Latest updates: Follow our full coverage on the US election
The 2016 election was Hillary Clinton’s to lose, and she duly lost it. Kamala Harris is determined not to make the same mistakes.
From the moment reporters were kept behind a moving rope line in Gorham, New Hampshire, early in the Clinton campaign, it was hard to avoid the impression that the former secretary of state – and the Democratic hierarchy – were treating the election as a coronation.
Painful lessons were learnt when Democrats’ worst fears came to pass in November as Ms Clinton became the party’s first candidate to lose the "blue wall" states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin since the 1980s.
In Michigan – a pivotal Midwest state in what is known as the Rust Belt, where local economies were previously dominated by manufacturing – Ms Clinton managed to alienate the sizeable Arab-American and Muslim-American community, whose votes were vital in a race that was expected to go to the wire.
During the third presidential debate, she described the community as America’s “eyes and ears” in the war against terror.
It was a crass mistake.
“She implicitly assumed this community would have knowledge of terrorism,” Nazita Lajevardi, associate professor of political science at Michigan State University, told The National.
“She characterised them with tropes of terrorism and violence. Harris is pursuing a different strategy; she is walking a very fine line.”
Ms Lajevardi said Ms Harris is indicating “implicitly, and at times explicitly, that she understands the policies that the Arab-American and Muslim-American communities will be passionate about”.
“You can see that in her refusal to oversee [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s address to Congress,” she said.
In her own debate against Donald Trump this week, Ms Harris addressed the Israel-Gaza war, a major topic in the Arab and Muslim-American communities. While she voiced strong support for Israel's right to self-defence, she also noted Palestinians' right to self-determination.
There are up to 250,000 Arab and Muslim Americans in Michigan, Ms Lajevardi said. “We are talking enough people who could sway a presidential campaign.”
The Harris campaign is also focusing heavily on Wisconsin.
“Compared to the [Barack] Obama campaigns that preceded it in 2008 and 2012, Clinton’s campaign invested less in field operations ... in the Midwest battleground states,” Barry Burden, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told The National.
“Clinton also famously did not visit Wisconsin, the first major party presidential candidate to skip the state in half a century. The Biden campaign and now the Harris campaign appear to be heavily involved ... in the 'blue wall' and other battleground states.
“Harris has stepped up the pace and scope of in-person events in these states and the Democratic Party has been investing from early in the campaign year in field operations, things like offices and staff.
“It also seems so far that the Harris campaign is breaking from the Clinton campaign in other ways. It is not stressing the candidate's race or identity. It is also dismissive of Trump, operating proactively rather than responding to each outrageous thing coming from the Republican candidate.”
In her memoirs, Ms Clinton insists that her campaign did not ignore the Rust Belt states. But even she admitted that Wisconsin was the “one place where we were caught by surprise”.
Across the country, there are stark differences in tone between the Clinton and Harris campaigns.
The Vice President has been more aggressive in challenging Mr Trump, said political consultant Mary Noone.
“I was in Detroit when the protesters tried to interrupt her rally but she firmly went into prosecutor mode and addressed them,” Ms Noone said. “Kamala Harris is calling out the Trump campaign and voters like it – we want the Democrats to fight.”
There have also been marked differences between the Trump campaign of 2016 and that of 2024. Since the beginning of July, he has held about a third of the rallies that he did eight years ago.
In part, there is little doubt he has been hampered this year by the blizzard of litigation he is facing, and clearly the assassination attempt has made his team more cautious.
“Don’t forget he was shot at a rally just a few weeks ago – that obviously affects planning quite a bit,” said Richard Porter, a former member of the Republican National Committee. “And before that, the Dems had him stuck in a courtroom on trumped-up charges.”
Jeff Lord, who served in the Reagan White House, believes that the rallies have become more focused compared to the scattergun approach of eight years ago.
“There is serious emphasis on battleground states, especially in Pennsylvania. He feels he has to defeat her here and in Michigan,” Mr Lord said.
Others think there are more reasons for the Trump campaign’s scaled-back operation this election cycle.
“I think he is tired. His campaign spent a long time thinking they were running against Biden, now they are not,” Christopher Galdieri, professor of politics at Saint Anselm College, New Hampshire, told The National.
“The candidate is eight years older than then and there is also the aftermath of the assassination to take into account. He was having fun in 2016; it is clearly not the case now.”
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Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
TV (UAE time);
OSN Sports: from 10am
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Tottenham's 10 biggest transfers (according to transfermarkt.com):
1). Moussa Sissokho - Newcastle United - £30 million (Dh143m): Flop
2). Roberto Soldado - Valencia - £25m: Flop
3). Erik Lamela - Roma - £25m: Jury still out
4). Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen - £25m: Success
5). Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic - £21m: Flop
6). Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar - £18m: Flop
7). David Bentley - Blackburn Rovers - £18m: Flop
8). Luka Modric - Dynamo Zagreb - £17m: Success
9). Paulinho - Corinthians - £16m: Flop
10). Mousa Dembele - Fulham - £16m: Success
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
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