CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of attack lines Wednesday against his likely new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he called his “new victim to defeat” and accused of deceiving the public about President Joe Biden ‘s ability to run for a second term.

The rally in Charlotte, North Carolina marked his first public campaign event since Biden dropped out of the 2024 matchup and Harris became the Democrats’ likely nominee. The rally concluded minutes before Biden addressed the nation to explain he dropped his reelection bid to “pass the torch” to Harris, who is 22 years younger than him.

“So now we have a new victim to defeat: Lyin’ Kamala Harris,” Trump said, labeling her “the most incompetent and far-left vice president in American history.”

Trump called her a “radical left lunatic” and said she was “crazy” for her positions on abortion and on immigration. He also mispronounced her first name repeatedly, a denigrating approach to the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent likely to lead a major party’s presidential ticket.

Trump’s speech signaled the next stage for the campaign may be especially brutal and personal, even as some GOP leaders warned Republican allies not to use overtly racist and sexist attacks against Harris.

Trump has ramped up his criticism of the vice president since Biden’s abrupt departure, calling Harris “the same as Biden but much more radical.”

He blamed her for what he portrays as the Biden administration’s failures, particularly security along the U.S.-Mexico border. On Wednesday, the speakers who appeared on stage before the Republican nominee attacked Harris’ record on the border, highlighting she was tasked with leading a White House effort to tackle migration issues. Harris’ name was met with boos several times during the speeches.

“She was assigned that, she was given that task, and she failed,” said Brandon Judd, former president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents agents.

Trump also accused Harris of being just as responsible for Biden’s policies at the U.S.-Mexico border, which saw illegal crossing arrests reach record highs at the end of 2023 and repeated his pledge to conduct mass deportations with the help of local police.

“Kamala’s deadly destruction of America’s borders is completely and totally disqualifying. She shouldn’t be allowed to run for president with what she’s done,” Trump told supporters.

Harris, meanwhile, spent Wednesday in Indiana, telling members of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta that “we are not playing around” and asked for their help in electing her president in November, an election she characterized as “a choice between two different visions for our nation, one focused on the future, the other focused on the past.”

Harris’ campaign released a statement after Trump’s speech describing it as “unhinged, weird and rambling.”

“Unity is over for Donald Trump,” said campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa, referring to unity pledges made during the Republican National Convention.

Harris is expected to make abortion a key part of her campaign, looking to present herself to voters as someone who will fight against abortion restrictions. Earlier this week, she said she “trusts women to make decisions about their own bodies.”

Trump has hedged on plans for an expected debate with Harris, first saying that he wanted Fox News, not ABC, to host the matchup he had originally scheduled for September with Biden. On Tuesday, Trump appeared to tweak that message again, saying on a call with reporters that he’d like to debate Harris “more than once” but not committing to appearing at the debate currently on the books and saying he’d only agreed to debate Biden twice, not Harris.

Quietly, Republicans have spoken about how subbing Harris in for Biden nullifies a portion of their party’s argument in favor of Trump’s vitality and vigor.

At 81, Biden would have been the oldest presidential nominee heading into a general election. Now, the 78-year-old Trump occupies that slot. Harris, 59, has launched a campaign that at least in some corners appears to be stoking interest among the younger voters who could be key in deciding an anticipated close general election.

Trump’s stop in North Carolina shows he’s concerned about keeping the state in his column this November, even as his team reaches for wins in traditionally Democratic-leaning states like Minnesota, which Trump is set to visit on Saturday.

North Carolina is a state Trump carried in both his previous campaigns but by less than 1.5 percentage points over Biden in 2020, the closest margin of any state Trump won. Trump stumped heavily in North Carolina even as the COVID-19 pandemic wore on, while Biden largely kept off the physical campaign trail and did not personally visit the state in the last 16 days of the election.

This year, Trump had planned to hold his first rally since the start of his hush money trial in Fayetteville, but that event was called off due to inclement weather. Trump called in from his private plane instead.

Democrats also have been working to win North Carolina, where the party’s most recent presidential win was Barack Obama’s 2008 victory, despite recent GOP dominance.

