The Latest: With the debate behind them, Harris and Trump jockey for swing states

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are heading to swing states they hope to win, both of them trying to expand their narrow paths to victory in a closely fought presidential campaign.

Harris has her sights set on North Carolina, where she’s scheduled to hold rallies in Charlotte and Greensboro on Thursday.

Trump is heading west to Tucson, Arizona, as he looks to stabilize his campaign, which continues to struggle to recalibrate nearly two months after Harris replaced President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket.

Follow the AP’s Election 2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Here’s the latest:

Trump says he'd seek to end taxes on overtime wages

Trump said Thursday in Arizona that as president he’d seek to end taxes on overtime wages. It’s his latest appeal to the working-class voters he’s counting on to return him to the White House. Trump has also pledged to end taxes on tips and Social Security wages.

The proposals would take a significant bite out of federal revenue, ballooning the deficit unless accompanied by significant spending cuts.

“It’s time for the working man and woman to finally catch a break,” Trump said. Harris has announced her own proposal to stop taxing tips.

More on Trump’s plan to end taxation of tips here.

Trump plans cryptocurrency speech and announcement of business venture

Former President Donald Trump plans to deliver remarks on Monday about cryptocurrency and the launch of the company World Liberty Financial, a crypto platform controlled by the Republican nominee’s sons Donald Jr. and Eric.

His speech will come 50 days before Election Day, an extraordinary use of dwindling campaign time to promote a personal business. The Republican former president has long mixed his political and business interests and marketed sneakers, photo books and Trump-branded Bibles during his 2024 campaign.

“We’re embracing the future with crypto and leaving the slow and outdated big banks behind,” Trump said in a video posted Thursday to X, the social media site that will also host his address on the subject at 8 p.m. EDT on Monday from his Mar-a-Lago home.

As part of his presidential campaign, Trump has pledged to turn the United States into the “crypto capital of the planet,” raising red flags that he could use the federal government to help support a business tied to his family.

Cryptocurrencies are forms of digital money that can be traded over the internet without relying on the global banking system. The trading often depends on online marketplaces that charge fees for transactions, so that the cryptocurrencies can be exchanged for U.S. dollars and other currencies.

Trump opposed crypto during his presidency, but he has since warmed to the sector. He has suggested the government create a strategic reserve of Bitcoin and has vowed to block the creation of a Federal Reserve-administered Central Bank Digital Currency, a digital form of central bank money that would be available to the public.

Trump-backed Kari Lake speaks at Arizona rally

Introducing Border Kari Lake. That’s the name Trump bestowed Thursday on one of his staunchest allies, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Arizona.

Trump is famous for giving nicknames to his political enemies, but nicknames for allies are rare. “She’s tough on the border. So if you don’t mind I’m going to call her Border Kari Lake,” Trump said to loud applause in Tucson. Lake, who’s in a tough race against Democrat Ruben Gallego, stood and pumped her fist from the front of the auditorium.

Trump posted on his social media site earlier in the day that Lake and Ohio Republican Senate nominee Bernie Moreno “should be running almost exclusively on the Safety and Security of their States, not allowing Illegal Aliens to get anywhere near Arizona or Ohio, and getting the ones that are already in - OUT!”

Trump is in Arizona

Trump is in Arizona to solidify his support in a crucial battleground state, but not everyone who waited hours to see him at Tucson’s Linda Ronstadt Music Hall will be able to help him win here.

Andres Lopez flew in from the San Francisco Bay Area to see Trump in person for the first time. Lopez, a 31-year-old Army veteran who’s never voted before, said he’s excited to see young people like him getting behind Trump. Hearing the stories of people who were victims of crimes committed by people living in the country illegally motivated him to get involved, he said.

Trump, who has campaigned on border security since his first day as a candidate nearly a decade ago, frequently shares the stories of young people sexually assaulted or killed by immigrants who were not living in the country legally. He brought several family members of crime victims to a news conference at the Arizona-Mexico border last month.

“He’s pretty much saving the country. Look at all the kids, they’re all in danger. All the illegals, they’re killing the kids here and they’re also getting away with it. I don’t want my kid to end up like one of those kids.”

Lisa Schwartz of Barrington, Rhode Island, said she’s extremely confident Trump will win. If he loses, she said, that will be a sign the election was stolen from him.

“I think America is waking up and I think people are starting to realize the administration we have now put us in a rut between wars, the economy, prices of gas,” said Schwartz, a 61-year-old retired school nurse who has a home in Tucson but votes in Rhode Island.

