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This state could determine whether Trump or Harris wins the presidential election

This state could determine whether Trump or Harris wins the presidential election

Former President Donald Trump returns to Pennsylvania on Wednesday to headline a Fox News town hall. The Sean Hannity-moderated prime time event is being held at the New Holland Arena in Harrisburg, the capital city of the key battleground state in the race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump was most recently in Pennsylvania last Friday at a rally in Johnstown, in the western part of the state. FOX NEWS TOWN HALL WITH FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP MODERATED BY SEAN HANNITY – WEDNESDAY 9PM ET “Sixty-seven days from now, we’re going to win Pennsylvania,” the former president declared. Harris stopped in Pittsburgh on Monday to team up with President Biden at a Labor Day event in the state’s second-largest city and union stronghold. The vice president returns to Pittsburgh on Thursday for her second stop this week. Fox confirmed that Harris is heading back to Pittsburgh to prepare for next week’s first and potentially only presidential debate with Trump. Harris is expected to stay in the state through next Tuesday’s prime time debate, which is taking place in Philadelphia. MARGIN OF ERROR RACE BETWEEN HARRIS, TRUMP, AS CAMPAIGN ENTERS FINAL STRETCH  While Election Day on November 5 is nine weeks away, early voting in Pennsylvania begins this month, as Harris noted on Monday, telling supporters that “ballots in Pennsylvania will start dropping in 14 days.” Pennsylvania is one of seven swing states that decided the 2020 election between Trump and Biden, and that both campaigns see as the states that will determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential showdown. “It’s the one state that it’s hard to see someone losing and then still winning the presidential race,” Pittsburgh-based longtime Republican national strategist and ad maker Mark Harris told Fox News. “It’s clearly ground zero.” Mark Harris, a veteran of multiple GOP presidential campaigns, said, “You can see that in media reservations and in the candidates’ travel schedules. Clearly, the Trump campaign and the Harris camp believe this is a must-win situation.” Mike Butler, a Pittsburgh-based Democratic consultant, told Fox News that when it comes to the White House race, “I don’t think any other state quite swings the needle as much as Pennsylvania.” BIDEN TEAMS UP WITH HARRIS AS HE RETURNS TO CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR FIRST TIME SINCE ENDING RE-ELECTION BID The campaigns and the deep-pocketed super PACs supporting Harris and Trump have already shelled out over $336 million to run ads in Pennsylvania, according to data from the nationally known ad tracking firm AdImpact. That includes nearly $150 million to reserve air time to run spots in the final two months – a figure that is likely to rise in the coming weeks. It is not just the top of the ticket campaigning in Pennsylvania. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats’ vice presidential nominee, campaigns Wednesday and Thursday in Lancaster, Pittsburgh and Erie. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, Trump’s running mate, has made campaign stops in Pennsylvania nearly every single week since becoming the GOP vice presidential nominee in mid-July. Pennsylvania, along with Michigan and Wisconsin, are the three Rust Belt states that make up the Democrats’ so-called “Blue Wall.” The party reliably won all three states for a quarter-century before Trump narrowly captured them in the 2016 election to win the White House. Four years later, in 2020, Biden carried all three states by razor-thin margins to put them back in the Democrats’ column, as he defeated Trump. Fast-forward to the present day, and Pennsylvania remains a jump-ball, as the latest public opinion surveys in the state indicate a margin-of-error race between Harris and Trump.  “It’s going to be fight to the finish. I think Trump has some advantages,” Mark Harris said. “But its definitely going to be a very tight race.” Butler noted that Pennsylvania’s had razor-thin margins in the past two presidential elections. “Trump’s numbers are pretty solidly baked in. I can’t see him faring any worse than he did the last two times, which means it’s going to be a very competitive state,” he said. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. 

Israeli forces using ‘war-like’ tactics in occupied West Bank: OCHA

Israeli forces using ‘war-like’ tactics in occupied West Bank: OCHA

UN’s humanitarian agency says dozens of people have been killed over the past week in Israeli attacks including air strikes. Israeli forces are using “lethal war-like tactics” in the occupied West Bank, according to the UN’s humanitarian agency. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement on Wednesday that Israeli attacks have killed more than two dozen people over the past week or so, including children. The continuing raids, mostly concentrated on the Tulkarem and Jenin refugee camps, constitute Israel’s largest assault on the occupied territory since the second Intifada in the early 2000s. The raids have seen significant violence and numerous arrests, while roads and other infrastructure have been destroyed by Israeli military bulldozers. OCHA said it had mobilised organisations from the UN and beyond to assess the damage and humanitarian needs on the ground. Visiting Tulkarem on Saturday, the teams confirmed the displacement of 120 people, including more than 40 children, whose homes were destroyed, the statement said. “At the time of the assessment, 13,000 people in Nur Shams refugee camp experienced water cut-offs, attributed to damages caused to the water network, and sewage overflow was observed. The teams also noted that the population was traumatized and in need of psychosocial support,” OCHA said. A similar assessment team was denied access to Jenin by the Israeli authorities on Wednesday. “OCHA warns that access impediments are impacting the ability to provide meaningful humanitarian response. The movement of ambulances and medical teams has been impeded and delayed since the onset of the now-week-long operation. Humanitarian access must always be facilitated,” the statement said. Israeli military’s latest assault in Jenin is in its eighth day, and the third day in Tulkarem, where Israeli forces are inflicting “widespread destruction”, according to the Wafa news agency. Citing its correspondents on the ground, the agency said Israeli forces dropped bombs on the refugee camp, sparking fires in al-Shamaliya neighbourhood. Israeli snipers were stationed on tall buildings, while spy drones flew and bulldozers damaged infrastructure, with “no street or alley left without destruction”, Wafa reported. A siege of al-Israa and Thabet school was also continuing, it added. Al Jazeera’s team on the ground also reported an ongoing Israeli raid in the Jalazone refugee camp, north of Ramallah. Sources said that dozens of Palestinians have been detained and questioned in local community centres. At least 20 Palestinians have also been rounded up from Beit Surik. Most returned after they were interrogated. Other raids were reported in Qalqilya, Nablus with a focus on Balata and Askar refugee camps, as well as al-Khader town south of Bethlehem and al-Azza refugee camp north of the city. Israeli security forces have besieged Hebron for a fourth day running and more checkpoints and gates have been erected. Adblock test (Why?)