Biden held a campaign event in Raleigh the day after his disastrous June debate with Trump. While he was much more forceful in that appearance than he was on the debate stage, it did not help much to quell the growing concern from members of his party about his ability to win the White House again.

Trump’s Charlotte event was his second campaign rally since a July 13 assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. Days later, Trump accepted the GOP presidential nomination and gave a speech at the Republican National Convention, where his ear — injured in the shooting — was bandaged.

The Charlotte rally, like one held Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was held in an indoor arena. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said it’s “to be determined” if the campaign will no longer hold outdoor rallies due to security concerns.

HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. (Gray News) - A FedEx driver in North Carolina is accused of stealing a French bulldog that ultimately died inside his hot delivery truck.

According to the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of a stolen bulldog from a neighborhood near U.S. Highway 421 on July 7.

Investigators said they found that a FedEx driver who was in the area delivering packages was the one who stole the dog on July 3.

The dog’s owner reportedly shared on social media that the door to her home was mistakenly left open that day, allowing Tori to escape.

Tori was found dead on July 10 in the Lillington area.

According to the sheriff’s office, investigators believe the animal died due to heat-related issues as she traveled inside the FedEx truck when temperatures were in the 90s.

Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats said the FedEx driver, later identified as 44-year-old Kimani Joehon Marshall, turned himself in on Monday after an arrest warrant was issued.

Marshall is due in court this week on charges that include larceny of a dog, possession of stolen goods and cruelty to animals.

FedEx said in a statement that Marshall no longer works for the company.

Tori was reportedly worth more than $5,000.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - A man has been indicted for his role in a conspiracy involving the importation of what is believed to be the largest amount of fentanyl precursors ever found in the Southern District of Texas and one of the largest in the country.

So far this year, first responders in our community have reported 27 deaths related to fentanyl poisoning. While that number continues to rise, federal officials have announced a recent bust they are calling a significant step forward in the war on fentanyl.

On Tuesday, Minsu Fang, also known as Fernando, appeared before Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in Laredo. Fang is accused of importing enough fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to kill millions of Americans. According to U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani, Fang allegedly imported over 2,000 kilograms (more than two tons) of raw materials from China, destined for various locations in Mexico for the manufacture of fentanyl.

The unsealed charges allege that Fang and his associates shipped the chemicals from China into the U.S. and then to Mexico in roughly 100 separate shipments between August and October of 2023. Some of the chemicals were found in various UPS shipments. Agents also seized a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet provided by Fang, which contained the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and tracking numbers of the packages expected to be shipped to Mexico, thus preventing the substances from reaching the streets of Laredo.

Hernan Martinez from the Laredo Fire Department knows firsthand the signs and symptoms that a person might have consumed fentanyl. “Fentanyl is being found in all types of drugs, whether it would be cocaine, any type of pill form, or any illegal drugs. We’re finding that most people are not trying to do fentanyl, but it just happens that the drugs they are trying to consume have fentanyl, and that’s when overdoses happen,” Martinez explains.

Martinez described the signs of fentanyl overdose: “Some of the signs and symptoms are pinpoint pupils, so you look at the part of their eyes; if it’s very, very small, that’s one of the major signs we look for. Other signs include unconsciousness, slow respiration, or gurgling sounds, especially when the person doesn’t snore. It’s best to check them, and of course, being unconscious.”

Local agencies continue to promote awareness of the deadly consequences of fentanyl and ways to help someone who has overdosed. “The only thing that would help that person would be Narcan. We have multiple locations available for the community that are completely free here at our administration building, and I know the south side has a Narcan cabinet, and there are 8 rec centers in the city that have Narcan cabinets available,” Martinez added.

If convicted, Fang could face life in prison and a $10 million fine. His next court hearing is set for Tuesday, July 30th, at the Laredo federal courthouse.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country’s democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

Insisting that “the defense of democracy is more important than any title,” Biden used his first public address since his announcement Sunday that he was stepping aside to deliver an implicit repudiation of former President Donald Trump. He did not directly call out Trump, whom he has called an existential threat to democracy. The 10-minute address also gave Biden a chance to try to shape how history will remember his one and only term in office.

“Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy,” Biden said, in a somber coda to his 50 years spent in public office. “And that includes personal ambition.”

