit the gun away. She was also allegedly hit with the gun. Just after 9p.m. Sunday, police were called to the area of Morningside and Brush Creek in Lawrence after residents heard gunshots. Once the car got to that area, the disturbance continued and the man, woman and child were able to get away but hit a car when they fled. Police ultimately took the suspect into custody on requested charges of attempted second degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated child endangerment. The investigation continues to determine everything that happened. The adult victims had obvious facial injuries. The 5-year-old child was physically unharmed.

Kan. woman prevents shooting during disturbance in vehicle

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;-

WASHINGTON — The country’s next president will need a friendly Congress to make their policy dreams a reality, but control of the two chambers remains deeply uncertain with just weeks until Election Day — and whether the outcome will be a party trifecta in the nation’s capital.

Recent projections tilt in favor of Republicans taking the U.S. Senate, an already closely divided chamber that is sure to be near evenly split again next Congress.

And though Vice President Kamala Harris injected a jolt of energy into the Democratic Party, prognosticators still say the prizewinner of the House is anybody’s guess.

“The House is highly close and competitive, and really could go either way.&nbsp; And I say the same thing about the presidential race,” Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told States Newsroom on Thursday.

A ‘district-by-district slug fest’&nbsp;

Control of the 435-seat House remains a toss-up, with competitive races in both the seven swing states and in states that will almost certainly have no bearing on who wins the top of the ticket.

Sabato’s, an election prognosticator, currently ranks nine Republican seats of the roughly 30 competitive races as “toss-up” seats for the party — meaning the GOP incumbents are locked in competitive races.

The GOP has held a slim majority this Congress, and Democrats only need to net four seats to gain control.

“It really is right on the razor’s edge,” Kondik said. “It’s pretty crazy that, you know, we’ve had two straight elections with just 222-seat majorities. And it’s pretty rare historically for there to be, you know, majorities that small twice in a row — unprecedented.

“Usually you’d have one side or the other breaking out to a bigger advantage, and I think both sides are viewing this, really, as a district-by-district slug fest.”

Sabato’s&nbsp;<a href="https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/five-house-ratings-changes-as-overall-battle-for-majority-remains-tight/" target="_blank">adjusted its ratings</a>&nbsp;on five races Thursday, including moving Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://alaskabeacon.com/2024/08/21/peltola-leads-in-alaska-u-s-house-primary-with-begich-ahead-of-dahlstrom/" target="_blank">Rep. Mary Peltola</a>&nbsp;of Alaska to the “toss-up” category from a safer “leans Democratic.” Kondik also nudged the race for Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York to “leans Republican” from “toss up.”

“The big ones are probably Peltola, and then Mike Lawler, who holds one of the bluest seats held by a Republican, but I moved him to ‘leans R.’ It seems pretty clear to me that he’s in a decent position,” Kondik said.

The National Republican Congressional Committee, the party’s fundraising arm for House races, announced in June nearly $1.2 million in ad buys in Alaska. The organization launched a new ad in the state this month that accuses Peltola of not supporting veterans.

In addition to Peltola, Kondik ranks nine other Democratic incumbents — of the nearly 40 competitive races — as toss-ups.

Among the toss-ups is the seat currently held by Rep. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania, a key swing state in the presidential race. Cartwright’s Republican challenger, Rob Bresnahan, runs an electrical contracting company in the northeastern Pennsylvania district that he took over from his grandfather.

Democrats are investing in the seat: Cartwright is running a new ad featuring union workers praising him, and just last week Harris hosted a rally in the district, which includes Scranton.

But the NRCC thinks they have a pretty good chance of flipping his seat.

Breshnahan’s company is “a union shop,” said NRCC head Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina. “So he can talk union talk. He’s a great candidate for us.”

“Matt Cartwright is in trouble,” Hudson said on the conservative “Ruthless Podcast” on Sept. 12.

“I think the way we’ve structured it, the type of candidates we recruited across the country, from Maine to Alaska, from Minnesota to Texas, regardless of top of the ticket, we’re going to pick up seats,” Hudson said.

But Sabato’s also nudged three seats toward the Democrats’ favor on Thursday.

Kondik moved Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin from the safety of “likely Republican” to the weaker “leans Republican” category.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, sees an “important opportunity” in Van Orden’s district. The GOP congressman, who represents central and western Wisconsin, became known for his profanity-laced&nbsp;<a href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/briefs/report-van-orden-curses-out-group-of-teenage-congressional-pages/" target="_blank">outburst</a>&nbsp;at young Senate pages for taking photos of the Capitol rotunda.

The Democrats are running challenger Rebecca Cooke, a small business owner, in the hopes of unseating him.

“We have an incredible candidate in Rebecca Cooke (against) one of the most extreme, which is saying a lot, Republicans in the House,” DelBene told reporters on a call Monday.

“We have put Rebecca Cooke on our Red-to-Blue list and are strongly supporting her campaign. She’s doing a great job, and this absolutely is a priority for us,” DelBene said, referring to the DCCC’s list of 30 candidates that receive extra fundraising support.

DelBene said she’s confident in the Democrats’ chances to flip the House, citing healthy coffers and revived interest.

“We have seen huge enthusiasm all across the country. We have seen people, more and more people turning out to volunteer, to knock on doors, to make phone calls,” she said.

