US election 2016: Your daily dig from campaign trail

There are 26 days to go until election day and the news shows no sign of letting up. Here's our latest daily election dig, including Donald Trump's many accusers,

The latest

Donald Trump was assailed by multiple accusations of groping from women who have come forward to US media. One woman told the New York Times that Trump groped her on a flight two decades ago, while another who was a receptionist in Trump Tower said he kissed her on the lips back in 2005. The Palm Beach Post also reported on a woman who says Trump grabbed her bottom at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida back in 2003 - while he was standing next to his then-fiancee Melania Knauss. Trump angrily denied the allegations and his campaign released a letter it sent to the NYT saying the newspaper was providing a platform to "anyone wishing to smear Mr Trump's name and reputation".

"Going to war" was how sources in the Trump campaign described the mood in Trump Tower to a Washington Post reporter. For now, however, it seems Trump is in retreat after several sources told NBC News that his campaign was pulling out of Virginia. The latest polling averages on Real Clear Politics have Clinton up by 7.5 percentage points in Virginia.

But it's not all good news for Clinton. WikiLeaks released another batch of emails on Wednesday detailing conversations between her campaign staff and one in particular has caught the attention of Trump and his supporters - an alleged exchange between communications director Jennifer Palmieri and a think tank fellow, in which Palmieri makes disparaging comments about conservative Catholics.

The BBC's Tara McKelvey has taken an in-depth look at the hacked emails. She says although there's no smoking gun, the exchanges do lift the lid on the secret lives of aides and advisers, and reveal what campaigns are really like. You can read her piece here.

In the weird world of social media, calls for women to be denied their right to vote have been trending after research by FiveThirtyEight suggested Donald Trump would win if only men could cast ballots next month. The Republican nominee's supporters were accused of tweeting #repealthe19th - a reference to the US constitutional amendment granting women's suffrage less than 100 years ago.

And as anti-Republicans continue to work out whether they should fall behind the nominee or run for the hills, we've taken a look at one flip-flopper. Kelly Ayotte, a New Hampshire senator, typifies the kind of tortured journey some have gone on.

Random stat

4.5

There are 4.5 Republicans for every Democrat in Utah, a huge advantage to any Republican in the state, the Washington Post reports. But a poll out on Wednesday in the state found Trump was tied with Clinton, while independent candidate Evan McMullin was close behind.

Picture of the day

Donald Trump kisses a "Woman for Trump" placard just hours before a series of allegations of inappropriate sexual contact surfaced in US media

Quote of the day

Republican Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer explains her flip-flop from a Trump supporter, to a Trump deserter and then back to a Trump supporter. She is not up for re-election until 2018.

Thursday's diary

Donald Trump's campaign will face a hornet swarm of media questions about several allegations of sexual misconduct against him as he campaigns in Florida and Ohio.

His put-upon running mate, Mike Pence, will campaign meanwhile in Pennsylvania.

Hillary Clinton will be treated to a performance from Elton John as she hosts a fundraiser in Beverly Hills and another in San Francisco, before taping an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show.

Her vice-presidential nominee, Tim Kaine, will appear on ABC's The View in New York.