The Democratic contest to be Harris’ running mate will likely be decided in the next week

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By BILL BARROW and STEVE PEOPLES Associated Press

AMBLER, Pa. (AP) — Democrat Josh Shapiro had a dual message for enthusiastic voters in suburban Philadelphia this week, telling them Kamala Harris belongs in the White House — and then reminding them of all he’s done as governor of battleground Pennsylvania. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, likewise, told voters in Georgia that Harris has the makings of “a great president” — and then highlighted the elections he’s won as a Democrat in Republican territory.

The two governors were demonstrating a time-honored tradition in presidential campaigns: Summertime auditions from vice presidential contenders who walk the line between open self-promotion and loyal advocacy for the potential boss.

Vice President Harris, the likely Democratic nominee, appears intent on making a choice that she’s comfortable with personally and that can expand her electoral appeal in a matter of days. Her campaign has been vetting about a dozen potential running mates, according to people familiar with the search process. Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly are seen as among the front-runners, according to the people.

Three people familiar with the vice president’s plans said Tuesday that she and her yet-to-be-named running mate would begin traveling to battleground states next week — suggesting that a decision could be coming soon. The people said they didn’t know who her pick would be or which states Harris could visit. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details that haven’t been made public.

In the meantime, Harris advisers, led by former Attorney General Eric Holder, have been combing through reams of paperwork submitted by potential running mates, while the candidate herself is holding personal conversations with the finalists, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Harris, according to another person familiar with the matter, is seeking someone with executive experience who can also serve as a governing partner. Notions of a so-called short list have not stopped those on the Democrats’ broader national bench from finding the spotlight.

“I’m not going to talk about the interactions I’ve had with the campaign,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared recently on MSNBC. He added, though: “Let’s just say I’m aware that the vetting process is quite an in depth one.” Then he listed his accomplishments, offering that he was the only Midwestern governor to raise his state minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, once held out as an ideal nominee if Biden bailed out, has said, more or less, that she’s not a contender. But she appeared Monday with Shapiro in Pennsylvania and mused on MSNBC last week that “two women on the ticket would be exciting.”

Harris would be the first woman, first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to serve as president. Many Democrats have argued she should balance her ticket both demographically and politically.

Dems’ VP list has notable differences

Shapiro, 51, is among the most popular U.S. governors, winning his 2022 election in a rout over a Trump-endorsed Republican. He’s an outspoken supporter of abortion rights who has won three statewide elections in Pennsylvania. His speaking style draws comparisons to former President Barack Obama. But he has taken flak from the left for his support for Israel’s war on Hamas, a private school voucher program and natural gas infrastructure.

His allies argue that he would help Harris win Pennsylvania, complicating if not blocking Republican Donald Trump’s path to an Electoral College majority.

Like all contenders, Shapiro sidesteps questions about the vetting process and stresses Harris should not be pressured. But he’s mentioned more than once that he’s known her for nearly two decades.

Beshear stands out in a heavily Republican state. During his weekend stop in Georgia, he talked of winning votes in “tough counties” but emphasized liberal bona fides: “I am a proud pro-union governor. I am a proud pro-choice governor. I am a proud public education governor. I am a proud pro-diversity governor.”

Closest in age to JD Vance among the Democrats’ possibilities, Beshear openly mocks Trump’s understudy for presenting himself as a son of Appalachia. “I mean, there’s a county that JD Vance says he’s from in Kentucky – and I won it by 22 points last November,” he said.

Back home in Frankfort recently, Beshear played down the importance of being from a battleground, saying, “About every successful ticket going back to 2000 did not have someone in a swing state.”

Of course, sometimes the spotlight can produce mistakes. Twice in Georgia, Beshear mispronounced Harris’ first name as “Kah-MAH-lah,” rather than the correct “KAH-mah-lah.”

