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Moreno is in a three-way Republican primary for the right to take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown next November. GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno in Delaware, Ohio on April 23, 2022. Former President Donald Trump threw his support behind Republican businessman Bernie Moreno in Ohio's Senate race Tuesday evening, granting his endorsement in a Truth Social post. The endorsement puts Trump in the middle of one of the most important 2024 Senate races in the country. Republicans need a net gain of two seats to take control of the Senate outright, or one seat plus the tie-breaking vice presidency. And the GOP is going after three Democratic-held Senate seats in states that Trump carried twice: West Virginia, Montana and Ohio. In Ohio, Moreno is competing with Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan for the Republican nomination to face Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Trump had previously encouraged Moreno, stopping just shy of endorsing the wealthy businessman, who is the father-in-law of GOP Rep. Max Miller, a former Trump aide. Even before endorsing, Trump loomed over the primary, with past Trump-critical comments from LaRose, Dolan and Moreno weighing on local Republicans as they decided between the candidates. Trump's endorsement has been critical in a number of recent Senate races, though many of his picks in 2022 went on to lose to Democrats in the general election. But Trump's backing was decisive for now-Sen. J.D. Vance in Ohio last year. Vance shot from the middle of a crowded GOP primary pack to win the nomination following Trump's endorsement, before winning the Senate seat comfortably in November. Moreno recently touted Trump’s support in a state-wide ad focused on the southern border. Link

Five children died in the Arizona house fire - the oldest was only 13. A father was Christmas shopping when his four children and a young relative died in an Arizona house fire, police said. The fire tore through the two-story home on Saturday evening, authorities said on Monday, leaving no survivors. Four children, ages 2, 4, 5 and 13 were siblings, while an 11-year-old was a visiting relative. Officials are investigating the fire and have not released the names of the children or father. The fire broke out in Bullhead City, 100 miles (160km) south of Las Vegas, just before 17:00 local time (1:00 GMT) on Saturday. "The children's father reported to investigators that he was gone for approximately 2.5 hours to buy groceries and Christmas gifts," Bullhead City police said in a statement. The preliminary investigation found that the fire originated in the downstairs entranceway, "most likely making it impossible for the children in the upstairs bedroom to get out of the residence safely", authorities said. All five victims were found in the same upstairs bedroom. It appeared that the fire had made its way up the home's only staircase, blocking their escape. Witnesses described frantic neighbours gathering hoses and ladders in an attempt to fight the fire. "We pulled the garage door open, there was guys pulling stuff out," one witness, Patrick O'Neal, told local CBS News affiliate KTVK. "The closer we got to the door there was smoke starting to come into the garage and choking people out." The neighbours were unaware that anyone was inside the home, he added. If they had known, he said they would have attempted a rescue. Police say there were no adults home when the fire started. A vigil is planned in a local park for Wednesday night, and a GoFundMe drive has raised over $14,000 (£11,000) as of Tuesday to help the families cover funeral expenses. Link

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Nick movie: Corpse Bride Time: September 7, 2005 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 77 M Trailer:

Turbocharged sixes, supercharged eights or naturally aspirated 10-cylinders? Cast your votes for this week’s conversation starter Since its official inaugural season back in 1950, Formula One has seen more changes than arguably any other sport in the world, and during the long breaks between campaigns, the single most important change that both fans and teams alike look ahead to is what regulations will be applied to next season’s engines. And with further changes set to be imposed from 2026, it got us thinking: what is/was the greatest era for F1 engines? Before casting your votes in the comment section, we’re going to give you a quick reminder of some of the more notable examples throughout history, and not just for their pedigree or sporting credentials, but also because… sound. Let’s start with an icon from the sport’s formative decade: the Alfa Romeo 158 ‘Alfetta’. Having originally been built in the late ‘30s and racking up 18 victories before Formula One officially resumed post-WWII, the Alfetta was the most readily-prepared car on the grid