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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Deliberations started over again with a replacement juror Thursday in the murder trial of a former Ohio sheriff’s deputy accused of pursuing a motorist and killing the man at his family's home. The panel had deliberated for more than three hours Wednesday before a male juror was dismissed and replaced by an alternate, also male. He said he then shot Goodson in the doorway of his grandmother's home because Goodson turned to lift the gun toward him. Meade, who is a pastor at a Baptist church, shot Goodson six times, including five times in the back, police have said. They do not dispute that Goodson may have been carrying a gun, but note that he had a license to carry a firearm.

Persons: Jason Meade, Casey Goodson Jr, Meade, Goodson Locations: COLUMBUS , Ohio, Ohio, Columbus

Meade, who is white, is charged with murder and reckless homicide in the December 2020 killing in Columbus of Goodson, who was Black. Meade maintains that he shot Goodson because he brandished a gun. Meade, who is a pastor at a Baptist church, shot Goodson six times, including five times in the back, as Goodson tried to enter his grandmother’s house, police have said. Goodson’s family and prosecutors have said he was holding a sandwich bag in one hand and his keys in the other when he was fatally shot. Rosser, when asked by prosecutors, said he did not see Goodson holding a gun and testified that he heard the gunshots but did not witness Goodson’s killing.

Persons: Tim Merkle, Casey Goodson Jr, Jason Meade, ”, Meade, Goodson, Mark Collins, Collins, Christopher Corne, Corne, Tamala Payne, Goodson’s, Ryan Rosser, Rosser, ___ Samantha Hendrickson Organizations: — Prosecutors, Facebook, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: COLUMBUS , Ohio, Ohio, Columbus

☆ Biden and Jordanian king look to move Israel-Hamas war to a new phase
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden and King Abdullah II of Jordan met Monday aiming to figure out how to move the Israel-Hamas war into a new phase in which Israeli hostages are released and fighting stops for a prolonged period of time. “The key elements of the deal are on the table,” Biden said while addressing reporters alongside the king at the White House. “We cannot stand by and let this continue,” the Jordanian king told reporters. The president’s supporters have frequently pointed to the Israel-Hamas war as evidence of Biden’s mental faculties being in good shape. The Jordanian and Egyptian governments have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, while Biden has resisted making a similar call.

Persons: Joe Biden, King Abdullah II, Jordan, ” Biden, I’ve, “, Biden, Abdullah, ”, ” Abdullah, Robert Hur’s, Biden’s amped, King Abdullah, Kamala Harris, Hur, ” Harris, Daniel Goldman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Blinken, CNN’s MJ Lee, Priscilla Alvarez, Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak Organizations: Washington CNN, White, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, United Nations, Wing, Biden, Democratic, Hamas, Palestinian Authority, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Israeli, US, CNN Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza, Rafah, Jordanian, “, New York, Jordan, Egypt, Amman, Gaza’s Al, Ahli, Iran

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez Smith, a renowned soprano known for her performance in the 1981 French cult-classic film “Diva” and who sang through the U.S. and Europe during her operatic career, has died at age 75. Funeral services were held Friday for Fernandez Smith at a church in Lexington, Kentucky, where she had moved after residing for years in her native Philadelphia. She died of cancer Feb. 2 at her home in Lexington, daughter Sheena Maria Fernandez told The Philadelphia Inquirer. Billed as Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, she opened the movie directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix wearing a white gown and singing in an aging theater the aria “Ebben? “Wilhelmenia was always a very quiet person and did not crave the limelight,” Everett McCorvey, director of the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, told the Lexington newspaper.

Persons: — Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez Smith, ”, Fernandez Smith, Sheena Maria Fernandez, Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, Jean, Jacques Beineix, La Wally, “, Andrew Smith, “ Wilhelmenia, ” Everett McCorvey, Fernandez Smith’s, Kerr Organizations: U.S, Philadelphia Inquirer, Academy of Vocal Arts, Juilliard School, Filmmakers, Inquirer, Kentucky State University, Lexington Herald, Baptist Church, University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, Lexington Locations: LEXINGTON, Ky, Europe, Lexington , Kentucky, Philadelphia, Lexington, New York, Paris, Kentucky

Dexter Scott King, the late son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, was remembered Saturday as the protector of his family’s legacy and the keeper of his father's dream during a memorial service in Atlanta. The memorial service for Dexter King was held at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where his father once was pastor. Dexter King was named for the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father was pastor during the bus boycott that vaulted him to national prominence following the 1955 arrest of Rosa Parks. Dexter King served as chairman of The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and was president of the King Estate, working to protect the family’s intellectual property. “Dexter was ahead of his time,” Bernice King said of her brother’s vision in protecting the family’s intellectual rights.

