Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 17, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM ● B3 NEWS I WORLD WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2024 Cooling political rhetoric doesn’t mean ‘stop telling the truth’ about Trump, U.S. president says Biden back on campaign trail L AS VEGAS — U.S. President Joe Biden returned to the campaign trail Tuesday for the first time since the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump, con- tinuing his call to calm the divisive rhetoric on both sides, but also arguing doing so “doesn’t mean we should stop telling the truth” as he tore into his Re- publican rival. Addressing the NAACP convention in Las Vegas, Biden said addressing political violence in the country should mean curbing all kinds of bloodshed — including better combating police brutality and banning weapons like the AR-style rifle used in the weekend at- tack on Trump. “It’s time for an important conversa- tion in this country. Our politics have become too heated,” Biden said. That didn’t stop him from listing why Trump’s administration was “hell” for Black Americans, including the former president’s mishandling of the cor- onavirus pandemic, skyrocketing un- employment amid early lockdowns and attempts to, as Biden put it, erase Black history. “Just because we must lower the tem- perature in our politics as it relates to violence doesn’t mean we should stop telling the truth,” Biden told the crowd that often broke into chants of “Four more years!” The president is aiming to show- case his administration’s support for Black voters who are a tentpole of the Democratic coalition and of his person- al political support. As part of his swing in Nevada, he’ll also participate in an interview with BET and address the Hispanic advocacy group UnidosUS, an- other crucial Democratic-leaning bloc. For the NAACP crowd, Biden seized on Trump recently referencing “Black jobs,” drawing big applause by joking, “I love the phrase.” “I know what a Black job is. It’s the vice president of the United States,” Biden said of vice-president Kamala Harris, who he added “could be presi- dent.” He also referenced Barack Obama as the nation’s first Black president, and his own appointment to the Supreme Court of its first Black and female jus- tice, Ketanji Brown Jackson. Biden’s trip comes as Democrats have been engaged in a weeks-long crisis of confidence over his candidacy after his devastating debate with Trump last month. The president’s shaky perform- ance inflamed voter concerns about his age, fitness for office and capacity to defeat Trump once again. Republicans, for their part, are dem- onstrating that they are more coalesced than ever around Trump amid their na- tional convention in Milwaukee. The 81-year-old Biden has rejected a flurry of calls from within his party to step aside, restating his belief that he is the best-positioned Democrat to beat Trump. He has relied heavily on his support among Black and Latino elect- ed officials and was set to appear with many of them in Nevada. The president made indirect ref- erence to unrest in his own party on Tuesday, recalling President Harry S. Truman famously saying, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” “After the last couple of weeks, I know what he means,” Biden said. He said later, “hopefully, with age, comes a little bit of wisdom.” Biden also promised that in the first 100 days of a second term he would oversee congressional approval of a dramatic expansion of voting rights — something he’s been unable to do as president so far. He also renewed earli- er promises to “end medical debt,” say- ing he was working with states to settle outstanding bills for care for “pennies on the dollar.” “I know the good Lord hasn’t brought us this far to leave us now,” Biden told the convention, offering overtly reli- gious tones. Trump has tried to appeal to both Black and Latino voters, hoping to cap- italize on Biden’s sagging favorability. While it’s not clear that the loss of en- thusiasm for Biden has helped Trump’s approval with those groups, any mar- ginal loss of support for Biden could prove pivotal in a close race. The president and his campaign hit pause on their criticisms of Trump in the immediate aftermath of the shooting Saturday at Trump’s rally in Pennsylva- nia, where the Republican candidate was injured in the ear, a rallygoer was killed and two others seriously injured. In an Oval Office address on Sunday night, Biden called on Americans to re- ject political violence and for political leaders to “cool it down.” In a Monday interview with NBC News he allowed he made a “mistake” when he told campaign donors he want- ed to put a “bull’s-eye” on Trump, but argued the rhetoric from his opponent was more incendiary. “Look, how do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says?” Biden said. “Do you just not say anything because it may incite somebody?” NAACP president Derrick Johnson, in an interview with the AP, sidestepped questions about whether Biden should step aside as the Democratic nominee and whether the president, who often credits his place in the Oval Office to Black voters, could still inspire people to turn out for his candidacy. Johnson instead focused on the need for Black voters to hear “solutions” on issues like inflation, education and at- tacks on civil rights, which are among the top concerns for Black commun- ities in this election. — The Associated Press AAMER MADHANI AND ZEKE MILLER SUSAN WALSH / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS U.S. President Joe Biden speaks Tuesday at the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas. He will be meeting with Black and Hispanic groups on this leg of his tour. Neo-Nazi leader charged in plot to hand out poisoned candy in NYC NEW YORK — The leader of a neo-Na- zi extremist group based in Eastern Europe has been charged with plotting to have an associate dress up as Santa Claus and hand out poisoned candy to Jewish children in New York City to sow terror, prosecutors said Tuesday. Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year- old man from the Republic of Georgia, was indicted on four charges including soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. It wasn’t known if he has an attorney. Chkhikvishvili, who has various nick- names including Commander Butcher, allegedly leads the Maniacs Murder Cult, which prosecutors said is an inter- national extremist group that adheres to a “neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence and violent acts against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems ‘undesirables.’” The group’s goal is to upset social order and governments via terrorism and violent acts that promote fear and chaos, the statement said. Chkhikvishvili was arrested after he tried to recruit an undercover law en- forcement officer to join his group and commit violent crimes, according to court documents. In November 2023, Chkhikvish- vili began planning a “mass casualty event” for New York City on New Year’s Eve, prosecutors said. “The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and hand- ing out candy laced with poison to ra- cial minorities and children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn,” the Department of Justice statement said. If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for solicitation of violent felonies, five years for conspiring to solicit violent felonies, 20 years for distributing in- formation pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices and five years for transmitting threatening communi- cation. — The Associated Press Dinosaur fossil discovered after heavy rains RIO DE JANEIRO — A team of Brazil- ian scientists has discovered a skeleton of what they believe is one of the world’s oldest dinosaurs after heavy rains in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul ac- celerated the natural process of erosion. The fossil found next to a reservoir in the municipality of Sao Joao do Pole- sine is around 233 million years old, according to palaeontologist Rodrigo Temp Müller, who led the team from the Federal University of Santa Maria that found the bones in May. The claims have not been verified by other scientists or published in a scien- tific journal. The researcher believes the dinosaur lived during the Triassic period, when all continents were part of a single land mass called Pangaea. Dinosaurs are thought to have first evolved at that time. The apex predator discovered in Rio Grande do Sul belongs to the group known as Herrerasauridae — a family of dinosaurs that used to wander across lands that now make up present-day Brazil and Argentina, according to a fact sheet about the discovery shared with The Associated Press. The size of the bones reveals that the dinosaur would have reached around 2.5 metres in length, according to the document. Müller said that he and his team were “very excited and surprised” by their findings. After around four days of excava- tions, the group of researchers trans- ported a block of rock containing the specimen back to the laboratory, where they ran tests. “Initially it seemed like just a few iso- lated bones, but as we exposed the ma- terial, we were able to see that we had an almost complete skeleton,” Müller said. The expert hypothesizes their discov- ery is the second most complete skel- eton for this type of dinosaur. Rio Grande do Sul saw record amounts of rainfall earlier this year. It caused devastating floods in May that killed at least 182 people, according to a toll published by the state July 8. — The Associated Press Award-winning Portland chef Pomeroy drowns in river accident PORTLAND, Ore. — Naomi Pom- eroy, an award-winning chef who helped put Portland on the map as a culinary destination, has drowned in an inner tubing accident, authorities said. She was 49 years old. Pomeroy drowned Saturday even- ing in the Willamette River near Cor- vallis after the group she was tubing with got caught on an exposed snag in the water, the Benton County Sher- iff’s Office said in a statement. Pomeroy was pulled under the water and trapped by a paddle board leash attached to her, Capt. Chris Duffitt said. The group had tied their inner tubes and paddle board togeth- er. Authorities said they safely re- covered the other two people on the shore and transported them to a boat launch. The sheriff’s office said it is still working to recover Pomeroy’s body. It searched the area using sonar, underwater cameras and drones but was unable to find it due to heavy debris. “I am dedicated to locating Naomi to bring her home to her family and loved ones,” Sheriff Jef Van Arsdall said in a statement. “I want to thank all involved in the search and recov- ery mission and support during this difficult time.” The sheriff’s office warned people not to attach themselves to a paddle board unless it has a quick release leash and advised against tying two or more inner tubes together, as do- ing so means each person should have a life jacket. The Oregon State Marine Board noted there has been an “emerging trend” in recent years of people dying due to the leash on their stand up pad- dle board, or SUP, getting tangled in brush or other debris in rivers. “Most ankle leashes used by SUP users are not designed for quick re- lease,” Brian Paulsen, the agency’s boating safety program manager, said in a statement Tuesday. He said quick release leashes, designed for moving water, are worn around the waist. Pomeroy rose to prominence in the Portland food scene after opening the restaurant Beast in 2007. There, din- ers could enjoy a six-course prix fixe dinner served at communal tables and built around Pomeroy’s penchant for butchering whole animals. The restaurant paved the way for Pomeroy to win a coveted James Beard award for best chef in the U.S. Northwest in 2014, around the same time Portland was soaring in popularity as a travel destination for its food scene, natural beauty and quirky reputation. The restaurant closed during the coronavirus pan- demic, but Pomeroy had just recently opened a new frozen custard shop. Pomeroy was also known for her appearance on cooking shows, in- cluding Top Chef Masters, and owned the Portland cocktail bar Expatriate with her husband. The bar was closed Monday, KOIN reported, as mourn- ers left flowers and remembrances stacked outside the business. Heather Wallberg, who owns a res- taurant across from Expatriate and has worked in the industry for over a decade, told KOIN that Pomeroy “made the Portland food scene what it is today.” She said she reached out to Expatriate to offer any help they need. Pomeroy’s sudden passing “re- minds you of the fragility of life,” she said. — The Associated Press CLAIRE RUSH VICKIE CONNOR / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Naomi Pomeroy, 49, was credited with helping put Portland, Ore., on the map as a culinary destination in the mid-2010s. ;