Southwest
Beyoncé says 'I'm here as a mother' as she endorses Kamala Harris at massive rally in Texas
HOUSTON, TX – It was a searing hot – but unsubstantiated – rumor during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago two months ago.
Speculation that Beyoncé would appear at the Democrats’ presidential nominating convention – perhaps alongside Taylor Swift – turned into a frenzy.
It didn’t happen.
But on Friday night, in front of a massive announced crowd of 30,000 at a soccer stadium in downtown Houston, the superstar singer and cultural icon returned to her hometown to make an appearance on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Beyoncé, whose hit song “Freedom” has been adopted by the vice president as her campaign trail anthem, spoke ahead of Harris and introduced her at the event, which leaned heavily into reproductive rights.
Musical artist Beyoncé, right, and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, embrace on stage during a campaign rally Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan) ((AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
“It’s time for America to sing a new song,” Beyoncé said as she formally endorsed the vice president in her White House race against former President Trump. “Ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, loud, Texas welcome to the next President of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris.”
And she emphasized that “I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician, I’m here as a mother. A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in. A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies.”
Harris, who has made the issue of reproductive rights a centerpiece of her presidential campaign, took aim at the Lone Star State’s extremely restrictive abortion law. And the rally included speeches by a number of people adversely impacted by the state ban.
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Reproductive rights have been a winning issue for Democrats ever since the conservative majority on the Supreme Court in the summer of 2022 overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which had legalized abortion for decades.
Harris reiterated her message that Trump, who named three conservative justices to the high court during his four years in the White House, is responsible for the abortion law in Texas, where the procedure is banned after six weeks of pregnancy.
“Texas, what we’re experiencing here is a health care crisis, and Donald Trump is the architect of it,” Harris charged.
Musical artists Beyoncé, right, and Kelly Rowland, left, on stage at a campaign event for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in Houston, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Beyoncé, who was introduced by her mother, fashion designer and philanthropist Tina Knowles, was joined on stage by singer and actress Kelly Rowland, her Destiny’s Child bandmate.
“H-Town. We are so happy to be standing here on this stage as proud Texan women supporting and celebrating the one and only Vice President Kamala Harris. A woman who has been pushing for what this country really needs right now,” Beyoncé said.
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And Rowland, standing next to Beyoncé, noted that “Houston, you’ve already had a hand in creating destiny, so do what you do and do this thing again.”
While Beyoncé was the biggest celebrity on the stage, the rally included another icon.
Texas native and legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist Willie Nelson performed earlier in the evening.
Musician Willie Nelson performing ahead of an event for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally in Houston, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Introduced as a “Texas voter,” the 91-year-old Nelson asked the crowd are “we ready to say, Madam President.”
Actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba spoke earlier during the rally. The Harris campaign said the crowd was the largest yet at one of the vice president’s rallies.
It was the second straight night that Harris had the support of major celebrities.
At a rally in suburban Atlanta where she teamed up with former President Obama, rock legend Bruce Springsteen – who has been supporting Democratic presidential candidates for two decades – performed three songs.
Bruce Springsteen performs at a campaign rally supporting Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Clarkston, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Also speaking at the vice president’s rally, which her campaign said attracted 23,000 people, were filmmaker and playwright Tyler Perry, film director, producer, screenwriter and actor Spike Lee, and actor Samuel L. Jackson.
Trump, who was in Austin, Texas earlier on Friday, took aim at Harris.
“Today she’s in Texas to rub shoulders with woke celebrities,” the former president charged as he spotlighted the issue of immigration and border security at an event in Austin.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a news conference at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
It was a similar message from Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, who also criticized Harris for campaigning with celebrities.
Whatley argued that “Harris’ refusal to acknowledge the border crisis she created is one of many reasons why Texas is firmly Trump Country – Kamala Harris broke the southern border, but President Trump will fix it.”
The stop by Harris in Houston was the first time in decades that a Democratic Party standard-bearer held a major campaign event in Texas in the home stretch ahead of Election Day.
But the trip doesn’t mean the Harris campaign thinks Texas is in play in the White House race.
Even though President Biden narrowed the gap to a five and a half point deficit in the 2020 presidential election, top Harris advisers don’t harbor any illusions about flipping the state.
But the message from the rally was meant not only for Texans but also voters in the seven crucial battleground states whose razor-thin margins decided Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump and are likely to determine if Harris or the former president wins the 2024 election.
While Texas isn’t one of those states, it is home to a key Senate race that’s among a handful that will decide if the GOP wins back the chamber’s majority.
Conservative firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz joined Trump at the afternoon event in Austin, while Democratic challenger Rep. Collin Allred spoke at the Harris rally hours later.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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Los Angeles, Ca
LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture
Crews worked overnight on what is expected to be a long-term effort to clean up and repair a broken water main that caused extensive damage in West Hollywood on Thursday.
