Joe Biden 'appreciates frustration of American people' as he promises economic help

Joe Biden's approval rating has dropped to just 42 per cent
Joe Biden's approval rating has dropped to just 43 per cent Credit: SAUL LOEB / AFP

Joe Biden has pledged to crack down on so-called junk fees that banks and other companies charge their customers, in a late economic push before the midterm elections.

The announcement comes after months of high inflation has eaten away at Americans' savings and made the economy the top issue for voters.

Mr Biden said his administration is examining fees imposed on consumers in a range of sectors, including entertainment and travel, as regulators were ordered to target overdraft and other banking fees that he said would save customers more than $1 billion.

Two weeks away from the midterm elections, Mr Biden is using public events to show how his administration is trying to reduce costs for families.

"It's gonna take some time, and I appreciate the frustration of the American people," he said at the end of a speech in Washington earlier today.

That push comes as high inflation - averaging 8.2pc over the past year - has contributed to his approval rating falling to 43 per cent and his party slump in the polls ahead of the November 8 vote.

Follow the latest updates below.

Further poll boost for Republicans

More good news for the GOP coming from Politico's afternoon briefing.

Pollster Data for Progress has new Senate and gubernatorial surveys in five key states.

In Arizona, Blake Masters is tied with Mark Kelly in the Senate race. The seat is currently Democrat-held.

Marco Rubio is up by seven points on Val Demings in his bid to remain a Florida Senator.

Ron Johnson is ahead of Mandela Barnes by five points in Wisconsin, Adam Laxalt is leading Catherine Cortez Mastro by one point in Nevada, while Maggie Hassan is up by six points on Don Bolduc in New Hampshire.

In the governor’s races, Kari Lake is up four points on Katie Hobbs in Arizona, Ron DeSantis is up 12 points on Charlie Crist in Florida, Tim Michels is up by one over Tony Evers in Wisconsin, Joe Lombardo is also ahead of Steve Sisolak in Nevada, and Chris Sununu is up 13 points on Tom Sherman in New Hampshire.

Kamala Harris to visit Philadelphia

Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to participate in a reception for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party on Friday, her office has announced.

The Vice President will also participate in a moderated conversation on protecting reproductive rights with Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon.

Republicans on top in Florida and South Dakota

The University of North Florida has released a poll which shows Ron DeSantis with a stunning lead over Charlie Crist - at 55pc to 41pc.

The pair went head-to-head on Monday evening. In the Senate race, Marco Rubio leads Democrat Val Demings 54pc to 43pc.

In South Dakota, Republican Governor Kristi Noem is well clear of challenger Jamie Smith, at 56pc to 37pc in a new Emerson/The Hill survey.

Herschel Walker facing new allegations

Herschel Walker, the former American football star turned Republican candidate for Senate is out on the campaign trail today.

However, his day is expected to get worse. Mr Walker claims to be a staunch anti-abortionist, but a second woman is preparing to allege that he drove her to get an abortion after she became pregnant as a result of their relationship.

Mr Walker has already been accused by another woman of paying for her abortion - a claim he denies.

Attorney Gloria Allred will hold a press conference with the latest accuser in around an hour.

 

Michigan jury finds three men guilty of aiding plot to kidnap governor

A Michigan jury has  found three men guilty of aiding a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, a plot that prosecutors said grew out of hostility over restrictions she imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After two weeks of testimony in Jackson County Circuit Court, the jury found Joseph Morrison, 28, his father-in-law Pete Musico, 44, and Paul Bellar, 23, guilty of gang membership, firearm violations and providing material support for terrorism. They could face up to 20 years in prison.

The three are among more than a dozen men arrested in October 2020 and charged with state or federal crimes in the alleged kidnapping conspiracy.

After the verdicts, Whitmer, a Democrat who is up for re-election in November, said she was not deterred by the threats and rhetoric that were presented in the case.

"These verdicts are further proof that violence and threats have no place in our politics," she said in a tweet.

The verdict was a victory for state prosecutors who argued that the men on trial assisted two others who in August were found guilty in federal court of kidnapping conspiracy. It stands as the most prominent case involving domestic terrorism and militias in years.

