The vice president backed an advertisement featuring Democrat Amy Acton’s mother, who has been estranged from Dr. Acton since her stepfather was charged with child rape.

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The spending has hurt the Silicon Valley giant’s cash flow, which turned negative. Meta said it would issue a new class of stock to help it raise more money.

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A Times reporter and editors discuss the challenges of sifting through what’s real and what’s not in pursuit of the news.

A Republican ad features Amy Acton’s estranged mother calling her daughter a liar. The two have not spoken since Dr. Acton’s mother backed her husband after his arrest on rape charges.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Only a small fraction of recent G.O.P. broadcast and streaming ads mention the president, according to a Times analysis of ad data.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times