Six people have been killed in a shooting and knife attack in Tel Aviv, police in Israel have confirmed.
At least nine others were reported to have been injured, and several are in a critical condition.
Police said the attack began in a rail carriage and continued on the platform. Images posted on social media showed the gunman shooting at bystanders in the Jaffa area.
Police said two attackers were “neutralised” by members of the public and described the motive as “terror”.
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The identities of the perpetrators have not been released. Some Israeli media outlets earlier reported the death toll as eight, though it is unclear if this included the attackers.
The shooting occurred shortly before an Iranian missile attack against Israel began.
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Police at the scene were seen taking cover as missiles and air defence rockets flew over the city and air raid sirens blared.
Witnesses described the shooting, including Benjamin Ratzon, who told the Reuters news agency: “People were on the ground and they told me to bend down.
“I saw the terrorist facing me. He wanted to do something and the security forces arrived to the scene and they ran towards him.”
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Israeli police officers guarded a cordon near the site of the attack
Another witness told the Jerusalem Post they initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks before realising “it was something much worse”.
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They added: “There were many gunshots. We dropped to the floor, and people were crying. I saw someone bleeding on the ground.”
A shop owner said they quickly closed their shutters upon seeing “crowds of people running and shouting ‘terror attack’”.
Haartez quoted an eyewitness who was at a synagogue at the time of the attack.
“Among the worshippers were medics who volunteer at the MDA (Israel’s ambulance service).
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“We treated a man who was wounded in the synagogue and then ran to the street to help others who were wounded.”
OCTOBER is another month where we’ll see more shops closing down as retailers continue to quit the high street.
Shoppers have faced a swathe of closures on their local high streets in recent years as many of their favourite chains shutter sites.
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More shops are set to put the shutters down for good in OctoberCredit: Getty
The cost-of-living crisis has meant households have less money in their pockets and so are cutting back on their spending.
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As a result, high street shops have seen lower footfall and less money landing in the tills since the pandemic.
That, coupled with ongoing restructuring plans and high rents, has forced many chains to close.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed almost 10,500 UK shops closed for the final time in 2023.
The 12-month period also saw over 119,000 jobs lost across the sector.
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According to the centre’s most recent data,1,846 stores closed and 23,982 retail jobs were lost during the first six months of 2024.
This month will be no different, with Game, Poundland and Tesco among those closing stores.
Of course, it’s not all bad news. In some cases the branches will be replaced with bigger and better shops.
Retailers regularly open and close shops for a number of reasons – not just because they are struggling.
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For example, they may have a store nearby that is performing better or it may be because they want to pick a spot that has higher footfall, such as in a retail park.
Toys R Us and other brands that are making a comeback
Poundland
Poundland will close its store in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands on October 5.
A spokesperson for the budget retailer indicated it had not been able to reach an agreement with the landlord of the plot.
The spokesperson added: “We know how disappointing this will be.”
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The Sutton Coldfield closure is not the first announced by Poundland in recent months.
However, despite the closures, Poundland has still massively grown its presence on the high street in recent months.
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Tesco
Tesco is closing its High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire superstore between October 2024 and autumn 2025.
The store will remain closed while landlord Buckinghamshire Council reconfigures the site.
Tesco will open a temporary Express store in the Eden Shopping Centre while the branch is closed.
A Tesco spokesperson said: “Our superstore will reopen in Autumn 2025 with a refreshed look and feel which we’re excited to share with customers.”
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Tesco is pursuing a strategy of expansion with plans to open 70 more stores across the UK over the next year.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
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The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
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The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is “less bad” than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend,” Prof Bamfield said.
“Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult.”
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Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023’s biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.
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Game
Game is shutting its store in The Broadway Shopping Centre, Bradford, and has launched a closing down sale.
An exact closure date has not yet been revealed, but a spokesperson for the shopping centre told The Telegraph and Argus: “We can confirm that Game will be closing and we will be announcing new fashion and beauty retailers in the coming weeks.”
