Monday morning news: October 21, 2024

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Presidential politics/Trump » With Election Day now just 15 days away both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are campaigning daily in critical battleground states. But the former president took a short break in Sunday to learn how to make french fries.

MCDONALD'S EMPLOYEE: Lift the handle up to let it drain. Give it like 10 seconds. Once it's done draining ... These are definitely fresh. 

Donald Trump donning a yellow and black apron at a McDonalds franchise in Pennsylvania after he campaigned about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh.

TRUMP: Hello, everybody. Hello, Pennsylvania. We love Pennsylvania.

The former president stumping in the town of Latrobe.

TRUMP: I'd like to begin by asking a question. Are you better off now than you were four years ago? No!

In an average of recent polls, Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania by about 1 point. But he leads in six of the seven most recent surveys.

Presidential politics/Harris » Meantime, Harris campaigned over the weekend in another key swing state.

HARRIS: It is so good to be back in Atlanta. Thank you all.

The vice president has her work cut out for her in Georgia, where Trump leads by about 2 points in the RealClearPolitics polling average. 

But Harris said she will defeat Donald Trump by highlighting what she called two very different visions for America:

HARRIS: This election is about two very different visions for our nation. One, Donald Trump's, who is focused on the past, and ours that is focused on the future.

Momentum remains on the former president's side. He has reclaimed at least a slight lead in every major swing state in the country.

DOJ Virginia lawsuit » The Republican governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, continues pushing back against the Biden administration … over an ongoing legal battle.

The Department of Justice is suing his state, accusing it of violating federal election law by eliminating non-citizens from voter rolls shortly before the election. But the governor said Sunday:

YOUNGKIN:  When someone walks into one of our DMVs and self-identifies as a non-citizen, and then they end up on the voter rolls, either purposely or by accident, that we go through a process individualized, not system, not systematic.

The governor says that last part is key, because the federal law the DOJ accuses the state of violating prohibits systematic efforts to remove voters from registration rolls within 90 days of an election.

Israel targets Hezbollah finances » Israel’s military says it is now taking aim at the financial arm of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group. Military spokesman Daniel Hagari stated Sunday that Israeli forces would strike a “large number of targets” in the hours ahead.

HAGARI :(SPEAKING HEBREW)

He said, "In the coming days we will reveal how Iran finances Hezbollah's terrorist activity by using civil institutions, associations and NGOs as a cover for terrorist activity. 

Israel: Sinwar death reaction » Hagari also spoke out about the death of terrorist Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Israeli soldiers killed him in an operation in Gaza last week. He commented on footage that he said showed Sinwar just before the October 7th terror attack against Israel hiding his family and equipment, including beds, food and water and a television.

HAGARI:  This was a luxury that the people of Gaza did not have. Sinwar always prioritized himself, his money, and Hamas terrorists over the people of Gaza.

Israeli troops killed Sinwar in the southern Gaza city of Rafah last Wednesday.

Migrant caravan » A caravan of about 2,000 migrants has left Mexico’s southern border en route to the U.S. southern border just ahead of Election Day.

Some migrants believe a new Trump administration could make it much more difficult to enter the United States with, among other things, change to asylum rules.

SOUND: (Cherish song)

Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductions » The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame welcomed several new members over the weekend.

SOUND: (Cherish song)

Kook & the Gang, heard there, among the inductees.

Others honored included longtime pop superstar Cher, heavy metal’s Ozzy Osbourne, soft rockers Foreigner, and 83-year-old soul icon Dionne Warwick.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: San Francisco and the Environmental Protection Agency disagree over run-off water. Plus, the Monday Money Beat with David Bahnsen.

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