AP News in Brief at 9:04 p.m. EDT
After Supreme Court immunity ruling, Biden draws sharp contrast with Trump on obeying rule of law
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden is seeking to put the focus squarely onto Donald Trump following his uneven debate performance last week.
Speaking Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting broad immunity from prosecution to Trump and other presidents, Biden said the high court's ruling had undermined the rule of law. The court's conservative majority ruling makes it all but certain that the Republican will not face trial in Washington ahead of the November election over his actions during the violent riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
"No one is above the law, not even the president of the United States," Biden said from the White House.
During his brief remarks he made no mention of last week's debate or his performance, and did not take questions.
Biden seemed relaxed and confident, striking a clear and crisp tone and looking tanned and rested - all of which was in stark contrast to his often halting performance during last week´s debate, when his face was notably pale. The president also had the benefit of a teleprompter for his remarks about the court, something he didn´t have while facing off with Trump.
___
Trump seeks to set aside New York hush money verdict hours after Supreme Court ruling
NEW YORK (AP) - Donald Trump´s lawyers on Monday asked the New York judge who presided over his hush money trial to set aside his conviction and delay his sentencing, scheduled for later this month.
The letter to Judge Juan M. Merchan cited the U.S. Supreme Court´s ruling earlier Monday and asked the judge to delay Trump´s sentencing while he weighs the high court´s decision and how it could influence the New York case, according to the letter obtained by The Associated Press.
The lawyers argue that the Supreme Court´s decision confirmed a position the defense raised earlier in the case that prosecutors should have been precluded from introducing some evidence they said constituted official presidential acts, according to the letter.
In prior court filings, Trump contended he is immune from prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. His lawyers did not raise that as a defense in the hush money case, but they argued that some evidence - including Trump´s social media posts about former lawyer Michael Cohen - comes from his time as president and should have been excluded from the trial because of immunity protections.
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, extending the delay in the Washington criminal case against Trump on charges he plotted to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss.
___
Supreme Court rules ex-presidents have broad immunity, dimming chance of a pre-election Trump trial
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court on Monday ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, extending the delay in the Washington criminal case against Donald Trump on charges he plotted to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss and all but ending prospects the former president could be tried before the November election.
In a historic 6-3 ruling, the court's conservative majority, including the three justices appointed by Trump, narrowed the case against him and returned it to the trial court to determine what is left of special counsel Jack Smith's indictment.
Trump celebrated a "BIG WIN" on X. President Joe Biden said the justices set "a dangerous precedent (that) undermines the rule of this nation."
The ruling reflected a muscular view of presidential power, and left dissenting judges to criticize it as undermining a core democratic principle that no person is above the law.
The court's decision highlighted how the justices have been thrust into an impactful role in the November presidential election. Earlier, they had rejected efforts to bar him from the ballot because of his actions following the 2020 election. The court last week also limited an obstruction charge faced by Trump and used against hundreds of his supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The split among the justices also in many ways mirrored the political divide in the country.
___
What to know about the Supreme Court immunity ruling in Trump's 2020 election interference case
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court's ruling Monday in former President Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case makes it all but certain that the Republican will not face trial in Washington ahead of the November election.
The Supreme Court did not dismiss - as Trump had wanted - the indictment alleging he illegally schemed to cling to power after he lost to President Joe Biden. But the ruling still amounts to a major victory for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, whose legal strategy has focused on delaying the proceedings until after the election.
The timing of the trial matters because if Trump defeats Biden, he could appoint an attorney general who would seek the dismissal of this case and the other federal prosecutions he faces. Or Trump could potentially order a pardon for himself.
Trump posted in all capital letters on his social media network shortly after the decision was released: "BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!"
In remarks Monday evening, Biden said the court had done a "terrible disservice" to the American people, who he says deserved to know the outcome of the case before they head to the polls.
___
Ahead of election, Venezuela's Maduro says he has 'agreed' to resume negotiations with United States
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela´s government plans to resume negotiations with the U.S. government this week, President Nicolas Maduro announced Monday, less than a month before a highly anticipated presidential election in which he is seeking a third term.
Maduro, during his weekly TV show, characterized the dialogue as "urgent." He said he "agreed" to restart it Wednesday. It was not immediately clear whether the U.S. government has agreed to it, too.
"I have received the proposal during two continuous months from the United States government to reestablish talks and direct dialogue," Maduro said.
The July 28 election is shaping up to be the biggest challenge the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela has faced in its 25-year dominance that began with the presidency of the fiery Hugo Chávez. The party seeks to control all branches of government for six more years, but its base is divided, diminished and disappointed.
Ten candidates, including Maduro, will be on the ballot. The only contender with a real chance of defeating the president is Edmundo González Urrutia, who represents the opposition´s Unitary Platform coalition.
___
Israel orders Palestinians to flee Khan Younis, signaling likely new assault on southern Gaza city
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) - The Israeli army ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians from much of Khan Younis on Monday, a sign that troops are likely to launch a new ground assault into the Gaza Strip´s second-largest city.
The order suggests Khan Younis will be the latest target of Israel´s raids into parts of Gaza it had previously invaded in the war, as it pursues regrouping Hamas militants. Much of Khan Younis was destroyed in a long assault earlier this year, but large numbers of Palestinians had moved back to escape another Israeli offensive in Gaza´s southernmost city, Rafah.
The evacuation came as Israel released the director of what was once Gaza´s largest hospital after holding him for seven months without charge or trial. Israel alleged the hospital had been used as a Hamas command center, which he and other Palestinian health officials have denied. The doctor said he and other detainees were held under harsh conditions and tortured.
