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Biden honours veterans on his last Veterans Day as President 

Biden said supporting veterans and their families is not a partisan issue, and he noted that Congress has easily passed legislation looking to address issues facing veterans and their families….reports Asian Lite News

United States outgoing President Joe Biden on Monday expressed deep gratitude to veterans for their dedication to the nation, emphasizing the importance of honouring commitment of those who have served. 

Speaking at the Veterans Day ceremony held at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, Biden noted that this would be his last Veterans Day as commander-in-chief. “It has been the greatest honour of my life to lead you, to serve you, care for you [and] to defend you just as you defended us,” he said. 

Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis R. McDonough, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., attended the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the speech at the Memorial Amphitheater, the US Department of Defense said in a statement. 

Biden took inspiration for his remarks from Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address delivered on March 4, 1865. Biden, too, called to “bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.” 

Biden said supporting veterans and their families is not a partisan issue, and he noted that Congress has easily passed legislation looking to address issues facing veterans and their families. This covers issues like addressing exposure to toxic substances. The president has worked with Congress to expand veterans’ access to health care, address veteran homelessness and support education and workforce opportunity for veterans and their families. 

“Biden announced that under the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, also known as the PACT Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs will expand the number of cancers covered to all veterans who served at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan. That base — called K2 — was polluted by jet fuel and more. The PACT Act makes it easier for effected veterans to qualify for care. “We’re committed to getting this rule in place by the end of my term,” Biden said. “Folks, this matters. Too many veterans have served only to return home to suffer from permanent effects of poisonous chemicals,” the statement added. 

Veterans are an inspiration to America, the president said. “We think about all that our veterans have given to our nation, serving and sacrificing in uniform, just as they serve and sacrifice here at home — as educators, firefighters, law enforcement officers, construction workers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, doctors, nurses, elected leaders and so much more,” Biden said. “They routinely put aside differences and work together.” 

Biden urged the nation to follow the example of veterans in this regard. “This is the moment to come together as a nation, to keep faith in each other,” he said. “The world is dependent on each of you and all of us, to keep honouring the women and the men and the families who have borne the battle, to keep protecting everything they fought for. Keep striving to heal our nation’s wounds. Keep perfecting our union.” (ANI) 

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Biden cancels trip to Germany and Angola

Biden said Milton’s strength was such that it has the potential “to both enter Florida as a hurricane and leave Florida as a hurricane on the Atlantic Coast…reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden said Tuesday he is postponing a planned trip to Germany and Angola to stay at the White House to monitor Hurricane Milton, as it spins closer to Florida’s Gulf Coast.

“I just don’t think I can be out of the country at this time,” he said at the White House after senior members of the administration updated him on the storm and the government’s preparations. Biden warned that Milton “could be one of the worst storms in 100 years to hit Florida,” and said he’s working “to increase the size and presence” of the federal government’s response.

He said people in the storm’s path should heed local orders to evacuate and leave “now.”

“You should have already evacuated,” Biden said, seated with some of the officials who briefed him. “It’s a matter of life and death, and that’s not hyperbole. It’s a matter of life and death.”

Biden said Milton’s strength was such that it has the potential “to both enter Florida as a hurricane and leave Florida as a hurricane on the Atlantic Coast. This could be the worst storm to hit Florida in over a century. God willing it won’t be, but that’s what it’s looking like right now.”

He asked commercial airlines and other companies for help with evacuations. “I’m calling on the airlines and other companies to provide as much service as possible to accommodate evacuations and not to engage in price gouging, to just do it on the level,” Biden said.

It was unclear when Biden’s overseas trip might be rescheduled and the White House did not announce new travel dates. The president had been scheduled to depart Thursday for Germany, where he had planned to host a summit on the war in Ukraine with allied nations at a U.S. military base before continuing on to Angola.

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said officials would look for a date and location to replace Saturday’s planned meeting on Ukraine.

The German government issued a statement saying “we very much regret the cancellation, but of course we understand due to the situation in Florida.”

Biden had promised to visit Africa during his term in office, which ends in January. He said Tuesday that he still intends to make the journey.

“I’m still planning on visiting all the places I said I’d be and all the conferences I said I’d participate in,” he said.

Hurricane Milton weakened slightly Tuesday but remained a ferocious storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on the populous Tampa Bay region with towering storm surges and turn debris from Helene’s recent devastation into projectiles.

