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Harris Faces Delicate Step Confronts Trump’s Racism at Presidential Debate

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While Vice President Kamala Harris has faced relentless attacks from Donald Trump and Republicans about her race and gender since becoming the Democratic presidential candidate, don’t expect her to dwell on it much during Tuesday’s presidential debate.

According to the New York Times, Harris’ campaign has “abandoned” what it sees as a “failed strategy” of calling out Trump’s racism and misogyny.

Exit reported“The vice president’s aides say telling voters what a terrible person Mr. Trump is is a waste of time, given how difficult it is to find a voter who doesn’t already have a preconceived notion of his character — good or bad,” the report said.

Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist and former staffer on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, said Harris’ campaign is “approaching this properly” by planning to avoid getting too caught up in Trump’s racial incitement.

“It’s not really going to shock anyone,” Payne said, referring to Trump’s frequent comments about Harris’ identity, including a false suggestion in July that she decided to “go black” for political reasons.

“I think the campaign is showing that the base understands how repulsive Donald Trump is,” explained Payne, who said the Harris campaign seems more focused on “winning over new voters” than stating the apparent.

He argued that “very few voters would be shocked to hear Donald Trump insult Kamala Harris.”

Republican Party presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the Economic Club of New York on September 5, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Payne, nonetheless, said that not overemphasizing Trump’s racism or sexism doesn’t mean the vice chairman should allow Trump to be “disrespected.” He added: “It’s not like he’s going to allow himself to be defamed.”

The strategist continued: “I think it’s just a matter of whether she uses this moment to focus on Trump and his grotesque way of talking about people of color and women, or whether she uses this to change the subject and say he’s not the right person to lead the country in 2025 and beyond.”

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, said Harris should concentrate on policy and what she’s going to deliver for Americans as president, especially Black and brown communities, comparable to creating more “good-paying” jobs, lowering costs and “putting more money in people’s pockets.”

Reecie Colbert, a political commentator and frequent Harris defender, expects debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis of ABC News to ask Harris about Trump’s comments about her race. She said it might be a “wasted event” if she avoided attacking Trump for his racism and misogyny.

“I think he has the ability to remind people of his racist past, but to use that as a springboard to say this person who doesn’t have the ability to understand the black experience in America is not going to dictate how I talk about my blackness,” said Colbert, who hosts the Sirius XM radio show “The Reecie Colbert Show.”

Colbert said that if it were her, she would say, “I will not let someone who calls Mexicans rapists, who says black people ‘live in hell,’ dictate how I talk about my blackness.”

Colbert noted that holding Trump accountable for his racist and sexist remarks could also “mobilize” young voters and voters of color.

Black voters, specifically, showed more enthusiasm for Harris than for President Joe Biden. Since becoming the party’s nominee, Harris has performed higher amongst black voters. A recent poll conducted The Washington Post and Ipsos found that 69% of black voters are “absolutely certain to vote” for Harris in November. Eighty-two percent said they’d “definitely” or “probably” vote for Harris.

Moreover, the share of black Americans under 30 — a coveted segment of young voters — who support her has risen 15 percentage points.

Kamala Harris, theGrio.com
Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris takes photos with supporters during a campaign rally with Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz at the Liacouras Center at Temple University on August 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Compared to Harris’ surge in support, the proportion of black voters supporting Trump remained the identical at 12%.

Payne expects that, like Democratic Party candidate Barack Obama in 2008, Harris will garner more support amongst black voters than current polls suggest.

But for any skeptical black voters, Payne said Harris has unveiled “really ambitious plans” to enhance the economy and minority communities and “strengthen the middle class.”

Harris has proposed child tax credits of as much as $6,000, down payments for first-time homebuyers and huge tax breaks for small businesses.

“Donald Trump is talking about giving police more immunity,” Colbert said, adding, “I think it would be a good thing to make that contrast.”

Colbert, nonetheless, said she doesn’t fully buy the suggestion that Harris should do more to achieve out to black voters.

“I don’t know if you’re going to convince ‘immigrants who get free rent and free phones from Obama’ — I don’t know if you’re going to convince that group with this debate,” she explained. “I think it’s more about mobilizing black voters than it is about converting a black Trump voter to a Kamala voter.”

