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Hundreds of ballots damaged in fires that police believe are linked and vehicle involved has reportedly been identified

The Democrat's cozy chat with the vulnerability expert was largely apolitical - which could play well with a key demographicIn the quest to win over white female voters - 53% of whom showed up for Donald Trump in 2020 - Kamala Harris made her case on a podcast hosted by one of their beloved avatars, the vulnerability researcher Brene Brown. The episode, released on Monday, was a mostly fluffy discussion about leadership, trauma and the notion of voting as agency in an uncontrollable news cycle.Brown, a University of Houston professor and bestselling author who has spent two decades studying social sciences, became an overnight celebrity after giving a 2010 Ted Talk called the power of vulnerability". One could argue the talk, which birthed Brown's Oprah-approved speaking empire, also spawned our culture's current obsession with therapy-speak. Continue reading...

Banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency with no replacement will only cripple aid to Palestinians in their hour of need. It is a deeply irresponsible move by Israeli lawmakersIsrael's rightwing government is recklessly steering the nation toward rogue-state status, with deeply troubling, escalating attacks on the United Nations that fuel a dangerous drift from international accountability. From its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, down, it exhibits a brazen contempt for the global norms that govern human rights, conflict and diplomacy.Hamas's murderous attack last year in Israel, which left 1,200 people dead, ignited the current crisis. However, Israel's response has been wildly disproportionate. Schools, hospitals and shelters have been struck, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths. In the year since the Gaza war began, the evidence supporting genocide claims against Israel has grown, with the UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, last week condemning Israel's military for effectively subjecting an entire population [in north Gaza] to bombing, siege and risk of starvation". Israel has killed UN staff in Gaza and attacked UN bases in Lebanon. Israeli officials too often accuse the UN of antisemitism. The UN secretary general was barred from Israel for failing to fully condemn" a missile strike by Iran on Israel this month. Continue reading...

Far-right figure blames corrupt leftwing media' for January 6 attack on US Capitol in new Trump documentary

A majority of Britons may want Kamala Harris to win the US election, but antagonising a powerful potential ally is unwiseIs it wise for Britons to heap abuse on Donald Trump? At present he is the marginal favourite to win next week's US presidential election - with Britons strongly behind his opponent Kamala Harris. But is overt hostility sensible?Most recent polls show two out of three Britons want Harris to win, including a majority even of Conservatives. The Labour party sent about 100 activists to aid Harris in some swing states. The UK media is almost universally hostile, calling Trump crass, illiterate, vulgar, coarse and fascist. He is identified with the Heritage Foundation's authoritarian Project 2025, which he has disowned. Only Reform UK is for Trump. Surely dignity would counsel respect for an ally's internal democracy, and caution in alienating the leader of Britain's most powerful ally.Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnistDo 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.

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, held a campaign rally in Madison Square Garden on Sunday filled with racist remarks and vitriol. Opening the event, rightwing campaign supporters made racist comments and dangerous threats about immigrants before Trump took to the stage where he made similar remarks. The event drew comparisons to an infamous Nazi rally held at the New York arena in 1939

Officials say John Herbert Sawchak, 54, shot Davis Moturi, 34, after victim reported neighbor for racist harassmentMinneapolis police have apologized for failing to address a local Black man's complaints of repeated, racist harassment from his white neighbor until after the neighbor shot the victim in the victim's own yard.The attack on 34-year-old Davis Moturi this past Wednesday as he performed yard work left him with a fractured spine, two broken ribs and a concussion. Authorities by Thursday had obtained criminal charges against John Herbert Sawchak, who is accused of shooting from an upstairs window in his home to wound Moturi - but they waited until early Monday to arrest him. Continue reading...

The actor made a surprise appearance at his own lookalike contest in Lower Manhattan on Sunday. The crowded event drew an order to disperse from police and at least one arrest. The participants quickly moved to a nearby park and the winner was awarded $50 Continue reading...