Most of Florida’s west coast was under a hurricane or tropical storm warning as Milton and its 145 mph (230 kph) winds spun just off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, creeping toward the state. With the storm expected to remain fairly strong as it crosses Florida, parts of the state’s eastern coast were put under hurricane warnings early Tuesday. Milton’s center could come ashore Wednesday night in the Tampa Bay area, which has a population of more than 3.3 million people.

This year’s hurricane season has caused havoc for political calendars in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign. Less than two weeks ago, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, cut short a West Coast trip to return to Washington after Helene made landfall. She later visited Georgia and North Carolina, where some of the worst damage took place.

Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, has also traveled through the Southeast, including two trips to Georgia.

ALSO READ: Harris holds slight edge over Trump

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Biden Says Israel Should Explore Alternatives To Attacking Iran Oil Sites

President Biden said Israel must be significantly more cautious about civilian casualties, reports Asian Lite News

US President Joe Biden, addressing the Israel-Iran conflict, stated that if he were Israeli, he would consider alternatives to striking oil fields.

Biden mentioned that Israeli authorities are still deliberating on how they would proceed with any strikes. He remarked, “The Israelis have not yet decided on the specifics of their response. If I were in their position, I would explore alternatives to targeting oil fields.”

While defending Israel’s right to respond to attacks, Biden stressed the importance of caution regarding civilian casualties. He said, “What I know is that the plan I proposed has received support from the UN Security Council and the majority of our global allies as a means to resolve this conflict. Israel has every right to defend itself against vicious attacks, not just from Iran, but also from Hezbollah and the Houthis. However, they must be significantly more cautious about civilian casualties.”

When discussing efforts to prevent a full-scale war in the Middle East, Biden highlighted the US’s ongoing efforts, though he acknowledged the challenges posed by groups like Hezbollah. “We are doing a lot. The primary focus is rallying global allies, like the French in Lebanon, to de-escalate the situation. But when dealing with irrational proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, it’s difficult to determine the best course of action.”

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) reported on Friday that they had eliminated over 2,000 military targets and approximately 250 Hezbollah militants in the past four days. (ANI)

ALSO READ: LEBANON SEEKS UN HELP

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Biden Signs Executive Orders on Gun Safety

The event was timed to the first anniversary of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which Biden created last year after signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act…reports Asian Lite News

President Biden, frustrated with congressional inaction on gun violence and seeking to secure the issue as part of his legacy, said on Thursday that he was using his executive authority to improve school preparedness and to stem the tide of untraceable weapons and devices that make firearms more deadly.

Biden made the announcement at a packed and poignant ceremony in the East Room of the White House, where he was introduced by the mayor of Birmingham, Randall Woodfin. Woodfin’s brother was killed by gun violence, and his city has been grieving after a mass shooting left four people dead last week. Scores of activists and gun violence survivors attended.

The event was timed to the first anniversary of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which Biden created last year after signing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major gun safety bill in nearly 30 years. It was also a chance for Biden to pass the baton to the official who heads that office: Vice President Kamala Harris, who is leaning into gun violence prevention as an issue as she campaigns to succeed Biden.

“We know how to stop these tragedies, and it is a false choice to suggest you are either in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyone’s guns away,” said Harris, who spoke before Biden and who has said while campaigning that she owns a firearm for self-protection. “I am in favor of the Second Amendment, and I believe we need to reinstate the assault weapons ban.”

She was referring to a provision in the 1994 crime bill, spearheaded by Biden when he was a senator, that banned certain types of military-style assault weapons for 10 years. The ban expired in 2004, when Congress refused to renew it.

The executive orders, which Biden signed at the conclusion of the ceremony, do not have the force of law. Should former President Donald J. Trump win the White House in November, he could easily reverse them.

One established a new task force to assess the threat posed by untraceable weapons known as ghost guns, including 3-D-printed firearms, as well as by conversion devices that can turn semiautomatic guns into military-style machine guns. The other directs top federal officials to evaluate research on how to conduct effective and age-appropriate active-shooter drills that will not traumatize students. Sari Kaufman, who survived the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, said she welcomed that effort.

