Live Reporting

Edited by Sam Hancock in Washington DC

1. Harris encounters Mid-East protesters on campaign stoppublished at 01:1901:19IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGESAs we’ve been reporting, Kamala Harris is in Wisconsin – a swing state – today. She’s addressing business students as part of her visit.On her way to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s campus, her motorcade passed protesters opposed to the Biden administration’s policy on Israel and its war in the Gaza Strip.Journalists travelling with the Democratic candidate spotted a large Palestinian flag and a large Lebanese flag, and signs that read “funds off genocide” and “no genocide on our dime” – a reference to the large number of civilians killed during Israeli military operations in Gaza as well as during its campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.Harris has often said she’s aligned with President Joe Biden on US support for Israel, although she has spoken more about human suffering in Gaza.Her campaign stop comes on a day during which Israel announced it had killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar – the man considered widely responsible for the 7 October 2023 attacks in southern Israel during which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage to Gaza.”Justice has been served,” Harris said in a statement. “He had American blood on his hands.”
   • If you’re interested: We’re running a separate live page about Sinwar’s killing and developments in the Middle East
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2. Watch: Trump criticised by biopic stars for ‘inspiring violence’published at 00:3200:32Away from campaign events and early voting, stars of the newly-released film about Donald Trump have told the BBC they’re concerned about violence being incited by the former president’s criticism.Trump, who tried to block the recent release of The Apprentice, starring actors Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan, called people involved in making the film “HUMAN SCUM” in a social media post on Sunday.The Apprentice is set in the 1970s and 80s when Trump, played by Stan, was beginning to make his name as a businessman in New York.Stan told Radio 4’s Today programme that he believed the comments were “inspiring violence”, while Strong said he was starting to feel the situation was “slightly dangerous”.Watch a snippet of the interview here:01:12Media caption,Jeremy Strong says starring in The Apprentice feels ‘slightly dangerous’Share
3. Rapper Common to join Walz at North Carolina rallypublished at 00:0100:01IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGESWe’re hearing that vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz will be joined today on his visit to North Carolina by rapper and actor Common.He’ll appear in the city of Winston-Salem to “speak directly to North Carolinians about the power of their voice and their vote,” according to the Harris-Walz campaign.Common, who won an Oscar for best song in the civil rights film Selma, has thrown his weight behind the Harris campaign and appeared at this year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.Walz will also campaign in the city of Durham, with former US president Bill Clinton at his side.
   • If you’re interested: We earlier laid out the main political events scheduled to take place today.
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4. ‘Living in temporary accommodation won’t stop me voting early’published at 23:04 17 October23:04 17 OctoberBrandon Drenon
   US reporterIMAGE SOURCE,BBC/BRANDON DRENON
5. Despite not knowing where she’s going to live when a government voucher funding her stay at a motel expires, Cindy Galgano says she still plans to vote – and vote early – in this election.”It’s important that we have somebody in there that will help us, and look out for Americans – and that’s Donald Trump,” Galgano, who voted for the former president in 2016 and 2020, tells me.The Boone, North Carolina, resident has been living in temporary accommodation for weeks, ever since Hurricane Helene ripped through her trailer park and destroyed her home.The 66-year-old says she’s grateful to be alive, having narrowly escaped the worst of the storm after she was rescued by an emergency crew boating through the area: “It rattled me, I’m not gonna lie.”Still, Galgano says she’s “always valued voting highly” and that the turbulence Helene has brought to her life hasn’t changed that.Share
6. As early voting begins, NC official says hurricane ‘devastation’ still rifepublished at 22:29 17 October22:29 17 OctoberBrandon Drenon
   US reporterI’ve been speaking to Kathie Kline, the Democratic chair of Buncombe County – one of North Carolina’s worst-hit areas by Hurricane Helene.She says some residents are continuing to live without internet connection, mobile phone service or clean water – and that it’s been “really hard to look around and see so much devastation” in her community.As images filter out of the state, showing residents at early voting stations, Kline says there’s a reason we’re seeing “long lines”.It’s partly due to enthusiasm, she explains, and partly due to the reduced number of early voting locations. As we said earlier, several buildings were destroyed in the storm, including planned polling stations.”A lot of people are still figuring out how to take care of themselves” Kline tells me. She says there are a number of North Carolina residents still having to shower in “really big trailers” that were installed by the US government’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) in the aftermath of the storm.Share