It was a moment for the history books — a U.S. president reflecting before the nation on why he was taking the rare step of voluntarily handing off power. It hasn’t been done since 1968, when Lyndon Johnson announced he would not seek reelection in the heat of the Vietnam War.

“I revere this office,” Biden said. “But I love my country more.”

Trump, just an hour earlier at a campaign rally, revived his baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Biden. His refusal to concede inspired the Capitol insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, which Biden called “the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.”

Biden skirted the political reality that brought him to that point: His abysmal performance in a debate against Trump nearly a month ago, where he spoke haltingly, appeared ashen and failed to rebut his predecessor’s attacks, sparked a crisis of confidence from Democrats. Lawmakers and ordinary voters questioned not just whether he was capable of beating Trump in November, but also whether, at 81, he was still fit for the high-pressure job.

Biden, who said he believed his record was deserving of another term in office, tried to outlast the skepticism and quell the concerns with interviews and tepid rallies, but the pressure to end his campaign only mounted from the party’s political elites and from ordinary voters.

“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” Biden said, saying he wanted to make room for “fresh voices, yes, younger voices.”

He added, “That is the best way to unite our nation.”

It was a belated fulfillment of his 2020 pledge to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders — and a bow to the drumbeat of calls from within his party to step aside.

Biden’s address was carried live by the major broadcast and cable news networks. He spooled out an weighty to-do list for his last six months in office, pledging to remain focused on being president until his term expires at noon on Jan. 20, 2025. He said he would work to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, fight to boost government support to cure cancer, address climate change and push for Supreme Court reform.

The president sought to use the address to outline the stakes in the election, which both Biden and Harris have framed as a choice between freedom and chaos, but he tried to steer clear of overt campaigning from his official office.

“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule,” Biden said. “The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America — lies in your hands.”

Biden was also making the case for his legacy of sweeping domestic legislation and the renewal of alliances abroad. But the way history will remember his time in office and his historic decision to step aside is intertwined with Harris’ electoral result in November, particularly as the vice president runs tightly on the achievements of the Biden administration.

His advisers say he intends to hold campaign events and fundraisers benefiting Harris, whom Biden praised as “tough” and “capable,” albeit at a far slower pace than if he had remained on the ballot himself.

Harris advisers will ultimately have to decide how to deploy the president, whose popularity sagged as voters in both parties questioned his fitness for office.

Biden, aides say, knows that if Harris loses, he’ll be criticized for staying in the race too long and not giving her or another Democrat time to effectively mount a campaign against Trump. If she wins, she’ll ensure his policy victories are secured and expanded, and he’ll be remembered for a Washingtonian decision to step aside for the next generation of leadership.

Biden said he’s grateful to have served as president — nowhere else would a kid with a stutter grow up to sit in the Oval Office.

“I’ve given my heart and my soul to our nation,” he said. “I’ve been blessed a million times in return.”

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that any question of Biden resigning his office before the election — which would allow Harris to run as an incumbent — was “ridiculous.”

Jean-Pierre said Biden has “no regrets” about his decision to stay in the race as long as he did, or his decision to quit it over the weekend. She said Biden’s decision had nothing to do with his health.

Trump, who watched Biden’s remarks from his private jet, posted on his social media platform that the president “was barely understandable, and sooo bad!”

As he spoke inside the Oval Office, Biden was joined off-camera by family members, including his wife, Jill, son Hunter, daughter Ashley and several grandchildren. Hundreds of administration aides held a watch party in the White House and gathered in the Rose Garden afterward to hear Biden thank them for their service. Outside the gates, supporters of Biden gathered holding signs that read “We love Joe,” and a brass band played.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - A two-vehicle rollover accident in north Laredo has led to road closures and traffic delays Wednesday afternoon, July 24.

The Laredo Police Department reports the rollover happened around 3:30 p.m. at Las Cruces Drive and San Dario Avenue.

Drivers should use caution and expect delays. All westbound traffic on Las Cruces Drive is closed, and eastbound traffic on Shiloh Drive is also affected.

Emergency services are on the scene. There is no word yet on any injuries. We’ll keep you updated once we learn more.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - With roughly three weeks until the new school year begins, over 100 Laredo ISD principals and staff members recently participated in a leadership training session.