“Gun violence and the fear of gun violence impacts every community,” said Kaufman, who introduced Harris at the event. “School shootings are adding to this fear and anxiety. While we must be prepared, we should not be traumatizing students.”

Biden and Harris used Thursday’s ceremony to claim credit for a reduction in the number of homicides and mass shootings over the past year. White House officials cited a Justice Department report showing a drop in all murders, not just those involving guns, and data from the Gun Violence Archive, an independent research group, showing a drop in mass shootings.

Gun-related homicides surged in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, and they have not dropped to pre-2020 levels. Gun-related suicides have gone up, and firearms remain the leading cause of death for American children and teenagers between the ages of 1 and 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Firearms kill an average of 132 people in the United States every day, the CDC. says. And there have been more than 400 mass shootings this year as of Thursday, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one in which four victims or more are either killed or wounded, not including the shooter. Jeffrey W. Swanson, an expert in gun violence prevention at Duke University, said mass shootings accounted for less than 0.5 percent of all gun homicides.

“You can see that if there’s a mass shooting today, four people might have died, but the same day, 135 other people died of gun-related injuries,” Swanson said.

Still, Swanson and other experts say the Biden administration’s policies may well have been among a number of factors — including improvement in the economy and the job market — that have contributed to a reduction in violent crime. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, for instance, provided support for states to enact “red flag laws,” which enable judges to issue temporary civil restraining orders barring dangerous people from purchasing or possessing firearms. Dr. Swanson’s research has found that the laws save lives.

Biden said on Thursday that he intended to continue his work on gun violence prevention after he left office. “We still have more to do, but the steps we’ve taken so far in reducing gun violence and saving lives are real,” he said. “We have to keep going.”

ALSO READ: In last UNGA address, Biden says Putin’s war has failed

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In last UNGA address, Biden says Putin’s war has failed

Apart from the conflict in West Asia, Biden also called on countries to combine their forces against Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and the growing global concerns about China’s influence…reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden in his final address before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday morning in New York City, capping a decades-long political career that has focused heavily on foreign policy, stressed the top national security priorities of US- Ukraine and its defence against the Russian invasion.

“The good news is Putin’s war has failed at his core aim,” Biden said. He then promised to continue to support Kyiv until it achieves a “durable peace”. The unyielding tension in West Asia dominated much of the UN conference.

Biden has said he believes a ceasefire and hostage negotiation agreement is close, but nearly one year after the deadly October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that incited the war, a deal remains elusive. Biden said the “world must not flinch” from the horrors of October 7, and innocent civilians in Gaza are “also going through hell.”

“Since October 7, we’ve also been determined to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire region,” the president said. “Hezbollah, unprovoked, joined the October 7 attack launching rockets into Israel. Almost a year later, too many on each side of the Israeli-Lebanon border remain displaced. Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest.”

Biden began by making a now-familiar joke about his age. “I’ve seen a remarkable sweep of history. I was first elected to office … in 1972. Now, I know I look like I’m only 40. I know that,” the president said, drawing laughs. Biden then talked about how he has seen the country change over his decades in Washington, and how enemies have become allies.

As he wrapped up his address, Joe Biden reflected on his decision not to seek a second term in office. “We must never forget who we’re here to represent,” Biden said. “We, the people. These are the first words of our Constitution, the very idea of America, and they inspired the opening words of our UN Charter. I’ve made the preservation of democracy the central cause of my presidency.”

The President said, “This summer, I faced a decision whether to seek a second term as president. It was a difficult decision. Being president has been the honor of my life. There’s so much more I want to get done. But as much as I love the job, I love my country more. I decided after 50 years of public service, it’s time for a new generation of leadership to take my nation forward. My fellow leaders, let us never forget, some things are more important than staying in power.”

Apart from the conflict in West Asia, Biden also called on countries to combine their forces against Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and the growing global concerns about China’s influence.

“I truly believe we’re at another inflection point in world history. The choices we make today will determine our future,” Biden said.

He also spoke about the Quad and praised his government for rebuilding the US alliance. Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries–Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.

He said, “To face the future, I was also determined to rebuild my country’s alliance and partnerships to a level not previously seen. We did, we did just that from traditional treaty alliances to new partnerships like the Quad, United States, Japan, Australia and India. I know many looked at the world today and see difficulties and react with despair. But, I do not, I won’t, as leaders we don’t have the luxury. I recognize the challenges from Ukraine to Gaza, Sudan and beyond.”

