O’Shae Sibley had been out celebrating a friend’s birthday when the group stopped at a Mobil gas station in Coney Island in Brooklyn on 29 July. On a steamy Saturday night, the 28-year-old professional dancer took off his shirt and was “voguing” — a dance form popularised by the LGBT+ community — to Beyoncé’s Renaissance album with a friend on the station forecourt. Just after 11pm, a separate group of young men allegedly began hurling homophobic insults saying that they didn’t like “gay dancing” in their neighbourhood, according to eyewitnesses. Sibley confronted the men, surveillance footage recovered from the gas station shows. After briefly separating, the clash turned violent, and Sibley was stabbed in the heart during a scuffle. His friends tried to apply pressure to the wound, and police arrived at 11.15pm to find Sibley bleeding heavily on a sidewalk. He was taken to Maimonides Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after. A 17-year-old suspect who allegedly fled the scene was later identified as Dmitriy Popov. Mr Popov was arrested on Friday 4 August and has been arraigned as an adult on murder and hate crime charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Eyewitnesses told the NYPD that Mr Popov had told the voguing group that their dancing offended him as a Muslim. Mr Popov’s lawyer Mark Pollard told The Independent in an interview that his client was a “good Christian boy” who regularly attended church. “I have no idea where that came from. I just know he’s not Muslim. It’s very strange,” Mr Pollard told The Independent. The killing attracted national attention due to its alleged homophobic nature, as attacks on the LGBT+ community are increasing. Beyoncé, who was performing nearby at New York’s MetLife stadium on the night Sibley was killed, paid tribute to the dancer, choreographer and model, who family say was cut down “in his prime”. A funeral for Sibley is being held in his home city of Philadelphia on Tuesday 8 August. What happened? Otis Pena, who was with Sibley when he was killed, said in an emotional Facebook video posted on the night of the stabbing that a group of friends were celebrating his birthday when they had stopped a few blocks from his home to fill up their car. He said he and Sibley were “just pumping gas and listening to [Beyoncé’s album] Renaissance and having a good time”. Mr Pena said that as the confrontation ensued, he saw Sibley wobbling on his feet after being stabbed, and rushed over to try to administer care. “I’m trying to put pressure on the wound, and there’s blood squirting everywhere… I’m covered in his blood,” Mr Pena said through tears. “They killed my brother right in front of me.” “O’Shae was just trying to tell people ‘we may be gay’ and they stabbed him right in the heart,” he continued, breaking down. “They murdered him because he was gay, because he stood up for his friends. All because he wanted people to know that we are gay.” The duo had been close friends for 15 years, he said, and had always had each other’s backs. “O’Shae was the salt to my pepper, the peanut butter to my jelly, and y’all killed him. Y’all killed my bro. O’Shae was a beacon of light that influenced everybody.” An NYPD spokesperson said in a statement they responded to a 911 call at the Mobil station at 11.14pm on 29 July. “Upon arrival, officers observed a 28-year-old male with a stab wound to the torso. EMS responded and removed the victim to Maimonides Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased,” the spokesperson said. Who was O’Shae Sibley? Sibley grew up in North Philadelphia and was one of nine siblings. The youngster had been teased from a young age for his love of dancing, and found refuge at the Philadelphia Dance Company, known as Philadanco, as a 13-year-old, founder Joan Myers Brown told the Philadelphia Inquirer. After starting out dancing hip hop and other modern dances, he learned ballet and classical forms at the company’s apprentice programme D/2, she said. Ms Brown told the Inquirer that opportunities were limited for young, Black dancers in Philadelphia, and Sibley moved to New York about three years ago. “I just want to be famous,” Ms Brown recalls the young dancer telling her. She introduced him to another former Philadanco student Iquail Shaheed, a dance professor who teaches at the Alvin Ailey School in New York. Sibley joined the school’s dance company Ailey Extension, where he was “cherished” by his fellow students, the group wrote in a Facebook tribute. Sibley had been auditioning for Broadway shows, and had also worked as a choreographer and model, according to Ms Brown. He was also a popular member of the ballroom dancing community, friends said. They kept in touch via weekly calls and texts, and Sibley would tell her about his latest auditions, she told the Inquirer. Tondra Sibley, the