AURN News

(AURN News) — Recently, AURN News reported how a new poll shows that in a hypothetical matchup between former President Donald Trump and several names swirling around as replacements for President Joe Biden, Trump still comes out on top. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll has now thrust former First Lady Michelle Obama into the spotlight as a potential game-changer for the Democratic Party in the 2024 presidential race. The survey, released Tuesday, indicates that Obama could be the party's strongest contender against former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical matchup. The poll shows Obama outperforming Trump among registered voters by a substantial margin of 50% to 39%. This 11-point lead stands in stark contrast to the performance of other prominent Democrats, including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

In a head-to-head contest, Harris narrowly trails Trump, with 42% support compared to Trump's 43%. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden finds himself in a dead heat with the former president, both garnering 40% support among registered voters. These results come at a time of increasing concern within the Democratic Party about Biden's prospects for re-election following the first presidential debate. The same poll reveals that a staggering 74% of registered voters believe Biden is too old to work in government.

While Michelle Obama has repeatedly stated she has no interest in running for office, her strong performance in this hypothetical matchup has reignited discussions about her political future. The poll results also highlight the ongoing challenge Democrats face in finding a candidate who can effectively counter Trump's enduring appeal, especially if they decide to remove Biden from the ticket or he chooses to step down. Despite legal challenges including recent felony convictions and controversies surrounding Trump, he continues to maintain a strong base of support.

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With growing calls for President Joe Biden not to seek reelection coming from the left and right following a poor debate that showed him having difficulty getting through his thoughts and words, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, during the White House press briefing, fought back questions on the president's health, viability to run, and whether he should step down.

"We understand the concerns, we get it, the president did not have a great night. The president had a cold, he had a hoarse voice. You all heard it. But I will say this, he knows how to do the job. And not because he says it, because his record proves it," said Jean-Pierre.

One reporter even asked if the president was experiencing early signs of dementia. To which she responded, "No."

This week the president will meet with Hill leaders and Democratic governors and attempt to regain their confidence. He'll travel to Wisconsin on Wednesday and conduct a sit-down interview with George Stephanopoulos for ABC while on the campaign trail. This weekend, he'll be in Philadelphia.

Jean-Pierre said the majority of Americans support the work that the president is doing and assured the press that the president is staying in the race.

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As extreme heatwaves and other severe weather events sweep across the nation, President Biden has announced new measures to protect workers and communities. The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing a new rule to safeguard workers from excessive heat, mandating breaks, access to shade and water, and heat illness training.

Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is awarding nearly $1 billion for projects to reduce heat and flood risks. Biden's plan also includes $1 billion for urban green spaces to cool cities and $14 billion to improve power grid resilience.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report detailing climate change impacts, such as longer heat waves. Additionally, Biden announced the Global Summit on Extreme Heat to unite leaders in addressing these challenges.

These actions come as millions of Americans face record-breaking temperatures. With Republicans criticized for denying climate change, Biden pushes forward with the most ambitious climate agenda in U.S. history.

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On July 3, 1861, boxer Peter "The Prince" Jackson was born in Saint Croix. Moving to Australia as a child, Jackson began his boxing career in 1882 during a shipboard mutiny.

His impressive defensive skills quickly drew the attention of fight promoters across the country, and by 1886, he had claimed the Australian heavyweight title.

Facing a scarcity of willing white opponents in Australia, Jackson relocated to the United States. On May 21, 1891, he famously fought James "Gentleman Jim" Corbett in a grueling 61-round bout that ended in a draw.

In 1892, Jackson journeyed to England, where he won the British Empire championship. However, a severe boxing injury led to three broken ribs and a punctured lung, forcing him into a six-year retirement.

Tragically, Jackson succumbed to tuberculosis in 1901 at the age of 40, a condition he had developed due to his earlier lung injury.

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BET is apologizing after sound issues at the 2024 BET Awards prevented Usher's Lifetime Achievement Award speech from being aired in totality.

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Today marks the anniversary of the commemoration of the Civil Rights Act. As this important milestone is observed, reports indicate a rise in thousands of vigilante vote challenges. These challenges are targeting voters of color and those who are poor, removing them from voter rolls, and questioning their right to vote.

An Associated Press investigation reveals that conservative activists in Georgia and other states are finding ways to remove names from the voting rolls without filing formal legal challenges. Additionally, Ballotpedia has released its 2024 State of Election Administration Legislation Mid-Year Report, which has tracked more than 3,735 election-related bills.

These bills cover topics such as ballot harvesting, ballot collection, voter registration drives, and ranked-choice voting. Over 40% of these bills are sponsored by Republicans and are part of efforts where Republicans hold a trifecta in state governments.

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(AURN News) - A new CNN poll released Tuesday suggests that the fallout from President Joe Biden's debate performance continues. The poll even shows former President Donald Trump holding a slight lead in a hypothetical match-up against other Democrats. The CNN poll shows Trump ahead of Biden by six percentage points, with 49% of respondents favoring Trump compared to 43% for Biden. 

Perhaps more concerning for the Biden campaign, 63% of those who said they would vote for Biden indicated their choice was primarily a vote against Trump rather than an endorsement of Biden. But Mr. Biden still maintains the highest favorability rating among names being floated as replacement Democratic candidates. The poll found Biden with a 51% favorable opinion, significantly outpacing Vice President Kamala Harris (29%), Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (25%), California Governor Gavin Newsom (21%), and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (13%). 

However, the survey suggests that replacing President Biden might not improve Democrats' chances in November. In hypothetical match-ups, Trump led each alternative Democratic candidate:

These results come amid numerous reports of behind-the-scenes discussions among some Democrats, including major donors, about the possibility of replacing Biden on the ticket.

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On July 2, 1777, Vermont became the first territory to abolish slavery. In setting this groundbreaking example, Vermont's legislature also extended voting rights to Black men, leading the way for future reforms in other states.

Pennsylvania took similar steps in 1780, while in 1774, the New England colonies of Rhode Island and Connecticut banned the overseas slave trade but allowed domestic trading to continue.

On November 25, 1858, Vermont reaffirmed its anti-slavery stance by incorporating it into its constitution and declaring itself an independent republic known as the Commonwealth of Vermont.

Vermont officially joined the United States as the 14th state in 1791.

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On Monday night, President Biden responded to the Supreme Court decision that gave presidents immunity from "official acts," saying that the 6-3 ruling undermines the rule of law.

"Today's decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what a president can do. This is a fundamentally new principle, and it's a dangerous precedent. Because the power of the office will no longer be constrained by the law, even including the Supreme Court of the United States," said Biden.

Toward the end of his five-minute speech, he quoted the words of Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

"'But any president, including Donald Trump, will now be free to ignore the law.' I concur with Justice Sotomayor's dissent today. Here's what she said. She said: 'In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law. With fear for our democracy, I dissent.'"

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In the world of award shows, BET 2024 ranks among the longest of the year at four hours, but there was a lot of entertainment and get out the vote messages during that long ceremony. We were on the blue carpet and spoke with a lot of people, but especially with Jermaine Dupri about Usher being the Lifetime Achievement Honoree for the evening.

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