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Kamala Harris Recognized for Her Spotlight on Race and Reparations During NABJ-WHYY Interview

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Kamala Harris, theGriio.com

In a wide-ranging interview with the National Association of Black Journalists and public radio station WHYY, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke more broadly about race than at some other time since becoming a presidential candidate and then the Democratic Party nominee.

The historic presidential figure (Harris is the primary Black woman and Indian-American to be nominated by a significant party) made her first appearance as vice chairman on the difficulty of reparations and outlined the systemic harms inflicted on Black communities by U.S. history, including African-American slavery and racial oppression.

“We need to tell the truth in a way that leads to solutions,” said Harris, who co-sponsored HR40 when she was a U.S. senator.

While members of the Congressional Black Caucus and advocates have called on President Joe Biden to take executive motion within the absence of three many years of inaction on Capitol Hill, the presidential candidate has signaled she believes it should come through Congress. She cited Congress’s ability to carry hearings and “raise awareness” in regards to the history of slavery and racial discrimination.

However, the vice chairman added: “I am not downplaying the significance of any executive action.”

Referring to her economic plan if she wins the White House in November, Harris said her ideas for creating an “opportunity economy” would aim to “explicitly address the obstacles that exist historically and currently” in areas similar to student loan debt, health care debt, biased home valuations and black maternal mortality.

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris (left) is interviewed by National Association of Black Journalists members Gerren Keith Gaynor (far right), Eugene Daniels (second from right) and Tonya Mosley (third from right) on the WHYY studios in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“I am pleased that Vice President Harris has recognized the important role truth plays in our pursuit of racial healing and transformation,” said Lee. “My legislation to establish a Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation would usher in a moment of truth-telling by educating and informing the public about the historical context of the racial inequities we witness every day.”

But Hunter said that despite Harris’ clear preference for congressional motion on the commission’s creation, such a commission through executive motion “could be a source of legislative policy.” He continued,

Political pundit and radio host Reeta Colbert admitted that Harris “hung around” during her CNN interview and presidential debate with Trump to discuss her racial identity.

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Airlines forces 14-year-old girl off plane due to weight and balance issues, leaving her to fend for herself

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The mother of a teen who was banned from a plane in Canada due to a weight imbalance is outraged at how the incident has put her daughter’s safety in danger.

According to the CBC, 14-year-old Camryn Larkan boarded a Porter Airlines flight home from Toronto to Victoria, British Columbia, on August 30 after visiting family and friends. Once she was seated on the plane, a flight attendant approached her and told her she had to get off the plane.

14-year-old stuck at the airport
14-year-old forced to leave plane due to “weight and balance” issues. (Source: Pexels)

“I was a little disoriented… I thought I was going to go back to my seat. I thought they were just going to take my bags.” – Camryn he said CBC. “As soon as I got off the plane and saw the doors close, that’s when I started, you know, getting really concerned.”

Porter Airlines pulled Camryn from the flight due to a “weight and balance issue.” The airline said agents asked for volunteers, but when nobody got here forward, “passengers were selected based on ticket type.”

After Camryn and several other passengers were asked to leave the plane, a Porter Airlines agent arranged for Camryn to fly to Victoria the subsequent day. Camryn immediately called her father, who got here to pick her up on the airport.

Camryn’s mother expressed her frustration, saying the airline completely mishandled her daughter’s exit from the plane.

“They put my child in immediate danger,” Catherine Larkan said. “It was complete neglect and it shouldn’t happen to any other minor.”

The airline’s policy is that unaccompanied minors are exempt from involuntary disembarkation. The company offers a $100 service plan for children traveling alone. The plan is required for children ages 8 to 11 and optional for children ages 12 to 17.

Camryn’s family didn’t know the service existed, so the airline treated the 14-year-old as an adult.

“At the time, our team was unaware that Camryn was a minor,” a Porter Airlines spokesperson said. “Camryn left the airport quickly and our team had limited ability to discuss options with her.”

Children travelling without an unaccompanied minor plan are considered “independent adults” and are subject to “adult passenger considerations such as weight, balance and unloading situations.”