Judge orders Meadows to testify in Georgia election probe 

A judge on Wednesday ordered former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to testify before a special grand jury that's investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies illegally tried to influence the state's 2020 election.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation early last year into actions taken by Trump and others to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Mr Meadows is one of a number of high-profile associates and advisers of the Republican former president whose testimony Willis has sought.

Because Mr Meadows doesn't live in Georgia, Willis, a Democrat, had to use a process that involves getting a judge where he lives in South Carolina to order him to appear.

Mr Meadows is a key witness as the special grand jury investigates whether Trump and his allies sought to illegally influence the election. The former GOP congressman was at the very centre of Mr Trump's plans to overturn his presidential election defeat.

Mr Meadows travelled to Georgia, sat in on Mr Trump's phone calls with state officials and coordinated and communicated with the many outside influencers who were either encouraging or discouraging the then-president's pressure campaign.

His attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

Biden accepts the strains on everyday Americans

At the end of his speech, designed to reassure families and give them some "breathing room, a contrite Mr Biden said: "I appreciate the frustration of the American people."

Biden vows to scrap 'junk fees'

Mr Biden is setting out a raft of measures to scrap "junk fees" which are hitting consumers. As an example, he says people have to pay for 'resort fees' at hotels. He also mentions  airlines, some of which charge you to book seats together. He says it's not just wrong, but will now be illegal.

"Today's actions are going to save $1 billion," he says.

Additionally, Mr Biden says the average price of petrol is $3.39 per gallon. "It's going to come down more," he vows.

Biden speaking about the economy

Watch it on his Twitter feed here:

Ohio elections chief warns of misinformation

Ohio law does not permit voters to return absentee ballots at their precincts on Election Day, the state's elections chief is cautioning amid a misinformation campaign around the security of voting machines that's urging them to do so.

Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose said those voters who heed advice from a prominent national group of Republican election deniers and hold onto their paper ballots until November 8 must deliver them to their county board of elections office. Poll workers at precinct-level voting locations cannot accept them, he said.

Some GOP activists have urged voters not to use US mail or a voting machine to cast their votes. Instead, they have encouraged them to fill out a paper absentee ballot and return it in person at the last minute.

"This is why it's dangerous for people who don't know what they're talking about to be dispensing bad elections-related advice to people," Mr LaRose said in an Associated Press interview.

"Because if someone is telling voters to take their absentee ballot to their polling location on Election Day, they're effectively instructing them how to disenfranchise themselves."

Latest poll from Ohio

In Ohio, Republican candidate for the Senate J.D Vance is leading Democrat incumbent Tim Ryan 48.3pc to 44.2pc according to a new Cygnal poll.

Read more about the writer and Trump detractor, turned Trump devotee and potential Senator.

The slippery rise of JD Vance, the Hillbilly the Left couldn’t cancel

Record number of LGBT candidates

The Victory Fund, a national organisation dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, has said that at least 1,065 LGBT people have run for elective offices this year, the most in history. It said 678 of these candidates won their primaries and will appear on the ballot in November, an 18pc increase from 2020.

According to the fund, 2022 is the first year in which openly LGBT candidates ran in all 50 states, ranging from 178 in California to one in Mississippi.

Some breakthrough victories are likely. In Massachusetts, Democrat Maura Healey is favoured to become the first openly gay candidate elected as the state's governor. Another lesbian - Democrat Becca Balint - is odds-on to win Vermont's lone US House seat, becoming the first woman and first openly gay person to represent the state in Congress.

Among the most striking statistics in the fund's report is the partisan gap - 89.3pc of the LGBT candidates ran as Democrats and only 4.5pc as Republicans.

Republicans take charge in North Carolina races

Republican representative Ted Budd is ahead of Democrat challenger Cheri Beasley - who was backed by Barack Obama yesterday.

Mr Budd has 46.9pc compared to Ms Beasley's 43.1pc according to a new Cygnal poll.

Another race which is capturing attention is the state's  Supreme Court elections - which will determine abortion access and redistricting.

