Almost two years ago, one of Josh Rinder, of Aiken, and his daughter Audrey's dance videos was shown on the "Today" show.

Today, the daddy-daughter duo are heading to New York City to appear on the news-talk show.

"One of the producers messaged me on YouTube and said that she was working on a Daddy-Daughter Dance Off segment. She asked if we would be interested in participating, so of course I said, 'Yes!,'" Rinder said.

The segment will be filmed live Wednesday, according to Rinder.

The pair are competing against two other daddy-daughter teams.

"All I know is that they are going to play 20 second clips from different genres of music. They won't be actual well-known songs but songs that sound like them," Rinder said.

The teams will take turns dancing, and a panel of judges will pick the winner.

The prize will be for the winning team to stay in New York City until Friday and attend a Nick Jonas concert.

If the two don't win, they'll be sent home Wednesday, according to Rinder.

"Yeah, but it will still be fine because we still got to go to New York City," Audrey exclaimed in a video her dad posted on his Facebook.

Rinder's wife, Elizabeth, will be joining her husband and daughter.

"None of us have ever been, so we are excited," Josh said.

In 2014, the "Today" show aired Josh and Audrey's video to Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off."

Last month, the two got a social media shoutout from Justin Timberlake for their video to Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling."

To hear Josh and Audrey's announcement, visit www.bit.ly/1TVLurZ.

The "Today" show is a NBC program that airs at 7 a.m. every day but Sunday.

Stephanie Turner graduated from Valdosta State University in 2012. She then signed on with the Aiken Standard, where she is now the features reporter.

LOS ANGELES - Striding into history, Hillary Clinton will become the first woman to top the presidential ticket of a major U.S. political party, capturing commitments Monday from the number of delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination.

Clinton's rise to presumptive nominee arrived nearly eight years to the day after she conceded her first White House campaign to Barack Obama. Back then, she famously noted her inability to "shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling."

Campaigning this time as the loyal successor to the nation's first black president, Clinton held off a surprisingly strong challenge from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. He mobilized millions with a fervently liberal message and his insurgent candidacy revealed a deep level of national frustration with politics-as-usual, even among Democrats who have controlled the White House since 2009.

Clinton, the former secretary of state, New York senator and first lady, reached the 2,383 delegates needed to become the presumptive Democratic nominee Monday with a decisive weekend victory in Puerto Rico and a burst of last-minute support from superdelegates. Those are party officials and officeholders, many of them eager to wrap up the primary amid preference polls showing her in a tightening race with presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.

Campaigning in California on Monday night, Clinton said she was on the brink of a "historic, unprecedented moment." But she said there was still work to be done in six states voting today and made little mention of her claim on the nomination.

"We're going to fight hard for every single vote," Clinton said during a rally in Long Beach.

Clinton has 1,812 pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses. She also has the support of 571 superdelegates, according to an Associated Press count.

The AP surveyed all 714 superdelegates repeatedly in the past seven months, and only 95 remain publicly uncommitted.

Sanders' campaign said it was a "rush to judgment" to declare Clinton the presumptive nominee given that superdelegates can switch their support before the Democratic convention in late July.

"Our job from now until the convention is to convince those superdelegates that Bernie is by far the strongest candidate against Donald Trump," said Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs.

The superdelegates counted in Clinton's tally have unequivocally told the AP they will do so.

"We really need to bring a close to this primary process and get on to defeating Donald Trump," said Nancy Worley, a superdelegate who chairs Alabama's Democratic Party and provided one of the last endorsements to put Clinton over the top.

Clinton outpaced Sanders in winning new superdelegate endorsements even after his string of primary and caucus wins in May. Following the results in Puerto Rico, it is no longer possible for Sanders to reach the 2,383 needed to win the nomination based on the remaining available pledged delegates and uncommitted superdelegates.

Sanders said this past weekend he plans to fight on until the convention, promising to make the case to superdelegates that he is better positioned to beat Trump in November. But since the start of the AP's survey in late 2015, no superdelegates have switched from supporting Clinton to backing Sanders.

Indeed, Clinton's victory is broadly decisive. She leads Sanders by more than 3 million cast votes, by 291 pledged delegates and by 523 superdelegates. She won 29 caucuses and primaries to his 21 victories.

That's a far bigger margin than Obama had in 2008, when he led Clinton by 131 pledged delegates and 105 superdelegates at the point he clinched the nomination.

Echoing the sentiments of California Gov. Jerry Brown, who overcame a decades-long rivalry with the Clinton family to endorse her last week, many superdelegates expressed a desire to close ranks around a nominee who could defeat Trump in November.

"It's time to stand behind our presumptive candidate," said Michael Brown, one of two superdelegates from the District of Columbia who came forward in the past week to back Clinton before the city's June 14 primary. "We shouldn't be acting like we are undecided when the people of America have spoken."

Though she marched into her second presidential primary campaign as an overwhelming favorite, Clinton could not shake Sanders until its final days. He campaigned aggressively in California ahead of the state's Tuesday election, unwilling to exit a race Clinton stood on the cusp of winning.

