The Squiz 

You’re likely to hear a lot about Democratic presidential nominee/current Vice President Kamala Harris today because she’s suiting up for her first primetime interview since taking over the party’s campaign from President Joe Biden. It’ll kick off on CNN at 11am AEST with the US network’s Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash asking the questions. But going against the grain of former interviews with presidential hopefuls, she won’t be alone – Harris’s running mate Tim Walz will join her… 

Why is that so notable? 

Good question… First, despite several major polls showing things are going the Democrats’ way since Harris was nominated, she’s been facing growing scrutiny over her lack of engagement with the major media outlets. Until now, she’s only spoken with a few content creators and influencers – in line with what political analysts say is the Democrats’ play to lure younger voters. The push for her to do a big sit-down interview is to show that she can stand on her own as a potential president in facing unscripted questions and highlighting her own policies. So a bit’s been made of the fact that Walz will be at her side, with a former assistant to President George W Bush saying it shows Harris has a “troubling lack of confidence”. The proof will be in the interview pudding… 

And what’s Trump up to? 

It’s the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign staff who have been making headlines in recent days, with 2 of them said to have been in a verbal/physical tussle with a worker at the Arlington National Cemetery while Trump was laying a wreath. Reports say the altercation broke out when the worker at the famous US military graveyard in Virginia tried to stop them from filming/taking photos in a prohibited section. Only cemetery staff are authorised to do that, and US federal law prohibits election-related activity at military cemeteries. Another thing to note: the FBI gave an update yesterday on its investigation into Trump’s attempted assassination. It says there is no sign of foreign involvement, and the shooter – 20yo Thomas Crooks – acted alone. As for the motive, they’re still scratching their heads…