TUT's vital stories to know this week
From the final days of the election cycle to a mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, here are four vital stories to know this week.
Muslim and Arab American voters may decide Michigan, a key state for Trump and Harris.
Michigan’s 15 electoral votes are up for grabs for a third consecutive election and could be decided by the 200,000 registered Arab American voters in the state, who are angry at the Biden administration’s handling of the war on Gaza, which UN experts say is a ‘mass ethnic cleansing.”
“I love this country, but I’ll tell you, we have never been so disappointed in this country as we are now,” said Nabih H. Ayad, chairman of the Arab American Civil Rights League. “We wanted to give the Democratic Party the opportunity to do something, and they haven’t. The one line we can’t cross is genocide.”
Some are abstaining from voting, advocating for a third party, or considering voting for former President Trump given his recent attempts to steward their vote in Dearborn, Michigan, which is home to the largest concentration of Arabs outside the Middle East, despite his anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian rhetoric in the past. Local experts say that Trump, who said he would let Israel ‘finish the job,’ is taking full advantage of this divide among Arab Americans and Muslims. A recent poll showed Harris is effectively tied with Trump among Arab Americans, leaving her nearly 20 points behind Biden’s numbers in 2020.
“People are really right now in a dilemma. They really don’t know where to go. It’s like somebody hit them with a two by four, right on their head,” said Osama Siblani, the publisher of an Arab American newspaper based in Dearborn, Michigan. “So now they’re in total disarray. They may vote for Donald Trump, just to punish Biden and Harris, just to say, ‘Look what you’ve done.’”
However, many Arab Americans and Muslims who are passionate Democrats blame Harris’s campaign outreach and messaging to voters like them for this polling shift. Some described her messaging as being “lackluster,” “disgraceful”, and the same as President Biden’s rhetoric. In fact, Harris has yet to campaign in Dearborn, Michigan, and appear on a campaign stage with an Arab American or Muslim leader, despite some institutes backing the vice president.
“I was like, ‘All right, you have a blank slate, let’s see what you’re going to do with that,’” said Rowan Imran, a Palestinian American who lives in Phoenix. “That was very disappointing to see her dig her heels further in the ground and just uphold every single [Biden] policy … It was very clear that we’re just getting a different face with the same policies.”
Notably, this shift came after the Democratic National Convention, where Democratic leaders refused to let a Palestinian, Arab, or Muslim American speak at the DNC about the war on Gaza, sparking a sit-in outside the convention and more anger toward the vice President.
“That was it for me,” said Ismail Ali, a long-time Democrat from Florida who changed his party affiliation to Independent. “If Democrats can give anti-choice Republicans a platform, billionaires who don’t pay their workers a platform, but they can’t have someone who looks like me? Who will talk about issues that matter to me? To humanity? I do not understand!”
By the numbers: More than half (55%) of Arab Americans would have been more likely to support Harris if the DNC allowed a Palestinian American speaker at the convention, per polling from the Arab American Institute.
Halloween shootings in Orlando nightlife district kill 2 people and 6 wound more
At least two people were killed and six more were injured after a mass shooting in downtown Orlando, Florida, as people celebrated Halloween on October 31, Orlando police chief Eric Smith said during a news conference.
A 17-year-old suspect identified as Jaylen Dwayne Edgar was arrested, Smith said.
Tyrek Hill, 25, and Timothy Schmidt Jr., 19, were identified as the two victims killed, while six others sustained injuries.
Footage filmed by Brad Perry showed a large amount of police and vehicles at the scene of the shooting in downtown Orlando. Large crowds of people can be seen evacuating the area in a number of directions.
“I just don’t understand how a 17-year-old could get access to a gun,” an Orlando resident who fled the scene and wanted to remain anonymous told TUT. “We were trying to have a nice Halloween and this person decided to take lives. It's so unfortunate to live in a country without gun control.”
By the numbers: Florida ranks 22nd in the United States for gun law strength, according to Everytown Research & Policy's 2024 State Gun Law Rankings. It is also one of 29 states that allow permitless carry, which lets certain 21-year-old individuals carry a concealed firearm without a license
Caption and video credit: Brad Perry via Storyful
Deadliest flood of the century leaves 200+ dead in Eastern Spain
Floodwaters inundated parts of eastern Spain on the evening of Tuesday, October 29, following a destructive storm system that left at least 205 people dead, according to reports.
Roman Chekmarev, a Spain resident, captured this video in Paiporta. Chekmarev told Storyful the video was recorded around 7:30 pm on Tuesday, about an hour and a half after the nearby river “overflowed its banks.”
Local outlets reported at least 40 died in Paiporta.
As of Thursday, Valencian emergency services said more than 447 people were in shelters and crews were on the ground to provide services. The emergency service continued to warn of flooding throughout Valencia.
“There are dozens of missing people. We cannot confirm that number. But it is clear that as more days pass and they do not appear, the more likely it is that we will have no hope of finding them alive,” CNN’s Mauricio Torres said.
Caption Credit: Roman Chekmarev via Storyful
Video: @orxataicassalla via Storyful
Things to know when voting on Nov 5.
As long as you are in line before the closing of your polling station, you can vote.
Do NOT wear political attire. You can only campaign near the polling station but not inside.
No one is allowed to threaten or intimidate voters. If you see this happening contact your nearest election official.
If you make a mistake on your ballot, you have the right to ask for a new ballot. Never cross out selections because it could result in confusion about what you selected.
Polling places should be accessible to all voters, including those with disabilities. Poll workers are required to make reasonable accommodations to allow you to vote, following ADA standards. In some states, voters have the right to request voting materials in another language.