House committee advances contempt of Congress measure for Blinken
The Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 26-25 this afternoon to send a report recommending that the House find Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena to testify about the Afghanistan withdrawal.
The measure now heads to the House floor for a vote by the full chamber, where Republicans hold the majority.
Voting rights groups urge Pennsylvania county to reverse decision to ban ballot drop boxes
More than two dozen voting rights groups are calling on Luzerne County — a key county in battleground Pennsylvania — to reinstate its ballot drop boxes after officials announced last week that they would not use them this fall.
In a letter to Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo — who cited security concerns and potential “illegal activities” as the reason for the move — the coalition of groups, called PA Voters Decide, noted the decision came just weeks before voters starting casting ballots in the state.
“This decision bypasses the Luzerne County Board of Elections, raises serious concerns about the overreach of unelected county administrators, and fully disregards the critical importance of voter access,” the letter stated. “We are writing today to collectively demand that drop boxes be reinstated in Luzerne County.”
Twenty-seven groups signed the letter, including Common Cause Pennsylvania and the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.
The ACLU of Pennsylvania also wrote its own letter to Crocamo urging her to reverse her announcement. The group also said in its letter that only the Luzerne County Board of Elections and Registration has the power to make a decision to scrap the use of drop boxes.
Spokespersons for the PA Voters Decide and the ACLU of Pennsylvania told NBC News that neither group has yet filed any litigation on the matter.
Crocamo announced last week that her office lacked the resources and “capability” to ensure the county's four ballot drop boxes were kept safe.
“We don’t have the number of staff members to actually stand by the drop boxes to keep them safe, so I decided I’m not going to deploy them,” she said, adding that she was concerned about possible “illegal activities.” Crocamo didn’t immediately respond to questions from NBC News.
The Luzerne County manager is a nonpartisan position that is appointed by the Luzerne County Council.
Some Republicans have made unfounded claims that drop boxes and early voting methods are prone to fraud.
Many Pennsylvania counties utilize ballot drop boxes. Republicans in the state have attempted to ban their use through litigation and legislation. Former President Barack Obama carried Luzerne County twice before Trump won it in 2016 and 2020.
Trump signals continued reluctance on more U.S. aid to Ukraine as Zelenskyy lobbies allies
Trump signaled reluctance about providing further U.S. financial assistance to Ukraine, just hours after Biden defended U.S. backing of its ally in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
“Every time [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy comes to the United States, he walks away with $100 billion,” Trump said from a campaign stage in the battleground state of Georgia. “I think he’s the greatest salesman on Earth. But we’re stuck in that war unless I’m president. I’ll get it done. I’ll get it negotiated.”
Trump further questioned whether Russia’s military is worth trying to fend off.
“Biden says, ‘We will not leave until we win.’ What happens if they win?” Trump asked the crowd. “That’s what they do is they fight wars. As somebody told me the other day, [Russia] beat Hitler. They beat Napoleon. That’s what they do. They fight.”
Zelenskyy was in New York for Biden’s remarks today after he visited an ammunition plant yesterday in Pennsylvania, where he touted the current administration’s commitment to Ukraine’s defense.
Trump has not committed to ensuring the U.S. continues its assistance of Ukraine if he wins the presidency and returns to the White House next year. He has repeatedly said he would end Russia’s war against Ukraine in 24 hours but has provided zero details of what he would demand from the two countries.
Biden told other world leaders at the U.N.: “We cannot let up — the world now has another choice to make: Will we sustain our support to help Ukraine win this war and preserve its freedom or walk away and let aggression be renewed and a nation be destroyed? I know my answer. We cannot grow weary. We cannot look away, and we will not let up on our support for Ukraine.”
This spring, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate and told state media that Trump told him the U.S. would cut off funding to Ukraine. The Trump campaign never dismissed Orbán’s version of the conversation.
Two of Trump’s key national security aides during his administration, who have remained in touch with him during the campaign, have also presented him a peace proposal that would require Ukraine to cede some territory that Russia has conquered.
Biden to make promised trip to Africa
Biden will travel to Germany and Angola for a five-day trip beginning Oct. 10, fulfilling a promise he made in 2022 to visit Africa. Biden will be in Luanda, Angola, Oct. 13-15, the White House said in a statement today.
He will hold a bilateral meeting in Angola with President João Lourenço, according to a White House official who said Biden will be focused on enhancing the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which is aimed at addressing a need for financing high-quality infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries and includes U.S. investments in the Lobito Corridor initiative, a rail project that is helping move products and natural resources to and from ports faster.
The White House official called Biden’s trip “a testament to our belief in this partnership that we’re willing to go the distance with them.”
Manchin says he is 'not endorsing' Harris after her Senate filibuster remark
Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., said he is “not endorsing” Harris for president after she expressed support for ending the Senate filibuster to pass legislation to codify abortion rights.