Beshear and Shapiro were both state attorneys general, like Harris, before becoming governors. But their tenures did not overlap considerably with Harris’ service in California. She worked more closely with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper during his days as an attorney general, but Cooper on Monday said he had opted not to be considered for vice president.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, 60, is a favorite of some progressives. He brings an atypical national political resume: He was a non-commissioned Army officer, public school teacher and state high school championship football coach before entering politics. Before being elected governor, he was one of the last white Democrats in Congress to represent a mostly rural, small-town House district — a notable juxtaposition for Harris, the Bay Area Californian.

“She will make the best choice she’s going to,” Walz said Sunday on CNN, a day after Trump held a mass rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota. “One way or another, she is going to win in November, and that’s going to benefit everyone,” Walz said, including “a lot of those folks who were out in St. Cloud with the (former) president.”

Kelly, 60, is the only top contender in Congress. He boasts an impressive military resume and experience as an astronaut. He has strong Latino support locally and solid relationships with Arizona officials along the U.S.-Mexico border. That balance could give him credibility on immigration policy as Republicans frame high numbers of migrant border crossings as a national crisis.

But Kelly has had to shore up his credentials with labor, a key Democratic faction. Kelly changed his position on union-backed legislation known as the PRO Act, which would make it easier to organize workers. He was one of just a handful of Democrats who didn’t co-sponsor the bill, saying at the time he supported the goals but had concerns. Following opposition from labor leaders, Kelly said this month he would vote for the bill if it came up for a vote.

Everyone has an opinion

Harris is expected to announce her pick in time for Democratic delegates to ratify her decision in a virtual nominating vote that could conclude by Aug. 7. Whatever her timetable, the media and campaign circuit is allowing plenty of Democrats additional time in the spotlight.

In the meantime, everyone seems to have an opinion.

Steven Benjamin, the White House director of public engagement, laughed as he told reporters on Air Force One on Monday that his office has received thousands of recommendations from around the country.

Donna Brazile, who managed Democrat Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000 and was instrumental in urging Biden to pick Harris in 2020, said the selection process involves “a lot of noise” that underplays the complexity of the decision.

“The most important stage is what the lawyers will do to you,” she said, with a laugh and emphasizing the seriousness. “It’s worse than a dental hygiene check. … Before you get to suitability and other factors, before it gets to political people like me, they’ve done a forensic examination of your life.”

Barrow reported from Cumming, Georgia. Associated Press reporters Zeke Miller and Will Weissert in Washington, Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky; Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix; and Colleen Long aboard Air Force One contributed.

Young voters energized by new generations on the presidential tickets

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In the week since President Joe Biden announced that he would no longer be seeking a second term, social media platforms have been flooded with memes about coconut trees and Charli XCX’s “brat” album in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, a sign that younger voters approve of the switch from a Silent Generation member to someone on the cusp between baby boomer and Gen X.

“My daughter said whoever is running TikTok is ‘fire,’” Ken Ulman, the chair of Maryland’s Democratic Party, said of the Harris campaign’s account.

Some young Republican voters also are fired up about having millennial JD Vance, 39, as the vice president pick on Donald Trump’s ticket.

“It’s very exciting for someone who is formally officially a young Republican — we age out at 40 — to be on the ticket … to see someone from their generation who they relate to,” said Jackie Sackstein, the chair of Maryland Young Republicans.

A poll from NPR, PBS News and Marist conducted among 1,309 adults July 22 found 39% of millennials and Gen Z believe Biden made the right decision in choosing to drop out of the presidential race, and that 43% of members of both generations said they are more likely to vote in November. The poll also found that 28% of millennials and Gen Z have a favorable impression of Vance.

Both sides are aiming to capture the youth vote. For Harris, 59, the effort has taken off on social media, attracting viewers of all ages.

Ulman, a member of Gen X, has found himself immersed in the online political universe forged by millennials and Gen Z, where videos of news conferences have a chartreuse tint reminiscent of pop singer-songwriter Charli XCX’s “brat” album cover and Harris’ viral quote about falling out of a coconut tree is remixed with pop music.

