Image source, Getty Images

Earlier today, we learned a second major newspaper, the Washington Post, would not endorse a presidential candidate in this election or any future presidential election.

The paper's union now condemns that decision, saying it is "deeply concerned" that the news publication "would make the decision to no longer endorse presidential candidates, especially a mere 11 days ahead of an immensely consequential election".

And they place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Post's billionaire owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, accusing him of making the final decision.

Bezos is yet to comment publicly on the matter.

Boarding school apology is long overdue - and a big boost to Native voterspublished at 20:16 British Summer Time 25 October

20:16 BST 25 October

Sam Cabral
US reporter

Image source, Reuters

After a flurry of speeches and campaign appearances, let's wind back to President Biden's formal apology to Native Americans for the US government's role in running boarding schools.

Native American voters are only a small segment of the overall US population, but they typically vote for Democrats and the party has focused in recent elections on mobilising them, particularly in the swing states.

When Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in Arizona in the 2020 election, by less than 10,000 votes, strong Native turnout - the community makes up 5% of the population there - helped put him over the top.

Biden's surprise apology on Friday over the government's role in running boarding schools where Native children were often physically and sexually abused is both monumental and long overdue to the community.

Coming less than two weeks out from a close election, it could also push Native voters, who often do not trust the federal government and feel apathy toward electoral politics, to the polls. Democrats are currently spending big on ads targeting the Native vote in Arizona, North Carolina, Montana and Alaska.

In Arizona's Senate race, Democratic contender Ruben Gallego has visited all 22 of the state's federally recognized tribes. Last week, he trekked eight miles to reach a remote village deep in the Grand Canyon.

Friday's historic apology from Biden at the Gila River Indian reservation, just outside of Phoenix, Arizona could boost Kamala Harris, with state polling indicating that she trails Trump by a slim margin.

Image source, Reuters

Trump tells the Texas crowd that, to rid the Lonestar State and the rest of the country from its immigration problem, he will dust off a little-used, centuries-old law called the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

"It gives you the power to target and dismantle every migrant, criminal, criminal network operating on American soil," he says.

He then follows with another tough message for migrants in the US: "I'm hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer."

After acknowledging he perhaps shouldn't say it, Trump repeats a line he's been criticised for saying before: "We are winning by a lot, actually."

His prediction is met with loud cheers and applause and people yelling "fight, fight, fight".

Most major polls suggest the race between Trump and Harris is extremely close - the BBC is tracking them here.

Fact-checking Trump’s claim about 21 million illegal immigrantspublished at 19:42 British Summer Time 25 October

19:42 BST 25 October

By Lucy Gilder

Donald Trump is still speaking in Austin, Texas, and just repeated his claim that 21 million people have come into the country illegally during a 3.5-year period.

These numbers are much higher than estimates for the number of illegal immigrants in the US.

It is impossible to know exactly how many illegal immigrants have come to the US, as many will have evaded law enforcement agencies, but several estimates put the number at around half what Trump claims.

A report, external published by the Office of Homeland Security earlier this year estimated the number of illegal immigrants living in the US, as of January 2022, at 11 million.Pew Research Center, external and the Migration Policy Institute, external came up with similar estimates for 2022 and 2021.And the Center for Immigration Studies, external estimated there were approximately 12 million illegal immigrants in May 2023.

Image source, Reuters

Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are in Texas today, holding duelling campaign events with just 11 days to go.

Over in Austin, Trump tells a crowd the state is "ground zero" for illegal immigration, claiming it is "the largest border invasion in the history of the world".

Trump calls the migrants crossing the southern border, which Texas shares with Mexico, "illegal alien criminals" and members of "gangs".

Immigration has been a go-to talking point for Trump, an area where polls suggest voters favour him over Harris.

Over now to Houston, Texas, where Vice-President Kamala Harris is making a surprise stop and taking questions from reporters ahead of a rally later tonight.

She promises she will codify the right to abortion if she's elected.

She is also asked if she has spoken with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon about a cabinet position.

"We have 11 days to go, we do not have a cabinet yet," she replies, while noting she's focused on defeating Trump and preserving democracy.

