International

Kamala Harris seeks to shorten distances with Trump in conservative areas of Pennsylvania

US Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned this Friday in Republican counties of Pennsylvania, in a strategic effort to reduce Donald Trump’s advantage in that region and increase the Democratic chances of conquering this key state for the November elections.

Harris ended the day with a rally on a university campus in Wilkes-Barre, where he proposed an “economy of opportunities” for the middle class, reaffirmed his defense of the right to abortion and described Trump as a divisive leader, focused on his own interests.

“We need a president who works for all Americans and who stops trying to divide us. People are already tired of that,” Harris said, receiving continuous applause from the public.

At one point in the event, the vice president was interrupted by demonstrators protesting against the war in Gaza. One of them raised his voice, causing discomfort among the attendees. Harris intervened, and although he expressed that he “respected their voices,” he reminded them that “at that moment, she was talking.”

Harris’ campaign considers that this Friday’s visits to conservative areas of the interior of Pennsylvania are an opportunity to reduce Trump’s advantage.

His strategy is to attract undecided voters in Republican counties, in order to decrease Trump’s margin of victory in those areas and ensure that Harris gets enough votes at the state level to win Pennsylvania.

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Harris’s campaign

Wilkes-Barre, where he gave his speech, is in Luzerne County, an area that Barack Obama won in 2008 and 2012, but that passed into the hands of Trump in 2016, when he beat Hillary Clinton by almost 20 points. In 2020, Biden lost Luzerne by 14 points.

Harris’ other stop was in Johnstown, located in Cambria County, about 100 kilometers east of Pittsburgh. This county also shows a trend similar to that of Luzerne: Obama won it in 2008 and 2012, but Trump conquered it in 2016 and 2020.

In Johnstown, Harris talked to voters in a place that functioned as a cafe and bookstore. He told them that he is aware of his responsibility to win “each” of his votes, and therefore wants to spend time in the communities where they reside.

“That’s why I’m here, and we’re going to spend much more time in Pennsylvania,” said Harris, who has dedicated six of the last seven days to campaigning in this state.

His campaign team has highlighted the importance of Pennsylvania, since with 19 votes in the Electoral College, it is one of the states that could decide who reaches the White House.

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On Friday, Harris’ campaign indicated in a statement that 16 of its 50 offices in Pennsylvania are located in rural counties where Trump won by a wide margin in 2020. The goal is to limit Trump’s advantage in those areas of the state, and thus increase the Democratic possibilities in the contest.

International

Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson

Luigi Mangione admitted Friday to fatally shooting Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance group in the United States, during an appearance before a federal judge.

The case shocked the U.S. business community and dates back to December 2024, when Mangione opened fire on Thompson, 50, on a Manhattan street. Prosecutors have described the attack as being motivated by Mangione’s opposition to the U.S. health insurance system.

“On the morning of December 4, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” Mangione said as he pleaded guilty to a federal stalking charge related to his pursuit of the executive.

Mangione, 28, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, and prosecutors have indicated that they will seek a life sentence.

In addition to the federal charges related to stalking Thompson, Mangione also faces a murder case brought by the state of New York.

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Following his guilty plea in federal court, Mangione’s defense asked a state court to dismiss the state charges, arguing that prosecuting him again for the same conduct would violate protections against double jeopardy.

“We have just filed our motion in state court to explain why the charges should be dismissed under New York’s protections against double jeopardy,” Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said Friday.

Both the federal and state cases could result in a life sentence. Two other federal charges that initially carried the possibility of the death penalty were dismissed by a judge earlier this year.

International

ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns

Plans to equip U.S. immigration agents with gloves capable of delivering electric shocks are raising concerns over potential abuses by a law enforcement agency that critics accuse of using excessive force and providing inadequate training to its personnel.

The plan involves the potential purchase of electric-shock gloves for agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency primarily responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s campaign to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost criticized the proposal on X, arguing that the agency has already faced accusations of excessive force during immigration enforcement operations.

“As if assaulting and shooting people in the streets wasn’t enough,” Frost wrote. He also criticized the reported $20 million potential expenditure on the devices and called for greater restrictions on ICE.

The agency has faced growing scrutiny following a series of deadly shootings during immigration enforcement operations. Among the incidents were the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota in January who were participating in protests against the agency.

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Critics have focused on the tactics used by ICE agents when detaining immigrants, as well as allegations that training standards for newly recruited personnel have been lowered.

According to a procurement plan first reported by the Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, could spend between $10 million and $20 million on the devices.

The gloves are described by the agency as tools intended for “distraction and de-escalation,” rather than lethal weapons. The system, known as GLOVE, stands for “Generated Low-Output Voltage Emitter.”

The device is manufactured by Compliant Technologies, a Kentucky-based company that describes its products as advanced non-lethal tools designed to protect and assist law enforcement and other personnel.

The proposal comes amid an intensifying national debate over ICE’s enforcement methods and the use of force during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

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International

Three U.S. Executions Set for Same Day as Trump Pushes to Expand Death Penalty

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 U.S. states, while three others —California, Oregon and Pennsylvania— currently have moratoriums in place.

The United States is set to carry out three executions on the same day, a rare occurrence that has not happened since 2010, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.

President Donald Trump has sought to expand the use of capital punishment for what he describes as “the most heinous crimes.” In April, the Department of Justice proposed expanding execution methods to include firing squads, lethal gas and electrocution.

Tennessee is scheduled to execute Anthony Darrell Dugard Hines, 66, on Thursday. He was sentenced to death for the 1985 murder of a woman, according to local media.

In Oklahoma, Carlos Cuesta-Rodríguez, 70, is scheduled to be executed for a 2003 murder.

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Meanwhile, Alabama plans to execute Jeremy Williams, 42, who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl.

The United States carried out 47 executions in 2025, the highest number since 2009, when 52 executions were recorded.

Florida conducted the largest number of executions last year, with 19, followed by Alabama, South Carolina and Texas, with five each.

Of the executions carried out in 2025, 39 were conducted by lethal injection. Three were carried out by firing squad and five through nitrogen hypoxia, a method that involves forcing nitrogen gas into a face mask, depriving the prisoner of oxygen.

The United Nations has condemned nitrogen gas as a cruel and inhumane method of capital punishment.