Democrats’ cash ‘flooding,’ NRCC chief says

Erin Covey, a House analyst with The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/house-overview/house-ratings-changes-several-races-move-democrats-favor" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 5 that Democrats have a brighter outlook after Harris assumed the top of the ticket, though November remains a close call.

“Now, polling conducted by both parties largely shows Harris matching, or coming a few points short of, Biden’s 2020 margins across competitive House districts,” Covey wrote.

The NRCC has taken note. During his interview on the “Ruthless Podcast,” Hudson compared Harris becoming the Democrats’ new choice for president as a “bloodless coup,” and said the enthusiasm she’s sparked is a cause for concern for Republicans. Democratic delegates nominated Harris, in accordance with party rules, to run for the Oval Office after Biden dropped out in late July.

“A lot of people, even Democrats, you know, just weren’t comfortable voting for Joe Biden. With Kamala on the ticket, we saw a surge in Democrats coming home and having the enthusiasm,” Hudson said.

Hudson said he also worries about Democrats’ fundraising numbers.

“The one thing that keeps you awake at night is the Democrat money. It’s flooding,” Hudson said. “The second quarter this year I was able to raise the most money we’ve ever raised as a committee, and the Democrats raised $7 million more. I mean, it’s just, they just keep coming. It’s like the Terminator.”

“But we don’t have to match them dollar for dollar,” Hudson said. “We’ve just got to make sure we’ve got the resources we need. And so we’ve just got to keep our pace.”

The DCCC announced Friday it raised $22.3 million in August, bringing its total for this election cycle to $250.6 million.

Republicans are inching closer and closer to flipping the Senate red during this year’s elections, thanks to a map that favors GOP incumbents and puts Democrats on the defensive in several states.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is widely expected to win his bid for the upper chamber, bringing Republicans up to 50 seats, as long as they hang on in Florida, Nebraska and Texas.

But Democrats will need to secure wins in several challenging states, including Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — and break the 50-50 tie through a Democratic presidency — if they want to remain the majority party.

That many Democratic wins seems increasingly unlikely, though not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

Montana, where Sen. Jon Tester is looking to secure reelection against GOP challenger Tim Sheehy, has been moved from a “toss-up” state to leaning toward Republicans by three respected analysis organizations in the last few weeks.

The Cook Political Report wrote in its ratings change earlier this month that several “public polls have shown Sheehy opening up a small, but consistent lead.”

“Democrats push back that their polling still shows Tester within the margin of error of the race, and that those are exactly the type of close races he’s won before,” their assessment said. “Tester, however, has never run on a presidential ballot in a polarized environment of this kind before — and even with his stumbles, Sheehy is still the strongest, best financed candidate he’s ever faced.”

Republicans winning Montana’s Senate seat could give them a firm, though narrow, 51-seat Senate majority.

That, however, would require the Republican incumbents in states like Florida and Texas — where it’s not clear if evolving trends against Republicans will continue — to secure their reelection wins.

And it would mean holding off a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/03/fischer-and-osborn-hint-at-tight-race-as-both-tout-union-endorsements/" target="_blank">wild card independent candidate&nbsp;</a>in the Cornhusker state.

The Cook Political Report says it’s “worth keeping an eye on a unique situation developing in Nebraska, where independent candidate Dan Osborn is challenging Republican Sen. Deb Fischer.”

CPR also noted in its analysis that Democrats’ best pick-up opportunities, which could rebalance the scales a bit, are Florida and Texas.

“Today, the Lone Star State looks like the better option because of the strengths and fundraising of Democrats’ challenger there, Rep. Colin Allred,” CPR wrote.

If Democrats do hold onto 50 seats, through whatever combination of wins and losses shakes out on election night, majority control would depend on whichever candidate wins the presidential contest.

Given the close nature of several Senate races, it is entirely possible control of that chamber isn’t known until after recounts take place in the swing states.

Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Gary Peters, D-Mich., said during a Christian Science Monitor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538456-1/christian-science-monitor-breakfast-senator-gary-peters" target="_blank">breakfast</a>&nbsp;this week that he’s known all along Democratic candidates will be in “very right races.”

“In a nutshell, I’m optimistic,” Peters said. “I believe we’re going to hold the majority. I feel good about where we are. We’re basically where I thought we would be after Labor Day in really tight races. None of this is a surprise to us. Now we just have to run our playbook, be focused, be disciplined.”

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, led this cycle by Montana Sen. Steve Daines, is confident the GOP will pick up the Senate majority following November’s elections.

The group highlighted a Washington Post poll this week showing a tie between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and GOP candidate Dave McCormick in the Pennsylvania Senate race.

NRSC Spokesman Philip Letsou sent out a written statement after the poll’s release that Casey is in the “race for his life…because Pennsylvania voters know Casey’s lockstep support for Kamala Harris and her inflationary, anti-fracking agenda will devastate their economy. Pennsylvanians have had enough of liberal, career politicians like Casey and Harris.”

The GOP acquisition of a handful of seats would still require the next Republican leader to constantly broker deals with Democrats, since the chamber is widely expected to retain the legislative filibuster.

That rule requires at least 60 senators vote to advance legislation toward final passage and is the main reason the chamber rarely takes up partisan bills.

A Republican sweep of the House, Senate and White House for unified government would give them the chance to pass certain types of legislation through the fast-track budget reconciliation process they used to approve the 2017 tax law.