Shoppers have expressed concern about the number of stores closing in the town.
One said: “Bradford is going to be a ghost town.”
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The latest Game closure comes after the retailer, operated by the Frasers Group, shut a number of other branches across the UK.
Almost a dozen Game branches have closed in England and Wales since last October.
A branch in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, shuttered in November, while a store in Witney, Oxfordshire, closed in January and one in Plymouth, Devon disappeared the following month.
Trespass
Trespass’ store in the Silverburn shopping centre, in Glasgow, will be shutting for the final time over the coming weeks.
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The store, which sells ski wear, waterproof jackets, fleeces, festival accessories, walkingboots and camping gear, has launched an everything must go sale.
Black and yellow signs read: “Closing down. Everything must go.”
Trespass has not yet confirmed an exact closing date.
The outdoor clothes retailer has revealed it will open 50 new stores in the UK.
The brand has already opened 20 new stores in the UK in the past six months – and now plans to expand to new locations, including at retail parks.
The exact list of locations where Mountain Warehouse will be opening is yet to be revealed.
Boots
Boots has not confirmed exact dates for October closures, but has been shuttering a large number of sites following a review of its estate.
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The health and beauty chain announced last year that it would close 300 branches, and more than 250 have since shut.
The remaining stores marked for closure will have shut for good by the beginning of October.
The move is aimed to reduce the chain’s store portfolio from around 2,200 to just 1,900.
The pharmacy chain employs over 52,000 team members, and it has said that these closures will not lead to any redundancies.
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Cineworld
Cineworld has plans to close six UK sites as it enters the first phase of a major restructuring.
Venues in Glasgow, Bedford, Hinckley, Loughborough, Yate, and Swindon are expected to close down over the coming months.
A Cineworld spokesperson said: “We are implementing a restructuring plan that will provide our company with a strong platform to return our business to profitability, attract further investment from the group, and ensure a sustainable long-term future for Cineworld in the UK.”
The fate of the sites will not be confirmed until the legal process for the restructuring plan is completed.
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The chain is also said to be renegotiating rent agreements for around 50 of its sites.
Struggling businesses often do this to help lower their operating costs and help retain more of their brick-and-mortar estate.
However, landlords don’t need to accept what’s put forward in these discussions.
This means that up to 50 additional Cineworld complexes could also be at risk of closure if the chain and its landlords cannot reach an agreement.
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A further 25 cinemas will be left unaffected by the restructuring plans and will remain open for the foreseeable future.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship off the coast of Bangor, Northern Ireland
An around-the-world cruise ship, which set sail on Monday after months of delays, is still in Belfast Lough.
Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey was scheduled to depart in May but has been beset with delays and five months after arriving, the ship has yet to leave Northern Ireland waters.
The ship anchored off the County Down coast overnight on Monday and had been expected to set sail again on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old liner is now expected to depart on Wednesday afternoon, according to the latest update on the Belfast Harbour website.
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The ship’s passengers remain upbeat and have been told the hold up is due to final pieces of paperwork needing to be completed.
‘Happy to be home’
Passengers who have spent the last two nights on board described the mood as positive, despite not hitting the high seas just yet.
Newly-engaged couple Gian Perroni and Angie Harsanyi said that the ship is “just waiting for last certification to come through”.
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John Frim said he was a bit confused by the situation but was “happy to be home” and to have slept in his “own bed” on board the vessel for the first time.
Steve and Angela Theriac spent Tuesday on the ship anchored off the coast of Belfast
On Tuesday, Steve Theriac told BBC News NI that he thought people are “at peace to be on the ship and sort of at sea, whether we’re anchored or docked”.
When asked about possible future delays, he said that they should all get the word “resilience” tattooed on themselves.
Angela Theriac said there was a big party on Monday night.
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“It was a big release, a lot of energy, very jubilant to say the least,” she said.
“We all have a built in patience here. We are definitely a resilient folk. We stood around for four months, what’s a few more days?”
