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After a rousing start to her campaign, the Democratic candidate is flatlining in the polls, and sexism could swing the vote in Donald Trump's favourWill the unsurprising yet significant fact that Kamala Harris is a woman decisivelytip the knife-edge US election in Donald Trump's favour? Democrat jitters grow as the campaignenters its final two weeks. Polls predict a dead heat nationally. Trump is edging ahead in key battleground states. Misogyny, hidden and pernicious, may make a crucial difference.It's frankly incredible that Trump, a convicted crook, cheat and sexual predator, is still in the race - and alarming that likeable, uninspiring Harris has not already sewn it up. Each day brings more wild Trump bombast about mass deportations, enemies within" or pet-eating Haitians. His lies and threats explode like cluster bombs. He behaves like a fool.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at observer.letters@observer.co.uk Continue reading...

George Carey is wrong to reduce the bill to a simple question of right or wrongThere is perhaps nothing more 2020s than taking a sensitive, morally fraught issue loaded with complexity and nuance, and casting it as progress and kindness versus indifference and obdurate conservatism. When even senior members of the clergy fall into this trap, it is a sign of just how much social media has collapsed public discourse into a simple question of right or wrong.The debate about assisted dying has become depressingly reductionist, but I was still taken aback when the former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey last week chose to mirror its flaws rather than adopt a more careful tone. He urged bishops in the House of Lords to back Labour MP Kim Leadbeater's private member's bill to legalise assisted dying because it is necessary, compassionate and principled", saying: The sad history of scientific exploration... is that church leaders have often shamefully resisted change. Let's not follow that trend." He implied that bishops had a duty to reflect the vast majority" of Anglicans who support legalisation.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at observer.letters@observer.co.uk Continue reading...

With 17 days until polls open in the presidential election singers Lizzo and Usher campaigned for Kamala Harris, while Donald Trump went off script in Pennsylvania

Thousands of supporters, including Usher, rally in battleground Georgia, as campaign focuses on early votesKamala Harris highlighted the threat to women's reproductive rights and Donald Trump's apparent exhaustion at a rally Saturday in south Atlanta, continuing a full-court press for votes in Georgia as early voting breaks records here.The race continues to appear close in Georgia, with polls suggesting the Republican nominee holds a one-point lead in the state. Trump has made multiple appearances in Georgia and has a rally with Turning Point Action planned in Gwinnett county, outside Atlanta, next week. Continue reading...

Vice-president joined by Lizzo in Michigan and Usher in Atlanta, as Trump campaigns in Pennsylvania. This blog is now closed.The Undertaker said that ElectionMania" was coming up on November 5, and the people had the choice.The WWE star told viewers to choose wisely, as the nation depended on it. Donald Trump said that it should be an easy choice. Continue reading...

Leaders paint Kamala Harris as Jezebel, who is cast out - from a window, trampled by horses, and eaten by dogsAs the sky darkened on the National Mall in DC last Saturday, evangelical pastor Che Ahn addressed the thousands of worshippers gathered there and issued a decree.Trump, Ahn said, was a figure akin to the biblical King Jehu, and Kamala Harris is a type of Jezebel, and as you know, Jehu cast out Jezebel". Continue reading...

Shooting, preceded by a fight among some of the men, near Lexington early Saturday also left eight people woundedThree people were killed and eight others were wounded in central Mississippi early Saturday when at least two people fired guns at a group of several hundred people who were celebrating a high school football team's homecoming win at an outdoor trail several hours after the game had ended, authorities said.The mass shooting near the community of Lexington was preceded by a fight among some of the men at the celebration, but deputies had not yet learned what sparked the fight, said Holmes county sheriff Willie March. Continue reading...

Democracy is in the balance as Americans prepare to go to the polls You can order your own copy of this cartoon Continue reading...