How wide their majorities are in each chamber will determine how much they can do within such a bill, given Republicans will still have centrist members, like Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Maine’s Susan Collins, balancing the party against more far-right policy goals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675989554413.png" alt="-Recent projections tilt in favor of Republicans taking the U.S. Senate, an already closely divided chamber that is sure to be near evenly split again next Congress-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>-Recent projections tilt in favor of Republicans taking the U.S. Senate, an already closely divided chamber that is sure to be near evenly split again next Congress-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;-WASHINGTON — The country’s next president will need a friendly Congress to make their policy dreams a reality, but control of the two chambers remains deeply uncertain with just weeks until Election Day — and whether the outcome will be a party trifecta in the nation’s capital.Recent projections tilt in favor of Republicans taking the U.S. Senate, an already closely divided chamber that is sure to be near evenly split again next Congress.And though Vice President Kamala Harris injected a jolt of energy into the Democratic Party, prognosticators still say the prizewinner of the House is anybody’s guess.“The House is highly close and competitive, and really could go either way.&nbsp; And I say the same thing about the presidential race,” Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told States Newsroom on Thursday.<h2>A ‘district-by-district slug fest’&nbsp;</h2>Control of the 435-seat House remains a toss-up, with competitive races in both the seven swing states and in states that will almost certainly have no bearing on who wins the top of the ticket.Sabato’s, an election prognosticator, currently ranks nine Republican seats of the roughly 30 competitive races as “toss-up” seats for the party — meaning the GOP incumbents are locked in competitive races.The GOP has held a slim majority this Congress, and Democrats only need to net four seats to gain control.“It really is right on the razor’s edge,” Kondik said. “It’s pretty crazy that, you know, we’ve had two straight elections with just 222-seat majorities. And it’s pretty rare historically for there to be, you know, majorities that small twice in a row — unprecedented.“Usually you’d have one side or the other breaking out to a bigger advantage, and I think both sides are viewing this, really, as a district-by-district slug fest.”Sabato’s&nbsp;<a href="https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/five-house-ratings-changes-as-overall-battle-for-majority-remains-tight/" target="_blank">adjusted its ratings</a>&nbsp;on five races Thursday, including moving Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://alaskabeacon.com/2024/08/21/peltola-leads-in-alaska-u-s-house-primary-with-begich-ahead-of-dahlstrom/" target="_blank">Rep. Mary Peltola</a>&nbsp;of Alaska to the “toss-up” category from a safer “leans Democratic.” Kondik also nudged the race for Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York to “leans Republican” from “toss up.”“The big ones are probably Peltola, and then Mike Lawler, who holds one of the bluest seats held by a Republican, but I moved him to ‘leans R.’ It seems pretty clear to me that he’s in a decent position,” Kondik said.The National Republican Congressional Committee, the party’s fundraising arm for House races, announced in June nearly $1.2 million in ad buys in Alaska. The organization launched a new ad in the state this month that accuses Peltola of not supporting veterans.<h2>It’s always about Pennsylvania</h2>In addition to Peltola, Kondik ranks nine other Democratic incumbents — of the nearly 40 competitive races — as toss-ups.Among the toss-ups is the seat currently held by Rep. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania, a key swing state in the presidential race. Cartwright’s Republican challenger, Rob Bresnahan, runs an electrical contracting company in the northeastern Pennsylvania district that he took over from his grandfather.Democrats are investing in the seat: Cartwright is running a new ad featuring union workers praising him, and just last week Harris hosted a rally in the district, which includes Scranton.But the NRCC thinks they have a pretty good chance of flipping his seat.Breshnahan’s company is “a union shop,” said NRCC head Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina. “So he can talk union talk. He’s a great candidate for us.”“Matt Cartwright is in trouble,” Hudson said on the conservative “Ruthless Podcast” on Sept. 12.“I think the way we’ve structured it, the type of candidates we recruited across the country, from Maine to Alaska, from Minnesota to Texas, regardless of top of the ticket, we’re going to pick up seats,” Hudson said.<h2>Van Orden targeted in Wisconsin</h2>But Sabato’s also nudged three seats toward the Democrats’ favor on Thursday.Kondik moved Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin from the safety of “likely Republican” to the weaker “leans Republican” category.Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, sees an “important opportunity” in Van Orden’s district. The GOP congressman, who represents central and western Wisconsin, became known for his profanity-laced&nbsp;<a href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/briefs/report-van-orden-curses-out-group-of-teenage-congressional-pages/" target="_blank">outburst</a>&nbsp;at young Senate pages for taking photos of the Capitol rotunda.The Democrats are running challenger Rebecca Cooke, a small business owner, in the hopes of unseating him.“We have an incredible candidate in Rebecca Cooke (against) one of the most extreme, which is saying a lot, Republicans in the House,” DelBene told reporters on a call Monday.“We have put Rebecca Cooke on our Red-to-Blue list and are strongly supporting her campaign. She’s doing a great job, and this absolutely is a priority for us,” DelBene said, referring to the DCCC’s list of 30 candidates that receive extra fundraising support.DelBene said she’s confident in the Democrats’ chances to flip the House, citing healthy coffers and revived interest.“We have seen huge enthusiasm all across the country. We have seen people, more and more people turning out to volunteer, to knock on doors, to make phone calls,” she said.<h2>Democrats’ cash ‘flooding,’ NRCC chief says</h2>Erin Covey, a House analyst with The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/house-overview/house-ratings-changes-several-races-move-democrats-favor" target="_blank">wrote</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 5 that Democrats have a brighter outlook after Harris assumed the top of the ticket, though November remains a close call.