International

Kamala Harris gains strength as a relief if Biden withdraws from the campaign

The vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, is gaining strength in the last hours as a possible replacement of the US president, Joe Biden, in case he resigned his re-election candidacy due to his fatal performance in the debate against former Republican President Donald Trump.

Harris has carried a low popularity throughout the term and his presidential candidacy did not sound like a realistic option until the failure of Biden last week, who appeared in the aging and disoriented debate, multiplying the voices that believe he is not fit to remain in office at the age of 81.

The vice president, 59, not only has in her favor of being Biden’s natural successor, but the voting intention polls put her ahead of other popular faces of the party and would inherit the entire structure of the campaign.

Harris tried to get out this Wednesday in the wake of rumors by participating with Biden in a call with the re-election campaign staff, thus sending a message that he unconditionally supports the president.

But according to a CNN poll published on Tuesday, Harris would have a better electoral performance against Trump than Biden, although the Republican would prevail in both cases.

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In a duel between Biden and Trump, the Republican would win with 49% of the votes compared to 43% of the Democrat. In the event that the candidate was Harris, 47% say they would vote for Trump and 45% for her.

The Democratic campaign has closed ranks around Biden, whose family is encouraging him to continue in the race, but more and more people within the party are privately asking for his withdrawal.

Both The New York Times and CNN published on Wednesday that Biden would have acknowledged before a close ally that his candidacy is in danger if he does not manage to calm the waters in the coming days, an extreme denied by the White House.

Although he has secured his nomination after winning the primaries, Biden is not yet the official Democratic candidate for the November 5 elections and is waiting for the party to make it official before its national convention in August.

Analysts agree that in or for there to be a replacement for Biden, he would have to give up his nomination and, in that case, his running mate would be the favorite to replace him.

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“If it were put aside, Harris would be the best alternative for Democrats not to embark on a great internal battle a few weeks before the convention,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at Mary Washington University, told EFE.

The current vice president would also have “the key to most of it” of the money raised by the campaign and should not start the search for funds again, according to the CNBC network on Wednesday.

Some already openly advocate for her, such as Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn, key to Biden’s victory in the primaries in 2020, who said he would support Harris in the event of a Biden withdrawal.

The defenders of the vice president, who made history in 2021 as the first woman and the first African-American in office, claim that she is very vocal in the defense of abortion and has a hook between key sectors of the electorate such as women or African Americans.

But Harris has not had a popular step for the Vice Presidency, a position in the shadow of the president without specific functions.

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He has often been seen with difficulty finding his place in the Administration, he has faced being ridiculed on social networks by some confusing speeches and has suffered sexist and racist attacks from some Republicans and conservative media.

His weaknesses, Tim Hagle, professor of Political Science at the University of Iowa, told EFE, are that “she is not as well known as Biden,” he has starred in some “shameful” public appearances and has had sounding problems with his office staff.

However, according to the CNN survey, Harris would perform better against Trump than other possible Democratic candidates such as the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, or the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer.

The next few days, in which Biden has scheduled interviews and events to revitalize his image, will be key to defining the future of the president and his candidacy.

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International

Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the deaths of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reinerand his wife as an “apparent homicide,” amid a wave of tributes to the director of classics such as When Harry Met Sally.

According to U.S. media reports on Sunday, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles mansion with what appeared to be stab wounds.

Several political figures shared messages of condolence following the reported deaths of the director of A Few Good Menand his wife.

While the LAPD did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, it stated that homicide detectives were dispatched to the Reiner residence.

“At this time, no additional details are available and the investigation into an apparent homicide is ongoing,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.

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LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that no arrests have been made and that no individuals are currently being questioned as suspects.

“I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being questioned at this moment or not. We are going to try to speak with as many family members as we can,” Hamilton said.

CNN reported that a family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Reiner and his wife.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and former Vice President Kamala Harrisissued statements expressing their condolences.

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International

U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty

The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.

The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.

Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.

“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.

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The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.

Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.

Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.

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International

Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus

Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.

“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.

At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.

After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.