Harris-Walz goes to Georgia and watchdog groups say Telegram ignored warnings: Morning Rundown (2024)

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz campaign in Georgia. Israel launches a huge military operation in the West Bank. Nonprofit watchdogs say Telegram ignored their concerns before the company’s CEO was arrested. And what to know as the Paralympic Games kick off in Paris.

Here’s what to know today.

Harris and Walz hit the road to make their case in Georgia

Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz’s efforts to win over voters in key battleground states continues today with a bus tour through Georgia, culminating in a solo Harris rally tomorrow in Savannah. Also happening tomorrow: A joint interview with Harris and Walz on CNN — Harris’ first since she became her party’s nominee for president.

President Joe Biden won the state in 2020 by fewer than 12,000 votes. Now, it’s up to Harris to prove whether that was a fluke or whether Democrats can keep voters’ support at the highest level. Many Dems in the state are hopeful but recognize an intense battle is ahead.

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Already, there are a few things going for Harris. She’s a better demographic fit; Georgia has the highest proportion of Black voters of any presidential battleground. The state also has a younger electorate, and Harris appears to be more popular among them than Biden was.

But Donald Trump’s team is watching closely. They also see Georgia as a key part of the former president’s path back to the White House.

To win, Harris will need to boost voter turnout in deep-blue Atlanta, woo suburban voters and attempt to close the margin of defeat in red rural areas. For Trump to win, he’ll need to stay focused on policy instead of attacking his opponents, the Gwinnett County Republican Party chairman said. Trump rarely takes that advice.

Read the full story here.

More election news:

• A federal grand jury indicted Trump, once again, over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election loss. After the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling last month,prosecutors made some key changesin this indictment compared to the original.
• The Harris campaign has drawn comparisons to Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential bid. Interviews with party officials, volunteers and others agree there’s excitement in the air,but some are skeptical.
• RFK Jr. will still be on the November ballot in two key swing states.Here’s why.
• Arlington National Cemeteryconfirmed an incident took placewhen Trump visited on Monday.
• In resurfaced remarks, Trump running mate JD Vancebashed a teachers union presidentfor not having children.

Telegram ignored warnings before CEO’s arrest, nonprofits say

In the months before the arrest of Telegram co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov, at least three nonprofit watchdog groups fighting child exploitation said they repeatedly reached out to the social media platform to address child sexual abuse material, only for their calls to be largely be ignored.

Durov was arrested on Sunday in France as part of an investigation into an unnamed person involving claims of “complicity” in distributing child sexual abuse material.

Telegram’s website says it never responds to reports of any kind of illegal activity in private or group chats. But when asked about the groups’ claims, Telegram said the platform “actively moderates harmful content … including child abuse materials.”

However, watchdogs say that Telegram is a known haven for child sexual abuse material — “truly in a league of their own as far as their lack of content moderation or even interest in preventing child sexual exploitation activity on their platform,” said John Shehan with the U.S.’s National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.Other nonprofit groups echoed their frustrations.

What to know about the Paralympic Games

Did you think the Summer Olympics were over? They’re not. The Paralympic Games kick off today in Paris, starting with an opening ceremony where athletes from 180 countries will stroll down the city’s most famous thoroughfare. Viewers might notice a big difference on the Champs Élysées: Its signature cobblestones will be temporarily covered with a layer of asphalt to better accommodate athletes.

After the fanfare, the battles for the 549 gold medals up for grabs begins. Among the competitions to watch on the first three days of the games are wheelchair basketball (both the men’s and women’s U.S. teams are going for gold), goalball a competition for the visually impaired that has the potential to become your new favorite sport) and several track and swimming events.Here’s more about sports and athletes to watch forover the next 11 days.

Israel launches largest West Bank raids in at least 20 years

Israeli forces launched a sweeping overnight operation in the occupied West Bank, killing at least nine Palestinians and sealing off the city of Jenin, Palestinian officials said.

The Israeli military, Israel’s domestic security agency, the Shin Bet, and Israel Police said Wednesday that forces had launched a “counterterrorism operation” in Jenin, Tulkarm and Al-Faraa refugee camp overnight, “eliminating armed terrorists from the air and ground.”

Israel has launched regular raids of the West Bank since Hamas’ terror attack on Oct. 7, but Wednesday’s operation appeared to be the largest of its kind in almost 20 years.

Politics in Brief 

Jan. 6 riot:The very first rioter to breach the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack wassentenced to more than four years in prisonand said he still believes “to this day” that the 2020 election was stolen. Also, a new video shows former House Speaker Nancy Pelosicalling Trump “a domestic enemy”shortly after the attack.

Immigration:A U.S. program that let migrants apply for asylum from their home countries and was paused because of potential mass fraudmay be revivedby the Biden administration as soon as this week, sources said.

Supreme Court reform:President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s ideas to change up the high court “wouldn’t deal with the problem that actually exists in the judiciary” — that there are “too many judges wearing red and blue robes,” NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd writes. The Senate is to blame.Read the full analysis.

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Staff Pick: Clinicians treating trans minors face backlogs and death threats

More than half of U.S. states now have measures restricting gender-affirming care for minors, which in turn is creating months-long waitlists in states where providers are still able to treat trans youth. Not only does the surge of patients create logistical challenges, it also presents a legal risk for professionals. We spoke with a dozen clinicians in states where gender-affirming care for minors remains legal.They describe the growing challenges in their field, from insurance denials and a “clogged system,” to harassment and death threats that have them taking extra security measures. —Brooke Sopelsa, NBC OUT editorial director

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified 

Cooling dog beds are especially useful for keeping your pup from overheating during warmer months.Here are the 13 best options.And speaking of pampering your fur baby,consider these dog treats and dental chewsapproved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council. 

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