Harris, Trump speak on importance of election with 13 days to go

With less than two weeks until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris got some help on the campaign trail from a former president and a famous rapper, while former President Donald Trump targeted a certain voting block. And one of McDonald’s famous burgers has been linked to a deadly E. coli outbreak. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024.

Harris, Trump speak on importance of election with 13 days to go

With less than two weeks to go until the next U.S. president is chosen, both candidates are highlighting the importance of this year’s election as they make their final pushes to sway undecided voters on the campaign trail.

During an interview with NBC News on Tuesday, Oct. 22, Vice President Kamala Harris once again addressed how her presidency would be different than that of President Joe Biden. 

“Let me be very clear, mine will not be a continuation of the Biden administration,” she said. “I bring my own experiences, my own ideas to it, and it has informed a number of my areas of focus, most of which are on to your point, lowering costs. The voters know it, I know it.”

During the interview, Harris was asked about why she is reluctant to talk about the historic nature of her candidacy. If she were to win, she would become the first female U.S. president. 

“Well, I’m clearly a woman, I don’t need to point that out to anyone. The point that most people really care about is, can you do the job, and do you have a plan to actually focus on them?” she said. “My challenge is the challenge of making sure I can talk with and listen to as many voters as possible and earn their vote. And I will never assume that anyone in our country should elect a leader based on their gender or their race. Instead, that that leader needs to earn the vote based on substance and what they will do to address challenges.”

In Detroit, a rally was held in support of the vice president featuring rapper Eminem and former President Barack Obama. 

“I also think that people shouldn’t be afraid to express their opinions, and I don’t think anyone wants an America where people are worried about retribution, or what people will do if you make your opinion known,” Eminem told rallygoers. “I think Vice President Harris supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld.” 

Meanwhile, Republican nominee former President Donald Trump held a campaign event at his golf club in Doral, Florida with Latino supporters, where expressed how he feels America is viewed under the current administration. 

“We’re not going to play games because we’re going to lose our country, our country is failing,” Trump said. “We don’t know what we’re doing. We’re laughed at all over the world. [Chinese] President Xi [Xinping] thinks we’re stupid. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin thinks we’re stupid. That would have never happened if I were president. Putin would have never ever got into Ukraine.” 

Then the former president returned to North Carolina for a rally where he criticized the vice president for not having any campaign events so close to Election Day.

THANK YOU, NORTH CAROLINA! This election is a choice between whether we will have four more years of incompetence, failure, and disaster—or whether we will begin the FOUR GREATEST YEARS in the HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY! pic.twitter.com/JJhJsJcOHk

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2024

“You know what she did?” he said. “She took a day off. How do you take a day off 14 days — you don’t take days off, right? I’ve gone 52 days, now, I got 14 more. We don’t take days off we got to win this thing if we don’t win it our country is in big trouble.” 

Next up on the campaign trail, Vice President Harris will visit Pennsylvania Wednesday and then on Thursday, Oct. 24, hold a rally in Atlanta alongside Bruce Springsteen. Former President Trump will visit Georgia Wednesday and will record an interview on Joe Rogan’s podcast on Friday, Oct. 25.

Georgia’s supreme court won’t reinstate GOP-backed election rules

The Georgia Supreme Court said it will not step in to reinstate Republican-backed new election rules ahead of Election Day. Seven of the rules, put in place by the State Election Board after the 2020 election, were declared “illegal, unconstitutional, and void,” by a lower-level judge last week. 

On Tuesday, Georgia’s supreme court rejected the Republican-led effort to put the rules, which include one requiring ballots be hand-counted and two related to certifying results, back in place and declined to consider an expedited appeal.

Israel says it killed man next in line to lead Hezbollah

Israel said it has killed the man who was next in line to take over as the leader of the militant group Hezbollah. Israeli officials say an air strike in Beiruit, Lebanon killed Hashem Safieddine a few weeks ago, along with other commanders of the Iran-backed militant group. 

Hezbollah has not confirmed Israel’s claim that Safeiddine is dead.

🔴 Hashem Safieddine, Head of the Hezbollah Executive Council and Ali Hussein Hazima, Commander of Hezbollah’s Intelligence Headquarters, were eliminated during a strike on Hezbollah’s main intelligence HQ in Dahieh approx. 3 weeks ago.

Hashem Safieddine was a member of the… pic.twitter.com/Z2wQGsRxvt

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 22, 2024

This comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East looking to broker a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas in the wake of the the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and bring more humanitarian aid to Gaza. 

On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Israeli leaders told Blinken it’s not Israel’s policy to isolate northern Gaza, despite recent United Nations claims that Israeli authorities have denied efforts to bring more aid to the area, according to an NBC News report. 

In a letter this month, Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave Israel 30 days to increase basic humanitarian aid to Gaza or risk restrictions on U.S. military assistance, as required under U.S. law. Israeli officials said they have taken actions in response to the letter, and while Blinken acknowledged progress has been made, he said it is not sufficient.

McDonald’s Quarter Pounders linked to multi-state E. coli outbreak

The CDC has issued a safety alert over a McDonald’s staple: the fast-food chain’s iconic Quarter Pounder. Health officials say McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have been linked to E. coli outbreaks in at least ten states. 

They say 49 people have become sick and one person has died in connection with the outbreak. Most of the illnesses have been reported in Nebraska and Colorado.

E. COLI OUTBREAK: CDC is investigating 49 illnesses in 10 states linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers. If you ate a Quarter Pounder hamburger from McDonald’s and have severe symptoms of E. coli, contact your healthcare provider. https://t.co/g87itkupCQ pic.twitter.com/gHzUKCnTi9

— CDC (@CDCgov) October 22, 2024

The CDC says, so far, it appears the onions used as a topping on the burgers are the likeliest source of the outbreak. McDonald’s has now stopped using the onions and is not serving the Quarter Pounder in affected states. 

In a statement, the company said it believes the onions came from a single supplier.

Denny’s closing 150 restaurants, including 50 by end of 2024

It seems Denny’s hasn’t been such a grand slam for Americans lately. The diner chain, known for its Grand Slam breakfast, is closing 150 of its restaurants. 

Executives said Tuesday 50 of the lowest performing diners will close by the end of this year, with 100 more slated to shutter next year.

Denny's says it expects to close 150 locations by the end of 2025 https://t.co/AvvdCEwEgg

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 22, 2024

Denny’s, which has been in business for more than 70 years, says the focus is on closing locations that are too old to remodel, as well as some in unprofitable areas. It has not yet specified which locations are shutting down.

FAA finalizes rule for electric air taxis to enter service

We might soon be riding around in flying vehicles called electric air taxis after the Federal Aviation Administration released what its say is the “final piece of the puzzle.”

An extraordinary moment for aviation! Our rule for training and certificating pilots to fly powered lift is the final piece of the puzzle to get these revolutionary aircraft flying safely in our skies. https://t.co/96Q7TQZfkM pic.twitter.com/7RvSqbdGT8

— FAA Mike Whitaker (@FAA_Mike) October 22, 2024

The FAA issued its new rules Tuesday regarding the planes — 880 pages of special regulations including training protocols for pilots and operational requirements for the half-airplane, half-helicopter air taxis. The planes act like a helicopter during takeoff then change modes to be more like an airplane during flight, before switching back for the landing. 

The FAA calls it the introduction to “a new category of aircraft.” The first electric air taxi could be operational by sometime next year.