AP News Summary at 2:01 am EST

China vows crackdown on ‘hostile forces’ as public tests Xi

BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party has vowed to “resolutely crack down on infiltration and sabotage activities by hostile forces.” The Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission statement was released late Tuesday, after the largest street demonstrations in decades were staged by citizens fed up with strict anti-virus restrictions. While it did not directly address protests, the statement serves as a reminder of the party’s determination to enforce its rule. There has been a massive show of force by the internal security services to deter a recurrence of protests that broke out over the weekend in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities. Security forces conducted random ID checks and searched mobile phones for evidence of participation in demonstrations.

Congress prepares to take up bill preventing rail strike

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is moving swiftly to prevent a looming US rail workers strike. Lawmakers are reluctantly intervening in a labor dispute to stop what would surely be a devastating blow to the nation’s economy if the transportation of fuel, food and other critical goods were disrupted. The House is expected to act first on Wednesday. The bill Congress is considering would impose a compromise labor agreement brokered by President Joe Biden’s administration. That agreement was ultimately voted down by four of the 12 unions representing more than 100,000 employees at large freight rail carriers. The unions have threatened to strike if an agreement can’t be reached before a Dec. 9 deadline.

No longer fringe, small-town voters fear democracy’s demise

HUDSON, Wis. (AP) — In a picturesque corner of western Wisconsin, a growing right-wing conservative movement has rocketed to prominence. They see America as a dark place, dangerous, where democracy is under attack by a tyrannical government. They say few officials can be trusted, and believe neighbors might someday have to band together to protect one another. They have felt the contempt of people who see them as fanatics. But they insist they are just normal people who aren’t so different from the rest of America. And their views haven’t been swayed – not at all – by midterm elections that failed to see the sweeping Republican victories that many had predicted.

Election certification delays few, but a ‘test run’ for 2024

Only scattered challenges to certification of the midterm election have been reported in the US, none of which is based on any problems with the accuracy of the results. The biggest certification challenge comes in a lightly populated county in southeastern Arizona. The state’s secretary of state has sued the Republican-controlled commission to force it to sign off on the election. The overall number of certification fights is less than expected and shows the weakened positions election conspiracy theorists are in after losing big in the midterms.

Landmark same-sex marriage bill wins Senate passage

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed landmark bipartisan legislation to protect same-sex marriages. It’s an extraordinary sign of shifting national politics on the issue and a measure of relief for the hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples who have married since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision that legalized gay marriage nationwide. The bill approved Tuesday would ensure that same-sex and interracial marriages are enshrined in federal law. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the legislation is “a long time coming” and part of America’s “difficult but inexorable march towards greater equality.” Senate Democrats are moving quickly to send the bill to the House and President Joe Biden’s desk.

Oath Keepers’ Rhodes guilty of Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes has been convicted of seditious conspiracy for a violent plot to overturn President Joe Biden’s election, handing the Justice Department a major victory in its massive prosecution of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. A Washington, DC, jury on Tuesday found Rhodes guilty of sedition after three days of deliberations. The nearly two-month-long trial showcased the far-right extremist group’s efforts to keep Republican Donald Trump in the White House at all costs. An attorney for Rhodes says they intend to appeal. Rhodes was also convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding, but acquitted of two other conspiracy charges.

Trump’s dinner disaster sparks new rules for his campaign

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is betting he can win his way back to the White House by reviving the outsider appeal that fueled his success in 2016. But his dinner with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist and a rapper who has spewed anti-Semitic conspiracies is demonstrating the risks of that approach as Trump vies for his party’s nomination once again. Amid stinging criticism from fellow Republicans, Trump’s campaign is now putting new protocols in place to try to prevent a repeat. People familiar with the plans say that only those approved and carefully checked will be allowed to meet with him in his Mar-a-Lago club.

Hawaii volcano eruption has some on alert, draws onlookers

HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Despite assurances that lava from Hawaii’s Mauna Loa isn’t threatening communities, some residents are remaining vigilant. For Nicole Skilling, the first eruption in 38 years of the world’s largest active volcano is bringing back bad memories. She fled from another Hawaii volcano in 2018. Back then she lived near the community where lava destroyed more than 700 homes. She relocated to the South Kona area, only to find herself packing her car with food and supplies after Mauna Loa erupted late Sunday. Officials say the areas where lava is emerging are far from homes and communities. The eruption has also drawn onlookers to a national park for views of the event that are said to be “spectacular.”

Colorado governor visits shooting site as community heals

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has visited the memorial outside a gay club where five people were killed in a shooting attack last week. He solemnly walked Tuesday past flowers, crosses and photos of the victims. Polis is the first openly gay man elected a governor in the US, back in 2018. He picked up a piece of pink chalk and drew a heart and wrote “We remember” on the pavement outside Club Q in Colorado Springs — an LGBTQ gathering place . The motive for the Nov. 19 attack there remains under investigation and one person is in custody. Polis later visited a brewery and hugged its owner — the man who tackled the shooting suspect.

San Francisco will allow police to deploy robots that kill

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Democratic San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to allow police to use potentially lethal, remote-controlled robots in emergency situations. The vote Tuesday was 8 to 3. Civil rights advocates opposed the proposal, saying it would lead to further militarization of police. The San Francisco Police Department said it would like the option to deploy robots equipped with explosive charges to disable suspects when lives are at stake. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is divided on support for law enforcement. A new state law requires police and sheriffs departments to inventory its military grade equipment and seek approval for their use.