“Now, polling conducted by both parties largely shows Harris matching, or coming a few points short of, Biden’s 2020 margins across competitive House districts,” Covey wrote.The NRCC has taken note. During his interview on the “Ruthless Podcast,” Hudson compared Harris becoming the Democrats’ new choice for president as a “bloodless coup,” and said the enthusiasm she’s sparked is a cause for concern for Republicans. Democratic delegates nominated Harris, in accordance with party rules, to run for the Oval Office after Biden dropped out in late July.“A lot of people, even Democrats, you know, just weren’t comfortable voting for Joe Biden. With Kamala on the ticket, we saw a surge in Democrats coming home and having the enthusiasm,” Hudson said.Hudson said he also worries about Democrats’ fundraising numbers.“The one thing that keeps you awake at night is the Democrat money. It’s flooding,” Hudson said. “The second quarter this year I was able to raise the most money we’ve ever raised as a committee, and the Democrats raised $7 million more. I mean, it’s just, they just keep coming. It’s like the Terminator.”“But we don’t have to match them dollar for dollar,” Hudson said. “We’ve just got to make sure we’ve got the resources we need. And so we’ve just got to keep our pace.”The DCCC announced Friday it raised $22.3 million in August, bringing its total for this election cycle to $250.6 million.<h2>Senate map tilts toward GOP</h2>Republicans are inching closer and closer to flipping the Senate red during this year’s elections, thanks to a map that favors GOP incumbents and puts Democrats on the defensive in several states.West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is widely expected to win his bid for the upper chamber, bringing Republicans up to 50 seats, as long as they hang on in Florida, Nebraska and Texas.But Democrats will need to secure wins in several challenging states, including Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — and break the 50-50 tie through a Democratic presidency — if they want to remain the majority party.That many Democratic wins seems increasingly unlikely, though not entirely out of the realm of possibility.Montana, where Sen. Jon Tester is looking to secure reelection against GOP challenger Tim Sheehy, has been moved from a “toss-up” state to leaning toward Republicans by three respected analysis organizations in the last few weeks.The Cook Political Report wrote in its ratings change earlier this month that several “public polls have shown Sheehy opening up a small, but consistent lead.”“Democrats push back that their polling still shows Tester within the margin of error of the race, and that those are exactly the type of close races he’s won before,” their assessment said. “Tester, however, has never run on a presidential ballot in a polarized environment of this kind before — and even with his stumbles, Sheehy is still the strongest, best financed candidate he’s ever faced.”Republicans winning Montana’s Senate seat could give them a firm, though narrow, 51-seat Senate majority.<h2>Florida, Texas, Nebraska</h2>That, however, would require the Republican incumbents in states like Florida and Texas — where it’s not clear if evolving trends against Republicans will continue — to secure their reelection wins.And it would mean holding off a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/03/fischer-and-osborn-hint-at-tight-race-as-both-tout-union-endorsements/" target="_blank">wild card independent candidate&nbsp;</a>in the Cornhusker state.The Cook Political Report says it’s “worth keeping an eye on a unique situation developing in Nebraska, where independent candidate Dan Osborn is challenging Republican Sen. Deb Fischer.”CPR also noted in its analysis that Democrats’ best pick-up opportunities, which could rebalance the scales a bit, are Florida and Texas.“Today, the Lone Star State looks like the better option because of the strengths and fundraising of Democrats’ challenger there, Rep. Colin Allred,” CPR wrote.If Democrats do hold onto 50 seats, through whatever combination of wins and losses shakes out on election night, majority control would depend on whichever candidate wins the presidential contest.Given the close nature of several Senate races, it is entirely possible control of that chamber isn’t known until after recounts take place in the swing states.Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Gary Peters, D-Mich., said during a Christian Science Monitor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538456-1/christian-science-monitor-breakfast-senator-gary-peters" target="_blank">breakfast</a>&nbsp;this week that he’s known all along Democratic candidates will be in “very right races.”“In a nutshell, I’m optimistic,” Peters said. “I believe we’re going to hold the majority. I feel good about where we are. We’re basically where I thought we would be after Labor Day in really tight races. None of this is a surprise to us. Now we just have to run our playbook, be focused, be disciplined.”The National Republican Senatorial Committee, led this cycle by Montana Sen. Steve Daines, is confident the GOP will pick up the Senate majority following November’s elections.The group highlighted a Washington Post poll this week showing a tie between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and GOP candidate Dave McCormick in the Pennsylvania Senate race.NRSC Spokesman Philip Letsou sent out a written statement after the poll’s release that Casey is in the “race for his life…because Pennsylvania voters know Casey’s lockstep support for Kamala Harris and her inflationary, anti-fracking agenda will devastate their economy. Pennsylvanians have had enough of liberal, career politicians like Casey and Harris.”<h2>No change in filibuster in sight</h2>The GOP acquisition of a handful of seats would still require the next Republican leader to constantly broker deals with Democrats, since the chamber is widely expected to retain the legislative filibuster.That rule requires at least 60 senators vote to advance legislation toward final passage and is the main reason the chamber rarely takes up partisan bills.A Republican sweep of the House, Senate and White House for unified government would give them the chance to pass certain types of legislation through the fast-track budget reconciliation process they used to approve the 2017 tax law.How wide their majorities are in each chamber will determine how much they can do within such a bill, given Republicans will still have centrist members, like Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Maine’s Susan Collins, balancing the party against more far-right policy goals.