Persons: Dexter Scott King, Dr, Martin Luther King Jr, Coretta Scott King, ”, Leah Weber King, “, ” Dexter Scott King, Jan, Dexter King, Stevie Wonder, Martin Luther King III, Dexter, Yolanda Denice King, “ He’s, ” King III, Bernice A ., Rosa Parks, King, Angela Bassett, Martin Luther King, Jr, “ Dexter, ” Bernice King, “ That’s Dexter Scott, ’ Dexter, James Earl Ray, Ray, ” Ray, ___ Thiessen Organizations: Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dexter, Baptist Church, Center for Nonviolent, King Estate, King Center Locations: Atlanta, Malibu , California, Montgomery , Alabama, Memphis , Tennessee, Rosa, Nashville, Anchorage , Alaska

☆ A man is suing the maker of a surgical robot, claiming it burned and tore his wife's small intestine during surgery
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA man is suing the maker of a surgical robot, claiming it burned and tore his wife’s small intestine during surgery, ultimately resulting in her death. Sultzer underwent surgery to treat her colon cancer at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital in September 2021, per court records. It's not the first time this has happened to a patient who underwent surgery with this robot, the plaintiff’s lawsuit said, citing SEC filings. The plaintiff's lawsuit claimed that ISI received hundreds of reports about injuries and defects related to da Vinci procedures. “ISI’s da Vinci was unreasonably dangerous for use in Mrs. Sultzer’s procedure; she was unnecessarily injured and ultimately died as a result,” the lawsuit read.

Persons: —, Harvey Sultzer, Sandra Sultzer, Sultzer, It's, “ ISI’s da Vinci Organizations: Service, Court, Southern District of Columbia, Business, NBC, Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, SEC, Food and Drug Administration, ISI

☆ China’s spectacular dragon dance is hundreds of years old. Here’s why it continues to dazzle
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Grab your camera and slap on something flame resistant, it’s time to witness one of China’s most incredible displays – the fire dragon dance. Dragon dances have been documented at ceremonial events since the Han Dynasty (202 BCE to 220 CE), while fire dragon dances began appearing in records during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and in the Republican era (1912-1949). Some historians say fire dragon dances date back even further, to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Puzhai Fire Dragon, Fengshun County, GuangdongEntertainers perform a fire dragon dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Puzhai town, in China's Guangdong province. Tongliang Fire Dragon, ChongqingVideo Ad Feedback See a dragon dance with molten iron fireworks 00:56 - Source: CNNThe Tongliang Fire Dragon in Chongqing province is undoubtedly one of the grandest fire dragon dance performances of them all.

Persons: ”, Kwok Kam Chau, Kwok, We’ve, Liu Long Organizations: CNN, Republican, Hong Kong Baptist University, China’s, Steel Locations: Fengshun County, Guangdong, Puzhai, China's Guangdong province, Imaginechina, China, Hunan, China’s, Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan province, Huanglongxi, Sichuan, Chengdu, China's Sichuan province, Chongqing, Chongqing province, majestically, Qicaimeng, Guizhou, Dafang County, Guizhou province

☆ Messi’s ‘miracle’ return stirs Chinese anger and conspiracy theories
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“(He) played in five of the six preseason games and only missed the game in Hong Kong, China! Don’t come to China, China doesn’t welcome you,” another user wrote in a post liked by 20,000 others. “Why didn’t Messi play in Hong Kong or participate in the handshake with HK (the Hong Kong) chief executive? Messi's no-show sparks an outcry in Hong Kong on February 4, 2024. One social media user noted that it was not only Messi who played in Tokyo, but not Hong Kong.