Workers for plane maker have been on strike for a month, adding woe to the struggling company's many concernsBoeing workers have tentatively scheduled a vote on a proposed labor deal that could signal the end of a month-long strike, their union said on Saturday.A contract ratification vote is expected this upcoming Wednesday, 23 October, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) said in a post on X. Continue reading...

New research reveals men pay little heed to women in mixed-sex teamsSingle-sex teams are something for the football pitch,not the workplace. It's notthe 1950s. Many studies show the benefits of mixed teams: among scientists, for example, they produce more impactful research.But does it matter how mixed they are? Yes, for the women in them, concludes fascinating American research. In a couple of experiments, undergraduates were randomly assigned to small (five or six people) male- or female-majority teams, who then worked together for a period as part of their studies.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at observer.letters@observer.co.uk Continue reading...

Sheehy has claimed he was wounded in Afghanistan, but ranger says he investigated accidental shooting in 2015A former Montana park ranger has now publicly accused Tim Sheehy - a Republican running for a US Senate seat in the state - of lying about getting shot while at war in Afghanistan.In an interview with the Washington Post published on Friday, 67-year-old Kim Peach went on the record about how Sheehy - a former US navy seal - actually shot himself on a family trip in 2015 at Glacier national park. Peach's account explicitly contradicts Sheehy's claim that he was shot in the arm during military combat, a story that the Republican candidate has shared throughout his US Senate campaign. Continue reading...

Data suggests canvassers linked to Elon Musk's America Pac falsely claimed to have visited homes of potential votersDonald Trump's campaign may be failing to reach thousands of voters they hope to turn out in Arizona and Nevada, with roughly a quarter of door-knocks done by America Pac flagged by its canvassing app as potentially fraudulent, according to leaked data and people familiar with the matter.The potentially fake door-knocks - when canvassers falsely claim to have visited a home - could present a serious setback for Trump as he and Kamala Harris remain even in the polls with fewer than 20 days until an election. Continue reading...

The singer is the latest casualty of an industry that thrusts fame on children too young to copeSex, drinking, smoking, gambling, joining the army, being put to work - we now take it as obvious that there should be strict laws protecting young people from certain parts of the adult world.Of course there should. Young brains are soft, excitable and easily addled. There are many things they should be sheltered from, and somechoices that should not be theirs to make.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at observer.letters@observer.co.uk Continue reading...

Candidates lob increasingly polarised rhetoric in attempts to gain edge in final three weeks of presidential campaignWith just half a month to go, the US presidential election is deadlocked, as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump jockey for any advantage in ways that illuminate their stark political differences; the Democratic nominee most recently announced a plan to campaign with the Obamas, while the Republican nominee doubles down on threatening his enemies.In the past week, Trump has gone further than ever in branding his political opponents the enemy within" and talking about deploying the military against them, while Harris herself entered uncharted territory by finally agreeing to label him fascist". Continue reading...

Hospitals, doctors and other health providers claimed the insurer underpaid them and increased cost of insurance nationwideUS insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield has agreed to pay $2.8bn to resolve antitrust class action claims by hospital systems, physicians and other health providers alleging they were underpaid for reimbursements, the plaintiffs said in an Alabama federal court filing recently.The settlement is the largest ever for a healthcare antitrust case, they added. Continue reading...

US Coast Guard and off-duty lifeguard rescued Kahiau Kawa, 17, after he became separated from his school's paddling teamA teenager in Hawaii was recovering on Friday after spending more than 11 hours clinging to a kayak before being rescued during an overnight ocean search by an off-duty lifeguard and the US Coast Guard.Kahiau Kawai, 17, had gotten separated from his high school paddling team on Wednesday after capsizing approximately half a mile south of Honolulu's Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort. He was on a 20-foot kayak and was not wearing a lifejacket, the coast guard said. Continue reading...

