Harris Defends Policy Shifts In First Sit-Down Interview

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Plus, Army makes statement on Arlington Cemetery Trump campaign incident

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Good morning,

It’s expected to be a busy holiday travel weekend— with domestic travel forecast to be up 9% compared with last year, according to AAA. Good news: Airfare and gas prices are lower!

  • The TSA is preparing for its busiest Labor Day travel period on record, with an 8.5% increase in passenger volume over last year.

  • ✈️ Airfare for Labor Day weekend is 5% lower than last year, according to travel company Hopper. (Looking at the same time in 2019, airfare is down 17%!)

    • ⚠️ Today is going to be the busiest in airports. TSA expects to screen 2.86 million people. Remember to pack your patience 😜 

  • 🚘 Gas is down 13% from last year to an average of $3.27 per gallon.

  • Hot spots: AAA says Seattle is the top destination this holiday weekend with nearly 30% more visitors compared to last year. Why? Popular Alaska cruises that take off from the city.

Enjoy the long weekend, we’ll be back Tuesday!

Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren

PS: Don’t forget to refer friends & family to subscribe to the Mo Newsletter… you could get free Mo News merch — DETAILS at the bottom of this newsletter!

📌 MEET THE PRESS: HARRIS’S FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE BIDEN’S EXIT FROM RACE

After a lot of anticipation, Vice President Kamala Harris, joined by running mate Tim Walz, finally gave her first sit-down interview since becoming the nominee in July.

  • Our quick take: No new specific policy plans. No major stumbles. Some answers on her evolving positions. But, not enough followup questions to really hold her to account as to why they have shifted. Harris also appears to be standing by Biden’s major policies, including in the Middle East. This likely doesn’t end the pressure for her to do more unscripted interviews and news conferences.

CONTROL THE OUTGOING MESSAGE
The shortest presidential campaign in modern history— now with just 67 days until the election— has ridden on a wave of ‘positive vibes’ and campaign rallies to initial success in the polls and financially. But, the chorus calling for her to finally answer some questions and get specific got too loud in the last week. So, the campaign agreed to the 30 minute CNN interview.

  • Harris was challenged on her changing policies: Harris has flipped her stance on fracking, the Green New Deal, border security, and medicare-for-all. Asked about it Thursday, she asserted that her “values have not changed.”

    • She noted casting the tie-breaking vote for Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which helped boost oil and gas leasing on federal lands. “We can grow and we can increase a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking,” she added.

    • 📲 The Mo News Instagram community had different thoughts on her changing stances: Some people applauded a politician changing course upon learning new information, while others thought it was pandering to voters or a sign she can’t be trusted. (Pro tip: All politicians shift their stances. The big question is how they explain it.)

  • Why she didn’t do more in 3.5 years: Harris acknowledged that they came in during the pandemic and had to deal with the crisis first. She said there is more work to do, but is proud of their accomplishments, pointing to capping senior drug costs at $2,000, a boost manufacturing jobs, and expanding child tax credits.

    • On why the economy feels worse for many under Biden than Trump, Harris argued America has been recovering from the COVID crisis, saying the US is doing the best in the world, and pointed blame at the Trump administration.

  • She’s with Biden: From Biden’s policy on Israel to his economic agenda, Harris did not distance herself from the current administration— even on the border.

    • Israel: Harris said she is not changing Biden’s policies on Israel, noting her support for the country’s right to defend itself, but underscoring the need for a hostage deal for a future two-state solution.

    • On the border, which Trump frequently criticizes the Biden administration for, Harris focused on the bipartisan border deal designed to increase security at the US-Mexico border that Trump pushed lawmakers to kill. She said she would get it passed.

  • Harris did not outline a comprehensive policy agenda of her own, but highlighted increasing the child tax credit, a $25,000 tax credit for first time home buyers, and combating price gouging at grocery stores.

