The two vice-presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Mike Pence debated today on the Vice Presidential Debate. They debated on racial unrest, coronavirus, and much more.

Kamala Harris: In America, voters deserve better

In American politics, it was Mike Pence vs Kamala Harris. The two vice-presidential candidates who went toe-to-toe as they debated about Donald Trump's performance over the last four years. Watch report.

Harris vs Pence on the Vice Presidential Debate: Discuss Trump's response on pandemic

It was a face-off between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris for the Vice Presidential Debate. No physical contact was there between the two leaders and they discussed a variety of issues amongst first was the coronavirus pandemic.

US Elections 2020: Vice Presidential Debate, Harris and Pence's first and only face-off of election 2020

Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris sat a dozen feet apart Wednesday, separated by Plexiglas and an ideological chasm, for a 90-minute debate that for all the hype seems unlikely to affect the trajectory of presidential campaign.

Harris wanted to talk about President Donald Trump. Pence wanted to talk about Joe Biden. And neither had much interest in answering any of the questions posed by the moderator — or by the other candidate — leading to a mostly staid series of two-minute set pieces.

It was civil. It was conventional. It was not especially scintillating or revealing. But that was still a vast improvement over the unruly shout-out that Americans suffered through last week in the first presidential debate. It even felt normal — minus the Plexiglas plates erected onstage — as neither candidate focused on the most compelling news development in the nation: Trump’s contracting of the coronavirus, his hospitalization and return to the White House amid unanswered questions about the full nature of his medical status.

By the end of the night, the debate seemed a news cycle or a presidential tweet away from being forgotten, and for a Biden ticket that is ahead in the polls, that is welcome news. That is the first of six takeaways from the lone vice-presidential debate, with 27 days left until Election Day:

The race was not upended.&nbsp;

It was telling that a fly that landed on Pence’s head partway through the debate was among the biggest buzz generators of the night.

For all the high Democratic expectations around Harris and her past debate performances, she did not eviscerate Pence. As for Pence, he turned in an effective, dutiful, conservative case for Trump, the likes of which the president rarely articulates himself.

“There are things the campaigns can use from this,” said Matt Gorman, a Republican strategist. “But the trajectory of the race is in the same place it was 24 hours ago.”

And that trajectory is not good for Trump.

“Mike Pence threw snacks to his base but offered nothing substantive to gain ground,” said Jess O’Connell, a Democratic strategist.

Given the age of Biden, 77, and the fact that this would be a 74-year-old Trump’s final term, it is quite possible that clips from the debate could have a bigger impact on the 2024 race than on 2020.&nbsp;

Harris tried to keep 2020 as a referendum on Trump.&nbsp;

It is not often that the first lines of a debate will be among the most important, but the opening answer from Harris amounted to a succinct summary not just of her strategy for the next 90 minutes, but of the Democratic plan for the final four weeks of the race: “The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country.”

She was talking about the coronavirus. And looking straight into the camera, she delivered a devastating critique of the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic, ticking off a series of blunt and brutal statistics: 210,000 dead, 7 million cases, one in five businesses closed and more than 30 million filing for unemployment.

Harris navigated the potentially tricky waters of attacking the administration without personalizing matters around a president still recovering from the virus.

She accused the administration of muzzling the truth (“They knew, and they covered it up”) and not having a clear path forward (“They still don’t have a plan. They still don’t have a plan”).

And that was just in her first two minutes, which she ended with an exclamation point: “This administration has forfeited their right to reelection.”

Pence had few strong answers, acknowledging the “very challenging time” the nation had been through while trying to focus on some of Trump’s early actions, like suspending travel from China. But his final thought in his first scripted answer was a swipe at Biden, saying that the Democratic plan for COVID-19 of looked “a little bit like plagiarism, which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about."

It was a sign that …

… Pence wanted to make the election an ideological choice.

Pence was most comfortable on the economy and the traditional Republican message of cutting taxes and regulations, pitching the specifics of the Trump tax cuts in more granular and understandable detail than Trump managed in his own debate performance.

“The American economy — the American comeback is on the ballot,” Pence said.

Over and over, he redirected — sometimes smoothly and sometimes not — questions back to the Biden agenda. When Harris said that Biden would repeal the full Trump tax bill, he pounced, saying that doing so would hike taxes for many Americans ( Harris clarified with Biden’s pledge not to raise taxes on those earning less than $400,000 per year).

The point was not the specifics. It was to frame the election as a choice between competing visions, even if Pence intentionally sought to blur the differences between Harris’ own positions during the primary, such as embracing the Green New Deal and opposing fracking, with those of Biden, who has not taken those same positions.

When in doubt, Pence returned to economics. Such as when he was asked if climate change was an existential threat. Mr. Pence paused, dodged and pivoted to the safe space: “Once again, Sen. Harris is denying the fact that they’re going to raise taxes."

Sara Fagen, a Republican strategist and a former senior official in the George W. Bush White House, praised Pence’s economic focus. “He needed to make the case on the economy, and he’s effectively drawing a contrast between two economic visions for America,” she said.

&nbsp; 
Pence’s interruptions revealed the stage’s gender dynamics.

In the early stretches of the debate, Harris took an extended opportunity not just to defend Biden’s credentials but, step by step, to walk through her own: a former San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general, U.S. senator (“only the second Black woman”) and member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“Women always have overcompensate on résumé,” said Alexis Grenell, a Democratic strategist. “Men are evaluated based on potential, and women have to come with receipts. You can hear that in Kamala’s answer.”

There were other gender dynamics at play, including Pence’s regular interruptions.

“I’m speaking,” Harris pushed back at one point. “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking,” she said at another. “He interrupted me, and I’d like to just finish, please,” she said a third time.

It was hard not to see the interjections and pushback refracted through the lens of gender in a contest where the outsize support of women is lifting the Democratic ticket.

Karen Finney, a Democratic strategist, said that Harris “clearly came prepared with strategies for Pence interrupting, talking over her and running over time.”

“She was no doubt aware of the various dynamics and need to thread the needle on balancing being assertive and letting certain attacks go at points so as not to be seen as 'angry’ or ‘overly aggressive,’ which are common sexist racist tropes about women.” said Finney, who was an adviser on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign.

Pence, it should be noted, was the only man on the stage Wednesday, with Harris across from him and Susan Page, the Washington bureau chief of USA Today, serving as moderator.

Harris got tangled up on the courts

The weakest moment of the night for Harris came on the courts, when Pence challenged her directly to answer whether she and Biden would endorse expanding the Supreme Court if Trump’s nominee for the current vacancy, Amy Coney Barrett, was seated.

Harris dodged. Pence called her out. And Harris dodged some more.

Pence declared at the end of a squirm-worthy segment: “You gave a non-answer. Joe Biden gave a non-answer. The straight answer is, they are going to pack the Supreme Court if they somehow win this election.”

The Biden campaign has clearly decreed that not answering this question — the former vice president has evaded it himself — is more politically palatable than any actual answer it might give. And on Wednesday night, that put Harris in a bind.

“She will be in media trainings as an example of what not to do when avoiding a question,” said Gorman, the Republican strategist.

With four weeks until the election — and upcoming Supreme Court confirming hearings — it is not clear how long the dodge will remain more tenable than an answer.

Harris eventually returned to familiar and safer ground when it comes to the courts: the Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking to unwind the Affordable Care Act. She turned to the camera to accuse Trump of trying to gut it “literally in the midst of a public health pandemic.”

Pence and Harris spar on race and racial justice.

Harris’ mere presence onstage — the first woman of color on a major party ticket — was a statement in and of itself, an accomplishment Pence acknowledged directly by congratulating her on the “the historic nature of your nomination.”

Still, Pence sought to undercut Harris’ credentials and appeal to Black voters, accusing her of prosecuting more African Americans than whites and saying she did not “lift a finger” for a criminal justice bill that Trump eventually signed.

He elided the inconsistencies of making that argument moments after he had said that it would be an “great insult” to say America was “systemically racist” or that law enforcement officers have an “implicit bias.”

Harris forcefully defended her record. “I will not sit here and be lectured by the vice president on what it means to enforce the laws of our country,” she said.

The two candidates also differed on whether there had been justice for Breonna Taylor, the Black woman who was killed in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, during a police raid. “I don’t believe so,” Harris said. “I trust our justice system,” Pence said of a grand jury decision not to press further charges.

It was a disagreement — but, like much of the night, an expected and uneventful one.

Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris sat a dozen feet apart Wednesday, separated by Plexiglas and an ideological chasm, for a 90-minute debate that for all the hype seems unlikely to affect the trajectory of presidential campaign.

Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris sat a dozen feet apart Wednesday, separated by Plexiglas and an ideological chasm, for a 90-minute debate that for all the hype seems unlikely to affect the trajectory of presidential campaign. Harris wanted to talk about President Donald Trump. Pence wanted to talk about Joe Biden. And neither had much interest in answering any of the questions posed by the moderator — or by the other candidate — leading to a mostly staid series of two-minute set pieces. It was civil. It was conventional. It was not especially scintillating or revealing. But that was still a vast improvement over the unruly shout-out that Americans suffered through last week in the first presidential debate. It even felt normal — minus the Plexiglas plates erected onstage — as neither candidate focused on the most compelling news development in the nation: Trump’s contracting of the coronavirus, his hospitalization and return to the White House amid unanswered questions about the full nature of his medical status. By the end of the night, the debate seemed a news cycle or a presidential tweet away from being forgotten, and for a Biden ticket that is ahead in the polls, that is welcome news. That is the first of six takeaways from the lone vice-presidential debate, with 27 days left until Election Day: The race was not upended. It was telling that a fly that landed on Pence’s head partway through the debate was among the biggest buzz generators of the night. For all the high Democratic expectations around Harris and her past debate performances, she did not eviscerate Pence. As for Pence, he turned in an effective, dutiful, conservative case for Trump, the likes of which the president rarely articulates himself. “There are things the campaigns can use from this,” said Matt Gorman, a Republican strategist. “But the trajectory of the race is in the same place it was 24 hours ago.” And that trajectory is not good for Trump. “Mike Pence threw snacks to his base but offered nothing substantive to gain ground,” said Jess O’Connell, a Democratic strategist. Given the age of Biden, 77, and the fact that this would be a 74-year-old Trump’s final term, it is quite possible that clips from the debate could have a bigger impact on the 2024 race than on 2020. Harris tried to keep 2020 as a referendum on Trump. It is not often that the first lines of a debate will be among the most important, but the opening answer from Harris amounted to a succinct summary not just of her strategy for the next 90 minutes, but of the Democratic plan for the final four weeks of the race: “The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country.” She was talking about the coronavirus. And looking straight into the camera, she delivered a devastating critique of the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic, ticking off a series of blunt and brutal statistics: 210,000 dead, 7 million cases, one in five businesses closed and more than 30 million filing for unemployment. Harris navigated the potentially tricky waters of attacking the administration without personalizing matters around a president still recovering from the virus. She accused the administration of muzzling the truth (“They knew, and they covered it up”) and not having a clear path forward (“They still don’t have a plan. They still don’t have a plan”). And that was just in her first two minutes, which she ended with an exclamation point: “This administration has forfeited their right to reelection.” Pence had few strong answers, acknowledging the “very challenging time” the nation had been through while trying to focus on some of Trump’s early actions, like suspending travel from China. But his final thought in his first scripted answer was a swipe at Biden, saying that the Democratic plan for COVID-19 of looked “a little bit like plagiarism, which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about." It was a sign that … … Pence wanted to make the election an ideological choice. Pence was most comfortable on the economy and the traditional Republican message of cutting taxes and regulations, pitching the specifics of the Trump tax cuts in more granular and understandable detail than Trump managed in his own debate performance. “The American economy — the American comeback is on the ballot,” Pence said. Over and over, he redirected — sometimes smoothly and sometimes not — questions back to the Biden agenda. When Harris said that Biden would repeal the full Trump tax bill, he pounced, saying that doing so would hike taxes for many Americans ( Harris clarified with Biden’s pledge not to raise taxes on those earning less than $400,000 per year). The point was not the specifics. It was to frame the election as a choice between competing visions, even if Pence intentionally sought to blur the differences between Harris’ own positions during the primary, such as embracing the Green New Deal and opposing fracking, with those of Biden, who has not taken those same positions. When in doubt, Pence returned to economics. Such as when he was asked if climate change was an existential threat. Mr. Pence paused, dodged and pivoted to the safe space: “Once again, Sen. Harris is denying the fact that they’re going to raise taxes." Sara Fagen, a Republican strategist and a former senior official in the George W. Bush White House, praised Pence’s economic focus. “He needed to make the case on the economy, and he’s effectively drawing a contrast between two economic visions for America,” she said. Pence’s interruptions revealed the stage’s gender dynamics. In the early stretches of the debate, Harris took an extended opportunity not just to defend Biden’s credentials but, step by step, to walk through her own: a former San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general, U.S. senator (“only the second Black woman”) and member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “Women always have overcompensate on résumé,” said Alexis Grenell, a Democratic strategist. “Men are evaluated based on potential, and women have to come with receipts. You can hear that in Kamala’s answer.” There were other gender dynamics at play, including Pence’s regular interruptions. “I’m speaking,” Harris pushed back at one point. “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking,” she said at another. “He interrupted me, and I’d like to just finish, please,” she said a third time. It was hard not to see the interjections and pushback refracted through the lens of gender in a contest where the outsize support of women is lifting the Democratic ticket. Karen Finney, a Democratic strategist, said that Harris “clearly came prepared with strategies for Pence interrupting, talking over her and running over time.” “She was no doubt aware of the various dynamics and need to thread the needle on balancing being assertive and letting certain attacks go at points so as not to be seen as 'angry’ or ‘overly aggressive,’ which are common sexist racist tropes about women.” said Finney, who was an adviser on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. Pence, it should be noted, was the only man on the stage Wednesday, with Harris across from him and Susan Page, the Washington bureau chief of USA Today, serving as moderator. Harris got tangled up on the courts The weakest moment of the night for Harris came on the courts, when Pence challenged her directly to answer whether she and Biden would endorse expanding the Supreme Court if Trump’s nominee for the current vacancy, Amy Coney Barrett, was seated. Harris dodged. Pence called her out. And Harris dodged some more. Pence declared at the end of a squirm-worthy segment: “You gave a non-answer. Joe Biden gave a non-answer. The straight answer is, they are going to pack the Supreme Court if they somehow win this election.” The Biden campaign has clearly decreed that not answering this question — the former vice president has evaded it himself — is more politically palatable than any actual answer it might give. And on Wednesday night, that put Harris in a bind. “She will be in media trainings as an example of what not to do when avoiding a question,” said Gorman, the Republican strategist. With four weeks until the election — and upcoming Supreme Court confirming hearings — it is not clear how long the dodge will remain more tenable than an answer. Harris eventually returned to familiar and safer ground when it comes to the courts: the Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking to unwind the Affordable Care Act. She turned to the camera to accuse Trump of trying to gut it “literally in the midst of a public health pandemic.” Pence and Harris spar on race and racial justice. Harris’ mere presence onstage — the first woman of color on a major party ticket — was a statement in and of itself, an accomplishment Pence acknowledged directly by congratulating her on the “the historic nature of your nomination.” Still, Pence sought to undercut Harris’ credentials and appeal to Black voters, accusing her of prosecuting more African Americans than whites and saying she did not “lift a finger” for a criminal justice bill that Trump eventually signed. He elided the inconsistencies of making that argument moments after he had said that it would be an “great insult” to say America was “systemically racist” or that law enforcement officers have an “implicit bias.” Harris forcefully defended her record. “I will not sit here and be lectured by the vice president on what it means to enforce the laws of our country,” she said. The two candidates also differed on whether there had been justice for Breonna Taylor, the Black woman who was killed in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, during a police raid. “I don’t believe so,” Harris said. “I trust our justice system,” Pence said of a grand jury decision not to press further charges. It was a disagreement — but, like much of the night, an expected and uneventful one.