Racing toward Election Day, control of U.S. Senate and House up for grabs

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a violent confrontation near a Kansas elementary school that sent a woman and her attacker to the hospital.

Just after 9a.m. Monday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications began to receive reports of a shooting outside Cessna Elementary School, 2101 West 45th Street South in Wichita, according to a statement from Police Chief Joe Sullivan during a Tuesday afternoon news conference.

The call was broadcast on all law enforcement radio channels. A Sedgwick County Deputy heard the call and responded. When the deputy arrived, he located a 46-year-old man from Wichita who was armed with a handgun. The man made statements that the deputy would kill him while pointing the gun at the deputy, according to Sullivan.

The suspect than ran to and laid on top of a 30-year-old woman. The deputy gave commands for the man to drop his gun and observed the suspect place the fun to the woman's head.

In defense of the woman, the deputy fired his gun twice. The suspect would not let go of the woman. The deputy then attempted to disarm the man physically. It took two Wichita Police officers and the deputy to disarm the suspect.

Investigators have learned that the man and woman live together and have children together. The couple had an argument in a vehicle on the way to the school which led to the suspect shooting the woman multiple times. The woman ran toward the school and the suspect chased her. A Wichita Public School staff member saw the suspect with the gun approaching the school and pulled the door of the school shut and locked it so the suspect could not get inside.

EMS transported the suspect and the woman to an area hospital. Both are expected to survive, according to Sullivan. When the suspect is released from the hospital,&nbsp; he faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not released the name of the suspect.

The Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) was activated to conduct this investigation. ALERT team investigators will present the facts of this case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727210527551.png" alt="The suspect with the gun chasing the woman who had already been shot -image from security camera image released by Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>The suspect with the gun chasing the woman who had already been shot -image from security camera image released by Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a violent confrontation near a Kansas elementary school that sent a woman and her attacker to the hospital.Just after 9a.m. Monday, Sedgwick County Emergency Communications began to receive reports of a shooting outside Cessna Elementary School, 2101 West 45th Street South in Wichita, according to a statement from Police Chief Joe Sullivan during a Tuesday afternoon news conference.The call was broadcast on all law enforcement radio channels. A Sedgwick County Deputy heard the call and responded. When the deputy arrived, he located a 46-year-old man from Wichita who was armed with a handgun. The man made statements that the deputy would kill him while pointing the gun at the deputy, according to Sullivan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727106753444.png" alt="Police on the scene near the school-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene near the school-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>The suspect than ran to and laid on top of a 30-year-old woman. The deputy gave commands for the man to drop his gun and observed the suspect place the fun to the woman's head.In defense of the woman, the deputy fired his gun twice. The suspect would not let go of the woman. The deputy then attempted to disarm the man physically. It took two Wichita Police officers and the deputy to disarm the suspect.Investigators have learned that the man and woman live together and have children together. The couple had an argument in a vehicle on the way to the school which led to the suspect shooting the woman multiple times. The woman ran toward the school and the suspect chased her. A Wichita Public School staff member saw the suspect with the gun approaching the school and pulled the door of the school shut and locked it so the suspect could not get inside.EMS transported the suspect and the woman to an area hospital. Both are expected to survive, according to Sullivan. When the suspect is released from the hospital,&nbsp; he faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police have not released the name of the suspect.The Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) was activated to conduct this investigation. ALERT team investigators will present the facts of this case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration.

Police: Suspect shot woman near Kansas elementary school

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas man for an alleged road-rage incident.

Just after 1p.m. Saturday, a couple from Concordia merged onto Interstate 135 northbound at the Schilling Road exit when a black pickup truck, driven by 34-year-old Nicholas Osbourn of Solomon, began tailgating them, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

Osbourn attempted pass the couple in the vehicle. They didn't realize he was. They both came up to ramp together, according to Soldan.

Osbourn attempted to pass, immediately after leaving the ramp but there was another vehicle in the lane. So the Concordia driver switched lanes, and Osbourne thought they cut him off.

Osbourn began following the couple closely. He then passed their vehicle, brandished a .22 caliber revolver, and discharged the firearm multiple times out of the back window of his truck, according to a statement from the couple.

According to Soldan no bullets made contact with the victims' vehicle.&nbsp;

The couple, fearing for their safety, pulled over near the Interstate 70 exit at Milepost 95. Osbourn also stopped, got out of his truck, and began walking toward the couple. In response, the couple put their vehicle in reverse, against the flow of Interstate 135 traffic, to avoid confrontation.

At this point, another couple driving along the interstate noticed and stopped to assist.