All deaths ‘avoidable’, finds UK inquiry into Grenfell Tower fire

All deaths ‘avoidable’, finds UK inquiry into Grenfell Tower fire

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, The 72 deaths in the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017 were all “avoidable” a report into the tragedy has concluded. Delivered on Wednesday following a six-year inquiry, the final report highlights decades of failure of the United Kingdom government, indifference to safety by authorities, dishonest and incompetent manufacturers and installers of building materials, and a lack of strategy by firefighters were the main contributors to the shocking death toll. Those in the 24-storey block were “badly failed” over many years, said the inquiry chairman, Martin Moore-Bick. He added that the inquiry took longer than hoped due to its broad scope and because “many more matters of concern” had been discovered than originally expected. The long-awaited report says the elements identified contributed to varying degrees. This was largely due to incompetence, the chairman said, but in some cases due to “dishonesty and greed”. The lapses and mistakes detailed in the report could trigger criminal charges, although police have said charges will not be filed before 2026. This is a developing story. More to come… Adblock test (Why?)

Why are hundreds of thousands of people protesting across Israel?

Why are hundreds of thousands of people protesting across Israel?

Israel is being rocked by mass protests as popular pressure mounts on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition cabinet to secure a ceasefire deal in Gaza that would see the 90 or so remaining captives thought to remain in Gaza brought home. A general strike, called by the powerful Histadrut union, had to be halted after the government petitioned for an injunction against the action, deeming it “political”. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have packed streets across the country in the largest demonstrations since the war on Gaza began, calling for the government to strike a deal. Are these the first mass protests under the current government? Not at all. From January 2023 to the Hamas-led attack of October 7 during which 1,139 people were killed and some 240 taken captive, there were widespread demonstrations against Netanyahu’s judicial changes proposal. The proposal, if passed, would have increased his government’s power over the judiciary and, critics said, helped Netanyahu avoid corruption charges. (Al Jazeera) Despite popular opposition, in July Netanyahu’s government succeeded in passing a key reform limiting the Supreme Court’s power to overrule government decisions based on “reasonableness”. Protests by the families of those taken on October 7 have also roiled domestic Israeli politics since the outbreak of the war on Gaza with a consistent campaign to pressure the Israeli government. Are these the same protesters who were against Netanyahu before the war? In the main, yes, but there are many more. “Sure, many of the current demonstrators are the same that turned out to protest against the judicial reforms. However, there are many more this time, and they’re from a much wider group,” Israeli pollster and a former aide to several senior political figures, Mitchell Barak, told Al Jazeera from Jerusalem. “Young people are also demonstrating, because many of those taken on October 7th [from the Nova music festival or the young soldiers taken that day] were around the same age, and the responsibility for defending the country falls on their shoulders,” he said. [embedded content] What prompted these demonstrations? Grief and frustration. Many protesters suspect that Netanyahu and members of his cabinet are deliberately stalling a deal. Frustration over delays reached a tipping point on Saturday when Israeli forces operating in Gaza discovered the bodies of six captives. So far, Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians and levelled much of Gaza during 11 months of war. In November of last year, negotiators succeeded in securing a temporary ceasefire for seven days, giving hope to many of the families now demonstrating. That ceasefire saw the release of 105 Israeli captives by Hamas, in return for 210 Palestinian prisoners, mainly women and children, being held by Israeli forces. (Al Jazeera) Do Palestinians feature in the demonstrators’ demands? Not really. Most of the protests are focused exclusively on having the captives returned. “The issue of returning the hostages is centre stage,” Israeli analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg said. “An understanding that a deal would also mean an end to the conflict is there, but rarely stated,” he continued, adding that while a few voices among the demonstrators were calling for an end to the conflict, “as far as the protests’ leadership goes, no, it’s all about the hostages.” Are all Israelis on the same side in this?  No. The numbers protesting are enormous but while demonstrators are passionate about their cause, so, too, are Netanyahu’s supporters. Netanyahu has tried to focus on his pledge that Hamas, which appeared to admit to killing the six captives, would pay a “heavy price”, rather than acknowledge accusations of stalling on a deal. (Al Jazeera) Supporting him are the right wing and Zionist nationalists, represented in the coalition cabinet by the finance and national security ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. Smotrich opposed the general strike, claiming it helped “the interests of Hamas” and petitioned the attorney general to halt the strike action. Ben-Gvir was also critical of the protesters. Addressing a counterprotest in Jerusalem, by the families of Israeli soldiers killed in active service, he said: “We’re using our power in the government to prevent a reckless deal. “With Hamas you need to speak only between gunsights,” he added. Have the protesters been treated fairly? Alon-Lee Green, president of the group Standing Together, said the police used a “tough hand” with the demonstrators. Members of Standing Together were protesting in Jerusalem, he said, adding: “They arrested around 20 people at last night’s protest, which included many of our members. “It’s Ben-Gvir, pure and simple,” he said. “He doesn’t influence the police any more. Since he was able to appoint his own police chief in August, he controls the police.” [embedded content] Adblock test (Why?)