Brandon Drenon
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

Biden delivered an impassioned and energetic speech, his voice often elevating to punctuate key points - whether criticising the historical injustices against Native Americans or highlighting his administration's achievements.

It was notably more vigorous than many of his previous public appearances, including his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump which precipitated Biden's exit from the presidential race.

When he finished his remarks, he stood on stage for a few moments to soak up the admiration of the crowd.

People began to chant "thank you Joe" and "we love you Joe".

Image source, Reuters

President Biden starts to tick off the achievements he says his administration has accomplished for Native Americans in the US.

He says he's helped reduce child poverty and increased employment - two areas that disproportionately affect Native American communities - and that the government is "finally modernising tribal infrastructure".

This includes new roads, bridges, clean water, and internet access, Biden says, adding: "We're just getting started."

President Biden calls for a moment of silence to honour the nearly 1,000 thousand Native American deaths that he says occurred in federal boarding schools.

After the pause, he says the federal government has never formally apologised for what happened until today.

"I formally apologise," he declares, repeating the line several times to cheers.

Biden says the truth must be told and heard, referring to the injustice that occurred against Native Americans under federal watch, a reality which he said has been "hidden from our history books".

"We must know the good, the bad, the truth of who we are as a nation," Biden says.

He adds: "We do not erase history. We make history, we learn from history."

Image source, Reuters

President Joe Biden begins his apology to Arizona's Gila River Indian Community by saying: "This, to me, is one of the most consequential things I've ever had an opportunity to do in my whole career as president of the United States."

His visit to the territory is the first of a sitting US president, which Biden acknowledges.

He says he's here to deliver on that promise - of being the first president to visit - but also to "right a wrong" and "to chart a new path toward a better future".

Thousands of Native American children were taken from their homes between the 19th century and early 20th century and forced to attend federal boarding schools meant to assimilate them.

“It’s a sin on our soul,” Biden says, calling for a moment’s silence.

We have two events that are about to happen at the same time.

We're waiting for Donald Trump and Texas senator Ted Cruz in Austin, Texas. They are expected to talk about the border.

And as we mentioned earlier, President Joe Biden is about to issue a formal presidential apology to Native Americans for the US government's role in running boarding schools.

You can watch Biden's speech live at the top of this page.

Stick with us, we will bring you the latest updates from both events.

Sam Cabral
US reporter

Image source, Reuters

About 20 minutes from now, President Joe Biden will issue a formal presidential apology to Native Americans for the US government's role in running boarding schools.

From the early 1800s through the 1960s, thousands of Native children were ripped from their families and homes and sent to boarding schools that aimed to erase their cultural heritage and assimilate them into white American culture.

More than 500 such schools existed, funded by the government and often run by churches.

Biden will speak at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, in his first visit to a Native reservation as president.

“I would never have guessed in a million years that something like this would happen,” Deb Haaland, Biden's Interior Secretary and the first Native cabinet member in US history, told The Associated Press on Thursday.

“I’m sure it will be a big deal to all of Indian Country.”

An investigation Haaland launched found at least 18,000 American Indian and Alaska Native children were taken from their parents in the 19th and 20th centuries. Close to 1,000 deaths have been documented, though the figure is estimated to be much higher.

The Washington Post has announced that it "will not be making an endorsement of a presidential candidate in this election. Nor in any future presidential election".

"We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates," the influential newspaper said.

Its decision breaks with decades of tradition, having endorsed a candidate in almost every presidential election since the 1980s.

The Washington Post has been in circulation since 1877. It often ranks in the top five for monthly online users.

The news follows a similar announcement from the Los Angeles Times last week which said it was not endorsing a presidential candidate this year.

The editorials editor at the Los Angeles Times resigned after the company's decision.

"I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not okay with us being silent," Mariel Garza told the Columbia Journalism Review. "In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I’m standing up."

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from Atlanta

Georgia’s Republican governor Brian Kemp is hitting the trail for local Republicans here in Georgia. This morning he hosted a meet-and-greet at a golf club in a wealthy neighbourhood of Atlanta

He knocked Democrats for flying in celebrities like Bruce Springsteen for last night's Kamala Harris rally.

"We're work horses, not show horses," Kemp said of the Republicans.

