عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Trump Looks to Make Inroads into Biden Country with Scranton Stop

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, arrives for a rally at Dodge County Airport on October 06, 2024 in Juneau, Wisconsin. (Getty Images via AFP)
Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, arrives for a rally at Dodge County Airport on October 06, 2024 in Juneau, Wisconsin. (Getty Images via AFP)
TT
TT

Trump Looks to Make Inroads into Biden Country with Scranton Stop

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, arrives for a rally at Dodge County Airport on October 06, 2024 in Juneau, Wisconsin. (Getty Images via AFP)
Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, arrives for a rally at Dodge County Airport on October 06, 2024 in Juneau, Wisconsin. (Getty Images via AFP)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will stage a rally in President Joe Biden's hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday as he looks to win over the blue-collar voters who have traditionally been Biden loyalists in the critical state.

It will be Trump's second visit in just five days to Pennsylvania, as he holds rallies in regions heavily populated by the working-class, who are seen as a key voting bloc in the hard-fought race between Trump and his Democratic challenger Kamala Harris.

While Biden is mostly associated with Delaware as a former senator there, Scranton is a fabled part of his origin story. He was born in the industrial city and grew up in a modest home.

Biden won the Democratic stronghold of Lackawanna County, due in large part to Scranton, by nine points in 2020, outperforming Hillary Clinton in 2016, who won the county by under four points.

Trump is locked in a tight battle with Vice President Harris in Pennsylvania, a battleground state whose 19 electoral votes are likely to prove crucial to who wins the Nov. 5 election.

Both candidates are making a concerted effort to win the state. Trump drew a large crowd when he returned on Saturday to the Butler, Pennsylvania, site where he was grazed in the ear by an attempted assassin on July 13.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who was with Trump in Butler, plans more Pennsylvania campaigning for the former president, a source said, while Democratic former President Barack Obama is expected in the state on Thursday to give Harris a boost.

In addition to Trump's visit to Scranton, a second event in Reading, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, will give him another opportunity to try to appeal to working-class voters. Some polls show he has been gaining ground with this bloc.

Trump has made the US economy a central theme of his campaign, promising tariffs on some imports to increase the production of goods in the United States and boost employment.

The most recent Reuters-Ipsos poll said respondents reported the economy as the top issue facing the country. It said some 44% said Trump had the better approach on addressing the "cost of living," compared to 38% who picked Harris.

Democrats have said Trump's attempt to preserve his 2017 slashing of the corporate tax rate shows the limits of his caring for blue-collar workers.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Series of Tremors Near Tehran Renew Concerns over Major Quake Risk

A mural depicting the late leader of the Iranian Revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini, and the late Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, May 12, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
A mural depicting the late leader of the Iranian Revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini, and the late Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, May 12, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
TT
TT

Series of Tremors Near Tehran Renew Concerns over Major Quake Risk

A mural depicting the late leader of the Iranian Revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini, and the late Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, May 12, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
A mural depicting the late leader of the Iranian Revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini, and the late Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, May 12, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

A series of nine small earthquakes struck the Pardis area east of Tehran overnight, Mehr news agency reported on Wednesday, renewing fears among experts and residents that the Iranian capital could face a major seismic disaster.

The repeated activity has revived concerns that accumulated tectonic pressure beneath and around the capital, which lies close to several active fault lines, could at some point in the future trigger a much larger earthquake.

While tremors in the area are frequent, it is far less common for several ⁠to take place ⁠in a row.
The tremors, recorded over a single night in eastern Tehran province, were felt in an area close to the Mosha fault, one of Iran’s most active seismic zones, Reuters said.

State media reported that one of the earthquakes was recorded at 4.6 magnitude, ⁠adding that the mild seismic activity didn't cause casualties or material damage.

Semi-official Mehr news cited seismologist Mehdi Zare as saying it wasn't clear whether the tremors represented a release of built-up seismic energy that would reduce future risk or instead were warning signs of stronger future activity along the fault system near Tehran.

Zare warned that Tehran’s vulnerability is amplified not only by active fault lines but also by dense urban ⁠development, population concentration ⁠and limited preparedness. He said even relatively small earthquakes can cause disruption in the capital due to fragile infrastructure and congestion, complicating emergency response.

Tehran, a metropolitan area of more than 14 million people, lies near major active faults including the North Tehran, Mosha and Rey fault systems. Iranian experts have repeatedly warned that a major earthquake near the capital could have catastrophic consequences.

Iran is among the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, and memories remain vivid of the 2003 Bam earthquake, which killed more than 30,000 people.

World

Trump Heads to China, Stresses Need to Stop Iran's Nuclear Program

12 May 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks to the media before he departs the White House for China. Photo: Matt Kaminsky/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
12 May 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks to the media before he departs the White House for China. Photo: Matt Kaminsky/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
TT
TT

Trump Heads to China, Stresses Need to Stop Iran's Nuclear Program

12 May 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks to the media before he departs the White House for China. Photo: Matt Kaminsky/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
12 May 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks to the media before he departs the White House for China. Photo: Matt Kaminsky/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Americans’ financial struggles are not a factor in his decision-making as he seeks to negotiate an end to the Iran war, saying that preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is his top priority.

Asked by a reporter to what extent Americans’ financial situations were motivating him to strike a deal, Trump said: “Not even a little bit.”

"The only thing that matters, when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon," Trump said before departing the White House for a trip to China. "I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all. That's ⁠the only thing ⁠that motivates me."

Trump's remarks are likely to draw scrutiny from critics who argue the administration should balance geopolitical objectives with the economic impact on Americans, particularly as cost-of-living concerns remain a top issue for voters ahead of the November midterm elections.

Asked to elaborate on the president's comments, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said that Trump's "ultimate responsibility is the safety and security ⁠of Americans. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and if action wasn’t taken, they’d have one, which threatens all Americans."

Trump is under growing pressure from fellow Republicans who fear economic pain caused by the war could spark a backlash against the party and cost it control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate in November.

Rising energy costs linked to the Iran conflict have pushed up gasoline prices and contributed to inflation.

US consumer inflation in April posted its largest gain in three years, according to data released on Tuesday.

Trump framed his approach as a matter of national and ⁠global security, suggesting ⁠economic concerns were secondary to preventing nuclear proliferation.

In Beijing, Trump is set to hold a highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

“We're the two superpowers,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House. “We're the strongest nation on Earth in terms of military. China’s considered second.”

The Trump administration hopes to begin the process of establishing a “Board of Trade” with China to address differences between the countries. The board could help prevent the trade war ignited last year after Trump's tariff hikes, an action China countered through its control of rare earth minerals. That led to a one-year truce last October.

World

Iran Hangs Man Accused of Spying for Israel

Motorbikes cross an intersection in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Motorbikes cross an intersection in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
TT
TT

Iran Hangs Man Accused of Spying for Israel

Motorbikes cross an intersection in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Motorbikes cross an intersection in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran on Wednesday hanged a man found guilty of selling information to Israeli intelligence, the judiciary said, the latest in a wave of executions during the war with the country.

Since the start of the conflict with Israel and the United States in February, Iran has ramped up executions, particularly in cases involving alleged espionage or security-related charges
"Ehsan Afreshteh, a spy trained by Mossad in Nepal who sold sensitive information to Israel, has been executed," said the Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website.

"Arrested and tried for espionage and collaboration with the Zionist regime, he was hanged this morning after... the verdict was upheld by the Supreme Court," it added, according to AFP.

On Monday, the country hanged an aerospace engineering student who had also been convicted of spying for Israel and the United States.