“I've been very, very, very clear on how strongly I believe that when you go down that slippery path, you don’t just do it for one issue,” Manchin told NBC News.
In an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio that aired earlier today, Harris said, “We should eliminate the filibuster for Roe,” and she referred to potential changes in the filibuster rules that would lower the threshold to begin and end debate on most legislation from 60 votes to 51.
Manchin, who said he was leaving the Democratic Party in May, announced last year he would not seek re-election. His decision to leave office makes the seat a likely Republican pick-up as Senate Democrats battle to maintain control of the chamber.
The Republican candidate for the seat is Gov. Jim Justice. Trump won West Virginia handily in both 2016 and 2020.
Groups behind abortion ballot measures launch ads in four states
The groups advocating for the passage of constitutional amendments that would enshrine abortion access launched new ads today in four states: Florida, Missouri, Montana and Nevada.
In Florida, Floridians Protecting Freedom/Yes on 4 released a new Spanish-language TV ad featuring a prominent gynecologist who urges Florida voters to pass the proposed amendment.
In Missouri, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom released a digital ad spotlighting a family talking about their own experiences with pregnancy complications.
In Nevada, Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom released a TV ad highlighting abortion bans that have been enacted in 22 states since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
And in Montana, Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights began airing an ad that takes a similar tack, focusing on how abortion bans have jeopardized reproductive care for women who have had complicated pregnancies.
Florida’s ballot initiative would bar restrictions on abortion before fetal viability and include exceptions past that point for “the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” Missouri’s amendment would enshrine language in the state constitution to protect abortion rights up until fetal viability, with exceptions after that for the life and health of the woman.
In Montana and Nevada, abortion is already legal until fetal viability. But fearing that such rights could be undone in the future, reproductive rights advocates succeeded in placing constitutional amendments on the November ballot in both states that would enshrine similar language.
Yesterday, the group advocating for the passage of a constitutional amendment in Arizona that would enshrine abortion access launched a $15 million ad campaign that will run through Election Day.
McConnell criticizes Trump’s proposed tariffs
Asked today about Trump’s calling for a series of tariffs if he’s elected president, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., criticized the approach.
“I’m not a fan of tariffs. They raise prices for American consumers. I’m more of a free-trade kind of Republican that remembers how many jobs are created by the exports that we engage in. So I’m not a tariff fan,” McConnell told reporters.
Trump bashes Harris, ABC and immigrants
Speaking at an event in Savannah that was billed as an economic address, Trump touted his sprawling economic plans before launching into attacks on his Democratic opponent, immigrants and ABC News.
The event started with Trump promoting his plan to lower the corporate tax rate to 15%, while pledging to "take other countries' jobs" thanks to low taxation, low energy costs and low regulation. Companies that don't make their goods in the U.S., however, would face higher taxes and tariffs, Trump said.
Speaking of the Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, whom he has falsely accused of eating cats and dogs, Trump said, "You have to move the people back to the country from which they came."
He also continued to complain about the Sept. 10 ABC debate against Harris, which he said he won because the vice president "couldn't put two sentences together."
"She didn't say anything except lies," he said, while also complaining the moderators helped gang up on him. Still, he maintained, "I thought it was one of my best debates."
Trump also continued his apocalyptic warnings about what would happen if Harris wins in November. "If we don't win this election our country is gone," he said, while later warning of Harris' "country-destroying liberal agenda" that "we have to stop once and for all."
Harris campaign office damaged by gunfire in Arizona
TEMPE, Ariz. — Police here are investigating what appears to be gunfire damage overnight at a Democratic Party-coordinated campaign office for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The incident occurred just a few days before Harris was scheduled to visit Arizona as she campaigns for president.
“We can confirm that on 9/23/24, what appears to be damage from gunfire at … a DNC Campaign Office, was discovered,” the Tempe Police Department said in a statement to NBC News on Tuesday.
The office is shared by staff for the Arizona Democratic Party, the Harris campaign, and Senate and House campaigns, to boost turnout for the party in November.
Phoenix voter talks about gender gap in support for Trump and Harris
Our latest NBC News poll found Trump is ahead among men (52%-40%), while Harris is ahead among women (58%-37%).
NBC News asked Arizona voters about the gender gap in politics.
“It’s scary when you start losing grip on things that you predominantly had a grip on before,” said Ian Galvez-Daley, 28, on why men and women are voting differently.
“Men normally run the world, right?” said the Phoenix native, who indicated he will support Harris. “Men run politics. It’s just men are losing that power and that grip, and it’s scary to them, and they want that to maintain the change of the status quo.”
“Loss of power is scary, and people don’t want to lose it, and I think that’s really what this is,” he said.