Biden confronts crucial day in his campaign, as his team says no Democrat would do better

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By Seung Min Kim and Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden campaign is laying out what it sees as its path to keeping the White House in a new memo sent to its staffers Thursday, saying that winning the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest pathway” to victory.

Though senior aides write in the memo that they could clinch 270 electoral votes in a number of ways, the new memo, obtained by The Associated Press, says those three states are critical and why President Joe Biden has prioritized the areas in his recent travels. He went to Madison, Wisconsin; Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over the weekend, and will head to Detroit on Friday.

The fresh emphasis on the “blue wall” states by the campaign, which has heavily invested in other battlegrounds such as Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Georgia, acknowledges that the path to defeating Donald Trump in November is narrowing, even as the team insists the Sun Belt states are “not out of reach.”

It acknowledges “real” movement in the race, but argues that it was not a “sea change.”

The memo, from campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, also contends that Biden remains the strongest Democratic opponent to Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.

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“There is also no indication that anyone else would outperform the president vs. Trump,” the memo says. “Hypothetical polling of alternative nominees will always be unreliable, and surveys do not take into account the negative media environment that any Democratic nominee will encounter. The only Democratic candidate for whom this is already baked in is President Biden.”

Campaign leaders say they want to continue touting Biden’s achievements in office, drawing a contrast with Trump and his policies, and redoubling their grassroots efforts to engage voters — which were their goals anyway before the disastrous June 27 debate that left in question Biden’s cognitive capabilities and fitness to serve. Their internal research suggests that voters will make their decisions based on policies and issues, rather than Biden’s age, O’Malley Dillon and Rodriguez contend.

“What has changed following the debate is that the urgency and discipline with which we need to pursue them has kicked into high gear,” O’Malley Dillon and Rodriguez wrote. “We believe if we follow the roadmap below, we will win.”

The memo came as Biden headed into a crucial ay in his reelection campaign, facing questions at a highly anticipated press conference and sending his team to meet privately with skeptical senators on Capitol Hill as numbers of lawmakers call for him to exit the race.

It’s all part of a mounting effort from the president, who insists he is not stepping aside, and his allies to stop a potential flood of defections and end the turmoil tearing the party apart.

Polls conducted after the debate have largely agreed that Democrats nationwide have doubts about Biden’s ability to lead the ticket in November.

More than half of Democrats, 56%, in a recent Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll said that given Biden’s debate performance, he should step aside and let someone else run. But the Biden campaign points to this poll to argue that despite the “increased anxiety” after the debate, his performance was not leading to a “drastic shift in vote share.”

More than half of Democratic voters in a CNN/SSRS poll said the party has a better chance of winning the presidency in November with a different candidate. And around 6 in 10 voters, including about one-quarter of Democrats, said that reelecting Biden as president this November would be a risky choice for the country rather than a safe one, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll.

Deputies search property of missing Dakota County woman’s boyfriend as investigation continues

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The search continues for a missing 56-year-old woman and the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday her boyfriend is a person of interest in the case.

Nicole Anderson was last seen walking away from her Randolph Township residence about 10 a.m. Saturday, her family reported to law enforcement on Monday.

Nicole Anderson (Courtesy of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office)

“That afternoon, investigators conducted an extensive search of the home, property, and surrounding area on foot and by air, utilizing canines, drones, and helicopters,” the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office said in a Thursday statement.

Investigators carried out a search warrant Wednesday at Anderson’s 42-year-old boyfriend’s residence in Randolph, which was a place that Anderson spent time, but she wasn’t found.

The boyfriend had a probation violation warrant from Le Sueur County. He wasn’t home when deputies executed the search warrant, but turned himself in at the home soon after and he was arrested on the warrant. Deputies questioned him about Anderson’s disappearance, according to the sheriff’s office.

He was booked into the Dakota County jail and will be released to Le Sueur County on his warrant, the sheriff’s office said, noting that he is not being held related to Anderson’s disappearance.

“We continue our exhaustive efforts to locate Ms. Anderson,” the sheriff’s office statement said.

They’re asking anyone with information to contact them at 651-438-TIPS or crimeandwarranttips@co.dakota.mn.us.

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Marathon Oil reaches $241 million settlement with EPA for environmental violations in North Dakota

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government announced a $241.5 million settlement with Marathon Oil on Thursday for alleged air quality violations at the company’s oil and gas operations in the Forth Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota.

The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice said the settlement requires Marathon to reduce climate- and health-harming emissions from those facilities and will result in over 2.3 millions tons worth of pollution reduction.

“This historic settlement — the largest ever civil penalty for violations of the Clean Air Act at stationary sources — will ensure cleaner air for the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and other communities in North Dakota, while holding Marathon accountable for its illegal pollution,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.

Marathon officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While Marathon is the country’s 22nd-largest oil producer based on 2022 data, the federal agencies said, it’s also the seventh-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the oil and gas industry. Much of its emissions come from flaring, the industry practice of burning off waste gases, which also releases methane, a particularly potent contributor to climate change.

The settlement calls for Marathon to eliminate the equivalent of over 2.25 million tons of carbon-dioxide emissions over the next five years, which the agencies said was tantamount to taking 487,000 cars off the road for one year, and will also eliminate nearly 110,000 tons of volatile organic compound missions.

The Minnesota State Fair is looking for workers, will hold a job fair July 24

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The Minnesota State Fair is looking for workers and will hold a job fair on July 24. The Fair takes on approximately 3,000 employees to work during the 12-day event.

The 2024 State Fair runs Thursday, Aug. 22 through Labor Day, Sept. 2.

Those interested in working at the Fair can visit the Employment Center — located across the street from the Fairgrounds at 1640 Como Avenue — between now and the beginning of the Fair. Among the positions: ticket sellers, ticket takers, parking and park & ride attendants, rides and games ticket takers, barn attendants, custodians and more. Benefits include free Fair admission.

The positions are open to those 16 or older, and most do not require previous experience. Shifts can range from six to 12 hours per day for the 12 days of the Fair. Though most food and merchandise vendors hire their own employees, select vendor jobs are available.

Applicants are encouraged to register online prior to coming to the Employment Center to accelerate the hiring process. The online registration form can be found at mnstatefair.org/get-involved/employment/.

The job fair will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the North End Event Center on the Fairgrounds. An applicant line generally begins forming at 3 p.m. outside the center, and anyone in line by 6:45 p.m. can participate. The process can be accelerated for job seekers by filling out the online registration form.

Those attending the job fair can enter through the Hoyt Avenue Gate (#3) off Snelling Avenue, the Main Gate (#5) off Snelling Avenue or the gate off Como Avenue (#7).

There also are opportunities for individuals or groups to volunteer at the Fair. Most shifts are two to three hours, and each volunteer receives a free gate admission ticket. For more information about volunteering, go to mnstatefair.org/get-involved/volunteer/.

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