As Howard University celebrates 100 years of alumni coming home to honor their beloved alma mater and each other, Kamala Harris, a Howard alum, is possibly on the verge of becoming the first Black woman president. The historically Black university's homecoming marks a century of Black achievement, a familiar celebration for some of the most influential people in the nation. Below are decades of photographs that illustrate the prideful and jubilant atmosphere of homecoming through the years. Continue reading...

The Democrat says she will end cannabis prohibition and seek to help Black men profit from the industry if electedKamala Harris announced on Monday that if elected president, she would fully legalize adult recreational cannabis on the federal level - the first time a presidential nominee has taken such an unambiguous stance on ending cannabis prohibition.As part of her pledge, she said she would take steps to ensure that Black men, disproportionately incarcerated and disenfranchised by the war on drugs, would stand to profit from the industry. Continue reading...

As she campaigns in a deep red state, Rev Susan Shumway says its her job to kick open the doors' for queer youthWhen Phoenix Lemke was in his final year of high school, he had nowhere to go.The family of the teenager from O'Fallon, Missouri, had long disapproved of him being queer, and in December 2021, at age 17, he left home without a clear plan. He spent several days couchsurfing with friends until he found refuge with an unlikely figure: a local pastor. Continue reading...

Assuming the demographic won't support Democratic party is completely overblown', experts warn, as national polling doesn't capture nuances among Black votersWith the US election only 17 days away, Kamala Harris is courting one demographic with particular fervor: Black male voters.As new polls warn that Black voters - who have consistently voted for Democratic presidential candidates (at rates of at least 80% since 1994) - may be less enthusiastic about the Democratic party, Harris has released a new slate of policies specifically aimed at Black men. Her stated plans include increasing access to the cannabis industry and educational opportunities that would expand pathways to good-paying jobs ... [regardless of] a college degree". Continue reading...

While Don Jr is influential behind the scenes, Ivanka and Melania have been notably absent during this campaignIn late afternoon sunshine, Eric Trump shook his fist and led chants of Fight! Fight! Fight!" The second son of Donald Trump told a fervent crowd: They tried to smear us, they tried to bankrupt us, they came after us, they impeached him twice ... then, guys, they tried to kill him."A who's who of the Maga movement had gathered for a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, less than three months after the Republican presidential nominee survived an assassination attempt there. Trump was joined on stage by running mate JD Vance and billionaire Elon Musk. But if he was looking for moral support from his family, he would have to settle for Eric. His other children - and his wife - were notably absent. Continue reading...

The billionaire answers questions on Mitt Romney and tariffs, and clarifies his remarks on the FTC's Lina KhanAs the US presidential election looms, the billionaire Mark Cuban has emerged as an energetic campaign surrogate for Kamala Harris. Making the case for business leaders to support the Democrat over Donald Trump, Cuban has drawn on his experience (in tech, investments, healthcare and now sports, as minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team), celebrity (as a lead shark" for 15 seasons of ABC's Shark Tank) and willingness to confront Trump-supporting billionaires, Elon Musk prominent among them.The road has not been smooth. Last week, Cuban clashed with congressional progressives after criticizing Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission, over her tech-sector antitrust work. That issue and others, including Cuban's thoughts on Trump's championing of tariffs and the perennial question of whether Cuban harbors presidential ambitions of his own, are addressed below, in emailed answers to 10 questions posed by Guardian writers and editors. Continue reading...

There was more to Emma Coronel's turn at the Milan fashion show than most would have realised. It's a cynical game of clues and signalsIn the midst of an important Italian fashion event, Emma Coronel Aispuro, who is a former beauty queen but no ordinary model, appeared on the Milan catwalk wearing a sumptuous wedding dress. The wife of Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera - better known by the nickname El Chapo, or the shorty", due to his short stature - made her appearance at Palazzo Serbelloni during Milan fashion week (which, incidentally, has officially distanced itself from her). Much has been written about the fact of her appearance. The remaining issue is why it happened and whether those who were complicit knew what they were complicit in.Guzman is considered the premier Mexican drug lord. Before his capture, he was head of the Sinaloa cartel. He has escaped from prison twice: in 2001 and then in 2015. Arrested again in 2016, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, which he is serving in Florence prison, Colorado. Continue reading...

