Election 2024 live: Harris raises double cash haul of Trump and meets freed prisoners

A panel of appeals court judges on Thursday rejected the former president’s argument that the gag order should be entirely lifted after his conviction. The five judges on the midlevel state appeals court sided with New York Justice Juan Merchan, who extended protections for prosecutors and court staff through Trump’s sentencing.

The voting process began on Thursday and runs through August 5. The party convention takes place in Chicago from August 19 to 22.

Mike Bedigan unpacks how the process works.

President Joe Biden has shared the emotional moment freed US hostages spoke to their families on the phone ahead of their release.

The Oval Office phone call took place on Thursday ahead of the Americans, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerschkovich, touching down on US soil following the highest-profile prisoner swap with Russia since the end of the Cold War.

Lucy Leeson has the full video below.

The former president’s allies have seized on his unhinged remarks by reviving racist “birther” claims that Trump has repeatedly used to undermine his opponents’ ethnic backgrounds, when he suggested that Harris wasn’t “born in this country” during the 2020 election and years earlier doubted whether Barack Obama was a US citizen by demanding to see his birth certificate.

His latest statements have turbocharged online racism that has surrounded the 2024 election, with supporters posting copies of her “birth certificate” and accusing Harris of “changing” her race for political reasons.

Joined by Nelk, a group of YouTubers known for their prank videos and vlogs, the video shows Vance accepting a box of Happy Dad Hard Seltzer.

TikTok users gave mixed reactions to his first outing on the social media platform, coming two months after the former president also created an account.

Myriam Page has taken to Vance’s TikTok to find out more.

On Thursday, the Harris campaign launched a new line of merchandise featuring a photo of a younger Emhoff with thick brown hair, tanned and wearing a turquoise Laguna Beach t-shirt.

The throwback image was first posted by the second gentleman back in 2020, captioning it “#MeAt20.”

Amelia Neath has the full story.

Its founder and chief executive Salima Suswell attributed the organization’s decision to back Harris over the vice president’s perceived stance on the Israel-Hamas war. It is believed to be the first Muslim group that was uncommitted to Biden to support Harris’ presidential run.

The vice president’s decision to decline to preside over the Senate chamber last month when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint meeting of Congress has helped garner support from progressive circles, with hopes that she may adopt a tougher stance towards Israel than Biden.

“[Harris] has shown more sympathy towards the people of Gaza than both President Biden and former President Donald Trump,” Suswell told NBC.

She continued: “During Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress, she decided not to attend. She has repeatedly called for a cease-fire, and I believe she has also expressed empathy towards civilian life and has been very caring as it relates to getting aid to the people of Gaza.”

But one family has been left “heartbroken and outraged” after their loved one was left out of the historic deal.

American teacher Marc Fogel, originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been held in a Russian prison for the last three years after he was arrested in August 2021 for possession of 17 grams of medical cannabis.

Myriam Page explains the family’s heartbreak.

Whelan, who served in the US Marine Corps from 2003 to 2008 and worked as a cop before taking an office job, was arrested in Moscow in 2018 on espionage charges and sentenced to 16 years behind bars.

Kurmasheva, who was working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague, was arrested last fall by Russian security services and convicted less than two weeks ago for “spreading false information” about the Russian military. 

Justin Rohrlich has the full story.