Kamala Harris Struggles to Win Over Union Voters in 2024
By Alexander Bolton Vice President Harris’s lack of traction with unionized blue-collar workers has emerged as one of her biggest challenges to winning key states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania, as polls show her significantly underperforming Joe Biden’s performance with union workers in 2020. Harris’s tenuous relationship with elements of organized labor is reflected by the decisions of the Teamsters and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) not to endorse her presidential campaign. She narrowly avoided disaster when President Biden helped avert a prolonged a port workers strike by brokering a tentative labor deal with the International Longshoremen’s Association and the
Judge Blocks Biden’s $73B Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
By Candace McDuffie On average, Black college graduates possess $25,000 more in student loan debt than white college graduates. President Joe Biden has made several attempts to cancel student loan debt — which would have a significant impact on Black borrowers — but has not been able to because of opposition from the courts. Things looked good for Biden’s plan for a moment — U.S. District Judge J. Randal Hall allowed Republicans’ restraining order against the plan to expire Thursday (Oct. 3), which would’ve allowed it to go through, according to CNBC. But then Hall moved the case to Missouri, where on Thursday
NYC Mayor Eric Adams Faces Indictment, Pressure to Resign
By Hanna Trudo Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams is fighting for his political life as he finds himself in the middle of a legal firestorm, raising questions about how much longer he can hold on to power. Adams was indicted last week by the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office in a wide-ranging federal corruption probe, the culmination of a growing scandal that had engulfed City Hall over the past couple of months and had been brewing under the surface for years. It was a stunning fall from grace for a man once seen as a rising star in Democratic politics, and while Adams has
Be About It: Black Voters and 2024 Election Readiness
By Dr. Frances ‘Toni’ Draper The lyrics of an old Negro Spiritual poignantly declare, “Everybody talkin’ ’bout Heaven ain’t goin’ there.” Unfortunately, in 2024, despite all the discussion and debate about the presidential election, everybody talking about voting ain’t going there, either. It’s one thing to talk about the importance of this year’s presidential election, with Vice President Kamala Harris poised to become the first woman of color to hold the highest office in the land. It’s one thing to talk about the need to register and vote, but it’s another thing to actually register and then go to the
Obama Joins Kamala Harris in Swing-State Campaign Blitz
By Kierra Frasier Kamala Harris was among Barack Obama’s earliest supporters in 2008, knocking on doors and raising money to help propel him to a two-term presidency. Now, he’s returning the favor. The former president will appear Thursday at an event in the Pittsburgh area, the start of what will be part of a swing-state “blitz” through Election Day, said a senior campaign official, granted anonymity to discuss the schedule ahead of the announcement. Obama’s role may have been expected after his glowing remarks about her at this summer’s Democratic National Convention. “Kamala Harris is ready for the job,” he
Harris Visits Georgia, Promises Long-Term Hurricane Aid
By Megan Messerly Kamala Harris, surveying the wreckage of Hurricane Helene in a swing state on Wednesday, offered a glimpse of how she might fulfill the role of consoler-in-chief. Against a backdrop of felled trees in Augusta, Georgia, the vice president telegraphed solidarity as she spoke about the assistance the administration is providing to communities devastated by the severe weather that tore through the southeastern United States last weekend. She thanked local emergency responders for stepping up, even as their homes and communities have been destroyed. The Democratic nominee’s approach offered a stark contrast to the overtly political posture Donald Trump took
New Voting Laws Could Suppress Student Turnout in 2024
By Johanna Alonso In the last presidential election, an out-of-state student going to college in Ohio wouldn’t have to do much to vote in the state beyond registering and bringing proof of residence—a bank statement, a utility bill or even a paycheck listing their Ohio address—to the polls. Some campuses ran buses all day to take students to voting places, making it considerably more comfortable than walking through the November cold. This year, things will be drastically different. Thanks to a 2023 law, the Republican-sponsored HB 458, Ohio’s out-of-state students can no longer use those documents to prove their residency for
Vote HBCU Tour Mobilizes Black Student Voters in 2024
By Sara Weissman Last week, Tevon Blair went to Yard Fest—a celebratory event for freshmen at Virginia State University—armed with a tent, a table, a photo booth and games like Jenga and Connect Four. He wanted to create what felt like a block party, in hopes of energizing and informing students at the historically Black university about the voting process. University cheerleaders performed. Members of the Divine Nine—historically Black fraternities and sororities—did signature step routines. Thousands of students turned up, according to Blair, and at least 77 registered to vote. A few dozen students even stuck around for a panel
Trump Criticizes Biden, Plans Georgia Visit After Helene
By Kimberly Leonard Former President Donald Trump is making Hurricane Helene into a campaign issue, planning a stop in storm-ravaged, battleground Georgia on Monday and criticizing the Biden administration’s response with just weeks left until the November election. During a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Trump accused President Joe Biden of “sleeping” at his beach house in Delaware and dragged Vice President Kamala Harris for holding fundraising events in California over the weekend “when big parts of our country have been devastated by that massive hurricane.” At least 84 people have been killed from Hurricane Helene. The storm made
Kamala Harris, Tim Walz Launch HBCU Homecoming Tour 2024
By Jasmine Desme In an effort to reach more young Black voters ahead of election day, Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz have kicked off their Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Homecoming Tour. They’re targeting institutions in the key battleground states. With less than 40 days to go until the vote is in for the next President of the United States, Harris and Trump have been fighting fiercely to win over the undecided voters in the swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Nevada. Both candidates have recognized the key to winning the
