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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...

We never know who is going to rule, but the beauty of democracy is that we know we can always get rid of them. So why wouldn't we fight like blazes to preserve it?Before he faced the crowd to discuss the topic of Democracy is Not Worth Dying For, David Runciman - the celebrated podcaster and Cambridge professor of politics - joked to me and our fellow panellist, Masha Gessen: The answer is obviously no, it's not', so why don't we all just agree and go home?"Gessen, the formidable Russian-American journalist, smiled in agreement. We were about to address the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney. Most had come to hear these intellectual superstars define the limits of political self-sacrifice; I cheerfully served as a bolt-on historian. Continue reading...

At Kalamazoo event, former first lady and vice-president argue Trump has no credibility on women's issuesMichelle Obama laced into Donald Trump in a searing speech in Michigan on Saturday, accusing the former president of gross incompetence" and having an amoral character" while challenging hesitant Americans to choose Kamala Harris for US president.By every measure, she has demonstrated that she's ready," the former first lady told a rapt audience in Kalamazoo. The real question is, as a country, are we ready for this moment?"Don't miss important US election coverage. Get our free app and sign up for election alerts Continue reading...

Republicans who have refused to bend to Trump insist the GOP can be rebuilt - but if he wins, all bets are offThe former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney hopes to be able to rebuild" the Republican party after Donald Trump leaves the political stage. Mitt Romney, the retiring Utah senator and former presidential nominee, reportedly hopes so too.Among other prominent Republicans who refuse to bow the knee, the former Maryland governor Larry Hogan is running for a US Senate seat in a party led by Trump but insists he can be part of a post-Trump GOP. Continue reading...

As Trump ratchets up the fear and spews his threats, Democrats are battling to ensure people turn out to votePat Parker has campaigned for Democratic presidential candidates in the battleground state of Michigan through five elections, and it hasn't always been a happy experience.The thrill of doorstepping for Barack Obama gave way to working in a Hillary Clinton campaign office in the bellwether Saginaw county, Michigan, with all the atmosphere of a morgue, even though it was assumed she would win. Campaigning for Joe Biden was constrained by the pandemic. Continue reading...

The proliferation of opinion polls on the presidential election makes it seem more like a sport involving personalities, when what these surveys should be doing is targeting policiesIn Washington DC, I measure out my life in polls and heart palpitations. The polls are relentless, nail-biting, maddeningly contradictory. There are national polls, swing state polls, polls from tiny counties that predict a whole election, partisan polls designed to demoralise the other side.There are polls on whether a candidate inspires confidence, compassion, leadership. I've noticed how, after a bad poll, I start looking for another that tells me numbers I like. I've also noticed how, after a good one, I will look for a bad poll to bring me down, as if I'm trying to prick the balloon of self-confidence and remind myself of reality". Continue reading...

Since the US supreme court banned affirmative action, university enrollment for students of color has droppedSince the US supreme court banned affirmative action in college admissions in June 2023, US colleges and universities have grappled with how to boost campus diversity amid recent, troubling data.The latest figures on US college admissions at some major universities have shown drops in Black, Latino and Indigenous first-year enrollment. Such enrollment fell sharply at elite, private colleges such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University and Stanford following the ban on race-conscious admissions, according to preliminary, self-reported data. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a prestigious, public university, also reported that Black and Latino student enrollment fell, by at least 25% and 7%, respectively. Continue reading...

The candidates have taken detours from the critical swing states into unfriendly territory - what's in it for them?Texas is not a usual stop for a Democratic presidential candidate, yet 11 days out from the election, that's where Kamala Harris could be found.The vice-president held a campaign rally in the traditionally Republican state on Friday, appearing alongside Beyonce and the Senate candidate Colin Allred. But it is not just Democrats who are venturing into uncharted territory - on Sunday Donald Trump will appear at Madison Square Garden, in the deep blue New York. Continue reading...

