AURN News

With the race neck and neck, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are making their final campaign pushes today.

Harris is spending the entire day crisscrossing Pennsylvania, a state with 19 critical electoral votes. She starts in Scranton and encourages voters before heading to the Latino-majority Allentown with guest Fat Joe, aiming to energize Puerto Rican and working-class voters. After stops in Redding with Gov. Josh Shapiro and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she'll cap the night with a star-studded rally in Philadelphia alongside Lady Gaga, The Roots, and Oprah.

Meanwhile, Trump's schedule takes him from Raleigh, North Carolina, to rallies in Redding and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before ending with a late rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Both candidates focused on mobilizing the millions who have not voted yet, despite 77 million Americans having already cast early ballots.

A recent Iowa poll showed Harris unexpectedly pulling ahead in that traditionally conservative state, adding more fuel to an already tight contest.

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The latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows Vice President Kamala Harris leading former President Donald Trump 47% to 44% among likely Iowa voters, days before Election Day.

This shift is notable in a state Trump won by solid margins in 2016 and 2020, but that former President Barack Obama carried in 2008 and 2012.

The poll highlights Harris’s rising support among women, especially older and independent ones, while Trump maintains strong backing from men, evangelicals, and rural residents.

A key shift is seen among independents, now favoring Harris, driven by her 28-point lead among independent women.

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(AURN News) — As Americans prepare to choose between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who represents Florida’s 20th Congressional District, is making a final push to mobilize voters across Florida's diverse communities. "No one can afford to sit this one out," Cherfilus-McCormick discussed the stakes in an interview with AURN News.

"We've seen what Project 2025 is really all about... rolling back Medicaid and Medicare Social Security, which would totally devastate our seniors," she said.

The Democratic congresswoman emphasized Harris's economic proposals, particularly those addressing cost-of-living concerns. "She has a robust economic plan that deals with some of the issues that we're facing, even when it comes to grocery price gouging, when it comes to housing, building over 3 million new houses and even having the first-time down payment program giving $25,000 for new homeowners," she commented. “These are all programs that are desperately needed at this moment, and we see so many people who are actually pushing and calling for a real government that sees the people for who they are and gives us a sense of hope and ensures that everyone has the opportunity to actually have a chance at thriving in the society.”

Early voting data shows varying turnout across the state's metropolitan areas. "Palm Beach County has had a great turnout. Broward County is number two," Cherfilus-McCormick reported, while expressing concern about participation in other regions. "The areas where we really need to turn out and make sure everyone's voice is heard is in Jacksonville and Duval County."

The congresswoman also noted increased political engagement within Florida's Haitian-American community. “I remember at the beginning of the election, some people weren't sure who they were voting for, because at one point, Trump did come down and try to cater towards the Haitian community. But I think what was a blessing and a curse was, the comments were a curse, but it ended up being a blessing, because right now, everyone seems to be on the same page of what needs to happen, which is to get out and vote for Kamala Harris,” she told AURN News. “We've been going to several churches and having everyone go out to vote immediately after service. We've had a series of phone banking and we've been calling several people also to make sure they're turning in their ballots and they're turning out to vote, but we've seen more and more people turning out to vote in this election, so we're very excited about that.”

Describing the candidates' closing arguments, Cherfilus-McCormick said, "What's been very clear about Kamala's closing argument has been one of compassion and unity and really seeing Americans for who they are and the strength of our nation... Whereas on the other hand, we keep hearing about Donald Trump and his list of people who he's going to retaliate against."

As Election Day lies just days away, Trump still maintains leads in most battleground states, though polling also shows a tight race nationally. 

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In this special episode of Hollywood Live Extra, Tanya Hart sits down with the multi-talented Lily Singh. Known for breaking barriers as the first woman of color to host a late-night show in 30 years, Lily is back with her new animated movie, Hitpig, hitting theaters on November 1st. Starring alongside Jason Sudeikis, Lily voices Pickles, a dancing elephant who escapes her cage to return home to her family in India, embarking on a wild journey with a bounty-hunting pig named Hip Pig. Lily shares insights on the joy of voice acting, the magic of animated films, and the story’s themes of friendship, family, and animal care.

Tanya and Lily also discuss the challenges of late-night TV and the lack of diversity in Hollywood. Lily reflects on the uphill journey to bring diverse stories to the screen, emphasizing that stories featuring BIPOC characters are not risky, but rather essential and profitable. Join this fun and inspiring conversation, and don’t miss Hitpig in theaters!

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(AURN News) — Big news for Howard University as it is on track to achieve a milestone this spring that would make it the only historically Black college or university to hold the prestigious Research-1 classification, according to a new report from The Chronicle of Higher Education. The designation would mark a significant breakthrough for Howard, already considered one of the nation's leading HBCUs, and could dramatically expand its research capabilities and influence, particularly on areas focused on the African American community.