Bash noted that Harris and Trump have never met in person. The only time the two have been in the same room was during Trump’s State of the Union address when Harris was a senator. The two will meet face-to-face in just over a week for their first debate on Tuesday, Sep. 10.

ON THE OTHER SIDE
Trump responded to the interview by claiming Harris “rambled incoherently,” and says he is looking forward to “beating her like a drum” at the debate in just over a week.

He has been taking a different approach when it comes to media. He often talks to reporters on the campaign trail, holds news conferences, and frequently calls into his favorite Fox News shows and conservative talk show hosts. He has recently done one-on-one interviews with Dr. Phil, Elon Musk and comedian Theo Von to get his message out.

📌 TRUMP CAMPAIGN IN HOT WATER OVER ARLINGTON CEMETERY DISPUTE

The US Army on Thursday defended an Arlington National Cemetery official who they say was “abruptly pushed aside” and “unfairly attacked” by two campaign aides to Donald Trump on Monday. The dispute centers around an area of the cemetery where federal law prohibits political activities like photography and videography, which Trump’s staff appeared to have ignored.

Trump’s campaign has disputed the assessment, calling the cemetery staffer mentally ill and saying it has video evidence to prove it— but has yet to release any evidence. The unidentified cemetery official is not going to press charges due to concern over retaliation, the Army said.

THE INCIDENT
The former president participated in a ceremony held Monday by family members of U.S. service members killed in the 2021 Kabul airport attack during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. He was there at their invitation, and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. That part went according to plan and was allowed to be filmed.

  • However, Arlington National Cemetery has restrictions about not filming and photographing in Section 60, a 14-acre plot where many veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. It had communicated those rules to the campaign, and a cemetery official on site tried to prevent them from capturing video there. That’s when two Trump campaign staff verbally abused and pushed the official aside.

    • The campaign posted a campaign TikTok of the event on Wednesday— exactly what military officials tried to prevent.

  • On the matter, Arlington National Cemetery said, “Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign. Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants.”

TRUMP CAMP RESPONDS
The Trump campaign says it had permission for a photographer and contested that a campaign staffer pushed the cemetery official.

  • Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung said, “The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason, an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony.”

    • He, along with Trump campaign advisers Dan Scavino and Corey Lewandowski, posted photos on social media of Trump’s visit to Section 60— one with his thumb up.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Trump proposes making government or insurance companies pay for IVF treatment (CNN)

📌 Trump’s plan to make U.S. 'crypto capital of the planet' (CNBC)

📌 Boar’s Head plant linked to deadly outbreak broke food safety rules dozens of times, records show (CBS NEWS)

📌 Justice Dept. watchdog blasts FBI over handling of child sexual abuse cases (NBC NEWS)

📌 Biden administration to restart immigration program that was paused over fraud concerns (AP)

📌 ABC News debate rules include muted mics, despite Harris campaign's pushback (AXIOS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Israel kills a top terrorist in its deadliest West Bank raids since the Gaza war began (AP)

📌 Millions told to evacuate as Japan hit by one of strongest typhoons in decades (BBC)

📌 Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, UN says (REUTERS)

📌 Israel agrees to pauses in fighting in Gaza for polio vaccination (CNN)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Catching up on sleep at weekends may lower heart disease risk by a fifth (GUARDIAN)

📌 OpenAI says ChatGPT usage has doubled since last year (AXIOS)

📌 Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches 6 passengers on sub-orbital trip to space and back (CBS NEWS)

📌 Mortgage rates drop again, but housing market remains stalled (FOX BUSINESS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 US intelligence helped stop terror plot targeting Taylor Swift concert, CIA deputy director confirms (CNN)

📌 ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pro Artem Chigvintsev arrested on suspicion of domestic violence (VARIETY)

📌 John Stamos claims Church of Scientology 'kicked me out' for being 'too annoying' (FOX NEWS)

📌 Matt Lauer’s daughter crashed into Hamptons fence and fled — but left license plate behind for cops to find (PAGE SIX)

🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN WEEKEND

Guest User
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