Six takeaways from the vice-presidential debate

A new campaign front on COVID

It is difficult to overstate how much this debate has been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, from President Donald Trump’s hospitalization with the disease to the last-minute skirmish between the Biden and Trump camps over whether Pence — who has interacted with White House advisers who have since tested positive for the coronavirus — should stand behind a protective plexiglass screen.

Pence, as the head of White House task force on the coronavirus, will presumably be pressed to account for the faltering White House response to a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States. Since returning from the hospital, Trump has sought to recast the entire discussion on the pandemic, arguing that the virus is in fact not that serious and that Americans should continue to live their lives.

Will Pence carry Trump’s argument to Harris and the American public Wednesday night? Many polls suggest that it defies the fears of most Americans struggling to navigate the pandemic.

Pence is also likely to be pressed to defend Trump’s actions since his illness was diagnosed — leaving the hospital against the counsel of many medical professionals, minimizing the threat of the virus and dramatically removing his mask when he returned to the White House. The president has offered himself as evidence that COVID-19 can be beaten; does Pence agree with that?

For Pence, it’s not simply a matter of embracing an argument that the president thinks might help him win reelection. This is almost certainly Trump’s last campaign. At 61, Pence is looking at continuing his career in politics. How he handles those questions could end up defining him for a long time.

How does Harris finesse attacking Trump?

Vice-presidential candidates have only two things to accomplish in a debate: Defend the person at the top of your ticket. And attack the person at the top of the opposition ticket.

But that basic rule of thumb got a little more tricky for Harris. With Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis and him just being back at the White House after three nights in a hospital, harsh attacks against an ailing president might be politically unwise. The Biden campaign pulled down its negative advertising attacking Trump as soon as he disclosed his diagnosis. Joe Biden has stepped carefully in talking about the president.

Harris, a former prosecutor and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has established her credentials as a tough interrogator with her questioning of officials like William Barr, the attorney general. She knows how to make a case. But can she attack Trump’s handling of the virus — which has come to define his presidency — without veering toward an overly personal attack on a president battling a potentially lethal disease?

It means threading a needle. Harris was an inconsistent debater during the Democratic primary — she had some good moments, and some not-so-good moments before she dropped out. She has never stepped onto this prominent a stage.

How does Harris handle going off script?

Harris, most often remembered for her “that little girl was me” debate moment with Biden during the primary, is talented at delivering the slashing-when-prepared debate lines. That is, after all, the same skill set that she developed as a prosecutor and that elevated her during Senate committee hearings to star status among Democrats as she bore in on Republican witnesses.

To that end, Harris arrived in Salt Lake City last Friday — the same day Trump was checked into the hospital — to begin her on-the-ground debate preparations. Karen Dunn, who readied Sen. Tim Kaine to debate against Pence four years ago, is leading those efforts, which have also included Rohini Kosoglu, Symone Sanders and Liz Allen. Pete Buttigieg, who has played the role of Pence in Harris’ preparations, was spotted in town as well.

But debates are not set pieces and Harris will have to defend not just her own record but also Biden’s — and no candidate can be prepared for every eventuality, no matter how many index cards she studies, especially in 2020.

“This time it will be about requiring some level of knowledge — if not mastery — of Joe’s record, the Vice President Mike Pence’s record, Trump’s record and then of course defending my own record,” Harris said on Hillary Clinton’s podcast last week. “So that’s different.’’

Notably, Biden has undertaken some public rehearsals for his debates, including two televised town halls. Harris has been mostly cloistered since joining the ticket. The debate will be, by far, the most freewheeling exchanges of her time as vice-presidential candidate.

How race and gender play

Clinton, the only woman to serve as a major-party presidential nominee, warned Harris, in so many words, about the corrosive role that sexism will play onstage.

“You should also be prepared for the slights, the efforts to diminish you, you personally, you as a woman, who is about to be our next vice president,” Clinton said on her podcast. “So I do think there will be a lot of maneuvering on the other side to try to put you in a box.”

Academic studies have shown that women face different barriers in terms of public perception, and Harris is not just a woman but also the first woman of color on a major-party ticket.

Jennifer Lawless, a professor of politics at the University of Virginia who has studied gender dynamics, said that women generally had to show they were capable of standing up to “being bullied” but that Harris faced an extra hurdle.

“Because she is also a woman of color, she also has to walk that ‘Don’t look too angry’ line,” Lawless said. “These are cliché. But they’re cliché because they’re true.”

The mild-mannered Pence is unlikely to bully or even directly broach any gendered lines the way Trump might. But the impact of audience perception remains.

For months, the Trump campaign has tried to raise doubts about Biden’s fitness while attempting to cast Harris as its true foil, the real — and more liberal — power center in a potential Biden White House.

“She symbolizes everything that ‘Make America Great Again’ wants to push back on by virtue of being a Black woman,” Lawless said.

Attack or defend?

In 2016, Pence had a clear three-step strategy every time his vice-presidential rival, Kaine, attacked Trump. He offered a quick defense of Trump (Step 1); moved quickly to talk about the aspirations of a Trump presidency (Step 2); and swung into an attack on the Democrats (Step 3).

But striking the balance between attack and defend could be a particular challenge for Pence this time.

For one thing, after four years, there’s more to defend. This would have been a much different debate nine months ago, when Pence could have talked about the humming economy, job growth and a generally confident electorate. Now, Pence is going to be talking about the pandemic, the failure of Congress and the White House to come up with a stimulus plan and an economy that has gone off the rails.

For another, Trump has not had much luck attacking Biden; the former vice president has proved an elusive target, certainly when compared with Clinton. Perhaps Pence will have more success.

But he has a third task as well: attacking Harris. Trump’s efforts at portraying Harris as a stalking horse for more liberal policies, who would be the power behind a Biden presidency, has resonated with the right. But those voters were already with Trump. The task for Pence is to make them resonate with any remaining undecided voters.

A preview of 2024?

Almost every vice-presidential debate is about two elections at once: the current one and the one that will follow — because so many vice presidents, and vice-presidential candidates, eventually run for president. (A quick recent list: John Edwards, Joe Lieberman, George H.W. Bush, Al Gore and, of course, Biden.)

This faceoff is especially significant because of how soon Pence and Harris could be leading their parties, given the ages of Trump (74) and Biden (77) and the specter of the coronavirus, from which Trump continues to recover.

Biden has already talked about himself as a “bridge” to the next generation of Democratic leaders. If he wins, he will be enabling Harris to cross that bridge as the first among equals among Democrats vying for that leadership mantle.

Trump has evinced no interest in transitioning out of power or the spotlight, but Pence is widely believed to have presidential ambitions of his own. The former governor of Indiana has treated his vice presidency mostly as an exercise — often a difficult one — to maintain zero political daylight between himself and Trump. But plenty of other Republicans are already circling around the 2024 election and seeking the mantle of Trumpism; Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has been building his profile, and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley was recently in New Hampshire.

A new campaign front on COVID It is difficult to overstate how much this debate has been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, from President Donald Trump’s hospitalization with the disease to the last-minute skirmish between the Biden and Trump camps over whether Pence — who has interacted with White House advisers who have since tested positive for the coronavirus — should stand behind a protective plexiglass screen.

A new campaign front on COVID It is difficult to overstate how much this debate has been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, from President Donald Trump’s hospitalization with the disease to the last-minute skirmish between the Biden and Trump camps over whether Pence — who has interacted with White House advisers who have since tested positive for the coronavirus — should stand behind a protective plexiglass screen. Pence, as the head of White House task force on the coronavirus, will presumably be pressed to account for the faltering White House response to a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States. Since returning from the hospital, Trump has sought to recast the entire discussion on the pandemic, arguing that the virus is in fact not that serious and that Americans should continue to live their lives. Will Pence carry Trump’s argument to Harris and the American public Wednesday night? Many polls suggest that it defies the fears of most Americans struggling to navigate the pandemic. Pence is also likely to be pressed to defend Trump’s actions since his illness was diagnosed — leaving the hospital against the counsel of many medical professionals, minimizing the threat of the virus and dramatically removing his mask when he returned to the White House. The president has offered himself as evidence that COVID-19 can be beaten; does Pence agree with that? For Pence, it’s not simply a matter of embracing an argument that the president thinks might help him win reelection. This is almost certainly Trump’s last campaign. At 61, Pence is looking at continuing his career in politics. How he handles those questions could end up defining him for a long time. How does Harris finesse attacking Trump? Vice-presidential candidates have only two things to accomplish in a debate: Defend the person at the top of your ticket. And attack the person at the top of the opposition ticket. But that basic rule of thumb got a little more tricky for Harris. With Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis and him just being back at the White House after three nights in a hospital, harsh attacks against an ailing president might be politically unwise. The Biden campaign pulled down its negative advertising attacking Trump as soon as he disclosed his diagnosis. Joe Biden has stepped carefully in talking about the president. Harris, a former prosecutor and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has established her credentials as a tough interrogator with her questioning of officials like William Barr, the attorney general. She knows how to make a case. But can she attack Trump’s handling of the virus — which has come to define his presidency — without veering toward an overly personal attack on a president battling a potentially lethal disease? It means threading a needle. Harris was an inconsistent debater during the Democratic primary — she had some good moments, and some not-so-good moments before she dropped out. She has never stepped onto this prominent a stage. How does Harris handle going off script? Harris, most often remembered for her “that little girl was me” debate moment with Biden during the primary, is talented at delivering the slashing-when-prepared debate lines. That is, after all, the same skill set that she developed as a prosecutor and that elevated her during Senate committee hearings to star status among Democrats as she bore in on Republican witnesses. To that end, Harris arrived in Salt Lake City last Friday — the same day Trump was checked into the hospital — to begin her on-the-ground debate preparations. Karen Dunn, who readied Sen. Tim Kaine to debate against Pence four years ago, is leading those efforts, which have also included Rohini Kosoglu, Symone Sanders and Liz Allen. Pete Buttigieg, who has played the role of Pence in Harris’ preparations, was spotted in town as well. But debates are not set pieces and Harris will have to defend not just her own record but also Biden’s — and no candidate can be prepared for every eventuality, no matter how many index cards she studies, especially in 2020. “This time it will be about requiring some level of knowledge — if not mastery — of Joe’s record, the Vice President Mike Pence’s record, Trump’s record and then of course defending my own record,” Harris said on Hillary Clinton’s podcast last week. “So that’s different.’’ Notably, Biden has undertaken some public rehearsals for his debates, including two televised town halls. Harris has been mostly cloistered since joining the ticket. The debate will be, by far, the most freewheeling exchanges of her time as vice-presidential candidate. How race and gender play Clinton, the only woman to serve as a major-party presidential nominee, warned Harris, in so many words, about the corrosive role that sexism will play onstage. “You should also be prepared for the slights, the efforts to diminish you, you personally, you as a woman, who is about to be our next vice president,” Clinton said on her podcast. “So I do think there will be a lot of maneuvering on the other side to try to put you in a box.” Academic studies have shown that women face different barriers in terms of public perception, and Harris is not just a woman but also the first woman of color on a major-party ticket. Jennifer Lawless, a professor of politics at the University of Virginia who has studied gender dynamics, said that women generally had to show they were capable of standing up to “being bullied” but that Harris faced an extra hurdle. “Because she is also a woman of color, she also has to walk that ‘Don’t look too angry’ line,” Lawless said. “These are cliché. But they’re cliché because they’re true.” The mild-mannered Pence is unlikely to bully or even directly broach any gendered lines the way Trump might. But the impact of audience perception remains. For months, the Trump campaign has tried to raise doubts about Biden’s fitness while attempting to cast Harris as its true foil, the real — and more liberal — power center in a potential Biden White House. “She symbolizes everything that ‘Make America Great Again’ wants to push back on by virtue of being a Black woman,” Lawless said. Attack or defend? In 2016, Pence had a clear three-step strategy every time his vice-presidential rival, Kaine, attacked Trump. He offered a quick defense of Trump (Step 1); moved quickly to talk about the aspirations of a Trump presidency (Step 2); and swung into an attack on the Democrats (Step 3). But striking the balance between attack and defend could be a particular challenge for Pence this time. For one thing, after four years, there’s more to defend. This would have been a much different debate nine months ago, when Pence could have talked about the humming economy, job growth and a generally confident electorate. Now, Pence is going to be talking about the pandemic, the failure of Congress and the White House to come up with a stimulus plan and an economy that has gone off the rails. For another, Trump has not had much luck attacking Biden; the former vice president has proved an elusive target, certainly when compared with Clinton. Perhaps Pence will have more success. But he has a third task as well: attacking Harris. Trump’s efforts at portraying Harris as a stalking horse for more liberal policies, who would be the power behind a Biden presidency, has resonated with the right. But those voters were already with Trump. The task for Pence is to make them resonate with any remaining undecided voters. A preview of 2024? Almost every vice-presidential debate is about two elections at once: the current one and the one that will follow — because so many vice presidents, and vice-presidential candidates, eventually run for president. (A quick recent list: John Edwards, Joe Lieberman, George H.W. Bush, Al Gore and, of course, Biden.) This faceoff is especially significant because of how soon Pence and Harris could be leading their parties, given the ages of Trump (74) and Biden (77) and the specter of the coronavirus, from which Trump continues to recover. Biden has already talked about himself as a “bridge” to the next generation of Democratic leaders. If he wins, he will be enabling Harris to cross that bridge as the first among equals among Democrats vying for that leadership mantle. Trump has evinced no interest in transitioning out of power or the spotlight, but Pence is widely believed to have presidential ambitions of his own. The former governor of Indiana has treated his vice presidency mostly as an exercise — often a difficult one — to maintain zero political daylight between himself and Trump. But plenty of other Republicans are already circling around the 2024 election and seeking the mantle of Trumpism; Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has been building his profile, and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley was recently in New Hampshire.

