by Chris Michael, Elena Morresi, Ali Assaf and Ryan B on (#6RWGS)
Many feel this US election cycle has been the dirtiest yet in terms of campaigning. Donald Trump has viciously attacked Kamala Harris, including questioning her racial identity and her mental resilience, and held rallies marked by racist comments, insults and dangerous threats about immigrants. But mudslinging has always beenpart of US politics. The Guardian's US politics editor in London, Chris Michael, digs into the history of personal attacks, why people feel things are getting worse and the dangers of Trump's 'nasty' tactics
In swing state Georgia, activists are urgently organizing against Trump amid a break from Democrats over GazaIt's a Saturday afternoon at Al Madina Halal market and restaurant in Norcross, Georgia, and the line is four people deep for shawarma sandwiches or leg of lamb with saffron rice and two sides.A television on the wall by a group of tables has Al Jazeera correspondents reporting from several countries on a split screen about Israel's attack on Iranian military targets the day before. Continue reading...
Election betting platforms have put Trump's chance of winning higher, and with trust in media depleting, more people are turning to themMost gamblers might want to sit out the US election. It's too close to call with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump neck and neck, according to official polls. But the former president's campaign has latched on to signs he says prove he's actually leading".In a close race, Trump and his allies claim some gambling polls", as he described them last week, put him significantly ahead of Harris. Like, 65 to 35, or something like that." Continue reading...
Davy Russell's magnificent autobiography of life as a jockey taught me a valuable lesson about gratitude and achievementToday, I'm interviewing a jockeyon my radio programme about his memoir. Being not much into horse racing, I knew next to nothing about Davy Russell until I opened his book. I'm very glad to have made his acquaintance because, in a blistering opening chapter, as well as conveying a vast amount of information about the art of riding a racehorse over jumps, he comes up with an observation about winning which applies to life as much as racing.This chapter has him describing the first of his two consecutive Grand National wins on Tiger Roll, in 2018 and 2019. From the flag to the finish, you're on that horse with him over every jump. It's all breathtaking - film from a camera on his helmet with a running commentary wouldn't convey it better - but it's just after the fourth fence that the wisdom comes: Continue reading...
A lot of households are not democracies; they're dictatorships. This may mean voter intimidation and suppressionLots of memes and tweets and posts and videos are popping up, assuring women that they can keep their votes secret from their husbands and boyfriends. The unspoken assumption is that lots of women are bullied, intimidated or controlled by their partners, specifically in straight couples when she wants to vote for Harris and he supports Trump. The messages assure these intimidated voters that they can vote in peace and privacy at a polling place. But a lot of Americans now vote by mail, which generally means they fill out their ballots at home, where that privacy may not be available.On the one hand, I'm glad there's outreach to those voters. On the other, the way these messages are framed seem to regard the grim reality that a lot of women live in fear of their spouses as a given hardly worth stating outright, let alone decrying. I get that right now we're fighting for the future of democracy in America, the public version in which rights and norms and the rule of law are preserved - as the Washington Post humor columnist Alexandra Petri put it: I am endorsing Kamala Harris for president, because I like elections and want to keep having them."Rebecca Solnit is a Guardian US columnist. She is the author of Orwell's Roses and co-editor with Thelma Young Lutunatabua of the climate anthology Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility Continue reading...
