Fri Sep 20 04:05:36 UTC 2024: ## Harris Condemns Abortion Bans, Trump in Georgia Rally; Secret Service Admits Failures in Trump Shooting; Robinson Skips Trump Rally Following Controversial Posts

**Atlanta, Georgia** – Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a fiery speech in Georgia on Friday, lambasting former President Donald Trump and Republican policies that restrict abortion access. Harris cited the recent deaths of two women in Georgia who, according to ProPublica, did not receive proper medical care after taking abortion pills due to the state’s restrictive laws.

“Good policy, logical policy, moral policy, humane policy is about saying a healthcare provider will only start providing that care when you’re about to die?” Harris questioned, highlighting the dangers posed by the state’s six-week abortion ban.

**Pennsylvania** – The Secret Service released a report Friday detailing a litany of communication failures and missed opportunities during the July 13 shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The report found that a lack of clear guidance to local law enforcement, security vulnerabilities at the rally grounds, and “complacency” among some agents contributed to the successful attack on Trump.

“This was a failure on the part of the United States Secret Service,” acknowledged Ronald Rowe Jr., the agency’s acting director.

**North Carolina** – North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a frequent presence at Trump’s campaign stops, will not be attending the former president’s rally in Wilmington on Saturday. This decision comes after CNN published a report alleging disturbing online posts attributed to Robinson, which included racial and sexual comments. Robinson has denied writing the posts.

**International News**

* **Beirut, Lebanon** – Israel carried out a rare airstrike on a densely populated area of Beirut on Friday, killing a senior Hezbollah military official and at least 14 other people. The attack, the deadliest in the Lebanese capital in decades, has raised tensions in the region.
* **Geneva, Switzerland** – Human rights advocates are calling for an independent investigation into the deadly explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon and Syria, which have been widely blamed on Israel. They argue that the strikes may have violated international law if the devices were booby-trapped.
* **Whitesburg, Kentucky** – A small Kentucky town is reeling from a shooting that resulted in the death of District Judge Kevin Mullins and the arrest of Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines, who has been charged with first-degree murder.
* **Columbia, South Carolina** – South Carolina executed inmate Freddie Owens on Friday, marking the state’s first execution in 13 years. Owens was convicted of killing a Greenville convenience store clerk in 1997.

**Other News**

* A new AP-NORC poll shows that neither Donald Trump nor Kamala Harris has a decisive edge on the economy.
* The Arizona Supreme Court ruled that nearly 98,000 people whose citizenship documents haven’t been confirmed can vote in state and local races.
* The United Nations human rights chief condemned the use of ordinary communication devices as weapons, calling the targeting of thousands of Lebanese people with pagers and other devices a violation of international human rights law.
* New York magazine’s highly regarded Washington correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, is on leave after disclosing a personal relationship with a former reporting subject, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
* China may be preparing a surprise attack against Japan, involving a massive missile barrage and amphibious operations.
* Russia warned the West and Ukraine of disastrous consequences if Kyiv takes action against Belarus, a close Russian ally where Moscow has deployed tactical nuclear weapons.
* The identity of the mother accused of murdering her five-year-old son in Quebec has been made public.

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