| There is no joy in Mudville. Gov. Tim Walz couldn’t talk enough about joy when he joined the Democratic Party ticket. But the Minnesota governor’s tone has turned sharper. During a swing-state blitz this week, Walz laid into former President Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance — scorching them on a personal level and describing their policies as faulty. Just two months ago, Walz entered the picture as a vice presidential nominee emphasizing positivity in politics. But in the final countdown to Election Day, Walz employed harsher critiques of Trump and Vance. His speeches have woven in pluckier lines and more swear words aimed at driving home key points. Advisers say the shift in tone is a natural evolution in some ways meant to counter the rhetoric from the other side. The Republican ticket has hurled its share of insults at Walz and Vice President Kamala Harris. Dana Ferguson gets into the shift in tone in a story following her time on the campaign trail.
Kamala Harris made campaign stops in Wisconsin yesterday. Recent polls show a tight race in the state that the Democrats need to win to retain the White House. MPR’s Kyra Miles was there and noted how Harris picked up on recent comments by former President Donald Trump about “the enemy within” and recasting Jan. 6 as “a day of love.” Harris called that gaslighting and said Americans should be exhausted by it. She highlighted what’s at stake for voters. “Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged and will stop at nothing to claim unchecked power for himself,” Harris said. Like Walz, Harris has also adopted a more fearful tone about what would happen if Trump wins again. The AP has this story.
More than 7 million people watched the vice president's Fox News interview. In her first interview with the network and an attempt to reach more voters, especially conservative women, she was pressed and often interrupted by a combative Bret Baier. Harris made her clearest effort to distance herself from Biden. “My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency,” she said in a break from more friendly answers she had given on The View last week, when she said there was “not a thing that comes to mind” when asked what she would have done differently than Biden. A campaign spokesperson said Harris hopes the interview will appeal to Independents and Nikki Haley supporters.
At a Univision town hall, former President Donald Trump tried to strike a friendlier tone. He touted his record on the economy but would not back off false claims he made about Haitian migrants during the presidential debate. Trump was pressed by attendees about his plans for immigration and why he sabotaged a bipartisan plan that would have toughened asylum rules. In a notable exchange, an audience member told Trump he was no longer a registered Republican and that he was alarmed by the incidents that took place on Jan. 6, telling Trump he wanted to give the former president an opportunity to win back his vote. Trump responded by saying he had encouraged protestors to act peacefully. Although Latinos have reliably voted for Democrats, Trump has been able to make inroads within the community, especially among Latino men. Harris participated in a Univision town hall last week.
Israel says it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza yesterday. Sinwar is believed to be the mastermind behind the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 Israeli citizens and left many others in captivity. Some analysts believe Sinwar surrounded himself with Israeli hostages to protect himself from assassination attempts. There were no signs of Israeli hostages in the area of the building where Sinwar was killed in Gaza . With his death, U.S. officials expressed hopes for a ceasefire, but eliminating him may not end the devastating war that has killed thousands of Palestinians. President Joe Biden said Sinwar’s death opens the way for “a political settlement that provides a better future for Israeli and Palestinians alike.”
Minnesota election offices have accepted more than 337,000 ballots completed by voters already. That’s about halfway to the total absentee, mail or early ballots accepted in 2016, the most recent presidential election not impacted by a pandemic. Early voting only started one month ago in Minnesota, and more than 706,000 Minnesotans have requested an absentee ballot. So that means about half of people that submitted absentee ballots still need to send them back to their elections office or drop them off in person. Local election offices must receive a voter’s ballot by Election Day for it to count. | 
