You can catch tonight’s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the major party nominees for president, on MPR stations and at mprnews.org. We’ll have reporters at watch parties and expect a full recap on Morning Edition tomorrow.
The political “flip-flop” attack doesn’t always pack a punch for voters. In recent weeks, former President Donald Trump and his campaign have highlighted shifts in Vice President Kamala Harris’ stances on issues like fracking, health care and immigration. NPR reports on how Trump has branded Harris the “greatest flip-flopper.” Harris has been using a similar approach, criticizing Trump for his “brazen flip-flops” on marijuana legalization and abortion. These talking points are likely to resurface during tonight’s debate, but they aren’t as influential in changing voters’ minds as the campaigns may hope. Voters don’t seem to mind politicians who flip-flop, according to University of Maryland politics professor Sarah Croco. “Consistency doesn’t really matter to them, so long as you get to the right position,” she said.
Gov. Tim Walz will be campaigning in Mosinee, Wis. on Friday and Superior on Saturday . Both political parties have been spending a ton of time in western Wisconsin. It’s an important and unusually swingy region in the battleground state and its home to about one in 6 Wisconsin voters. The region has seen some of the biggest shifts in the country toward the GOP in the Trump era, but it’s also one of the areas in the middle of the country where Democrats tend to do better with rural white voters. And many of these voters get much of their news and exposure to broadcast advertising from the Minnesota media market, making the area a unique test of whether the selection of Walz will provide any type of boost from rural voters. Minnesota Now spoke to former national political reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Craig Gilbert about the region’s importance in this year’s election.
If Harris and Walz are elected, could the country see a national free school meal program? Minnesota’s free school meal program has received national attention following Walz’s ascension to the top of the Democratic national ticket. The program is popular, but it’s already costing the state more money than expected. Harris and Walz have not announced plans to try to make school meals free nationally if they’re elected to the White House. Minnesota Now spoke with Kalyn Belsha , a senior national education reporter for Chalkbeat, about the possibility of a national free school meal program.
Discussions of political topics, even among like-minded people, can be difficult. And finding a neutral place to have them can be even harder. MPR News arts reporter Jacob Aloi visited Mixed Blood theater company, which is commissioning four plays dealing with thorny topics: mental health, abortion, climate resilience and racial justice. These plays consist of a short original play, a meal and a facilitated discussion about the performance’s topics. Read more about the plays here.
Yesterday, DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar highlighted a bipartisan bill she co-sponsored with Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn that would make cases of “revenge porn” a federal crime. The bill passed the Senate back in July and awaits action in the House. Terry Forliti, a sexual exploitation victim who is a trainer with the World Without Exploitation Survivor Network, called it a “human rights violation, but also a health issue” because of the strain it puts on families through counseling. “Revenge porn” doesn’t just relate to people threatened by someone in a relationship, but it’s increasingly applied to children who are threatened by the possibility of nude images being shared. Klobuchar said the legislation makes it a federal crime, and then it makes it easier to go after the perpetrators.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan highlighted the state’s investment into the child care industry at a daycare and preschool in Plymouth yesterday. Her visit comes at a time in the election season when the issue is receiving national attention. The state issued half a million dollars worth of grants to the child care industry through the Dual Training Grant program for employees to receive postsecondary education and provide on-the-job training opportunities. Affordable child care is in the spotlight this election season; many families have been impacted by the rising costs of child care and the industry is facing workforce shortages. Former president Donald Trump and vice presidential candidate, Sen. JD Vance, have provided confusing responses to questions related to child care policy. That includes Vance’s suggestion that “grandparents helping out” is a way to reduce child care costs. Flanagan called the Republican ticket’s approach to child care policy disconnected. “Relying on grandparents for child care is a nice-to-have for so many folks,” Flanagan said. “It is so ridiculous that somehow that is a policy solution.” Minnesota Republicans have questioned whether some of the DFL’s policies surrounding child care, like certain tax credits, would actually solve some of the underlying economic issues affecting the industry. | 