and, unsurprisingly, went on to win every single race it entered in the 1950 season. Good on the fellow teams for not throwing in the towel. The engine was a front-mounted inline-eight which had a displacement of just 1.5 litres but benefited from supercharging. By the time these engines peaked, they could produce over 400bhp... in a car weighing less than the dirty laundry pile you’ve got in the corner of your room. Let’s fast-forward to the ‘70s next, where it’s nigh impossible to exclude the Cosworth DFV engine which captured 155 victories from 262 outings during an 18-year period which stretched right across this decade. From powering Lotus and Tyrell to Hesketh and Williams, the DFV utterly dominated. In essence a naturally aspirated V8 with a 3.0-litre displacement and direct fuel injection, power ranged from 400 to 530bhp during its tenure while weight floated around the 168kg margin. Then, the ‘80s saw the emergence of the likes of the never-fancied-a-moan Alain [CENSORED], moustache-turned-human Nigel Mansell and that Ayrton Senna bloke. One of the latter’s many picture-book moments came as he danced his way through the party haven streets of Monaco to victory in the 1990 edition of the showpiece event. He was propelled by the naturally aspirated, Honda-sourced, V10-powered McLaren MP4/5B en route to that season’s championship in a typically uncontroversial manner. In fact, Senna championed a Honda-made engine consecutively for over five years during his career, which probably explains why he became the poster boy for the NSX. Aside from the fact that he was one of the fastest drivers planet Earth has ever seen, of course. In his later years, Senna also competed with one of the two most successful drivers in F1 history, Michael Schumacher, who raced part-time to support his full-time role as the Stig of course. This period of V10 engines then evolved and gave way to the V8s as the likes of double world champion and Jenson Button’s bestie, Fernando Alonso, quadruple world champion and Germany’s least serious man, Sebastian Vettel and seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton made their debuts. Alas, we arrive at the present day. Max Verstappen has just moonwalked to his third consecutive world title, and his record-breaking RB19 could gain an unsettling amount of votes here given its utterly ruthless winning streak. Even if one-half of its driver line-up is the undoubtedly talented but hugely frustrating Sergio Perez. And so, with familiar faces edging closer to retirement (for real this time, Alonso), and the sport set to embrace one of its most significant periods of change with the all-important 2026 revamp looming, have the glory days of Formula One engines gone or is the best yet to come? Now we pass over to you, the readers, to cast your votes. Go go go! Link

Monday is 51 years since his first wife and baby daughter died in a car accident. During the eulogy for his brother in 2015, Hunter Biden recalled his first memory of Beau: hearing him repeat, “I love you,” as they lay together in a hospital bed. The toddlers — Beau was just 3, Hunter 2 — were the only survivors of a car crash that 51 years ago killed their mother and baby sister. The accident was the first of the personal tragedies that have shaped President Joe Biden’s political career, coming just weeks after he won the U.S. Senate seat. The death of Beau Biden after a battle with brain cancer kept Joe Biden out of the 2016 presidential race, but his dying admonition to his father to stay engaged became a foundation for his 2020 candidacy. Now, Biden is preparing to wage his final campaign while his remaining son faces two separate criminal indictments. From left, President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Finnegan Biden holding Beau Biden, Hunter Biden, Melissa Cohen and Peter Neal watch fireworks on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2023. Biden will remain in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday on the somber anniversary, which has remained a sacred and protected day on his calendar as president, as it was when he was vice president and a senator. It comes just days after his son made his most public response yet to allegations from House Republican investigators that are the basis of the impeachment inquiry against the president they formally approved on Wednesday. Speaking not far from the Senate chamber where his father served for 36 years, the younger Biden said his parents “literally saved my life” amid his battle with addiction, and blasted Republicans who he said “have taken the light of my dad’s love for me and presented it as darkness.” Hunter Biden has also said Republicans are weaponizing the president’s love for him to distract him in the campaign. “They’re trying to kill me knowing it will be a pain greater than my father could be able to handle,” he said in a podcast interview with the recording artist Moby. Then-Vice President Joe