Politicians have always courted the wealthy, but Elon Musk and co represent a new kind of donor, and an unprecedented danger to democracyThe concept of elite overproduction" was developed by social scientist Peter Turchin around the turn of this century to describe something specific: too many rich people for not enough rich-person jobs. It's a byproduct of inequality: a ton of poor people, sure, but also a superfluity of the wealthy, without enough positions to house them in the influence and status to which they think themselves entitled. In a modern context, that would mean senior positions in the government and civil service, along with the top tier of finance and law, but Turchin tested the hypothesis from ancient Rome to 19th-century Britain. The names and nature of the contested jobs and titles changed; the pattern remained. Turchin predicted in 2010 that by the 2020s it would be destabilising US politics.In the UK in recent years the phrase has been repurposed in the wildest ways - to mean an excess of people at university creates unwanted activism (my precis); or, in the Economist (paraphrasing again), landslides create too many mediocre backbench MPs, who can't hope for preferment so make trouble instead. And while the second proposition might be true, the first is basic anti-intellectualism. Turchin didn't specify exactly how much wealth puts you in a situation with an overproduced elite, but he didn't mean debt-laden students; he didn't mean MPs; he meant, for brevity, billionaires or the top 1%. When a lot of your media are billionaire-owned, those media sources become endlessly inventive in taking the heat off billionaires, nipping criticism in the bud by pilfering its vocabulary and throwing it back at everyone.Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
by Jedidajah Otte and Caroline Bannock on (#6RWC9)
From abortion to international issues, people share what issues and outcome worries them as election day nearsHundreds of US voters from across the country shared with the Guardian how they are coping with the stress of the looming election, and which issues and possible outcomes make them the most anxious or concerned.Here are six of them. Continue reading...
As the business end of the regular season comes into view we looks at the contenders for the top awards so farLet's roll out the red carpet for the midseason-ish awards. A quick note, these awards are based on what has happened through eight weeks. They're not projections on how the awards race will stack up at the end of the year. Continue reading...
Ghouls in Y-fronts and ghostly bums feature in Ken Werner's vintage Halloween pictures, taken between 1976 and 1980 at San Francisco's outrageous outdoor parties Continue reading...
The Republican candidate poses the biggest threat to the continent. But we're also not prepared for a Kamala Harris winI've just returned from Washington DC, where the level of anxiety about the presidential election is sky high. Almost as high as it is in Europe. Elections in the US are by far the most influential globally and the region that will be affected most is Europe (followed by Asia Pacific). The ripples from the election on security, the economy and democracy will be felt across the continent more than in any other part of the world.Aware of this, European policymakers and pundits in Brussels and national capitals have been fretting for more than a year. But we have worried more than we have taken action. And we have focused on some possible repercussions more than others.Nathalie Tocci is a Guardian Europe columnist Continue reading...
by Chris Stein in Green Bay, Wisconsin on (#6RW86)
Republican presidential candidate in high-vis vest says 250 million Americans are not garbage' as he capitalises on latest twist in Puerto Rico debateDressing like a sanitation worker and, at one point, appearing in the cab of a garbage truck, Donald Trump sought to convince voters in battleground state Wisconsin on Wednesday that Democrats believe those who vote for him are garbage".The theatrics came in response to an apparent verbal gaffe made by Joe Biden the night before, which the president said was intended to condemn a comedian over his racist remarks at a massive rally Trump staged at New York City's Madison Square Garden over the weekend. Continue reading...
Artists including Remi Wolf, Gracie Abrams and Mumford & Sons join VP at rally briefly interrupted by Gaza protestersKamala Harris warned a crowd that time was running out at a get-out-the-vote event in Madison, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, joined by a lineup of folk and pop musicians including Remi Wolf, Gracie Abrams and Mumford & Sons.We have six days left in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime," the vice-president and Democratic nominee told the crowd, denouncing Donald Trump and issuing a dire warning about the consequences of a second Trump presidency.Don't miss important US election coverage. Get our free app and sign up for election alerts Continue reading...
Star-Ledger's owner said decision was due to rising costs, decreasing circulation and reduced demand for print copiesThe owner of New Jersey's largest newspaper says it will stop publishing a daily print version of the paper early next year, but its online version will continue.The Newark Morning Ledger Co said the decision announced Wednesday was due to rising costs, decreasing circulation and reduced demand for print copies of the Star-Ledger. Two other daily New Jersey newspapers are also expected to end their print publications in the coming months, while a fourth daily newspaper, the Jersey Journal, is expected to cease publication altogether. Continue reading...
