Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 889
As the war enters its 889th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Friday, August 2, 2024. Fighting A mother and her daughter were killed by Russian shelling that hit the town of Nikopol in Ukraine’s eastern Dnipropetrovsk region. Local governor Serhiy Lysak said private houses, a fire station, a college, a school and buses were damaged. Nikopol sits on the right bank of the Dnipro River Two people were injured by debris as Ukraine repelled a Russian drone attack on the region outside Kyiv. One of those hurt was Ilya Ponomaryov, a former Russian lawmaker who has lived in Ukraine for years and is a critic of the Kremlin. He wrote on Facebook that a drone exploded outside his front door, inflicting shrapnel wounds and causing a fire. Politics and diplomacy Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and a number of prominent Russian opposition politicians and activists who were jailed for criticising the war in Ukraine were among 26 people freed in the biggest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the Cold War. Russia got back Vadim Krasikov, a Russian jailed in Germany for the assassination of a former Chechen rebel commander in 2019. Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, awarded two Ukrainian athletes – rower Anastasiia Kozhenkova and diver Oleksii Sereda – with the Grand Vermeil Medal, the French capital’s highest distinction, in a show of solidarity. Weapons The Kremlin said that Russian forces would shoot down US-built F-16 fighter jets sent to Ukraine, and claimed the aircraft would have no significant impact on the course of the war. The first planes arrived in Ukraine this week. Adblock test (Why?)
Rau’s IAS announces to give Rs 50 lakh to families to the deceased students but on one condition
In response, the administration has taken strict action, sealing several coaching institutes in the area. Despite these measures, the protests continue, driven by the students’ demand for justice and accountability
Weather update: IMD issues heavy rainfall alert in these states for next 4 days, check details
The IMD’s regional forecasts indicate that Western India will face “extremely heavy rainfall,” with Maharashtra experiencing such conditions until August 3.
House Freedom Caucus member who tried to impeach Kamala Harris wins high-profile Tennessee GOP primary
A first-term member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, won his first primary as an incumbent on Thursday evening. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., fended off a challenge from Nashville Metro Council member Courtney Johnston, who ran a more moderate campaign compared to the freshman Republican. It was a much-needed political victory for the Freedom Caucus this election cycle after its chairman, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., narrowly lost re-election in June and is facing long odds in a recount held Thursday. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2024 ELECTIONS Good had been facing Republican challenger John McGuire, who was backed by House GOP national security hawks like House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Reps. Jen Kiggans, R-Va.; and Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., among others. Johnston had narrowly outraised Ogles, according to financial disclosures. Her receipts through July 12 show her raising nearly $785,000 in individual contributions compared to Ogles’ total – just over $500,000. She also tried to tie him to Good and seven other Republicans’ successful effort to oust ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last October – though Ogles was not one of the eight who voted to end McCarthy’s leadership. THIS REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN FILES IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES AGAINST VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, AGAIN “I think the incumbent has caused chaos. The ouster of McCarthy was an absolute abomination, really. Not only for the Republican Party, but really for Congress as a whole,” she told local outlet WPLN. Ogles had the backing of top national Republicans, however, including former President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “Andy is working hard to Grow the Economy, Stop Inflation, Secure our Southern Border, Uphold the Rule of Law, and Defend our Second Amendment,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in May. “I was proud to help Andy flip a Democrat seat in 2022, and he has my Complete and Total Endorsement for re-election. He will not let you down!” BIDEN ENDS BID FOR SECOND TERM IN WHITE HOUSE AS HE DROPS OUT OF HIS 2024 REMATCH WITH TRUMP Ogles won Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District in November 2022 after its boundaries were changed to include less of Nashville’s city center, which had previously made it a solidly blue seat. Under its current lines, however, the seat leans red – residents of the district voted for Trump over President Biden in 2020 by just over 10 points. Ogles defeated his Democratic challenger in 2022 by similar margins.