Persons: Lionel Messi, Messi didn’t, Messi, “ Messi, Hong Kong, Kenneth Fok, Hu Xijin, didn’t Messi, ” Hu, ”, Louise Delmotte, “ Don’t, Hong, David Beckham, Beckham, Gerardo “ Tata ” Martino, Luis Suárez couldn’t, Philip Fong, “, nimbly, Regina Ip, ” “ Messi, Kenneth Chan, Taylor Swift, ’ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Sunday, Major League Soccer, Inter Miami, Vissel, Hong, CNN, Weibo, HK, Global Times, Inter, National Basketball Association, Houston Rockets, Soccer, Ardent, Messi, Argentina national, Australia, Inter Miami's, Getty, The Inter Miami, Hong Kong Baptist University Locations: China, Hong Kong, Argentine, Japan, Vissel Kobe, Tokyo, Beijing, State, China’s Sichuan, Argentina, AFP, Asia

☆ As G.O.P. Demolishes Border Deal, One of Its Own Stands in the Wreckage
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Kayla Guo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was late on a Thursday afternoon in the marbled halls of the Senate, and a small group of negotiators — one Republican, one Democrat and one independent — had just about finished a painstakingly put together border security compromise it took them months to forge. But what should have been a triumphant moment felt more like an ordeal for the lone Republican in the trio. “I feel like the guy standing in the middle of the field in a thunderstorm, holding up the metal stick,” Senator James Lankford, the Oklahoma Republican who was his party’s lead broker of the deal, told reporters last week. The plight of Mr. Lankford, a slim, understated Baptist minister with a neatly combed shock of red hair and a baritone voice that regularly delivers deadpan quips, reflects the extraordinary rise and fall of the border and Ukraine deal that is expected to collapse in a test vote in the Senate on Wednesday — and the political forces within the Republican Party that brought it down.

Persons: —, James Lankford, Lankford Organizations: Senate, Republican, Oklahoma Republican, Republican Party Locations: Ukraine

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A former Ohio sheriff's deputy testified in a murder trial Tuesday that the man he killed lifted a gun to shoot him, despite prosecutors saying the man's gun was found on his kitchen floor with the safety mechanism engaged. Meade, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to murder and reckless homicide in the death of Goodson, who was Black. The sheriff’s deputy, who is a pastor at a Baptist church, shot Goodson as he entered his grandmother’s house, police have said. When Meade testified about the shooting, he said Goodson had brandished a a gun at him from his car, prompting a pursuit. Special prosecutor Gary Shroyer questioned Meade on whether he'd done enough to notify Goodson that he was law enforcement.

Persons: —, Jason Meade, Casey Goodson Jr, Meade, Goodson, ”, he's, Mead, David, Goliath, Gary Shroyer, Shroyer, Goodson's, “, ” ___ Samantha Hendrickson Organizations: Prosecutors, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: COLUMBUS , Ohio, Ohio

☆ Trump hates the bipartisan immigration-Ukraine deal so much that he's falsely claiming he didn't endorse the GOP senator who helped write it
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump is misleading people about his past support for Republican Sen. James Lankford. Trump endorsed Lankford in 2022, but he's trying to distance himself from him now. Lankford was the lead Republican negotiator for a bipartisan immigration-Ukraine deal that Trump loathes. AdvertisementFormer President Donald Trump took aim at Republican Sen. James Lankford on Monday, falsely claiming he did not previously back the Oklahoman amid a torrent of criticism directed at the bipartisan Ukraine-immigration deal. "I think this is a very bad bill for his career and especially in Oklahoma," Trump told Bongino.

Persons: Trump, Republican Sen, James Lankford, Lankford, —, Donald Trump, Dan Bongino, Sen, Dan Bongino’s, ”, Mike Johnson, Bongino, Tom Coburn, MAGA, Dan, Mitch McConnell, CNN's Jake Tapper Organizations: Republican, Trump, Service, Senate, China, Baptist, Democratic, Republicans Locations: Ukraine, Asia Pacific, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Arizona

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) — The hallways of Bacone College are cold and dark. In the college’s historic buildings, there are leaks to plug, mold to purge and priceless works of Native American art to save from ruin. Founded in 1880 as a Baptist missionary college focused on assimilation, Bacone College transformed into an Indigenous-led institution that provided an intertribal community, as well as a degree. Across the country, there are only a few dozen tribal colleges, according to the American Indian College Fund, a nonprofit that supports Native American access to higher education. Tribal colleges must be sponsored by a federally recognized tribe and have a majority Native student enrollment.