Lawsuit claims that tech billionaire and his Super Pac are running an illegal lottery' in swing state Pennsylvania

The opposition claims Saturday's election was stolen - but the pro-Kremlin Georgian Dream party did win over more voters than expectedAfter the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party run by the oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili secured a parliamentary majority in Saturday's Georgian election, the reaction from Moscow was jubilant. Georgians have won. Attaboys!" wrote Margarita Simonyan, head of Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT, on X.Meanwhile, a devastated friend texted me Sunday morning to say they felt as if they woke up in Russia".Natalia Antelava is the CEO and editor-in-chief of codastory.comDo 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...

Memo prepared by ex-president's team urges him to grant security clearances without government vetting if elected

The working class saw Clinton's support of Nafta, which cut most tariffs between US, Mexico and Canada, as a betrayal'More than 30 years have passed since president Bill Clinton persuaded Congress to ratify North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) and yet the trade agreement still infuriates many voters and hangs over Kamala Harris's - and the Democrats' - chances in this year's elections.Zombie-like, Nafta just keeps coming back, decades after many Democrats believe it should have died. At the Republican convention, Donald Trump attacked Nafta, calling it the worst trade agreement ever". In speech after speech, Nafta is a topic Trump turns to as he seeks to woo the voters in the pivotal blue-collar communities of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - many of whom remain angry about the job losses it caused. Continue reading...

Jerry Hicks, a carpenter, plans to use money to retire and take care of his children - after a Golden Corral celebrationAn abandoned $20 bill became a $1m jackpot for a North Carolina man who plans to finance his retirement with his good fortune.Jerry Hicks, a carpenter from Avery county, walked into a Speedway convenience store after having found a $20 bill in the parking lot outside. He used the newly discovered bill to buy a $25 Extreme Cash scratch-off ticket - and it turned out to be a lucky investment. Continue reading...

After its harum-scarum years, the game is now about denying the opposition and keeping possession in dangerous areas

Survey finds distrust between Democrats and Republicans but most voters believe election results will be accurate

City will implement ranked-choice voting and move from a commission form of government to oversight by administratorWhen voters in Portland, Oregon, head to the polls next month, they will be tasked not only with selecting new leaders, but also the implementation of a monumental overhaul of the city's government.Two years ago, residents moved to fundamentally alter their local government structure and adopted what experts have described as some of the most expansive voting reforms" undertaken by a major US city in recent decades. Come November, the city will use ranked-choice voting to elect a mayor and a larger, more representative city council as Portland moves from a commission form of government to one overseen by a city administrator. Continue reading...

The vice-president is relying on support of high-profile GOP refuseniks as she moves to the centre despite warnings from progressivesAs the daughter of a man who drove George W Bush's invasion of Iraq, Liz Cheney seemed a strange political bedfellow for a Democratic candidate intent on reclaiming disaffected Arab support in one of the US presidential election's key battlegrounds.But Cheney, the former third-ranking Republican in Congress before her career was derailed by her enmity with Donald Trump, was cast in precisely that role with Kamala Harris last week. Continue reading...

We're interested to hear from Puerto Ricans and US voters with Latino heritage how they feel about comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's island of garbage" remarksDonald Trump's campaign has condemned a speaker at a Republican rally in New York who made racist remarks about Puerto Rico.Podcaster Tony Hinchcliffe, speaking ahead of Trump at the rally in Madison Square Garden, said, There's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now - I think it's called Puerto Rico." Continue reading...