Biden, center, and his wife, Jill Biden, right, arrive with family for a mass of Christian burial at St. Anthony of Padua Church for their son, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, in Wilmington, Del., in 2015. In private conversations, the president has blamed himself for the fact that his son remains such a political target, telling associates it would not be happening if he were not in office and running for another term. Hunter Biden “comes up all the time,” one source who has spoken with the president said, sometimes out of concern but also with pride at how he has endured the harsh spotlight recently. Not everyone in the West Wing, even at senior levels, knew what Hunter Biden would say Wednesday. But the president, who speaks with his son most days, if not multiple times each day, knew. And sources close to the president quickly praised the remarks as “powerful” and “forceful.” Republicans have made “where’s Hunter” a calling card of the 2024 race, with merchandise bearing the slogan. Biden advisers have noted, though, that Hunter Biden was also a target in the 2020 race and said the president’s critics often miss that the president’s standing by his son, especially supporting him in his recovery, has often made those attacks backfire. Then-Vice President Joe Biden talks with his son, U.S. Army Capt. Beau Biden, at Camp Victory, near Baghdad, Iraq, in 2009. This election could be different. In a September NBC News poll, 60% of respondents said they had major concerns (45%) or moderate concerns (15%) about Biden’s possible awareness or involvement in the business dealings of his son including alleged financial wrongdoing and corruption. The Long Recovery Hunter Biden’s last words to his brother in 2015 were the same as the first he’d heard from him 42 years earlier. And after his illness and death, he “completely unraveled,” as he told Moby. “It’s not an excuse, but it is the reason,” he said. Four-year-old Beau Biden, foreground, rests while his father, Joe Biden, center, is sworn in as a U.S. senator from Delaware in a Wilmington hospital, on Jan. 5, 1973. But Beau Biden’s passing only reignited addiction challenges Hunter Biden had faced before. In his 2021 memoir, Hunter said he felt the unresolved trauma both he and his brother dealt with after the accident in 1972 “manifested themselves differently in each of us,” for the rest of their lives. To blame it for his own substance abuse battles would be a “cop-out,” he wrote, but added later that it took him decades “to acknowledge that original loss, address that original trauma, recognize that original pain.” Reflecting on grief recently in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Joe Biden said that as difficult as losing Beau was for him, it “was even more profound for Hunter” and his daughter, Ashley. “It made me a little more fatalistic. It also caused me and Jill enormous pain because he should be the one sitting there talking to you, Beau. He was a better man than I am, and so is Hunter,” Joe Biden said. Hunter, in his book, wrote that he and his father initially “dealt with our grief in ways that often were incongruent with helping each other.” His father immersed himself in his work, as vice president and then in the run-up to his 2020 campaign, but ultimately the attacks on him in that campaign helped bring them together again. “Whenever I apologized to him for bringing so much heat onto his campaign, he responded by saying how sorry he was for putting me on the spot, for bringing so much heat onto me, especially at a time when I was so determined to get well,” he wrote. “That’s the biggest political debate my dad and I had for months: Who should apologize to whom?” The wrecked car of Neilia Biden, 1972 Ambassador of Grief The president has often discussed how the 1972 accident nearly led him to quit the Senate before he’d even taken office, saying after he took the oath of office in his sons’ hospital room that if there was ever a conflict between him being a good father and a good senator, he’d choose the former. A career full of personal trials has also led Biden to say, as he often did ahead of announcing his plan to seek a second term, that he is a “great respecter of fate. It also helped him not only build personal relationships across the aisle but was the root of what Biden aides have long called his “superpower,” his empathy. Just moments after Hunter Biden delivered his statement at the Capitol on Wednesday, Joe Biden held his first in-person meeting with family members of hostages being held by Hamas terrorists. During the two-hour meeting, which began in the East Wing and included a tour of the Oval Office, Biden shared his own history of loss, specifically raising with the families about the upcoming anniversary of the 1972 accident, according to multiple attendees. “He recounted getting the worst call a parent can receive, that his wife and three children had been in a car accident right before Christmas,” Yael Alexander, the mother of 19-year-old hostage American Edan Alexander, told NBC News. “There is no question he understands the longing I feel as a mother to have my son home with me during the holidays, and the urgency with which we need a deal to bring the hostages home now.” A hostage parent would later say they were able to remain composed during the emotional session until the president himself teared up. Link