Kamala Harris and Mike Pence debate: What to watch for

WASHINGTON — Four years ago, when Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia faced off against Mike Pence at the vice-presidential debate, the encounter put two drastically different debate styles on display: Pence came across as mild-mannered and more formal while Kaine, a litigator by training, was more of an attack dog, with a tendency to interrupt and talk over Pence. Even as Pence made little effort to directly rebut attacks against Donald Trump, Kaine tried at nearly every turn to offer praise for his running mate, Hillary Clinton.

Ahead of this year’s vice-presidential debate Wednesday between Sen. Kamala Harris of California and Pence, The New York Times spoke to Kaine about what Harris should expect, how the news of Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis might affect the vice president and whether Kaine is offering Harris any advice.

The following is an edited and condensed version of the conversation, which was conducted Friday, after Trump announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus but before he was hospitalized.

Q: How does Harris prepare for a debate now in this environment, with the news that Trump has tested positive for the coronavirus?

A: Does it make the debate more important? Does it make the debate less important because people won’t be thinking about the vice-presidential debate? It’s hard to say.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kamala-harris-and-mike-pence-debate-what-to-watch-for-333064">Also read|&nbsp;Kamala Harris and Mike Pence debate: What to watch for</a>

The 2016 debate, there was no incumbent. So both tickets were basically Hillary and Donald Trump wanting to be president and each ticket making the case, “If we succeed, here’s what we want to do, here’s why you should elect us.”

When you have an incumbent, the debate is heavily about, “OK, well, you had a chance, what did you do?” It’s the Ronald Reagan question of Jimmy Carter in 1980, where he looks the American public in the face: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

So that makes this debate different — both the presidential and vice-presidential debates. It’s not just about, ‘Well, here’s what we’re going to do.’ The Trump-Pence administration has a record. And one of the most top-of-mind pieces of the record is 210,000 people dead and millions having lost their jobs under the Trump administration. And he (Trump) asked Mike Pence on Feb. 26: “Be the head of our coronavirus task force. Lead this effort for the United States.” I would venture to say that that role is the most important role that Pence has ever had in his life, even more than the title of vice president.

So Trump, and the administration more generally, having downplayed this — “it’s a hoax, it’s going to go away soon, we have it under control, any American can get a test” — undercutting scientists like Dr. Fauci over and over and over again, the catastrophic failure of the United States relative to other nations and dealing with both the health crisis and then the economic devastation that resulted from it, that is really square. And it was squarely on the table in the presidential debate, and it’s going to be squarely on the table in the vice-presidential debate because it’s top of mind for everybody, because Pence was asked to assume a leadership role. And now because the president, who undermined all the science all the way along and said it was a hoax or wasn’t a big problem, has now been diagnosed.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kamala-harris-a-disco-dancing-teenager-yearned-for-home-in-canada-332767">Also read|&nbsp;Kamala Harris, a disco-dancing teenager, yearned for home in Canada</a>

Q: What is it like debating Pence? What advice are you going to give to Harris?

A: I’ll answer the first question, not the second one because we’re in conversation about advice, but why would I make that public?

Pence is a professional communicator. He was a radio talk show host before he was in politics, so he can deliver a line. And, I think it’s frustrating when you’re onstage with somebody who’s delivering a line that’s false. But he does it — he can do it very, very well.

Now, Kamala’s good. She’s a prosecutor, and she has evidence to argue. When she was in court back in the day, she would have to argue the evidence. She’s got a lot of evidence to argue. But the vice president is a trained communicator who can look in a camera and basically say anything, even if it’s contrary to the facts, and say it as if he believes it.

Q: I know you aren’t going to discuss the advice you are giving, but has Harris called you for advice or have you spoken about ——

A: Yes.

Q: Multiple times? Or how often?

A: We have communicated — and I’ll just use that phrase more broadly — communicated one-on-one. And our staffs have talked a number of times, and we’re not done.

Q: Given that, as you said, Pence is a professional communicator, does this kind of huge news — in your experience — does he get rattled by it? Is he going to stay the course? What do you think this does for him?

A: My prediction is — he has done nothing but be a wonderful salesman for Donald Trump and then talk about how great Donald Trump is going to be; he’s going to do that same thing. At the debate, he will be praising his boss over and over again. He stands next to Donald Trump and smiles and nods and talks about how fantastic he is, and he’ll do that at the debate. The challenge for him is, how can you do that without it going in a completely discordant way with Americans who are suffering?

Q: One more question and this one is not about the debate. What do you think Joe Biden and the campaign should do at this point, in terms of their schedule? How do you campaign in this environment?

A: They need to do what they’ve already done, which is be smart about being safe, keeping their staff safe and keeping voters safe. But they also need to be aggressive in getting around the country, following good safety rules. And I suspect that they’re going to do that.

This is not a hiatus of the campaign. No. We’re in the closing stretch of the campaign, and they’ve got to be aggressively campaigning. But the good news is, they will only do it in a way that is mindful of their own safety and the safety of everybody around them.

WASHINGTON — Four years ago, when Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia faced off against Mike Pence at the vice-presidential debate, the encounter put two drastically different debate styles on display: Pence came across as mild-mannered and more formal while Kaine, a litigator by training, was more of an attack dog, with a tendency to interrupt and talk over Pence.

WASHINGTON — Four years ago, when Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia faced off against Mike Pence at the vice-presidential debate, the encounter put two drastically different debate styles on display: Pence came across as mild-mannered and more formal while Kaine, a litigator by training, was more of an attack dog, with a tendency to interrupt and talk over Pence. Even as Pence made little effort to directly rebut attacks against Donald Trump, Kaine tried at nearly every turn to offer praise for his running mate, Hillary Clinton. Ahead of this year’s vice-presidential debate Wednesday between Sen. Kamala Harris of California and Pence, The New York Times spoke to Kaine about what Harris should expect, how the news of Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis might affect the vice president and whether Kaine is offering Harris any advice. The following is an edited and condensed version of the conversation, which was conducted Friday, after Trump announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus but before he was hospitalized. Q: How does Harris prepare for a debate now in this environment, with the news that Trump has tested positive for the coronavirus? A: Does it make the debate more important? Does it make the debate less important because people won’t be thinking about the vice-presidential debate? It’s hard to say. Also read| Kamala Harris and Mike Pence debate: What to watch for The 2016 debate, there was no incumbent. So both tickets were basically Hillary and Donald Trump wanting to be president and each ticket making the case, “If we succeed, here’s what we want to do, here’s why you should elect us.” When you have an incumbent, the debate is heavily about, “OK, well, you had a chance, what did you do?” It’s the Ronald Reagan question of Jimmy Carter in 1980, where he looks the American public in the face: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” So that makes this debate different — both the presidential and vice-presidential debates. It’s not just about, ‘Well, here’s what we’re going to do.’ The Trump-Pence administration has a record. And one of the most top-of-mind pieces of the record is 210,000 people dead and millions having lost their jobs under the Trump administration. And he (Trump) asked Mike Pence on Feb. 26: “Be the head of our coronavirus task force. Lead this effort for the United States.” I would venture to say that that role is the most important role that Pence has ever had in his life, even more than the title of vice president. So Trump, and the administration more generally, having downplayed this — “it’s a hoax, it’s going to go away soon, we have it under control, any American can get a test” — undercutting scientists like Dr. Fauci over and over and over again, the catastrophic failure of the United States relative to other nations and dealing with both the health crisis and then the economic devastation that resulted from it, that is really square. And it was squarely on the table in the presidential debate, and it’s going to be squarely on the table in the vice-presidential debate because it’s top of mind for everybody, because Pence was asked to assume a leadership role. And now because the president, who undermined all the science all the way along and said it was a hoax or wasn’t a big problem, has now been diagnosed. Also read| Kamala Harris, a disco-dancing teenager, yearned for home in Canada Q: What is it like debating Pence? What advice are you going to give to Harris? A: I’ll answer the first question, not the second one because we’re in conversation about advice, but why would I make that public? Pence is a professional communicator. He was a radio talk show host before he was in politics, so he can deliver a line. And, I think it’s frustrating when you’re onstage with somebody who’s delivering a line that’s false. But he does it — he can do it very, very well. Now, Kamala’s good. She’s a prosecutor, and she has evidence to argue. When she was in court back in the day, she would have to argue the evidence. She’s got a lot of evidence to argue. But the vice president is a trained communicator who can look in a camera and basically say anything, even if it’s contrary to the facts, and say it as if he believes it. Q: I know you aren’t going to discuss the advice you are giving, but has Harris called you for advice or have you spoken about —— A: Yes. Q: Multiple times? Or how often? A: We have communicated — and I’ll just use that phrase more broadly — communicated one-on-one. And our staffs have talked a number of times, and we’re not done. Q: Given that, as you said, Pence is a professional communicator, does this kind of huge news — in your experience — does he get rattled by it? Is he going to stay the course? What do you think this does for him? A: My prediction is — he has done nothing but be a wonderful salesman for Donald Trump and then talk about how great Donald Trump is going to be; he’s going to do that same thing. At the debate, he will be praising his boss over and over again. He stands next to Donald Trump and smiles and nods and talks about how fantastic he is, and he’ll do that at the debate. The challenge for him is, how can you do that without it going in a completely discordant way with Americans who are suffering? Q: One more question and this one is not about the debate. What do you think Joe Biden and the campaign should do at this point, in terms of their schedule? How do you campaign in this environment? A: They need to do what they’ve already done, which is be smart about being safe, keeping their staff safe and keeping voters safe. But they also need to be aggressive in getting around the country, following good safety rules. And I suspect that they’re going to do that. This is not a hiatus of the campaign. No. We’re in the closing stretch of the campaign, and they’ve got to be aggressively campaigning. But the good news is, they will only do it in a way that is mindful of their own safety and the safety of everybody around them.

Tim Kaine on what it's like to debate Mike Pence

Kamala Harris, a disco-dancing teenager, yearned for a home in Canada

MONTREAL — There were heirs to Canadian fortunes who lived in hillside mansions and arrived at their high school in luxury cars.

There were children of Caribbean immigrants who commuted by bus or subway from a historically Black neighborhood.

There were Anglophones, Francophones and kids from Chinatown.