Next year's ban in England and Wales will put an end to one of the most embarrassingly era-defining trends of the early 2020sThere's a certain combination of hedonism and delusion that the disposable vape smoker knows well. You don't vape, not really, and you could quit anytime you'd like. You're only vaping because it's a fun little indulgence, a treat. You tell yourself this while heading to the shop to buy one more, mentally noting: This will be the last." But as soon as the vape is drained, you're back again.I loved being trapped in this cycle of self-deception. On the outside, it may have seemed like I was trapped, but inside, there was freedom in setting aside all my other obsessions and psychological compulsions to focus solely on my next hit. Better yet, this craving was so socially acceptable that I could satisfy it anywhere, anytime. I quickly reached a point of going through at least one disposable vape a day. For someone who's never had a vape phase, that might sound like the equivalent of smoking a single cigarette a day. But it's not the same at all: a disposable vape can pack as much nicotine as one or two packets of cigarettes. With my rate of consumption, this little treat cost about 150 a month, and the habit only intensified after I was working from home with no co-workers to witness my habit (or shame). I indulged more than ever, the rhythm of my day punctuated only by a few seconds between vape inhalations.Hannah Ewens is a freelance editor and writer, and the author of Fangirls: Scenes From Modern Music Culture Continue reading...

Ahead of a ballot initiative that could restore abortion rights in Arizona, Camelback Family Planning is wrestling with an uncertain landscape as it offers a less-invasive procedure common in EuropeGabrielle Goodrick's day has barely begun and she's already poring over a stack of legal documents. As the nurses and other doctors at her clinic start seeing the first of what will be upwards of 40 patients that day, the 59-year-old family medicine doctor and owner of Camelback Family Planning - one of Arizona's few abortion clinics - has a decision to make.Since the supreme court overturned Roe v Wade in June 2022, Arizona has banned all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy - with a small but vague carveout for medical emergencies. In November, Arizona voters will get to weigh in on a ballot measure that would enshrine the right to abortion until viability, or around 24 weeks. Continue reading...

With Senate control up for grabs in swing states, both parties are trying to stress China's threat to US economyIn testimony to Congress last year, David McCormick, now the Republican candidate for US Senate in Pennsylvania, said that as CEO of Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world, he held deep reservations" about the moral and patriotic hazards of doing business in China".As CNN reported, between 2017 and 2021, such qualms did not stop McCormick overseeing an increase in Bridgewater's Chinese holdings from $1.6m to $1.77bn. Nor, according to Bloomberg, did Bridgewater flinch from significant investments in companies that supply the Chinese military. It has also been reported that McCormick oversaw investment in a Chinese fentanyl producer and, as HuffPost put it, profited from China trade policies he helped shape" as a deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs under George W Bush. Continue reading...

Disinformation and conspiracy theories - some spread by Elon Musk - fuel group's vitriol and paranoiaLeaked and public chats from Arizona-based poll watching" activists aligned with a far-right militia group show how their election paranoia has been fueled by a steady drumbeat of conspiracy theories and disinformation from rightwing media outlets and influencers, including Elon Musk.The materials come from two overlapping election-denial groups whose activists are mostly based in Arizona, one of seven key swing states that will decide the US election and possibly end up at the center of any disputed results in the post-election period. Continue reading...

Not only do we have no idea who will win, we also may not get a result till days after the electionIt is generally believed that Americans only start to care about presidential elections one month before election day. Hence, it is only in the last month that polls become meaningful. If that is true, the polls don't tell us too much yet.Despite the fact that Donald Trump has become openly authoritarian and racist - promising to jail his enemies" and referring to immigrants as cannibals" - the race is still too close to call. Almost all national polls have Kamala Harris ahead of Donald Trump in the popular vote, but the difference is mostly within the so-called margin of error" - meaning, in essence, that the difference is too small to be certain. So what should we look out for in the coming weeks?Cas Mudde is the Stanley Wade Shelton UGAF professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia, and author of The Far Right Today Continue reading...

The move is part of an ongoing theme among the far right when western apps remove or moderate their accountsTwo masked men are in frame, wearing camouflage and sitting opposite each other. A table is between them and they're in the middle of what they're alleging is an American forest.You want to be as high up on the chain for modern warfare," one of the men says under garbled voice distortion, while explaining the finer points of a fantasy insurgency against the US government. Continue reading...

