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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson will not appear at former President Donald Trump ’s rally on Saturday in the battleground state following a CNN report about Robinson’s alleged disturbing online posts, an absence that illustrates the liability the gubernatorial candidate poses for Trump and downballot GOP candidates. Robinson is not expected to attend the event in Wilmington, according to a person on the Trump campaign and a second person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning. Robinson has been a frequent presence at Trump's North Carolina campaign stops. The Republican nominee has referred to Robinson, who is Black, as “Martin Luther King on steroids" and long praised him. But in the wake of Thursday's CNN report , the Trump campaign issued a statement that didn't mention Robinson and instead spoke generally about how North Carolina was key to the campaign's efforts. Robinson's campaign didn't respond to a text Friday seeking confirmation on his Saturday plans. The deadline in state law for Robinson to withdraw as the Republican candidate for governor passed late Thursday. State Republican leaders could have picked a replacement had a withdrawal occurred. Robinson has denied writing the posts, which include racial and sexual comments. He said he wouldn't be forced out of the race by “salacious tabloid lies.” While Robinson won his GOP gubernatorial primary in March, he's been trailing in several recent polls to Democratic nominee Josh Stein , the state's attorney general. “Let me reassure you the things that you will see in that story — those are not the words of Mark Robinson,” he told supporters in a video released Thursday by his campaign. “You know my words. You know my character.” State law says a gubernatorial nominee had until the day before the first absentee ballots requested by military and overseas voters are distributed to withdraw. They were distributed starting Friday. Robinson has a history of inflammatory comments that Stein has said made him too extreme to lead North Carolina. They already have contributed to the prospect that campaign struggles for Robinson could help Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris win the state’s 16 electoral votes. Democrats jumped on Robinson and other Republicans after the report aired, showing on social media photos of Robinson with Trump or with other GOP candidates, attempting to tarnish them by association. Losing swing district races for a congressional seat and the General Assembly would endanger the GOP’s control of the U.S. House and retaining veto-proof majorities at the legislature. “The fallout is going to be huge,” Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University, said Friday. “The Democrats are counting on this ... having a big effect.” But Cooper said Republicans could limit problems to the governor's race only if upward ticket-splitting trends among voters continue. Harris' campaign rolled out a new ad Friday it calls the first to link Trump to a down-ballot candidate. The commercial alternates between Trump’s praise for Robinson and the lieutenant governor’s comments which his critics have argued show his support for a statewide abortion ban without exceptions. Robinson's campaign have said that's not true. The Democratic National Committee is also running billboards in three major North Carolina cities showing a photo of Robinson and Trump and comments Trump has said about him. And a fundraising appeal Friday by Jeff Jackson, Democratic attorney general candidate, also includes a past video showing Republican opponent Dan Bishop saying he endorsed Robinson. “Every North Carolinian when they go to vote ought to look at whether a candidate has done that, because that sends a strong message about who you are as a candidate,” Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, a top Harris surrogate, said at a Friday news conference. CNN's story, which describes a series of comments that it said Robinson posted on the message board more than a decade ago, sent tremors through the state’s political class, particularly Republicans. While the state Republican Party came to Robinson’s defense late Thursday pointing out he's “categorically denied the allegations,” party Chairman Jason Simmons put out his own statement Friday calling them “deeply troubling” and that Robinson "needs to explain them to the people of North Carolina.” U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis , R-N.C., who endorsed a Robinson rival in the primary, said on X that Thursday “was a tough day, but we must stay focused on the races we can win.” He didn't mention the governor's race. U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, chairman of House Republicans' campaign arm, discounted Robinson’s impact in North Carolina congressional races. CNN reported that Robinson, who would be North Carolina’s first Black governor, attacked on the message board civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in searing terms and once referred to himself as a “black NAZI.” CNN also reported that Robinson wrote of being aroused by a memory of “peeping” women in gym showers when he was 14 along with an appreciation of transgender pornography. Robinson at one point referred to himself as a “perv,” according to CNN. The Associated Press has not independently confirmed that Robinson wrote and posted the messages. CNN said it matched details of the account on the pornographic website forum to other online accounts held by Robinson by comparing usernames, a known email address and his full name. CNN reported that details discussed by the account holder matched Robinson’s age, length of marriage and other biographical information. It also compared figures of speech that were used in his public Facebook profile and that appeared in discussions by the account on the pornographic website. This story was first published on Sep. 20, 2024. It was updated on Nov. 22, 2024 to correct which of Robinson’s social media accounts CNN cited in a comparison to language in messages from a pornographic website message board. CNN cited his public Facebook account, not his Twitter account. Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Kevin Freking in Washington, Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina and Makiya Seminera in Raleigh contributed to this report.VIP: Very impartial person