victim’s aunt, told the New York Times his death was a “senseless crime”. “O’Shae has always been a peacemaker. All he wanted to do was dance,” she said. In an email shared with the Inquirer, Mr Shaheed wrote that Sibley was killed “just because he was Black, gay and dancing”. Sibley had “wanted to make a life for himself in and through dance. Yet, his young life was snuffed out by bigotry and hatred,” Mr Shaheed wrote. He was living in an apartment in Strauss St, Brownsville, in Brooklyn, at the time of his death. Beckenbaur Hamilton, a neighbour and friend, told NBC 4 New York that he had texted Sibley on the morning he was killed out of concern for his safety. He described their neighborhood as “very homophobic.” “We have to live stifled,” he said. “We live here in a community where we have to pretend to be somebody else.” Sibley’s father Jake Kelly wrote on a GoFundme page that his son’s life had been cut “in his prime” because of his sexuality. “O'Shae not only was the glue to this family, he was a great dancer and performer for the majority of his life. His spirit lit up every room he stepped in,” Mr Kelly wrote. Philadanco has also set up a fundraising page to raise funds for Sibley’s family. Suspect arrested Dmitriy Popov, 17, allegedly went on the run for a week after the killing, before surrendering to detectives on Friday. Mr Popov has been arraigned as an adult on murder and hate crime charges and ordered to be held without bail during a court appearance on Monday 7 August. He had reportedly claimed he was Muslim during the deadly confrontation with Sibley and his friends over their shirtless “voguing” dance moves. Court records obtained by the New York Daily News allege Mr Popov said: “Stop dancing here... we are Muslim. Get that gay s*** out of here.” Mr Pollard told The Independent that his client denied making any racist or homophobic statements. “I have met his family, he has Black family members. I’ve met his friends, he has Black friends. He denies hate being a part of anything regarding this.” Mr Popov’s grandmother said outside court that he acted in self-defence, while his mother read a statement expressing sympathy for the Sibley family. “My heart goes out to the family of Mr Sibley,” she said, according to the Daily News. She said her son was a “good boy” and regular churchgoer. ‘Gay joy is not a crime’ There was anger, grief and despair among Sibley’s friends and fellow students in tributes posted to social media. Beyoncé paid tribute to the dancer in a statement on her website, writing simply: “Rest in power O’Shae Sibley.” In a statement to Advocate, LGBT+ advocacy non-profit GLAAD said the shocking murder followed a “disturbing rise in violence and harassment against LGBTQ people across the US”. “This cannot continue. No one should have to fear for their safety just for being themselves. Politicians spewing lies and proposing policies filled with disinformation, and media repeating their false and dangerous rhetoric unchallenged, are creating an incredibly hostile environment that endangers all LGBT+ people and all queer people of colour.” Sibley’s dance studio, the Ailey Extension, said in a statement that he was a “cherished and devoted student”. “He had incredible energy in the studio and was loved by instructors and fellow classmates.” New York state senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said he was “heartbroken and enraged” to learn about Sibley’s death in a post on social media. “Despite homophobes’ best efforts, gay joy is not a crime. Hate-fueled attacks are,” the senator tweeted. A memorial for Sibley is being held at the LGBT Community Center on West 13th St on Saturday 5 August. What is voguing? Voguing is a modern style of house dancing that evolved from the Harlem ballroom dance scene, and was predominantly performed by LGBT+ Black and hispanic men as an imitation of fashion models. Voguing was named after the fashion bible Vogue, and is characterised by exaggerated poses, angular movements and fluid transitions. It first gained mainstream attention after the release of Madonna’s Vogue 1990 music video and the documentary Paris Is Burning. The film focused on drag queens living in New York City and their “house” culture, and won a Grand Jury Prize at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival. Willi Ninja, the “Godfather of voguing”, was honoured by Google with a “doodle” logo on its homepage on 9 June, which featured several performers recreating his iconic dancing style. Read More Teen accused of stabbing O’Shae Sibley in homophobic attack is a ‘good Christian boy’, lawyer says Beyoncé honours dancer who was fatally stabbed while dancing to her music: ‘Rest in power’ Gay man is fatally stabbed while dancing to Beyoncé at Brooklyn gas station Teen suspect charged with murder as a hate crime in O’Shae Sibley stabbing at Brooklyn gas station