Justice Department finds Texas juvenile detention centers violated youth offenders’ rights
The DOJ found that officers overused pepper spray, kept youths in prolonged isolation and failed to protect them from sexual abuse.
State Rep. Gloria Johnson wins high-profile Democratic Senate primary in Tennessee
State Rep. Gloria Johnson emerged the victor in Tennessee’s closely watched Democratic Senate primary and will take on incumbent Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn in November’s election. Johnson took home the victory by garnering 74% of the vote over challengers Marquita Bradshaw, Civil Miller-Watkins and Lola Brown, at the time the race was called by the Associated Press Thursday night. KAMALA HARRIS EYES GOVERNORS FROM BATTLEGROUND STATES AS POSSIBLE VP PICKS The race garnered interest from Democrats nationwide after Johnson, who was seen as the front-runner in the race, attracted widespread attention last year by staging a protest on the floor of the Republican-controlled state House in the aftermath of a deadly shooting at a Tennessee elementary school. Johnson’s protest was joined by two other lawmakers, state Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, both Democrats, who together became known as the “Tennessee Three.” Pearson and Jones were both expelled for violating House rules after the protest, though they were later reappointed. Johnson’s toughest primary challenger was thought to be Bradshaw, an environmental activist who secured the party’s nomination in 2020 before being soundly defeated by incumbent Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty. DEMOCRAT GOVERNORS REEL FROM BIDEN’S PUTIN-ZELENSKYY GAFFE, IMPLICATIONS FOR US LEADERSHIP ON WORLD STAGE Johnson will now have an uphill climb in the heavily Republican-leaning state. Blackburn won her race in 2018 by 11 points, while Hagerty defeated Bradshaw by a whopping 30 points in 2020. Two years later, incumbent Republican Gov. Bill Lee won reelection by more than 30 points as well, while former President Donald Trump carried the state in both 2016 and 2020 by 26 and 23 points, respectively. Blackburn is a heavy favorite in her own primary against former Tennessee legislative staffer Tres Wittum, the only challenger to the incumbent Republican. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Blackburn also has a significant fundraising advantage over all the state’s senate hopefuls, having close to $9 million cash on hand. Johnson, meanwhile, has raised about $5 million and still has over $2 million on hand. But Johnson has expressed optimism that Blackburn can be defeated, arguing that Democrats can win by focusing on issues such as abortion, gun control, and the environment.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn secures Tennessee GOP senate primary
Sen. Marsha Blackburn took home Tennessee’s Republican Senate primary on Thursday, likely securing the senate seat in the process in the heavily-Republican state. Blackburn led Thursday’s primary with almost 93% of the vote over Tres Wittum, at the time the race was called by the Associated Press. Blackburn, the incumbent senator, was largely seen as the favorite in the race heading in, having won her first race for Senate in 2018 over former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen by 11 points. KAMALA HARRIS EYES GOVERNORS FROM BATTLEGROUND STATES AS POSSIBLE VP PICKS Blackburn’s lone challenger was Wittum, a former Tennessee legislative staffer who finished last in a primary bid for the state’s 5th Congressional District in 2022. Blackburn will now move on to face off with Democratic state Sen. Gloria Johnson. Johnson rose to fame last year after being one of three members of the Tennessee legislature to stage a protest on the state House floor in the aftermath of a shooting at an elementary school. She was dubbed as a member of the “Tennessee Three,” being joined in the protest by fellow Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, both Democrats. DEMOCRAT GOVERNORS REEL FROM BIDEN’S PUTIN-ZELENSKYY GAFFE, IMPLICATIONS FOR US LEADERSHIP ON WORLD STAGE The protests, which violated House rules, resulted in the expulsion of both Pearson and Jones, who were later reappointed and easily won special elections to regain their seats. Blackburn will now likely be the favorite in November’s general election, with Tennessee having leaned heavily Republican in statewide elections in recent years. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Blackburn’s Tennessee colleague, Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty, was reelected in 2020 by about 30 points, while Republican Gov. Bill Lee was able to secure reelection in 2022 by over 30 points. Former President Donald Trump also easily won the state in 2016 and 2020, taking Tennessee by 26 and 23 points, respectively.