She told BBC News NI that the residents have been enjoying entertainment like dance classes, “great” food and getting settled in.
“We are happy to be on board. Maybe in a week if we’re still here I might feel differently but for now we are okay.”
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Another passenger, Wade Rand, told BBC News NI that they “were welcomed with champagne, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and then we had a party and sailed away”.
“We slept in our cabins for the first time. It was great to be home with all your stuff after four months of not having a lot of your stuff with you,” he said.
Wade described the mood on board as “quite okay”.
“People are still wishing we had sailed away but we’re very happy to be on board.
“We’re just hoping this situation doesn’t last a long time so that we’re not just sitting on board waiting to leave again.”
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Why was the Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey stuck in Belfast?
Villa Vie Residences bought the 31-year-old ship from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines in 2023.
The ship arrived at Queen’s Island in the Northern Ireland capital to be outfitted in April 2024.
It was scheduled to leave on 30 May for the first leg of its cruise.
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But until 30 September, it was stuck in Belfast due to problems with its rudders and gearbox.
The vessel had some final inspections to pass this week before it was signed off to sail.
Passengers have been able to spend time on the ship during the day while waiting for a departure date, but had to disembark in the evenings to stay in hotels.
More than 100 passengers waved goodbye to Belfast on Monday evening
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Some have sold their houses and plan to live on the ship.
Melody and John Hennessee, from Palm Beach in Florida, hope to stay on board for the rest of their lives.
They used their unexpected months in Belfast “to build the largest suite on the ship”, Melody told BBC News NI.
“It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms and the time here has allowed us to complete the project.”
Passengers Melody and John Hennessee boarded the ship on Monday, four months after it was scheduled to leave
The ship had faced 17 weeks of delay and was still in a Harland and Wolff repair yard long after the scheduled boarding time of 17:00 on Monday.
There were shouts of “goodbye Belfast” and waving as they disappeared on to the Odyssey for their round-the-world cruise which, for many, will last for years.
Had it kept to its original departure date in May, the ship would be in the Bahamas by now.
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Holly Hennessey says she is ready to live her dream life
What is the Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey?
Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey is a residential, around-the-world cruise that was scheduled to depart from Belfast in May.
The company’s website states that the cost of buying a cabin can range from $99,999 to $899,000.
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Passengers on the cruise were given the option of buying their cabin outright rather than paying a daily rate for their room like a traditional hotel.
It allows them to remain onboard beyond the Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey’s initial three-year tour.
The ship remained in Belfast Lough on Tuesday afternoon, hours after it departed
Another passenger on board the ship, Mary Ann Demsar, said she was still “very excited” to be on the cruise and to “see the world”.
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“It’s been tough getting here with all the delay but I’ve had the time of my life these last five months exploring Ireland and Europe and enjoying everything Belfast has to offer.”
Ms Demsar says she is “very excited” to be on the cruise
Mary Ann, who is Canadian, said the delays on Monday were “nerve-racking”.
She said passengers enjoyed “a lovely dinner”, went to lounges and there was “some dancing” on board.
“It was nice to see workers with the sparklers celebrating the beginning of the voyage,” she added.
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“It was very nice to see the lights of Belfast in the distance.”
FOR families on low incomes or struggling financially, Christmas can be a particular source of stress.
From pressure to get gifts for partners and children to forking out for Christmas dinner, it can be hard to do the festive season on a budget.
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Families on a low income could get grants to help them pay for Christmas
The good news is that there are grants and charities that can help you get through it.
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Charity Turn2Us says that while most charitable funds do not provide specific grants to help people meet the costs of Christmas, some may consider applications of this nature, depending on your circumstances and background.
At the same time, others might give you money to help with your day-to-day living costs, which could free up some cash for the festive season.
The amount of money available through grants depends on which ones you are eligible for. Some are created for people who work or have worked in specific professions, whilst others are aimed to help people with specific disabilities or health conditions. Others are tied to a specific location.