A teenager accused of fatally stabbing Black dancer O’Shae Sibley in an alleged racist and homophobic attack was described by his lawyer as a “good Christian boy”. Dmitriy Popov, 17, had reportedly claimed he was Muslim during a deadly confrontation with Sibley and his friends over their shirtless “voguing” dance moves at a Mobil gas station in Brooklyn on 29 July. Mr Popov has been arraigned as an adult on murder and hate crime charges and ordered to be held without bail after allegedly going on the run for a week after the killing. Mr Popov’s lawyer Mark Pollard told The Independent in an interview on Tuesday that his client was a “good Christian boy” who regularly attended church. “I have no idea where that came from. I just know he’s not Muslim. It’s very strange,” Mr Pollard told The Independent. According to the NYPD, Sibley, 28, and a group of friends had pulled in to the Coney Island gas station’s forecourt at about 11pm on 29 July and began “voguing” to Beyoncé’s Renaissance album. Mr Popov and his friends were captured on surveillance coming out of the station’s convenience store and demanded the men stop dancing because it offended their faith, NYPD Assistant Chief Joseph Kenny told a press conference on Saturday. “As the group began to yell at Mr Sibley and his friends, they began to call them derogatory names and used homophobic slurs against him,” NYPD Assistant Chief Joe Kenny said at a press conference Saturday. “They also made anti-Black statements, all while demanding that they simply stop dancing.” Court records obtained by the New York Daily News allege Mr Popov said: “Stop dancing here... we are Muslim. Get that gay s*** out of here.” As the confrontation continued, Sibley followed Mr Popov around the back of an SUV and was allegedly stabbed once in the chest. He died in hospital a short time later. At a court appearance on Monday, Assistant District Attorney Sarah Jafari said that Mr Popov had shaved his hair and turned off his phone in an attempt to evade capture, the Daily News reported. He surrendered to detectives on Friday and has pleaded not guilty. Mr Pollard told The Independent that his client denied making any racist or homophobic statements. “I have met his family, he has Black family members. I’ve met his friends, he has Black friends. He denies hate being a part of anything regarding this.” Mr Popov’s grandmother said outside court that he acted in self-defence, while his mother read a statement expressing sympathy for the Sibley family. “My heart goes out to the family of Mr Sibley,” she said, according to the Daily News. She said her son was a “good boy” and regular churchgoer. A funeral for Sibley is due to be held in his home city of Philadelphia on Tuesday. Sibley attended the Philanco dance academy in the city before moving to New York about three years ago to further his dream of becoming a professional dancer. Friends and LGBT+ community members gathered at events across New York over the weekend to mark Sibley’s death. Voguing is a form of house dancing that emerged from the ballroom scene in Harlem, and has been popularised by the LGBT+ community. Read More Teen suspect charged with murder as a hate crime in O’Shae Sibley stabbing at Brooklyn gas station O’Shae Sibley was stabbed to death for the crime of being ‘Black, gay and dancing’ A dancer is fatally stabbed after a confrontation in New York, prompting a tribute from Beyoncé

UK Scouts are trying to make the most of the situation after being evacuated from an event in South Korea.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has replaced his campaign manager as he struggles to gain traction in his attempt to take down former President Donald Trump in the fight for the Republican presidential nomination. Campaign Manager Generra Peck will now instead move to the role of chief strategist with James Uthmeier taking on the top post, according to The Messenger. Mr Uthmeier previously held the position of chief of staff in the governor’s office. The shakeup comes not long after the campaign said that Ms Peck’s position was secure. She was in charge of Mr DeSantis’s successful 2022 reelection campaign in Florida but has been criticised by advisers to the governor as well as donors to the campaign after the campaign began to slow and funding started to run out. The campaign has had two rounds of staff and expenses cuts and a revamp of his media strategy to make the governor more available to mainstream outlets. A number of donors and advisers outside the campaign remained unsatisfied, prompting Mr DeSantis to ask Mr Uthmeier last week if he could analyse what issues may be plaguing the campaign and how they may be solved, leading to his hiring as campaign manager. The campaign doesn’t want to refer to the new moves as a “reboot,” The Messenger