After a comedian at a Trump rally described Puerto Rico as garbage', old resentments were fired up, as residents say it's unfair to be disfranchised in electionsDonald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally was meant to be a triumphant return to the city that made his name. Instead, the event has reheated simmering tensions on the island territory of Puerto Rico, where locals say they feel like second-class citizens, days out from a historic US election.Comments from a comedian at Trump's rally this week, describing Puerto Rico as a floating island of garbage", might have fired up local resentment against the Republican candidate, but those who live there will be unable to show their anger through the ballot box. Continue reading...
by Sam Levine in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on (#6RW3Z)
Vice-president continues to make closing argument to voters, reminding Americans of two different futures for USKamala Harris continued to make her closing argument to voters just six days before voting ends, reminding Americans in what is perhaps the most critical battleground state that two very different futures for the United States could be around the corner.We know who Donald Trump is. This is someone who is not thinking about how to make your life better," she said in remarks that lasted about half an hour to a packed crowd at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. Continue reading...
Two statues, in Philadelphia and Portland, placed behind, and next to, official nude sculptures were quickly removedIn the days leading up to the election, mysterious monuments continue to pop up in cities across the US, poking fun at candidate Donald Trump and his supporters.On Wednesday in Maja Park in Philadelphia, a large statue of Trump was propped up. Titled In Honor of a Lifetime of Sexual Assault", the monument, showing Trump smiling and holding his hand in a suggestive manner, quotes from the infamous 2005 recording - leaked in 2016 - in which Trump is heard bragging about sexually assaulting women. Continue reading...
Former FTX executive who shared Bahamas penthouse with Bankman-Fried pleaded guilty to six felony countsThe former cryptocurrency executive Nishad Singh, who once shared a $35m Bahamas penthouse with the FTX founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, was spared prison time by a judge on Wednesday for his role in the theft by his imprisoned former boss of about $8bn in customer funds from the now bankrupt exchange.The United States district judge Lewis Kaplan imposed the sentence during a hearing in Manhattan federal court. Continue reading...
Bloodied women's bodies are once more to the fore in a seasonal crop of hagsploitation filmsThis Halloween, it seems, is all about the hag". Overshadowing the axe-wielding clown in Terrifier3, a dark-web serial killer in Red Rooms and an increasingly sinister Hugh Grant in Heretic is one of the scariest creatures in the Hollywood imagination: afiftysomething woman.The Substance, written and directed by CoralieFargeat, won the prize for best screenplay at Cannes this year, but has divided critics and audiences. Streaming from 31 October, the film stars Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading star who succumbs to the lure of the substance" - a yellow syringe that promises a return to her younger, more beautiful self. After she writhes in agony, her spine splits open and a younger, entirely different woman emerges.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
Harris faces conundrum of showing deference to president while distancing herself after his garbage' commentsThe delicate dance by Kamala Harris's presidential campaign to simultaneously show deference to Joe Biden, separate herself from his presidency and thwart his ambition to campaign for her has reached a critical juncture as the 2024 election approaches its climax.The steps of the dance, which has been ongoing since Harris assumed the Democratic party nomination in August and involves efforts to shield the 81-year-old president's ego and feelings, became even more leaden overnight on Tuesday after Biden appeared to call supporters of Donald Trump garbage". Continue reading...
Prosecutors say impersonators took tests on behalf of applicants, and testing proctor was allegedly bribedFive people in Texas have been charged in connection with an alleged fraudulent teacher certification scheme, which prosecutors say was used to improperly certify hundreds of unqualified teachers to work in local school districts throughout the state.At a press conference on Monday led by the Harris county district attorney, Kim Ogg, prosecutors said the alleged scheme generated at least a million dollars and was used to certify more than 200 unqualified teachers who are currently or have previously worked in Texas public schools. Continue reading...
by Lauren Gambino and Rachel Leingang in Phoenix, Ari on (#6RVSX)
State that chose Biden in 2020 and has since sent Democrats to statewide offices could tip in either directionMark Kelly removed his sport coat and leveled with a crowd of Democrats gathered at an Indigenous-owned art collaborative in downtown Phoenix on a sweltering afternoon, days before early voting opened.In 2020, Joe Biden had won the state by just more than 10,000 votes - his narrowest margin of victory - way less than 1%", the Arizona senator stressed for emphasis. Continue reading...