Biden hosted the fourth in-person and sixth overall Quad Leaders’ Summit in Delaware on September 21. Quad Leaders Summit saw the participation of Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Biden.

Zelensky’s victory plan sets Ukraine’s terms

The victory plan that President Volodymyr Zelensky will present to the White House this week asks the Biden administration to do something it has not achieved in the two and a half years since Russia invaded Ukraine: act quickly to support Kyiv’s campaign.

While Western dawdling has amplified Ukraine’s losses, some Ukrainian officials, diplomats and analysts fear Kyiv’s aim to have the plan implemented before a new US president takes office in January may be out of reach.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, reportedly briefed on the plan, said it “can work” but many privately question how.

The specifics of Zelensky’s blueprint have been kept under wraps until it can be formally presented to President Joe Biden, but contours of the plan have emerged, including the need for fast action on decisions Western allies have been mulling since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

It includes the security guarantee of NATO membership, according to Zelensky’s chief of staff Andrii Yermak — a principal demand of Kyiv and Moscow’s key point of contention. Western allies, including the US, have been skeptical about this option.

Zelensky has said he will also seek permission to use long-range weapons to strike deep inside Russian territory, another red line for some of Ukraine’s supporters.

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US says Iran sent stolen Trump campaign info to Biden campaign

Speaking at a rally in this New York suburb, Trump asserted that Iran had carried out the hack to help the Kamala Harris campaign….reports Arul Louis

 In a case of election interference attempt, Iran hacked electronic data from Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign and sent it to people associated with President Joe Biden, US intelligence agencies said.

Reacting to the report, Trump said on Wednesday, “This is election interference” by a foreign country.

Speaking at a rally in this New York suburb, he asserted that Iran had carried out the hack to help the Kamala Harris campaign.

Officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a joint statement.

They said that since June excerpts of “stolen, non-public material” material from Trump’s campaign were sent to people associated with the campaign of Biden before he withdrew from the race, and to news media.

They said that the “malicious cyber activity” was part of Iran’s attempt to “stoke discord and undermine confidence in our electoral process”.

According to them, the Biden campaign did not respond to the overtures and a Harris spokesperson said that some individuals were targetted on their emails but they were seen as “spam or phishing attempts”.

“We condemn in the strongest terms any effort by foreign actors to interfere in US elections including this unwelcome and unacceptable malicious activity,” the spokesperson said.

The Washington Post reported in August that they had received such material and that the FBI was investigating it.

The Trump campaign acknowledged at that time that it had been hacked and the Republican candidate immediately blamed Iran.

According to reports, Iranian hackers gained access to the email account of a Trump adviser, Roger Stone, and through it infiltrated other accounts.

Trump said that during his last election run, Democrats had screamed interference by Russia and claimed the laptop belonging to Biden’s son Hunter with incriminating information was a Moscow plant.

But after inquiries costing millions of dollars, they could not prove that there was any Russian collusion and the laptop was proved to be genuine, he said.

Iran has a special animus towards Trump because he withdrew the US from an international agreement with Iran to curtail its nuclear arms activity in return for loosening sanctions.

ALSO READ: Trump pledges tariffs, repeats false claims of Chinese automakers

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Biden To Host Starmer Next Week

The September 13 Oval Office visit will mark the second meeting between the two leaders since Starmer was voted as the British Prime Minister earlier this July.

US President Joe Biden is set to host United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, next week, and the two leaders are expected to have in-depth discussions on “a range of global issues of mutual interest,” including the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza amid other issues.

The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said in a statement that the September 13 Oval Office visit will mark the second meeting between the two leaders since Starmer was voted as the British Prime Minister earlier this July.

Discussions between the leaders will include continuing robust support to Ukraine in its defence against “Russian aggression” and securing a hostage release and a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza.

Protecting international shipping in the Red Sea from Iranian-backed Houthi threats, and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific will also figure in the discussions, according to the White House press secretary.

Biden and Starmer will also discuss opportunities to strengthen US-UK cooperation to secure supply chains and increase climate resilience, the White House said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets US President Joe Biden for a bilateral meeting in the White House. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

Starmer visited the White House in July this year and held one-on-one talks with Biden when he was in Washington for the NATO Summit.