From left to right: Amiram Cooper, Yoram Metzger and Chaim Peri, who are all currently being held hostage in Gaza The armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, has released a video of three elderly Israeli men being held hostage in the Gaza Strip. The video shows Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, and Amiram Cooper, 85. Mr Peri can be seen addressing the camera and calling for their release. About 120 hostages are believed to still be in captivity in Gaza after a deadly Hamas attack on 7 October. Israel's military described the footage as a "criminal terror video". "It testifies to Hamas' cruelty towards innocent, very elderly civilians who are in need of medical care," said Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). "The world must act in order to deliver medical aid and check on the state of the hostages. We are morally obliged to make every and all efforts in order to bring the hostages back home," the spokesman added. The footage was released on the Telegram messaging app. The hostages taken in October are believed to be held by Hamas and allied Palestinian groups. Prisoners of war and hostages are protected under international humanitarian law and so the BBC does not broadcast the full details of material which may have been filmed under duress. A spokesperson for Kibbutz Nir Oz, where the men were abducted from, urged US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is currently visiting Israel, to secure their release. "We appreciate any sign of life from the hostages, but time is running out," the spokesperson said. "The immediate release of all those abducted, through any potential negotiation avenue, is urgently required. "Each passing day exacerbates their situation. Recent events sadly illustrate that the hostages' situation is deteriorating with each passing day, particularly for older individuals." An estimated 240 hostages were taken to Gaza during Hamas's 7 October attacks that killed about 1,200 in southern Israel. Israel has launched a massive retaliatory operation it says is aimed at destroying Hamas. More than 18,000 people have been killed in Gaza since, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, with hundreds of thousands displaced. During a six-day ceasefire at the end of November, 105 hostages were released in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. On Friday, three Israeli hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza were shot dead while holding a white cloth, an Israeli military official said. The hostages - Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Talalka, 22, and Alon Shamriz, 26 - were killed in the Shejaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City. According to an Israeli military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the men emerged shirtless from a building, with one carrying a stick with a white cloth. One of the soldiers, the official added, felt threatened, as the men were at a distance of tens of metres, declared them "terrorists" and opened fire. Two were immediately killed while the third, wounded, returned to the building. A cry for help was heard in Hebrew and the battalion commander ordered the troops to cease fire. The wounded hostage later re-emerged, and was shot and killed, the official said. It is not clear if the hostages had been abandoned by their captors or escaped. An IDF official said the case was "against our rules of engagement" and an investigation was happening at the "highest level". Families of the remaining hostages have urged the Israeli government to reach a new truce for at least some of the captives to be freed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has deflected the calls, insisting "military pressure is necessary both for the return of the hostages and for victory". Speaking to reporters on Monday, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby addressed rumours of a possible new hostage deal, and said talks were not at a point where an agreement was imminent. Link

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Nick movie: Cars Time: May 26, 2006 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 117 M Trailer:

Veterinarians say there could be a number of reasons for the uptick in cases of atypical canine respiratory disease, including declines in vaccination rates. Veterinarians across the country are scrambling to treat the rising number of dogs sick with a severe type of respiratory illness. At the same time, scientists are trying to figure out what’s causing the current outbreak, how widespread it is, and how many previously healthy pups have become seriously ill or died. Maple was a happy, healthy 7-month-old Australian shepherd until last Saturday, when she began coughing. Her owner, Adrianna Deffenderfer of Fontana, California, became scared when the pup’s cough progressed quickly, keeping Deffenderfer up through the night. “I was just holding her, trying to comfort her as best as I could,” said Deffenderfer, 23. “I could tell that she was scared, too.” At the vet the next morning, the young dog was tested for various respiratory illnesses, all of which eventually came back negative. “The vet called me and he said, basically because there’s no definitive proof of this illness yet, we don’t know really what’s causing it,” said Deffenderfer. Maple was treated for bronchitis, given a nebulizer and a steroid shot, and had the secretions cleared from her lungs. She was also sent home with two different antibiotics. Maple, a 7-month-old Australian shepherd, is recovering from a severe respiratory illness. Canine respiratory infections, especially dog flu, are common, often causing outbreaks in shelters and doggy day cares. The current surge has been spreading in areas of the U.S. and Canada over the last year. This outbreak is different from garden-variety respiratory illness, experts say, because of the large number of cases serious enough to lead to pneumonia. In Colorado, the number of canine pneumonia cases rose by 50% from September through November of this year, compared to the same months in 2022, said infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Lappin, director of the Center for Companion Animal Studies at the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine. According to Trupanion, a pet insurance company, claims data suggests that the number of dogs with severe respiratory illness is on the rise in a number of states. More dogs may be getting severely ill because they have been infected with multiple pathogens at the same time — including canine influenza, Bordetella (kennel cough) and mycoplasma pneumonia — said Dr. Deborah Silverstein, section chief of emergency medicine and critical care at the Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania —similar to the tripledemic of Covid-19, influenza and RSV that affected people last fall and winter. Is it a new bug? There could be a number of reasons for the uptick. Many dogs may have lower resistance to infections because pandemic-era restrictions kept them out of day cares or boarding facilities and they weren’t exposed to circulating viruses or bacteria, experts note. There have also been reported decreases in canine vaccination rates. A recent study found that nearly half of dog owners are hesitant about vaccinations for their pets. “We’ve got more dogs that have a lower level of resistance because they’ve been exposed less over the last couple of years and they’ve had less vaccination,” Dr. Scott Weese, an infectious disease veterinarian at the Ontario Veterinary College, said during an online briefing Thursday. “So that means just with our normal respiratory disease that’s always there and always circulating around, we can see more disease and more spikes.” Silverstein said it’s possible that any of these factors could explain the increased incidence of a disease making some dogs deathly ill. “It’s more than likely that some bug may have changed in its virulence,” Silverstein said. “Just like Covid strains can be milder or more severe.” Still, there is a possibility there is a new bacteria circulating. Scientists at the University of New Hampshire recently identified a novel bacterium as a possible culprit. The findings are based on a small number of cases from New England states, so the results need to be confirmed in a larger and more geographically diverse sample of dogs. Researchers at other centers, including Oregon State University, Colorado State University and the University of Pennsylvania are also trying to identify the cause of the outbreak. One big factor slowing down research in the U.S. is that there is no single group keeping track of pet illnesses. For example, scientists at CSU are coordinating with the state veterinarian’s office, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other researchers to get more insight into what’s happening in Colorado. Another hurdle is that many owners can’t afford to take a sick dog to a veterinary hospital or specialty center or even pay for diagnostic testing. According to Dr. Steve Weinrauch, chief veterinary officer at Trupanion, “For less frequent, but severe cases where multiple day hospitalization and supportive care is necessary, costs can range from $15,000 to $20,000.” Which dogs are at increased risk? Usually, brachycephalic or flat-faced dog breeds such as French bulldogs or pugs, senior dogs or dogs with underlying lung disease are more at risk of developing pneumonia from a