The quote comes from a comment Harris, now the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, made at the White House in 2023: “My mother used to — she would give us a hard time sometimes — and she would say to us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.’”

In a TikTok video, Charli XCX described “brat” as “that girl who is a little messy and likes to party, and like maybe says some dumb things sometimes; who, like, feels herself but then like also maybe has a breakdown, but kind of like parties through it, and is very honest — very blunt — a wee bit volatile; yeah, but does like dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.”

“I, over the last couple of days, have learned like many Americans what ‘brat’ means,” Ulman said. “We’re motivated by young people getting fired up, and it’s pushing all of us.

Ulman called the newfound excitement among young voters “infectious” and “a new moment.” Many of them were disenchanted with Biden, 81, not only because of his age, but also because of a misalignment among his policy and their expectations. Younger voters, who tend to skew liberal, have expressed concerns about his administration’s handling of climate change, student loan debt and the Israel-Hamas war among other issues.

According to the NPR, PBS News and Marist poll, 47% of millennials and Gen Z would vote for Harris over former President Donald Trump, 78, who polled at 42% between the two generations. Over 75% of voters under 35 believe Harris should be the Democratic nominee.

Harris has yet to officially receive the party’s nomination, which will be decided at the Democratic National Convention next month, and she has just under 100 days to plead her case to voters.

Henry Snurr, the chair of Young Democrats of Maryland, said there has been a sense of appreciation toward the president for handing leadership over to a new generation.

“It’s not just that she’s a breath of fresh air — she’s like a whirlwind of fresh air,” Snurr said. “We’re still ridin’ with Biden, it’s just that Kamala is driving right now.”

The state Democratic Party is sending 118 delegates to the national convention in Chicago next month. According to Ulman, 35% of them are 35 or under. Snurr said 2024 was the first instance “in a long time” that Maryland’s Democratic Party reached its youth demographic goal for DNC delegates.

On the other side, younger Republicans in Maryland said they aren’t concerned about Harris’ candidacy and appreciate how easy it has been to rally support for Trump and his running mate, Ohio U.S. Rep. JD Vance, among two very online generations.

“They are from the same administration, they have basically supported the same policies,” Sackstein, the chair of Maryland Young Republicans, said of Biden and Harris. “It’s the same message they have to defend.”

She is, however, excited about the prospect of Vance serving as vice president. Vance has followed Trump in focusing his messaging on the president’s age and long tenure in Washington, D.C.

“When I was in the fourth grade, a career politician by the name of Joe Biden supported NAFTA — a bad trade deal that sent countless good jobs to Mexico,” Vance said during his speech at the Republican National Convention. “When I was a sophomore in high school, that same career politician named Joe Biden gave China a sweetheart trade deal that destroyed even more good, American, middle-class manufacturing jobs.”

Harris was originally set to debate Vance in the lead-up to November’s general election. He will now face her vice presidential pick, which her campaign has yet to announce.

While Harris is younger than both Trump and Biden, Sackstein noted that she still isn’t from the generation of young voters headed to the polls in November.

Ahead of Biden’s announcement, Snurr said the Young Democrats’ messaging to young voters homed in on his record regarding issues that younger generations care about deeply — like housing affordability and lowering health care costs and student debt — and reminding voters what’s at stake under a second Trump administration.

“We are seeing what the other side is trying to do, which is literally taking rights away that their parents and grandparents had that they no longer have,” Snurr said of the Republican Party.

The passion infused into a younger voter base by Harris’ candidacy could allow the Democratic Party to focus its energy on races down the ticket, including Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks’ campaign for U.S. Senate, which is at risk of being in Republican control this election cycle.

“The energy will absolutely benefit every Democrat running for office in 103 days,” Ulman said.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that President Joe Biden, born in 1942, is a member of the Silent Generation and that Vice President Kamala Harris is a baby boomer who identifies as a Gen Xer. An earlier version listed the wrong generations due to an editing error.