There's tension between Kemp and Trump, the leader of his party. Trump has attacked and criticised Kemp in the past, and the governor made it clear that the 2020 election in Georgia had not been stolen, as Trump had falsely claimed.

He told reporters on Thursday that he would continue working to elect local Republicans - and Trump.

"Well, I want to win, so we're all fighting to make sure we win from the top of the ticket all the way down to the bottom," he said.

Bruce Springsteen's support for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris was made very clear last night when he performed on stage at her rally in Atlanta.

He's reiterated that support while speaking to the BBC's Mark Savage as part of an interview talking through the rock and roll icon's decades of life on the road.

"I tend to believe that there are still more Americans than fewer who want to pay fealty to the constitution, the rule of law, the peaceful transfer of power, democracy," he says.

"I still believe there's going to be more Americans who are interested in honouring those things than are interested in voting for Donald."

Bruce Springsteen: Life on the Road is on iPlayer here (UK only).

The schedules are stacked as the candidates race towards the end of the election. Here’s where key leaders are expected to appear:

• Donald Trump and Ted Cruz will be in Austin, Texas and are expected to speak on border security at 13:30 EDT (18:30 BST)
• President Joe Biden will stop at the Gila River Indian community in Phoenix at 13:30 EDT
• JD Vance will make multiple stops in North Carolina from 14:30 EDT (19:30 BST)
• Tim Walz will bein Scranton, Pennsylvania for rally at 18:00 EDT (23:00 BST)

• Former President Barack Obama is set to appear in Charlotte, North Carolina at 19:15 EDT (00:15 BST)
• A Trump rally will be held in Michigan at 19:30 EDT (00:30 BST)
• A rally in support of Kamala Harris will take place in Houston, Texas at 21:00 EDT (01:00 BST). This is where Beyoncé is set to appear

Sam Cabral
US reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Donald Trump recording a Joe Rogan interview will get most of the attention today - but Kamala Harris has been on a podcasting blitz as well.

She has appeared on Call Her Daddy, the top-ranked show among women and the second most popular podcast on Spotify behind The Joe Rogan Experience. Harris spoke with host Alex Cooper about reproductive rights, a top issue for Democrats and female voters.

Harris has talked Bay Area basketball with the male hosts of All the Smoke, while her running mate Tim Walz appeared on SmartLess with actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett.

On Thursday, she taped an appearance on Club Shay Shay, a podcast hosted by NFL legend Shannon Sharpe which has had major viral moments and is popular among black men. Polling suggests that voting bloc's support for Harris is not as robust as it has been for previous Democratic candidates.

Harris’s team was also in talks with Rogan’s staff about a potential appearance, according to Reuters. Her campaign has since confirmed she will not make an appearance.

Harris is also scheduled to sit down with famed social psychologist Brene Brown for her podcast, Unlocking Us, which is popular with female listeners.

Image source, EPA

More than 32 million people have voted early so far in this election, according to the University of Florida Election Lab early voter tracker.

About 15 million of those voted in person, while more than 17 million mailed in their ballots.

There is still more than a week to go before election day, so that number will continue to rise.

Democratic voters tend to participate in mail-in voting in higher rates. But in the 2024 election, Republicans are trying to encourage more early-voting/mail-in voting.

Republicans in the 2020 election heavily criticised mail-in voting as being ripe with fraud. Numerous national and state-level studies have shown that although there have been isolated cases, electoral fraud is very rare.

Cai Pigliucci
Reporting from Georgia

We’ve been speaking to Republican operatives this morning.

A source close to Nikki Haley says the former Republican presidential candidate is exchanging dates with Donald Trump to possibly appear on the campaign trail beside him as part of the final push to drive voters to the polls.

Haley could influence a swath of Republican women voters that she captured during her own run earlier this year.

Kamala Harris has been campaigning alongside Liz Cheney on the trail already, to try and capture in large part that same suburban Republican woman vote - with Cheney even hinting that Republican women can vote for Harris quietly.

Haley is sending robocalls out to voters and also appeared at the Republican National Convention to endorse Trump. If Haley does campaign for Trump, it’s possible it could convince those so-called Haley voters to swing towards the former president.

It’s not clear how much influence it would have at this point, but with a race this tight, anything that moves the margins could be enough.