respiratory infection. But at Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Kate Aicher treated a cluster of cases of atypical canine respiratory disease in young, vaccinated dogs in March and April of this year. What Aicher and her colleagues were seeing was a sudden onset of fever and a wide range of severity. “You don’t expect 1- and 2-year-old dogs who are well conditioned and healthy to end up with pneumonia so severe that they need to be put on a ventilator and then die,” said Aicher. “You don’t expect dogs to die despite aggressive care.” About 75% of the dogs at Texas A&M tested positive for a known pathogen. But in 25% there was nothing at all on the tests, Aicher said. Then, for Aicher, it all suddenly became personal. Her 2-year-old Labrador retriever developed a high fever and a disturbing cough. Aicher’s dog was hospitalized and, fortunately, recovered with treatment. The pup is now back at home “running around being her normal Lab self.” Sadly, a dog of the same age and breed that came to the hospital for treatment didn’t make it, she said. Aicher recalled that while on a walk, her dog had made some subtle snuffling noises and coughed once. “In hindsight, those were probably the first signs and they didn’t trigger any alarm bells,” she said. It underscores the importance of owners knowing their dogs and recognizing when things seem off. Symptoms of canine respiratory infection include: Coughing. Sneezing. Red, runny eyes. Many dogs will recover on their own. But if the dog has difficulty breathing or stops eating, it could be a more serious problem and the dog should be taken to a vet. With all the attention the unidentified illness is getting in the news, and especially on social media, Dr. Cynda Crawford, a chair in shelter medicine at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, worries that owners will panic when there don’t yet seem to be that many cases overall. Nevertheless, “vets working on the front lines in private practice are seeing higher numbers of dogs with respiratory illness, and some of those dogs are progressing to pneumonia,” Crawford said. “They are reporting that the dogs are not responding as well or as quickly to the normal standard of care.” Meanwhile, Maple, the Australian shepherd, appears to be improving and is due for another chest X-ray to make sure the antibiotics are working. “She can sleep through the night, she can take naps,” said Deffenderfer. “We can do a little bit of training.” Link

The paint themes alone took seven months to complete, and have been aided by various other cosmetic enhancements Bugatti has revealed a pair of bespoke Chiron Super Sports commissioned by a Tennessee couple to celebrate their shared passion for Bugatti. Or as the world’s grandest post-argument apology. Regardless of the reason, take a moment to admire the truly unique colour schemes which have been applied. Let’s start with madam’s orange one. Known as ‘Vagues de Lumiere’ (waves of light) for the way it reflects light, the designers begin by forming two-dimensional shapes to represent the lines which flow over the car. This is then stretched across the car’s three-dimensional edges and surfaces with painstaking detail. Remember how much effort Mr Bean put into trying to correct the stained painting of Whistler’s Mother? This is even more laborious. Heavens. Each of these marked lines is then hand-painted, layer by layer, with correction tape to fix any blemishes which may form. Finally, the scheme is covered in several layers of clear coat, both for protection and to enhance the reflectivity. What you’re left with is a striking paint job which looks like it's ‘glowing with energy’, according to Bugatti. The theme was originally inspired by a Veyron owned by the couple, which blended Rosso Efesto (bright red) and Arancia Mira (vibrant orange) to create a similar design to Vagues de Lumiere, albeit not as refined. It proved to be so captivating to the husband, that he too went ahead and placed an order for a similarly themed Chiron in a shadowy blue hue. His is called ‘Coup de Foudre’, which can mean both ‘bolt of lightning’ or ‘love at first sight’. Over the seven-month-long process, the Chiron’s original carbon fibre bonnet, engine cover and rear wing had to be removed and replaced, while a new Sky View panoramic roof was also fitted. See, it’s more than just a few new vinyls. Jascha Straub, lead designer of Bugatti’s individualisation division, ‘Sur Mesure’, said: “The true beauty of these cars also lies in their individuality – every painter has a different style, so each car is unique. I saw this car for the first time recently in the bright sunshine of California and people could not believe how incredible it looked. What we have created together is an inspirational sculpture.” Link