Nixon High School Principal Cassandra Mendoza is among the hundreds of Laredo ISD staff members preparing for the new school year by attending the annual leadership summit.

She tells us, “We are gathered today to go over the journey of what has gotten LISD to where it is today, the success, and how we can continue our journey to ensure that our students can be successful.”

Since the start of the week, school principals, administrators, and department heads have filled the Dr. Marcus Nelson Conference Center to recognize and reinforce methods and strategies for a successful school year.

Laredo ISD aims to inspire its leaders by instilling best practices such as modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart.

Laredo ISD Superintendent Dr. Sylvia Rios said they are continuing to address the learning gaps brought on by the pandemic by analyzing data and meeting the needs of each campus.

“One of the things that we’ve done is really double up and power through what are those gaps.” Dr. Rios tells us. “We tried to integrate more activities that would bring our kids into that higher level of performance. I really believe that it’s going to take a couple of years.”

Dr. Rios added that they also review each campus’ performance and analyze areas for improvement to ensure everything is in place before the first day of school.

“If we have found that this particular campus needs this kind of leader, then we do some transfers,” she continued to explain. “It’s not because we want to demote someone, but it’s more of an analysis of what is needed. If we need someone with more math experience or understanding of the English language, we make sure we put the right person in the right place to move forward.”

The convocation for Laredo ISD is set for Wednesday, August 7, at the Sames Auto Arena, with the first day of classes on Monday, August 12.

WEBB COUNTY, Tex. (KGNS) - It’s a trend that has been raising red flags these last couple of years – people under the age of 18 smuggling people into the country illegally. In our latest Border Front story, we debunk the misinformation in the community about the consequences juveniles face when caught smuggling.

In recent years, law enforcement in Webb County has seen an increase in juveniles involved in smuggling people into the U.S. The belief that juveniles won’t face legal consequences for this crime is widespread, but the truth is different.

We investigate what happens to those under 18 once they are caught in the business of smuggling. It’s a quick way to make money, but it comes with big consequences. Many are turning to human smuggling to make fast cash, an issue law enforcement sees daily. This growing trend is alerting counties across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Judge Victor Villarreal of Webb County Court at Law II has seen more of these cases. “There has been a rise in the number of cases filed against juvenile respondents that are alleged to have smuggled or transported persons in the United States,” Villarreal said.

Many believe that kids who smuggle won’t face any consequences. Judge Villarreal counters this, stating, “The lie is that nothing happens. There are consequences to juveniles that are found to have engaged in this delinquent conduct.”

Once arrested, a juvenile will go before a judge within 48 hours. If found guilty, the judge can remove them from their home and place them in a juvenile facility until they are 19 years old. To be detained at the Youth Village, juveniles must meet certain requirements like not having supervision at home, previous offenses, or posing a danger to society.

Chief Probation Officer at the Webb County Youth Village, Jerry Liendo, explains the process juveniles face while their case is ongoing. “They go before the judge every 10 working days. If things have changed at home, they are released with conditions,” Liendo said.

Those released on probation will visit court about once a month, depending on the crime. If they do not comply, they will be arrested again. “In this case, if it’s a smuggling case, more than likely the juvenile will be referred to the county’s attorney’s office for them to review the actual case,” Liendo added.

The alleged smuggler could face probation, be sent to rehab, or be sent to the Texas Juvenile Department to serve time recommended by the state. If the offense is serious enough, they could be certified as adults, sending them to the adult system. “Since 2020 up to yesterday, there have been 96 kids brought in for human smuggling cases. We have seen a trend that more and more kids are being brought in for the same offense,” Liendo said.

These kids often hang out with the wrong crowd, including gangs and cartel members. The juvenile system aims to give minors a second chance to fix their lives. Once they comply with the state and their case is closed, the hope is that the provided resources will help them turn their lives around. Juvenile records are sealed, so these offenses won’t reflect on their adult record.

We reached out to the Webb County Attorney to find out how many minor smuggling cases get certified as adults but are still waiting for a response. However, all crimes, regardless of age, will be prosecuted accordingly.