Harris mocks Trump for saying he has ‘concepts of a plan’ to replace the Affordable Care Act

Speaking at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, Harris was laughing as she quoted Trump from Tuesday night’s debate, when he was asked about his past support for repealing the law, colloquially known as Obamacare, without a plan to replace it.

“Concepts,” she said, as the crowd roared. “No actual plan. Concepts.” She continued, “Forty-five million Americans are insured through the Affordable Care Act. And he’s going to end it based on a concept?”

Trump says there will be no future debate with Harris

Trump says he won't participate in a future debate with Harris.

The GOP nominee posted Thursday on Truth Social that “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!” He also suggested that a “prizefighter" who loses a bout is always the one to call for a rematch.

Trump also called Harris a “no-show" for a debate date that had been proposed earlier this month. Instead of an event with Harris, Trump ended up going on Fox News for a solo town hall with host Sean Hannity.

Both campaigns have framed their candidates as the winner of Tuesday night's debate in Philadelphia. Shortly thereafter, a spokesperson for Harris said she would be open to another debate with Trump, and Harris said during a North Carolina campaign rally on Thursday she believes she and Trump “owe it to voters” to debate again.

Fox News has issued invitations to both campaigns for a debate in October.

Representatives for both the Harris and Trump campaigns did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Harris touts endorsements from former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz Cheney

Vice President Kamala Harris is showcasing the endorsements of Republican former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney at her first campaign rally since Tuesday’s debate with Trump.

“Democrats, Republicans and independents are supporting our campaign,′ she said, saying they recognize the need to “put country above party and defend our Constitution.” Harris adds: “While Donald Trump is trying to pull our nation backwards, we are fighting for the future.”

At Harris' rally in Charlotte, North Carolina

Vice President Kamala Harris says she believes that she and former President Donald Trump “owe it to voters to have another debate.”

Speaking at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, two days after she met the Republican on stage for the first time on Tuesday, Harris said Trump showed in the debate that he has “plans for how he would address the needs of the American people, because it’s all about him, it’s not about you.”

Her comments come minutes after Trump rejected another matchup.

Harris’ campaign says it raised $47 million in the 24 hours after her first debate with Trump. The campaign says it came from nearly 600,000 donors.

“This historic, 24-hour haul reflects a strong and growing coalition of Americans united behind Vice President Harris’ candidacy that knows the stakes this November, and are doing their part to defeat Donald Trump this November,” campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said.

Money flows on US election bets minutes after judge clears way, but appeal looms

People began betting on which political party would win control of Congress in the November elections within minutes of a judge’s ruling Thursday allowing the bets — the only ones to be legally approved by a U.S. jurisdiction.

New York startup company Kalshi began taking what amounts to bets on the outcome of the November congressional elections after a judge refused to block them from doing so.

The ruling enabled the company, at least temporarily, to offer prediction contracts — essentially yes-or-no bets — on which party will win control of the Senate and the House in November.

It's not clear how long such betting might last; the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which last year prohibited the company from offering them, said it would appeal the ruling as quickly as possible.

AFSCME pushes civic engagement to combat Project 2025

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is warning of the dangers of Project 2025 on Black workers and is using it to mobilize its members ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Speaking to reporters, Lee Saunders, president of the AFSCME, said the authors of the nearly 1,000-page handbook don’t believe public sector unions should exist. Saunders also said Republican nominee Donald Trump, if elected, would eliminate those unions, stripping them of rights like the ability to negotiate wages, working conditions and benefits.

Trump has said Project 2025 is not related to his campaign and has denied knowing about the Heritage Foundation.

“I’d be willing to make a bet that he would eliminate the right for public sector workers to have the ability to organize,” Saunders said. “Can you imagine that happening in every state across the country? That’s just one example of how that plan will impact unions. Imagine everyone else?”

In response, the union has been mobilizing members, knocking on doors, hosting events and engaging digitally through its AFSCME Strong program, intended to drum up excitement at the polls for their members, family and friends.

While Saunders said they never tell members how to vote, the union has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz.

New Harris ad highlights her criticism of Trump over abortion

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is releasing a new ad highlighting her criticism of former President Donald Trump on abortion during Tuesday’s presidential debate.

The ad spotlights Trump taking credit for the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022 which had guaranteed a national right to abortion for five decades, instead turning the issue over to states — many of which have instituted restrictions or outright bans since.

“I did a great service in doing it,” Trump said on stage. “It took courage to do it, and the Supreme Court had great courage in doing it.”

The 60-second ad features Harris’ impassioned response, referencing cases where women who had miscarriages have faced life-or-death situations are a result of health providers fearing criminal liability if they provide abortions.