Trump used his presidency to harass and prosecute enemies within'. If re-elected, he will act with even less restraintBut stupidity is not enough," wrote George Orwell in 1984. The facts must be eliminated. Applied to an opponent, it means the habit of impudently claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts." Followers must forget that one has ever believed the contrary". Memory must be erased. This demands a continuous alteration of the past, made possible by the system of thought which really embraces all the rest, and which is known in Newspeak as doublethink." The past, like the facts, must be reinvented. For when it has been recreated in whatever shape is needed at the moment, then this new version is the past, and no different past can ever have existed."Donald Trump keeps saying that if he elected to a second term he will prosecute his political opponents, the enemies within". On 22 October he stated, once again, that as president he would use extreme power ... We can't play games with these people. These are people that are dangerous people ... an enemy from within." Continue reading...

Robert Schock recounts how he really felt ... close to death' after being lost in North Cascades national park for 30 daysA man ingested a mushroom, berries and water to survive getting lost for more than a month in a Washington state national park, he has said in an interview about his nearly fatal experience.In a compelling conversation with people.com published over the weekend, Robert Schock recounted how he really felt ... close to death" - and he had just lost control of his bowels - when what he believed would be his final desperate scream for help caught the attention of the person who ultimately saved his life. Continue reading...

Fifty years on from the famous fight in Zaire no athletic contest in history has inspired as much global joy as Muhammad Ali's win over George ForemanThirty-five years ago, I sat on the sofa in my living room watching a tape of The Rumble in the Jungle with Muhammad Ali beside me. I was researching the book that ultimately became Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times. Over the course of a year, Ali and I watched tapes of every one of his fights together.Time plays funny tricks. Ali v George Foreman seemed like long ago history on that afternoon in 1989. And now ... Continue reading...

The four-time MVP quarterback arrived with ambitions of transforming a moribund franchise. But they're no better off than under his shaky predecessorThe Aaron Rodgers era, which never really began in New York, is officially over.Last season after eight games, the New York Jets were 4-4 with Zach Wilson at quarterback, and a defense led by head coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich that at least kept the team in games, until everything fell apart during the second half, and the Jets finished 7-10. Continue reading...

In the rush to defeat Trump, we're suddenly on the frontline. It's a shame, then, that so few of us actually voteThe United States doesn't show much love to its citizens who live abroad. For instance, it was impossible for me to declare my driving licence lost and request a reprint because my home state of Ohio's state government website seems to frequently not work outside the US. And while a VPN provides a potential workaround, the steps to verify your identity require ... a US phone number. No, the infamous citizenship-based taxation and financial reporting regime - meaning Americans worldwide have to report their accounts held in foreign financial institutions to the IRS - doesn't only affect wealthy tax cheats, it makes life difficult for plenty of normal people. And if you're fed up enough to want to ditch your US citizenship, well, I hope you've got money to burn, because that will cost you a $2,350 administrative processing fee.The one thing that's always worked pretty well for me, though, is voting from a distance. Some states are more online than others, allowing you to email a request for an absentee ballot", whereas Ohio makes me sign a paper form and send it in the mail. From that point on, however, every time I have voted things have gone smoothly. By mid-September this year, a thick envelope landed in my mailbox in Paris, containing the six-page ballot with little blank ovals waiting to be bubbled in with a pen. Not just the presidential race, but also for Senate and the House of Representatives, a host of state offices, a dozen or so races to elect various judges and, finally, state and local ballot initiatives. (If you're curious - yes, I voted to raise local taxes on alcohol and cigarettes to increase funding for Cleveland municipal schools.)Alexander Hurst is a Guardian Europe columnist Continue reading...

