DONALD TRUMP and Kamala Harris debated Tuesday night (Shutterstock).

Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump squared off in their first debate on Tuesday night, trading jabs and promises before millions of Americans watching as the 2024 presidential race surges toward Election Day.

The event was hosted by ABC News in Philadelphia in the swing state of Pennsylvania.

Harris emphasized herself as the candidate of “change,” while Trump defended his record while president and warned of dire consequences if the Democrat won the election.

Most observers claimed that Harris had “won” the debate, and a CNN “flash” poll of 605 registered voters agreed by a margin of 63 percent to 37 percent.

Perhaps the most significant immediate outcome of this debate – at least one more is scheduled – is that musical superstar Taylor Swift endorsed Harris and urged her young supporters to go register to vote.

The debate comes as the race remains close; an average of recent polls has Harris with a slim 49 to 47 percent edge in the popular vote, but neither candidate has solid leads in enough states to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House.

American woman shot; State Dept. condemns

In a rare rebuke of Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the fatal shooting an American woman – Aysenur Ezgi Eygi,  26 – who was attending a protest in the West Bank – was “not acceptable,” according to the Associated Press.

He said, “No one – no one – should be shot and killed for attending a protest. Israel security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way they operate in the West Bank.

Doctors said the woman had been shot in the head. Israel said she was “very likely” hit “indirectly and unintentionally” and expressed “deepest regret.”

Budget bill faces uphill battle

MIKE JOHNSON, Speaker of the House (Wikipedia).

A $1.6 billion stopgap budget bill advocated by House Speaker Mike Johnson seems likely to fail over opposition both from Democrats and Republicans.

Johnson is seeking to tie the money measure to a requirement that voters would need to provide proof of U.S. citizenship in order to cast a ballot, according to The New York Times.

Democrats, claiming voting by non-citizens is rare and that the measure is a political stunt, object. Some Republicans are opposed on the grounds that the federal budget is too big and must be trimmed.

If the bill does pass the House of Representatives, where Republicans have a narrow edge, it’s unlikely to succeed in the Senate, where the Democrats have the majority.

Weather: Getting cooler daily

The heat wave that broiled our West Orange County cities with temperatures in the 100s has finally broken. Wednesday’s daytime high is forecast for 77 with an overnight low of 65. Thursday will be similar at 78 (65) and then dip to 76 (62 or 63) on Friday and Sunday, all under partly cloudy skies.