North America

Aug 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) independent experts on Wednesday narrowly voted against recommending the approval of Medtronic's (MDT.N) blood pressure treatment device, saying risks tied to using it do not outweigh the benefits.

The same panel on Tuesday voted in favor of rival ReCor's device for use in a surgery called renal denervation in patients whose high blood pressure cannot be controlled by drugs.

WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Eight contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination jockeyed for voters’ attention on Wednesday at the party’s first debate, while the front-runner Donald Trump, the former president, bypassed the event.

Here are four takeaways from the debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

NO BREAKOUT MOMENT FOR DESANTIS?

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stood at center stage, but he wasn’t at the center of the evening.

LOS ANGELES, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump, who opted out of a Republican primary debate on Fox News (FOXA.O) on Wednesday, attracted millions of viewers who watched - or at least scrolled by - a rival interview on social media platform X.

The 46-minute conversation with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson drew more than 74 million views, according to statistics on the platform formerly known as Twitter.

22 August 2023; MEMO: The suggestion that US aid to Israel is increasingly becoming a contentious political issue was highlighted further this week when a Republican presidential contender called for Israel to be weaned off the $3.8 billion it receives from America every year. Vivek Ramaswamy, a 37-year-old entrepreneur, spoke about reshaping the US relationship with Israel and suggested that Washington should leverage the recent Middle East normalisation agreements to phase out its annual aid to Isr

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Computer chip maker Nvidia has rocketed into the constellation of Big Tech’s brightest stars while riding the artificial intelligence craze that’s fueling red-hot demand for its technology.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Tropical Storm Franklin unleashed heavy floods and landslides in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday after making landfall in the country’s southern region, killing at least one person and leaving two others missing.

The storm began to slowly spin away late Wednesday afternoon from the island of Hispaniola that the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti after dumping heavy rain for several hours.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Deadly heat that has gripped Texas for much of the summer has spread into other parts of the central U.S. this week where it is forecast to stay for days, with triple-digit temperatures buckling roads, straining water systems and threatening the power grid of the nation’s energy capitol.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has approved a $500 million arms sale to Taiwan as it ramps up military assistance to the island despite fervent objections from China.

The State Department said Wednesday it had signed off on the sale of infrared search tracking systems along with related equipment for advanced F-16 fighter jets. The sale includes the infrared systems as well as test support and equipment, computer software and spare parts, it said.

ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump is set to surrender Thursday to authorities in Georgia on charges that he schemed to overturn the 2020 election in that state, a booking process expected to yield a historic first: a mug shot of a former American president.

TRABUCO CANYON, Calif. (AP) — Three people were killed and five others were wounded in a shooting Wednesday at a Southern California biker bar, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said. The shooter also died.

The shooting occurred after 7 p.m. at Cook’s Corner in rural Trabuco Canyon in Orange County, a popular longtime watering hole for motorcycle riders and enthusiasts who gather for live music, open-mic nights or just a cold beer after a long ride.

Authorities didn’t immediately share details on how the shooting unfolded or about the assailant.