The decision to release Mohammed Abu Selmia raised questions over Israel´s claims surrounding Shifa Hospital, which Israeli forces have raided twice since the start of the war with Hamas. The hospital was left severely damaged after the raids.
Abu Selmia's release triggered an uproar across Israel´s political spectrum. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office called it "a grave mistake." Government ministers and opposition leaders expressed outrage and insisted Abu Selmia played a role in Hamas´ alleged use of the hospital - although Israeli security services rarely unilaterally free prisoners if they have a suspicion of militant links.
___
Hurricane Beryl razes southeast Caribbean as a record-breaking Category 4 storm
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) - Hurricane Beryl ripped off doors, windows and roofs in homes across the southeastern Caribbean on Monday after making landfall on the island of Carriacou as the earliest storm of Category 4 strength to form in the Atlantic, fueled by record warm waters.
There were no immediate reports of possible deaths or injuries, with communications largely down across the region.
Streets from St. Lucia island south to Grenada were strewn with shoes, trees, downed power lines and scores of other debris scattered by winds up to 150 mph (240 kph), just shy of a Category 5 storm. The storm snapped banana trees in half and killed cows that lay in green pastures as if they were sleeping, with homes made of tin and plywood tilting precariously nearby.
"Right now, I´m real heartbroken," said Vichelle Clark King as she surveyed her damaged shop in the Barbadian capital of Bridgetown that was filled with sand and water. Beryl was still swiping the southeast Caribbean late Monday afternoon even as it began moving into the Caribbean Sea on a track that would take it just south of Jamaica and toward Mexico's Yucatan peninsula by late Thursday as a Category 1 storm.
Late Monday, Beryl's winds increased to 155 mph (250) kilometers, on the brink of becoming a Category 5 storm.
___
Florida prosecutors knew Epstein raped teenage girls 2 years before cutting deal, transcript shows
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Florida prosecutors knew the late millionaire and financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually assaulted teenage girls two years before they cut a plea deal that has long been criticized as too lenient and a missed opportunity to imprison him a decade earlier, according to transcripts released Monday.
The 2006 grand jury investigation was the first of many by law enforcement over the past two decades into Epstein's rape and sex trafficking of teenagers - and how his ties to the rich and the powerful seem to have allowed him to avoid prison or a serious jail term for over a decade.
The investigations uncovered Epstein's close ties to former President Bill Clinton and Britain's Prince Andrew, as well as his once friendly relationship with former President Donald Trump and numerous others of wealth and influence who have denied doing anything criminal or improper and not been charged.
Circuit Judge Luis Delgado's release of approximately 150 pages Monday came as a surprise, since there was scheduled hearing next week over unsealing the graphic testimony. Gov. Ron DeSantis had signed a bill in February allowing the release on Monday or any time thereafter that Delgado ordered. Florida grand jury transcripts are usually kept secret forever, but the bill created an exemption for cases like Epstein's.
The transcripts show that the grand jury heard testimony that Epstein, who was then in his 40s, had raped teenage girls as young as 14 at his Palm Beach mansion, often paying them so he could commit statutory rape or assault. The teenagers testified and told detectives they were also paid cash or rented cars if they found him more girls.
___
Trump ally Steve Bannon surrenders to federal prison to serve 4-month sentence on contempt charges
DANBURY, Conn. (AP) - Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon was taken into custody Monday after surrendering at a federal prison to begin a four-month sentence on contempt charges for defying a subpoena in the congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol attack.
Bannon arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, around noon and was formally taken into federal custody, the Bureau of Prisons said.
Speaking to reporters, Bannon called himself a "political prisoner," said former President Donald Trump was "very supportive" of him and slammed Democrats, including Attorney General Merrick Garland.
"I am proud of going to prison," Bannon said, adding he was "standing up to the Garland corrupt DOJ."
Shortly before he arrived to surrender, a small group of supporters gathered on the side of the road outside the prison. They cheered as Bannon and GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia spoke during a news conference, holding up flags and signs supporting Bannon as a small group of protesters shouted, "Lock him up!" and "traitor!"
___
Klay Thompson is leaving the Warriors and will join the Mavericks, AP sources say
DALLAS (AP) - Klay Thompson is moving on from the Golden State Warriors, with the four-time league champion agreeing to join the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks and change franchises for the first time in his 13-year NBA career, two people with knowledge of the decision said Monday.
ESPN and The Athletic first reported the multiteam deal which, as currently constructed, will be executed as the sign-and-trade of a three-year, $50 million contract involving the Warriors, Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets, said the people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement has not been announced. One of the people who spoke to the AP said final trade terms were still being worked out.
Thompson is sixth on the NBA´s all-time 3-pointers made list with 2,481, behind Reggie Miller (2,560), Damian Lillard (2,607), James Harden (2,940), Ray Allen (2,973) and Thompson´s now-former "Splash Brother" with the Warriors, Stephen Curry, and his 3,747 career makes from beyond the arc.
There were indications last season that Thompson and the Warriors might be headed toward a breakup.
Thompson came off the bench 14 times - not much in the grand scheme of things considering he played 77 games, but those were his first appearances as a reserve since his rookie season of 2011-12. He shot 38.7% from 3-point range, the second-worst of his career. He averaged 17.9 points, the third-lowest of his career. He wasn´t always in the finishing lineup and the season - and his Warriors career - ended with a 0-for-10 shooting performance against Sacramento in a play-in tournament loss.