Persons: aren't, Nicky Michael, Woody Crumbo, Fred Beaver, Joan Hill, Ruthe Blalock Jones, Bacone, “ Bacone, ”, Robin Mayes, Michael, Gerald Cournoyer, Cournoyer, Patti Jo King, King, Bull, Custer, Johnnie Diacon, Leslie Hannah, he’s, Midgley, Chris Oberle, KOSU, ___ Graham Lee Brewer Organizations: Baptist, Muscogee Nation Tribal Council, Lakota, Center, American, Kiowa, Huber Energy, Muskogee County Sheriff’s, MHEC, Associated Press, National Register of Historic Places, American Indian College Fund Locations: MUSKOGEE, Okla, shuttering, Muscogee, U.S, Cherokee, Bacone, Oklahoma, Ataloa Lodge, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Utah, Muskogee County

☆ The relentless focus on White Christian nationalism is spreading a racist myth
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

That’s how critics have described White Christian nationalism, a deviant strain of religion that has infected the political mainstream. But there is another cost to the spread of White Christian nationalism that no one mentions. The relentless coverage of White Christian nationalism is spreading a racist myth: that Whiteness is the default setting for evangelical Christianity. In a February 2023 survey, nearly two-thirds of White evangelical Protestants qualified as sympathizers or adherents to Christian nationalism. However, he rejects the political beliefs associated with White Christian nationalism.

Persons: CNN — It’s, ”, Pastor Peter Lim, ” Lim, he’s, “ It’s, It’s, White, Carolyn Chen, Ella Sophie Bessette, you’re, “, Walter Kim, Tom Lin, William Barber II, Chen, Trump, John Minchillo, browning, — it’s, John C, Richards, Jr, Jim Crow, Mark Noll, ” Richards, “ I’m, John Onwuchekwa, Lyndon B, Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Edward Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Onwuchekwa, ” Maria Antonetty, Tina Fineberg, don’t, Lim, William J, Barber, Oliver Contreras, We’re, John Blake Organizations: CNN, White, Christianity, of Atlanta, Berkeley Center, Republican, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Oral Roberts University, National Association of Evangelicals, InterVarsity, USA, Christian, MLK, Saint Mark Baptist Church, White Americans, Liberty, New, Southern Baptist Convention, Cornerstone Church, Primitive Christian, Washington Post, Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative Locations: America, White, American, Korean, Taiwanese, Asian, Africa, Silicon Valley, Taiwan, Korea, Mexico, Little Rock , Arkansas, Georgia, New York, New York City, Crete, Atlanta, Asia, Washington , DC

☆ South Carolina primary kicks off Biden’s march to 2024 Democratic nomination
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Eric Bradner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —South Carolina, the state that launched Joe Biden to the Democratic nomination four years ago, is set Saturday to deliver the president his first official primary victory of the 2024 campaign. Fifty-five delegates are at stake in Saturday’s primary in South Carolina. This year marks the first time South Carolina has appeared at the front of the official Democratic nominating calendar — a change made largely due to Biden’s urging. DNC elevates South Carolina over Iowa and New HampshireFor decades, Iowa and New Hampshire had cast the first votes in Democratic presidential primary battles. Attendees cheer as Biden speaks at a South Carolina Democratic Party event in Columbia on January 27, 2024.

Persons: Joe Biden, Dean Phillips, Marianne Williamson, Biden, Kamala Harris, “ You’ve, I’ve, ” Biden, won’t, Kent Nishimura, Jim Clyburn —, Jimmy Carter, Nikki Haley’s, Donald Trump’s, Betsy Klein, Terence Burlij, Ethan Cohen Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Minnesota, Democratic National Committee, Iowa Democratic, New, Republican, Palmetto State, South Carolina State University, Brookland Baptist Church, South Carolina Democratic Party, Getty, South Carolina, Republicans, Black, GOP, South Carolina Gov, Monmouth University, Washington Post, Trump Locations: South Carolina, Carolina, Iowa, New Hampshire, Granite State, Orangeburg, Columbia, Southern California, Nevada, AFP, Georgia, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

Biden's support among Black voters has waned considerably since he assembled his winning coalition four years ago. Lackluster turnout among Black voters in South Carolina’s primary could signal a broader dip in enthusiasm. Biden will need to energize Black voters in the key swing states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. South Carolina school districts reported over 1,600 teacher vacancies at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, a 9% increase from the year before, according to a report from the South Carolina Education Association. Joshua Singleton, a 19-year-old sophomore at South Carolina State, shared the sentiment: “We should have, you know, younger presidents to represent us."