And then there was Kamala Harris, an extroverted American teenager who had moved to Montreal from California at age 12, dreamed of becoming a lawyer and liked dancing to Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.

Thrown into one of Montreal’s most diverse public high schools, the young Harris — whose father was from Jamaica and mother from India — identified as African American, her friends from high school recalled. At the same time, they said, she deftly navigated the competing racial and social divisions at the school.

“In high school, you were either in the white or the Black group,” said Wanda Kagan, her best friend from Westmount High School, who had a white mother and an African American father. “We didn’t fit exactly into either, so we made ourselves fit into both.”

The future senator spent her formative adolescent years in a multicultural environment typical of many Canadian public schools. As she makes history as the first woman of color on a presidential ticket, Canadians have claimed her as a native daughter, seeing her as an embodiment of the country’s progressive politics.

“Joe Biden’s new running mate, Kamala Harris, is a Westmount High graduate,” gushed the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Such is the Kamala mania here that the school has designated an official to field media calls, which have come from across Canada as well as Latin America and Japan.

Some also have a sense that if her ticket wins, it could mend Canada’s fraught ties with a once dependable ally.

“She got educated in her earliest years through a Canadian lens and that was bound to have rubbed off,” said Bruce Heyman, a former ambassador to Canada under President Barack Obama.

Harris came to Montreal with her sister, Maya, and her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a breast cancer researcher who was divorced from the girls’ father, an eminent economist, and moved the family to pursue her career.

Harris, who was born in 1964, has downplayed her time in Canada amid a racist misinformation campaign that she was not born American. She declined to comment for this article.

But in her memoir, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,” she described the culture shock of the move.

“I was 12 years old, and the thought of moving away from sunny California in February, in the middle of the school year, to a French-speaking foreign city covered in 12 feet of snow was distressing,” she wrote.

“My mother tried to make it sound like an adventure, taking us to buy our first down jackets and mittens, as though we were going to be explorers of the great northern winter,” she wrote. “But it was hard for me to see it that way.”

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

Her mother initially sent the sisters to a Francophone school. It was a tumultuous time in Quebec, with an ascendant nationalist party and culture wars over language.

“I used to joke that I felt like a duck, because all day long at our new school I’d be saying, ‘Quoi? Quoi? Quoi?’” — What? What? What? — Harris wrote in her memoir.

At age 13, childhood friends said, Kamala mobilized local children to demonstrate in front of their apartment building because the owner had banned children from playing on the lawn. He backed down.

Eventually the family settled on the top floor of a spacious Victorian home in an affluent neighborhood bordering Westmount, one of Canada’s wealthiest districts.

“It was a comfortable home, with high ceilings, hardwood floors, Persian carpets,” recalled Kagan, who first met Harris in eighth grade and lived with her family for a time to escape an abusive stepfather.

In September, Harris wrote a tweet about her friend’s abuse, saying, “One of the reasons I wanted to be a prosecutor was to protect people like her.”

Westmount High, which counts Leonard Cohen among its alumni, was founded in 1874. Its catchment included not only the moneyed Westmount municipality, but also Little Burgundy — once known as “the Harlem of the North” — whose Black churches, Black community center and storied jazz clubs made it a center for Black culture.

The school was roughly 60% white and 40% Black in 1978-81, when Harris attended it, said Garvin Jeffers, a former principal who then led the math department.

Still, Kagan said the school’s divisions “were more about who had the latest Jordache jeans than about race.”

Harris straddled the school’s diverse worlds, her friends said.

Hugh Kwok, the child of Chinese immigrants, can be seen in a 1981 yearbook photo with Harris’ arm leaning on his shoulder. Harris, he said, “melted in with everyone.”

Anu Chopra Sharma, who was in Harris’ French and math classes, recalled the two bonding over having Indian names.

“She said to me, ‘You have an Indian name but you don’t look Indian,’ and I said the same to her,” she said.

“You couldn’t easily label her,” Sharma added.

Although Harris mingled widely, Kagan said “she identified as being African American.” She found belonging in the Black community, and “was drawn to the Little Burgundy kids.”

She recalled that she and Harris attended Black community dance parties and griped about having to be home by 11 p.m.

Above all, she found sisterhood in an all-female dance troupe, Super Six, later Midnight Magic. The girls wore glittering homemade costumes and performed aerobically charged disco moves in front of the school and at homes for the elderly. Harris was called Angel.

Kagan said she and Harris spent long hours rehearsing, inspired by “Solid Gold,” a 1980s pop music television show featuring performers lip-syncing, surrounded by writhing dancers in shiny Lycra.

“We were six girls with big personalities who were every shade of brown and Black, and Kamala could hold her own on the dance floor,” Kagan said.

Trevor Williams, a former basketball player on the Canadian Olympic team, dated Maya Harris in high school. He recalled Maya as more bookish and shy, and Kamala as more outgoing.

“Maya was more of the brainiac, every test 100%, Kamala was a bit more laid back,” he said. “They were always so organized compared to the rest of us.”

He recalled that the Harris sisters played down their relative affluence. “I didn’t even realize at the time that their mother was this high-powered doctor.”

Harris was prepared and forceful in intellectual discussions, her classmates recalled. She was also active — performing in fashion shows, working on the yearbook and part of the Pep Club, whose members yelled and sang at school events accompanied by a rabbit mascot, Purple Peter.

At the heart of it all, however, was her family life.

Harris’ mother was an abiding influence. Kagan recalled the warmth of their home, where Indian rice dishes simmered and studying was mandatory.

“Her mom was strong and instilled that in Kamala,” she said.

Every summer, the girls filled a freezer chest with blanched tomatoes in plastic bags, sucking the air out with straws. The tomatoes were used for soups and sauces.

Dr. Gopalan Harris, who had a doctorate in endocrinology and nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley, spent 16 years in Montreal, at the Jewish General Hospital and McGill University Faculty of Medicine. She developed a method for assessing cancerous breast tissue that became a standard procedure nationwide.

As high school drew to a close, the Canadian version of the prom arrived. Harris was part of a group of girls who attended without dates so that girls who hadn’t been asked out wouldn’t feel excluded.

“We decided that we were going to change the culture,” Kagan said. “Kamala was, like, ‘Let’s do it!’”

The next step for Harris was Howard University in Washington. She had already been pining for home.

In the high school yearbook she described her most cherished memory as a 1980 trip to Los Angeles. She thanked her mother and encouraged her sister: “Be cool MA YA!” Her favorite expression? “Naw, I’m just playing.”

“By the time I got to high school, I had adjusted to our new surroundings,” she wrote in her memoir. “What I hadn’t gotten used to was the feeling of being homesick for my country. I felt this constant sense of yearning to be back home.”

MONTREAL — There were heirs to Canadian fortunes who lived in hillside mansions and arrived at their high school in luxury cars. There were children of Caribbean immigrants who commuted by bus or subway from a historically Black neighborhood.

MONTREAL — There were heirs to Canadian fortunes who lived in hillside mansions and arrived at their high school in luxury cars. There were children of Caribbean immigrants who commuted by bus or subway from a historically Black neighborhood. There were Anglophones, Francophones and kids from Chinatown. And then there was Kamala Harris, an extroverted American teenager who had moved to Montreal from California at age 12, dreamed of becoming a lawyer and liked dancing to Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. Thrown into one of Montreal’s most diverse public high schools, the young Harris — whose father was from Jamaica and mother from India — identified as African American, her friends from high school recalled. At the same time, they said, she deftly navigated the competing racial and social divisions at the school. “In high school, you were either in the white or the Black group,” said Wanda Kagan, her best friend from Westmount High School, who had a white mother and an African American father. “We didn’t fit exactly into either, so we made ourselves fit into both.” The future senator spent her formative adolescent years in a multicultural environment typical of many Canadian public schools. As she makes history as the first woman of color on a presidential ticket, Canadians have claimed her as a native daughter, seeing her as an embodiment of the country’s progressive politics. “Joe Biden’s new running mate, Kamala Harris, is a Westmount High graduate,” gushed the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Such is the Kamala mania here that the school has designated an official to field media calls, which have come from across Canada as well as Latin America and Japan. Some also have a sense that if her ticket wins, it could mend Canada’s fraught ties with a once dependable ally. “She got educated in her earliest years through a Canadian lens and that was bound to have rubbed off,” said Bruce Heyman, a former ambassador to Canada under President Barack Obama. Harris came to Montreal with her sister, Maya, and her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a breast cancer researcher who was divorced from the girls’ father, an eminent economist, and moved the family to pursue her career. Harris, who was born in 1964, has downplayed her time in Canada amid a racist misinformation campaign that she was not born American. She declined to comment for this article. But in her memoir, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,” she described the culture shock of the move. “I was 12 years old, and the thought of moving away from sunny California in February, in the middle of the school year, to a French-speaking foreign city covered in 12 feet of snow was distressing,” she wrote. “My mother tried to make it sound like an adventure, taking us to buy our first down jackets and mittens, as though we were going to be explorers of the great northern winter,” she wrote. “But it was hard for me to see it that way.” (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) Her mother initially sent the sisters to a Francophone school. It was a tumultuous time in Quebec, with an ascendant nationalist party and culture wars over language. “I used to joke that I felt like a duck, because all day long at our new school I’d be saying, ‘Quoi? Quoi? Quoi?’” — What? What? What? — Harris wrote in her memoir. At age 13, childhood friends said, Kamala mobilized local children to demonstrate in front of their apartment building because the owner had banned children from playing on the lawn. He backed down. Eventually the family settled on the top floor of a spacious Victorian home in an affluent neighborhood bordering Westmount, one of Canada’s wealthiest districts. “It was a comfortable home, with high ceilings, hardwood floors, Persian carpets,” recalled Kagan, who first met Harris in eighth grade and lived with her family for a time to escape an abusive stepfather. In September, Harris wrote a tweet about her friend’s abuse, saying, “One of the reasons I wanted to be a prosecutor was to protect people like her.” Westmount High, which counts Leonard Cohen among its alumni, was founded in 1874. Its catchment included not only the moneyed Westmount municipality, but also Little Burgundy — once known as “the Harlem of the North” — whose Black churches, Black community center and storied jazz clubs made it a center for Black culture. The school was roughly 60% white and 40% Black in 1978-81, when Harris attended it, said Garvin Jeffers, a former principal who then led the math department. Still, Kagan said the school’s divisions “were more about who had the latest Jordache jeans than about race.” Harris straddled the school’s diverse worlds, her friends said. Hugh Kwok, the child of Chinese immigrants, can be seen in a 1981 yearbook photo with Harris’ arm leaning on his shoulder. Harris, he said, “melted in with everyone.” Anu Chopra Sharma, who was in Harris’ French and math classes, recalled the two bonding over having Indian names. “She said to me, ‘You have an Indian name but you don’t look Indian,’ and I said the same to her,” she said. “You couldn’t easily label her,” Sharma added. Although Harris mingled widely, Kagan said “she identified as being African American.” She found belonging in the Black community, and “was drawn to the Little Burgundy kids.” She recalled that she and Harris attended Black community dance parties and griped about having to be home by 11 p.m. Above all, she found sisterhood in an all-female dance troupe, Super Six, later Midnight Magic. The girls wore glittering homemade costumes and performed aerobically charged disco moves in front of the school and at homes for the elderly. Harris was called Angel. Kagan said she and Harris spent long hours rehearsing, inspired by “Solid Gold,” a 1980s pop music television show featuring performers lip-syncing, surrounded by writhing dancers in shiny Lycra. “We were six girls with big personalities who were every shade of brown and Black, and Kamala could hold her own on the dance floor,” Kagan said. Trevor Williams, a former basketball player on the Canadian Olympic team, dated Maya Harris in high school. He recalled Maya as more bookish and shy, and Kamala as more outgoing. “Maya was more of the brainiac, every test 100%, Kamala was a bit more laid back,” he said. “They were always so organized compared to the rest of us.” He recalled that the Harris sisters played down their relative affluence. “I didn’t even realize at the time that their mother was this high-powered doctor.” Harris was prepared and forceful in intellectual discussions, her classmates recalled. She was also active — performing in fashion shows, working on the yearbook and part of the Pep Club, whose members yelled and sang at school events accompanied by a rabbit mascot, Purple Peter. At the heart of it all, however, was her family life. Harris’ mother was an abiding influence. Kagan recalled the warmth of their home, where Indian rice dishes simmered and studying was mandatory. “Her mom was strong and instilled that in Kamala,” she said. Every summer, the girls filled a freezer chest with blanched tomatoes in plastic bags, sucking the air out with straws. The tomatoes were used for soups and sauces. Dr. Gopalan Harris, who had a doctorate in endocrinology and nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley, spent 16 years in Montreal, at the Jewish General Hospital and McGill University Faculty of Medicine. She developed a method for assessing cancerous breast tissue that became a standard procedure nationwide. As high school drew to a close, the Canadian version of the prom arrived. Harris was part of a group of girls who attended without dates so that girls who hadn’t been asked out wouldn’t feel excluded. “We decided that we were going to change the culture,” Kagan said. “Kamala was, like, ‘Let’s do it!’” The next step for Harris was Howard University in Washington. She had already been pining for home. In the high school yearbook she described her most cherished memory as a 1980 trip to Los Angeles. She thanked her mother and encouraged her sister: “Be cool MA YA!” Her favorite expression? “Naw, I’m just playing.” “By the time I got to high school, I had adjusted to our new surroundings,” she wrote in her memoir. “What I hadn’t gotten used to was the feeling of being homesick for my country. I felt this constant sense of yearning to be back home.”