All the protests and legalistic wins have been rendered meaningless by the relentless assault on north GazaMore than a year into Israel's war in Gaza, it is hard to talk of escalation". Because to isolate single moments of military escalation, such as Israel's attack on Iran on Saturday, seems to suggest that otherwise, what is taking place in Gaza is normal or acceptable. Perhaps, instead, we can talk of confrontation. Perhaps we can talk about how, over the past couple of weeks, Israel's campaign in northern Gaza has confronted the world with what has become increasingly difficult to deny: ethnic cleansing is upon the residents of Gaza. Civilians, including children, are being killed in ways that can only suggest an indiscriminate assault to eliminate Palestinians, or scare them into moving en masse from ever-expanding zones of death and starvation. The entire population of northern Gaza," said the UN's acting humanitarian chief on Saturday, is at risk of dying."Where are they to go? Well, we also have an answer to this question. Earlier this month, a conference called Preparing to Resettle Gaza, attended by hundreds of people, was held outside the Gaza Strip. Within earshot of artillery and gunfire, Israelis gathered to decide what to do with Gaza and those who live in it once the war is over. One young woman suggested: We should kill them, every one of them." Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, was a little more reasonable. We will encourage voluntary transfer of all Gazan citizens," he said. We will offer them the opportunity to move to other countries because that land belongs to us."Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnistDo 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...

Is that good? What does that even mean?

Whether it is online intimidation, journalists imprisoned abroad or the cynical use of Slapp lawsuits, we will fight any threats to those who hold the powerful to accountJournalism is the lifeblood of democracy. Journalists are guardians of democratic values. These simple facts are so woven into the fabric of our society that we often take them for granted. This year, I fought tooth and nail for the honour of serving our country as prime minister. And at every step of the way, I was robustly held to account by determined, incisive and irrepressible members of the fourth estate. Neither myself nor the now leader of the opposition complained about this. Neither of us turned our partisan supporters against the media. We went about our business, just as all our predecessors have, accepting that this is democracy in action. It was ordinary and unremarkable.And yet this is not a given. All around the world, journalists put themselves at risk in defence of those values. Journalists such as the Ukrainian Victoria Roshchyna, who brought us the horrific story of Mariupol - now dead in Russian custody. Or the more than a hundred journalists killed reporting the unimaginable suffering in Gaza. Or the BBC's Gary O'Donoghue taking cover during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, still broadcasting while lying face down on the ground behind his car. An extraordinary image that brought home the risks and the purpose of journalism: that, through the bravery of journalists, the world sees what it needs to see.Keir Starmer is prime minister of the UKDo 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...

Donald Trump's campaign condemns speaker at Madison Square Garden rally after Kamala Harris makes play for Puerto Rican voters with days to go before the 5 November election

Marking final stretch of campaign in New York, Trump and cabal of surrogates attack Harris and mock Puerto RicoAnger and vitriol took center stage at New York's Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, as Donald Trump and a cabal of campaign surrogates held a rally marked by racist comments, coarse insults, and dangerous threats about immigrants.Nine days out from the election, Trump used the rally in New York to repeat his claim that he is fighting the enemy within" and again promised to launch the largest deportation program in American history", amid incoherent ramblings about ending a phone call with a very, very important person" so he could watch one of Elon Musk's rockets land. Continue reading...

Tucker Carlson among speakers to take jabs at Harris, Puerto Rico and trans people after vice-president rallies in Philadelphia. This blog is now closedFollowing her appearance at a predominantly Black church in Philadelphia this morning, Kamala Harris has just visited Philly Cuts, a barbershop not far from the west Philadelphia church.From a barbershop chair, Harris answered questions from several young Black men, including about student loan debt, in a conversation moderated by Pennsylvania state representative Jordan Harris. Continue reading...

The ex-president took the stage at Madison Square Garden, where he doubled down on his anti-immigration rhetoric and gave little on his economic agendaDonald Trump reveled in what advisers called his happy place at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, as he enveloped himself in the adulation ahead of the final stretch of campaigning until the November election.The capacity rally at the Garden - something Trump had talked about for years - was essentially a reboot of the Republican national convention this summer, widely seen as Trump's most confident moment. Continue reading...