notes, preferring the word “reload”. “People have written Governor DeSantis’s obituary many times,” Mr Uthmeier told the outlet in a statement. “From his race against establishment primary candidate Adam Putnam, to his victory over legacy media-favored candidate Andrew Gillum [in 2018], to his twenty-point win over Charlie Crist [in 2022], Governor DeSantis has proven that he knows how to win. He’s breaking records on fundraising and has a supporting super PAC with $100 million in the bank and an incredible ground game. Get ready.” Iowa operative David Polyansky will take on the role of deputy campaign manager, leaving his post as an advisor to Never Back Down, the DeSantis-supporting Super PAC. More follows... Read More Florida school board reverses decision nixing access to children's book about a male penguin couple Trump and Biden tied in hypothetical 2024 rematch: poll DeSantis won’t rule out abortion ban but suggests there’s no ‘mileage’ in Congress

By Anna Portella MEXICO CITY Eager early adopters recently descended upon a Mexico City cafe where their eyes

Niger’s junta moved to consolidate power as regional leaders prepared for a second emergency summit since the country’s

The boyfriend of a Maryland mother-of-five has denied involvement in her death, after police launched a homicide probe into the death of a woman whose body was found on a popular hiking trail. Rachel Morin, 37, disappeared after reportedly heading out for a hike on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Hartford County, at around 6pm on Saturday. Her new boyfriend Richard Tobin, 27, reported her missing at around 11pm that night after she failed to return, Hartford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told a press conference on Sunday. Authorities launched a missing person investigation and Ms Morin’s car was found at the Williams St entrance to the trail on Sunday morning. A member of the public found a woman’s body near the trail at 1.07pm, and authorities launched a homicide investigation as they await formal confirmation of the deceased’s identity and cause of death from the medical examiner’s office. On Sunday night, Mr Tobin took to social media to state his innocence while also making reference to his lengthy criminal rap sheet. “I love Rachel, I would never do anything to her, let the family and I grieve,” Mr Tobin wrote. “Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please.” Court records show Mr Tobin has two arrests for second-degree assault, and separate arrests for violating restraining orders, malicious destruction of property and drug possession dating back to 2014 Mr Tobin has also faced charges of being a fugitive from justice, resisting arrest and disorderly intoxication, according to Maryland judiciary case search records. Mr Tobin has not been named as a suspect, or accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the homicide inquiry. Mr Tobin only confirmed his relationship with Ms Morin in a Facebook post on 1 August, five days before she was reported missing. The Independent has attempted to reach Mr Tobin, but a publicly listed cellphone number went straight to voicemail on Monday. Ms Morin’s devastated sister Rebekah Morin confirmed in a post on a GoFundme page that the remains located on the Ma and Pa Trail belonged to her sister. “My sister, Rachel Morin went missing on Saturday August 5 2023 around 6 pm. In less then 24 hours her body was found by local law enforcement,” she wrote. Rebekah Morin added her death was “not accidental”, and she “did not go willingly”. She also revealed that the family had been devastated by the loss of her niece to sudden infant death syndrome just a week earlier. On Sunday, Sheriff Gahler has said that there may still be a danger to the public, and urged anyone hiking the Ma and Pa Trail to be vigilant. “Thankfully we don’t have too much violent crime in Harford County, but when we have one, I prefer when I can stand here and tell you that the suspect has been arrested or that it’s a targeted crime. “I can’t tell you that is the case,” he said. He urged anyone hiking trails in the area to carry a whistle toan alert device, pay attention to their surroundings, and notify family and friends of their plans. Sheriff Gahler also pleaded with the public to call 911 immediately if they spotted anything suspicious, and come forward with any information that might be relevant to the homicide inquiry. Read More Rachel Morin search – latest: Body found on Maryland hiking trail as homicide investigation launched Homicide investigation launched as body found after mother-of-five vanished on Maryland hiking trail It took 16 years to identify a woman found buried in a shallow grave. No one knew she was missing

Scout contingents are leaving the international event in South Korea due to an incoming tropical storm.