Christmas is officially two weeks away, and if you're still looking for a last-minute gift, Walmart is here to help. The retailer has a huge holiday sale with deals on last-minute gifts, including TVs, kitchen appliances, vacuums, toys, and Apple devices. • Shop Walmart's full holiday sale As a deals editor for TechRadar, who's been scouring Walmart's site for weeks, thanks to its Black Friday sales, I've hand-picked the 21 best last-minute deals. I selected the items based on price and popularity from brands like Samsung, Ninja, Shark, Apple, Bissell, Sony, and Keurig. A few highlights include this Gourmia air fryer oven on sale for only $45 , the Apple Watch 10 on sale for $349 , and the best-selling Tineco wet-dry vacuum on sale for $99 . Shop more of Walmart's best last-minute deals below, all of which arrive before Christmas. That will change as we approach that December 25 date, so you should take advantage of these savings now before it's too late. Walmart's 21 best last-minute deals Get the best compact, single-serve blender for just $44.88 at Walmart's holiday sale. This is an ideal solution for your daily smoothie or protein shake. With its built-in handle and sippy cup lid, you'll be ready to make your favorite creation just before leaving the house. If you're looking to gift a cheap air fryer, Walmart has the top-rated Chefman air fryer on sale for $40, which is $10 less than on Black Friday. The eight-quart air fryer features a basket divider so that you can separate food for dual cooking and features four one-touch cooking presets. This Gourmia Air fryer oven, on sale for only $50, briefly sold out during Black Friday, but it's now back. The 14-quart air fryer features 28 preset cooking functions and includes two baskets, a rotisserie spit and rotisserie lift tool, and a large window so you can monitor your cooking. At Walmart's holiday sale, you can grab this Ninja Grand Kitchen blender for $98. You'll get an XL 72-oz. blender, an 18-oz Nutri Ninja Cup with a to-go lid to take your smoothie on the go, and an eight-cup food processor bowl. The top-rated Tineco cordless wet-dry vacuum mop combo is on sale for a record-low price of $99 at Walmart's holiday sale. The Tineco iFloor 2 vacuums and washes hard floors in one step, handling wet and dry messes in one sweep. If you're looking for a powerful upright vacuum, Walmart has the best-selling Shark Navigator Lift-Away on sale for $99.99, thanks to today's 50% discount. The upright vacuum works on carpet and hard floors and features a lift-away technology, so you can lift the pod to clean hard-to-reach areas. Make a cup of coffee in less than two minutes with Keurig's best-selling K-Elite, which is on sale for $103.45. Five brew-size selections let you choose how much to make, while Strong brew and Iced options mean you can enjoy a bold morning cup or a refreshing afternoon beverage with the touch of a button. The Ninja Creami ice cream maker will surely be a popular Christmas gift this year, and Walmart has the appliance down to a record-low price. You can make ice cream, milkshakes, and sorbets with a touch of a button and add your favorite mix-ins and flavors. Apple's best-selling AirPods Pro 2 are some of the best earbuds on the market, and you can find them in stock and on sale for $189.99 at Walmart. The AirPods Pro 2 feature active noise cancellation, an improved audio quality, and a wireless charging case that provides more than 24 hours of battery life. The best-selling Solo Stove makes a great Christmas gift idea, and Walmart's holiday sale includes the Ranger 2.0 model for $199.99 – a record-low price. The smokeless, portable Solo Stove includes a stand, a removable base plate, and an ash pan, making cleaning easier. If you're on a budget but still want a high-end vacuum, Dyso's V8 Absolute is a fantastic option at just $299.99. Perfect for pet owners, the Dyson V8 features a de-tangling motor bar that works across hardwood floors and carpets and can transform into a handheld vac for quick and convenient clean-ups. Walmart has Apple's best-selling 10.9 iPad on sale for $299 – just $20 more than the record-low price. In our iPad 10.9 (2022) review , we said Apple's latest base-level tablet is a big upgrade over the previous generation model, offering a larger Liquid Retina display, a new A14 Bionic chip, improved cameras, USB-C support, and a sleek design. Big-screen budget TVs are always popular during Black Friday, and this 65-inch display from Onn. is still on sale for only $298. It offers 4K UHD resolution on a frameless bezel for an edge-to-edge viewing experience. The Onn. display also comes with the Roku experience for easy streaming and a compatible app that allows you to use your voice to launch shows, browse movies, and adjust the volume. Here's an incredible deal on a Roomba robot vacuum mop combo, bringing the price down to its lowest ever. The j5 uses the iRobot Home App to create