Currently, Republican Richard Dietz leads Democrat Lucy Inman 48.8pc to 42.4pc while Republican Sam Ervin leads Democrat Trey Allen 49.4pc to 42pc.

Colorado debate last night

As well as New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan, there was a debate in Colorado last night.

The Centennial State has a senate seat up for grabs, with incumbent Democrat Senator Michael Bennet around eight points ahead of Republican challenger Joe O’Dea.

But the race has turned into a proxy battleground for the potential Republican candidates for President in 2024 - Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.

Mr O'Dea has rejected Mr Trump's assertion that the 2020 election was stolen, and moved much more towars the centre ground. Consequently, he has received public support from Mr DeSantis. Not one to let that go unnoticed, Mr Trump posted on social media that it was: "a big mistake."

While Colorado has traditionally been a blue state, a strong turnout for a candidate who defines themselves against Mr Trump could provide an interesting blueprint for other Republican candidates in 2024.

As for the debate itself, Fox News described it as "drowsy".

Georgia split in new poll

Voters in the Peach state are leaning Democrat in the senate race and Republican in the Governor's race - perhaps reflecting personalities rather than politics.

Raphael Warnock, the incumbent Democrat Senator is up 49pc to 47pc over former American footballer and Trump-endorsed Herschel Walker among likely voters, according to an ECU Center for Survey Research poll.

But in the Governor's race, the GOP's Brian Kemp is leading his Democrat challenger Stacey Abrams by 51pc to 44pc.

Democrat John Fetterman stumbles against Dr Oz in Pennsylvania amid stroke recovery

Rising Democratic star John Fetterman last night stumbled against celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz in one of the most highly anticipated debates of the US midterms, writes Josie Ensor in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Liberal Mr Fetterman, who was recently hospitalised with a near-deadly stroke, suffered a serious blow in Pennsylvania, potentially costing his party its best chance to flip a Republican-held Senate seat.

He squared off against Donald Trump-backed rival Dr Oz with just a fortnight to go before all-important elections that could either help or hamstring President Joe Biden’s agenda for the next two years.

Mr Fetterman's stroke in May left the progressive lieutenant governor struggling with his speech and hearing and forced him to rely on subtitles displayed above the moderators during the debate in Harrisburg.

At times he struggled to find his words, repeated phrases and failed to finish sentences in a painful 60-minute live primetime television performance.

It could prove to be a decisive moment in the most important contest for the US Senate seat that could decide control of the chamber.

'I’m running to take back our streets,' New York GOP challenger says

Sparring over crime, abortion and the deadly US Capitol insurrection took center stage yesterday as New York Governor Kathy Hochul faced her Republican challenger, US Rep. Lee Zeldin, in the campaign's only televised gubernatorial debate.

Nearly the full first fifteen minutes of the New York debate between Hochul and Zeldin centered around crime, which is the topic that Zeldin has hammered Hochul on for months. He repeatedly criticised Hochul for reforming bail laws.

In turn, Hochul blasted Zeldin's past support for abortion restrictions and for former President Donald Trump, while Zeldin vowed to repeal liberal criminal justice reforms and criticized Hochul's push to send millions to abortion providers to expand access for a predicted surge in out-of-state patients.

Hochul labeled Zeldin an "election denier" and "climate change denier" as she tried to link him to Trump, who enjoyed little support in New York.

"In Lee Zeldin's world, you overthrow the results of elections you don't agree with," Hochul said.

Zeldin voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania. When asked by a debate moderator if he would vote against certifying the results again, Zeldin didn't directly say yes or no.

Early voting starts in four days.

Two in five US voters worry about intimidation at polls

Two in five US voters say they are worried about threats of violence or voter intimidation at polling stations during the country's midterm elections, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

So far no violence has been reported at any early voting centers or ballot drop-off locations ahead of the November 8 elections, when Republicans are favored to win control of the House and possibly the Senate.

But officials in Arizona, a key battleground, have already asked the federal government to probe a case of possible voter intimidation, after people casting ballots were conspicuously filmed and followed.

