Battleground Candidates Clash Over Trump Allegations, Cornell Reignites Campus Assault Debate: Morning Rundown

Candidates clashed over President Donald Trump and the cost of living during debates in Maine, Georgia and Michigan. Rape allegations at Cornell University reignite debate over sexual assault on campus. And signs of the Paramount-Warner merger were visible shortly after the deal closed.

Here’s what you need to know today.

Candidates from Maine, Georgia and Michigan clash over Trump

With less than a month until Election Day, candidates running for office in Maine, Georgia and Michigan boasted about their qualifications while trading attacks on President Donald Trump and the cost of living during a series of debates Tuesday night.

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Democrats view the race in Maine between Republican Susan Collins and her opponent, Troy Jackson, as critical to winning the Senate majority. Polls show Collins, who is seeking a sixth term, in a neck-and-neck race.

Jackson sought to link Collins to Trump, name-checking the president at least 20 times in an hour and pointing to his crucial 2018 vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Collins fought back by pointing to her seniority and her role as chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. She also linked Jackson’s policies to rising housing costs and property taxes in the state. Learn more about the debate in Maine.

In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson met for their only debate in the battleground state’s gubernatorial race.

Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor and former Biden administration official, claimed that Jackson “wants to be Trump’s favorite governor” and highlighted his proposals to reduce or suspend state and local taxes on things like groceries and auto insurance to combat high prices. Jackson, a billionaire health care executive, claimed that Bottoms was responsible for inflation in the Atlanta area during her tenure as mayor. Read more about the debate in Georgia.

And in the Michigan gubernatorial race, Democrat Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state, sought to tie Republican John James to Trump’s tariff agenda and vote against Iran war powers resolutions. But James tried to bring some light between himself and the president, calling for an end to the conflict. Learn more about the debate in Michigan.

More political news:

• For subscribers: Florida faces its first uncertain elections in more than a decade as Democrats gain momentum in the former swing state. Here’s what the leaders are saying on the races to follow.

• Representative Byron Donalds holds a 7 percentage point advantage against Democrat David Jolly in the Florida governor’s race, according to a new poll from NBC South Florida/Telemundo Station Group.

• Ex-CIA Officer Arrested After 600 Pounds of Gold Bars Found Hidden in His Home admitted giving details to foreign official about a secret U.S. intelligence source and lying about his background with the spy agency.

• A major group in the energy sector warned truck stops to “proceed with caution” after Trump signed an executive order to promote the use of red-dye diesel fuel.

America debates campus rape. Again.

Outrage exploded last week after a former Cornell University student alleged in a lawsuit that fraternity members sexually assaulted her after forcing her to take ketamine — and that when she turned to campus law enforcement for help, they did little to hold the accused men accountable.

The allegations set off a cycle that has become familiar. There are requests for change. Survivors of sexual violence share their stories. Debates are moving on the definition of consent. And politicians are calling for new laws. When the pressure lessens, “then we fall back into the same sort of status quo, which is we’ll deal with this problem when it comes up,” said Jackson Katz, an author who has worked in sexual assault prevention for three decades.

In recent days, Cornell professors presented a resolution calling for a vote of no confidence in the school administration’s handling of the matter. Student protesters demanded the resignation of Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff. And Sally Yates, a longtime federal prosecutor who clashed with President Trump, will conduct an independent review of how the university responds to misconduct on campus.

This time, experts and advocates are hoping for lasting change.

How the debate has evolved over the past four decades.

Paramount-Warner merger marks new era in entertainment

There’s a new mega studio in town and the signs of change appeared almost immediately. On the famous Warner Bros. water tower. in Burbank, California, “A Skydance Corporation” was added below the iconic logo. A similar mark was seen in the company’s New York office.

Early Tuesday, Paramount Skydance finalized the $110 billion buyout from Warner Bros. Discovery, giving CEO David Ellison control of one of the world’s largest entertainment companies.

The new branding is a sign that Ellison isn’t taking time to dwell on the past. The merger comes at a time of significant change in Hollywood and will likely have consequences that could affect the entire industry.

How the deal was made and what could happen next.

Israelis abroad must exercise ‘heightened vigilance’ on October 7 anniversary

Three years after Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in the October 7 attacks, Israelis are marking the anniversary of an event that traumatized the nation and reshaped the region.

Memorials were held in homes, on roadsides, on kibbutzim and at the site of the Nova music festival, where militants killed more than 360 people and took 44 hostages.

Israel’s National Security Council has warned Israelis living abroad to exercise “heightened vigilance” over the “increased risk of attempted attacks against Israelis and Jews abroad” to mark the anniversary.

In a statement released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, the public was asked to “refrain from posting details of foreign travel plans on social media in advance” as well as “posting content on social media indicating service in the security forces.”

Follow our live coverage of the anniversary.

Staff choice: 7 million fewer working women than men benefit from paid leave

Gender equality in the workplace is not just about how much men and women are paid, it also includes the benefits they receive.

When the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a survey last month asking Americans about their access to paid leave, I was intrigued by what the numbers said. It’s been seven years since the BLS last asked the same question. So I was surprised to find that even though overall access had increased, a gap persisted between men and women.

So I discussed this trend with experts who study work and family, and they weren’t surprised.

Women work part-time or in flexible roles at higher rates than men, often to fulfill caregiving responsibilities at home, these experts told me. I learned that this can create a cycle of reinforcement: women fill these roles so they can take care of their families and, in turn, are unable to access jobs that would provide them with benefits. — Joëlle Grossdata journalist

BNC selected: Last chance to save big during Prime Day

And just like that, First day is almost finished. But don’t worry, you still have a few hours left to shop all best sellersincluding tons of deals under $50. Want to get a head start on your holiday shopping? We rounded the best technological offersincluding discounts on Apple products. Plus, it’s also the perfect time to stock up essentials for the home. Not a Prime member? You can still save big; many retailers are having sales this week, and these are the best we have seen at Best Buy, Target and more.

Subscribe to La Sélection newsletter for practical product reviews, expert buying advice, and insight into the best deals and sales every week.

Read all about it

• For subscribers: Protests intensify across France as tens of thousands of students, teachers and parents took to the streets to demand better conditions in public schools.

• Christine Pike is awake and talking after his botched execution last week in Tennessee.
• Football icon Lionel Messi gave Argentina one last victory while playing his last match for the national team.

• Eva Marie Saint, the Academy Award and Emmy-winning actress who starred in “On the Waterfront” and “North by Northwest,” died at 102.

• A Southern California couple who had 21 children, most of whom were born to different surrogates, were accused in a child abuse investigation.

Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you are a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can register here.