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AP-US-ELECTION-2019-LOUISIANA-GOVERNOR-THE-LATEST
The Latest: Democrat Edwards reelected governor of Louisiana
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards will keep his job as the Deep South’s only Democratic governor, in a blow to President Donald Trump, who tried to boost the incumbent’s opponent.
On Saturday, voters narrowly reelected Edwards to a second term, snubbing Republican businessman Eddie Rispone deep in the heart of Trump country.
Louisiana’s only Democratic statewide elected official withstood an onslaught of national Republican opposition and hung on to the seat by focusing on state-specific issues and his record of bipartisanship.
Edwards was helped when Louisiana’s top-tier GOP officials decided against running for the seat.
Rispone had never sought public office and had little name recognition. The wealthy industrial contractor poured millions of his own money into the campaign and wrapped himself in his support for Trump, trying to nationalize the race.
TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT-THE LATEST
The Latest: Ex-aide says Trump persuaded to release money
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former national security aide to President Donald Trump has given lawmakers a new account of how military aid to Ukraine came to be released.
In a transcript released Saturday, Tim Morrison describes a Sept. 11 meeting at which Vice President Mike Pence and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman pressed Trump to free up the money.
Morrison said Pence and Portman “convinced the president that the aid should be disbursed immediately,” and that it was “the appropriate and prudent thing to do.”
Morrison was briefed about the meeting but did not attend.
The Oval Office meeting came only a few days after Democrats opened an investigation into Trump’s handling of Ukraine.
The House’s impeachment inquiry centers on Trump’s push for Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son.
ELECTION 2020-WARREN
Warren pushes back on critics of her health care plan
WAVERLY, Iowa (AP) — Elizabeth Warren pushed back against critics of her newly-released plan to phase in implementation of a single-payer health care system, insisting Saturday that she is “fully committed” to Medicare for All and that she plans to first build on existing health care programs because “people need help right now.”
Warren said her commitment to Medicare for All is all the way.” She was responding to critics who’ve questioned the timing behind the release of her implementation plan.
Asked after a campaign event in Iowa if her decision to delay passage of a single-payer plan until the third year of her presidency was an acknowledgement of the political challenge she’ll face in enacting such a plan, Warren insisted “I don’t see it that way at all.”
HIGH SCHOOL GAME SHOOTING-THE LATEST
The Latest: Man wounded in shooting at game faces charges
PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. (AP) — A man wounded during a shooting at a high school football game in New Jersey is now facing charges himself.
Pleasantville police say the 27-year-old man is facing weapons charges. They said Saturday a weapon was found on him when emergency responders went to aid him after the shooting around 8:30 p.m. Friday during a playoff game in Pleasantville, near Atlantic City.
The man remains hospitalized in stable condition and will be undergoing surgery. A 10-year-old boy is in critical condition, and a 15-year old boy was treated for a graze wound.
Five other men have been charged in connection with the shooting, including the alleged gunman.
HEART DISEASE
Big study casts doubt on need for many heart procedures
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A large study finds that people with severe but stable heart disease from clogged arteries may have less chest pain if they get a procedure to improve blood flow rather than just giving medicines a chance to help, but it won't cut their risk of having a heart attack or dying over the next few years.
The results suggest that tens of thousands of costly stent procedures and bypass operations each year are unnecessary or premature for people with stable disease. That's a different situation than a heart attack, when a procedure is needed right away to restore blood flow.
For non-emergency cases, doctors say the study shows there's no need to rush into invasive tests and procedures.
Results were reported Saturday at an American Heart Association conference in Philadelphia.
TRUMP
White House: Trump having tests as part of medical checkup
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump is at Walter Reed National Medical Center for what the White House says are medical tests as part of his annual physical.
The appointment wasn’t on his weekend public schedule, and his last physical was in February. Press secretary Stephanie Grisham says the 73-year-old Trump is anticipating a very busy 2020’’ and wanted to take advantage of
a free weekend’’ in Washington to begin ``portions of his routine’’ checkup. She’s not being more specific.
The February checkup showed he’d put on some pounds and was now officially considered obese. His Body Mass Index was 30.4. His weight was 243 pounds and he was 6 feet, 3 inches tall.
The physical comes as House investigators are interviewing a White House official as part of the impeachment inquiry.
ELECTION 2020-CALIFORNIA-THE LATEST
The Latest: United Farm Workers backs Harris for nomination
LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — The farm workers union started by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta has endorsed Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination for president.
United Farm Workers announced its endorsement of Harris on Saturday at the California Democratic Party's fall convention. It was a needed home-state boost for Harris as her presidential bid struggles in Iowa, the state where she's focused many of her resources.
The union represents less than 10,000 workers, who voted recently to endorse Harris after hearing from multiple candidates.
Union President Teresa Romero says Harris has stood with farmworkers and fought for overtime protection.
NFL-KAEPERNICK'S WORKOUT
Kaepernick's reps call audible, workout moved at last minute
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — A big change of plans for Colin Kaepernick's NFL workout.
Just 15 minutes before Kaepernick was scheduled to work out Saturday for 25 NFL teams at the Atlanta Falcons' training complex in Flowery Branch, the quarterback's representatives announced the session was being moved 60 miles away to a high school in Riverdale.
The representatives said the switch was made because they wanted the media to be allowed to watch and videotape the workout.
It was a stunning move that seemed to catch everyone off-guard.
A number of NFL scouts had already gone inside the Falcons' indoor training facility when word came the workout was being shifted from the sprawling suburbs north of Atlanta to Charles Drew High School in Riverdale — south of the city, near the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
It was not known how teams would be attending the workout in the new location.
Dozens of media had been set up in a fenced-off parking next to the Falcons' facility.
This was the latest strange twist in this workout quickly arranged this week by the NFL by the for the 32-year-old Kaepernick.
The former Pro Bowl quarterback hasn't played since 2016 with the San Francisco 49ers. He helped start a wave of protests about social and racial injustice that season by kneeling during the national anthem at games.
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BOLIVIA-PROTESTS
Bolivia’s growing crisis turns deadly as 5 killed in clash
SACABA, Bolivia (AP) — Bolivia’s political crisis turned deadly after security forces opened fire on supporters of Evo Morales in a central town, killing at least five people, injuring dozens and threatening the interim government’s efforts to restore stability following the resignation of the former president in an election dispute.
Most of the dead and injured Friday in Sacaba near the city of Cochabamba suffered bullet wounds, said hospital director Guadalberto Lara, calling it the worst violence he’s seen in his 30-year career.
Angry demonstrators and relatives of the victims gathered at the site of the shootings, chanting: “Civil war, now!”
Morales, who was granted asylum in Mexico after his resignation Sunday, said on Twitter that a “massacre” had occurred. Protesters said police fired when demonstrators tried to cross a military checkpoint.
EPSTEIN ACCUSER-PRINCE ANDREW
Prince Andrew denies claims of Epstein accuser in interview
NEW YORK (AP) — Britain’s Prince Andrew is questioning the authenticity of a photograph of him posing with a woman who says she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew offered his most detailed denial to date that he ever had sex with Virginia Roberts Giuffre in an interview Saturday with the BBC.
Giuffre has said Epstein forced her to have sex with Andrew in 2001 when she was 17.
But Andrew said he has “no recollection” of meeting her and offered an alibi as to his whereabouts on one of the nights Giuffre claimed they had sex.
He also suggested a photograph Giuffre produced of her posing with Andrew could have been doctored.
Andrew said he regrets meeting Epstein in 2010 after he had been convicted in 2008 of sex crimes involving teenage girls.
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