False claims include that non-citizens are voting in broad numbers and attacks on the voting and counting processThe conspiracy theory that the 2020 was stolen is now mainstream on the right. Believers are undeterred by the fact that the election was free and fair and the lack of evidence of fraud. Those who seek to correct the misinformation become targets of Donald Trump and his allies. Continue reading...
Trump says Netanyahu is doing a good job and Biden is holding him back. Even on this issue, Trump is worseI understand that there are millions of Americans who disagree with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on the terrible war in Gaza. I am one of them.While Israel had a right to defend itself against the horrific Hamas terrorist attack of 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 innocent people and took 250 hostages, it did not have the right to wage an all-out war against the entire Palestinian people. Continue reading...
The Australian PM should make an early visit to Washington in the event of a Trump victory and prioritise the security and economic architecture of our region
GDP rose by 2.8% in the third quarter, short of economists' expectations of 3.1%, and driven primarily by consumer spendingThe pace of US economic growth slowed over the summer but continued its two-year expansion, according to data released on Wednesday, days before millions of voters decide whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump is best placed to lead it forward.US gross domestic product (GDP) - a broad measure of economic health - rose by 2.8% in the third quarter, short of economists' expectations of 3.1%, and down from the previous quarter's 3% reading. The increase was driven primarily by consumer spending, exports and federal government spending Continue reading...
A host of slickly marketed women's health companies are changing the way life-altering medication is accessed - and commodifying it at the same timeKarley Sciortino, a sex influencer, former Vice columnist and the founder of the blog Slutever, is known for her unfiltered writing on kink and dating (a sample advice column is titled Should I Be Double-Teamed by a Couple Twice My Age?") . On Instagram, she occasionally posts sponsored content promoting personal lubricants and vibrators: short, confessional clips shot against her bright pink bedspread.Last month, a company called Wisp approached her about promoting its emergency contraception product, which can be ordered online and delivered straight to patients' doors. The ad she wound up producing for it is almost indistinguishable from her vibrator content, featuring Sciortino sprawled on her bed in hot-pink lipstick, recalling her visits to judgmental doctors to get Plan B as a teen. Sometimes they'd be like: Why do you need it?' And it's like: Take a wild guess, bro,'" she jokes. Continue reading...
Larry Savage was participating in a test of the voting system in Madison county when police say he took two ballotsA Republican former congressional candidate was charged with stealing ballots during a test of a voting system in Madison county, Indiana, state police said on Tuesday.During the test on 3 October, which involved four voting machines and 136 candidate ballots marked for testing, officials discovered that two ballots were missing, according to the Indiana state police. Continue reading...
VP addresses crowd from site of Trump's speech before deadly January 6 attack. Plus, a lost Maya city is foundGood morning.With the White House illuminated behind her, Kamala Harris asked the vanishing slice of undecided Americans to elect a new generation of leadership", likening Donald Trump to a petty tyrant" and recalling how he had stood in the very same spot nearly four years ago and, in a last-gasp effort to cling to power, helped incite the mob that stormed the US Capitol.What was the focus of Harris's speech? The Democratic nominee's big speech mentioned Trump by name 24 times and Joe Biden only once. It confirmed that, even when Trump is not commander-in-chief, he still commands the American psyche.Sorry, who did you mean to condemn? Responding to the Trump rally opener calling Puerto Rico an island of garbage", Joe Biden got into hot water himself: The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters' ... his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it's un-American. It's totally contrary to everything we've done, everything we've been." The president later clarified that he had been condemning the demonization of Latinos, not calling Trump supporters garbage. The Trump rally on Sunday in New York had opened with a series of racist remarks about Puerto Rico, Latinos, Jews and Palestinians.Why did South Carolina pause executions for 13 years? Faced with growing backlash, pharmaceutical companies stopped selling lethal injection drugs to the state, but last year South Carolina passed a shield law to conceal the identity of suppliers. Continue reading...