"Osbourn told the second couple that he had 'shot at some people' but wasn’t sure if he had hit them," Soldan said.&nbsp;

Sheriff's Deputies including officers from the Salina Police Department, quickly arrived on the scene. Osbourn, who had returned to his truck, was arrested without further incident on requested charges of aggravated assault, criminal discharge of a firearm on a public roadway, reckless driving and unlawfully being a pedestrian on the interstate.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727052536346.png" alt="Osbourn -Photo Saline County" />
 <figcaption>Osbourn -Photo Saline County</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas man for an alleged road-rage incident.Just after 1p.m. Saturday, a couple from Concordia merged onto Interstate 135 northbound at the Schilling Road exit when a black pickup truck, driven by 34-year-old Nicholas Osbourn of Solomon, began tailgating them, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.Osbourn attempted pass the couple in the vehicle. They didn't realize he was. They both came up to ramp together, according to Soldan.Osbourn attempted to pass, immediately after leaving the ramp but there was another vehicle in the lane. So the Concordia driver switched lanes, and Osbourne thought they cut him off.Osbourn began following the couple closely. He then passed their vehicle, brandished a .22 caliber revolver, and discharged the firearm multiple times out of the back window of his truck, according to a statement from the couple.According to Soldan no bullets made contact with the victims' vehicle.&nbsp;The couple, fearing for their safety, pulled over near the Interstate 70 exit at Milepost 95. Osbourn also stopped, got out of his truck, and began walking toward the couple. In response, the couple put their vehicle in reverse, against the flow of Interstate 135 traffic, to avoid confrontation.At this point, another couple driving along the interstate noticed and stopped to assist."Osbourn told the second couple that he had 'shot at some people' but wasn’t sure if he had hit them," Soldan said.&nbsp;Sheriff's Deputies including officers from the Salina Police Department, quickly arrived on the scene. Osbourn, who had returned to his truck, was arrested without further incident on requested charges of aggravated assault, criminal discharge of a firearm on a public roadway, reckless driving and unlawfully being a pedestrian on the interstate.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

Road Rage: Kan. man accused of shooting at vehicle on Interstate

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;declared in his final address to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-leaders-conflicts-crises-summit-c8dec645b01be23f67c542666c229d9d">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday that the U.S. must not retreat from the world, as Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon edged toward&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-conflict-war-57eb5ef4a77f3bcc0d2b920bc4536706">all-out war</a>&nbsp;and Israel’s bloody&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">operation against Hamas</a>&nbsp;in Gaza neared the one-year mark.

Biden used his wide-ranging address to speak to a need to end the Middle East conflict and the 17-month-old civil war in Sudan and to highlight U.S. and Western allies' support for Kyiv since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022</a>. He also raised concern over artificial intelligence and its potential to be used for repression.

His appearance before the international body offered Biden one of his last high-profile opportunities as president to make the case to keep up robust support for Ukraine, which could be in doubt if former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;defeats Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;in November. Biden insisted that despite global conflicts, he remains hopeful for the future.

“I’ve seen a remarkable sweep of history," Biden said. “I know many look at the world today and see difficulties and react with despair but I do not.”

“We are stronger than we think” when the world acts together, he added.

Biden came to office promising to rejuvenate U.S. relations around the world and to extract the U.S. from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fcd9b36a5f0542c5b0a9688f38338e2b">“forever wars”</a>&nbsp;in Afghanistan and Iraq that consumed American foreign policy over the last 20 years.

“I was determined to end it, and I did,” Biden said of the Afghanistan exit, calling it a “hard decision but the right decision.” He acknowledged that it was "accompanied by tragedy” with the deaths of 13 American troops and hundreds of Afghans in a suicide bombing during the chaotic withdrawal.

But his foreign policy legacy may ultimately be shaped by his administration's response to two of the biggest conflicts in Europe and the Middle East since World War II.

“There will always be forces that pull our countries apart,” Biden said, rejecting “a desire to retreat from the world and go it alone.” He said, "Our task, our test, is to make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than the forces pulling us apart.”

The Pentagon announced Monday that it was sending a small number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-violence-war-hezbollah-63a15fa390a94acf46ef886cc5fb88db">additional U.S. troops</a>&nbsp;to the Middle East to supplement the roughly 40,000 already in the region. All the while, the White House insists Israel and Hezbollah still have time to step back and de-escalate.

“Full scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” Biden said, and despite escalating violence, a diplomatic solution is the only path to peace.

Biden had a hopeful outlook for the Middle East when he addressed the U.N. just a year ago. In that speech, Biden spoke of a “sustainable, integrated Middle East” coming into view.

At the time, economic relations between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors were improving with implementation of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-middle-east-africa-ab22eb240158bfeea2b92f3914e6f50d">Abraham Accords</a>&nbsp;that Israel signed with Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates during the Trump administration.

Biden's team helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-business-israel-lebanon-fa7f622f8c6c1706c6831fd7745477e8">resolve a long-running Israel-Lebanon maritime dispute</a>&nbsp;that had held back gas exploration in the region. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-hamas-246213034afa75e4dff27e71362a1979">Israel-Saudi normalization</a>&nbsp;talks were progressing, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-israel-netanyahu-politics-4d07d9fd0413c6893d1ddfb944919ae0">game-changing alignment</a>&nbsp;for the region if a deal could be landed.

“I suffer from an oxymoron: Irish optimism,” Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they met on the sidelines of last year's U.N. gathering. He added, "If you and I, 10 years ago, were talking about normalization with Saudi Arabia ... I think we’d look at each other like, ‘Who’s been drinking what?’”

Eighteen days later, Biden's Middle East hopes came crashing down. Hamas militants stormed into Israel killing 1,200, taking some 250 hostage, and spurring a bloody war that has killed more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-latest-16-september-2024-a794f441dbfddebe87fd9b95c28008fb">41,000 Palestinians in Gaza</a>&nbsp;and led the region into a complicated downward spiral.

Now, the conflict is threatening to metastasize into a multi-front war and leave a lasting scar on Biden's presidential legacy.