Kamala Harris, a disco-dancing teenager, yearned for home in Canada

The Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, is preparing in Utah for the October 7 debate with Vice President Mike Pence at the University of Utah. Watch report

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris preparing for a face-off in salt lake city

After downplaying risks, mocking masks & holding huge rallies, Donald Trump &Melania Trump, test positive for COVID-19. With just days to election, this news has pushed the politics & govt into a historic state of flux. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris & Vice President Mike Pence test negative. What next?

US Election 2020: Trump COVID-19 positive: What next?

Republican President Donald Trump defended his quick push to try to fill a US&nbsp;Supreme Court seat at the start of his first presidential debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden on Tuesday, saying "elections have consequences" and he had the right despite Democratic objections.

"I will tell you very simply we won the election, elections have consequences. We have the Senate and we have the White House and we have a phenomenal nominee respected by all," Trump said in defense of his nominee, conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/conservative-win-donald-trump-nominates-amy-coney-barrett-for-supreme-court-330413">Conservative win: Donald Trump nominates Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court</a>

Biden, talking over frequent interruptions from Trump, said the seat of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg should be filled after the November&nbsp;3 election, when it was clear who the president would be.

"We should wait, we should wait and see what the outcome of this election is," Biden said, adding a more conservative Supreme Court would endanger the Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare.

Trump is moving quickly to fill Ginsburg’s seat in hopes of cementing a 6-3 conservative majority on the court, a key priority for social conservatives.

Democrats have argued Republicans are being hypocritical for moving quickly to fill the seat given they blocked then-President Barack Obama's nomination to the Supreme Court in 2016, arguing it should wait until after that November election.

Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden as he attempted to answer questions, prompting Biden at one point to interject: "Will you shut up, man?"

With more than a million Americans already casting early ballots and time running out to change minds or influence the small sliver of undecided voters, the stakes were enormous as the two White House candidates took the stage five weeks before Election Day.

The two contenders did not shake hands as they entered the debate, adhering to protocols on social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden, 77, has held a consistent lead over Trump, 74, in national opinion polls, although surveys in the battleground states that will decide the election show a closer contest.

The 90-minute debate, with a limited and socially distanced in-person audience because of the pandemic, was held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, with Chris Wallace of Fox News serving as the moderator. It is the first of three scheduled presidential debates and one vice presidential debate.

Organizers said there were about 80 people in the audience, including the candidates’ family members, campaign staff, hosts, health and security officials and journalists.

The combustible Trump and more low-key Biden were debating an array of urgent political challenges, including the pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States and thrown millions out of work, protests for racial justice, as well as the battle over the Supreme Court.

Hours before the debate, Biden released his 2019 tax returns and his campaign called on Trump, who has come under fire for not releasing his returns, to do the same.

Biden took the step two days after the New York Times reported Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 - and none in 10 of the previous 15 years - following years of reporting steep losses from business enterprises.

Trump had long sought to keep his personal financial records secret.

Biden's taxes showed that he and his wife Jill paid more than $346,000 in federal taxes and other payments for 2019 on an income of nearly $985,000 before seeking a refund of nearly $47,000 they said they had overpaid the government.

Republican President Donald Trump defended his quick push to try to fill a US Supreme Court seat at the start of his first presidential debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden on Tuesday, saying "elections have consequences" and he had the right despite Democratic objections.

Republican President Donald Trump defended his quick push to try to fill a US Supreme Court seat at the start of his first presidential debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden on Tuesday, saying "elections have consequences" and he had the right despite Democratic objections. "I will tell you very simply we won the election, elections have consequences. We have the Senate and we have the White House and we have a phenomenal nominee respected by all," Trump said in defense of his nominee, conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Also see: Conservative win: Donald Trump nominates Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court Biden, talking over frequent interruptions from Trump, said the seat of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg should be filled after the November 3 election, when it was clear who the president would be. "We should wait, we should wait and see what the outcome of this election is," Biden said, adding a more conservative Supreme Court would endanger the Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare. Trump is moving quickly to fill Ginsburg’s seat in hopes of cementing a 6-3 conservative majority on the court, a key priority for social conservatives. Democrats have argued Republicans are being hypocritical for moving quickly to fill the seat given they blocked then-President Barack Obama's nomination to the Supreme Court in 2016, arguing it should wait until after that November election. Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden as he attempted to answer questions, prompting Biden at one point to interject: "Will you shut up, man?" With more than a million Americans already casting early ballots and time running out to change minds or influence the small sliver of undecided voters, the stakes were enormous as the two White House candidates took the stage five weeks before Election Day. The two contenders did not shake hands as they entered the debate, adhering to protocols on social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. Biden, 77, has held a consistent lead over Trump, 74, in national opinion polls, although surveys in the battleground states that will decide the election show a closer contest. The 90-minute debate, with a limited and socially distanced in-person audience because of the pandemic, was held at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, with Chris Wallace of Fox News serving as the moderator. It is the first of three scheduled presidential debates and one vice presidential debate. Organizers said there were about 80 people in the audience, including the candidates’ family members, campaign staff, hosts, health and security officials and journalists. The combustible Trump and more low-key Biden were debating an array of urgent political challenges, including the pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States and thrown millions out of work, protests for racial justice, as well as the battle over the Supreme Court. Hours before the debate, Biden released his 2019 tax returns and his campaign called on Trump, who has come under fire for not releasing his returns, to do the same. Biden took the step two days after the New York Times reported Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 - and none in 10 of the previous 15 years - following years of reporting steep losses from business enterprises. Trump had long sought to keep his personal financial records secret. Biden's taxes showed that he and his wife Jill paid more than $346,000 in federal taxes and other payments for 2019 on an income of nearly $985,000 before seeking a refund of nearly $47,000 they said they had overpaid the government.

US election 2020: Trump defends Supreme Court pick Barrett

Protests broke out in different parts of the US after a jury issued a ruling in the case of&nbsp;Breonna Taylor's fatal shooting case on Wednesday.

A grand jury considering the case announced that one out of three policemen responsible for shooting the Black&nbsp;medical worker will be charged&nbsp;for wanton endangerment.

This led to several protests across the country as people demanded justice for the 26-year-old who was&nbsp;shot by police officers in her own home on March 13 claiming it to be a narcostics raid.

The ruling got mixed reviews from the candidates of the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections</a>&nbsp;that are&nbsp;scheduled for November 03 this year.

During the protests, two policemen were shot — details are awaited on their and the suspect's identities. Hoping speedy recovery for them, the US President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> tweeted, "Praying for the two police officers that were shot tonight in Louisville, Kentucky. The Federal Government stands behind you and is ready to help. Spoke to&nbsp; 
@GovAndyBeshear and we are prepared to work together, immediately upon request!"

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Praying for the two police officers that were shot tonight in Louisville, Kentucky. The Federal Government stands behind you and is ready to help. Spoke to <a href="https://twitter.com/GovAndyBeshear?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovAndyBeshear</a> and we are prepared to work together, immediately upon request!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1308960421211254785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The tweet attracted criticism from Americans who believe the ruling did not do justice to&nbsp;Breonna Taylor.

He also applauded Kentucky Governor's move to deploy National Guard after protests broke out in the state. "We have a call scheduled to make very shortly with the governor. I understand he's called up the National Guard, which is a good thing. I think it's a very positive thing," Trump said. "And it'll all work out."

Trump's opponent in the&nbsp;US elections&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, condemned the violence against the policemen in the protests, but also lent support to those grieving the lack of justice in the country. "Even amidst the profound grief &amp; anger today's decision generated, violence is never &amp; can never be the answer. Those who engage in it must be held accountable. Jill &amp; I are keeping the officers shot tonight in Louisville in our prayers. We wish them both a swift &amp; full recovery," he tweeted.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Even amidst the profound grief &amp; anger today's decision generated, violence is never &amp; can never be the answer. Those who engage in it must be held accountable. Jill &amp; I are keeping the officers shot tonight in Louisville in our prayers. We wish them both a swift &amp; full recovery.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1308965630104616961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
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His running mate&nbsp;Kamala Harris,&nbsp;too, offered condolences to the policemen who were shot. However, she took a stronger stand against the ruling by condeming the 'no-knock' warrants. "Tonight, I’m thinking of Breonna Taylor’s family who is still grieving the loss of a daughter and sister.&nbsp;We must never stop speaking Breonna’s name as we work to reform our justice system, including overhauling no-knock warrants," she tweeted.

The opposition was supported by&nbsp;Joe Biden&nbsp;in an official statement that read, "We need to start by addressing the use of excessive force, banning chokeholds, and overhauling no-knock warrants."

Protests broke out in different parts of the US after a jury issued a ruling in the case of Breonna Taylor's fatal shooting case on Wednesday. A grand jury considering the case announced that one out of three policemen responsible for shooting the Black medical worker will be charged for wanton endangerment.

Protests broke out in different parts of the US after a jury issued a ruling in the case of Breonna Taylor's fatal shooting case on Wednesday. A grand jury considering the case announced that one out of three policemen responsible for shooting the Black medical worker will be charged for wanton endangerment. This led to several protests across the country as people demanded justice for the 26-year-old who was shot by police officers in her own home on March 13 claiming it to be a narcostics raid. The ruling got mixed reviews from the candidates of the upcoming US elections that are scheduled for November 03 this year. During the protests, two policemen were shot — details are awaited on their and the suspect's identities. Hoping speedy recovery for them, the US President Donald Trump tweeted, "Praying for the two police officers that were shot tonight in Louisville, Kentucky. The Federal Government stands behind you and is ready to help. Spoke to @GovAndyBeshear and we are prepared to work together, immediately upon request!" Praying for the two police officers that were shot tonight in Louisville, Kentucky. The Federal Government stands behind you and is ready to help. Spoke to @GovAndyBeshear and we are prepared to work together, immediately upon request! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2020 × The tweet attracted criticism from Americans who believe the ruling did not do justice to Breonna Taylor. He also applauded Kentucky Governor's move to deploy National Guard after protests broke out in the state. "We have a call scheduled to make very shortly with the governor. I understand he's called up the National Guard, which is a good thing. I think it's a very positive thing," Trump said. "And it'll all work out." Trump's opponent in the US elections Joe Biden, condemned the violence against the policemen in the protests, but also lent support to those grieving the lack of justice in the country. "Even amidst the profound grief & anger today's decision generated, violence is never & can never be the answer. Those who engage in it must be held accountable. Jill & I are keeping the officers shot tonight in Louisville in our prayers. We wish them both a swift & full recovery," he tweeted. Even amidst the profound grief & anger today's decision generated, violence is never & can never be the answer. Those who engage in it must be held accountable. Jill & I are keeping the officers shot tonight in Louisville in our prayers. We wish them both a swift & full recovery. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 24, 2020 × His running mate Kamala Harris, too, offered condolences to the policemen who were shot. However, she took a stronger stand against the ruling by condeming the 'no-knock' warrants. "Tonight, I’m thinking of Breonna Taylor’s family who is still grieving the loss of a daughter and sister. We must never stop speaking Breonna’s name as we work to reform our justice system, including overhauling no-knock warrants," she tweeted. The opposition was supported by Joe Biden in an official statement that read, "We need to start by addressing the use of excessive force, banning chokeholds, and overhauling no-knock warrants."

'Ban no-knock warrant': Biden-Harris react to Breonna Taylor's unjust ruling

US President Donald Trump has termed Senator Kamala Harris as "grossly incompetent," saying he was surprised when his Democratic rival Joe Biden picked her as his running mate in the November 3 presidential election.

Ms Harris, 55, is the first-ever Black, African-American and Indian-American woman to be the vice-presidential candidate of a major political party.

"I was surprised to learn when Joe Biden selected (Kamala) Harris as his running mate. Believe it or not, it's true she is rated the most liberal person in Congress. I think she's grossly incompetent I'll be honest with you," Donald Trump said during a rally in Pennsylvania.

Donald Trump, a Republican, said during the Democratic primaries no one treated Joe Biden as badly as Ms Harris.

"Also, Harris was dropped out of the Democratic Party's presidential race as her popularity ratings dipped low," he said.

Former vice president Biden has defended Ms Harris, saying she is smart, tested and prepared. "She (Kamala Harris) is smart. She is tested. She is prepared," Mr Biden said during a virtual fundraiser event with Ms Harris.

"The way she talks about her mom, her immigrant story that started Indian. It's one of the things that really stood out to me. We both talked about our moms. My mom was all about sacrifice and community and how much they sacrificed for both of us, my mom and hers. And I know the pride you feel in her nomination," Mr Biden said.

Ms Harris, who is busy campaigning in various parts of America, on Tuesday distributed yard signs to supporters who drive by parade-style and spoke at a voter mobilisation event in Detroit.

She also launched Michigan's "Shop Talk" programme at Headliners Barbershop in Detroit. "Everything's at stake," Ms Harris told a woman as she made a brief stop at a woman-owned cold pressed juice company in Michigan.

US President Donald Trump has termed Senator Kamala Harris as "grossly incompetent," saying he was surprised when his Democratic rival Joe Biden picked her as his running mate in the November 3 presidential election.