The firefighters union was the first to support Biden last time he ran, but so far hasn’t waded into this contest. Some leaders say that is because Trump is more po[CENSORED]r among members. President Joe Biden greets firefighters in the audience after speaking at Engine 13 in Philadelphia on Monday. The International Association of Fire Fighters was the first union to back Joe Biden in 2020 — effectively doing so even before he entered the crowded Democratic primary. But nearly eight months after the president launched his re-election bid, the organization remains on the sidelines and faces internal divisions about whether to endorse at all in 2024. Biden has prided himself on a connection with firefighters for his whole political career, and he and his team have continued to cultivate relationships with the union’s leaders since taking office. Those same leaders, though, are mindful that not all of the 343,000 firefighters and paramedics who belong to the union agreed with the 2020 endorsement, and so they are taking a more deliberate approach to 2024, according to two sources familiar with the deliberations. The situation illustrates how Biden, who has described himself as the most pro-labor president in American history, still faces a challenge in securing the votes of rank-and-file union members, even if many prominent national labor organizations have thrown their support behind him. Former President Donald Trump has pulled away working-class voters, including some who have traditionally been Democratic voters like union members. “Biden and his administration has been good to firefighters,” said Mike Bresnan, the leader of the Philadelphia affiliate of the IAFF, adding that it still might not be enough to earn his or other members’ votes. “There are other issues that affect our membership,” he said, mentioning support for the Second Amendment among them. The divide within the firefighters union was on display Monday when Biden traveled to Philadelphia for an event at a local firehouse to highlight one of the IAFF’s top legislative priorities — renewing and increasing funding for what’s known after the SAFER Grant program, which provides federal dollars to hire first responders. Speaking before Biden at what was an official event, not a campaign event, IAFF General President Edward Kelly noted that the president had championed the grant program as a senator. “Properly staffing and equipping fire departments keeps our communities safe and saves the lives of civilians and firefighters, alike. Nobody knows this better than Joe Biden,” Kelly said. On hand, too, was the former IAFF official Biden had appointed to lead the U.S. Fire Administration, Lori Moore-Merrell. Biden’s chief political lieutenant, Steve Ricchetti, made what was for him a rare day trip with the president to attend as well. Watching, but not participating in the event, was Bresnan. In September 2020, Bresnan had issued a statement pledging IAFF Local 22’s support for Trump and attacking the national union over its “undemocratic” endorsement process. Trump’s campaign touted the news and planned to hold an event with Bresnan and other firefighters in Philadelphia the following week — but the trip was canceled when Trump contracted Covid-19. Biden referred to Bresnan during his remarks Monday, detailing a call he placed to the local union leader after a row house fire in Philadelphia in 2022 that led to 12 deaths, including those of nine children. Bresnan had told the president about how multiple Philadelphia fire stations were shuttered after the 2008 recession, and that if one close to the site of the fire had remained open, they might have saved more lives. Biden told him he would look into the issue. On Monday, Biden came with a check — a $22.4 million SAFER grant that the White House said would allow the city to fund 72 firefighters’ salary and benefits for three years, while reopening three firehouses — including the one he visited, which would have been closest to the 2022 fire. “You can cash it at a local bank,” he joked. “Mike, I kept my promise and got the job done.” In an interview, Bresnan said that despite Biden mentioning him and their past phone call on Monday, he didn’t have a chance to meet with Biden personally at the event. He said he had been told at one point before the event he would be part of the speaking program, but ultimately only watched it from the rear of the firehouse. He did, however, speak with Kelly about whether the national union would decide about its 2024 endorsement, and how it would do so. He encouraged Kelly to make sure they surveyed its membership as part of the process, and that he expected they’d find there are pockets of support for Trump. Even before the IAFF endorsed Biden in 2020 — timed to coincide with his official launch in April 2019 — it hosted something of an early pep rally a month earlier, handing out signs reading “Run Joe Run” before Biden addressed their 2019 legislative conference in Washington. Support from the union was a key talking point for Biden’s 2020 campaign argument about his electability — especially after it had declined