Beyond winning over millions of Sanders supporters who vow to remain loyal to the self-described democratic socialist, Clinton faces challenges as she turns toward November, including criticism of her decision to use a private email server run from her New York home while serving as secretary of state. Her deep unpopularity among Republicans has pushed many leery of Trump to nevertheless embrace his campaign.

"This to me is about saving the country and preventing a third progressive, liberal term, which is what a Clinton presidency would do," House Speaker Paul Ryan told the AP last week after he finally endorsed Trump, weeks after the New Yorker clinched the GOP nomination.

Yet Clinton showed no signs of limping into the general election as she approached the milestone, leaving Sanders behind and focusing on lacerating Trump. She said electing the billionaire businessman, who has spent months hitting her and her husband with bitingly personal attacks, would be a "historic mistake."

"He is not just unprepared. He is temperamentally unfit to hold an office that requires knowledge, stability and immense responsibility," Clinton said last week in a speech that was striking in its forcefulness, previewing a brutal five-month general election campaign to come.

Even without the nomination, Sanders can claim ideological victory. His liberal positions pushed the issue of income inequality into the spotlight and drove Clinton to the left on issues such as trade, Wall Street and campaign finance reform.

But she prevailed, in part, by claiming much of the coalition that boosted Obama. She won overwhelming support from women and minorities, catapulting her to decisive victories in diverse, delegate-rich states such as New York and Texas.

When Clinton launched her campaign last April, she did so largely unopposed, having scared off more formidable challengers by locking down much of the party's organizational and fundraising infrastructure. Vice President Joe Biden, seen as her most threatening rival, opted not to run in October.

Of the four opponents who did take her on, Sanders was the only one who emerged to provide a serious challenge. He caught fire among young voters and independents, his campaign gaining momentum from a narrow loss in Iowa in February and a commanding victory in New Hampshire. His ability to raise vast sums of money online gave him the resources to continue into the spring.

But Clinton vowed not to repeat the failings of her 2008 campaign and focused early on winning delegates, hiring help from Obama's old team before launching her campaign. They pushed superdelegates into making early commitments and held campaign appearances in areas where they could win the most pledged delegates.

Her victory in Nevada in late February diminished concerns from allies about her campaign operation. Decisive wins in Southern states on Super Tuesday and a sweep of March 15 contests gave her a significant delegate lead, which became insurmountable by the end of April after big victories in New York and in the Northeast.

She now moves on to face Trump, whose ascent to the top of the Republican Party few expected. The brash real estate mogul and reality TV star has long since turned his attention from primary foes to Clinton, debuting a nickname -- "Crooked Hillary" -- and arguing she belongs in jail for her email setup.

After a long primary campaign, Clinton said this past weekend in California she was ready to accept his challenge.

"We're judged by our words and our deeds, not our race, not our ethnicity, not our religion," she said Saturday in Oxnard, California. "So it is time to judge Donald Trump by his words and his deeds. And I believe that his words and his deeds disqualify him from being president of the United States."

------

Associated Press writers Julie Bykowicz in Washington and Ken Thomas in San Francisco contributed to this report.

NORTH AUGUSTA - Farmers markets and food trucks took a step forward, but not after some debate.

Following recommendations from the Planning Commission, North Augusta City Council voted to approve on first and second readings ordinances for the Georgia Avenue overlay district, as well as farmers markets and food trucks.

Regarding the overlay district, Council passed the ordinances unanimously on first and second readings with only minor amendments. The North Augusta overlay district encompasses Georgia Avenue between the municipal center and the churches.

Councilman Fletcher Dickert showed some hesitations, however, suggesting the plan didn't encompass enough of the downtown area.

"I'm very scared that what we're going to do tonight and next meeting is pass this, check the box and pat ourselves on the back," Dickert said. "But we've missed the bigger picture in trying to craft a vision for our downtown ... Again, I think this is a great step forward and I will gladly support this because I think it is a step in the right direction, but I don't want us to settle for this."

Council members also debated standards for farmers markets and food trucks.

Food trucks gobbled up nearly all of an hourlong study session preceding the regular Council meeting.

Dickert thought several proposed regulations amounted to an overreach, including provisos keeping food trucks 15 feet from sidewalks and requiring operators to submit a minor site plan. The provisos were removed prior to first and second readings.

"These are people who are trying to start a business, who are trying to put their foot in the door," Dickert said. "I feel like we're pounding regulation and getting five different approvals. I think we're making it too difficult."

He also objected to a provision prohibiting food trucks in residential areas, noting most churches are zoned residential. North Augusta Mayor Lark Jones said, though, some communities may frown on food trucks, especially ones governed by HOAs.

"I have a problem putting some food trucks in residential," Jones said. "If I endorse this, we're going to have people think they can go into Hammond's Ferry with a food truck."

Regarding farmers markets, Council voted to eliminate the one-half acre restriction on food markets.

In other business, Council passed a resolution to designate Southern Bank & Trust as the financial institution and TSYS Merchant Solutions as the merchant service provider for the City.

Mayor Jones opened Monday's City Council meeting with a moment of silence in memory of those who were killed on D-Day and in recognition of all those who have fought and are currently fighting for the United States.

Jones also proclaimed June 2016 as Scoliosis Early Detection Awareness Month to help promote public attention to the disease, which has no known cure.