US President Donald Trump has termed Senator Kamala Harris as "grossly incompetent," saying he was surprised when his Democratic rival Joe Biden picked her as his running mate in the November 3 presidential election. Ms Harris, 55, is the first-ever Black, African-American and Indian-American woman to be the vice-presidential candidate of a major political party. "I was surprised to learn when Joe Biden selected (Kamala) Harris as his running mate. Believe it or not, it's true she is rated the most liberal person in Congress. I think she's grossly incompetent I'll be honest with you," Donald Trump said during a rally in Pennsylvania. Donald Trump, a Republican, said during the Democratic primaries no one treated Joe Biden as badly as Ms Harris. "Also, Harris was dropped out of the Democratic Party's presidential race as her popularity ratings dipped low," he said. Former vice president Biden has defended Ms Harris, saying she is smart, tested and prepared. "She (Kamala Harris) is smart. She is tested. She is prepared," Mr Biden said during a virtual fundraiser event with Ms Harris. "The way she talks about her mom, her immigrant story that started Indian. It's one of the things that really stood out to me. We both talked about our moms. My mom was all about sacrifice and community and how much they sacrificed for both of us, my mom and hers. And I know the pride you feel in her nomination," Mr Biden said. Ms Harris, who is busy campaigning in various parts of America, on Tuesday distributed yard signs to supporters who drive by parade-style and spoke at a voter mobilisation event in Detroit. She also launched Michigan's "Shop Talk" programme at Headliners Barbershop in Detroit. "Everything's at stake," Ms Harris told a woman as she made a brief stop at a woman-owned cold pressed juice company in Michigan.

US Elections 2020: Kamala Harris 'grossly incompetent', surprised after she was chosen vice president nominee, says Trump

Ahead of the election, US President Donald Trump has claimed to announce the nominee this week to replace the Ruth Bader Ginsburg as Associate Justice in the Supreme Court of United States.

US Election 2020: Trump to announce nominee this week to replace Ginsburg in SC

US Election 2020: People can choose to cast vote by mail, But it takes longer for process.. Watch this report by WION-VOA Co-Production..

US Election 2020: People can choose to cast vote by mail, But it takes longer for process | WION-VOA Co-Production

As America starts voting in early polls, watch WION's special broadcast on US Election 2020

U.S. Election 2020 New York Direct | Trump and Biden head to swing states

A day after her birthday, Kamala Harris is getting her own comic book, chronicling her path from childhood to her historic nomination as US vice president.

"Female Force: Kamala Harris," part of Tidalwave Productions' Political Power series, is set for release on October 21, a day after she turns 56. That is less than two weeks before the November 3 US election.

The publisher on its website describes Harris as "full of grit and determination," and says that her "no-nonsense approach and bi-racial heritage have made her a popular member of the Democratic party."

The story begins with her birth in California to Indian biologist Shyamala Gopalan and Jamaican economics professor Donald Harris, and follows her path to becoming the second female African-American and first Asian-American US senator.

A dramatic moment in the Democratic Party's presidential nomination contest is featured, when Harris confronts front-runner Joe Biden in a debate about his work with segregationists in the US Senate to oppose school busing - the practice of transporting students to different school districts to improve racial integration.

"There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public school, and she was bused to school every day," Harris declares. "And that little girl was me."

In a well-known plot twist, Biden clinches the Democratic nomination but names Harris as his running mate.

Other political figures featured in the comic series include US&nbsp;President Donald Trump; Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent in the 2016 election; and 2008 US&nbsp;Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

A day after her birthday, Kamala Harris is getting her own comic book, chronicling her path from childhood to her historic nomination as US vice president. "Female Force: Kamala Harris," part of Tidalwave Productions' Political Power series, is set for release on October 21, a day after she turns 56.

A day after her birthday, Kamala Harris is getting her own comic book, chronicling her path from childhood to her historic nomination as US vice president. "Female Force: Kamala Harris," part of Tidalwave Productions' Political Power series, is set for release on October 21, a day after she turns 56. That is less than two weeks before the November 3 US election. The publisher on its website describes Harris as "full of grit and determination," and says that her "no-nonsense approach and bi-racial heritage have made her a popular member of the Democratic party." The story begins with her birth in California to Indian biologist Shyamala Gopalan and Jamaican economics professor Donald Harris, and follows her path to becoming the second female African-American and first Asian-American US senator. A dramatic moment in the Democratic Party's presidential nomination contest is featured, when Harris confronts front-runner Joe Biden in a debate about his work with segregationists in the US Senate to oppose school busing - the practice of transporting students to different school districts to improve racial integration. "There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public school, and she was bused to school every day," Harris declares. "And that little girl was me." In a well-known plot twist, Biden clinches the Democratic nomination but names Harris as his running mate. Other political figures featured in the comic series include US President Donald Trump; Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent in the 2016 election; and 2008 US Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Kamala Harris stars in new comic book as birthday gift

Smoke from the wildfires ravaging much of the US West Coast has spread to the east of the country, casting a haze over New York and Washington DC

US Wildfires: Over 16,000 firefighters battle more than 2 dozen fires

A Black study group that focussed on race drew Shyamala Gopalan, mother of Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, and her husband Donald Harris together when they arrived at the University of California at Berkeley, a media report said.

A report in The New York Times said that at an off-campus space at the University of California at Berkeley in the fall of 1962, Harris, then a Jamaican Ph.D. Student, addressed a small crowd, drawing parallels between his native country and the US.

He spoke about observing British colonial power in Jamaica, the way a small number of whites had cultivated a "native Black elite" in order to mask extreme social inequality.

Gopalan, who was sitting in the audience, found Harris' ideas "so compelling" that she came up to him after the speech and introduced herself.

"She was a tiny Indian scientist wearing a sari and sandals " the only other foreign student to show up for a talk on race in America."

Donald Harris recalled in The New York Times report that Gopalan was "a standout in appearance relative to everybody else in the group of both men and women."

Gopalan, raised in India, wanted to hear more of Harris' ideas.

"This was all very interesting to me, and, I daresay, a bit charming," Donald Harris, now 82 and an emeritus professor of economics at Stanford, recalled in written answers to questions. "At a subsequent meeting, we talked again, and at the one after that. The rest is now history."

The NYT report quotes their contemporaries as saying that "As a couple, Don Harris and Shyamala Gopalan Harris stood out, with their upper-crust accents and air of intellectual confidence."

Anne Williams, 76, said she found Donald Harris "reserved and academic in his presentation," difficult to get to know. Gopalan was "warm" and "charming."

Indian-born economist Baron Meghnad Desai described Gopalan as a passionate debater, "fiery and radical but not Marxist in any sense." Her husband, he recalled, "did take a serious interest in radical political economy, but he was a calm and patient arguer."

"There was no doubt about that, they were very much together, very much in love," he said. 
The NYT report said that Gopalan, the oldest child in a high-achieving Tamil Brahmin family, wanted to be a biochemist but at Lady Irwin College, she was forced to settle for a degree in home science.

Her brother Gopalan Balachandran said that his father and he used to tease Shyamala Gopalan about her studying home science. "We would say, "What do you study in home science" Do they teach you to set up plates for dinner"' She used to get angry and laugh. She would say, "You don't know what I'm studying.'"

At Berkeley, Gopalan became part of a Black intellectual study group that met off-campus. "She was part of the real brotherhood and sisterhood, there was never an issue," said Aubrey LaBrie, who went on to teach courses on Black nationalism at San Francisco State University. "She was just accepted as part of the group."

When Harris arrived on campus in 1961, he too fell in with the study group right away, the report said. He described the study group as an oasis, his introduction "to the realities of African-American life in its truest and rawest form, its richness and complexity, wealth and poverty, hope and despair."

The NYT report added that it was in this group in 1962 that Harris met his future wife. "We talked then, continued to talk at a subsequent meeting, and at another, and another," he said. The following year they were married.

Gopalan, who had expected to return to India from Berkeley, had later told a local newspaper, "I never came to stay. It's the old story: I fell in love with a guy, we got married, pretty soon kids came."

The NYT report adds that the Harrises' marriage would fray as Harris took short-term teaching positions at two different universities in Illinois. As he won a tenure-track position at the University of Wisconsin, Gopalan settled, instead, with her children in Oakland and West Berkeley.

Gopalan, a research scientist who published influential work on the role of hormones in breast cancer, filed for divorce in 1972.

"She was quite unhappy about the separation but she had already got used to that and she didn't want to talk to Don after that," said Balachandran, her brother. "When you love somebody, then love turns into very hard bitterness, you don't even want to talk to them."

Kamala Harris, 55, has written about her parents splitting up in her 2018 memoir "The Truths We Hold'. Harris wrote, "I knew they loved each other very much, but it seemed like they had become like oil and water."

She wrote that "had they been a little older, a little more emotionally mature, maybe the marriage could have survived. But they were so young. My father was my mother's first boyfriend."

Kamala Harris is a Senator from California. She is the first ever black, African American and a person of Indian descent to be nominated as a vice presidential nominee by a major political party in the United States. 
&nbsp;

A Black study group that focussed on race drew Shyamala Gopalan, mother of Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, and her husband Donald Harris together when they arrived at the University of California at Berkeley, a media report said.

A Black study group that focussed on race drew Shyamala Gopalan, mother of Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, and her husband Donald Harris together when they arrived at the University of California at Berkeley, a media report said. A report in The New York Times said that at an off-campus space at the University of California at Berkeley in the fall of 1962, Harris, then a Jamaican Ph.D. Student, addressed a small crowd, drawing parallels between his native country and the US. He spoke about observing British colonial power in Jamaica, the way a small number of whites had cultivated a "native Black elite" in order to mask extreme social inequality. Gopalan, who was sitting in the audience, found Harris' ideas "so compelling" that she came up to him after the speech and introduced herself. "She was a tiny Indian scientist wearing a sari and sandals " the only other foreign student to show up for a talk on race in America." Donald Harris recalled in The New York Times report that Gopalan was "a standout in appearance relative to everybody else in the group of both men and women." Gopalan, raised in India, wanted to hear more of Harris' ideas. "This was all very interesting to me, and, I daresay, a bit charming," Donald Harris, now 82 and an emeritus professor of economics at Stanford, recalled in written answers to questions. "At a subsequent meeting, we talked again, and at the one after that. The rest is now history." The NYT report quotes their contemporaries as saying that "As a couple, Don Harris and Shyamala Gopalan Harris stood out, with their upper-crust accents and air of intellectual confidence." Anne Williams, 76, said she found Donald Harris "reserved and academic in his presentation," difficult to get to know. Gopalan was "warm" and "charming." Indian-born economist Baron Meghnad Desai described Gopalan as a passionate debater, "fiery and radical but not Marxist in any sense." Her husband, he recalled, "did take a serious interest in radical political economy, but he was a calm and patient arguer." "There was no doubt about that, they were very much together, very much in love," he said. The NYT report said that Gopalan, the oldest child in a high-achieving Tamil Brahmin family, wanted to be a biochemist but at Lady Irwin College, she was forced to settle for a degree in home science. Her brother Gopalan Balachandran said that his father and he used to tease Shyamala Gopalan about her studying home science. "We would say, "What do you study in home science" Do they teach you to set up plates for dinner"' She used to get angry and laugh. She would say, "You don't know what I'm studying.'" At Berkeley, Gopalan became part of a Black intellectual study group that met off-campus. "She was part of the real brotherhood and sisterhood, there was never an issue," said Aubrey LaBrie, who went on to teach courses on Black nationalism at San Francisco State University. "She was just accepted as part of the group." When Harris arrived on campus in 1961, he too fell in with the study group right away, the report said. He described the study group as an oasis, his introduction "to the realities of African-American life in its truest and rawest form, its richness and complexity, wealth and poverty, hope and despair." The NYT report added that it was in this group in 1962 that Harris met his future wife. "We talked then, continued to talk at a subsequent meeting, and at another, and another," he said. The following year they were married. Gopalan, who had expected to return to India from Berkeley, had later told a local newspaper, "I never came to stay. It's the old story: I fell in love with a guy, we got married, pretty soon kids came." The NYT report adds that the Harrises' marriage would fray as Harris took short-term teaching positions at two different universities in Illinois. As he won a tenure-track position at the University of Wisconsin, Gopalan settled, instead, with her children in Oakland and West Berkeley. Gopalan, a research scientist who published influential work on the role of hormones in breast cancer, filed for divorce in 1972. "She was quite unhappy about the separation but she had already got used to that and she didn't want to talk to Don after that," said Balachandran, her brother. "When you love somebody, then love turns into very hard bitterness, you don't even want to talk to them." Kamala Harris, 55, has written about her parents splitting up in her 2018 memoir "The Truths We Hold'. Harris wrote, "I knew they loved each other very much, but it seemed like they had become like oil and water." She wrote that "had they been a little older, a little more emotionally mature, maybe the marriage could have survived. But they were so young. My father was my mother's first boyfriend." Kamala Harris is a Senator from California. She is the first ever black, African American and a person of Indian descent to be nominated as a vice presidential nominee by a major political party in the United States.

Kamala Harris' parents found common ground in a Black study group after their arrival in US

As the US Presidential campaign moves into high gear, what issues dominate the American minds? VOANews-WION Partnership special broadcast on US Election 2020

US Election 2020: Trump encourages supporters to try to vote twice; Critics slam Trump's comments

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris has said her mother Shyamala Gopalan was her source of inspiration who had guided her throughout her entire life.

