SEN. JOE MANCHIN (Flickr/Third Way Think Tank)/

In what might be a prelude to the announcement of a third-party presidential bid, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) announced on Tuesday that he would not be a candidate for re-election in 2024.

Manchin, a moderate popular in a red state, may be damaging Democrats’ chances of maintaining their slim majority in the U.S. Senate. But his announcement fueled speculation that he would might launch an independent campaign for president in an effort to stop Donald Trump from becoming president.

Manchin said that if Trump wins a second term in the White House, “he will destroy democracy in America.”

He added that he didn’t want to act a “spoiler” but would do tso to save America. Recent polls suggest that Manchin would draw more votes from Trump than from President Joe Biden.

The aftermath of US-China meeting

While acknowledging “real differences with Beijing,” U.S. President Joe Biden lauded some advancements intended to reduce tensions between the two nations.

Biden, speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in San Francisco, said that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to resume military-to-military communications in order to “reduce the risk of miscalculation.”

Biden mentioned that America’s strong economy was not getting him good numbers in polling. “I know there’s a disconnect between the numbers and how people feel about their place in the world right now,” he said, but vowed to “deal” with that perception.

Santos won’t run again for House seat

Rep. George Santos (R-New York) announced on Thursday he would not seek re-election to the House of Representatives one after the House Ethics Committee issued a report claiming he used campaign funds for personal purposes.

Santos called the report “a disgusting politicized smear” and a “grave miscarriage of justice.”

Sports: Ohtani is AL MVP again

SHOHEI OHTANI (Angels photo).

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels has been named the American League Most Valuable Player for 2023. It was his second MVP award and he was voted  to that honor unanimously.

Ohtani, who is a free agent and not expected to sign with the Angels for another season, was also the 2021 MVP.

Several teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves are said to be serious contenders for Ohtani’s contract, which is likely to be the most expensive in MLB history.

This year he batted .304, hit 44 home runs, had 95 RBIs, and as a pitcher, posted a 10-5 record for a losing team with a 3.14 earned run average.

Weather: Rain returns on Saturday

That rain on Wednesday that refreshed our lawns will be back for a brief encore. On Friday our West Orange County area will have partly cloudy skies, with a daytime high of 74 with an overnight low of 58. But on Saturday there’s an 55 percent chance of morning showers. The daytime high is predicted to be 67 with an overnight low of 56. Partly cloudy skies will resume on Sunday and continue through the coming week.