Family tragedy has been the impetus for the Jets' Solomon Thomas to become an advocate for mental healthBy Gavin Willacy for No Helmets RequiredWhen the Buffalo Bills kicked a late field goal against the New York Jets last Monday night to win the all-New York state clash, dropping the Jets to 2-4 and dealing their hopes of winning the AFC East title a mighty blow, star linebacker Solomon Thomas was keeping it in perspective. Yes, it was a setback, but it was no biggie.He may be a hugely successful sports star and multimillionaire, but Thomas is as familiar with adversity as anyone. Born seven weeks prematurely and weighing only four pounds (he's put on nearly 300 since then), in just two Pac-12 seasons with Stanford, the Texas schoolboy developed into one of the finest linebackers in the country. He forsook the final year of his communications degree to enter the NFL Draft in 2017, and was snapped up third overall by the San Francsico 49ers. He was that good. He missed the 2020 season with an ACL injury and was released by the 49ers but losing a year of your career was nothing when you've lost a sister. Continue reading...

Donald Trump endured a broken microphone in Detroit, while Kamala Harris courted Arab-American voters with weeks to go before the 2024 election

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Democratic nominee suggests at Michigan rally that rival does not have stamina to handle another presidential termKamala Harris used a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday to seize on reports that Donald Trump had been canceling media interviews to question whether he has the stamina for a second presidency if voters choose him over her in November's election.If he can't handle the rigors of the campaign trail, is he fit to do the job?" the Democratic vice-president, 59, told rallygoers about the 78-year-old Trump. Continue reading...

Document printed 237 years ago, one of eight copies known to still exist, went to highest bidder on ThursdayA rare copy of the US constitution printed 237 years ago and sent to the states to be ratified was sold for $9m at an auction Thursday evening in North Carolina.Brunk Auctions sold the document, the only copy of its type thought to be privately owned, at a private auction. The name of the buyer was not immediately released. Continue reading...

Countless Democrats - and even Donald Trump - have tried to leverage the gathering spaces for political gain. But the vice-president's recent tour is about more than a photo opFive years ago, with an eye toward South Carolina's 2020 Democratic presidential primary, Kamala Harris dropped by a barbershop in the state capital for a roundtable with a group of Black men led by 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell, of Me So Horny fame. Pitted against some skeptical voters, Harris won the room over with her personal stories and willingness to let her hair down some. I'm all about straight talk, and there's no better place to do that than in the barbershop," she said. In that 20-minute discussion, which largely focused on entrepreneurship, Harris introduced many of the points that form the core of the Opportunity Agenda for Black Men unveiled this week.The Black barbershop ranks among the most enduring tropes in American politics - the go-to place for office-seekers looking to win the Black male vote without getting into specifics. Democrats in particular have used the setting as their official co-sign, submitting to naturalistic photo-ops in hydraulic chairs with the fellas when they aren't directly addressing Black church congregations or glad-handing at fish fries. Even Donald Trump has leveraged the barbershop trope for his own ends, dropping by a Maga-friendly location in the Bronx on Thursday for a private meet-and-greet. Continue reading...

Case of Anthony Thomas TJ' Hoover II is under investigation by state and federal government officialsA man who had gone into cardiac arrest and been declared brain dead woke up as surgeons in his home state of Kentucky were in the middle of harvesting his organs for donation, his family has told media outlets.As reported Thursday by both National Public Radio and the Kentucky news station WKYT, the case of Anthony Thomas TJ" Hoover II is under investigation by state and federal government officials. Officials within the US's organ-procurement system insist there are safeguards in place to prevent such episodes, though his family told the outlets their experience highlights a need for at least some reform. Continue reading...