"My mother always used to say, ''Don't just sit around and complain about things. Do something''," Harris, 55, wrote in a fundraising email to her supporters on Wednesday. "Her words have guided me through my entire life, pushing me to take action, solve problems and fight for solutions."

The Indian-origin senator said it was not a hard decision when Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called her to be his running mate.

"I knew I had to do exactly what my mother would have wanted me to do. With so much on the line, I had to do something," said Harris, the first Black woman on a major party vice-presidential ticket.

"I couldn't be more grateful to be a part of this ticket, or more humbled by the outpouring of support Joe and I have received over these past few weeks on the trail. And honestly, we're going to need every ounce of it," she said, urging her supporters to chip in with their contribution.

Harris has helped not only enthused the party's base, but also helped the campaign raise record amount of money.

During a virtual fundraiser a day earlier, which was hosted by Indian-American and ''Top Chef'' host Padma Lakshmi and actor Billy Porter, Harris spoke about her parents'' involvement in civil rights marches when she was growing up in Oakland.

Ms Harris also said she still finds time to cook Sunday dinners for her family despite her hectic schedule and nationwide campaigning as. The Senator also spoke about her mother''s cooking, noting that she was an "extraordinary cook".

According to Politico, Harris is an enthusiastic cook who bookmarks recipes from the New York Times'' cooking section and had tried almost all the recipes from Alice Waters'' ''The Art of Simple Food''.

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris has said her mother Shyamala Gopalan was her source of inspiration who had guided her throughout her entire life.

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris has said her mother Shyamala Gopalan was her source of inspiration who had guided her throughout her entire life. "My mother always used to say, ''Don't just sit around and complain about things. Do something''," Harris, 55, wrote in a fundraising email to her supporters on Wednesday. "Her words have guided me through my entire life, pushing me to take action, solve problems and fight for solutions." The Indian-origin senator said it was not a hard decision when Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called her to be his running mate. "I knew I had to do exactly what my mother would have wanted me to do. With so much on the line, I had to do something," said Harris, the first Black woman on a major party vice-presidential ticket. "I couldn't be more grateful to be a part of this ticket, or more humbled by the outpouring of support Joe and I have received over these past few weeks on the trail. And honestly, we're going to need every ounce of it," she said, urging her supporters to chip in with their contribution. Harris has helped not only enthused the party's base, but also helped the campaign raise record amount of money. During a virtual fundraiser a day earlier, which was hosted by Indian-American and ''Top Chef'' host Padma Lakshmi and actor Billy Porter, Harris spoke about her parents'' involvement in civil rights marches when she was growing up in Oakland. Ms Harris also said she still finds time to cook Sunday dinners for her family despite her hectic schedule and nationwide campaigning as. The Senator also spoke about her mother''s cooking, noting that she was an "extraordinary cook". According to Politico, Harris is an enthusiastic cook who bookmarks recipes from the New York Times'' cooking section and had tried almost all the recipes from Alice Waters'' ''The Art of Simple Food''.

US election 2020: 'Her words guided me pushing me to action' — Kamala Harris on mother 

US President Donald Trump has attacked Democratic Vice President nominee Kamala Harris saying "people don't like her" and it would be "an insult" to the US if she becomes President.

"It's very simple to remember - if Biden wins, China wins, it is as simple as that. You have a situation where we build the greatest economy in the history of the world and we were forced to close it because the China plague came in and now we have opened it (the economy)," Trump said at a rally in North Carolina.

"People don't like her (US Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris) - nobody likes her. She can never be the first woman president of the US. It will be an insult to our country," he added.

He further said that "it was clear" why China and the "rioters" want Biden to win because "they know his policies will be the downfall of America".

Further attacking Kamala Harris, Trump said that it was interesting that Biden picked her as his running mate in the upcoming elections even after she "left the race".

"She left the race (for president) and it's interesting that they picked her because, in theory, they should win California but I don't know, we will make them play for that. You always pick someone who is going up in the polls," Trump added.

Trump further said that he views the trade deal with China "much differently" now than he did before. "We signed a great trade deal (with China) but the ink was not dry when the plague (COVID-19) came in so I view that trade deal much differently than I did before," he said.

The US Presidential elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, this year.

US President Donald Trump has attacked Democratic Vice President nominee Kamala Harris saying "people don't like her" and it would be "an insult" to the US if she becomes President.

US President Donald Trump has attacked Democratic Vice President nominee Kamala Harris saying "people don't like her" and it would be "an insult" to the US if she becomes President. "It's very simple to remember - if Biden wins, China wins, it is as simple as that. You have a situation where we build the greatest economy in the history of the world and we were forced to close it because the China plague came in and now we have opened it (the economy)," Trump said at a rally in North Carolina. "People don't like her (US Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris) - nobody likes her. She can never be the first woman president of the US. It will be an insult to our country," he added. He further said that "it was clear" why China and the "rioters" want Biden to win because "they know his policies will be the downfall of America". Further attacking Kamala Harris, Trump said that it was interesting that Biden picked her as his running mate in the upcoming elections even after she "left the race". "She left the race (for president) and it's interesting that they picked her because, in theory, they should win California but I don't know, we will make them play for that. You always pick someone who is going up in the polls," Trump added. Trump further said that he views the trade deal with China "much differently" now than he did before. "We signed a great trade deal (with China) but the ink was not dry when the plague (COVID-19) came in so I view that trade deal much differently than I did before," he said. The US Presidential elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, this year.

US election 2020: Kamala Harris becoming first woman president will be insult to US, says Trump

US President Donald Trump has attacked Democratic Vice President nominee Kamala Harris at a campaign rally by saying "people don't like her" and it would be "an insult" to the US if she becomes President.

Trump launches verbal attacks at Kamala Harris at campaign rally

Democratic US&nbsp;vice presidential candidate&nbsp;Kamala&nbsp;Harris&nbsp;said on Monday that the country has&nbsp;two systems of justice for Black and White Americans.

The strong criticism from Harris, the first Black and Indian-American woman on a major party vice presidential ticket came after President Donald Trump and his Attorney General denied there is systemic racism in the country's justice system.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/from-beginning-of-pandemic-he-called-it-hoax-kamala-harris-on-trump-325615" hreflang="en">‘From beginning of pandemic, he called it hoax’: Kamala Harris on Trump</a>

Democratic Party's presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate Harris are challenging incumbent President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence of the Republican Party in the November 3 election.

Harris, 55, strongly criticised President Trump and Attorney General William Barr for denying there is systemic racism in the US justice system, saying they are "spending full time in a different reality."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-interference-could-theoretically-cost-democrats-presidential-election-kamala-harris-325599" hreflang="en">Russian interference could theoretically cost Democrats presidential election: Kamala Harris</a>

"The reality of America today is what we have seen over generations and, frankly, since our inception, which is, we do have two systems of justice in America," Harris said an interview.

But she said she was optimistic that as a nation, Americans hold dear to an ideal that is inscribed in marble on the Supreme Court, which is that ideal of equal justice under law.

"And so, while we have two systems of justice, we also fight for equal justice under law. And that means doing what Joe Biden and I are proposing, which is having a criminal justice system that, yes, bans choke holds and carotid holds, make sure that we're going to require accountability for police officers who break the rules and break the law."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-election-experts-warn-result-of-presidential-poll-could-be-delayed-325756/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Harris said their administration would invest in communities and the economic strength of those communities, but doing it all recognising that there are huge disparities in the country based on race.

"And it does us no good if we want to solve those disparities to pretend they don't exist," she said.

Harris also suggested that President Trump was not a "real leader" on racial justice and was trying to "pretend that he has been a leader" on the coronavirus pandemic.

"I don't think that most reasonable people who are paying attention to the facts would dispute that there are racial disparities and a system that has engaged in racism in terms of how the laws have been enforced," said Harris, a California senator and former state attorney general.

"It does us no good to deny that. Let's just deal with it. Let's be honest. These might be difficult conversations for some, but they're not difficult conversations for leaders, not for real leaders."

Barr, America's top law enforcement official, dismissed the idea of "two justice systems" told CNN on Wednesday. "I think we have to be a little careful about throwing the idea of racism around," he said. "I don't think it is as common as people suggest."

Asked specifically about systemic racism during his visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin, last week, Trump refused to acknowledge it, saying, "Well, you know, you just keep getting back to the opposite subject. We should talk about the kind of violence we've seen in Portland and here and other places."

Protests against racial injustice, particularly in law enforcement, have swept across America as police violence against Black Americans,&nbsp;including George Floyd in Minneapolis, Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin and Daniel Prude in Rochester, New York,&nbsp;has dominated headlines in recent months.

"I'm very clear that we have got to in America re-imagine how we are accomplishing public safety," Harris - the child of immigrants from India and Jamaica - said.

"If we want to create safe communities, one of the smartest ways we can do that is invest in the health of those communities, because healthy communities are safe communities," Harris said.

"There is no vaccine for racism," she had said in her acceptance speech last month and criticised Trump for turing "our tragedies into political weapons," she said.

"Donald Trump's failure has cost lives and livelihoods," Harris had said, referring to the racing tensions and the coronavirus pandemic that has severely hit the country.

Meanwhile, Harris on Monday tweeted that ''President Trump keeps saying the US economy is improving, but the truth is, only the wealthiest are reaping the benefits.''

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump keeps saying the economy is improving—but the truth is, only the wealthiest are reaping the benefits. Meanwhile: 
→Over 100,000 small businesses have closed their doors for good 
→Almost 30M people are on unemployment 
→Too many families are unsure how to pay their rent
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1302788177166503936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

She pointed out that over 100,000 small businesses have closed their doors for good, almost 30 million are on unemployment and too many families are unsure how to pay their rent, amidst the severe impact of the pandemic.

Democratic US vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said on Monday that the country has two systems of justice for Black and White Americans. The strong criticism from Harris, the first Black and Indian-American woman on a major party vice presidential ticket came after President Donald Trump and his Attorney General denied there is systemic racism in the country's justice system.

Democratic US vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said on Monday that the country has two systems of justice for Black and White Americans. The strong criticism from Harris, the first Black and Indian-American woman on a major party vice presidential ticket came after President Donald Trump and his Attorney General denied there is systemic racism in the country's justice system. Also read: ‘From beginning of pandemic, he called it hoax’: Kamala Harris on Trump Democratic Party's presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate Harris are challenging incumbent President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence of the Republican Party in the November 3 election. Harris, 55, strongly criticised President Trump and Attorney General William Barr for denying there is systemic racism in the US justice system, saying they are "spending full time in a different reality." Also read: Russian interference could theoretically cost Democrats presidential election: Kamala Harris "The reality of America today is what we have seen over generations and, frankly, since our inception, which is, we do have two systems of justice in America," Harris said an interview. But she said she was optimistic that as a nation, Americans hold dear to an ideal that is inscribed in marble on the Supreme Court, which is that ideal of equal justice under law. "And so, while we have two systems of justice, we also fight for equal justice under law. And that means doing what Joe Biden and I are proposing, which is having a criminal justice system that, yes, bans choke holds and carotid holds, make sure that we're going to require accountability for police officers who break the rules and break the law." Harris said their administration would invest in communities and the economic strength of those communities, but doing it all recognising that there are huge disparities in the country based on race. "And it does us no good if we want to solve those disparities to pretend they don't exist," she said. Harris also suggested that President Trump was not a "real leader" on racial justice and was trying to "pretend that he has been a leader" on the coronavirus pandemic. "I don't think that most reasonable people who are paying attention to the facts would dispute that there are racial disparities and a system that has engaged in racism in terms of how the laws have been enforced," said Harris, a California senator and former state attorney general. "It does us no good to deny that. Let's just deal with it. Let's be honest. These might be difficult conversations for some, but they're not difficult conversations for leaders, not for real leaders." Barr, America's top law enforcement official, dismissed the idea of "two justice systems" told CNN on Wednesday. "I think we have to be a little careful about throwing the idea of racism around," he said. "I don't think it is as common as people suggest." Asked specifically about systemic racism during his visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin, last week, Trump refused to acknowledge it, saying, "Well, you know, you just keep getting back to the opposite subject. We should talk about the kind of violence we've seen in Portland and here and other places." Protests against racial injustice, particularly in law enforcement, have swept across America as police violence against Black Americans, including George Floyd in Minneapolis, Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin and Daniel Prude in Rochester, New York, has dominated headlines in recent months. "I'm very clear that we have got to in America re-imagine how we are accomplishing public safety," Harris - the child of immigrants from India and Jamaica - said. "If we want to create safe communities, one of the smartest ways we can do that is invest in the health of those communities, because healthy communities are safe communities," Harris said. "There is no vaccine for racism," she had said in her acceptance speech last month and criticised Trump for turing "our tragedies into political weapons," she said. "Donald Trump's failure has cost lives and livelihoods," Harris had said, referring to the racing tensions and the coronavirus pandemic that has severely hit the country. Meanwhile, Harris on Monday tweeted that ''President Trump keeps saying the US economy is improving, but the truth is, only the wealthiest are reaping the benefits.'' Trump keeps saying the economy is improving—but the truth is, only the wealthiest are reaping the benefits. Meanwhile: →Over 100,000 small businesses have closed their doors for good →Almost 30M people are on unemployment →Too many families are unsure how to pay their rent — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 7, 2020 × She pointed out that over 100,000 small businesses have closed their doors for good, almost 30 million are on unemployment and too many families are unsure how to pay their rent, amidst the severe impact of the pandemic.

