Migrant families separated under Trump still feel fallout, fear his return

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Washington — Billy’s friends don’t know he was one of thousands of children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border under then-President Donald Trump’s zero tolerance immigration policy.  At their rural high school in the South, where Billy plays football and soccer, the 16-year-old doesn’t talk about what he went through — that his father was told six years ago that Billy was being given up for adoption and feared he would never see his son again.  With the United States on the verge of an election that could put Trump back in office, Billy wants people to know thatmore

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Unpacking America’s urban-rural divide

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The divide between urban and rural voters is a key indicator in U.S. electoral politics. Cities favoring Democrats and rural areas favoring Republicans isn’t new. But since 2000, the gap has grown dramatically. What is behind this trend, and why is it so important? The answer is partly economic — but there are also complex cultural factors involved. Produced by Yass Monem and Nicky Woolf. …

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New Americans expected make impact in 2024 election

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Nearly 3.5 million voting-age adults have become U.S. citizens since the 2020 election, according to the National Partnership for New Americans. Some experts say this growing group could prove pivotal in shaping the election results. VOA’s immigration reporter Aline Barros reports. Camera and contributor: Jeff Swicord. …

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Can either Trump or Harris end the wars?

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Vice President Kamala Harris says she believes the U.S. should lead by building alliances to manage conflict. Former President Donald Trump says his projection of strength, and unpredictability, can stop wars before they begin. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara spoke to experts on which foreign policy approach would be better at reducing conflict, amid wars in the Middle East and Europe. …

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Chinese hackers access US telecommunications system 

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washington — Hackers linked to the Chinese government have broken into parts of the U.S. telecommunications system in a breach that might be connected to an attempt to access data from the 2024 presidential campaign of former President Donald Trump. The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency late Friday said they were investigating “unauthorized access” to commercial telecommunications infrastructure, attributing the attack to Chinese-affiliated actors. The agencies said they immediately notified affected companies once the breach was detected and had offered assistance, though there might be additional victims. “The investigation is ongoing, and we encourage any organization that believes itmore

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Musk gives $44 million more to back Trump

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WASHINGTON — Elon Musk gave about $44 million to his pro-Donald Trump spending group during the first half of October, federal disclosures showed on Thursday, as the billionaire stepped up his efforts for the Republican candidate in the November 5 election. The contributions, disclosed in a filing to the Federal Election Commission by Musk’s America PAC group, come after a prior report showed he gave the group about $75 million over three months between July and September. America PAC, which is focused on turning out voters in closely contested states that could decide the election, also disclosed spending more than $47more

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What makes Nevada a ‘pure battleground’ state

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During the U.S. presidential election, all eyes will be on the seven so-called battleground states that are expected to determine the outcome of the 2024 contest. While some battleground states have shifted politically over the years, the Western swing state of Nevada has reliably voted right down the middle. Camera: Miguel Amaya …

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New evidence China, Russia and Iran targeting US elections

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WASHINGTON — There is new evidence China, Iran and Russia are aggressively expanding their efforts to influence American voters to potentially sway the result of the upcoming U.S. elections. Two threat intelligence reports Wednesday, one from software giant Microsoft and the other from the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, detail growing activity by cyber actors linked to each country — all aiming to impact U.S. public perceptions with less than two weeks before voters go to the polls. The biggest change, according to Microsoft, comes from Chinese-linked actors known to researchers as Spamouflage or Taizi Flood. “Chinese influence operations have recently takenmore

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US Justice Department warns Musk’s super PAC over $1 million giveaways

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department has sent a letter to Elon Musk’s super PAC warning that the billionaire Tesla CEO’s $1 million giveaways may violate federal law, several media organizations reported on Wednesday, citing people briefed on the matter. A letter from the department’s public integrity section, which investigates potential election-related law violations, went to the PAC. The Justice Department and Musk’s America PAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. South African-born Musk, who has thrown his support behind Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump ahead of the November 5 election, announced on Saturday while speaking before amore