Michael Smith, executive editor of the Aiken Standard and North Augusta Star, contributed to this report.

A jury was picked and the trial began in an Aiken County courtroom Monday for an Aiken teen charged with attempted murder in connection with a 2015 attempted armed robbery at a Dollar General on Richland Avenue.

Antonio De'Vonte Jackson, 18, pleaded not guilty last week to the charges of attempted murder, attempted armed robbery, unlawful carrying of a pistol, possession of a pistol by a person underage and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to jail records.

Jackson was offered a plea deal May 31, but he refused.

The trial began Monday with opening statements from state prosecutors and the defense.

Jackson's attorney spoke directly to the jury saying, "(Jackson) stays innocent unless you all, the jury, find beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty."

The state then brought forward its first witness, Brandon Spann, to the stand. He was the Dollar General employee the suspect attempted to rob and shoot on the evening of Jan. 18, 2015.

Spann explained to the court Monday that while working on the night of the incident, a black male wearing a camouflage hoodie and black mask over his face ran into the store with a semi-automatic pistol around 8:20 p.m., demanding the money from the register.

Spann said since he was not a manager he couldn't get the register open.

"He (the suspect) started moving back, and I started moving back, then he shot at me," Spann said.

Spann said after the suspect fired the shot and missed, he fled the scene.

State prosecutors explained how Aiken Department of Public Safety officers were called to the scene following the incident. The Aiken Bloodhound Tracking Team also responded, and they tracked down Jackson who was hiding in some nearby bushes.

Prosecutors said Jackson was found in a camouflage hoodie with a semi-automatic pistol.

The trial will continue today.

Jackson will continue to be held at the Aiken County detention center.

Tripp Girardeau is the crime and courts reporter with the Aiken Standard.

Aiken City Council has a lot on its plate with the 2016-17 budget deadline drawing near - the first and second votes, plus the public hearing to officially pass the new budget, plus finalizing designs of the Eustis Park Senior/Youth Center and Phase 1 of the Northside Park.

During a Monday night special meeting and work session, Council approved the first of two votes regarding the 2016-17 budget and finalized designs for both Eustis and Northside parks. Council also set the workshop schedule to finish out the budget approval process.

"We want to approve this budget for the first reading with the understanding that we do have four workshops scheduled in the coming week, plus the second reading during our June 20 meeting," said City Manager John Klimm. "We've already had several workshops in May dealing with details of the budget, and we will continue to work hard to draft a budget the City can work with moving forward."

Budget workshops are scheduled for Friday of this week, and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

The first of two votes passed by a 5-1 vote, with Council members Reggie Ebner, Dick Dewar, Gail Diggs, Lessie Price and Mayor Rick Osbon voting in favor of the budget with Council member Philip Merry voting against it.

Council finalized the proposed plans for the Eustis Park Senior/Youth Center and Northside Park during a work session following the special meeting of Council.

Eustis and Northside park plans discussed

Council heard presentations regarding the Eustis Park Senior/Youth Center from Cam Scott, of Cheatham Fletcher Scott Architects of Augusta, and from Patrick Graham, of CHA, detailing a final recommendation of Phase 1 of the Northside Park.

Scott presented three building configurations for Council to review. Which rendering Council approves depends on whether Helping Hands and the Council on Aging is a part of the proposed Senior/Youth Center.

The approximate 20,400 square foot building includes a community hall with a stage, and several meeting rooms with 225 outdoor parking spaces.

"It's a great flexible space with a community lobby with several meeting rooms included that can be created using movable partitions," Scott said.

Three building options presented

The main banquet hall can accommodate up to 425 people, depending on how the main hall is configured for dining.

"Circular banquet tables can accommodate up to 350 people, and the long rectangular tables can accommodate up to 420 to 425 people," said Scott. "There is also a full service kitchen in Configuration A, several meeting rooms, a stage in the main banquet hall that can be converted into a meeting or activities room."

The first configuration includes 2,100 square feet of space each allocated for Helping Hands and the Council on Aging.

"We know for sure that Helping Hands is on board with this project," said Klimm. "The Council on Aging is still up in the air at this point, but we have had a terrific relationship with them throughout this process and we look forward to working with them as this project develops.

Scott presented two additional options for Council to consider.

Option B contained similar square footage and rearranged amenities, but instead faced Morgan Street.

"Rooms remain the same, and parking remains the same, it's just configured to open onto Morgan Street," Scott said.

Option C comes with less square footage and a decrease in meeting and activities rooms, eliminating the full service kitchen.

"The City doesn't need to put itself in the position to maintain a full service kitchen," Klimm said.

Scott will return a revised revision to the City for consideration in order to be voted for approval during the June 27 City Council meeting.

"If the Council of Aging is not a player and the kitchen comes out, the cost per square foot definitely comes down," Scott said. "The kitchen itself would cost about $250,000. What we're trying to do is build an acceptable building for you all to use."

Klimm said once construction on the Senior/Youth Center is complete, a complete face-lift of Eustis Park would be in order

"It would be very nice after building this wonderful community center we go ahead and renovate Eustis Park," he said. "It needs a face lift."

Northside Park moving forward

With Phase 1 of the Northside Park design, it came down to what Council wanted as its primary amenity, lots of green space, or a signature attraction venue in the amphitheater.

