Morning all, hope you are enjoying the fireworks. I’m writing this sitting on the main street in Winchester, Virginia, after my 6pm cross last night — about 1.30am my time. We’re heading south soon to visit some of the other swing states.
Economy, economy, and the economy
As election day fast approaches, 1News US Correspondant Logan Church and Q+A Host Jack Tame chat about all the biggest updates. (Source: Breakfast)
As we travel around the country speaking to folks, I always ask them what they are most concerned about going into the election.
I usually get back "jobs", "price of gas", "bread’s going up" — all economic issues.
One city where this is obvious is Johnstown, deep in rural western Pennsylvania.
Once a steel manufacturing hub, after the large mills shut down locals told me the region never really recovered.
"In the 70s, it was rocking, it was a big steel town, and everyone had a job. We had great shopping. We had great eating. We had a great economy. And then all the jobs in the steel industry left," said Dave Luciew.
"President Biden invested a tonne of money into places like Johnstown — there are roads being built, roads being paved — and there are jobs that come with that.
"I would hope to see that continue."
Near town is a monster-sized 110-shop mall, La Galleria, that just a few years ago was almost abandoned, before Florida-based businessman, Leo Karruli, bought it for about NZ$5.2 million — or about the price of five average Auckland homes.
"I took a risk. It was pretty much empty on the first floor and on the second floor was not a lot of business…I came here with the intention to rebuild," he told me.
Despite the economic challenges, Karruli thinks things are turning around.
"I think Johnstown was a little bit tough in the beginning… but I see Johnstown growing up more… the new stores opening up, the new businesses."
Check out more on this on TVNZ+
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Buzz Aldrin endorse candidates
Bodybuilder, former Republican governor of California, and actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger has thrown his support behind Kamala Harris, calling Donald Trump "un-American".
The two reportedly spoke recently over the phone.
Meanwhile, former astronaut Buzz Aldrin has publicly endorsed Donald Trump, citing the former president's interest in space.
This really seems like the election of celebrity endorsements. It will be interesting to see which ones - if any - make a difference with the voting public.
Trump in a garbage truck
In case you haven’t seen this, Donald Trump has thrown Joe Biden’s "garbage" gaffe right back in the president’s face, holding a photo op inside a garbage truck - complete with an orange high-vis jacket.
Timing couldn’t be worse for Kamala Harris as her rival gleefully takes the wheel of a garbage truck. (Source: 1News)
"How do you like my garbage truck?" Trump said to the crowd of photographers and cameramen.
It came as Democrats attempted to condemn comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s stand-up comedy routine at Trump’s recent New York rally at Madison Square Garden, where the warm-up act compared the American territory of Puerto Rico to a floating pile of garbage.
In a Zoom call, Biden said the only garbage was "his supporters" — although he later backtracked saying he meant to say the "rhetoric" was garbage.
But too late — Donald Trump has taken the attack against him and thrown it right back at the Democrats. In other words, he’s turned what was potentially a big problem for his campaign into a political win.
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