Ramsey County manager finalists to be interviewed Tuesday

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The Ramsey County manager interviews will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the county courthouse.

After the retirement of former County Manager Ryan O’Conner in February, Ramsey County officials began a search for a new manager, with the effort being led by national search led by GovHR USA/MGT.

Johanna Berg has been serving as the interim county manager.

The county received 54 applications and chose four finalists for the county manager role. The finalists are Anthony Alongi, Ling Becker, Nikki Farago and Jonathan Sage-Martinson. The interviews are open to the public.

For more information about the finalists, go to ramseycounty.us.

“Ramsey County is the most diverse county in the state. We have driven a lot of transformative change during some very challenging years and yet, we know, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. Work to support employees and the community we serve. The board is excited to meet the finalists and learn how they embody the county’s mission, vision and values and would drive us into our next chapter,” said Board Chair Trista Martinson in a statement.

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Here are the Olympians from Minnesota competing in the Paris Games

Paris Olympics Day 3: Nadal loses in what is likely his final singles match of storied career

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By JENNA FRYER, AP National Writer

PARIS (AP) — On the clay court where he won 14 French Open titles, Rafael Nadal likely bid adieu to Roland Garros on Day 3 of the Paris Olympics.

Nadal was feted Monday by a rowdy crowd as he met Novak Djokovic in the second round of the men’s tennis tournament for a record 60th — and probably final — time.

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The Spaniard wouldn’t say if he plans to retire after the Olympics, but his 6-1, 6-4 loss to Djokovic showed just how diminished his game has become at age 38. The chants of “Ra-fa! Ra-fa!” began as soon as Nadal walked on the court and even helped him win four consecutive games in the second set, including a forehand winner to break to make it 4-all.

After the defeat, the two-time Olympic champion was weary of being asked about his future. He’s still playing at the Olympics, pairing with Carlos Alcaraz in doubles for Spain, and what comes next he does not know.

“I cannot live every single day with the feeling that it’s going to be, or not going to be, my last match. I come here, I try my best, I play. And when I decide to stop playing, or when I decide to keep going, I will let you know. I don’t know,” Nadal said. “If I feel that I am not competitive enough to keep going or physically I am not … ready to keep going, I will stop, and I will let you know.”

Coco cruises

Coco Gauff is making it look easy at the Paris Olympics so far, adding a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Maria Lourdes Carle of Argentina in the second round of singles to her growing collection of lopsided results.

Gauff had more than twice as many unforced errors, 26, as winners, 11. She only put 55% of her first serves in play and wound up with six double-faults and zero aces. And even though it took nearly 1 1/2 hours for the reigning U.S. Open champion and No. 2-ranked Gauff to finish off an opponent who is ranked 85th, has never won a tour-level singles title and owns an 0-2 career record at Grand Slam tournaments, she was satisfied.

“You can’t argue with the scoreline, to be honest,” the 20-year-old American said.

Super swim

Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh claimed her first gold medal with a dominating victory in the 400-meter individual medley. The 17-year-old McIntosh collected her first medal of any color on the opening night of swimming, taking a silver in the 400 freestyle behind Ariarne Titmus — and ahead of Katie Ledecky.

She pushed the pace hard through the first half of the grueling race — the butterfly and backstroke legs — to leave everyone in her wake except American Katie Grimes.

Grimes, who is also swimming the open water event in Paris, held on to claim the silver and the Americans also grabbed the bronze when Emma Weyant touched third.

Another teen rules

David Popovici made the teenagers 2 for 2 on the night when he pulled off a thrilling victory in the men’s 200 freestyle.

The 19-year-old Romanian was among three swimmers who swapped the lead back and forth on the final lap. Popovici mustered everything he had to get to the wall a mere two-hundredths of a second ahead of Britain’s Matthew Richards, with American Luke Hobson just 0.07 back to earn the bronze.

The top four were separated by a mere 0.15 seconds.