We must fear for freedom of the press under a second Donald Trump administration. Just consider what we already knowBack in early 2016, as Donald Trump ran for president, he issued a warning that sent a chill down the spines of journalists and press advocates.After ranting about the New York Times and the Washington Post at a Texas campaign rally, Trump predicted that traditional news organizations would have big problems if he were elected. He planned to open up" the libel laws, so that when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money". Continue reading...

Robert Smith, defiant leader of the post-punk stalwarts, has shown that secondary markets can be bypassed, enabling ordinary people to benefit from cultureThe first time I saw the Cure was on 29 April 1984. The Birmingham Odeon show opened with a set from rural Worcestershire's pre-Raphaelite goths And Also the Trees, whose early albums remain a guilty pleasure, and about whom I once sent a self-aggrandising letter to ZigZag magazine. The Cure's set drew heavily on the dark post-punk fundamentalism of Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography, but previewed eight songs from the unreleased The Top, evidencing a worrying drift towards melody, not what the 15-year-old me wanted at all.The ticket cost 4.50 and I bought it before Andy Anderson, who was black, was announced as the new drummer. This was lucky, as my family discouraged me seeing bands with black members. I remember making the case for Big Country, despite them having a black bassist, because of their reliance on a bagpipes-styled guitar sound. I think UB40 slipped under the net because even gran loved that Neil Diamond cover. Different times!Stewart Lee's 2025 tour Stewart Lee vs the Man-Wulf begins at London's Leicester Square theatre in December, with a July Royal Festival Hall run just announced Continue reading...

The Democratic nominee is proud of her Jamaican roots. Her story inspires some but others wonder if her presidency would benefit the countryBrown's Town, in the Jamaican parish of St Ann - where as a child, Kamala Harris spent many holidays with her family - has the unmistakable atmosphere of a close-knit rural Caribbean community.Narrow roads, cocooned by bowing trees and lush vegetation, wind past concrete houses and the rolling hills of the Dry Harbour mountain range. Continue reading...

Legendary singer-songwriter tells Rolling Stone new song was inspired by battle to reinstate federal abortion rightsStevie Nicks thrust herself into the ongoing fight for access to abortion in the US because she had been there, done that", the legendary singer-songwriter says in a new interview.I tell a good story," Nicks remarked in an interview conducted by CBS News Sunday Morning, a clip of which was circulated by the network in advance.So maybe I should try to do something. Continue reading...

The Republican contender is a clear and present danger to the UK's most vital national interestsIt is a shocker that about 100 current and former Labour party staffers are hopping over the pond to campaign for Kamala Harris in swing states as the race for the White House enters the final, feverish furlong. Ameasly 100? Is that the best they could do? Labour will often manage to get more of its people knocking on doors and handing out leaflets for a humdrum British byelection in which nothing more is in play than who gets to be MP for Slumberborough. Much more is at stake in a US presidential contest that, with fewer than 10days to go, the polls have as a coin-toss.Only Americans get to vote, but the world will have to cope with the consequences if Donald Trump again darkens the door of the White House. The fate of Ukraine, the future of Nato, the stability of the global economy, the response to the climate crisis, the cohesion of the democracies in the struggle with an axis of autocracies, and plausibly even the freedoms of America itself, all this is on the ballot in 2024. Given the vertiginous scale of the stakes, you might argue that it is remarkable how few Labour people are volunteering to help out their fellow progressives across the Atlantic. Continue reading...