Council members Gail Diggs and Lessie Price remain convinced if the City were to build something nice, people would come.

"The amphitheater can be a centerpiece attraction for the north side and Northside Park," Diggs said. "There is no other venue like this in Aiken County."

Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Director Jennifer Campbell said, if the City built a venue like the amphitheater, her department would have no problem scheduling events.

"We wouldn't have any problem scheduling shows or concerts to come here," she said. "There is bench seating for 3,000 plus additional lawn seating. We would have no problem with keeping the amphitheater calendar full."

Council member Philip Merry said he wanted the Phase 1 design to be more than just scheduled events and shows.

"That's what I've been concerned about, that the property be used for more than just shows," Merry said. "As long as there is a place for people to go play, I'm fine with what we do."

Mayor Rick Osbon would like to see an opportunity for unprogrammed play at Northside Park, play that is unique to this park.

"I want to see play at this park that isn't done at other parks," he said.

Campbell said the picnic pavilion would be the largest such structure in Aiken County.

"There would be no other such facility like it," she said. "We would have no difficulty scheduling reunions or other family events here."

Should the City approve the final design by its June 27 meeting, it would take six months to have construction documents prepared to put out for bid, Graham said.

"By the end of the year we could be ready to begin construction on Phase 1 of Northside Park," he said.

It would take approximately six to eight months to finish Phase 1, Graham said.

"Remember that," Klimm said. "By July 4 of next year we could have Phase 1 built."

Diggs said the north side deserves something nice like this park.

"You aren't going to have people wanting to come to the north side until you build something nice here for them to come to," she said.

Millage rate set

In other business, Council approved the first of two votes and a public hearing to set the city's millage rate, or property tax rate, for fiscal year 2016-17. The city is prepared to continue with the current millage rate of 62 mills, according to agenda documents. However, after reassessment figures are provided, the city will need to adjust its property tax rate. Council also will hold the first of two votes to adopt the 2016-17 budget.

Dan Brown is the city government reporter for the Aiken Standard.

Ahead of the threat of rain on Monday, Aiken County officials and Autoneum executives were able to find a swatch of blue sky and turn a few spades of dirt to break ground on its new facility at the company's automotive manufacturing plant on Powderhouse Road.

The plant expansion could bring 41 new jobs and invest approximately $35.5 million into Aiken County's economy, officials said.

Autoneum North America, a producer and developer of automotive components and systems for noise and heat protection, is looking to expand its Aiken operations. The company is headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, and operates 50 production sites including Aiken.

Aiken County Council Chairman Ronnie Young said Autoneum made the right choice in choosing Aiken County.

"We know Autoneum had other locations they could have chosen, but we are grateful they chose to expand here in Aiken County." said Young.

Aiken's Economic Development Partnership President and CEO Will Williams said Aiken is grateful for Autoneum's local investment.

"Autoneum is the global leader in supplying acoustic and thermal management to the automotive industry," he said. "We appreciate their investment in our community."

Bob Lipka, Chief Operating Officer for Autoneum North America said his company is pleased to make an investment in Aiken.

"Today marks a milestone for the Aiken facility, which has been in existence since 1980," Lipka said. "This $35 million investment in new equipment and infrastructure will triple the size of the existing building and create approximately 40 jobs.

"Autoneum is pleased to make this investment, which will further support our customer base while adding valuable jobs to the local community and securing the future for our existing workforce," Lipka said.

Dan Brown is the city government reporter for the Aiken Standard.

TAMPA, Fla. - Tropical Storm Colin seems to be bypassing South Carolina.

No rain was reported early Tuesday across the state, although earlier rain has brought the usual street flooding in downtown Charleston.

The National Weather Service still has a tropical storm warning in effect for the entire coast, although winds are expected to be only around 15 to 25 mph, with occasional gusts up to 35 mph. Forecasters say no additional rain is expected.

No injuries have been reported.

Transportation Department officials say parts of nine roads are closed, six in Charleston County and three in Jasper County.

South Carolina Electric & Gas reported 72 customers without service Tuesday morning. Jasper County had the biggest problem with about three dozen customers without service.

Duke Energy reported only a handful of customers without service.

Meanwhile, Jack Beven, a senior hurricane specialist, at the U.S. National Hurricane Center, says 1 to 3 inches of rain are possible along the coast of North Carolina.

Events to attend on Tuesday, June 7, 2016:

- A seminar titled Owls of South Carolina will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, at Birds & Butterflies, 117 Laurens St. N.W. Carol and Larry Eldridge, who have been wildlife rehabilitators for more than 30 years, will lead the seminar. Live owls will be included in their presentation. The cost is $5 and reservations are required. For more information or to make a reservation, call 803- 649-7999.

- A Cracks in the Wall program will be held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, at the New Ellenton Branch Library, 113 Pine Hill Ave., New Ellenton. Participants will visit a crime scene, solve a mystery and create and eat a murder smoothie. This program is designed for teens ins sixth through 12th grade.

