International
Kamala Harris seeks to shorten distances with Trump in conservative areas of Pennsylvania
US Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned this Friday in Republican counties of Pennsylvania, in a strategic effort to reduce Donald Trump’s advantage in that region and increase the Democratic chances of conquering this key state for the November elections.
Harris ended the day with a rally on a university campus in Wilkes-Barre, where he proposed an “economy of opportunities” for the middle class, reaffirmed his defense of the right to abortion and described Trump as a divisive leader, focused on his own interests.
“We need a president who works for all Americans and who stops trying to divide us. People are already tired of that,” Harris said, receiving continuous applause from the public.
At one point in the event, the vice president was interrupted by demonstrators protesting against the war in Gaza. One of them raised his voice, causing discomfort among the attendees. Harris intervened, and although he expressed that he “respected their voices,” he reminded them that “at that moment, she was talking.”
Harris’ campaign considers that this Friday’s visits to conservative areas of the interior of Pennsylvania are an opportunity to reduce Trump’s advantage.
His strategy is to attract undecided voters in Republican counties, in order to decrease Trump’s margin of victory in those areas and ensure that Harris gets enough votes at the state level to win Pennsylvania.
Harris’s campaign
Wilkes-Barre, where he gave his speech, is in Luzerne County, an area that Barack Obama won in 2008 and 2012, but that passed into the hands of Trump in 2016, when he beat Hillary Clinton by almost 20 points. In 2020, Biden lost Luzerne by 14 points.
Harris’ other stop was in Johnstown, located in Cambria County, about 100 kilometers east of Pittsburgh. This county also shows a trend similar to that of Luzerne: Obama won it in 2008 and 2012, but Trump conquered it in 2016 and 2020.
In Johnstown, Harris talked to voters in a place that functioned as a cafe and bookstore. He told them that he is aware of his responsibility to win “each” of his votes, and therefore wants to spend time in the communities where they reside.
“That’s why I’m here, and we’re going to spend much more time in Pennsylvania,” said Harris, who has dedicated six of the last seven days to campaigning in this state.
His campaign team has highlighted the importance of Pennsylvania, since with 19 votes in the Electoral College, it is one of the states that could decide who reaches the White House.
On Friday, Harris’ campaign indicated in a statement that 16 of its 50 offices in Pennsylvania are located in rural counties where Trump won by a wide margin in 2020. The goal is to limit Trump’s advantage in those areas of the state, and thus increase the Democratic possibilities in the contest.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
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Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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