Israel and Hezbollah&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-09-24-2024-640a0046aceea1b5cfb395a54ff36bce">traded strikes again Tuesday</a>&nbsp;as the death toll from a massive Israeli bombardment climbed to nearly 560 people and thousands fled from southern Lebanon. It's the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

Israel has urged residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate from homes and other buildings where it claimed Hezbollah has stored weapons, saying the military would conduct “extensive strikes” against the militant group.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, has launched dozens of rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for strikes last week that killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-hezbollah-israel-mideast-tensions-attack-8ec89de2b117b52e2c09b19155e35d13">a top commander</a>&nbsp;and dozens of fighters. Dozens were also killed last week and hundreds more wounded after hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah militants exploded, a sophisticated attack that was widely believed to have been carried out by Israel.

Israel's leadership launched its counterattacks at a time of growing impatience with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah's persistent launching of missiles and drones across the Israel-Lebanon border after Hamas started the war with its brazen attack on Oct. 7.

Biden reiterated his call on the parties to agree to a cease-fire and hostage release deal, saying it's time to "end this war" — even as hopes for such a deal are fading as the conflict drags on.

Biden, in his address, called for the sustainment of Western support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Biden helped galvanize an international coalition to back Ukraine with weapons and economic aid in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's February 2022 assault on Ukraine.

“We cannot grow weary," Biden said. "We cannot look away.”

Biden has managed to keep up American support in the face of rising skepticism from some Republican lawmakers — and Trump — about the cost of the conflict.

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressing Biden to loosen restrictions on the use of Western-supplied long-range missiles so that Ukrainian forces can hit deeper in Russia.

So far Zelenskyy has not persuaded the Pentagon or White House to loosen those restrictions. The Defense Department has emphasized that Ukraine can already hit Moscow with Ukrainian-produced drones, and there is hesitation on the strategic implications of a U.S.-made missile potentially striking the Russian capital.

Putin has warned that Russia would be “at war” with the United States and its NATO allies if they allow Ukraine to use the long-range weapons.

Biden and Harris are scheduled to hold separate meetings with Zelenskyy in Washington on Thursday. Ukrainian officials were also trying to arrange a meeting for Zelenskyy with Trump this week.

The president also sounded an alarm about the rapid advances in artificial intelligence development, particularly around disinformation, respect for human life and the potential exploitation by totalitarian powers. He told the world leaders, "There may well be no greater test of our leadership than how we deal with A.I."

“We must make certain that the awesome capabilities of A.I. will be used to uplift and empower everyday people, not to give dictators more powerful shackles on the human spirit," he added.

Biden struck a wistful tone in his remarks, peppering his speech with references to his first time attending the General Assembly more than 50 years ago, and quoting Irish poetry.

Biden held up his decision to step aside up as an instructive moment as he addressed a gathering that has no small share of totalitarian and nondemocratic leaders.

“Some things are more important than staying in power," Biden said. "It’s your people that matter the most. Never forget, we are here to serve the people. Not the other way around.”

