NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest political news, including polls showing the presidential race is still in a dead heat with just three weeks to go until Election Day, how Kamala Harris is trying to reach more voters and Donald Trump’s extreme rhetoric. Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.

Backed by a culture of resilience and drive, U.S. Hispanic businesses generate $800 billion+ annually. Here are some key issues their leaders face.

Latino entrepreneurs account for 82% of new business startups in the U.S. today, with Latino companies opening at three times the rate of businesses overall, according to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC). In total, the Hispanic business community comprises more than 5 million companies.

Though these businesses generate a sizable $800 billion annually for the national economy, they have the potential to generate much more. Specifically, says the USHCC, if Latino businesses were to match the sales of the average non-Latino business, the U.S. economy would stand to gain a $1.5 trillion boost.

Exaggerating the harms of inflation doesn’t help working people.

American workers’ wages have been rising faster than prices for more than a year now. Their nation’s economy, meanwhile, is the envy of the wealthy world: Since the Covid recession, the United States has seen nearly twice as much growth as any other major rich country without suffering significantly higher inflation. And economic analysts expect that America will continue to grow at double the rate of its peers for the rest of 2024.

Nevertheless, US voters give their nation’s economy poor marks in surveys. In the latest polling from Civiqs, 61 percent of respondents rate the “national economy” as “fairly bad” or “very bad” — with 39 percent choosing the latter description.

Other polls indicate that this widespread pessimism is preventing the public from ascertaining basic economic facts. For example, 74 percent of swing-state voters in a recent Wall Street Journal poll said that inflation had moved in the wrong direction over the past year, a statement that is straightforwardly untrue.

Our problems won’t be solved with a single election or a new president. Hyper-partisanship has poisoned our politics to such an extent that it compromised our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, fueled the spread of disinformation, and sparked the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.

But the U.S. was fraying long before Donald Trump became president, with growing gaps between the rich and poor as well as deep cultural divides between urban and rural communities. The result is that America often feels like it’s coming apart, with clashing tribes caught in feedback loops of distrust and resentment, amplified online and manipulated through disinformation, driving us toward ever greater levels of mutual incomprehension.

People on different sides of this divide fear that the other side hates their kind. They have a point: a 2019 study found that roughly 42 percent of both parties view the opposition as “downright evil.” In this environment, there is an understandable temptation to fight political fire with fire. But that will only burn the whole house down.

Trump Gains 5, Race in Dead Heat, NBC News
Trump and Harris tied at 48% in the latest NBC News poll, with Harris losing her 5-point lead as abortion becomes voters’ top issue just weeks before Election Day.

North Korea on Alert, Reuters
North Korea has placed artillery units near the South Korean border on standby to fire, citing alleged drone intrusions over Pyongyang and issuing warnings of potential conflict.

Concerns Over PA Ballots… Again, CBS News
Pennsylvania election officials brace for protests and conspiracy theories over mail-in ballot delays, fearing Trump supporters’ challenges to the election’s legitimacy could spark unrest.

59% Say Economy Is Getting Worse, ABC News
In a new ABC/Ipsos poll, 59% of voters believe the economy is worsening, fueling the close race with Harris leading Trump by only 2 points, 50% to 48%, among likely voters.

Registration Red Flag for Harris, The Hill
Democratic voter registration has dropped in key battleground states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina, as declining enthusiasm for the Biden admin raises concerns for Harris’ campaign.