Earlier this week, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that the Biden administration believes that the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is 90 per cent agreed on, adding, “That’s how close we believe we are,” Al Jazeera reported.

“Nothing is negotiated until everything is negotiated,” Kirby said. He noted that several detailed issues remain to be resolved, adding that “that’s when things get difficult.”

Earlier, British PM Keir Starmer was among other global leaders to express condolences on the death of six Israeli hostages, found dead in a tunnel in Gaza.

Starmer said he was “completely shocked” at the “horrific and senseless killing” of the hostages, and said that a ceasefire deal must be agreed by all sides immediately to end the suffering.

“I am completely shocked at the horrific and senseless killing of six hostages in Gaza by Hamas. My thoughts are with their loved ones at this awful time. Hamas must release all the hostages now, and a ceasefire deal must be agreed by all sides immediately to end the suffering,” Starmer posted on X.

US President Joe Biden said that he was devastated and outraged by the killing of Israeli hostages. He also informed that Israeli-US citizen Goldberg-Polin was among the people killed by Hamas. (ANI)

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Harris Says No to Trump’s Suggestion

The Harris campaign offered an affirmation of their stand to adhere to the ABC News debate plan….reports Asian Lite News

Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has declined Donald Trump’s suggestion to move the presidential debate to Fox News, media reports said.

Trump, 78, and President Joe Biden had agreed in May to two presidential debates. The first which was with CNN took place in June while a second one slated for September 10 was planned to be hosted by ABC News.

But Biden dropped out in the previous month and therefore, Vice-President Harris is the declared presidential candidate for 2024 in the Democratic Party.

The assessment was published before Saturday, when Trump said he had agreed to an offer by Fox News to debate Harris on September 4, in what would be a departure from the planned format if reported by CBS News.

Trump said, “I have decided with Fox News to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4. The previous debate that was supposed to be conducted with sleepy Joe Biden on the ABC channel is no longer possible Bianchi is no longer a participant in a legal battle against the ABC Network and George Slopadopoulos, thus there is a conflict of interest.”

Consequently, Harris countered using platform X declined Trump’s debate invitation on Fox News.

“It’s interesting how “any time, any place” becomes “one specific time, one specific safe space”. I’ll be there on September 10, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there,” Harris said.

The Harris campaign also offered an affirmation of their stand to adhere to the ABC News debate plan. They claimed that Trump was ‘running scared’ and required Fox News’ help to avoid the scheduled debate with ABC News.

“He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on Sept. 10,” the report quoted Michael Tyler, the Harris campaign communication director, as saying.

“The Vice President will be there one way or the other to take the opportunity to speak to a prime-time national audience,” Tyler said, adding that the campaign is open to discussing further debates but only after the one both campaigns have already agreed to takes place.

ALSO READ: Is Kamala Harris Indian or Black? Trump Asks

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Biden Sends Condolences for Wayanad Landslides

Back-to-back landslides devastated Wayanad late on Tuesday night, leaving at least 281 dead and over 200 missing with scores of habitations wiped out…reports Asian Lite News

US President Joe Biden on Thursday expressed his deepest condolences to those affected by the devastating landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad district.

“Jill and I extend our deepest condolences to all those affected by the deadly landslides in the state of Kerala in India,” the US President said in a statement.

“Our prayers are with the victims of this tragic event, and we mourn with the families who have lost loved ones. We commend the bravery of the Indian service members and first responders supporting the complex recovery effort. We will continue to hold the people of India in our thoughts during this difficult time,” he added.

Wayanad, Jul 30 (ANI): A rescue operation is underway after massive landslides hit the Meppadi area triggered by torrential rains, which claimed the lives of 11 people and injured several others, in Wayanad on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

Back-to-back landslides devastated Wayanad late on Tuesday night, leaving at least 281 dead and over 200 missing with scores of habitations wiped out.

The massive rescue operation, involving personnel from all three armed forces, police, disaster relief agencies, and fire services besides locals and volunteers, is currently on at the four worst-affected landslide areas of Wayanad — Churalpara, Velarimala, Mundakayil, and Pothukalu.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday the army has informed him that there is no chance of any more survivors in the worst-affected areas.

A bailey bridge at Churalmala is now ready and will enable big earth-moving equipment to reach the places which have been cut off.

