Battleground candidates clash over Trump and Cornell allegations reignite debate over campus assault: 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 campus sexual assault. And signs of the Paramount-Warner merger were visible shortly after the deal closed. Here’s what to know today. Candidates in Maine, Georgia and Michigan clash over Trump With less than a month until Election Day, candidates in the races in Maine, Georgia and Michigan boasted about their qualifications for office while trading attacks over President Donald Trump and the cost of living in a slew of Tuesday evening debates. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. Democrats see the Maine race between Republican Rep. Susan Collins and her opponent, Troy Jackson, as critical to winning a Senate majority. Polls show Collins, who’s seeking a sixth term in office, in a neck-and-neck race. Jackson sought to connect Collins to Trump, name-checking the president at least 20 times in an hour and highlighted her pivotal vote in 2018 to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Collins hit back by pitching her seniority and her role as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. She also connected Jackson’s policies to higher housing costs and property taxes in the state. Read more about the Maine debate. In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson met for their lone debate in the battleground state’s gubernatorial race. Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor and former Biden administration official, claimed Jackson “wants to be Trump’s favorite governor” and emphasized her proposals to cut or suspend state and local taxes on things like groceries and auto insurance to combat high prices. Jackson, a billionaire healthcare executive, claimed Bottoms was responsible for inflation in the Atlanta area during her tenure as mayor. Read more about the Georgia debate. And in the race for Michigan governor, Democrat Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state, sought to tie Republican John James to Trump’s tariff agenda and for voting against the Iran war powers resolutions. But James tried to put some daylight between himself and the president, calling for an end to the conflict. Read more about the Michigan debate. More politics news: For subscribers: Florida faces its first uncertain election in more than a decade as Democrats gain momentum in the former swing state. Here’s what leaders are saying about the races to watch. Rep. Byron Donalds holds a 7-percentage-point advantage over Democrat David Jolly in Florida’s governor race, according to a new poll from NBC South Florida/Telemundo Station Group. A former CIA officer arrested after 600 pounds of gold bars was found stashed in his home admitted to telling a foreign official details about a secret U.S. intelligence source and lying about his background to the spy agency. A major energy industry group warned truck stops to “proceed with caution” after Trump signed an executive order to promote the use of red dye diesel fuel. America is debating campus rape. Again. Outrage exploded last week after a former Cornell University student alleged in a lawsuit that fraternity members sexually assaulted her after they coerced her to take ketamine — and that when she went to campus law enforcement for help, they did little to hold the accused men accountable. The allegations set off a cycle that has grown familiar. There are demands for change. Survivors of sexual violence share their stories. Debates stir about the definition of consent. And politicians call for new laws. When the pressure subsides, “then it falls back into the same kind of status quo, which is we’ll deal with this when it comes up,” said Jackson Katz, an author who has worked in sexual assault prevention for three decades. In the past few days, Cornell faculty members have introduced a resolution calling for a no-confidence vote in the school administration’s handling of the case. Student protesters have called for Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff’s resignation. And Sally Yates, a longtime federal prosecutor who has clashed with President Trump, will lead an independent review of how the university responds to misconduct on campus. This time, experts and advocates hope there’s lasting change. How the debate has evolved over the last four decades. Paramount-Warner merger marks a new era in entertainment There’s a new mega studio in town and signs of change were clear almost immediately. On the famous Warner Bros. water tower in Burbank, California, “A Skydance Corporation” was added below the iconic logo. Similar branding was seen at the company’s New York City office. Early Tuesday, Paramount Skydance completed the $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, handing CEO David Ellison control of one of the world’s largest entertainment companies. The new branding is a sign that Ellison isn’t taking any time to dwell on the past. The merger comes at a moment of significant change in Hollywood and will likely come with consequences that could affect the entire industry. How the deal came together and what could happen next. Israelis abroad told to exercise ‘heightened vigilance’ on Oct. 7 anniversary Three years after Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in the Oct. 7 attacks, Israelis are marking the anniversary of an event that traumatized the nation and reshaped the region. Memorials have been held at homes, roadsides, kibbutzim and the Nova music festival site, 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” amid an “increased risk of attempted attacks against Israelis and Jews abroad,” on the anniversary. In a statement issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, the public was urged to “refrain from posting details about travel plans abroad on social media in advance” as well as “posting content on social media that indicates service in the security forces.” Follow our live coverage of the anniversary. Staff Pick: 7 million fewer working women get paid time off than men Gender equality in the workplace is not limited to 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 had been seven years since the BLS had last asked the same question, so I was surprised to see that while overall access had increased, a gap persisted between men and women. So I talked with experts who study work and family about the trend, and they weren’t surprised. Women work part-time or flexible roles at higher rates than men do, often to accommodate caregiving responsibilities at home, these experts told me. I learned this can create a reinforcing cycle: Women are in these roles so they can care for family, and in turn, are unable to advance to jobs which would provide the benefit. — Joelle Gross, data reporter NBC Selected: Last chance to save big during Prime Day And just like that, Prime Day is almost over. But don’t worry, you still have a few hours left to shop all the best sales, including tons of deals under $50. Want to get a head start on your holiday shopping? We rounded up the best tech deals, including discounts on Apple products. Plus, now’s also a great time to stock up on home essentials. Not a Prime member? You can still save big; many retailers are having sales this week, and these are the best ones we’ve seen at Best Buy, Target and more. Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week. Read All About It For subscribers: Protests across France escalated as tens of thousands of students, teachers and parents took to the streets to demand better conditions at public schools. Christa Pike is awake and speaking after her failed execution last week in Tennessee.Soccer icon Lionel Messi gave Argentina one last victory as he played his final match for the national team. Eva Marie Saint, the Oscar- and Emmy-winning actor who starred in “On the Waterfront” and “North by Northwest,” has died at age 102. A Southern California couple who had 21 kids, most of whom were birthed by different surrogates, have been charged in a child abuse investigation. Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here.