Persons: Democrats ’, Joe Biden, What’s, Biden, That’s, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Moore, “, Olivia Ratliff, ”, Ratliff, Kailyn Wrighten, Wrighten, —, we’ve, Sheridan Johnson, Johnson, Laverne Brown, there’s, — Biden, Charles Trower, Joshua Singleton, Seth Whipper, ” Biden, Harris, Tony Thomas, Saundra, Austin Nichols, ” Nichols, ” LaJoia Broughton, Broughton, don’t, Dr, Byron L, Benton, Joseph Biden, Emily Swanson, Jonathan Logan Organizations: —, Democrats, Democratic, Black, AP, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Republican, South Carolina State University, Supreme, South Carolina Education Association, Biden, South Carolina State, Trump, America, Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, Mother Emanuel AME Church, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Locations: CHARLESTON, S.C, South Carolina, South, Georgia , Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Columbia, Orangeburg, Charleston, Carolina, American, U.S, Blythewood , South Carolina, “, Blythewood, North Charleston

☆ Biden campaign faces its greatest test: rebuilding his 2020 coalition
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Jeff Zeleny | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

This time around, he believes at least one thing is different: Biden can’t win through voters’ fear of Trump alone. Here in Michigan, which the president visited Thursday, rests one of the biggest tests of his campaign. Trump narrowly carried the state over Hillary Clinton in 2016 – by 10,704 votes – and four years later Biden defeated Trump by about 154,000 votes. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather in Warren, Michigan, on February 1, 2024, outside the venue where President Joe Biden was speaking. But, he said, the burden was on Biden and his campaign to spell out what he would do in a second term.

Persons: Charles Williams, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump, ”, Williams, “, ” Williams, Jay, –, Hillary Clinton, “ He’s, Adam Abusalah, Abusalah, ” Abusalah, Biden ”, Jeff Kowalsky, Karine Jean, Pierre, Kevin Munoz, Sens, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Gretchen Whitmer, ” Biden, wouldn’t, Emani Williams, “ ’ Sleepy Biden ’, they’ve, ” Dante Parker, ” Parker, “ We’ve, Norman Clement, We’re, ” Clement, Biden hasn’t, Clement, “ I’m, didn’t Organizations: Detroit CNN —, Biden can’t, Historic King Solomon Baptist Church, Biden, White, Trump, Arab, Muslim, ”, Palestinian, Getty, “, CNN, Democratic, Michigan Gov, Renaissance High School, Detroit Change Locations: Detroit, Michigan, –, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, America’s Great, Dearborn, Israel, Warren, Macomb County, United States, Warren , Michigan, AFP, Gaza

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A former Atlantic City councilman who went to prison for bribery and a sex blackmail case is facing charges again. Craig Callaway, 64, is a sought-after political organizer and operative in and around Atlantic City, known for his ability to deliver large blocks of absentee ballots to election officials that often sway the outcome of elections. But he was arrested Thursday and charged with election fraud involving the misuse of absentee ballots — something of which his political foes had long accused him. Instead, Robinson went to the authorities, who filed charges that led to a three-year state prison term for Callaway. The election fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Persons: —, Craig Callaway, Callaway, impartially, ”, Matthew Skahill, Megan Davies, –, Eugene Robinson, Robinson, Wayne Parry Organizations: CITY, Atlantic City, Attorney's, Prosecutors, FBI, Callaway Locations: N.J, Atlantic, Atlantic City, U.S, New Jersey

☆ 36 Hours in Turin, Italy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Seth Sherwood | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

