Harris, Trump field questions during town halls as Election Day nears

With less than three weeks until the presidential election, the candidates are blitzing battleground states and the airwaves with town halls. And in a possible blow to small businesses hoping to rebuild after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, one federal agency is running out of money. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.

Harris, Trump field questions during town halls as Election Day nears

With less than three weeks to go until Election Day, the candidates fielded questions on Tuesday, Oct. 15, in two different town hall settings.

Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris took part in a town hall in Detroit hosted by radio personality Charlamagne tha God as she looks to reach Black voters. During the town hall, the vice president said she believes slavery reparations should be studied.

Harris said while she is running for “president for everyone” she is “clear-eyed about the history and the disparities that exist for specific communities.”

The vice president also urged Black Americans not to sit out on Election Day.

“The solutions that we all want are not going to happen in totality because of one election but here's the thing: the things that we want and are prepared to fight for won't happen if we're not active and if we don't participate,” she said. “We cannot allow circumstances to take us out the game because then basically what we're saying is all those people who are obstructionist, who are standing in the way of change, they're winning because they are convincing people that it can't be done so take yourself out, don't participate. Look at that circle, look at that vicious circle, then so let's not fall for it.”

Meanwhile, Republican nominee former President Donald Trump participated in a Fox News town hall in Georgia moderated by host Harris Faulkner.

The town hall had an all-female audience, with the women posing questions to Trump on issues such as the economy, immigration, and abortion. According to reports of the event, which will air later Wednesday, Oct. 16 on Fox News, Trump said some states are “too tough” when it comes to restrictions on abortion and those laws “are going to be redone.”

Later Tuesday, Trump held a rally in Atlanta where, like Harris, he turned his attention to Black American voters.

“The African American community and the Hispanic community are being devastated with the jobs, the numbers are down 6, 7, 8, 9%. They are going to work, and they're saying, 'I'm sorry, we're not going to take you any more.' People that have worked there and worked there well for years are now being told that they no longer have a job because they have illegal immigrants coming in and taking their job," Trump said. "Any African American or Hispanic, and you know how well I'm doing there, that votes for Kamala, you got to have your head examined, because they are really screwing you."

Along with airing Trump’s town all on Wednesday, Fox News will broadcast an interview with Vice President Harris from Pennsylvania.

Early voting begins in Georgia with record turnout

Early voting has begun in the battleground state of Georgia and it's already seeing a record turnout. Voting for the Nov. 5 presidential election started Tuesday and by the late afternoon, at least 252,000 voters had already cast ballots at early voting sites.

That's nearly double the 136,000 who voted on the first day of early voting in the 2020 election, according to a top Georgia election official.

Also Tuesday, a judge blocked a new rule requiring Georgia Election Day ballots to be counted by hand after the close of voting. That ruling came just a day after the same judge ruled county election officials must certify election results by the deadline set in law.

Small Business Administration runs out of disaster relief funding

The Small Business administration has run out of funding for its disaster assistance loans right after the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. That means much-needed financial assistance will be delayed for people applying for help right now.

After a disaster, the SBA provides loans to businesses and people who need them. The organization had warned it expected to run out of money by the end of the month.

Congress can approve more funding, but lawmakers are not set to reconvene until Nov. 12. The SBA administrator said in the meantime, people that need them should keep applying for the loans.

Israel strikes Beirut despite U.S. opposition; vows to avoid nuclear sites in Iran

At least one Israeli air strike rocked a Beirut, Lebanon suburb early Wednesday morning, killing at least 15 people according to the Associated Press. The strike came just hours after a State Department spokesperson said the U.S. told its key ally it opposed the bombing campaign there in recent weeks.

On Tuesday, the United Nations’ Human Rights Office called for an investigation into an Israeli air strike that happened on Monday which killed at least 21 people in northern Lebanon, saying it posed “real concerns” because it may have violated international laws governing war.

This comes as a Biden administration official said Israel has assured the U.S. it will not hit nuclear or oil sites when it retaliates against Iran for its missile barrage earlier this month.

However, that does not mean Israel will keep its word. In the past, the country’s track record of sticking to what it tells the U.S. has been mixed.

Just last month, U.S. officials were told by their Israeli counterparts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would welcome a U.S.- and French-led temporary cease-fire initiative in Lebanon, only for Israel to launch a massive airstrike that killed a Hezbollah leader two days later.

Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $15M in baby powder cancer case

A jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $15 million to a Connecticut man who says he developed a rare form of cancer after using the company's baby powder for decades. The man says he contracted mesothelioma from inhaling the talc powder.

The jury also said Johnson & Johnson should pay additional punitive damages, which will be determined later by the judge overseeing the case.

After the ruling, Johnson & Johnson's vice president of litigation said the company will be appealing the decision, saying "erroneous" rulings by the judge kept the jury from hearing critical facts about the case.

Tom Brady approved to become minority owner of Raiders

Tom Brady has been called many names: the GOAT, Super Bowl champion, and NFL commentator, to name a few. Now, he can add team owner to that list.

On Tuesday, NFL team owners voted to approve Brady’s purchase of a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. The former NFL quarterback said in a statement he is eager to contribute to the Raiders organization in any way.

Because of his new title, Brady faces some restrictions in his other role as a Fox broadcaster, including being barred from weekly production meetings with the players and coaches in the games he will cover.

Those limitations don’t seem to bother the seven-time Super Bowl champ, though. He said becoming an owner is, “a blessing to know I’ll be involved in the greatest league in the world for the rest of my life .”

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