Our kids have embraced body positivity, but has diet culture merely been replaced by the quest for flawless skin?I didn't see the aurora, but I tried. At 10 or 11pm, I looked out of my bedroom window and squinted, and saw only darkness, but even so I found some lovely pleasure in it. The knowledge that something was happening in the sky, that all along my road people were standing in their gardens and angling their cameras towards the same big tree, and afterwards scrolling to see what they'd caught, sharing them on the street WhatsApp at midnight with pride. The next day, news sites reported on the northern lights as if they were young women getting out of cars - they stunned", radiant". I liked the way we were all united briefly in our lazy pursuit of beauty.Elsewhere in my life, the search for beauty feels more treacherous. My daughter, 10 years old, went to a birthday party last week where she told me every other gift her little friend opened was a bottle of moisturiser. It should not have been a surprise, perhaps, having read about the rise of the baby and child skincare market", expected to reach $380m in market volume by 2028, but still, I found myself oddly troubled. I am fully and intimately aware of the lure of skincare, both the appeal of a daily routine (whether three or 15 steps, whether retinol or oil) and the sense it can give us of control in a time of chaos, but alongside that the capitalist creep, the repackaging as self-care, skincare as a kind of psychic protection, is something I know young girls might find particularly appealing. What troubled me the most in this instance, though, was the realisation that while my daughter and her friends are fully versed in the language of body positivity", understanding, for example, that diversity is a good thing and that fat bodies aren't unhealthy, no such movement has really broken through about skin. In fact, as beauty journalist Jessica DeFino stresses, diet culture has been replaced by skincare culture. Continue reading...

Only female fans can truly appreciate the singer's allure, and the thrill that talk of a new album bringsRejoice, for Kate Bush has risen again. Heart-popping excitement (my own, and maybe yours too) greeted the musician's surprise appearance last week on Radio 4's Today programme, speaking to presenter Emma Barnett.Bush, 66, was talking about her new four-minute animation, Little Shrew. Inspired by the horrors of war, and the Ukraine-Russia conflict in particular, playing through it is the track Snowdrop from her 2011 album 50 Words for Snow featuring her son Bertie's vocals. The animation is heartfelt, exquisitely done (Bush would like donations to be made to the War Child charity). Bush also spoke about how she had lots of ideas" for a new album.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...

Former first lady expresses frustration at easy ride given to Donald Trump, while Kamala Harris is continually expected to dazzle'. Trump promises peace in the Middle East

Immigration minister Tony Burke says Owens has the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction' ahead of planned November speaking tour

Obama urges crowd to turn the page on the ugliness' as Michigan voters pledge support for Trump because he promised to end war'. This blog is now closed.At his rally in Novi, Donald Trump was joined on stage by leaders of the state's Arab and Muslim communities.We as Muslims stand with President Trump because he promises peace. He promises peace, not war. We are supporting Donald Trump because he promised to end war in the Middle East and Ukraine," one member of the coalition said. We support Donald J Trump for his commitment to promoting family values and protected our children well-being, especially when it comes to curriculums and schools." Continue reading...

Trump came across as old and unintelligent, but he was politically unscathed by a softball interviewIn an interview in which Donald Trump said that he wants to be a whale psychologist", made the case for replacing income tax with tariffs and praised Confederate general Robert E Lee as a genius", the most striking thing about the former president's encounter with podcaster Joe Rogan wasn't the content as much as the length.Over three hours, perhaps the longest ever campaign interview with a presidential candidate, Trump said very little that was factual but revealed a surprising amount about his disposition and his thinking should he return to office. Continue reading...

Sarah Boone was accused of leaving Jorge Torres to die at their home in Winter Park in 2020A woman accused of leaving her boyfriend to die after he was zipped into a suitcase in their home was found guilty of second-degree murder by a jury in central Florida.Four years after Sarah Boone was arrested over the death of Jorge Torres, jurors handed down the verdict against her on Friday evening after deliberating for about 90 minutes. Boone had pleaded not guilty. Continue reading...