11 a.m. Find yourself in the center of historyA panorama of Turin history unfolds around Piazza San Giovanni, a central square. To the north, see the Porta Palatina, a red-brick Roman-era gate to the city. To the east, and down some stairs, the ruins of a Roman amphitheater (free admission) hide in the shadow of the Galleria Sabauda (€15), a Neoclassical museum that houses art collected by the dukes and kings of the House of Savoy, a historic royal dynasty. Next to the museum, the tall bell tower of the Renaissance-era Cathedral of St. John the Baptist soars over the unattached main building, whose chapel holds the Shroud of Turin, a 14-foot cloth bearing the faint image of a bearded man that some believe to be Jesus Christ. The cloth is not displayed to the public, but the Museum of the Shroud (€8), a short walk away, explains its history and some of the scientific studies done to determine its origins.

Persons: Piazza, of Savoy, John the, Jesus Christ Organizations: Piazza San Giovanni, of Locations: Turin, Piazza San, St, of Turin

☆ White House touts highest consumer confidence in more than 2 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Ryan Anastasio | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the St. John Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, on Jan. 28, 2024. The White House cheered the Conference Board report on Tuesday showing consumer confidence rising to its highest level in more than two years. Consumer confidence reached its highest level since December 2021, and was up more than 30% since its April 2020 low of 85.7. The Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose for a third straight month to 114.8 in January, up from a revised 108 in December 2023. Despite the increasing consumer sentiment, just 33% of voters approve of Biden's handling of the economy, according to CNBC's All-America Economic Survey in December.

Persons: Joe Biden, Lael Brainard, Donald Trump, Biden's, Trump Organizations: St, John Baptist Church, Economic, Biden Administration, America Economic Survey, CNBC, Biden, Trump, CNBC PRO Locations: Columbia , South Carolina

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Gaza crisis, US troops killed in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks as he attends a "Sunday Lunch" at the Brookland Baptist Banquet Center in West Columbia, South Carolina, on January 28. Kent Nishimura/AFP/Getty ImagesUS President Joe Biden vowed to hold "to account" those responsible for a drone attack on a US outpost in Jordan, which killed three US Army soldiers and injured at least 34, marking the first time US troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza war. US Central Command confirmed the deaths and said eight personnel had to be medically evacuated from Jordan. US officials have said the drone that killed the US service members at Tower 22 was launched by Iran-backed militants and appeared to come from Syria. The US government has not yet named a specific militia they hold responsible.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kent Nishimura Organizations: Center, Getty, Army, US Central Command Locations: West Columbia, South Carolina, AFP, Jordan, Gaza, Iraq, Iran, Syria

But I do still love Trump.”The winner of South Carolina's Republican primary has won the nomination all but one time since 1980. Haley, as a state legislator in 2010, trounced older, more established candidates in a Republican primary on her way to winning two gubernatorial elections. On paper, South Carolina offers the broad Republican coalition Haley has sought. South Carolina has a large presence of every Republican faction: evangelicals and social conservatives; anti-tax Tea Party activists; national security hawks; business-minded traditionalists. South Carolina voters do not register by party and choose which major party primary to participate in each election cycle.

Persons: CONWAY, Nikki Haley ’, Donald Trump, “ Ms, Haley, —, ”, Doug Roberts, “ Donald Trump, ” Haley, Trump’s, haven't, Debra Weiss, Republican Myrtle Beach, Weiss, Trump, Nikki, ” Weiss, “, Haley’s, Ron DeSantis, Joe Biden, doesn’t, can’t, ” Ralph Carter, Carter, Daniel Schroder, Schroder, Haley “, Michael Gardner, Anderson, “ I’ve, ” Gardner, Said Schroder, Michele Kuzma, Kuzma, ” Victor Morgan, he’s, ” Morgan, Pam Hemphill, Hemphill, ” Hemphill Organizations: Republican, South, South Carolina Republicans, Trump, Coastal Carolina University, Democratic, South Carolina, Tea Party, Florida Gov, “, Southern Baptist, Democrat, ”, Democrats, Trump . South, NBC News, Des Moines Register, Capitol, Trump voters Locations: S.C, Hampshire, Republican Myrtle, Washington, Iowa, New Hampshire, South, —, Iowa , New Hampshire, Nevada, Carolina, Florida, United States, South Carolina, Southern, Greer, Greenville, New Jersey, Trump ., Trump . South Carolina