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Voting for Harris another milestone in former President Jimmy Carter’s legacy

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Plains, Ga. — In a cavernous store filled with trinkets and knick-knacks, Philip Kurland is surrounded by politics. “We’re the largest political memorabilia dealer in the United States,” he tells VOA as he sorts through numerous bins that line his shop. If there’s a button or badge supporting a political candidate, chances are Kurland has it, as he stops and inspects one button in particular. “This is the number one button people request and come in for,” as he proudly shows an image of a smiling peanut shell. Every four years, Kurland stocks up on items featuring the candidates of themore

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Eligible Latino voters reach record numbers in 2024

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With a record number of Latino voters eligible for the 2024 election, their influence will likely be felt more than previous elections. Examining how this dynamic group shaped past elections in the pivotal state of Florida and key battlegrounds across the country can offer clues about how Latinos might impact the upcoming race. …

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Britain Prime Minister Starmer plays down Trump team claims of interference 

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London — Britain’s prime minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday played down allegations made by Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump’s team of “blatant foreign interference” by his Labour Party in the U.S. election, saying it was normal for its volunteers to campaign.    Starmer also insisted that he maintained “a good relationship” with Trump, having met him for talks last month.    The former president’s legal team filed a complaint to the U.S. Federal Election Commission alleging the “British Labour Party made, and the [Kamala] Harris campaign accepted, illegal foreign national contributions.”    The filing cited media reports that Labour officials, including the primemore

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‘Made in China’ election merchandise floods US market

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WASHINGTON — As the United States presidential election enters its final phase, more and more voters are expressing support for their favored candidate by wearing election merchandise. What they may not realize is that the “Make America Great Again” Trump hat or “Childless Cat Lady for Harris” T-shirt they’re wearing quite possibly was made in China. With the help of e-commerce platforms, Chinese traders are flooding the market for U.S. election merchandise with cheap goods. Anecdotal evidence suggests U.S. makers of these products are struggling to compete. “I think the amount of stuff on Amazon and Etsy that’s coming from Chinamore

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US warns ramped-up election influence efforts aim to stoke violence

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WASHINGTON — Efforts by U.S. adversaries to divide Americans and sow growing distrust in the upcoming presidential election have already begun to intensify, according to senior U.S. intelligence officials, who warn some countries appear to be leaning toward additional measures to spark election-related violence. The latest declassified assessment, issued Tuesday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, comes just two weeks before voters head to the polls November 5 to choose a new president and vote on a series of statewide and local races and initiatives. “Foreign actors — particularly Russia, Iran and China — remain intent on fanningmore

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Russian state media flatters Trump, but Kremlin cool on him and Harris

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MOSCOW — Russian officials from President Vladimir Putin down say it makes no difference to Moscow who wins the White House on November 5. Yet anyone watching Kremlin-guided state media coverage of the U.S. election would conclude Donald Trump is strongly favored. State TV’s main Channel One news program this month showed video of billionaire Elon Musk and TV host Tucker Carlson denigrating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris before zooming in on what it cast as a series of stumbling performances. Harris’ tendency to burst into fits of laughter, something Putin himself spoke about sarcastically last month, has featured prominently in broadcastsmore

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Union endorsements play an outsized role in US presidential election

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Across the country, about 14 million voters are members of unions – workers’ organizations formed to protect their rights. But even though union members make up a small part of the American electorate, presidential candidates eagerly seek their endorsement. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports from Nevada, where unions have a powerful voice in this year’s presidential election. …

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Central Park 5 sue Trump for jogger case remarks at debate

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The men formerly known as the Central Park Five before they were exonerated filed a defamation lawsuit Monday against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. With Election Day two weeks away, the group accused the former president of making “false and defamatory statements” about them during last month’s presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. The group is asking for a jury trial to determine compensatory and punitive damages. “Defendant Trump falsely stated that plaintiffs killed an individual and pled guilty to the crime. These statements are demonstrably false,” the group wrote in the federal complaint. The men are upset becausemore

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