- The Aiken Writing Project will hold its Summer Institute from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 7 through 30 on the campus of USC Aiken, 471 University Parkway. Classes will meet Mondays through Thursdays. The institute is open to elementary school teachers interested in learning new strategies to improve their students' reading and writing skills. Participants also will receive a Read to Succeed endorsement. The institute is open to 20 participants, and the application deadline is Friday, June 3. For more information or to receive an application, visit @awp.usca.edu.

- The Savannah River Site Citizens Advisory Board will meet June 7 and 8 at the Community Center, 212 Pine Hill Ave., New Ellenton. On Tuesday, Nuclear Materials Committee will meet from 4:30 to 6:20 p.m. and the Waste Management Committee will meet from 6:30 to 8:20 p.m. One Wednesday, the Facilities Disposition & Site Remediation Committee will meet from 4:30 to 6:20 p.m. and the Strategic & Legacy Management Committee will meet from 6:30 to 8:20 p.m.

- Daily Grind, a rock band based in Pittsburgh, will perform at 10 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, at Soul Bar, 984 Broad St., Augusta. Admission is free.

The rain appears to have died down in Aiken County, at least for the rest of the week.

The National Weather Service expects a high today of 91 degrees, a low of 64 degrees, with partly cloudy skies.

The rest of the week is as follows:

Wednesday: High 86, low 62, sunny, zero percent chance of rain.

Thursday: High 86, low 65, sunny, zero percent chance of rain.

Friday: High 91, low 69, partly cloudy, 10 percent chance of rain.

Saturday: High 94, low 71, mostly sunny, zero percent chance of rain.

Sunday: High 96, low 71, mostly sunny, zero percent chance of rain.

CHARLESTON - A federal judge in South Carolina is scheduled to hold another hearing on the status of the case against a white man charged in the shooting deaths of nine black parishioners at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church a year ago.

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel is holding a Tuesday hearing in the case of Dylann Roof, who faces numerous federal counts, including hate crimes.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced last month that prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Roof. No trial date has been set.

Roof also faces nine murder counts in state court, where prosecutors are also seeking the death penalty in a trial set to begin in January.

The anniversary of the shooting at the church often called Mother Emanuel is next week.

Assistant high school principal accused of groping teacher

GREER - An assistant principal at a Greenville County high school has been accused of groping and fondling a teacher without consent on school grounds.

Citing a Greenville County Sheriff's Office arrest warrant, news outlets report that 46-year-old Tyrone Talbert was arrested Friday and charged with second-degree assault and battery.

Talbert works at Blue Ridge High School in Greer.

Deputies say the Greenville County school district on Thursday notified authorities about an allegation of sexual harassment and placed Talbert on administrative leave the same day.

Talbert has been employed by the school district since 2005. School district spokeswoman Elizabeth Brotherton says officials "will address his future employment in accordance with state law."

It's unclear whether Talbert has an attorney.

A little magic: Magic Johnson helping SC State raise $2.5M

ORANGEBURG - NBA great Earvin "Magic" Johnson will work with South Carolina State University to raise $2.5 million for scholarships that bear his name.

The university announced in a release Monday that the Earvin "Magic" Johnson Endowed Scholarship Fund will help students seeking business degrees at the state-supported, historically black university in Orangeburg.

Johnson spoke at the school last year and said he would work to strengthen the university. More details about the scholarship are expected to be released Saturday during a fundraising event in Washington.

The announcement comes amid a sharp increase in giving to the university. Private donations are up more than 360 percent over last year to $4.2 million while donations from alumni are up more than 80 percent to almost $975,000.

Beaufort moving equipment from site of old Union rampart

BEAUFORT - The City of Beaufort is moving construction equipment from a vacant lot near the remnants of a Union rampart from the Civil War.

The Beaufort Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1VJQjE3) that construction equipment, pipes and dirt has been stored near the site that was once a fortification known as Battery Saxton.

A 2003 survey found there were no earthworks on a little more than an acre of the land where the equipment has been stored. But historians worried that moving construction equipment in and out of the area could harm what's left of the nearby earthworks.

Mayor Billy Keyserling says the equipment will be moved to another site.

The rampart is named for Union Brig. Gen. Rufus Saxton whose troops occupied the battery for three years during the Civil War.

SAN FRANCISCO - Bernie Sanders assured his outraged supporters that he intends to win Tuesday's primary in California and beyond as Hillary Clinton secured the commitments of enough delegates to become the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Campaigning in San Francisco Monday, Sanders declined to speculate to reporters about what a poor showing in Tuesday's primaries might mean to his presidential campaign. "Let me just talk to you after the primary here in California where we hope to win. Let's assess where we are after tomorrow," he said.

Hours later, at an evening rally at Crissy Field in the Presidio, Sanders steered clear of reports from The Associated Press and multiple television networks that Clinton had reached the 2,383 delegates needed to become the presumptive Democratic nominee. She has 1,812 pledged delegates won in primaries and caucuses, and the support of 571 superdelegates.

Sanders' supporters expressed disappointment that the calls were made before California's primary and urged the senator to continue on despite the pronouncements.

"We're going to keep fighting until the last vote is counted," said Kristen Elliott, a Sanders' supporter from San Francisco who attended the rally.

Said another attendee, Patrick Bryant of San Francisco: "It's what bookies do. They call fights before they're over."