This presidential election may come down to one question: whether Americans feel stress about their budgetsThis story is co-published with and supported by the journalism non-profit the Economic Hardship Reporting ProjectThis election may well come down to one critical question: whether voters feel like they are better off now than they were four years ago. Although experts say important economic metrics are doing well or trending in a positive direction, some Americans may not feel it when they stress about their tight budget. Continue reading...
Eighth district could determine the balance of Congress, but mis- and disinformation has been rapidly proliferatingWhen Yadira Caraveo, a Democratic party member, won the race to represent Colorado's eighth district in the House of Representatives in 2022, she eked out a victory, winning by the narrowest margin of any Democrat in the country. This November, Caraveo is facing yet another close race - one that could determine the balance of Congress.In a district where nearly 40% of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, the community will be decisive in crowning a winner. The battle for their votes is mostly playing out not on TV or in town halls, but on social media and local radio. Continue reading...
The South African-born multibillionaire almost certainly worked in the US without correct authorisation - just another enterprising expat' operating in a legal grey area'When is an illegal immigrant not an illegal immigrant? When they're a privileged white person, of course. In that case the correct classification is enterprising expat" operating in a legal grey area".No prizes for guessing who I'm referencing here. Yep, it's America's most irritating immigrant: Elon Musk. Over the years, the South African-born multibillionaire has amplified numerous anti-immigrant conspiracy theories and declared: We should also not be allowing people in the country if they're breaking the law." Which is interesting, because the Washington Post reported on Saturday that Musk almost certainly worked in the US without correct authorisation in 1995 after he dropped out of Stanford to launch a startup called Zip2.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
Ricardo Rossello - no stranger to political fallout himself - says Trump must address offensive jokes with full force'Puerto Rico's former governor Ricardo Rossello has been closely watching the fallout from the racist comments made during Donald Trump's campaign rally on Sunday.As someone involved in politics for much of his life, Rossello - who has historically supported the Democratic party - heard reactions from both Republican colleagues and previously ambivalent voters. Continue reading...
Despite his claims to the contrary, unemployment is low, inflation is way down, and job growth is remarkably strongIf Donald Trump wins next week's election, it would be the first time in US history that a candidate wins based on such a huge lie - his falsehood that we have the worst economy ever". The former president's Big Lie has distorted the views of millions of Americans, wrongly convincing many that the US economy is in bad shape.There's no denying that many Americans are struggling economically and that inflation was painfully high back in 2022, but inflation is far lower now, and most economists agree that our economy is strong. The unemployment rate is low, inflation is way down, economic growth is solid, and job growth has been remarkably strong. Indeed, the country has added nearly 18m jobs - a record - under the Biden-Harris administration. Not only that, median household income has climbed to $80,610, higher than it was in Trump's last year in office. Continue reading...
Owners are finally taking their teams more seriously, and the hunt for better talent is reflective of a surge in income, publicity and fansWhen news broke on Monday that the Connecticut Sun had parted ways with coach Stephanie White after two seasons, it became clear that something was afoot in the WNBA.In a little over a month, seven teams - the Sun, Los Angeles Sparks, Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics - have fired or parted ways" with their coaches. Four teams (the Mystics, Fever, Dream, and the Las Vegas Aces) also parted ways with their GMs over the same period. Continue reading...
Fox's big-money signing displayed an ill-judged use of language, while the battle for the NFC West is heating upDetroit's offense (defense TBD) Continue reading...
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