US Election Latest: Harris focused on economy and accuses Trump of being on side of the wealthiest

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• Kamala Harris reveals economic plans

• The presidential race tightens again

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Harris positions herself on side of the middle class

Kamala Harris revealed her economic plans on Wednesday night, aiming to rectify the fact that many undecided voters are unsure of what Harris stands for, particularly when it comes to the economy.

She gave more away about her plans in a speech to the Economic Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, last night. Her focus was on the middle class, including families, small businesses, and manufacturers.

Top of mind for Harris was painting a stark contrast between herself and Trump - saying he had no wish to grow the middle class, but instead was interested in "making life better for himself and people like himself, the wealthiest of Americans."

She spoke about proposals to give families a $6,000 tax credit in the first year of a child's life, giving incentives to first-time home buyers and for creating small businesses, and promised not to increase taxes on households with less than $400,000 of annual income.

Ultimate swing state Pennsylvania once again the focus

As expected, the backdrop for the speech was a key swing state. Pennsylvania is a key swing state in this election, and voted for Joe Biden in 2020 but by a narrow margin. Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in the state in 2016.

Harris is ahead by only 1.1% in the FiveThirtyEight polling average tracker, and Betfair Exchange punters agree but it is exceptionally close - the Democrats are 10/111.91 while the Republicans are close behind at 21/202.05.

Read our guide to why Pennsylvania is the ultimate swing state in the 2024 election here.

Election focuses minds in Congress

Overnight, Congress approved legislation for a spending bill that was needed to avoid a government shutdown, including an extra $231 million for the Secret Service after two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump.

The bill extended the US Government's financing of its operations until December.

Congress moved with surprising haste to pass the bill, with members of Congress keen to return to their home states for the election recess. The Senate began voting on the bill 50 minutes after the House of Representatives - a record in recent times.

Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader, hailed the passing of the bill, saying "both sides have chosen bipartisanship, Congress is getting the job done".

Yet you would be forgiven for being a little sceptical about such a pronouncement.

Representatives and Senators are keen to get back to their home states to fight an increasingly tight race in November.

The Republicans are currently ahead in the betting markets for winning control of the Senate at 1/31.33 while the Democrats trail at 3/14.00.

Town Hall events lined up for Trump and Harris

There are plenty more issues to consider in this blockbuster of an US Election.

Rising tension in the Middle East may well become a flashpoint of the Election in coming weeks, as world leaders scramble to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hizbollah amidst an escalating conflict.

The Democrats have been battling protests from within their own ranks about the party's stance on Israel-Palestine for months, and a further escalation could well lead to more issues for the party's leaders - and threaten its electoral bloc in the runup to the election.

Harris and Trump may not be debating again, but they are both due to participate in town hall events with Univision early in October, a Spanish-language television network broadcasting in the United States.

This comes as a Pew Research Center survey suggests 57% of Latino registered voters would vote for Harris, compared to 39% for Donald Trump. In 2020, Biden won 61% of the Latino vote.

Tight Senate races everywhere you look

Some close Senate races could lead to political upsets this November, it seems.

Democratic Senator from Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin is campaigning in the state this week with the runner-up to be Harris' running mate, Josh Shapiro. She is facing a tough battle for re-election.

In the Presidential election, the betting markets are more positive - showing the Democrats at 8/13 to win the state.

Could Cruz...lose?

And finally, the New York Times reports that Ted Cruz is facing an "increasingly competitive" race in Texas, with Axios adding that Senate Democrats are planning to "go on offense" in Texas and Florida in the fight for the Senate.

This would be a huge shock in the American political system - since 1980 Texas has voted for the Republican nominee in every general election.

Now read more Politics news, previews and tips here.