Elon Musk loses bid to move $1 million voter prizes case

On

A U.S. judge on Friday denied Elon Musk’s bid to move a Pennsylvania lawsuit over his $1 million voter prizes to federal court, moving the case back to state court. It was not immediately clear if the decision would affect the billionaire’s plan to keep awarding money until the U.S. presidential election Tuesday. The decision was issued by U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert in Philadelphia federal court. Musk has been giving $1 million checks to randomly selected registered voters who sign a petition supporting free speech and gun rights. Musk’s America PAC had awarded $1 million prizes to 14 peoplemore

Leave a comment

What US election results could mean for Africa

On

JOHANNESBURG — Whoever U.S. voters choose as their next president — former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris — the election has global implications, with the probability it will affect other economies, foreign conflicts and personal freedoms, analysts told VOA. South African independent political analyst Asanda Ngoasheng said the winner could usher in policies that affect ordinary people in Africa. “I hope that as Americans vote, they’re aware that whatever decision they make, it’s going to determine the future of not only America but the rest of the world,” she said. “How we engage with issues of termination ofmore

Leave a comment

Trump to visit Dearborn, Michigan, ‘capital’ of Arab America

On

WASHINGTON — In the run up to the presidential election, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has increased its outreach to Arab and Muslim Americans, particularly in battleground state Michigan. But it is her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, who has made surprising gains with this group that makes up a significant portion of voters angry over President Joe Biden’s policies on the Gaza war. On Friday, Trump is expected to visit a halal cafe in Dearborn, Michigan, a city dubbed the Arab capital of America, in a state home to almost 400,000 Arab Americans. Many of them have expressedmore

Leave a comment

Pennsylvania’s Erie County is pivotal in presidential race 

On

Erie, Pennsylvania — During next Tuesday’s election, a lot of nervous voters, pollsters and campaign officials will be paying close attention to Erie County in Pennsylvania, which has chosen the victor in the past four presidential contests. Over the past decade, the margins between the winner and loser have tightened, reflecting the national trend of closer elections. That is perhaps no big surprise. After all, bellwether “Erie County is such a microcosm of the entire nation,” said Jeff Bloodworth, a history professor at Gannon University in downtown Erie. Erie County, the largest county by area in the state, is “slightly whiter,more

Leave a comment

Two Pakistani Americans lock horns in local elections in Houston

On

Americans who head to the polls on November 5 not only are deciding who will be president, they are voting for thousands of local and state officials. In Texas’ Fort Bend County, outside Houston, two Pakistani Americans are vying for the position of constable. Incumbent Democrat Nabil Shike is being challenged by Republican newcomer Ali Sheikhani. VOA Urdu’s Iram Abbasi’s reports from Houston. …

Leave a comment

Kurdish immigrants running for local office in Minnesota

On

Moorhead, Minnesota, is home to more than 3,000 Kurds, some of whom have been there since the mid-1970s. They are the town’s largest minority group and hope this election might bring them representation in local government. Dakhil Shammo of VOA’s Kurdish service went to Minnesota and met with two local candidates in this story narrated by Amy Katz. …

Leave a comment

Jitters in Europe ahead of US elections

On

Europe is bracing for former President Donald Trump’s potential return to power — even as his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, remains a mostly unknown quantity. Many Europeans believe much is at stake in the nail-biting U.S. elections: from NATO and the transatlantic alliance to Russia’s war on Ukraine, trade relations and the future of their own democracies. Lisa Bryant reports from Paris.  …

Leave a comment

Kurdish immigrants run for local office in Minnesota

On

Moorhead, Minnesota, is home to more than 3,000 Kurds, some of whom have been there since the mid-1970s. They are the town’s largest minority group and hope this election might bring them representation in local government. Dakhil Shammo of VOA’s Kurdish service went to Minnesota and met with two local candidates in this story narrated by Amy Katz. Camera: Kawar Farok …

Leave a comment

College athletes push for voter turnout while largely avoiding controversy as election nears

On

Lily Meskers faced an unexpected choice in the lead-up to the first major election she can vote in. The 19-year-old University of Montana sprinter was among college athletes in the state who received an inquiry from Montana Together asking if she was interested in a name, image and likeness deal to support Sen. Jon Tester, a three-term Democrat seeking re-election. The group, which is not affiliated with the Tester campaign, offered from $400 to $2,400 to athletes willing to produce video endorsements. Meskers, who is from Colorado but registered to vote in Montana, decided against the deal because she disagreesmore

Leave a comment

Trump sues US television network for $10 billion over Harris interview

On

washington — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump sued CBS News on Thursday over an interview of Vice President Kamala Harris that aired on the network’s “60 Minutes” news program this month. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in the Northern District of Texas, alleged that the network aired two different responses from Harris responding to a question about the Israel-Hamas war. The version that aired during the “60 Minutes” program on October 6 did not include what the lawsuit referred to as a “word salad” response from Harris about the Biden administration’s influence on Israel’s conduct of the war. The lawsuitmore

Leave a comment