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Obama endorses Kamala Harris for president, solidifying Democratic support
Washington — Former President Barack Obama endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination Friday, calling her a “happy warrior” and vowing to do all he can to help her defeat former President Donald Trump in November.
In a video posted by her campaign, Harris takes a call from Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama.
“We called to say Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,” Obama tells Harris over the phone.
Michelle Obama tells Harris, “I am proud of you. This is going to be historic.”
In the video, Harris tells them, “this means so much to me. I am looking forward to doing this with the two of you, Doug and I both, and getting out there, being on the road. But most of all, I just wanna tell you that the words you have spoken and the friendship that you have given over all these years mean more than I can express.”
And in a separate statement sent in a campaign email, the Obamas said they agreed with President Biden that selecting Harris as his running mate was “one of the best decisions he’s made.”
“There is no doubt in our mind that Kamala Harris has exactly what it takes to win this election and deliver for the American people,” their statement read. “At a time when the stakes have never been higher, she gives us all reason to hope.”
With Obama’s endorsement, Harris has secured support from all major Democrats and party leaders in Congress. Mr. Biden was the first to back his vice president, doing so soon after he announced his exit from the presidential race. He was joined in a matter of days by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Harris and Obama have been in regular contact since Mr. Biden announced his decision to drop out, a source familiar with the matter said, noting they have known each other for 20 years.
Harris has also won the backing of Democratic governors who are considered rising stars in the party and were viewed as possible contenders to seek the party’s nomination in the event of Mr. Biden’s withdrawal, such as California Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
No other Democrat has announced their candidacy for the presidential nod. Harris has secured endorsements from more than 40 state delegations, surpassing the number of delegates she will need to win the nomination. If that support holds, Democrats will officially nominate her for president during a virtual roll call vote early next month.
Under new rules adopted by the Democratic National Committee on Wednesday, the nominee will be selected as soon as Aug. 1, and the candidate, likely Harris, has until Aug. 7 to select a running mate. The party will meet for its convention in Chicago starting Aug. 19.
Harris launched her presidential campaign hours after Mr. Biden announced in a letter to the American people that he would be forgoing his bid for a second term. The decision came after the president faced weeks of mounting pressure to step aside following his startling debate performance against Trump last month, which raised concerns about his fitness for a second term and ability to defeat his GOP opponent in November.
In an Oval Office address Wednesday, his first since revealing he would not seek reelection, Mr. Biden acknowledged it was time to “pass the torch” to a new generation of leaders.
“I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future, all merited a second term,” he said. “But nothing — nothing — can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.”
The president hailed Harris as “experienced,” “tough” and “capable.”
Harris, who was a senator from California before her election as vice president, quickly hit the campaign trail with events in Wisconsin, Indiana and Texas. Her campaign said it raked in more than $100 million between Sunday afternoon, when she officially joined the White House race, and Monday evening.
— Fin Gómez and Nidia Cavazos contributed reporting.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.