U.S. and world news for August 22

Democratic Convention: Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz spoke at last night’s session of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Former President Bill Clinton gave his endorsement to Kamala Harris and joked that he wanted to see her in the White House because she would break his record as the president who spent the most time at McDonald’s, a reference to Harris holding a job at McDonald’s when she was young. Delegates also heard from Oprah Winfrey and singing star Stevie Wonder.

Trump rally: Donald Trump appeared at an outdoor rally in Asheville, North Carolina, yesterday but stood behind bulletproof glass. His vice presidential running mate J.D. Vance also spoke, but was only allowed to speak for less than a minute. Trump, in his speech, falsely claimed that he won the 2020 election. He also again falsely claimed that member countries of NATO have failed to pay their dues. NATO member countries are not required to pay dues.

Attorney’s plea: An attorney for members of the far-right group Oath Keepers has pleaded guilty to telling members of the group she was defending on federal charges related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to destroy evidence. Attorney Kellye SoRelle faces sentencing in January and could be sent to prison for up to 20 years. She had a personal relationship with the leader of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, who is serving 18 years in prison for his role in the attack on the Capitol that was intended to keep Donald Trump in power.

Biden-Netanyahu: The White House revealed that President Biden spoke on the phone yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden stressed the urgency of bringing the cease-fire and hostage release deal to closure and discussed upcoming talks in Cairo to remove any remaining obstacles to getting the deal done. The White House also said that they discussed active and ongoing U.S. efforts to support Israel’s defense against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

Ford vehicles: Ford says it will stop production of all-electric SUVs that have three rows of seats and adjust its launches of new models. In addition to taking a $400 million write down, Ford says the actions may cost it up to $1.5 billion. Ford said that in 2026 it expects to roll out an all-electric van that will be assembled at a plant in Ohio. It also said that in 2027 it plans to launch a mid-sized all-electric pickup truck.

Bill Pascrell: New Jersey Democratic Congressman Bill Pascrell has died at age 87. He had been hospitalized last month because of a fever. Pascrell served in the House of Representatives since 1997. He represented New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District and lived in Paterson. Before going to Congress, he was mayor of Paterson and also had served in New Jersey’s General Assembly.