Two systems of justice prevail in America, says Kamala Harris

US Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris hit out at US President Donald Trump and said that he has called it a hoax and minimised the seriousness of it.

"From the beginning of this pandemic, he has called it a hoax. He has muzzled the public health experts - he has minimised the seriousness of it. If he had listened to the scientists and the experts, he would have understood the gravity of it," Harris told CNN. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-again-defends-himself-blasts-media-over-report-stating-he-disparaged-us-troops-325596">Also read | Trump again defends himself, blasts media over report stating he disparaged US troops</a> 
 
"We have a President of the United States who made this a partisan issue. The virus could care less who you voted for in the last election or who you plan to vote for in the next election," the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate said.

Yesterday, Kamala Harris had said that she would not take President Donald Trump's word on covid vaccine's safety and efficacy.

"I would not trust Donald Trump and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of (a vaccine)," Harris told CNN.

A shot against the virus that has killed over 188,000 in the US and hobbled the world's largest economy has become another flashpoint ahead of the November 3 vote.

As per the latest update, US - the worst affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic - has 6,270,950 cases and 188,810 deaths due to the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University.

(With inputs from agencies)

US Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris hit out at US President Donald Trump and said that he has called it a hoax and minimised the seriousness of it. "From the beginning of this pandemic, he has called it a hoax.

US Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris hit out at US President Donald Trump and said that he has called it a hoax and minimised the seriousness of it. "From the beginning of this pandemic, he has called it a hoax. He has muzzled the public health experts - he has minimised the seriousness of it. If he had listened to the scientists and the experts, he would have understood the gravity of it," Harris told CNN. Also read | Trump again defends himself, blasts media over report stating he disparaged US troops "We have a President of the United States who made this a partisan issue. The virus could care less who you voted for in the last election or who you plan to vote for in the next election," the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate said. Yesterday, Kamala Harris had said that she would not take President Donald Trump's word on covid vaccine's safety and efficacy. "I would not trust Donald Trump and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of (a vaccine)," Harris told CNN. A shot against the virus that has killed over 188,000 in the US and hobbled the world's largest economy has become another flashpoint ahead of the November 3 vote. As per the latest update, US - the worst affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic - has 6,270,950 cases and 188,810 deaths due to the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. (With inputs from agencies)

‘From beginning of pandemic, he called it hoax’: Kamala Harris on Trump

Russian interference could theoretically cost Democrats the presidential elections, party's vice-presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris said on Sunday.

"I am clear that Russia interfered in the election of the president of the United States in 2016," Harris told CNN in an interview.

"I serve on the Senate Intelligence Committee. We have published detailed reports about exactly what we believe happened. And I do believe that there will be foreign interference in the 2020 election and that Russia will be at the front of the line," she said responding to a question on the allegations of Russian interference in the presidential elections.

"Could it cost you the White House?" she was asked. "Theoretically, of course, yes," Harris said.

Responding to another question, Kamala Harris alleged that there are classic voter suppression at play in this upcoming election, where, after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act with Shelby v. Holder in 2013, dozens of states passed laws that were designed to suppress the black vote, to suppress students from voting, to suppress indigenous people from voting, so much so that, in North Carolina, a court of appeals said the law was passed with surgical precision to get in the way of black voters from voting.

"So, we have classic voter suppression. We have what happened in 2016, which is foreign interference. We have a president who is trying to convince the American people not to believe in the integrity of our election system and compromise their belief that their vote might count," Kamala Harris said.

"These things are all at play. I am very realistic. Joe is realistic about the fact that, until we can win and get in and put some teeth back in the Voting Rights Act, and bring back the public's confidence in the system, that there will be many obstacles that people are intentionally placing in front of Americans' ability to vote," she said.

"But we will surpass and surmount and get around those obstacles," Harris said in response to the question.

Russian interference could theoretically cost Democrats the presidential elections, party's vice-presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris said on Sunday. "I am clear that Russia interfered in the election of the president of the United States in 2016," Harris told CNN in an interview.

Russian interference could theoretically cost Democrats the presidential elections, party's vice-presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris said on Sunday. "I am clear that Russia interfered in the election of the president of the United States in 2016," Harris told CNN in an interview. "I serve on the Senate Intelligence Committee. We have published detailed reports about exactly what we believe happened. And I do believe that there will be foreign interference in the 2020 election and that Russia will be at the front of the line," she said responding to a question on the allegations of Russian interference in the presidential elections. "Could it cost you the White House?" she was asked. "Theoretically, of course, yes," Harris said. Responding to another question, Kamala Harris alleged that there are classic voter suppression at play in this upcoming election, where, after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act with Shelby v. Holder in 2013, dozens of states passed laws that were designed to suppress the black vote, to suppress students from voting, to suppress indigenous people from voting, so much so that, in North Carolina, a court of appeals said the law was passed with surgical precision to get in the way of black voters from voting. "So, we have classic voter suppression. We have what happened in 2016, which is foreign interference. We have a president who is trying to convince the American people not to believe in the integrity of our election system and compromise their belief that their vote might count," Kamala Harris said. "These things are all at play. I am very realistic. Joe is realistic about the fact that, until we can win and get in and put some teeth back in the Voting Rights Act, and bring back the public's confidence in the system, that there will be many obstacles that people are intentionally placing in front of Americans' ability to vote," she said. "But we will surpass and surmount and get around those obstacles," Harris said in response to the question.

'Russian interference in election could cost White House': Kamala Harris

A Vice Presidential race like no other. America will choose between a woman of colour and a veteran politician for the second office in the US. WION brings you a special report on the Vice Presidential candidates.

Who is the next Vice-President of America? | WION News

Russian interference could theoretically cost Democrats the presidential elections, party's vice-presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris said on Sunday.

"I am clear that Russia interfered in the election of president of the United States in 2016," Harris told CNN in an interview.

"I serve on the Senate Intelligence Committee. We have published detailed reports about exactly what we believe happened. And I do believe that there will be foreign interference in the 2020 election, and that Russia will be at the front of the line," she said responding to a question on the allegations of Russian interference in the presidential elections.

"Could it cost you the White House"" she was asked. "Theoretically, of course, yes," Harris said.

Responding to another question, Harris alleged that there are classic voter suppression at play in this election coming up, where, after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act with Shelby v. Holder in 2013, dozens of states passed laws that were designed to suppress the black vote, to suppress students from voting, to suppress indigenous people from voting, so much so that, in North Carolina, a court of appeals said the law was passed with surgical precision to get in the way of black voters from voting.

"So, we have classic voter suppression. We have what happened in 2016, which is foreign interference. We have a president who is trying to convince the American people not to believe in the integrity of our election system and compromise their belief that their vote might actually count," Harris said.

"These things are all at play. I am very realistic. Joe is realistic about the fact that, until we can win and get in and put some teeth back in the Voting Rights Act, and bring back the public's confidence in the system, that there will be many obstacles that people are intentionally placing in front of Americans' ability to vote," she said.

"But we will surpass and surmount and get around those obstacles," Harris said in response to the question.&nbsp;

Russian interference could theoretically cost Democrats the presidential elections, party's vice-presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris said on Sunday. "I am clear that Russia interfered in the election of president of the United States in 2016," Harris told CNN in an interview.

Russian interference could theoretically cost Democrats the presidential elections, party's vice-presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris said on Sunday. "I am clear that Russia interfered in the election of president of the United States in 2016," Harris told CNN in an interview. "I serve on the Senate Intelligence Committee. We have published detailed reports about exactly what we believe happened. And I do believe that there will be foreign interference in the 2020 election, and that Russia will be at the front of the line," she said responding to a question on the allegations of Russian interference in the presidential elections. "Could it cost you the White House"" she was asked. "Theoretically, of course, yes," Harris said. Responding to another question, Harris alleged that there are classic voter suppression at play in this election coming up, where, after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act with Shelby v. Holder in 2013, dozens of states passed laws that were designed to suppress the black vote, to suppress students from voting, to suppress indigenous people from voting, so much so that, in North Carolina, a court of appeals said the law was passed with surgical precision to get in the way of black voters from voting. "So, we have classic voter suppression. We have what happened in 2016, which is foreign interference. We have a president who is trying to convince the American people not to believe in the integrity of our election system and compromise their belief that their vote might actually count," Harris said. "These things are all at play. I am very realistic. Joe is realistic about the fact that, until we can win and get in and put some teeth back in the Voting Rights Act, and bring back the public's confidence in the system, that there will be many obstacles that people are intentionally placing in front of Americans' ability to vote," she said. "But we will surpass and surmount and get around those obstacles," Harris said in response to the question.

Russian interference could theoretically cost Democrats presidential election: Kamala Harris

With the presidential candidates accepting their nominations, the biggest election of 2020 has officially begun. WION brings you a detailed report on why conventions are necessary for democracies.

Conventions: The launchpad to Presidency

Eight days of politics, promises, political blunders, awkward moments, and a lot of tokenism. WION gets you the highlights from the 8 days of the high-voltage political drama of US elections.

Who will America choose?

Democrat's vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Saturday said that if a vaccine for COVID-19 &nbsp;is available before November's election, she would not take President Trump's word on its safety and efficacy.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/multiple-vessels-during-pro-trump-boat-parade-in-texas-sink-no-injuries-reported-325470" hreflang="en">Multiple vessels during pro-Trump boat parade in Texas sink</a>

Trump administration has been under scrutiny over its handling of the virus which has sparked fears of his government rushing the vaccine research to release it before the elections.&nbsp;

"I would not trust Donald Trump and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of (a vaccine)," Harris told CNN.

"I will not take his word for it."

The head of the US Food and Drug Administration recently claimed that a COVID-19 vaccine would be rolled out in the US before completing its trials.

In an interview with The Financial Times on Sunday, Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of FDA said that he was ready to allow “emergency use” for a coronavirus vaccine, even before stage 3 of the human trials come to a close.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/expect-drive-thrus-stadiums-to-be-converted-to-in-person-polling-places-for-us-election-325456">Expect stadiums to be converted to in-person polling places for US election</a>

Hahn added that the “benefit outweighs the risk in a public health emergency”, as the US nears 6 million cases.

Many analysts believe that Trump wants to fast track a vaccine before the upcoming November elections to sway the vote in his favour. Medical professionals are also wary of the risks posed by using an untested vaccine.

Currently, Trump’s Operation Warp Speed is underway, which a public-private partnership to develop a coronavirus vaccine.

However, on Monday, The White House said that "no one is pressuring the FDA to do anything" after reports said there is increasing pressure on the agency to pass the coronavirus vaccine ahead of the US election to be held on November 3.

"The priority here is saving lives," White House spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany said.

Meanwhile drugmaker Pfizer said it should know by the end of October whether the coronavirus vaccine it is developing with BioNTech is safe and effective. The drugmaker said that it will seek approval immediately if trial results show positive results.

Pfizer and Moderna had begun final phase-3 clinical trials on July 27 with the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA) likely to give emergency use approval for critically ill patients to allow an early release to the public.

US infections diseases expert Anthony Fauci said that initial results could come in "November or December."

Democrat's vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Saturday said that if a vaccine for COVID-19 is available before November's election, she would not take President Trump's word on its safety and efficacy.

Democrat's vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Saturday said that if a vaccine for COVID-19 is available before November's election, she would not take President Trump's word on its safety and efficacy. Also read: Multiple vessels during pro-Trump boat parade in Texas sink Trump administration has been under scrutiny over its handling of the virus which has sparked fears of his government rushing the vaccine research to release it before the elections. "I would not trust Donald Trump and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of (a vaccine)," Harris told CNN. "I will not take his word for it." The head of the US Food and Drug Administration recently claimed that a COVID-19 vaccine would be rolled out in the US before completing its trials. In an interview with The Financial Times on Sunday, Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of FDA said that he was ready to allow “emergency use” for a coronavirus vaccine, even before stage 3 of the human trials come to a close. Also read: Expect stadiums to be converted to in-person polling places for US election Hahn added that the “benefit outweighs the risk in a public health emergency”, as the US nears 6 million cases. Many analysts believe that Trump wants to fast track a vaccine before the upcoming November elections to sway the vote in his favour. Medical professionals are also wary of the risks posed by using an untested vaccine. Currently, Trump’s Operation Warp Speed is underway, which a public-private partnership to develop a coronavirus vaccine. However, on Monday, The White House said that "no one is pressuring the FDA to do anything" after reports said there is increasing pressure on the agency to pass the coronavirus vaccine ahead of the US election to be held on November 3. "The priority here is saving lives," White House spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany said. Meanwhile drugmaker Pfizer said it should know by the end of October whether the coronavirus vaccine it is developing with BioNTech is safe and effective. The drugmaker said that it will seek approval immediately if trial results show positive results. Pfizer and Moderna had begun final phase-3 clinical trials on July 27 with the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA) likely to give emergency use approval for critically ill patients to allow an early release to the public. US infections diseases expert Anthony Fauci said that initial results could come in "November or December."

'Will not trust him': Kamala Harris on Donald Trump's pre-election vaccine

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