International

Kamala Harris, the woman who could make history

Kamala Harris could make history as the first African-American woman and the first person of South Asian origin to reach the White House. He does so without hardly alluding to his gender or race and with the promise of opening a “new chapter” in the politics of the United States.

The career of Harris, 60 years old, has been marked by the first times: she was the first black district attorney and the first woman to serve as attorney general in California; the first Indian-American to reach the Senate and, when Joe Biden elected her, the first woman in the Vice Presidency.

However, he has preferred not to emphasize the historical nature of his possible arrival at the White House, in contrast to Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016.

In her biography, ‘The Truths We Hold’, she explains that she prefers to describe herself simply as “an American” and claims to feel comfortable with her identity as a mixed-race woman, despite Trump’s attacks, who has questioned whether she is African-American enough.

Harris is proud of her African-American and Indian heritage. Its name, which some Republicans pretend not to know how to pronounce to attack it, means “lotus flower”, a plant that emerges to the surface only when its roots are well anchored.

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Born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland (California), she is the eldest daughter of Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher from India, and Donald Harris, a Jamaican economist, who divorced when she was seven years old.

His mother, who died in 2009, was a central figure in his life and the person he went to at a decisive moment for his future.

The path to politics

During her adolescence, her best friend from high school confessed to having been a victim of sexual abuse by her stepfather. Harris did not hesitate to call his mother so that his friend could move in with them.

That’s when she found her vocation and decided to dedicate herself to protecting victims of any crime, which pushed her to become a district attorney in San Francisco (2004-2011) and then a California attorney general (2011-2017).

In 2016 he won a seat in the Senate and quickly stood out for his incisive questions to members of the Trump Administration (2017-2021), as well as two judges nominated by him for the Supreme Court, including Brett Kavanaugh, accused of sexual abuse.

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In 2020 he launched to compete for the Democratic presidential nomination, but had difficulty defining his proposals. Biden ended up being the party’s candidate and elected her for the Vice Presidency.

Harris, married since 2014 to lawyer Douglas Emhoff, could barely shine in the White House. Biden commissioned him to tackle the “root causes” of migration in Central America, a cursed issue in US politics that has been unresolved for decades.

As part of that work, he traveled to Guatemala, where he starred in one of his most controversial moments by telling migrants who are trying to enter the United States: “Don’t come.”

Kamala Harris, to the election campaign

After a swee of criticism for the apparent lack of empathy, Harris withdrest from the public light. It came out again when the Supreme Court annulled the right to abortion at the federal level in June 2022, channeling the indignation of millions of women.

Thus, when Biden ended his electoral career in July of this year, Harris quickly built his candidacy around the concept of freedom: freedom for women to decide on their bodies and for every American to aspire to a better life.

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To the rhythm of Beyoncé’s song ‘Freedom’, she has traveled the country shouting “we are not going to back down” and proclaiming that the US must decide at the polls if it wants a country of “chaos” and “hate” like the one established by Trump or one of “freedom” and “hope.”

His promise has been to unite the nation after years of tension and for this he has resorted to patriotic symbols, filling his rallies with US flags and adding support from republican figures such as former congressman Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney (2001-2009).

Harris, who worked at a McDonald’s as a child, has positioned herself as the middle class candidate with the desire to reduce housing, food and drug prices.

It remains to be seen if the United States has heard its message and if that determination to change the course of the country convinces enough voters to make history.

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International

Epstein Denies Being ‘the Devil’ in Newly Released Video Interview

Jeffrey Epstein claims he was the least dangerous type of sex offender and denied being “the devil” in a video interview included in the latest batch of documents released over the weekend by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The roughly two-hour interview was conducted by Steve Bannon, a former adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, and appears to have been recorded at the late financier’s New York residence on an unknown date.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in jail awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors. Since December, the U.S. government has released millions of documents related to the case under transparency laws.

“Do you think you’re the devil incarnate?” Bannon asks Epstein in the video interview revealed in the latest release.

“No, but I do have a good mirror,” Epstein replies with a smile, wearing a black shirt and glasses. When pressed again, he adds, “I don’t know. Why would you say that?”

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Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution, also appears to downplay the seriousness of his conviction.

He objects when Bannon refers to him as a “Level Three sexual predator,” a classification in the United States indicating a very serious threat to public safety.

“No, I’m the lowest,” Epstein says.

“But still an offender,” Bannon responds.

“Yes,” Epstein replies.

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The exchange comes after Bannon asks Epstein whether he considers his wealth to be “dirty,” suggesting it was earned by advising “the worst people in the world.”

Epstein insists that he made his money legally, while acknowledging that “ethics is always a complicated issue.”

He claims he donated money to help eradicate polio in Pakistan and India, apparently in an attempt to justify the origins of his fortune.

The documents also show that Bannon maintained regular correspondence with Epstein, who offered to help the far-right political figure spread his conservative ideology in Europe.

Since Trump took office in January 2025, U.S. authorities have released millions of pages related to Epstein, along with photos and videos.

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These materials have shed new light on Epstein’s ties to high-profile business executives such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, celebrities including filmmaker Woody Allen, and academics and political figures, among them Trump and former President Bill Clinton.

International

Hypothermia Linked to Most Deaths During New York’s Recent Cold Spell

Hypothermia “played a role” in 13 of the 16 deaths recorded in New York City during the recent period of extreme cold, Mayor Mandami said at a press conference. Three of the deaths were classified as drug overdoses.

None of the individuals were sleeping on the streets at the time of their deaths, the mayor added, noting that some had previously been in contact with emergency shelter services.

Mandami said the city has activated emergency warming centers and deployed a fleet of 20 vehicles staffed with medical personnel to respond to the cold weather crisis.

“As of this morning, we have made more than 930 referrals to shelters and safe facilities. We have also involuntarily transported 18 New Yorkers who were deemed a danger to themselves or others,” he said.

According to official statistics, New York City recorded between nine and 27 cold-related deaths per year from 2005 to 2021. That number rose to 34 in 2021 and climbed further to 54 in 2022.

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City Comptroller Mark Levine estimated that there are “tens of thousands” of homeless New Yorkers, “most of them families with children.”

He said that “nearly 95%” of the city’s homeless population lives in municipal shelters.

In August 2021, those shelters housed 44,586 people, the “lowest daily population in nearly a decade,” according to official data.

However, the shelter population increased from 22,955 to 62,679 people between January 2000 and January 2020, highlighting the long-term growth of homelessness in the city.

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International

NFL Investigating Emails Linking Giants Executive to Jeffrey Epstein

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Monday that the league will “examine all the facts” regarding contacts between New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and Jeffrey Epstein, revealed in documents recently released about the late convicted sex offender.

The batch of files, made public on Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice, includes emails suggesting that Epstein introduced several women to Tisch.

Tisch, a film producer who has never been charged in connection with Epstein, issued a statement last week denying any wrongdoing.

“I had a brief relationship in which we exchanged emails about adult women, and we also discussed film, philanthropy, and investments,” Tisch said of his correspondence with Epstein, which dates back to 2013.

“I did not accept any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all now know, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret having associated with,” he added.

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Speaking at a press conference in San Jose, California, on Monday, Goodell said the NFL would carefully review the details of the ties between Tisch and Epstein.

“We’re going to examine all the facts,” the commissioner said. “We’re going to look at the context of those exchanges, try to understand them, and see how that fits within the league’s policies.”

Tisch, 76, could face disciplinary action under the NFL’s strict personal conduct policy, even if he is not found guilty of a crime.

“We’re going to take this step by step. First, let’s gather all the facts,” Goodell said at the press conference, which was part of the events leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.