Prince and Princess of Wales meet with families of dance class stabbing attack

LONDON (AP) — Prince William and the Princess of Wales on Thursday carried out their first joint public engagement since the end of Kate’s chemotherapy by meeting the bereaved parents of victims of a stabbing rampage in the seaside town of Southport.

The royal couple spent 90 minutes meeting privately with the families of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, who were killed at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29. They also met with their teacher.

The couple later met with emergency workers at a community center, and told them how much their efforts had helped the families of the victims.

“I can’t underestimate how grateful they all are for the support you provided on the day,'' Kate said. “On behalf of them, thank you.”

William and Kate sat beside each other on a bench and listened to their stories. Once the cameras left, Kate offered a hug to responders who were struggling to express their feelings.

“You’re all heroes,'' William said. "Please make sure you look after yourselves, please take your time, don’t rush back to work.”

The Princess of Wales revealed in March that she was undergoing treatment for cancer, in a stunning announcement that followed weeks of speculation about her health and whereabouts.

The princess disclosed her condition in a video message that followed relentless speculation on social media that began when she was hospitalized for unspecified abdominal surgery in January.

In a recent video, Kate said she had completed chemotherapy, and planned to slowly return to public duties, “undertaking a few more public appearances” in the coming months.

But she acknowledged that the path to recovery would be long and she would “take each day as it comes.”

Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/royalty

Britain's Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, meet a critical paramedic during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year in Southport, England, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Danny Lawson, Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, meet members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year in Southport, England, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Danny Lawson, Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, speak to members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year in Southport, England, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Danny Lawson, Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, arrive to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year in Southport, England, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Danny Lawson, Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, arrives to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year in Southport, England, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Danny Lawson, Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, smiles as she meets rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year in Southport, England, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Danny Lawson, Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, smiles as she meets rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year in Southport, England, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Danny Lawson, Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, meets rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year in Southport, England, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Danny Lawson, Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, speak to members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year, in Southport, England, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Danny Lawson, Pool Photo via AP)

As Florida grapples with the effects of Hurricane Milton, presidential campaigning remains in full swing in battleground states across the U.S.

Vice President Kamala Harris will attend a Univision town hall in Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon before going to an evening rally in Phoenix while remaining in close contact with the White House and monitoring federal disaster response efforts.

Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, will speak at the Economic Club of Detroit after holding rallies in Pennsylvania on Wednesday.

Even amid the hurricane, however, both the Harris and Trump campaigns are using their travel strategically, trying to increase support with key voting blocs who could decide an election expected to be exceedingly close.

Former President Barack Obama is also hitting the campaign trail on Thursday night, making his first appearance for Harris at a rally in Pittsburgh. That begins what the Harris campaign says will be a series of campaign stops Obama will make on the vice president’s behalf.

Follow the AP’s Election 2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Here’s the latest:

Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to CNN town hall on Oct. 23 in Pennsylvania, her campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a Thursday statement.

It comes after former President Donald Trump ruled out another debate with Harris after their first head-to-head contest last month. Harris had called for Trump to face her once more before polls close.

“Donald Trump’s refusal to join Vice President Harris on the debate stage again is a disservice to the American people, O’Malley Dillon said in a statement. "They deserve to see the candidates side-by-side one more time before casting their ballots for one last look at their vastly different visions for America. After backing out of 60 Minutes and doing 27 straight interviews with conservative media, unfortunately it is clear Trump would rather cocoon himself in safe spaces and avoid real questions about his harmful plans and failed divisive leadership.”

Donald Trump says CBS should lose its broadcast license over the way “60 Minutes” edited its interview with Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this week.

Trump, in a post on his social media site, accused the network of perpetrating a “giant Fake News Scam” after different CBS shows, “60 Minutes” and “Face the Nation,” depicted Harris giving different answers, an apparent result of editing.

“TAKE AWAY THE CBS LICENSE. Election Interference,” Trump railed. “She is a Moron, and the Fake News Media wants to hide that fact.”

CBS has not responded to questions about the apparent discrepancies.

This is not the first time Trump has threatened to go after a network’s license.

He has said ABC deserved to lose theirs after they moderated his debate with Harris, and has previously threatened NBC and CNN for reporting he didn’t like.

The Harris campaign openly challenged Trump’s economic record ahead of the Republican nominee’s Thursday speech in Detroit, part of a broader effort to chip away at the former president’s credibility.

On a call with reporters organized by the campaign, Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, called Trump the “job-killer-in-chief.” Despite Trump’s promises to bring back factory jobs, Fain said, “The reality is Trump never brought back squat.”

Back in 2000, Michigan had nearly 900,000 factory jobs. That number nearly halved after the 2008 financial crisis, only to then slowly recover 633,900 jobs in 2018. But factory work in Michigan began to slump in 2019 and then plunged during the pandemic, all during Trump’s term. Labor Department data show that manufacturing work in the state still hasn’t fully recovered with there being 604,800 jobs in the sector as of August.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Santander Arena, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Reading, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two at LaGuardia International Airport, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)