House oversight committee's report further called the ex-president's term world's greatest get-rich-quick scheme'Donald Trump billed the government for Secret Service accommodations at his hotels many times over what other guests were charged, particularly foreign dignitaries, according to a report released Friday from Democratic members of the House oversight committee.Describing the former US president's term in office as the world's greatest get-rich-quick scheme", the report's authors referred to documents obtained by subpoenas of the Mazars firm, Trump's accountants, citing guest logs for Trump International hotel in Washington, DC, between September 2017 and August 2018. Continue reading...

Nearly 1,900 pages of documents provide small glimpse into evidence prosecutors will present if case goes to trialThe judge overseeing Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case made public Friday a heavily redacted trove of documents that provide a small glimpse into the evidence prosecutors will present if the case ever goes to trial.The nearly 1,900 pages of documents collected by special counsel Jack Smith's team were initially filed under seal to help US district judge Tanya Chutkan decide what allegations can proceed to trial following the supreme court opinion in July that conferred broad immunity on former presidents for official acts they take in office. Continue reading...

Three-month audit by FAA was not triggered by a specific event but is part of its oversight of safety cultureThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday it will open a three-month review of Boeing's compliance with safety regulations, continuing the agency's closer oversight of the company since a panel blew off a Boeing jetliner during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.The FAA said its review will examine key areas of safety processes at Boeing to make sure that they result in timely, accurate safety-related information for FAA use". Continue reading...

Jim Justice, West Virginia's Republican governor, is seen as a shoo-in for the seat being vacated by Joe Manchin. But his opponent says Justice isn't as popular as he appearsThe man in the blue shirt leveled his gaze at Glenn Elliott, who had just walked into his yard in the quiet, conservative town of Moundsville and introduced himself as a candidate to represent West Virginia in the US Senate.It would take a lot to make me like any politician right now," the man replied. Continue reading...

With their perfect hair, kindly demeanour and songs about thrilling romance, boybands such as One Direction induce feelings that have much to teach us about lifeThe first time I fell in love, I was 13. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach constantly. I took any opportunity to mention my love, no matter how tangential to the conversation. If the subject came up organically, I felt as if I could burst with joy. I never met them, but that didn't make the feelings any less real. That I was in love with Take That was irrelevant: it was love all the same.When the British boyband split up in 1996, the press conference was broadcast live. During the Q&A, a journalist from BBC Manchester told the sombre group: We've just had a 14-year-old fan phone in tears. What's your message to her?" Looking a little befuddled, Mark Owen replied: Erm ... we're sorry, I suppose." Continue reading...

Founder of polling firm that conducted survey says: That language is straight out of Mein Kampf ... it's Nazi rhetoric'

All public universities in the state join growing direct admission' program that aims to reduce application anxietyTexas universities have joined a number of other colleges and universities across 35 states in participating in a program, revolutionizing the normally tedious college application process by allowing students to determine if they will get accepted to a school before even applying.Direct admission", which was piloted in 2021 and formally launched at the end of 2023, aims to streamline the college application process, with schools offering students admission even if they didn't apply. Notably, not all colleges and universities across the US are part of the program. Continue reading...

State health department sent letter to stations demanding they not air TV ad backing abortion access ballot measure

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The Israeli PM could cite the Hamas leader's death as a total victory', but his far-right partners would revolt and his ally Trump would not be happyA good day for the world, said Joe Biden. The best day of my life, said Mohammed, a 22-year-old Palestinian in Gaza, who refused to give his last name to the New York Times for fear of being punished by Hamas for speaking out. A day of celebration, said countless Israelis.They were reacting to the death of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas and architect of the 7 October massacre of 1,200 Israelis that unleashed this last year of devastation, a war that has turned Gaza into rubble and taken the lives of thousands upon thousands of Palestinian civilians. As Mohammed put it: [He] started the war, scattered us and made us displaced, without water, food or money ... He is the one who made Israel do this."Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

In some battleground states, authorities have pursued charges against officials who have interfered in past votes