“They provide a service, saying we know these people are at risk, and they say if you don’t pay for the service, you’re going to be treated like any other adult passenger traveling,” Camryn’s mother said. “It’s just absolutely absurd.”

An airline representative told People magazine that its customer support department is in touch with Camryn’s family and that Porter Airlines is working on solutions to minimize the chance of an incident like this happening again.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Here’s What You Need to Know About Threats in Springfield, Ohio, After False Accusations About Haitian Immigrants

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Haitian immigrants in Springfield Ohio, theGrio.com

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A small Ohio town has been flooded with false bomb threats since last week’s presidential debate, when former President Donald Trump falsely accused Members of Springfield’s Haitian community kidnap and eat cats and dogs.

Trump’s vice presidential candidate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has amplified debunked web rumors about Haitian migrants because the Republican ticket criticizes President Joe Biden’s administration’s immigration policies, which Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, supports. City officials acknowledge that the influx of about 15,000 Haitian migrants is causing problems, but say there is no such thing as a evidence to support the claim that they’re eating people’s pets.

More than 30 bomb threats since last week have targeted schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials, forcing evacuations and closures. Springfield also canceled its annual diversity, arts and culture celebration in response to the threats, and state police on Tuesday distributed in city schools.

Here are some things to know concerning the situation in Springfield:

Who is behind these false threats?

Foreign actors, in particular. That’s according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who said many of the threats got here from abroad. The governor’s office said a criminal investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies found the “vast majority” of the threats were international in origin. Officials didn’t provide further details on how investigators determined they got here from a foreign country, and DeWine didn’t name the country.

What’s happening?

DeWine has sent dozens of Ohio State Highway Patrol members to all 18 city schools, where checks might be conducted twice every day to prevent further disruptions and help parents and students ensure that the buildings are secure. But even with the increased police presence, many parents still didn’t let their children go to school Tuesday.

Meanwhile, security cameras have been placed at strategic locations around the town, and an explosives-sniffing dog has been deployed to Springfield and might be on duty 24 hours a day.

DeWine $2.5 million declared greater than two years to increase support for primary health care. State highway patrol also helps local law enforcement implement traffic laws. DeWine said many Haitians are inexperienced drivers who’re unfamiliar with U.S. traffic laws.

How is the town reacting?

Springfield never wanted to be the focus — not like this.

City officials said Tuesday that misinformation and lies about Haitian immigrants have sown fear and division, disrupted science and price taxpayers money. In an announcement, they implored public figures, community members and media to “move beyond divisive rhetoric and instead work to promote unity, understanding and respect.” The statement didn’t mention Trump or Vance by name.

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said the influx of migrants is straining police, hospitals and schools. He also criticized the federal government, saying the town asked for help months ago. But on Tuesday he urged national leaders to “soften their words and speak the truth.”

Why did so many Haitians move to Springfield?

Work and word of mouth.

Springfield in consequence, industrial jobs were lost and the population dropped significantly late last century. But the town made a concerted effort to attract employers and Haitian immigrants who helped meet the growing demand for employees in its factories and warehouses. Word spread, and Haitians began arriving in larger numbers in the past few years.

Haitians from Springfield and elsewhere have come to the U.S. to escape violence in their home country. Many Haitians are here under a federal program called Temporary Protected Statusallowing them to live and work temporarily in the U.S. because conditions in Haiti are deemed too dangerous for them to return to the island.

What do Haitian immigrants say?

Members of the Haitian community say they were uneasy even before Trump and Vance picked up on the pet-eating lies, as former residents were angered by the brand new arrivals’ impact on jobs, housing and traffic.

“Some of them are talking about living in fear. Some of them are afraid for their lives,” Rose-Thamar Joseph said last week on the Springfield Haitian Community Outreach and Support Center.

On church service on Sunday, Mia Perez said her daughter was evacuated from school twice last week.

“Children at school are asked by other children, ‘What does dog taste like? What does cat taste like?'” Perez said. “She asks, ‘Are we Haitians who eat this stuff? Is it true? What’s going on?'”

“It’s a conversation I wasn’t ready to have with my daughter,” Perez said. “I felt disrespected by our culture.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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