Yellow tape remained in place Friday morning, blocking streets around Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive as crews continued pumping water out of the century-old trunk line.
Asphalt and soil were also being removed so crews could get a better look at the damaged 36-inch trunk line, a major feeder pipe serving the area.
“First and foremost is our crews’ safety,” a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokesperson said Thursday. “When we excavate, we are going to have to make sure the area is safe before we send crews in to proceed and start the actual repairs on the pipe.”
The water main ruptured around 3 a.m. Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing through West Hollywood streets, flooding dozens of garages and pushing parked cars into one another.
A Metro bus yard was also flooded, leaving several buses partially submerged.
The force of the water washed away dirt and gravel supporting the roadway, creating a massive sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard and a smaller one near Palm Avenue, where two people fell in.
“I’m astounded by the massive sinkhole that has just opened up before our eyes,” KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos reported Thursday from Palm Avenue.
The two men appeared to be uninjured.
As for the larger trunk line that burst beneath Sunset Boulevard, KTLA’s Carlos Herrera reported it was scheduled for replacement in 2031.
LADWP officials now hope to establish a repair timeline after getting a closer look at the damage Friday. For now, the intersection is expected to remain closed for anywhere from several days to several weeks.
The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gave an update Thursday on several shootings over the Fourth of July weekend that left three people dead and several others injured.
Police arrested Antoine Jones, a 50-year-old man from the Los Angeles area, who they believe is responsible for the murder of a 19-year-old woman and the attempted murder of two additional surviving female victims who were attending a large community block party in Compton.
On July 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m., deputies from the Compton station responded to an apartment complex on the 700 block of West Laurel Street following reports of multiple people being shot.
Meah Bordenave-Jenkins, a 19-year-old nursing student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was killed when gunfire broke out at the party.
Deputies located Bordenave-Jenkins and the two other women suffering from gunshot wounds outside of the apartment complex.
“While today’s announcement represents an important step towards justice for Meah and her family, our work is very far from being over,” said LASD Sheriff Robert Luna.
The LASD is also seeking the public’s help in identifying those responsible for the murder of Eric Washington, 37, a beloved community activist and former government staffer, and the attempted murder of another surviving man injured that same night at the same party.
Washington was reportedly killed while trying to deescalate a conflict at the party, his family said. Deputies found victim Washington suffering from a gunshot wound inside the complex.
Investigators later learned that another man had also been shot at some point during the incident.
Bordenave-Jenkins and Washington both died from their injuries. The remaining victims, two women and a man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital. They have not been identified by police.
Detectives determined the two shootings happened moments apart at the party but appear to be separate and unrelated.
Detectives identified Jones as the suspect responsible for Bordenave-Jenkins’ death and the attempted murder of the two surviving women. Authorities located Jones on July 14 in Los Angeles and took him into custody.
The LASD is still searching for the suspect or suspects responsible for the murder of Washington and the attempted murder of the surviving male victim.
“Although today’s arrest is significant, this investigation remains extremely active,” Luna said.
“There were hundreds of people at this gathering,” Luna said. “Somebody knows, somebody saw or somebody heard what happened.”
The LASD also announced they’re searching for a suspect in a separate shooting at a different Fourth of July gathering that occurred in the early morning of July 5.
At approximately 12:10 a.m., Compton deputies responded to the 2100 block of North Grandee Avenue, where they located a 30-year-old victim, Thaddeus Clark, and a second victim suffering from gunshot wounds at the gathering.
Clark, a father of three, did not survive his injuries, Luna said.
The LASD is urging anyone with information about Clark’s murder and the attempted murder of the surviving victim to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau.
Although these shooting incidents occurred at gatherings less than an hour apart, investigators found no evidence that the two were connected, Luna said.
Luna also announced three suspects have been arrested in connection with a shooting in East L.A. on July 5. It happened as crowds crossed the intersection near Whittier Boulevard and Leonard Avenue during a World Cup match.
Four people were hit by gunfire, including two men, one woman and a boy. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
The sheriff said the alleged shooter, a 15-year-old known gang member, was arrested. Two female suspects, ages 21 and 38, have been arrested in the Lancaster and Palmdale areas for their alleged roles in luring the primary victim to the location and assisting the shooting suspect in evading arrest.
They’re all facing four counts of attempted murder.
Los Angeles, Ca
Water main break floods West Hollywood streets, traps cars
A broken water main sent water gushing from an apartment building and turned nearby streets into rivers in West Hollywood early Thursday morning. The break was reported around 3 a.m. near Holloway Drive and Sunset Boulevard. “It’s a rupture of one of the significant mains that goes through here. West Hollywood, as it turns out, […]
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