no-mop zones, so it will vacuum your hard floors while mopping at the same time but will avoid your carpet. Apple's all-new Apple Watch 10 is on sale for a record-low price of $349 – $20 more than the Black Friday record-low price. The Apple Watch 10 includes upgrades such as Apple's new S10 chipset, sleep apnea detection, depth gauge, and a new design featuring the most advanced display. There have been savings galore for the Xbox Series X Digital Edition this Black Friday. And rightly so, as I feel its retail price is a touch on the pricey side given the lack of a disc drive. It's certainly more compelling below that $400 mark. Sadly there's no bundle here, but still a decent saving for the console itself. If you're after the best-value PS5 Slim console as well as the best-value bundle, then this Fortnite Cobalt Star listing at Walmart is the way to go, with a $50 discount. Walmart has a $100 discount on the top-rated Shark IQ robot vacuum. It offers powerful suction on carpets and hardwood floors, and the Shark app allows you to set cleaning schedules from anywhere. While we've seen the Air M1 go for as little as $699 previously, Walmart has beaten that already excellent discount by a whole $100. Not only is this an outstanding price for such a powerful laptop that still holds up great for 2024, but this could be the last chance to pick one up now that it's officially discontinued. Don't miss this incredible deal if you're looking for a great bang for the buck MacBook. Samsung's The Frame TV is my dream Christmas present, and the 55-inch model is on sale for a record-low price of $886. The 2024 Samsung Frame TV features Pantone art-validated colors that deliver lifelike images. Plus, the display now comes with Streams, a complimentary set of artwork streamed from the Samsung Art Store.None
Futures File: Bitcoin futures fly over 100,000!
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government's files on former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard , Donald Trump's pick to be national intelligence director. The former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” A spokesperson for Gabbard on the Trump transition team on Thursday denounced the appeal as an “unfounded” and “partisan” attack. Avril Haines, the current director of national intelligence, when asked Thursday whether intelligence sharing with allies could be in jeopardy under the next administration, cited the importance of those relationships and noted the strong bipartisan support for them in Congress. The question, at a Council on Foreign Relations talk, focused on the especially close intelligence sharing among the Five Eyes — the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It did not mention Gabbard by name. “It is hard for me to believe that anybody coming in wouldn’t want to maintain those relationships,” Haines said. “So I wouldn’t think of them as being in significant risk,” she added. “I certainly hope that will continue.” Among those who signed the letter to Senate leaders were former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, former NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, former national security adviser Anthony Lake, and numerous retired ambassadors and high-ranking military officers. They wrote to current Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and incoming Republican Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday to urge the closed briefings as part of the Senate's review of Trump's top appointments. They requested that Senate committees “consider in closed sessions all information available to the U.S. government when considering Ms. Gabbard’s qualifications to manage our country’s intelligence agencies, and more importantly, the protection of our intelligence sources and methods.” The letter singles out Gabbard's 2017 meetings in Syria with President Bashar Assad, who is supported by Russian, Iranian and Iranian-allied forces in a now 13-year war against Syrian opposition forces seeking his overthrow. The U.S., which cut relations with Assad's government and imposed sanctions over his conduct of the war, maintains about 900 troops in opposition-controlled northeast Syria, saying they are needed to block a resurgence of extremist groups. Gabbard, a Democratic member of Congress from Hawaii at the time of her Syria trip, drew heavy criticism for her meetings with a U.S. adversary and brutal leader. As the letter notes, her statements on the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have aligned with Russian talking points , diverging from U.S. positions and policy. Gabbard throughout her political career has urged the U.S. to limit military engagement abroad other than combatting Islamic extremist groups. She has defended the Syria trip by saying it is necessary to engage with U.S. enemies. In postings on social media earlier this year she confirmed that the U.S. had for a time placed her “on a secret terror watch list” as a “potential domestic terror threat.” She blamed political retaliation. Neither she nor U.S. authorities have publicly detailed the circumstances involved. Alexa Henning, a spokesperson for Gabbard with the Trump team, called the letter sent to the Senate leaders “a perfect example” of why Trump chose Gabbard for this position. “These unfounded attacks are from the same geniuses who have blood on their hands from decades of faulty ‘intelligence,’" and use classified government information as a "partisan weapon to smear and imply things about their political enemy," Henning said. A spokesperson for Thune did not immediately respond to questions about the request. —- Associated Press writer Didi Tang contributed.