Grants don’t have to be paid back, and they won’t affect your benefits. Most charities offer at least £100, but some offer thousands.
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For instance, the dance professionals fund has grants available between £600-£3,000 for dancers, dance teachers, and choreographers. The money can be used for cost-of-living expenses, medical fees, and even career retraining costs.
Meanwhile, B&CE’s Charitable Trust has grants available worth up to £500 for people in the construction industry. These can be used for day-to-day livings expenses, paying off debts, and even holidays.
The Salespeople charity helps anyone who has worked as a Business to Business (B2B) salesperson for 5 years within the last 10 years, visiting business customers in their premises to sell goods or services. Grants are worth £1000 or more.
Some grants are even specific to employees of certain companies. For instance, the BHS Trust Fund helps people who have worked for BHS for at least twelve months, whether they’re currently in work, between jobs or even retired.
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The charity awards Christmas grants to individuals facing financial difficulties in the lead up to the festive period. The support ranges from hampers and food shopping vouchers to toys for children. Applications open in November and run through to the first week of December and you can find out more here.
To find out what grants you might be eligible for, you can use Turn2Us’ grant search tool. If you fill in your age, any disabilities or illnesses, your profession (and your partners if you have one) and any religious affiliations, it will show you a list of grants available.
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You could also use the platform Lightning Reach, which tells you the grants you might be eligible for, and helps you apply.
It also details how much the grants are worth, the eligibility criteria, and how to apply for each one.
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Some grants are paid within weeks, while others take longer, so if you’re specifically concerned about the Christmas period, it makes sense to start applying as soon as possible.
Household Support Fund
You may be able to get help with essential living costs from your local council through a program called the Household Support Fund (HSF).
This program is meant to assist people who are struggling or cannot afford basic needs like energybills, water bills, and food.
Some councils provide food vouchers to families during school holidays as part of this program.
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Eligibility criteria differs from one council to another, so it’s a good idea to visit your local council’s website to find out what help is available and how to apply.
For example, Richmond Council offers grants of up to £600 for families with two or more children, while Haringey Council usually gives out vouchers of around £100 per household.
Other charities providing Christmas help
The Salvation Army
Each Christmas, the Salvation Army supports thousands of people across over 600 communities in the UK.
It says that this year, it will be providing Christmas lunches and companionship to older people living alone, giving food parcels to families who are struggling to afford a proper Christmas lunch, and distributing toys to children whose parents are unable to afford presents.
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You can find your location Salvation Army using the map tool.
Crisis
Every year, Crisis at Christmas offers warmth, accommodation, healthcare, food and specialist advice.
Last Christmas, the charity worked with over 6,600 people facing homelessness through day centres and hotels in London, and Crisis Skylight centres across Britain.
Visit the ‘Get Help’ section of the website, if you think Crisis can help you.
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CashforKids
The CashForKids Mission Christmas appeal provides gifts for kids from underprivileged families.
You can’t apply directly, but referral services such as social services, GPs and teachers can do so on your behalf.
Priority is given to applications that are submitted from social services and other bodies of authority within the remit of caring for disadvantaged children.
The organisation or professional making the application is responsible for ensuring that the gifts are distributed to children who meet the eligibility criteria.
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Family Fund
Family Fund works with partners in the UK to offer grants that can be used to allow families with a disabled child to go on holiday. This includes holidays over the festive period.
The charity says applicants should include as much information as possible about the type of break you’d like as a family and the difference it will make to the child or young person you’re applying for. You can make an application here.
Schools, councils and churches
Many local schools, councils and churches run schemes to help disadvantaged families over Christmas, so it’s worth checking with any that are near you to see what’s available.
In the run up to December, more charities will announce schemes. For instance, Lidl, Book Trust, Action for Children, and Family action have all run initiatives in the past.