7. ‘What’s the alternative?’: Early voter, 71, opts for Harrispublished at 21:49 17 October21:49 17 OctoberIMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSSome of the North Carolina residents getting out to vote early have been speaking to reporters.Harvey Neal, a 71-year-old retiree, cast his ballot at the only early voting site in the city of Hendersonville. He voted for Kamala Harris.”She’s young, she’s a Democrat,” he tells Reuters news agency. “And, you know, what’s the alternative?”Neal says he was relatively fortunate during Hurricane Helene as nothing hit his house, but he was without power for five days.Another voter, Tina Veitch, says the road to her family’s house in Burnsville was destroyed by the storm. The 49-year-old graphic designer adds that she stayed put, instead of seeking refuge with family in Florida, precisely so she could vote.Veitch says the process of becoming an absentee vote, in her opinion, was too confusing: “The amount of hoops you have to jump through to just do it was not worth it.”Share
8. The states likely to decide this electionpublished at 21:02 17 October21:02 17 OctoberIn our coverage of the US election, we’re always referring to swing or battleground states and their importance.In case you’re wondering what those terms mean – here’s a reminder.About 240 million people are eligible to vote in this presidential election, but only a relatively small number of them are likely to settle the question of who becomes the next president.Experts believe there are only a handful of states – the swings and battlegrounds – that could plausibly be won by either the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump: North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.Both parties are therefore campaigning intensively to win over undecided voters in these states – and the graph below shows their latest polling data:Share
9. Another day, another campaign stoppublished at 20:36 17 October20:36 17 OctoberIMAGE SOURCE,EPAThe Democratic and Republican campaigns are continuing to target undecided voters, with events scheduled today in various parts of the country. Here’s a look at what we’re expecting.Kamala Harris: The Democratic presidential nominee is due in the swing state of Wisconsin, where she’ll be campaigning in the cities of La Crosse, Milwaukee and Green Bay.Donald Trump: The Republican nominee’s main event today is the Al Smith dinner, in New York City, which he’ll be speaking at. Harris was also invited but declined.Tim Walz: Harris’s running mate has a busy day planned in North Carolina, where early voting has started. He’ll be in the cities of Durham and Winston-Salem alongside former US president Bill Clinton.JD Vance: And Trump’s VP pick is due in Pennsylvania – largely seen as the most important battleground because it has the most electoral college votes up for grabs. He, Trump, Harris and Walz have appeared there multiple times. Today, Vance will be speaking in Pittsburgh.IMAGE SOURCE,EPAShare
10. First images of eligible early voters casting ballots in North Carolinapublished at 19:40 17 October19:40 17 OctoberWe’re beginning to see the first visuals of people queueing for early voting in North Carolina, and of people filling out their ballots.The below images are all from one polling station in the city of Wilmington.As we’ve been reporting, parts of the state are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Helene, which hit at the end of last month. There have been concerns raised about the impact the storm could have on voting – we’re reaching out to some residents to get their thoughts and will bring you that when we have it.IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGESIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGESIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGESShare
11. Were Trump’s tax cuts the largest in history?published at 19:04 17 October19:04 17 OctoberBy Jake HortonDuring his town hall on Foxs News yesterday, Trump told the audience: “I gave you the largest tax cuts in the history of our country”.This is false. Donald Trump did bring in big tax cuts but they weren’t the largest in history.Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 brought in sweeping cuts to taxation across the board. These are due to expire in 2025 unless the next administration extends them.According to analysis done by the independent Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, external, Trump’s tax cuts were the eighth-largest since 1918 measured as a percentage of the size of the economy (GDP), and the fourth-largest in dollar terms since 1940 adjusted for inflation.While Trump didn’t introduce the largest tax cut overall, he did pass the largest corporate tax cut in US history.The 2017 law reduced this tax rate from 35% to 21%. That was more than the cut passed under Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, which lowered the rate from 46% to 34%.Share
