Over 200,000 people have cancelled their subscriptions to The Washington Post after the media establishment blocked the endorsement of Kamala Harris.

Harris is the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party ahead of the November 5 United States election.

Inside sources told the National Public Radio (NPR) that the number of cancellations continued to rise by Monday — a development that also saw a series of resignations from columnists.

According to the sources, the figure represents about eight percent of the paper’s paid circulation of roughly 2.5 million subscribers, which includes print.

In a statement addressing the issue, Jeff Bezos, billionaire businessman and owner of The Washington Post, said editorial endorsements create a perception of bias and do nothing to tip the scales of an election.

“Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one,” Bezos wrote.

Bezos also clarified that the decision was not influenced by any political play.

“I would also like to be clear that no quid pro quo of any kind is at work here,” he said.

“Neither campaign nor candidate was consulted or informed at any level or in any way about this decision. It was made entirely internally.”

The businessman wrote that he wished the decision to end presidential endorsements had been done earlier, “in a moment further from the election and the emotions around it”.

“That was inadequate planning, and not some intentional strategy,” he added.

In a separate statement, Will Lewis, The Post’s publisher, said the decision was a return to a tradition the paper had years ago of not endorsing candidates.

Lewis said it reflected the paper’s faith in “our readers’ ability to make up their own minds”.

In the decision’s wake, two of the newspaper’s columnists quit, and three of the nine members of the editorial board resigned their positions.

Martin Baron, who was editor when Bezos bought the paper, said the decision was laced with “cowardice”.

“Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage,” Baron said.

The Washington Post’s decision came just days after the Los Angeles Times also said it would not endorse a presidential candidate, a move the paper acknowledges has cost them thousands of subscribers.

Ballot drop boxes in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, in the United States, were set on fire just about a week from the presidential election.

Authorities believed the fire incidents were connected to an October 8 incident when an incendiary device was placed at a different ballot drop box in Vancouver.

The cities’ police departments said an identical Volvo was spotted at both scenes, adding that the use of an “incendiary device” in Portland was “similar in nature” to what occurred in Vancouver.

Hundreds of ballots were reported destroyed, while the police described the act as targeted and intentional.

The attack comes as millions of citizens cast early votes ahead of the tightly contested polls. Earlier, authorities pegged the votes cast at nearly 42 million.
Washington and Oregon are both vote-by-mail states.
Steve Hobbs, Washington secretary of state, said threats or acts of violence meant to derail voting would not be tolerated.

“I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state,” Hobbs said.

Voters were encouraged to check their ballot status online to track its return status.

If a returned ballot is not marked as “received”, voters can print a replacement ballot or visit their local elections department for a replacement, the secretary of state’s office said.

Registered voters receive their ballots in the mail a few weeks before elections and then return them by mail or by placing them in ballot drop boxes.

Canada has announced reductions in targets for permanent resident admissions over the next three years as part of plans to cut immigration.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly affirmed that the move is Canada’s efforts to put its citizens at the forefront of economic opportunities.

The prime minister and Marc Miller, minister of immigration, refugees, and citizenship, on Thursday unveiled the country’s 2025–2027 immigration levels plan in a joint statement.

The layout seeks to reduce permanent residents from 500,000—last year’s target—to 395,000 in 2025.

In 2026, 500,000 permanent residents will be slashed to 380,000, while in 2027, the figures will drop to 365,000.

The plan comes nearly two months after the prime minister said the country would be cutting down on an intake of foreign workers.

“Today’s announcement is the next step in our plan to address the evolving immigration needs of our country. While it’s clear our economy needs newcomers, we see the pressures facing our country, and we must adapt our policies accordingly,” Miller said.

“These changes will make immigration work for our country so that everyone has access to the quality jobs, homes, and supports they need to thrive. We have listened to Canadians, and we will continue to protect the integrity of our system and grow our population responsibly.”

The levels plan will also support efforts to reduce temporary resident volumes to five percent of Canada’s population by the end of 2026.

These reductions are the result of a series of changes over the past year, including a cap on international students and tightened eligibility requirements for temporary foreign workers.