WASHINGTON – The Latest on the U.S. presidential race (all times EDT):
12:25 p.m.
Hillary Clinton has a new ad featuring the Muslim-American father of a U.S. Army captain killed in Iraq.
The father, Khizr Khan, was repeatedly criticized by Donald Trump after Khan spoke at the Democratic National Convention.
In the ad provided by a Clinton campaign official, Khan talks about his son, Capt. Humayun Khan. He says his son sought to protect his unit from a suicide bomber. He concludes by asking: "Mr. Trump, would my son have a place in your America?"
The ad will air in the battleground states of Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
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12:10 p.m.
Hillary Clinton appears to be displaying strength in the crucial battleground states of North Carolina and Florida among voters casting ballots before Election Day.
Data compiled by The Associated Press show she may also be building an early vote advantage in Arizona and Colorado.
Donald Trump, meanwhile, appears to be holding ground in Ohio, Iowa and Georgia. Those are important states for Trump, but not sufficient for him to win the presidency if he loses states like Florida or North Carolina.
More than 4.2 million early votes have been cast, far outpacing the rate for this period in 2012. Balloting is under way in 34 out of 37 early-voting states.
In all, more than 45 million people are expected to vote before Election Day.
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11:55 a.m.
Hillary Clinton plans to meet with Black Lives Matter activists in Cleveland.
Clinton's campaign said Friday that Clinton will meet with two activists before an early voting event in Cleveland. A campaign aide said they will discuss how to "advance equity and opportunity in the African-American community."
The Democratic presidential candidate has promised to work on race and criminal justice issues, including reforming the justice system, improving relationships between police and communities and improving education and job opportunities.
Clinton has drawn scrutiny over husband Bill Clinton's 1994 crime bill. Critics say that resulted in mass incarceration disproportionately affecting blacks. Bill Clinton, who has tangled with protesters over the issue, has acknowledged the legislation contributed to high incarceration rates of black people for nonviolent crimes.
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10:35 a.m.
A new ad promoting Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire says she's needed in the Senate "no matter who the next president is."
The ad by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce shows a tactic Republicans could use widely if Donald Trump continues to sink in the polls. If his loss seems inevitable Republican down-ballot candidates may start asking voters to return them to Washington to act as a check and balance against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
The Chamber ad doesn't make that explicit argument, but opens with an image of an empty debate stage as the narrator says: "America's future is far from certain, but no matter who the next president is, New Hampshire needs a strong voice in the U.S. Senate."
The ad was first reported by CNN.
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7:50 a.m.
New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan says there were "touching moments" between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton at a charity dinner that was otherwise marked by barbed remarks by the presidential candidates.
Dolan told NBC's "Today show" Friday that at one point at the dinner, Trump leaned in and told Clinton: "You are one tough and talented woman."
According to Dolan, Clinton responded by saying: "Whatever happens, we need to work together afterward."
Both candidates attended the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner on Thursday. That is a white-tie gala in New York that is often the last time the two presidential nominees share a stage before Election Day.
At the dinner, Dolan called his seat between Trump and Clinton the "iciest place on earth."
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3:30 a.m.
Donald Trump is stepping back only slightly from his refusal to say during his debate with Hillary Clinton whether he would concede if he loses on Election Day.
Trump now says he will accept "a clear election result" but still reserves his right to "contest or file a legal challenge" if he loses — and he says he won't lose.
Republicans and Democrats alike criticize Trump over an attitude some contend strikes at the heart of American democracy.
While Trump maintains he will win, numerous Republican leaders concede that he is heading for defeat barring a significant shift in the campaign's closing days. The GOP's top concern is turning to salvaging its majority in the Senate, followed closely by worries over the Republicans' once comfortable grip on the House.
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