US elections 2012

With just five days to the US elections, our reporters head to the city of Las Vegas which has the highest unemployment in the country; a place where, for many, the American Dream has become the ultimate nightmare. Annette Young and her panel discuss how fixing unemployment is dominating this election campaign.

The France 24 election express is in Columbus, the capital of the state of Ohio. In urban areas of Ohio, residents tend to vote for Barack Obama. Democrats are therefore actively helping students get to the polling stations to cast early ballots. But in the countryside, it is the Republican ticket that has won in past elections.

Advertising is a big part of campaigning in US political contests, and this election is no exception. The money spent by the US presidential candidates and like-minded support committees on TV advertising exceeds $6 billion. Much of this money has poured in from outside groups known as Super PACs. Thanks to a landmark Supreme Court ruling, these groups can raise and spend as much as they like to influence elections, so long as they don't coordinate directly with a candidate.

SUPERSTORM SANDY SPECIAL, Weds. 31/10/12: Media across the world focus on the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. The Atlantic is critical of the TV stations for sending journalists out into the storm at the risk of their lives. Meanwhile, lots of papers are concentrating on how the storm will impact the upcoming presidential election, and how comments Romney made on FEMA in 2011 are coming back to haunt him.