“Now the need of the hour is for a proper rehabilitation programme and we have already started working on it. We do have good experience of handling rehabilitation and hence it will be done,” the Chief Minister said.

More than 8,000 people have been evacuated safely and put up in 82 relief camps.

ALSO READ: Wayanad landslide death toll climbs to 116

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Harris launches $50 mn ad blitz  

Kamala Harris

The Harris campaign’s ad buy dwarfed the $10 million advertising buy announced by Trump’s campaign, to be launched in six battleground states this week…reports Asian Lite News

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris launched a $50 million advertising blitz on Tuesday, capitalizing on the momentum of a fledgling campaign against Republican rival Donald Trump with a one-minute spot titled “Fearless.”

It was Harris’ first big ad buy since consolidating support for the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 and endorsed her.

In addition to garnering the backing of big-money donors, Harris has sparked newfound energy among groups such as young voters that Biden had been struggling to win over.

Public opinion polls in the last week have shown Harris, 59, closing the gap with 78-year-old Trump, who still leads in some national surveys.

The ads will be rolled out on television as well as streaming and social channels across election battleground states in the weeks before the Democratic National Convention that starts on Aug. 19.

The first ad in the campaign begins with images of Harris as a little girl and follows her progression to a prosecutor, attorney general and U.S. vice president. “The one thing Kamala Harris has always been: fearless,” the ad says.

Since stepping into her new role, Harris has focused on Trump’s felony convictions in a hush-money trial involving a porn star and the other criminal charges he faces, and portrayed him as responsible for a wave of anti-abortion measures in Republican-led states around the country.

The Harris campaign’s ad buy dwarfed the $10 million advertising buy announced by Trump’s campaign on Monday, to be launched in six battleground states this week as it tries to counter a surge of voter enthusiasm and donations for Harris.

Harris campaign raises $200 million

Earlier, Kamala Harris campaign had raised $200 million. The campaign, which announced its latest fundraising total on Sunday, said the bulk of the donations — 66 per cent — came from first-time contributors in the 2024 election cycle.

Additionally, over 1,70,000 volunteers have also signed up to help the Harris campaign with phone banking, canvassing and other get-out-the-vote efforts.

“The momentum and energy for Vice President Harris is real — and so are the fundamentals of this race: this election will be very close and decided by a small number of voters in just a few states,” Michael Tyler, the campaign’s communications director, wrote in a memo.

Harris quickly coalesced Democratic support after Biden, whose candidature fizzled following his disastrous June 27 debate performance against Trump, exited the race.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were quick to announce their support.

Rushdie backs Harris

Meanwhile, Mumbai-born author Salman Rushdie has endorsed Kamala Harris’s candidacy for the US presidency and said he believes she is the person who can prevent former president Donald Trump from dragging the country towards authoritarianism.

Rushdie extended his support and endorsement of Harris during a virtual ‘South Asian Men for Harris’ event attended by scores of leading names from the Indian-American community, including prominent lawmakers, authors, policy experts, entrepreneurs and diaspora organisations.

“It’s a critical moment. I’m a boy from Bombay and it’s great to see an Indian woman running for the White House. And my wife is African-American, so we like the fact that a Black and Indian woman is running for the White House,” Rushdie said.

The 77-year-old British-American novelist also noted that ethnicity itself is not enough. “We would not be gathering in this way let’s say for Usha Vance or Nikki Haley,” he said, referring to the Indian-American wife of Republican Vice Presidential nominee J D Vance and the Indian-American former South Carolina governor.

Rushdie emphasised that the momentum is because something “very extraordinary, transformative has happened in American politics” in just under one week.

“The conversation has entirely changed with the arrival of Kamala Harris’s candidacy and it’s changed most joyfully, a way of optimism and positive, forward-thinking,” he said.

Rushdie underscored that the community has to make that work because “we can’t allow the alternative to happen”.

“This hollow man without a single noble quality, trying to drag this country towards authoritarianism. That cannot happen,” he said, referring to 78-year-old Trump, a Republican.

Rushdie voiced his confidence that Harris “is the person who can prevent it. And so I’m right in 1,000 per cent in for her.” He added that star power matters in America and one could argue that Trump’s celebrity status from being on TV for many years helped him get elected to the White House in 2016.

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