12. Secret Service faces call for reform after Trump rally shootingpublished at 18:32 17 October18:32 17 OctoberIMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSStepping away from the campaign trail briefly, the US Secret Service has been criticised for “deep flaws” which must be addressed by “fundamental reform”, in a new report that looks at a shooting at a Donald Trump rally in July.The 52-page paper, written by an independent panel, was accompanied by a letter saying there were “numerous mistakes” leading to the attempted assassination of Trump – but also systemic issues within the service. The document recommends bringing in new leaders from outside the organisation.During the shooting at his event in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump’s ear was brushed by a bullet. One event attendee, Corey Comperatore, was killed, and two others were injured. Gunman Thomas Crooks was also shot dead by police.Trump recently returned to Butler to host a rally in the same venue where he was shot at. He was joined on stage by X owner Elon Musk.Share
13. Early voting to open in another key swing statepublished at 18:14 17 October18:14 17 OctoberEarlier on, we looked at how early voting will work in the 2024 presidential election.North Carolina, a swing state, will see that process kickstart today – but it’s not been as easy for the Sun Belt state as in other areas.A few short weeks ago, Hurricane Helene devastated the US’s south-east and was particularly bad in the western part of North Carolina where 100 people remain missing or unaccounted for.In Buncombe County, one of the hardest-hit areas where dozens were killed, several buildings were destroyed – including planned polling locations. Yesterday, the county’s Democratic chair Kathie Kline said the storm had left officials “concerned” that it’d be harder for Democrats to flip the state than originally thought.Donald Trump carried North Carolina in 2020, but did so by just over 70,000 votes. The latest polling data suggests he’s currently ahead in the state – but the below graphic shows how the lead has changed hands between the Democrats and Republicans since August.Share
14. T-19 days until majority of Americans pick their next presidentpublished at 17:34 17 October17:34 17 OctoberSam Hancock
    Live page editor, in Washington DCThere are less than three weeks to go until election day here in the US – but, as we’ve been reporting overnight and for the last few days, some have already cast their ballots.Early voting – which allows people to vote in person or by mail before 5 November – is under way in a number of states, including some of those considered crucial for either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump to win the White House.Georgia, one of those so-called swing states, saw record turnout in its first two days of early voting. Today, we’ll see the same process get going in fellow battleground North Carolina, weeks after it was devastated by deadly Hurricane Helene.Trump won NC by a margin of less than 2% in the 2020 election and the latest polling data, which you can see in our previous post, suggests he’s also ahead there this time around. But it’s very close – which is likely why Harris’s running mate Tim Walz and former US president Bill Clinton are due to rally there later.We’ll guide you through that, and other campaign events, as the day goes on – plus bring you the analysis, fact-checking from BBC Verify, images and video you don’t want to miss. Stay with us.Share
15. Who’s ahead in the polls?published at 17:13 17 October17:13 17 OctoberWith 5 November less than three weeks away, we’re keeping track of the polls for you.Kamala Harris has held a small lead over Donald Trump in the national averages since she entered the race and she remains ahead.While national polls are a useful guide as to how popular a candidate is across the country, they’re not necessarily an accurate way to predict the election.That’s because most states nearly always vote for the same party, there are really just a handful where both candidates could win. These are the places where this election will be won and lost – battleground states or swing states.Right now the polls are very tight in the seven battlegrounds states and neither candidate has a decisive lead in any of them.At the moment, the polls suggest Harris and Trump are within a couple of points of each other in every swing state. When the race is that close, it’s very hard to predict winners.
    • Want to find out more? Check out our US election poling tracker
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16. ‘People are scared’: Election workers brace for threatspublished at 16:45 17 October16:45 17 OctoberImage caption,Melissa Kono’s training now includes advice for dealing with threats of violenceOfficials are preparing for another high-stakes election in November by bolstering security to keep workers at polling places safe.“People are scared,” says Melissa Kono, a town clerk in Wisconsin who travels the state giving training to volunteer poll workers.Kono tells the BBC that she is considering scenarios that were unthinkable just a few years ago, such as planning for gun attacks.Threats against election workers have increased since the 2020 presidential election which Donald Trump falsely claimed to have won. Trump himself has survived two assassination attempts by gunmen during the campaign.A survey this year found 38% of local election officials had experienced threats, harassment or abuse.“I’m concerned for the clerks and the election workers,” Kono says. “I worry that I didn’t prepare them to be safe.”
