With exactly two weeks to go until Election Day, both candidates for president are blitzing the battleground states. And we’ve learned how long student loan repayments for about eight million Americans will remain on hold. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.

Harris, Trump look for more votes in battlegrounds with 2 weeks to go

With two weeks to go until Election Day, the presidential candidates are crisscrossing the country trying to pick up any undecided voters that remain.

Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris called in former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney to help her rally support Monday, Oct. 21, in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. During the event in Michigan, Cheney, the daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, spoke about siding with the Democratic nominee.

.@Liz_Cheney: Vice President Harris is going to defend our Constitution. We're not always gonna agree, but I know Vice President Harris will always do what she believes is right for this country. She has a sincere heart, and that's why I'm honored to support her pic.twitter.com/lcFD6MGDSF

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 21, 2024

“So, I think that we are facing a choice in this election; it’s not about party, it’s about right and wrong,” Cheney said. “And I certainly have many Republicans who will say to me, ‘I can’t be public.’ They do worry about a whole range of things including violence, but they’ll do the right thing.”

In Wisconsin, Harris described her opponent former President Donald Trump as “unstable,” referencing comments made by former Trump cabinet members. 

“I think it’s very important that we acknowledge — and I have said publicly that Donald Trump is an unserious man,” Harris said, “and the consequences of him ever being President of United States again are brutally serious. Brutally serious.” 

Former President Trump visited North Carolina on Monday where he surveyed the damage created by Hurricane Helene and continued his criticism of the Biden administration’s relief efforts. 

“The power of nature, nothing you can do about it, but you got to get a little bit better crew and to do a better job than has been done by the White House,” Trump said. “It’s been not good. Not good. I’m here today in western North Carolina to express a simple message to the incredible people of the state: I’m with you and the American people are with you all the way. We’re going to continue to be with you. We’ll see what happens with the election. And we’re, on January 20th, you’re going to have, I think, a new crew coming in to do it properly and help you in a proper manner.”

pic.twitter.com/igllXjOepF

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 21, 2024

Trump made two more stops while in North Carolina Monday, holding a rally and speaking at a faith leaders’ event. 

On Tuesday, Oct. 22, former President Trump will continue campaigning in North Carolina with a rally in Greensboro, and Vice President Harris will sit down for an interview with NBC News in Washington, D.C.

Blinken in Israel to revive Gaza cease-fire talks after Sinwar death

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel once again — his 11th visit to the region since war broke out between Israel and Hamas a little more than a year ago.

On my way to Israel and other stops in the Middle East for intensive discussions about the importance of ending the war in Gaza, returning the hostages to their families, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people. pic.twitter.com/lIaRUo7Ea2

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 21, 2024

This visit is the first stop on a wider tour of the Middle East in which Blinken is expected to revive talks for a cease-fire in Gaza in the wake of the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. 

Blinken’s weeklong trip comes as the Middle East braces for Israel’s response to an Iranian missile attack on Tel Aviv earlier this month.

Teen arrested after 2 adults, 3 children killed in shooting at Washington home

A teenager could make a first appearance in court as early as Tuesday to face murder charges, after investigators found five people, including three children, dead in a shooting at a home in Washington state, early Monday, Oct. 21. It happened in Fall City, about 25 miles east of Seattle. 

Officials with the King County Sheriff’s Office said another teenager who had been injured went to a Seattle hospital. They said that teenager and the teen in custody both live at the home where the shooting happened, but did not know the relationships between those teens and the five people killed.

“I just don’t know the relationships, so I’m going to withhold confirming any relationships, but it does appear to be that this is a family incident,” Deputy Mike Mellis told reporters Monday. “Clearly, a domestic violence incident that involves not only a young man — who’s now in significant trouble — and it involves firearms. Young men and firearms.” 

A neighbor told Seattle news station KING-TV a couple lived in the home with their five children.

Harvey Weinstein diagnosed with cancer, sources say

Disgraced movie mogul and convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with cancer, according to multiple sources. 

Reports say he has chronic myeloid leukemia, a form of bone marrow cancer, and he’s undergoing treatment at Rikers Island prison in New York where he’s serving a 16-year sentence. 

This is just the latest health issue Weinstein has faced behind bars. Last month, he had emergency heart surgery to alleviate a significant amount of fluid in his lungs and heart, and he was hospitalized in July with COVID-19 and double pneumonia.

Student loan payments pause extended for 8 million SAVE plan borrowers

Eight million Americans will be able to continue holding off paying back their student loans for at least another six months, the Department of Education confirmed on Monday. 

The borrowers impacted are those enrolled in the White House’s “Saving on Valuable Education,” or SAVE plan and anyone who applied for the plan.

The Education Department said save enrollees will be placed in an interest-free general forbearance for at least six months pending the outcome of legal challenges to the plan.

Cheapest World Series tickets costing at least $1,000 on secondary market

The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have each punched their ticket to the World Series and now if you want a ticket, you’ll need at least $1,000. According to SeatGeek, the cheapest single seat for the Game 1 in LA on Friday, Oct. 25, will cost $1,034.

The full 2024 #WorldSeries schedule for @Yankees vs. @Dodgers has been announced! pic.twitter.com/5juhutFOH7

— MLB (@MLB) October 21, 2024

For Game 2 on Saturday, Oct. 26, also at Dodger Stadium, the least expensive ticket is $1,209.   

Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 28 and 29, head back to the East Coast, with the cheapest tickets for Yankees Stadium costing $1,385 and $1,110, respectively. A possible Game 5 is showing the same as Game 4. 

And “if necessary,” Games 6 and 7 would be back in LA, with the cheapest tickets going for around $1,300 or more.

As for the good seats behind home plate at Dodger Stadium, those tickets are going for $1,500 or more.