An official complaint noted that the self-appointed monitors called the voters "mules," a reference to a conspiracy theory popularised by supporters of former President Donald Trump's false claim that his 2020 defeat was the result of widespread fraud.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll, completed on Monday, also found that two-thirds of registered voters fear that extremists will carry out acts of violence after the election if they are unhappy with the outcome.

The findings illustrate what some observers have said is growing evidence of a lack of trust in the nation's democratic institutions, following decades of deepening partisanship.

Abortion, crime and inflation dominate debates so far

Yesterday, candidates in some of the closest contests in the US met on stage for debates just two weeks before the midterms, with early and mail voting already underway in many places.

With persistent inflation and high prices one of the top issues on voters' minds, abortion and crime also emerged as the fault lines that might tip the scales either way.

Currently, Democrats hold a tight majority over Republicans in the House, 221-212, and have a 50-50 tie in the Senate.

On November 8, all 435 seats in the House are up for grabs, as are 35 of the 100 Senate seats.

Tuesday featured the tightly divided Pennsylvania Senate race debate, the candidates for Michigan governor facing off, contenders for governor of New York and Colorado's senate seat. 

Michigan Governor accuses GOP candidate of 'stoking violence' 

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer accused Republican challenger Tudor Dixon of "stoking violence" and pushing conspiracy theories meant to divide people, while Dixon said voters have felt the pain of the Democrat's failures and "you deserve better."

Dixon, a former businesswoman and conservative commentator endorsed by former President Donald Trump, is hoping a late surge of support will help her unseat the first-term incumbent Democrat, who has had a multimillion-dollar fundraising advantage.

Whitmer and fellow Democrats spent months pummeling Dixon with ads but the final weeks of the campaign have seemed more like a competitive contest, with both hopefuls on TV and the candidates holding public events around the state.

"We always knew that this would be a close race," Whitmer told reporters after the debate. "This is a great state but it's a divided state at times. I take no person, no vote, or no community for granted."

Tuesday's debate was the final meeting before the November miderms election.

Watch Dixon hit back against Whitmer saying students missed school for only three months:

Fetterman raises $1 million post-debate

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's campaign manager said that the Democratic candidate for Senate raised $1 million since last night's debate. 

“We are thrilled with John’s performance. He did remarkably well tonight – especially when you consider that he’s still recovering from a stroke and was working off of delayed captions filled with errors,” the campaign said.

Dr Oz dominated in post-debate snap poll

Republican Dr Mehmet Oz was the overall winner in his Pennsylvania Senate debate Tuesday against Lt. Gov. John Fetterman two weeks ahead of the midterm elections, according to one snap poll.

Eight-two percent of respondents deemed Dr Oz the winner, compared to 18 per cent for Fetterman, according to results posted by WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh.

Democrats noted that the televised debate setting likely would have favoured Dr Oz even without questions about John Fetterman’s stroke. 

Dr Oz is a longtime television personality who hosted "The Dr. Oz Show" weekdays for 13 seasons after getting his start as a regular guest on Oprah Winfrey's show in 2004. 

Fetterman, by contrast, is a less practised public speaker who is introverted by nature.

Many Republicans were thrilled by the debate's outcome, although most, including Oz, tried to avoid piling onto concerns about Fetterman's health.

Donald Trump Jr. was less cautious. "If Fetterman is some sort of leftist decoy to make Biden actually sound somewhat intelligent and articulate he's doing a great job," the former president's son tweeted.

Fetterman stumbles on fracking question during debate

During Tuesday's debate, Dr Oz sought to pin down Fetterman on his position on fracking natural gas, a major industry in Pennsylvania that is often opposed by liberals and environmentalists.

Fetterman once supported a ban on fracking but when pressed by the moderators last night about why he changed his views, he was briefly at a loss for words.

"I do support fracking. And I don't, I don't. I support fracking, and I stand and I do support fracking," he said.

Why the Pennsylvania Senate seat is an important one

The race to succeed retiring Republican Pat Toomey's Senate seat in Pennsylvania is the Democrats' best hope at gaining ground in the 50-50 Senate, which they control by virtue of Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote.