He said the campaign's job is to convince the superdelegates that the Vermont senator is "by far the strongest candidate against Donald Trump." He said calling the Democratic contest before superdelegates formally vote at the convention was a "rush to judgment."

Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs said Clinton's support was dependent upon superdelegates who could still change their minds between now and the July convention.

Sanders' tone was more subdued before reporters after saying over the weekend that the Democratic convention would be contested if no one wins the nomination based solely on delegates awarded in the primaries and caucuses. Sanders also faced new questions about the future of his campaign amid reports that President Barack Obama was readying an endorsement of Clinton.

Sanders and Clinton are competing in contests in six states on Tuesday, headlined by California, the nation's largest state, offering 475 pledged delegates. Clinton, a former New York senator, is heavily favored in Tuesday's New Jersey primary and winning a share of the state's 142 pledged delegates would likely put her over the top.

Obama, who bested Clinton in 2008 during her first bid for the Democratic nomination, is preparing to formally endorse her and start aggressively making the case against Trump. White House officials said the announcement could come within days, although not before Tuesday's elections.

Obama called Sanders on Sunday as he campaigned in California, a Democrat familiar with the call told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the private conversation, and would not reveal any details about it.

Asked by reporters in San Francisco if he had talked to Obama, Sanders demurred. "I have spoken to President Obama many, many times about many issues, and I really think it's not appropriate to talk about my discussions with the president," he said. "I try to keep that private."

Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, who has won 20 states and pushed the heavily favored Clinton for the nomination, has outlined plans to influence the party platform and try to persuade superdelegates that he would fare better than Clinton against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Sanders has previously said that Clinton should not be deemed the party's nominee because she would be relying on superdelegates - party officials and elected leaders - who do not actually vote until the Democratic National Convention.

But he did not make that case to reporters Monday, instead focusing on Tuesday's outcome. Rallying supporters at City College of San Francisco's Mission Center, Sanders said Clinton's voters were more reliable and he would need a large turnout among recently registered voters, independents and young people.

While Clinton has been in the driver's seat for the nomination for weeks, a victory by the front-runner in California would give Sanders much less leverage as he seeks to sway superdelegates.

Sanders has campaigned intensively in California for more than two weeks straight, blanketing the state with rallies and events in 34 cities aimed at talking directly to thousands of voters at a time.

He capped the day with a concert rally featuring singer Dave Matthews and then was traveling to Los Angeles on Tuesday for the primary. Sanders said he would return home to Vermont on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON - House Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday that Donald Trump made the "textbook definition of a racist comment" in saying an American-born judge isn't qualified to preside over a case because of his Mexican heritage.

"I regret those comments he made. Claiming a person can't do their job because of their race is sort of like the textbook definition of a racist comment," Ryan said at a news conference. "I think that should be absolutely disavowed. It's absolutely unacceptable."

But Ryan, who endorsed Trump only last week after a lengthy delay, went on to say: "But do I believe Hillary Clinton is the answer? No, I do not."

"I believe that we have more common ground on the policy issues of the day, and we have more likelihood of getting our policies enacted with him than we do with her," Ryan said. "But I do absolutely disavow those comments, I think they're wrong, I think they're wrongheaded, and the thinking behind it is something I don't even personally relate to."

Trump has contended that U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, who is presiding over a case alleging that Trump University fleeced students, can't judge him fairly because the judge is of Mexican heritage and Trump wants to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Trump has been questioned repeatedly about his stance but has refused to retract his comments.

Ryan made his comments at an event in a low-income neighborhood of Washington, D.C., where he was unveiling new proposals to fight poverty, the first piece in a six-plank governing agenda by the House GOP.

The focus on Trump illustrated anew the extent to which the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee can create troublesome distractions for his party. The flap over the judge is proving particularly problematic as one leading Republican after another has denounced Trump's stance.

Two men have been taken to an area hospital after law enforcement responded to a shooting incident early Tuesday in Jackson.

Members of the Jackson Police Department, the Aiken County Sheriff's Office and EMS responded at 6:43 a.m. to the 18000 block of Atomic Road in Jackson for a shooting incident, a news release said.

Upon arrival, officers found a dark in color Chevrolet Equinox located in the woods off Atomic Road, with multiple bullet holes and white paint, believed to be transferred from the suspect's vehicle.

Two men have been located and have since been transferred to an area hospital for gunshot wounds, the release said.

The investigation is ongoing.

The Aiken Standard will update this story as more information becomes available.

Wagener crafter Kay Shumpert was a child when she learned how to crochet from her grandmother.

It wasn't a craft Shumpert did regularly until her father suddenly passed away nine years ago.

Though Shumpert initially returned to the art form as a coping mechanism, she started to gradually shift her focus to a specific component - the material itself.

"I realized after a while that it wasn't so much making stuff and having the stuff as it was the process of making it was really therapeutic, and I realized more and more that I care about the feel of the fiber in my hands," she said.

In Shumpert's living room sits a handful of spinning wheels of various makes and sizes.

She uses these devices to spin items such as sheep wool into yarn.

"One of my concerns is that people think it's maintaining an old craft, which is true, but I really want to encourage people to see it as current," Shumpert said. "This is something that people do now."