Vance and Walz focused attacks on the top of the ticket during a polite 90-minute debate
During the first and only vice-presidential debate, JD Vance and Tim Walz launched attacks on their presidential opponents and sparred over international conflict, the US economy, immigration and abortion rights.
It was still perhaps the most civil debate of the campaign season – with a largely cordial tone and even moments of agreement – but it also featured several heated moments and at least one muted microphone.
Here are some of the most memorable moments of the debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris’s running mates.
1) Immigration clash leads to muted mics
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Watch: Mics muted after host fact-checks Vance on Springfield migrants
Immigration was a key topic throughout the 90-minute debate. Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, frequently returned to the issue of the US southern border and immigration, viewed by voters as a weakness for Democrats.
Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, countered that Trump helped torpedo bipartisan legislation backed by the Biden administration that would have enacted some of the most toughest immigration policy in US history.
The discussion ultimately turned tense when Vance was asked about false claims he made about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. Vance and Trump previously shared conspiracy theories that migrants came to the US illegally and then ate household pets in the small city.
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When a CBS moderator tried to correct Vance over the claims, noting that the migrants in Springfield are there legally, the Ohio senator spoke over the hosts, who then muted his microphone.
2) International conflict looms over contest
The first question put to the candidates was on many Americans’ minds Tuesday: the conflict in the Middle East.
Both Walz and Vance took the stage just hours after Iran launched a missile attack on Israel, whose prime minister – Benjamin Netanyahu – pledged that Iran would pay for the strike.
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Appearing nervous, Walz stumbled during his first response as he repeated Harris’s promise of iron-clad support of Israel.
Vance, meanwhile, reiterated one of Trump’s main talking points: that no new world conflicts broke out during the former president’s time in office.
Neither man, however, would say if they approve of a preemptive strike by Israel on Iran.
3) Walz digs in on abortion and Vance shifts position
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Abortion rights, a top issue in the 2024 election, sparked one of the longest and most heated debates of the night.
It’s an issue Democrats have used to galvanize voters, regularly framing Trump as a threat to women’s autonomy because of his role in appointing a conservative majority to the Supreme Court. The court later overturned Roe v Wade, the ruling that had protected abortion rights in the US for decades.
Walz took a similar approach Tuesday, citing the stories of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller, two Georgia women whose deaths were connected to abortion restrictions in their home state.
Until a state judge struck down the Georgia law, abortion was banned in the state after six weeks.
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Vance, meanwhile, said his opinion on the issue had changed. He previously supported some type of national restrictions on abortion, but said his position shifted when he saw the majority of Ohio voters supported access to abortion.
4) ‘I’m a knucklehead at times’
Walz on Tiananmen claim: I’m a knucklehead at times
Just before the debate, Walz’s previous claim that he was in Hong Kong when the Tiananmen Square massacre occurred in June 1989 collapsed under fresh scrutiny.
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“I’m a knucklehead at times,” Walz said when asked about it during the debate.
The Minnesota governor clarified that he had misspoken, saying he was influenced by the events because he had arrived in China that summer.
Vance also was asked to answer for some past comments, including prior attacks on his running mate, Trump, who he once called “America’s Hitler”.
The Ohio senator said in response that he, like many people, has made mistakes in the past.
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“I was wrong about Donald Trump,” Vance told the moderators.
5) Politeness takes centre stage
The vice-presidential debate stood in stark contrast to Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s first encounter last month, when insults flew and interruptions were frequent.
Starting off the night with a handshake, both Vance and Walz proceeded to address each other politely and with great civility. The two even exchanged smiles periodically, at times agreeing with what the other had said.
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There were only a few heated moments throughout the debate. The discussion grew somewhat tense when moderators asked about abortion and immigration, but the two men largely stayed away from personal attacks.
They did direct some fire at the top of the ticket, however.
6) Vance defends Trump over Capitol riot
In another tense moment, Vance was asked about Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was “rigged”.
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The moderators also raised Vance’s previous comments that he would not have certified the 2020 election results as vice-president.