Vance border speech hits Harris in latest barrage of attacks between campaigns on migrant crisis
The crisis at the southern border has become a centerpiece of the 2024 presidential race, as GOP vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance of Ohio hit out at Vice President Kamala Harris at the border on Thursday over her handling of the crisis — days after her campaign sought to draw a contrast between her and former President Trump on the hot-button issue. “It’s hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes, just how bad the policies of the Kamala Harris administration have been when it comes to the southern border,” Vance said in Cochise County, Arizona. “They started their administration, Kamala Harris came into office… they stopped deportations on day one. They stopped construction of the border wall.” Vance tapped into Republican arguments about how the Biden administration ended what they see as successful Trump-era policies and unleashed havoc at the border. 2024 SHOWDOWN: TRUMP CAMPAIGN REJOICES AFTER HARRIS LEANS IN ON KEY ISSUE HAUNTING HER VICE PRESIDENCY “We see the border wall sitting here, ready to be completed behind us. And that can’t happen because of Kamala Harris’ administration. They reinstated catch-and-release and they stopped Remain in Mexico,” he continued. “So all these asylum claimants who come to our border, they can now get released into our country because they’re not forced to stay in Mexico while we adjudicate their asylum claims.” Vance also described securing the border as “not rocket science.” “You just have to re-implement some commonsense policies. You’ve got to re-implement Remain in Mexico. You’ve got to stop catch-and-release,” he said. “You’ve got to force these asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their claims are being adjudicated. And you’ve got to finish this border wall and re-implement deportations.” Vance’s border visit came after former President Trump also said he will visit the border before November, potentially multiple times. Republicans have hammered Harris on the southern border, given not only the crisis there but Harris’ leadership in international diplomacy on root causes, which led to her being dubbed the “border czar” by the media and Republicans. But Harris has pushed back, highlighting an endorsement by a group of mayors in Arizona border towns “praising her long record of fighting to secure the border and fix our broken immigration system, including her work going after transnational gangs smuggling weapons and drugs as California Attorney General and bringing border crossings to their lowest level in years with tough border policies in the White House.” This week, Harris released an ad contrasting her support of a bipartisan border package unveiled in the Senate which would have increased border funding and placed some limits on entries into the U.S. The Biden administration has said it would help tackle the border crisis, but Trump and his allies killed it off. FLASHBACK: HARRIS FUMED AT AMERICANS FOR SAYING ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’ BEFORE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS GOT PROTECTIONS The video argued that Harris “helped lead the way to record low border crossings and has spent her entire career keeping our communities safe,” and charged that Trump “sided with drug traffickers and the cartels to block the strongest, fairest reforms to secure the border in decades.” The Trump campaign instantly pilloried the video. “Every statement in Kamala’s border ad is an absolute lie. The truth is that President Trump handed the most secure border in history to the Biden-Harris Administration, and they opened it up by erasing every one of his good policies,” the Trump campaign charged. “As Border Czar, Kamala Harris has overseen the worst immigration crisis in American history, enabling drug cartels to smuggle deadly fentanyl across our border and allowing more than 11 million illegal criminals and terrorists from all over the world to enter our country.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Harris criticized Trump at a rally in Atlanta earlier this week, saying he “has been talking a big game about securing our border, but he does not walk the walk.” She charged that the former president “tanked the bipartisan deal because he thought it would help him win an election” and pledged that “as the president I will bring back the border security bill that Donald Trump killed.” After Vance’s speech on Thursday, Harris’ campaign took aim at both Trump and Vance. “Donald Trump and JD Vance are not offering Americans solutions — only insults, chaos, and fear. They don’t want security at our border, they want to spread fear. They don’t want to help working families, their Project 2025 agenda only hurts them,” Harris for President spokesperson James Singer said. Fox News’ Greg Norman and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