☆ Evangelical Christian voters say supporting Trump is all about abortion. It's more complicated than that.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Evangelical Christian voters often cite abortion as a key reaosn for supporting Trump. Experts say evangelical Christians appear to be motivated by their declining influence in the US. But increasingly, for those who identify as evangelical Christians, abortion is not at the top of the priority list, experts said. Even though, according to Burge, "immigration is as important as abortion for evangelical voters." AdvertisementWhen it comes to abortion, Trump did deliver on one of his biggest campaign promises: overturning Roe v. Wade.

Persons: Trump, —, Donald Trump, that's, Ryan Burge, Burge, Roe, Wade, it's, He's, he's, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Bob Vander Plaats, Michael Wear, Barack Obama, Tucker Carlson, RNS, Samuel Perry, Bruge Organizations: Evangelical, Trump, Service, Republicans, Eastern Illinois University, Supreme, Florida Gov, The Washington Post, Religion News Service, Fox News, University of Oklahoma, NPR Locations: Florida, Iowa, America

☆ Trump seizes on US troops killed and border crisis to sell general election message
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Donald Trump’s core general election argument is that President Joe Biden is weak and incapable as events spin out of control at home and abroad. Instead, we are on the brink of World War 3,” Trump said in a statement. So Trump’s picture of a world in disarray as Biden stands by helplessly may have some political potency. It remains to be seen whether voters will buy into the image Biden and his team are trying to paint of Trump. But his reemergence as the GOP’s likely nominee is also highlighting the extraordinary liabilities that he would carry into a general election.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, ”, Trump, Biden, ” Trump, Joe Biden’s, Nikki Haley, Haley, Joe Biden weren’t, ” Haley, Republican Sen, Lindsey Graham of, Trump’s, – Trump, It’s, …, Mike Johnson, I’d, “, Democratic Sen, Christopher Murphy of, CNN’s Dana, Mitch McConnell, Johnson, it’s, Donald Trump, ” Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Shawn Fain, Jean Carroll, – Organizations: CNN, GOP, Trump, New, Democratic, Baptist, United, Republican, Republican Party, Christopher Murphy of Connecticut, Union, United Auto Workers, UAW, Washington Locations: Nevada, United States, Jordan, New Hampshire, South Carolina, East, Iran, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Louisiana, “ State, Ukraine, France, Trump

☆ Black Pastors Pressure Biden to Call for a Cease-Fire in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Maya King | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More than 1,000 Black pastors representing hundreds of thousands of congregants nationwide have issued the demand. The effort at persuasion also carries a political warning, detailed in interviews with a dozen Black faith leaders and their allies. Many of their parishioners, these pastors said, are so dismayed by the president’s posture toward the war that their support for his re-election bid could be imperiled. “Black faith leaders are extremely disappointed in the Biden administration on this issue,” said the Rev. He was one of the first pastors of more than 200 Black clergy members in Georgia, a key swing state, to sign an open letter calling for a cease-fire.

Persons: Biden, ”, Timothy McDonald, ” Mr, McDonald Organizations: White, Hamas, West Bank, Iconium Baptist Church Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iconium, Atlanta, Georgia

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Sunday extolled the existence of Black churches, saying the world would be a different place if they were not around to show people the “power of faith” during times of darkness. The Democratic president spoke at St. John Baptist Church on the final day of a two-day visit to South Carolina designed to rally Black voters before the party's primary on Feb. 3. Biden visited a predominantly Black barbershop and spoke at a state Democratic Party dinner after he flew in on Saturday. A practicing Roman Catholic who attends Mass every Sunday, Biden praised Black churches in his appearance before the Baptist congregation, saying the churches teach the “power of faith.”Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesHe asked the worshippers to imagine “what would have happened if there had been no Black church” to turn to in times of darkness. “Your prayers mean everything,” Biden said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Black, ”, Martin Luther King Jr, ” Biden, Darlene Superville Organizations: COLUMBIA, Democratic, St, John Baptist Church, Democratic Party, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Associated Press Locations: South Carolina, Jordan, Syrian, Iran, Charleston, Washington

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