to endorse Hillary Clinton in 2016, a signal of her weakness among working-class, white, male voters that helped tip the balance for Trump. A spokesperson for the IAFF declined to comment on its endorsement process for 2024. Kelly took over as general president of the IAFF in 2021, succeeding Harold Schaitberger, a longtime friend of Biden’s who served in the role for two decades. Biden officials said the event on Monday was not indicative of any stepped-up effort to secure the IAFF’s endorsement — but simply the latest example of the president’s long-standing commitment to, and personal connection with, firefighters. “President Biden was proud to travel to Philadelphia on Monday to announce millions of dollars in support for these heroes. Just as he’s proud to have spent his career fighting for fire fighters and their families,” Robyn Patterson, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement to NBC News. The Biden campaign also declined to comment on the absence of an endorsement. But a source familiar with the process noted that the union will hold its annual legislative conference in Washington in March, and that Biden has often attended. Speaking at the same conference earlier this year, Biden talked about how important the group had been in his political career, joking that “there’s three political parties in Delaware: Democrats, Republican and firefighters.” “Throughout my career, I’ve tried to be there for you all, because you’ve been with me my whole career,” he said at the time. Link

Danish shipping company Maersk has said it is pausing all journeys through the Red Sea. The decision comes after a spate of attacks on vessels launched from a part of Yemen controlled by the Houthis - an Iran-backed rebel movement. The group has declared its support for Hamas and say it is targeting ships travelling to Israel. The Red Sea is one the world's most important routes for oil and fuel shipments. "The recent attacks on commercial vessels in the area are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety and security of seafarers," Maersk, one of the world's biggest shipping companies, wrote in a statement sent to the BBC. "Following the near-miss incident involving Maersk Gibraltar yesterday and yet another attack on a container vessel today, we have instructed all Maersk vessels in the area bound to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait to pause their journey until further notice," it added. German transport company Hapag-Lloyd later said it was making a similar move. The firm owns a ship that recently came under attack, and confirmed to the BBC later on Friday it was also suspending operations in the area until Monday. The Bab al-Mandab strait - also known as the Gate of Tears - is a channel 20 miles (32km) wide, and known for being perilous to navigate. It sits between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African coast. It is the route by which ships can reach the Suez Canal from the south - itself a major shipping lane. Avoiding it means vessels must take much longer routes, for example navigating around southern Africa. About 17,000 ships and 10% of global trade pass through it every year. Any ship passing through Suez to or from the Indian Ocean has to come this way. Maersk pausing its Red Sea shipping journeys "could not come at a more difficult time", director general at the Institute of Export & International Trade Marco Forgione said. "This impacts every link in the supply chain... and will only increase the chances of critical products not making their destinations in time for Christmas," he added. At least two other cargo ships in the strait came under attack on Friday. The US says one was hit with a drone and another by missiles, blaming the Houthis for both attacks. The Houthis did not confirm the drone strike, but said they did fire missiles at two boats. The group has controlled parts of Yemen since seizing power from the country's government in 2014, triggering an ongoing civil war. Speaking before the announcements by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan - who is on a trip to the Middle East - said the Houthis were threatening freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, which is vital for oil and goods shipments. "The United States is working with the international community, with partners from the region and from all over the world to deal with this threat," he said. Earlier this month, a US warship shot down three drones fired from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen after three commercial vessels came under attack in the Red Sea. Just days before that incident, the US said another warship had captured armed men who had earlier seized an Israeli-linked tanker off Yemen's coast. Last month, the Houthis released video footage showing armed men dropping from a helicopter and seizing a cargo ship in the southern Red Sea. Link

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