A former Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia has received subpoenas to speak before a grand jury in Fulton County this month, according to a new report. Geoff Duncan – a sharp critic of Donald Trump’s efforts to upend Georgia’s election results – was subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury, according to sources familiar with the investigation into the 2020 election interference in Georgia that were cited by CNN. In a recent interview with CNN, Mr Duncan had committed to testifying in front of the grand jury, saying he’ll “be there to answer the facts as I know them and to continue this process of trying to discover what actually happened during that post-election period of time”. “We can never repeat that in this country. Certainly, I never want to see that happen in my home state of Georgia, a lot of good peoples’ lives were uprooted, and a lot of people’s reputations have been soiled,” he said. The former Republican official said he would be “willing to testify and tell the truth in as many settings as I possibly can”, when asked whether he would be willing to testify in any other related trials. Last week, Mr Duncan likened picking Donald Trump to be the 2024 GOP nominee to “peeing in your pants”. The former Republican official attacked the ex-president in an appearance on CNN. “Nominating Donald Trump for the Republican Party is a lot like peeing in your pants, right?” Mr Duncan said. “It’s gonna feel good for a couple of seconds, but then you wake up and realise the realities of what you just did.” “We’re gonna get beat in the general [election] because we picked the wrong candidate. We couldn’t get out of our own way,” he continued. Meanwhile, Mr Duncan chose not to discuss when he might appear before the grand jury. “I don’t want to infringe on any details of the investigation, so I’ll leave that offline and off of this commentary here. But I’m committed to telling the truth – I know a number of people are around this process.” Read More Republicans are talking up the possibility of impeaching Biden. Is it what voters want to hear? Trump posts another attack on judge ahead of first court deadline Jack Smith accuses Trump of aiming to try election case in media after he opposed protective order - latest Trump and Biden tied in hypothetical 2024 rematch: poll Mississippi candidates for statewide offices square off in party primaries Jack Smith accuses Trump of wanting to try Jan 6 case in media in fight over evidence

Rachel Morin shared a post on Facebook that hinted at her possible affinity for thrill months before she was found dead along a forest trail in Maryland. The mother-of-five was last seen around 6pm on Saturday when she allegedly went out for a run on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air. The 37-year-old failed to return home that night and her boyfriend reported her missing, according to Harford County sheriff Jeffrey Gahler. Morin’s vehicle was found in the parking lot at the entrance to the popular walking route on Sunday morning and hours later, at around 1pm, a member of the public discovered a woman’s body close to the trail. Morin shared a post in February that read: "Risk can be dangerous, but routine can be deadly. Comfort has killed more dreams than daring ever did." Authorities on Sunday night said they have opened a homicide investigation as they awaited formal identification and cause of death from the medical examiner’s office. Rebekah Morin, the victim’s devastated sister, claimed on a GoFundme page that her sister's death was "not accidental" and she did not go "willingly". Morin's 27-year-old boyfriend, Richard Tobin, broke his silence on Sunday night, saying he would “never do anything to her”. “Yes I have a past but I also have 15 months clean and have changed as a person. Please,” Mr Tobin wrote on Facebook. Court records showed Mr Tobin has two arrests for second-degree assault, and separate arrests for violating restraining orders, malicious destruction of property and drug possession dating back to 2014. Mr Tobin has also faced charges of being a fugitive from justice, resisting arrest and disorderly intoxication, according to Maryland judiciary case search records. He is, however, not been named as a suspect, or accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the homicide inquiry. “Right now detectives continue to work the case as aggressively as they possibly can and we will leave no stone unturned,” Sheriff Gahler told reporters. “I hope that changes in the coming hours, but at this point in time, there is not a suspect.” Read More Rachel Morin – update: Boyfriend of missing mother-of-five speaks out as homicide probe launched Rachel Morin was found dead on a popular Maryland hiking trail. Her sister says she ‘did not go willingly’ Homicide investigation launched as body found after mother-of-five vanished on Maryland hiking trail