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;declared in his final address to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-leaders-conflicts-crises-summit-c8dec645b01be23f67c542666c229d9d">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday that the U.S. must not retreat from the world, as Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon edged toward&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-conflict-war-57eb5ef4a77f3bcc0d2b920bc4536706">all-out war</a>&nbsp;and Israel’s bloody&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">operation against Hamas</a>&nbsp;in Gaza neared the one-year mark.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Happening Now: President Biden delivers remarks before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. <a href="https://t.co/4uOc2w5eXV">https://t.co/4uOc2w5eXV</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1838581986497347817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden at <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> General Assembly: &quot;I decided after 50 years of public service it&#39;s time for a new generation of leadership to take my nation forward. My fellow leaders, let us never forget some things are more important than staying in power.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/1GvonNxBgJ">pic.twitter.com/1GvonNxBgJ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1838600184302829740?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden on Ukraine: &quot;America stepped into the breach and provided massive security and economic and humanitarian assistance...the Ukrainian people stood up...The good news is Putin&#39;s war has failed...he set out to destroy Ukraine, but Ukraine is still free.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/yJhuCwSWdg">pic.twitter.com/yJhuCwSWdg</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1838599063022772289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden at <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> General Assembly: &quot;Our task, our test is to make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than those pulling us apart.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ohr7MX3SfK">pic.twitter.com/ohr7MX3SfK</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1838602690584264770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden used his wide-ranging address to speak to a need to end the Middle East conflict and the 17-month-old civil war in Sudan and to highlight U.S. and Western allies' support for Kyiv since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022</a>. He also raised concern over artificial intelligence and its potential to be used for repression.His appearance before the international body offered Biden one of his last high-profile opportunities as president to make the case to keep up robust support for Ukraine, which could be in doubt if former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;defeats Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;in November. Biden insisted that despite global conflicts, he remains hopeful for the future.“I’ve seen a remarkable sweep of history," Biden said. “I know many look at the world today and see difficulties and react with despair but I do not.”“We are stronger than we think” when the world acts together, he added.Biden came to office promising to rejuvenate U.S. relations around the world and to extract the U.S. from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fcd9b36a5f0542c5b0a9688f38338e2b">“forever wars”</a>&nbsp;in Afghanistan and Iraq that consumed American foreign policy over the last 20 years.“I was determined to end it, and I did,” Biden said of the Afghanistan exit, calling it a “hard decision but the right decision.” He acknowledged that it was "accompanied by tragedy” with the deaths of 13 American troops and hundreds of Afghans in a suicide bombing during the chaotic withdrawal.But his foreign policy legacy may ultimately be shaped by his administration's response to two of the biggest conflicts in Europe and the Middle East since World War II.“There will always be forces that pull our countries apart,” Biden said, rejecting “a desire to retreat from the world and go it alone.” He said, "Our task, our test, is to make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than the forces pulling us apart.”The Pentagon announced Monday that it was sending a small number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-violence-war-hezbollah-63a15fa390a94acf46ef886cc5fb88db">additional U.S. troops</a>&nbsp;to the Middle East to supplement the roughly 40,000 already in the region. All the while, the White House insists Israel and Hezbollah still have time to step back and de-escalate.“Full scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” Biden said, and despite escalating violence, a diplomatic solution is the only path to peace.Biden had a hopeful outlook for the Middle East when he addressed the U.N. just a year ago. In that speech, Biden spoke of a “sustainable, integrated Middle East” coming into view.At the time, economic relations between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors were improving with implementation of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-middle-east-africa-ab22eb240158bfeea2b92f3914e6f50d">Abraham Accords</a>&nbsp;that Israel signed with Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates during the Trump administration.Biden's team helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-business-israel-lebanon-fa7f622f8c6c1706c6831fd7745477e8">resolve a long-running Israel-Lebanon maritime dispute</a>&nbsp;that had held back gas exploration in the region. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-hamas-246213034afa75e4dff27e71362a1979">Israel-Saudi normalization</a>&nbsp;talks were progressing, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/un-israel-netanyahu-politics-4d07d9fd0413c6893d1ddfb944919ae0">game-changing alignment</a>&nbsp;for the region if a deal could be landed.“I suffer from an oxymoron: Irish optimism,” Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they met on the sidelines of last year's U.N. gathering. He added, "If you and I, 10 years ago, were talking about normalization with Saudi Arabia ... I think we’d look at each other like, ‘Who’s been drinking what?’”Eighteen days later, Biden's Middle East hopes came crashing down. Hamas militants stormed into Israel killing 1,200, taking some 250 hostage, and spurring a bloody war that has killed more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-latest-16-september-2024-a794f441dbfddebe87fd9b95c28008fb">41,000 Palestinians in Gaza</a>&nbsp;and led the region into a complicated downward spiral.Now, the conflict is threatening to metastasize into a multi-front war and leave a lasting scar on Biden's presidential legacy.Israel and Hezbollah&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-09-24-2024-640a0046aceea1b5cfb395a54ff36bce">traded strikes again Tuesday</a>&nbsp;as the death toll from a massive Israeli bombardment climbed to nearly 560 people and thousands fled from southern Lebanon. It's the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.Israel has urged residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate from homes and other buildings where it claimed Hezbollah has stored weapons, saying the military would conduct “extensive strikes” against the militant group.Hezbollah, meanwhile, has launched dozens of rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for strikes last week that killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-hezbollah-israel-mideast-tensions-attack-8ec89de2b117b52e2c09b19155e35d13">a top commander</a>&nbsp;and dozens of fighters. Dozens were also killed last week and hundreds more wounded after hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah militants exploded, a sophisticated attack that was widely believed to have been carried out by Israel.Israel's leadership launched its counterattacks at a time of growing impatience with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah's persistent launching of missiles and drones across the Israel-Lebanon border after Hamas started the war with its brazen attack on Oct. 7.Biden reiterated his call on the parties to agree to a cease-fire and hostage release deal, saying it's time to "end this war" — even as hopes for such a deal are fading as the conflict drags on.Biden, in his address, called for the sustainment of Western support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Biden helped galvanize an international coalition to back Ukraine with weapons and economic aid in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's February 2022 assault on Ukraine.“We cannot grow weary," Biden said. "We cannot look away.”Biden has managed to keep up American support in the face of rising skepticism from some Republican lawmakers — and Trump — about the cost of the conflict.At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressing Biden to loosen restrictions on the use of Western-supplied long-range missiles so that Ukrainian forces can hit deeper in Russia.So far Zelenskyy has not persuaded the Pentagon or White House to loosen those restrictions. The Defense Department has emphasized that Ukraine can already hit Moscow with Ukrainian-produced drones, and there is hesitation on the strategic implications of a U.S.-made missile potentially striking the Russian capital.Putin has warned that Russia would be “at war” with the United States and its NATO allies if they allow Ukraine to use the long-range weapons.Biden and Harris are scheduled to hold separate meetings with Zelenskyy in Washington on Thursday. Ukrainian officials were also trying to arrange a meeting for Zelenskyy with Trump this week.The president also sounded an alarm about the rapid advances in artificial intelligence development, particularly around disinformation, respect for human life and the potential exploitation by totalitarian powers. He told the world leaders, "There may well be no greater test of our leadership than how we deal with A.I."“We must make certain that the awesome capabilities of A.I. will be used to uplift and empower everyday people, not to give dictators more powerful shackles on the human spirit," he added.Biden struck a wistful tone in his remarks, peppering his speech with references to his first time attending the General Assembly more than 50 years ago, and quoting Irish poetry.Biden held up his decision to step aside up as an instructive moment as he addressed a gathering that has no small share of totalitarian and nondemocratic leaders.“Some things are more important than staying in power," Biden said. "It’s your people that matter the most. Never forget, we are here to serve the people. Not the other way around.”___