Artists share videos to their million of Instagram followers as Harris and Trump work to gain ground with Latino votersPuerto Rican stars star Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin have thrown their support behind Kamala Harrison the same day that a comedian appearing at Donald Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage".On Sunday international reggaeton star Bad Bunny- whose official name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio - shared a video of the Democratic presidential nominee to his more than 45 million followers on Instagram. His support could be a boost for the Harris campaign as it tries to bolster its support with Latino and Puerto Rican voters. Continue reading...

Vice-president tells supporters she will win seemingly deadlocked race with just nine days left before election dayKamala Harris addressed a boisterous crowd in North Philadelphia on Sunday, promising supporters that she would win a seemingly deadlocked presidential race with just nine days left before election day.Nine days left in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime, and we know this is going to be a tight race until the very end," the vice-president told hundreds of supporters. And make no mistake: we will win." Continue reading...

As the team faces the New York Yankees in the World Series, Angelenos weigh in on their team and their rivals: For one week, I don't like bagels or pizza' Continue reading...

Religious voters on both the right and the left are a powerful force in Georgia. In a race this close, they may be decisiveTwo Georgia megachurches hosted presidential candidates last week, highlighting the stark differences between how Kamala Harris and Donald Trump speak about faith and what Georgia's Christian religious congregations expect of them.Though Trump and Harris communicate differently to the public about their faith, religious leaders on the left and the right are casting this election in apocalyptic terms. And both candidates know religious voters will be essential to winning swing states like Georgia. Continue reading...

Technology tested at three airports alerts gate agents with audible sound if person scans ticket before assigned groupAmerican Airlines is testing a new technology at three airports across the country during the boarding process that aims to cut down on passengers who try to cut the line.The technology, which is being tested at New Mexico's Albuquerque International Sunport airport, Arizona's Tucson International airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National airport in Crystal City, Virginia, alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group. Continue reading...

Executives of Blue Origin briefly met with Trump within hours after paper spiked endorsement of HarrisThe multi-billionaire owner of the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos, continued facing criticism throughout the weekend because executives from his aerospace company met with Donald Trump on the same day the newspaper prevented its editorial team from publishing an endorsement of his opponent in the US presidential election.Senior news and opinion leaders at the Washington Post flew to Miami in late September 2024 to meet with Bezos, who had reservations about the paper issuing an endorsement in the 5 November election, the New York Times reported. Continue reading...

Speculation about the country's political future is competing for space with the fortunes of the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar in the World SeriesThe Monday morning headlines in Japanese newspapers will be dominated by the result of the previous day's general election. But speculation about the country's political future after a tightly contested vote will be competing for space with another event taking place thousands of miles away. And all because of one man: Shohei Ohtani.On Tuesday in Japan, millions of people are expected to devour every pitch and hit in the next instalment of the seven-game World Series between Ohtani's Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees, with enthusiasm reaching levels usually reserved for the climax of the of domestic baseball, the Japan Series. Continue reading...

Workers say speaking with voters in person is important as they aim to knock on millions of doors for the DemocratAs the US election nears, union members are knocking on millions of doors in swing states across America in a last-ditch attempt to swing the too-close-to-call election for Kamala Harris.Joe Biden billed himself as the most pro-union president ever. Now his successor is hoping that the all-out support of organized labor can push her bid over the line. But in a divided America, the labor movement too is split.Don't miss important US election coverage. Get our free app and sign up for election alerts Continue reading...

High-functioning anxiety is the silent battle of the perfectionists and seemingly balanced people who are exhausted from managing their inner turmoilHigh-functioning anxiety is a term that describes a paradox faced by many. On the outside someone may appear to have everything under control, but inside they're battling a relentless undercurrent of worry, fear and doubt.Unlike other forms of anxiety that can cause obvious disruptions to everyday life, high-functioning anxiety often goes unnoticed by others, sometimes even by the person experiencing it. Continue reading...