A win in Pennsylvania could mean offsetting losses elsewhere, as Democrats are defending embattled incumbents in states including Georgia, Nevada and Arizona.

Republicans taking control of either the House or Senate would be enough to stop President Biden's legislative agenda.

Fetterman is inspiration to stroke survivors, says expert after debate

Fetterman has been called an inspiration to stroke survivors by stroke rehabilitation specialist Dr Sonia Sheth, who watched the debate.

"In my opinion, he did very well," said Dr Sheth, of Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in suburban Chicago.

"He had his stroke less than one year ago and will continue to recover over the next year. He had some errors in his responses, but overall he was able to formulate fluent, thoughtful answers."

Problems with auditory processing do not mean someone also has cognitive problems, the experts agreed. The brain's language network is different from regions involved in decision making and critical thinking.

Oz, a longtime television personality, was more at home on the debate stage. He cast himself as a moderate Republican looking to unite a divided state, even as he committed to supporting former President Donald Trump should he run for president again in 2024.

"I'm a surgeon, I'm not a politician," Oz said. "We take big problems, we focus on them, and we fix them. We do it by uniting, by coming together, not dividing."

Fetterman similarly committed to supporting Biden should he run again in 2024.

Revealed: Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden's first call

Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden discussed the war in Ukraine during a call on Tuesday evening, as the US President called the UK his country's "closest ally".

The new Prime Minister, who took over from Liz Truss on Tuesday, will meet Joe Biden in the coming weeks at the G20 summit in Indonesia.

A Downing Street spokesperson said that Mr Biden congratulated Mr Sunak on his appointment, adding that "the leaders looked forward to working closely together".

"President Biden said that the UK remains America's closest ally, and the Prime Minister agreed on the huge strength of the relationship," No 10 added.

Left-wing Democrats condemned for offering 'olive branch to Putin' with peace plan

Left-wing Democrats who had called on Joe Biden to negotiate directly with Russia for a "rapid" peace in Ukraine backed down on Tuesday, report Nick Allen and Dominic Nicholls.

It followed a widespread backlash from Ukraine, the White House, and other "furious" Democrats who called their position an "olive branch" to Vladimir Putin.

Thirty of the 220 Democrat members of the House of Representatives, including democratic socialist congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, had signed a letter to Mr Biden urging him to seek talks with Mr Putin, regardless of whether Kyiv wanted to, and to offer sanctions relief to the Kremlin as part of a negotiated settlement.

The letter was drawn up by Pramila Jayapal, chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Read more: Grouping of congressmen from Joe Biden's party hastily withdraw letter that suggested a rapid deal with Kremlin to horror of leaders in Kyiv

Dr Oz: Abortion should be a decision between a woman, her doctor and local elected officials

Abortion was a major dividing line during the debate last night, with Democrats seizing on the fact that Dr Oz said abortion should be a decision between "a woman, her doctor and local political leaders".

The Donald Trump-backed Republican candidate insists he supports three exceptions - for rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.

When pressed during the debate, he suggested he opposes South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham's bill to impose a nationwide ban on abortion after 15 weeks because it would allow the federal government to dictate the law to states.

"I don't want the federal government involved with that at all," Oz said. "I want women, doctors, local political leaders letting the democracy that always allowed our nation to thrive, to put the best ideas forward so states can decide for themselves."

Fetterman delivered a blunt message to women: "If you believe that the choice for abortion belongs with you and your doctor, that's what I fight for."

Fetterman: 'I had a stroke, he's never let me forget that'

US Senate candidates Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz traded attacks on issues from crime to inflation in the lone debate of a Pennsylvania race that will help decide whether Democrats retain control of the Senate.

Fetterman, who spoke haltingly and repeated phrases at times, addressed his health issues in his opening statement, calling it the "elephant in the room".

"I had a stroke. He's never let me forget that. And I might miss some words during this debate, mush two words together, but it knocked me down but I'm going to keep coming back up," Fetterman said.

He later refused to commit to releasing his private medical records. "Transparency is about showing up. I am here for the debate," he said.

Last night, the challenges he sometimes faces in communicating as a result of his stroke recovery were on full display.

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