    • Read this story in full here
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17. Biden cancels billions more in student debtpublished at 16:16 17 October16:16 17 OctoberPresident Joe Biden says he’s cancelling another $4.7bn (£3.6bn) in student debt – this time for over 60,000 borrowers who work in public services.More than one million people, including teachers, nurses and firefighters, have now had their debt cancelled under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, according to White House data.The programme is one of a number of ways in which Biden has attempted to cancel student debt for millions of Americans during his presidency.Republican-led states have sued to stop some of the president’s attempts. The party’s presidential nominee Donald Trump has praised the Supreme Court for blocking a previous Biden debt forgiveness plan, saying it would be “very, very unfair” to those who have already paid down their debts.IMAGE SOURCE,EPAShare
18. Four takeaways from Trump’s high stakes Latino town hallpublished at 15:48 17 October15:48 17 OctoberIMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSDonald Trump appeared in front of a Latino audience on Univision, a Spanish-language network, on Wednesday evening. This is a voter base that could be key to victory in the November election.Here’s what happened:
    • Mass deportations – Trump avoided answering questions about his promise to deport illegal immigrants, pivoting to attack Democrats over crime and saying the Biden administration had “totally lost control”
    • Immigrants ‘eating pets’ – Trump stood by false claims that Haitian immigrants ate pets in the town of Springfield, Ohio, claiming he “was just saying what was reported”
    • 6 January a ‘day of love’ – Trump insisted 6 January “that was a day of love from the standpoint of the millions” and said he wasn’t to blame for the violence
    • What Trump admires about Harris – Trump said the “toughest question” was being asked to say what he admired about Harris. He said she seems to have an “ability to survive”, “some pretty long-term friendships” and “a nice way about her”
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19. Michelle Obama to headline Georgia rallypublished at 15:26 17 October15:26 17 OctoberIMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSFormer First Lady Michelle Obama is due to headline a rally in Atlanta, Georgia, at the end of the month, focusing on engaging younger and first time voters.The rally, held by the When We All Vote organisation, is scheduled for 29 October, when Obama will be joined by as yet unnamed celebrity co-chairs of the organisation. It boats big names like Jennifer Lopez and Tom Hanks among its co-chairs.Obama founded When We All Vote in 2018 to “change the culture around voting and increase engagement” in politics among younger and non-white voters.Share
20. Why the big day on 5 November isn’t the be all and end allpublished at 15:13 17 October15:13 17 OctoberIMAGE SOURCE,EPAYou might have heard the US is having an election on 5 November – however, you might not know that millions of people will have already voted by then.Nearly 30 million people cast their ballots before election day in 2020 – that’s more than the total number of people who voted in the UK general election in 2024.Early voting – which allows people to vote in person or by mail before election day – has previously favoured Democrats. The party’s voters tend to participate in mail-in voting in higher rates, also known as casting an absentee ballot.In the 2024 election, Republicans are trying to encourage early voting among its base – despite having previously claimed mail-in voting is ripe with fraud.Numerous national and state-level studies have shown that, although there have been isolated cases, electoral fraud is very rare.Many US states have begun early voting in the 2024 presidential election – and it’s off to a rapid start. More than 300,000 ballots were cast on the first day of early voting in the key battleground state of Georgia.Share
21. Four takeaways from Harris’s combative Fox interviewpublished at 14:50 17 October14:50 17 OctoberKamala Harris’s first interview with Fox News, a network that hosts some of her most vocal critics, was – unsurprisingly – tetchy. Here is what we learned from it.
    1. Harris challenged to apologise – immigration dominated the start of the interview, and Harris was asked if she should say sorry to the families of Americans killed by illegal migrants. “Those are tragic cases,” she said. “There’s no question about that.”
    2. Gender surgery for prisoners – Harris was pressed about taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgery for prisoners, a policy she has previously said she supports. “I will follow the law,” Harris said, but stressed the policy “is not what she is proposing or running on.”
    3. Distance from Biden – “My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency,” the vice-president said, trying to place some distance between herself and her boss.
    4. Biden’s mental state – Harris deflected questions about the president’s mental faculties, saying: “Joe Biden is not on the ballot, and Donald Trump is.”