“I think the American people believe that certain freedoms, in particular the freedom to make decisions about one’s own body, should not be made by the government,” Harris said in the debate, words set to dramatic music in the spot.

It comes as Democrats are hoping abortion will be a motivator for voters in November as it was during the 2022 midterms, and as Harris has promised to sign a national right to abortion if elected — though it would have to pass Congress first.

Former Republican Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he's supporting Harris

Alberto Gonzales, a Republican who served as White House counsel and attorney general under President George W. Bush, announced Thursday that he’ll be supporting Kamala Harris in this year’s election.

He disclosed his support for the Democratic vice president in a Politico opinion column, where he described Donald Trump as “perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation.”

Gonzales’ decision follows similar announcements by former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney.

Harris expected to attend discussion at National Association of Black Journalists

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to participate in a discussion this month with the journalists at the National Association of Black Journalists, and will do more interviews particularly focused on battleground states as she campaigns for the presidency.

Harris didn’t attend the NABJ annual convention in July because of scheduling issues that prevented an in-person appearance. Republican nominee Donald Trump did attend, and he falsely suggested Harris had misled voters about her race, and claimed she “happened to turn Black.” He has repeated the falsehood several times since.

Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the U.S. As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black colleges and universities, where she also pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, supporting legislation to strengthen voting rights and to reform policing.

In response to Trump’s comments, Harris said: “It was the same old show. The divisiveness and the disrespect,” and she added: “And let me just say, the American people deserve better.”

CBS’ ’60 Minutes’ plans its presidential candidate showcase. But will Trump and Harris show?

“60 Minutes” is scheduling its quadrennial interview special with the presidential candidates to air in less than a month, hoping for the best even after its session with former President Donald Trump went off the rails in 2020.

With no other debates between Trump and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, currently scheduled after Tuesday’s event in Philadelphia, a “60 Minutes” sitdown would represent one of the few times left for voters to evaluate the two candidates back to back.

The Sunday newsmagazine wants to do it on Monday, Oct. 7, since CBS is airing the American Music Awards the night before.

Neither candidate has yet agreed to appear but their campaigns have been talking to CBS, said Bill Owens, executive producer of “60 Minutes.” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said “stay tuned” when asked about his candidate’s plans. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Associated Press.

Young women are increasingly likely to identify as liberal, a Gallup analysis finds

Young women are more liberal than they have been in decades, according to a Gallup analysis of more than 20 years of polling data.

Over the past few years, about 4 in 10 young women between the ages of 18 and 29 have described their political views as liberal, compared with two decades ago when about 3 in 10 identified that way.

For many young women, their liberal identity is not just a new label. The share of young women who hold liberal views on the environment, abortion, race relations and gun laws has also jumped by double digits, Gallup found.

Young women “aren’t just identifying as liberal because they like the term or they’re more comfortable with the term, or someone they respect uses the term,” said Lydia Saad, the director of U.S. social research at Gallup. “They have actually become much more liberal in their actual viewpoints.”

Michigan leaders join national bipartisan effort to push back against attacks on the election system

Former Michigan governors and elected officials from both parties are joining a wider effort to combat misinformation and attacks on voting and ballot-counting in several swing states ahead of the fast-approaching presidential election.

The Democracy Defense Project also includes former officials from a number of states where then-President Donald Trump tried to overturn his election loss in 2020, including Georgia. Their goal is to build trust in elections through radio and TV ads, media outreach and local engagement.

“We’re going to jointly, wherever necessary, speak out when people try to call into question the integrity or the accuracy of our voting. We believe in our system and we don’t appreciate people making up stories that are self-serving,” former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard told The Associated Press ahead of the formal Thursday launch of the Michigan chapter.

Blanchard, a Democrat who served as governor from 1983 to 1991, is joined on the Michigan team by former Republican Gov. John Engler, former Democratic Lt. Gov. John Cherry and former Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop.

Democrats claiming Florida Senate seat is in play haven’t put money behind the effort to make it so

Florida Democrats made bold claims last week about their chances in a state that has steadily grown more conservative in recent years. But so far they have not matched their words with the kind of money it will take to win there.

“Florida is in play,” proclaimed Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former representative from Miami, at the start of a bus tour in defense of women’s reproductive rights in Boynton Beach. Mucarsel-Powell is the choice of Florida Democrats to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Scott for one of a handful of Senate seats the GOP is defending this election cycle.

According to data from AdImpact, which tracks spending on advertising by political campaigns and their surrogates, Republicans have outspent Democrats on Florida’s U.S. Senate race by roughly a 4-to-1 margin through Sept. 11, $12.7 million to $3.2 million. Based on ad spots currently reserved through the general election, that margin is expected to grow.