The US remains a great country with many strengths and many problems - and Trump is not the answerIt ain't over 'til the fat lady sings" - that well-known if dated American sporting adage - may afford Kamala Harris a little comfort in the final, testing days leading up to the US presidential election on 5 November. The contest is too close to call. That has been the case for weeks, if not months. The latest national poll averages, putting Harris and her Republican rival, Donald Trump, on roughly 48 points each, confirm it. The deadlock extends to the seven most closely fought battleground or swing states.And yet, in recent days, the impression, the feeling, the fear - call it what you will - has been growing that Trump may have the edge. Maybe the Democrats are scaring themselves unnecessarily. Maybe it's media hype. Maybe it's true. What is certain is that this nail-biter is going down to the wire. We hope, when it's over, that there will be plenty to sing about - and that Harris will become the first woman and woman of colour to be elected president of the United States. Continue reading...

The White House is won not by popular vote but electoral college votes taken state by state. These races are incredibly closeSpare a thought for beleaguered Pennsylvanians. During the past few weeks, they have been pummeled with $280m worth of election ads blazing on their TV and computer screens, part of an eye-popping $2.1bn spent so far on the US presidential election.Pennsylvania is one of the seven battleground states that, when it comes to choosing presidents, can seem as revered as the seven wonders of the world. Forget Democratic California, ditch reliably Republican Texas - it is these seven states that, come 5 November, will decide the outcome of one of the most consequential elections in modern times. Continue reading...

Failure to contain the conflict has led to huge suffering and geopolitical shifts. Why didn't the US commit to Nato?Reflecting the instincts of a cold war veteran, Joe Biden's strategy was familiar: contain the conflict. When the US president spoke in Warsaw in March 2022, a month after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he drew a red line at Vladimir Putin's toes. Don't even think about moving on one single inch of Nato territory," hewarned.The western allies would provide weapons and aid to Kyiv, impose sweeping economic and financial sanctions on Moscow and reduce the rouble to rubble", Biden vowed. Though Ukraine is not a Nato member, the US would help the country win this symbolic battle for freedom and democracy. But it would not directly confront Russia unless Russia first attacked Nato. Continue reading...

Former president, who recently called US a a garbage can for the world', has eyes on revenge in re-election campaignAs the election nears, Donald Trump's final message to voters is about revenge, with promises for retribution and rallies that are increasingly incoherent, vulgar and full of vitriol.And his last pitch is as dark and sinister as any he's made while campaigning the last two years. The US is a garbage can for the world", he said at a Thursday rally in Arizona, where he railed against people coming into the country illegally and the Democrats, who Trump called incompetent and stupid.Don't miss important US election coverage. Get our free app and sign up for election alerts Continue reading...

The paper itself has exposed the story behind its editorial refusal to endorse any candidate in the US presidential electionThe theory is that journalists should report the news rather than headline it - but on Friday the Washington Post, the celebrated ally of American democracy during Watergate, broke that principle. The paper came out refusing to endorse the candidate in the forthcoming election who will defend the rule of law, against the convicted criminal who has shown time and again - not least on 6 January 2021 - that he explicitly aims to overturn it.The Post's British chief executive, Will Lewis, wrote an editorial that stated the Post would sit on the fence for the most significant US election of modern times (bringing to mind that old truth the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to donothing"). Continue reading...

In Saginaw, a swing county in a swing state, war veterans share their stories of fighting for democracyLike so many military veterans, the ageing group of men and women adorned with badges of fighting forces and theaters of war hesitated to talk about their past lives. But after one finally spoke up to denounce the man they called the devil", the floodgates opened to an anger and alarm that went far beyond normal political discourse.The veterans turned out on a warm evening to phone-bank for Kamala Harris in Saginaw, Michigan - a swing county in a key battleground state. But first they got to tell each other about where they served and the ways in which that shapes how they see next week's presidential election. Continue reading...

Recent video purportedly showing a man destroying ballots marked for Trump is a disinformation campaign, say officialsRussian actors were behind a viral video falsely showing mail-in ballots for Donald Trump being destroyed in the swing state of Pennsylvania, US officials said on Friday, amid heightened alert over foreign influence operations targeting the upcoming election.The video, which garnered millions of views on platforms such as the Elon Musk-owned X, purports to show a man sorting through mail-in ballots from the state's Bucks county and ripping up those cast for the former president. Continue reading...