White House announces new defensive military deployments to aide Israel against Iran, proxies
The White House on Thursday announced new defensive military deployments to help Israel defend itself against Iran and its proxies. A brief statement on the matter came in a readout of a phone call between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Vice President Kamala Harris also joined the call. ISRAEL CONFIRMS STRIKE ON COMPOUND IN CIVILIAN AREA OF GAZA TARGETING OCT. 7 MASTERMIND Both leaders discussed efforts for Israel to defend itself against Iran and Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen. “The President discussed efforts to support Israel’s defense against threats, including against ballistic missiles and drones, to include new defensive U.S. military deployments,” the statement said. During the call, Biden stressed the ongoing efforts to de-escalate broader tensions in the region. MASSACRE BY IRAN’S TERROR PROXY HEZBOLLAH COULD LEAD TO FULL-BLOWN WAR IN MIDEAST Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have heightened in recent weeks following back-and-forth airstrikes. On Thursday, Natanyahu said those who attack his country will ay a “very high price” after confirming that Israel killed top Hezbollah and Hamas commanders in recent strikes. “Israel is in a state of very high readiness for any scenario — on both defense and offense,” Netanyahu said. “We will exact a very high price for any act of aggression against us from any quarter whatsoever.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro, potential Harris running mate, cancels weekend fundraisers ahead of VP announcement
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, one of the front-runners to be Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, has canceled three appearances at weekend fund-raising events in the Hamptons, a cluster of wealthy New York towns. The cancelations came just days before Harris is expected to announce her running mate at a Philadelphia rally on Tuesday. It was unclear why the trips were canceled. “The governor’s trip was planned several weeks ago and included several fund-raisers for his own campaign committee,” Manuel Bonder, a spokesman for Shapiro, told The New York Times. “His schedule has changed, and he is no longer traveling to the Hamptons this weekend.” TWO OUTRAGEOUS BILLS KAMALA HARRIS SPONSORED WOULD CRUSH TAXPAYERS Fox News Digital has reached out to Shapiro’s office. One of the events was a “summer soiree” to be held for The Next 50, a liberal youth-advocacy organization, where Shapiro, 51, was marketed as a “special guest,” the Times reported. Shapiro’s potential VP candidacy has come under scrutiny. The National Women’s Defense League is urging Harris to think twice about choosing Shapiro because of how he handled a sexual harassment case in his office involving former cabinet secretary Mike Vereb. “Governor Shapiro’s office should have done a better job preventing sexual harassment happening in his own office by former cabinet secretary Mike Vereb, including protecting the survivor who bravely came forward, ensuring that any other potential survivors felt safe in speaking up, and ensuring the harasser didn’t have the opportunity to do further harm after the complaint,” NWDL Director Emma Davidson Tribbs said in a statement. 2024 SHOWDOWN: TRUMP CAMPAIGN REJOICES AFTER HARRIS LEANS IN ON KEY ISSUE HAUNTING HER VICE PRESIDENCY “As the Harris Campaign and the Democratic Party consider their options for Vice Presidential candidates, we urge them to consider the handling of past complaints of sexual harassment inside the Pennsylvania Governor’s office,” Tribbs added. “The American people deserve to know that, if called to a higher office, Governor Shapiro will do more to ensure the safety and dignity of employees, volunteers and constituents in his office. Vereb stepped down in September 2023 after Shapiro’s administration quietly agreed to pay $295,000 to settle claims from a governor’s office employee who said Vereb made unwanted sexual advances toward her and spoke openly about her, other staff members, and a female state senator, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. “Although the Commonwealth does not comment on specific personnel matters, it takes allegations of discrimination and harassment seriously,” Bonder told Fox News in a statement. “Robust procedures are in place for thoroughly investigating reports of discrimination and harassment – and these procedures are implemented whenever complaints of discrimination or harassment are made and provide detailed guidance to help ensure that allegations are promptly and fully investigated and that employees feel comfortable to report misconduct,” he added.