New York Times: “Both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have embraced tariffs, but their plans differ significantly. Ms. Harris’s campaign has said she would use tariffs in a “targeted” fashion — possibly mirroring the approach of President Biden, who recently imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, silicon chips and solar panels. Like Mr. Biden, she has emphasized working closely with allies.”

“Mr. Trump, in contrast, has said his approach to trade would be even more aggressive than the trade wars of his first term, when he imposed stiff tariffs on allies and rivals to obtain concessions and try to bolster American manufacturing. He has proposed a 60 percent tariff on products from China and a tariff of more than 10 percent on other goods from around the world.”

“Vice President Kamala Harris has cast herself as a candidate of the future, but she has been yanked back by the problems of the present as the Middle East lurches toward a wider war, a longshoremen’s strike threatens to undermine the country’s economy and Americans across the Southeast struggle to recover from a deadly hurricane,” the New York Times reports.

“The confluence of domestic and global traumas combined to knock Ms. Harris off a message that has been carefully calibrated since she took over for President Biden to showcase her as the avatar of ‘a new way forward,’ as her slogan puts it.”

Los Angeles Times: Missiles, a hurricane and a strike: How 3 crises are shaping the presidential race.

A new Highground poll in Arizona finds Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump among likely voters, 48% to 46%.

The results also show Democratic voters are more enthusiastic about their choice at the top of the ballot than Republicans, with one week left until early voting starts.

“There is a reason Mike Pence was not on that stage with me.”

— Gov. Tim Walz, quoted by the Washington Post, criticizing Sen. J.D. Vance for refusing to admit Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.

Washington Post: “Trump often speaks in a digressive, extemporaneous style that thrills his fans at large-scale rallies. But Tuesday’s event, in front of almost entirely reporters, was especially scattered and hard to follow…”

“Trump spoke slowly and appeared tired. It was his second stop of the day, and he has picked up the pace of campaigning in recent weeks.”

I joined the great Julie Mason on her SiriusXM show this afternoon to discuss the vice presidential debate.

A new Susquehanna poll finds Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump nationally among likely voters, 49% to 44%.

“At least three women are claiming to have had romantic relationships with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in just the last year, as he pursued a long-shot bid for the presidency,” Mediaite reports.

“People close to Kennedy now fear the revelation of those alleged relationships could jeopardize his standing in Donald Trump’s orbit, particularly as the former president and 2024 Republican nominee fights to win over suburban women.”

“Almost exactly a year after a small group of GOP lawmakers joined Democrats to remove Kevin McCarthy from the speakership, the California Republican is divvying out $14 million to help GOP candidates across the board,” NOTUS reports.

“The money is coming at a time when Republicans are trailing Democrats in fundraising as Election Day nears.”

Said McCarthy: “It’s a bigger hole than I thought would happen, so I want to help fill that hole. I think it’s a better opportunity to win seats this cycle than the last two, and we haven’t lost in a long time. I’ve got a lot invested in the people that I recruited. I want to help them be able to maintain; I think we got to go be more on offense. We got a great opportunity.”