Australia wins again

Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus made it a 1-2 finish for Australia in the women’s 200-meter freestyle.

O’Callaghan’s victory denied Titmus her second consecutive gold of these Games. Titmus won the gold on Saturday in the 400-meter freestyle.

Men’s team all-around final

The Japanese men’s gymnastics team claimed Olympic gold with an epic comeback over its top rival.

With China looking poised to claim its first Olympic title in 12 years with one rotation to go, Japan surged ahead to win the men’s team competition after an intense and nail-biting duel.

Daiki Hashimoto, of Japan, gets hugged by teammates after performing on the horizontal bar during the men’s artistic gymnastics team finals round at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The Japanese overtook their rivals on the final rotation, after China’s Su Weide fell twice off the horizontal bar. Japan won with a small margin of 0.532 points.

The Americans, meanwhile, earned bronze for their first medal since 2008.

After qualifying in fifth place, the U.S. men ended a 16-year drought to the delight of the dozens of fans waving American flags who chanted “USA! USA!” throughout the evening.

The Americans posted a total of 257.793 points to edge Britain for the bronze.

U.S. women’s water polo loses

The U.S. women’s water polo team was handed a rare loss at the Olympics, falling 13-11 to Bea Ortiz and Spain in a rematch of the final at the Tokyo Games.

The U.S. is going for its fourth consecutive gold medal. No team — men or women — has won four straight water polo titles at the Olympics. It was the program’s second loss at the Olympics since it dropped the 2008 final. It went 5-0-1 in London, 6-0 in Rio de Janeiro and 6-1 in Tokyo.

After its 10-9 loss to Hungary in group play in 2021, the U.S. ripped off four straight wins by a combined score of 63-26. That included a dominant 14-5 victory over Spain in the final.

China dominates diving

China passed the one-time powerhouse United States for the top spot in gold medals in diving when Lian Junjie and Yang Hao breezed to victory in synchronized 10-meter platform. It was the 49th gold medal in China’s history.

China came into the Paris Games favored in all eight events and essentially a sure thing to take down the American record for most golds. The Big Red Machine is now 2 for 2 at these Olympics as it looks to become the first country to sweep all eight events since the program was doubled at the 2000 Sydney Games.

China’s Lian Junjie and Yang Hao celebrate on the podium after winning the gold medal in the men’s synchronised 10m platform diving final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Since that expansion, China has won 40 of 50 golds, including seven of eight at each of the last two Summer Games.

There hasn’t been a diving sweep since the U.S. claimed gold in all four events at the 1952 Helsinki Games.

Canada Soccer appeals penalty

Canada appealed being docked six points by FIFA in a drone-spying scandal at the women’s soccer tournament, and a verdict is expected hours before the team plays its last group-stage game Wednesday.

FIFA punished Olympic defending champion Canada on Saturday — and banned coach Bev Priestman and two assistant coaches for one year — for allegations of using a drone to spy on New Zealand’s practices.

The expected legal move by the Canadian soccer federation and Olympic body was formally registered Monday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in a fast-track case.

CAS said it aims to have an appeal hearing Tuesday with its panel of three judges giving a verdict by midday Wednesday. The coaches’ bans are not part of this case.

Canada plays Colombia in Nice on Wednesday night and needs to know where it stands before the game starts.

Triathlon swimming canceled, again

Concerns about the water quality in the Seine River led officials to call off the swimming portion of an Olympic triathlon training session for a second straight day.

Organizers overseeing the event at the Paris Games are optimistic that triathletes will be able to swim in the city’s famed waterway when the competition starts Tuesday.

The sport’s governing body, World Triathlon, its medical team and city officials are banking on sunny weather and higher temperatures to bring levels of E. coli and other bacteria below the necessary limits to stage the swim portion of the race, which also includes biking and running.

World Triathlon made the decision to cancel the swim workout early Monday following a meeting over water quality in the Seine, which is closely linked to the weather. Rain deluged Friday’s opening ceremony and showers persisted Saturday.