The Ohio senator maintained his support for Trump, saying the former president had asked demonstrators on 6 January – the day of the Capitol riot – to protest peacefully.
He added that Walz will “have my prayers, he’ll have my best wishes and he’ll have my help” if the Democrats win the election, but maintained that there were legitimate questions to raise about voting fraud and security.
His answer was met with some scepticism from Walz, who said he and his opponent were “miles apart” on the issue of 6 January and election integrity.
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The stories that matter on money and politics in the race for the White House
It is a truism that US vice-presidential debates rarely affect the electoral outcome. After Tim Walz’s lacklustre showing against JD Vance on Tuesday night, Democrats will be praying that still holds.
Political betting site Polymarket gave Walz a 70 per cent chance of winning at the start of the debate. By the end he was trading at just 33 cents. It will be some consolation that the TV viewing numbers are likely to be far lower than the audience of almost 70mn that tuned into Kamala Harris’s encounter with Donald Trump last month.
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Either way, the Vance-Walz debate was probably the last of the 2024 presidential campaign. Trump has shown no interest in agreeing to Harris’s call for a second encounter, understandable given how much blood she drew in their first.
In terms of how America votes on November 5, Tuesday’s “veep debate” may not even rank as the second-most impactful event of the day. The first was Iran’s missile attack on Israel and the threat of a wider Middle Eastern war. If sustained, the jump in crude oil on Tuesday will feed into higher US fuel prices and hit consumer sentiment, which would harm Harris. Any impression of Middle East chaos is also likely to play into Trump’s hands.
The second-most important event on Tuesday was arguably Trump pulling out of CBS’s widely watched 60 Minutes show next week and Harris confirming her participation. How she comes across in that interview, and the fact of Trump’s absence, is likely to have more sway than the Vance-Walz debate with the few million American voters who are still undecided.
Nevertheless the vice-presidential encounter offered several pointers on the nature of this election. Three stood out.
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The first was Vance’s confidence and fluency. The Ohio senator also told some whopping lies. Of these, Vance’s claim that he had never supported a federal abortion ban and that Trump strengthened the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare”, were most egregious. Vance has consistently backed a national ban and other restrictions on women’s bodily autonomy. Trump tried to abolish the ACA multiple times.
Vance also conspicuously dodged questions about whether the 2020 election was stolen. His evasions may come back to haunt him. Overall though, Vance evidently took on board widespread advice to come across as more likeable. The debate was a mirror image of last month’s Trump-Harris encounter. Both vice-presidential candidates were civil throughout.
Second, Walz was nervous and often faltering. The Harris-Walz campaign has taken some pride in avoiding mainstream media interviews and press conferences. Walz’s exposure has mostly been in soft settings with friendly journalists. Vance, by contrast, has been touring the Sunday morning shows almost every week. His slick evasions and polished whataboutisms betrayed many hours of practice on live TV.
The Harris-Walz campaign may come to regret their preference for gentler surroundings. America’s relatively small but potentially decisive share of wavering voters repeatedly tell pollsters that they want more information about Harris’s policies. That Trump has supplied much less policy detail is striking. But nobody said politics was fair.
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Finally, Tuesday night offered a glimpse into one of America’s possible futures. Given the running mates’ respective age differences with their bosses, Vance’s performance was more significant. At 40, he is barely half Trump’s age. The prospect that a second term Trump would yield to a Vance administration before it ends is significantly higher than that of Harris giving way to Walz, who is several months older than her.
Vance conveyed Trumpism in its palatable form. He stood up for every tenet of Trumpism, including his refusal to accept that Biden won the 2020 election. But his mien was tempered and reasonable.
Many Republicans last year invested great hope in Florida’s Ron DeSantis as the man who could uphold Trumpism without Trump. DeSantis turned out to be a dud in debates and on the hustings. Vance, on the other hand, has a future whatever happens next month. Liberals are right to fear Vance; he is a hardline Christian nationalist. After Tuesday night, however, they would be rash to dismiss him.
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