JAMES DAVID VANCE. Republican nominee for vice president (Shutterstock).

With just eight days to go before Election Day, the Democratic and Republican candidates for president and vice president continue to fire rhetorical salvos at each other, hoping to hang onto supporters and retract from those of the opponents.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign seized on remarks at Donald Trump rally by a comedian who described Puerto Rico as a “floating pile of garbage” and thereby hope to add to their advantage with Hispanic voters.

According to the Associated Press, Trump did not comment on the remarks, but GOP vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance said, “Maybe it’s a stupid racist joke, as you said. Maybe it’s not. I haven’t seen it. I’m not going to comment on the specifics of the joke,” Vance said. “But I think that we have to stop getting so offended at every little thing.”

ELECTION DAY is about a week away (Shutterstock).

The popular vote appears close. The latest polling average as computed by The New York Times has Harris ahead by 1.4 percent, but the election is determined not by the popular vote but by the Electoral College, where whoever wins a state – with the exceptions of Maine and Nebraska – takes all that state’s electoral votes.

In 2000 and 2016 the winner of the popular vote –  Hillary Clinton and Al Gore – didn’t win the Electoral College and thus the presidency.

Now, North Korea is in the war

RUSSIA VS. UKRAINE (Shutterstock).

Several thousand North Korean troops – perhaps as many as 10,000 – are in Russia’s western Kursk area, apparently massing for an attack to expel Ukrainian forces which took control of the region several months ago.

According to The New York Times, it’s unclear just how such troops would be used, either as combat forces or to guard rear areas to allow Russian troops to be deployed forward.

However, the North Korean troops have no combat experience and might have communications problems with Russians.

In an effort to urge North Koreans to surrender, the Ukrainian Army has issued a Ukrainian-Korean phrase book.

Russia has reclaimed about half of the 400 square miles originally seized by Ukraine in August, but with winter coming on, this might be Russia’s last opportunity to clear Ukrainians from its territory before the weather makes major military operations very difficult.

Sports: Dodgers,Yanks in Game Three

With superstar Shohei Ohtani cleared to play after an elbow injury on Sunday, the Los Angeles Dodgers are taking their two games to one lead in the World Series to Yankee Stadium. Game Four will be Tuesday and Game Five (if needed) is Wednesday.

Also tonight: The Los Angeles Lakers (2-0) will take on the Phoenix Suns.

Sunday recap: The Los Angeles Clippers (2-1) defeated the Golden State Warriors 112-104. The Anaheim Ducks (3-4-1) lost  to the New Jersey Devils 6-2 for their second consecutive defeat.

Weather: Getting more fall-ish

Mornings and cloudy and sometimes foggy. Temperatures in our West Orange County cities  are settling into the low 70s. The forecast for Tuesday is for a daytime high of 72 with an overnight low of 52 but with sunny skies. Wednesday will be similar at 71 (51) under partly cloudy skies.  Thursday and Friday drop a degree to 70 (52 or 53) and keep the partly cloudy skies.