At least eight people have died after two Russian missiles hit a residential building in east Ukraine, on the same day Vladimir Putin has ordered the state-owned defence conglomerate to produce more attack drones. Five people, including four civilians and one emergency official, were killed after the rockets hit an apartment complex in the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region on Monday, Ukrainian interior minister Ihor Klymenko said. At least 31 more have been injured, as videos from outside the building show emergency services rescuing people trapped under the rubble and treating the wounded. Writing on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky vowed “Russia will be held accountable for everything it has done in this terrible war”. It came as the UK’s Foreign Office told The Independent it was reviewing its sanctions on Russia after a dramatic intervention from Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska condemning loopholes that allow Moscow to fund its invasion. Speaking to Independent TV from Kyiv’s presidential compound, Ms Zelenska called for an urgent crackdown on such trade to strangle Moscow’s funds. Read More Chris Christie gifted Zelensky handwritten Jon Bon Jovi lyrics Moment Russian drone nearly hits Ukrainian evacuation car Russia blasts Saudi Arabia talks on ending war in Ukraine after Moscow gets no invitation to attend

Ohio concludes a hastily called and highly charged special election Tuesday, a contest that could determine the fate of abortion rights in the state and fuel political playbooks nationally heading into 2024. On the ballot is Issue 1, a proposal to raise the threshold for passing future changes to the state's constitution from a simple majority to 60%. But more passionately in the sights of the proposal's backers — including Republican officeholders — is a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that calls for enshrining access to reproductive care in the state's foundational document. The measure was clearly resonating with voters, who turned out in huge numbers during the early voting period, which ended Sunday. The number of advance ballots cast — a combination of mail and early in-person ballots — hit nearly 700,000, more than double the early vote during the state's two previous midterm primary elections in 2022 and 2018. Ohio's August elections have historically focused on local issues and been plagued with chronically low turnout. The Republican lawmakers who backed Issue 1 maintained that the measure was not about thwarting the fall abortion amendment, despite reinstating an August special election just like the ones they had only recently voted to eliminate. Raising the bar for passing citizen-led constitutional amendments could make it difficult, if not impossible, for the fall proposal to succeed, based on polling figures. Voters in several states, even deeply conservative ones, have affirmed abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, though usually with less than 60% of the vote. AP VoteCast polling last year found that 59% of Ohio voters say abortion should generally be legal. Out-of-state money has poured into both sides of the contest over the 60% threshold, even as both supporters and opponents say one of their main goals is to keep special interests from having more influence over state policy than average Ohioans. The campaign in favor of Issue 1, Protect Our Constitution, has told voters that raising the threshold will keep deep-pocketed interest groups from pushing redistricting, gun control and minimum wage policies on Ohio. One Person One Vote, the opposition campaign, argues that raising the threshold for passing future amendments would prioritize the interests of Ohio's increasingly conservative GOP supermajority at the statehouse over those of everyday voters. But abortion rights are at the epicenter of the fight, as Ohio and other states have been given control of their own abortion policies following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade last summer. Ohio's ban on most abortions had been placed on hold under Roe and then allowed to take effect briefly after the court overturned it. Since then, it has been frozen again while a challenge alleging it violates the state constitution plays out. The abortion amendment would give individuals the right to make their own reproductive health care decisions, including on contraception, fertility treatment, abortion and miscarriage care, until a fetus is viable outside the womb. At the same time, a broad bipartisan coalition opposes Issue 1 for other reasons. Former Ohio governors and attorneys general of both parties have come out against the constitutional change, calling it poor public policy. If passed it would reverse 111 years of direct democracy that has the potential to affect future citizen-led ballot efforts. Protect Women Ohio, the campaign against the fall abortion question, has spent millions on the August election — airing ads suggesting the measure not only codifies abortion, but could pressure children into receiving gender-affirming care and undercut parental rights. Several legal experts have said there is no language in the amendment supporting the ads' claims, but it follows a pattern through this election cycle of misinformation and fear-mongering being used to sway voters. Issue 1 opponents have aired ads and mobilized a large coalition, including voting rights, labor, faith and community groups, as well as the state Democratic Party. It was because of chronically low turnout that lawmakers voted just last year to scrap summer elections, prompting an unsuccessful lawsuit alleging this year's August special election violated the new law and calling further into question if it was brought back solely to thwart abortion rights for Ohioans. ___ The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Samantha Hendrickson is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. 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