Freddie Freeman's historic walk-off grand slam in extra innings on Friday night delivered the opening salvo in a star-studded World Series bursting with promiseAs a nation confronts electoral chaos, potential civil disorder and the threat of nuclear war, the renewal of its most revered athletic rivalry promises to provide a welcome distraction.Yankees v Dodgers. Whether in the Bronx, Brooklyn or Los Angeles, both teams have combined to write an encyclopedia of memorable, magical moments during their World Series confrontations going back more than eight decades. This year's renewal, which began Friday night at Dodger Stadium, has already made a unique mark. Continue reading...

Babel Street's people-tracking service allows customers - including government agencies - to track mobile usersEver heard of Babel Street? Unless you're a data and analytics enthusiast, it's likely you haven't. The Virginia-based technology company isn't a household name the way that Google and Facebook are. And yet the company most likely knows a hell of a lot about you and everyone else in your household. Continue reading...

The superstar Dodgers player has brought a swell of tourists to this endangered historic neighborhoodDuring the past couple of months, Don Tahara has given out nearly 100 bottles of free sake to celebrate Shohei Ohtani's late-season heroics for the Los Angeles Dodgers.At Little Tokyo's Far Bar, a gastropub Tahara opened 18 years ago, every patron receives a shot on the house each time Ohtani hits a homer. The Shohei sake shot" special hasn't been a cheap expenditure, but Tahara said it's money well-spent for a lifelong Dodgers fan. Continue reading...

The party senses a chance to win support from critical voting bloc the Democrats have traditionally relied uponOutside the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh are 11 glass and porcelain flower ornaments, each a symbol of the lives lost on 27 October 2018 in the worst antisemitic attack in US history.A large, long fence surrounds much of the complex, part of which is being demolished to be replaced with a museum and a memorial to the victims of the attack. Continue reading...

The effort to pre-emptively deny an election loss goes beyond rhetoric - it is backed up by a massive rightwing apparatusThere is little doubt that Donald Trump will refuse to accept a defeat in November's US presidential election.The former president, who is deadlocked in the polls with Kamala Harris, has spent months priming his supporters to believe the only way he could lose is through fraud. If I lose - I'll tell you what, it's possible. Because they cheat. That's the only way we're gonna lose, because they cheat," he said at a rally in September.Don't miss important US election coverage. Get our free app and sign up for election alerts Continue reading...

Sentenced to life imprisonment for killing their parents, the brothers could finally have a shot at freedom after 35 yearsNearly three decades ago, Los Angeles prosecutors argued that Erik and Lyle Menendez were cold-blooded killers who violently murdered their parents for money, and asked that they be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.This week, in an extraordinary turn of events for the brothers, the Los Angeles district attorney said he will recommend they be resentenced - a decision that could lead to their release. Continue reading...

Polls suggest Harris and Trump still neck-and-neck, but Democrats pessimistic and Republicans confidentLess than a fortnight before polling day, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are locked in a nail-bitingly close US presidential election race, triggering pessimism among Democrats and confidence among Republicans - even though polls suggest both candidates have a near equal chance of entering the White House.The Guardian's 10-day polling tracking average shows Harris, the Democratic nominee and US vice-president, maintaining the single-point advantage over her Republican rival she had a week earlier, 47% to 46%. Continue reading...

Medicare Advantage plans promise enticing benefits like free monthly premiums. Problems start when people fall illThe television ads show seniors playing tennis, golfing and riding motorcycles. In others, celebrity pitchmen seniors will know - such as actor William Shatner, NFL star Joe Namath and former Republican Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee - promise new benefits alongside pictures of government-issued ID cards.All of these are ads for Medicare Advantage and if Donald Trump wins the White House, Americans might be seeing a lot more of them. Continue reading...