She began with a drop spindle around five to six years ago and then took a class on wheel spinning. She still has her first drop spindle.

Her interest in yarn has taken a step further into actually dyeing the material.

"I'm fascinated with the process of applying the color and what the yarn does with the color and putting different colors together," she said.

Shumpert dyes protein fibers, which are produced from animals.

Her stations are currently set up in her kitchen, where she can use a crockpot or a plastic bucket to help her complete her creations.

Her hand-dyed yarn is available through her Etsy page: www.etsy.com/shop/BlueberryChickYarn.

Through Shumpert's Bede Sisters Etsy page are her handmade project bags, totes and fabric baskets.

Bede Sisters is a business she used to do with her sister-in-law.

When Shumpert was coping with the passing of her father, her sister-in-law also was grieving the loss of a close family member.

The two needed an outlet and started to create crafts together.

They found the word "bede" in a jewelry design book. Bede is an old English word for prayer.

Bede Sister's Etsy page can be found at www.etsy.com/shop/bedesisters.

Shumpert is planning to turn her family's storage building into a studio.

For more information on Shumpert and her projects, call 803-530-1444, email bedesisters@gmail.com or visit Bede Sisters' Facebook page or www.bedesisterspodcast.blogspot.com.

Stephanie Turner graduated from Valdosta State University in 2012. She then signed on with the Aiken Standard, where she is now the features reporter. She primarily covers health topics, arts and entertainment, authors and restaurants.

TAMPA, Fla. - Tropical Storm Colin continues to speed away from the southeastern United States.

The National Weather Service said Colin was about 120 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Highest winds were 60 mph. The storm itself was moving northeast at 35 mph

Forecasters said that should mean that high winds and rains should be ending soon on North Carolina's Outer Banks.

A tropical storm warning was dropped from north of Wilmington, North Carolina, to Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

The warning was still in effect from Cape Lookout to Oregon Inlet, though forecasters said that warning probably would be dropped early Tuesday afternoon.

The hurricane center said another 1 inch to 2 inches of rain could still fall along the Outer Banks.

Up to 3 more inches of rain were still possible in central Florida.

The trial for the Aiken teenager charged with the 2015 attempted robbery of a Dollar General ended abruptly Tuesday after he decided to plead guilty to his charges.

Antonio De'Vonte Jackson, 18, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, attempted armed robbery and possession of a pistol during the commission of a violent crime, according to court records.

Jackson faced up to 55 years in prison. State prosecutors made no recommendation and left the sentencing completely up to the judge Tuesday.

The judge sentenced Jackson to 20 years for the attempted murder, 20 years for attempted robbery and five years for possession of a pistol. His sentence will run concurrently.

"I'm sorry for what I did, and I'm sorry for costing the court time and money," Jackson said.

On Jan. 18, 2015, Jackson entered the Dollar General on Richland Avenue wearing a camouflage hoodie with a black handgun and demanded money from the store clerk, Brandon Spann.

Spann said in court Monday he could not open the register to give Jackson money because he was not a store manager.

After Jackson unsuccessfully obtained any money or items, he started to leave the store, but turned and fired a shot at Spann. The bullet missed Spann and Jackson fled the scene.

Aiken Department of Public Safety officers were called to the scene following the incident, along with the Aiken Bloodhound Tracking Team. They tracked down Jackson, who was found hiding in some nearby bushes in a camouflage hoodie with a semi-automatic pistol.

Investigators retrieved the bullet stuck inside of a wall inside Dollar General and recovered the shell casing from off the floor. The shell casing was matched to the gun in Jackson's possession, according to court statements.

The case was prosecuted by Second Judicial Circuit Assistant Solicitor Wilder Harte, who was assisted by Deputy Solicitor David Miller.

A surveillance video of the attempted robbery was later released to the Aiken Standard.

Tripp Girardeau is the crime and courts reporter with the Aiken Standard.

CHARLESTON - The federal death penalty trial of a white man charged in the slayings of nine members of a historic black church will be held in November, a judge said Tuesday.

Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel set Nov. 7 as the day to begin selecting jurors for the federal trial of Dylann Roof, 22, who faces numerous federal counts, including hate crimes, in the June 17 shootings at Emanuel AME Church.

Handcuffed and clad in a gray striped jumpsuit, Roof attended Tuesday's hearing but did not address the court.

In court, Roof's federal attorneys reiterated previous comments that he would be willing to plead guilty if the death penalty were not on the table.

Defense attorneys and federal prosecutors told Gergel they felt they had enough time to prepare their case. The trial is estimated to last up to six weeks. Gergel said more than 1,000 summons could possibly be issued to potential jurors throughout the state.

Roof's state trial on murder charges is scheduled for January. State prosecutors are also seeking the death penalty.

The killings reignited discussions about race relations and led to the removal of a Confederate battle flag from the South Carolina Statehouse. Roof had previously posed for photos with a rebel flag.

Due in part to problems in obtaining lethal injection drugs, no one has been executed in South Carolina since 2011. The federal government hasn't put anyone to death since 2003.

What was considered a suspicious death of an Aiken man discovered inside of his Wire Road home Tuesday morning has now been determined to be a homicide by the Aiken County Coroner's Office.

