Former President Barack Obama, appearing in Ohio on Saturday at his first campaign rally of this fall’s midterm elections, called President Donald Trump an agent of “chaos and cruelty” and a man of broken promises.
asserted
Obama → appear → promises
Obama’s visit was aimed at boosting two Democrats: Amy Acton, the party’s nominee for governor; and former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has mounted a comeback bid for his old job.
asserted
who → aim → job
Obama was particularly scornful of Vivek Ramaswamy’s attack ad aimed at Acton, saying there is “no line” Ramaswamy won’t cross.
asserted
Ramaswamy → aim → Acton
Later in the night, Obama rallied for Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit.
asserted
Obama → rally → Detroit
Notable quote
He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.
asserted
Hussein → get → Factory
Obama made pointed criticisms of his Republican successor, lambasting Trump for his focus on White House ballroom construction.
asserted
Obama → make → construction
Iranian plots to kill U.S. officials have reached ‘advanced stages,’ intel memo warns
Iran has stepped up efforts to target U.S. personnel in the Middle East and elsewhere, according to a memo Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday.
The memo warned that “the lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against U.S. citizens have reached advanced stages.”
uncertain
efforts → kill → stages
A U.S. official confirmed the memo’s authenticity to NBC News after it was first reported by Axios.
asserted
it → confirm → Axios
The intelligence comes days after sources told NBC News that the U.S. military has been quietly scaling back its troop presence at bases across the Middle East.
asserted
military → come → East
The State Department has also ordered further staff reductions at multiple diplomatic posts in the region, including in Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan, according to a State Department official.
uncertain
Department → order → official
Clayton told Rubio that the risk was “relevant to more individuals than are currently cleared to receive this information,” adding: “We will make every effort to downgrade as much intelligence as possible so you can share it with State Department personnel at your discretion.”
asserted
you → tell → discretion
‘Meet the Press’
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should testify before the Senate on the Starlink satellite limitations that disrupted Ukrainian military operations.
asserted
that → tell → operations
If Democrats retake the Senate, Schiff told moderator Kristen Welker, “Defense Secretary Hegseth should be brought in.
asserted
Hegseth → retake → Welker
Anyone who has knowledge of what happened.”
asserted
what → have → knowledge
Michigan’s Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers responded to Trump calling Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist” and a “violent terrorist.”
asserted
Trump → respond → Sayed
“I’ve never called [El-Sayed] a terrorist,” Rogers said on “Meet the Press” after being asked about Trump’s comments.
asserted
Rogers → call → comments
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pushed back on comments made by former first lady Michelle Obama last year that U.S. voters aren’t ready to elect a woman as president.
asserted
voters → push → president
“Listen, I have got a lot of colleagues who I think are probably interested in running for president, and I’ve heard everyone say, ‘You can’t have this person or that person,’” the governor told “Meet the Press.”
Politics in brief
- Drop the stop:
asserted
governor → listen → stop
Democrats urged a federal judge to dismiss the Trump administration’s challenge to Alaska’s Senate race.
asserted
Democrats → urge → race
- Early voting: Trump cast his ballot in the midterm elections Saturday, saying he voted for all Republicans in Florida before speaking at a Georgia rally.
asserted
he → cast → rally
- Analysis: How Democrats could win the House, how the GOP could hang on, and where to look for a wave.
uncertain
GOP → win → wave
Mass protests challenge Macron as French police use tear gas and water cannons
More than 100,000 people marched in Paris on Saturday over school funding and soaring living costs, challenging President Emmanuel Macron’s government in a largely peaceful demonstration before clashes broke out near the march’s end point.
asserted
clashes → challenge → point
At the front lines of protests in Paris
Students, union members, environmentalists and other groups marched through cold, rainy weather.
asserted
Students → march → weather
Near the march’s end point, some demonstrators threw bottles and rocks at police, who then charged at the crowd, fired tear gas and used water cannons.
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who → throw → cannons
NBC News witnessed no looting.
asserted
News → witness → looting
“We are mostly students,” one person told NBC News, referencing the protests.
asserted
person → tell → protests
“We’re not here to break things.
asserted
We → ’re → things
We’re not here to mess with the cops or anyone.
asserted
We → ’re → cops
We’re just here to protest.”
asserted
We → ’re → ?
12 injured in shooting near Florida A&M University stadium
Twelve people, including several minors, were injured in a shooting near Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium, where homecoming celebrations included a football game Saturday.
asserted
celebrations → injure → game
The Tallahassee Police Department said in a statement that 11 of the 12 were shot and that three victims had serious injuries.
asserted
victims → say → injuries
Six of the injured are under 18 years old, the department said.
asserted
department → injure → injured
Tallahassee police said a fight may have preceded the gunfire.
uncertain
fight → say → gunfire
No arrests have been reported.
asserted
arrests → report → ?
“Early findings indicate a physical altercation occurred prior to the shooting,” the department said.
asserted
department → indicate → shooting
Inside the controversial call that ended Game 2 of the World Series
The Milwaukee Brewers are two wins away from the first World Series title in franchise history, and they got a little help from an incredibly close call Saturday night.
asserted
they → end → call
With the Brewers leading 5-4 in the top of the ninth, the Rays had a runner on third with two outs and designated hitter Yandy Díaz at the plate.
asserted
Rays → lead → plate
On a 3-2 pitch that would have been Ball 4, Díaz tried to check his swing on a curveball from Aaron Ashby.
asserted
Díaz → try → Ashby
Home plate umpire Jim Wolf initially ruled that Díaz hadn’t swung, which would have sent him to first base.
asserted
which → rule → base
But Milwaukee catcher William Contreras appealed to the first base umpire, who ruled that Díaz had gone around.
asserted
Díaz → appeal → umpire
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