"A Research-1, or R1, label could significantly increase the number of research grants the university qualifies for and attract more top scholars to its staff," the Chronicle reported.

The R1 classification, awarded by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, represents the highest level of research activity for U.S. universities. Currently, no HBCU holds this status and, according to the Chronicle, Howard was the first back in the 1980’s.

The Chronicle's report also suggests that important implications extend far beyond Howard's campus. Historical limitations in graduate and research programs have contributed to the underrepresentation of Black scholars in advanced degree programs nationwide. Howard's elevation to R1 status could help address this long-standing disparity.

When Howard achieves the classification, it would join an elite group of about 146 universities with R1 status, including institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins University. The development comes as many HBCUs are experiencing increased attention and investment following a renewed focus on racial equity in higher education. Howard's potential R1 status could serve as a catalyst for similar advancements at other HBCUs.

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Latin superstar Nicky Jam, who is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, announced he’s withdrawing his endorsement of former President Donald Trump, a month after sharing the stage with him wearing a MAGA hat.

Speaking in Spanish to his 43.5 million Instagram followers, he cited offensive remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, where Puerto Rico was labeled a “floating island of garbage.”

“I supported Trump because I believed he was the best for the U.S. economy, impacting millions of Latinos and immigrants,” he said. “But I never imagined someone would disrespect Puerto Rico so soon after.”

Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, rallied with Jennifer Lopez on Thursday night. The election is on Nov. 5.

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With just four days to go until Election Day, Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump are set to hold back-to-back rallies tonight in Milwaukee, highlighting the state's crucial role in this year's election.

As the candidates rally, a new AP-NORC poll shows a divide in voter trust, especially between Republicans and Democrats. Seventy percent of Democrat voters say they have strong confidence that votes will be counted accurately at every level - local, state, and national. But only about half of Republicans feel the same about their local counts, and fewer trust statewide or national tallies.

There have been a lot of concerns over voter fraud, driving a divide. Sixty percent of Republicans see ineligible voting as a major issue, although no facts have shown that, especially around mail-in ballots and drop boxes. But a similar percentage of Democrats trust the methods.

Democrats are more focused on voter suppression tactics, which have reached all the way to the courts, with half seeing it as a major issue compared to about one-third of Republicans.

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Philadelphia's District Attorney Larry Krasner is challenging a million-dollar-a-day sweepstakes run by Elon Musk's political group, America PAC. The sweepstakes aims to rally support for Donald Trump in key battleground states by offering cash prizes to participants who sign a petition backing the Constitution.

On Thursday, Judge Angelo Foglietta heard the case in Philadelphia, despite Musk's lawyers filing to move it to federal court, arguing it's a national election issue. Krasner filed a lawsuit Monday, saying Musk's sweepstakes may be an illegal lottery and raises concerns about election interference. He hinted at potential criminal charges, citing his duty to protect public trust in elections.

Musk, who owns Tesla, SpaceX, and X, has contributed over $70 million to support Trump and his and other Republicans, insisting this election is crucial for the future of civilization. The sweepstakes, Musk claims, is legal, but election experts are questioning if it crosses the line by potentially paying people to influence their votes.

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According to the Associated Press, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority upheld Virginia’s voter registration purge, aimed at blocking non-citizens from voting.

One lifelong Virginian affected by the cancelation called it “a very bad October surprise.” The court’s decision, backed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Republican administration, came despite a federal judge’s ruling that over 1,600 registrations were unlawfully purged.

Critics, including Protect Democracy, argued the purge mistakenly targeted eligible voters, citing cases like Nadra Wilson, a U.S. citizen whose registration was canceled. The National Voter Registration Act prohibits such last-minute purges, mandating a 90-day freeze before elections.

A similar case in Alabama revealed thousands of eligible citizens mistakenly labeled non-citizens.

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The U.S. Supreme Court has sided with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to allow the state to continue purging voter registrations flagged as potential non-citizens just days before the election. Virginia has been removing voters based on Department of Motor Vehicle data, leading to the cancellation of over 1,600 registrants. But many critics say the system is flawed.

The Supreme Court's conservative majority ruled in favor of the program without explanation. This, despite lower courts blocking it to prevent eligible citizens from being taken off the rolls. Voters who discover they're being removed can re-register and vote on election day using same-day registration.

In the wake of the decision, the NAACP called an emergency briefing to mobilize local advocates and leaders about how this is connected to broader election subversion efforts and how the organization plans to work to ensure that purged voters are re-registered and able to cast effective ballots.

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