Coroner Tim Carlton identified the deceased as Nicky Cockrell, 49, of Aiken.

Cockrell was pronounced dead at his home at 12:07 p.m. Tuesday, Carlton said. Cockrell's body was discovered by a family member around 11:25 a.m., a Sheriff's Office news release said.

An autopsy is scheduled Wednesday in Newberry.

The investigation is still ongoing.

Individuals with information are asked to call the Aiken County Sheriff's Office at 803-648-6811, or Crime stoppers of the Midlands at 888-CRIME-SC (888-274-6372).

Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward up to $1,000.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

The pieces have started to fall into place for USC Aiken's men's basketball team.

Those pieces are in the form of new signees to a roster that has just one returning player - point guard Jevon Patton - from last year's 6-20 campaign. And while head coach Mark Vanderslice and his staff are tasked with bringing in what is essentially a brand-new team in their second year, doing so is far from a new challenge.

"It's a challenge," Vanderslice said, "but it's not like we haven't done this for five straight years when I was at Louisburg (Junior College)."

Vanderslice knows this can be a restless time for fans anxious to see how - and when - the roster will be overhauled completely. But he said there's a level of certainty and more peace of mind from having experience doing so at the junior college level, where this kind of roster reboot was far more common than at the four-year college level.

Six new players have signed to join Patton - and David Belfield, who returns from last year's roster to the coaching staff - with Vanderslice hoping to have the "meat and potatoes" of the roster set by the middle of July while keeping a scholarship or two available once prospects inevitably come out of nowhere to impress late in the recruiting process.

Henry Bolton - production, not potential

Bolton, a transfer from Division I Utah State, is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound point guard. He'll be one of the bigger point guards in the Peach Belt Conference, and his size and strength along with Patton's quickness give the Pacers a versatile duo at the position.

He appeared in 38 games over two years with the Aggies, during which he averaged around 9 minutes per game.

"We're looking for him to make an immediate impact, right away," Vanderslice said. "Step right on campus and do a great job. We're looking for him to be production - not potential - and that's what we're expecting out of him.

Paris Ballinger - just a winner

Ballinger, a junior-college transfer from Georgia Highlands, is a 6-foot point guard that is also capable of playing shooting guard. Vanderslice tapped into his relationship with Georgia Highlands head coach Phil Gaffney to land Ballinger, whose Chargers compiled a 63-10 record during his two years with the program.

"We wanted somebody that came from a program that I trusted from a coach that I knew put a lot of emphasis on the right things, and Paris is just a winner," Vanderslice said. " ... He's just a competitive spirit. He's just going to be on the guys that's the gasoline to your engine; he's just always going to be fueling the fire and getting everybody going."

Raheem Freeman - All-American

Freeman, a junior-college transfer from USC Salkehatchie, is a 6-3 slasher who can play the shooting guard and small forward positions. Freeman's defense-first playing style jumped out at Vanderslice, as did his capabilities as a scorer - he scored 17.7 points per game and averaged 5.1 rebounds per game. That Freeman was named an NJCAA Division I All-American didn't surprise Vanderslice - but something else did.

"We were surprised that not more people recruited him," said Vanderslice. "When we were able to get him to sign, we were ecstatic. We just thought we got a diamond in the rough at Salkehatchie that's right here within our South Carolina system anyway. Good grades, good kid, and we think he's going to be a heck of a player."

Nenad Milenkovic - the Serbian sharpshooter

Milenkovic, a 6-6 Serbian who played stateside last season in North Carolina at Concord First Assembly Academy, didn't take long to make a good impression on the USCA coaching staff.

Vanderslice was in attendance for 28-, 36- and 33-point outings from Milenkovic, a tall shooter with a high release, and figured it was time to make an offer.

"We understand that him being a scoring threat, as good as he can shoot, is really going to pose a problem I think for a lot of teams, as well," Vanderslice said.

Faison Brock - the heart and soul

Brock, a 6-6 all-purpose power forward who averaged 13.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a senior at Millbrook High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, impressed the defensive-minded Vanderslice in two ways: with how hard he plays and how he draws so many charges without having to be told to do so.

"He's just a junkyard dog that just is all over the place," Vanderslice said. "Super high motor, gets out and plays the speed that we want our guys to be a part of. He just fits our system perfectly."

Rob Hill - defender of the paint

Hill, a 6-10 center who Vanderslice said averaged a double-double in prep school in Georgia, can finish through contact on the offensive end and help the Pacers' tempo by controlling the glass.

"Defensively, we're really going to look for him to help us play at a higher speed," said Vanderslice. " ... If you can't rebound, you can't run, and Rob is really going to help us with that."

The players the Pacers have already inked represent a mix of high school seniors and Division I and junior college transfers, and that's a balance Vanderslice intends to keep moving forward as he seeks the best players to fit USCA's system.

"This is a brand new challenge that I think a lot of people are really waiting to see and are anxious to see what takes place," he said. "'This brand new team coming in; what's this going to look like?' So we're anxious to put everything together ... and get this thing rolling.

"So far, it's been going well, and I'm pretty pumped up about who we've got so far."

Kyle Dawson covers sports for the Aiken Standard. Follow him on Twitter @ItsKyleDawson.