VIDEO

Will Democrats take the Senate and the White House?​

Might 2020 be a Blue Wave election, in which Democrats not only win the presidency, but retain control of the House of Representatives and even take the Senate? If you missed our webinar featuring Managing Partner of GQR Anna Greenberg in conversation with USSC CEO Professor Simon Jackman, tune in to our catch-up video to hear the full discussion.

Catch this and other recent webinars on the USSC YouTube channel!

NEWS WRAP

Election interference déjà vu

• China, Russia, Iran reportedly ‘trying to influence’ election
  William Evanina, the Director of the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center, warned in a statement that foreign states are using “covert and overt measures” to sway voter preferences ahead of the November election. Evanina said they were “primarily concerned” about China, Russia and Iran. READ MORE HERE
   

• Trump denies requesting his face be added to Mount Rushmore
  The New York Times reported a White House aide reached out to the office of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to inquire about the process of adding “additional presidents to Mount Rushmore”. While President Trump has denied his team made the request, he admitted it “sounds like a good idea!”. READ MORE HERE
   
• TikTok and WeChat to banned under executive order
  Declaring TikTok a "national emergency", President Trump ordered an unspecified ban on "transactions" with ByteDance andTencent, the Chinese companies which own popular social media apps TikTok and WeChat. President Trump claims the app may be exploited for disinformation campaigns. READ MORE HERE
   
• US reaches 5 million confirmed coronavirus cases
  The United States has reached another grim milestone, recording more than 5 million confirmed coronavirus cases. This is 25 per cent of the worldwide total of 20 million cases. READ MORE HERE

ANALYSIS

Biden chooses a VP

The first 24 hours are critical - here’s why

Bruce Wolpe
Non-resident Senior Fellow

After weeks of anticipation, Joe Biden’s choice of his vice-presidential running mate has been announced. His first “presidential” decision, and a moment of high consequence for him and his campaign, Biden has named Senator Kamala Harris as his campaign partner.

And the first 24-to-48 hours are absolutely critical in the formation of a judgment by the public, and the media, as to whether the VP nominee is qualified and the choice can be deemed a success.

What constitutes a winning choice?

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Who is Kamala Harris?

Current position: US Senator from California
Previous role: Attorney General of California from 2011-2017

Background: Born 20 October, 1964, to immigrant parents Harris will be 56 at the time of the election. Her father is Jamaican and her mother is Indian; she identifies as both African American and South Asian American. Harris is the first African American female VP candidate for a major party and the first South East Asian (male or female) VP candidate for a major party.

Female VP candidates: Harris is the third female VP candidate for a major party, following Geraldine Ferraro (with Walter Mondale in 1984) and Sarah Palin (with John McCain in 2008).

Legal career: Harris was District Attorney of San Francisco from 2004-2011 and Attorney General of California from 2011-2017. In this time, she focused on: criminal justice reform, consumer protection and public safety among other causes. Her record as a prosecutor is one of her most significant criticisms because she is accused of avoiding cases that involved police killings.

The 2020 election: Harris ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2020 election amongst a wide range of democrats. In the primary debates, Harris was hard on Biden’s praise for legislators that opposed anti-segregation measures (school bussing in the 1970s). She ended her campaign in December 2019 and endorsed Biden in March 2020.

VIRTUAL EVENT

The role of US innovation in securing Australia's economic future​

The exact future of the global economy is uncertain, but its direction is clear: services will become more valuable, value creation will be tied to knowledge-intensive and automated processes and skills, and firms and individuals will need flexibility and resilience.

In short, success in the future economy will require countries and companies to be more innovative. But Australia risks being left behind.

Please join us for a webinar event featuring former Chargé d'Affaires at the US embassy in Canberra James Carouso, Google Australia Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager Alex Lynch, Queensland Innovation Lead and Deputy Director-General Dr Sarah Pearson, and author of the forthcoming report "The role of US innovation in securing Australia's economic future" USSC Senior Advisor Jared Mondschein in a conversation moderated by USSC Senior Non-Resident Fellow Dr John Lee.

WHEN:
Sydney time: Friday 14 Aug 2020, 10am AEST
Washington DC time: Tuesday, 18 August, 8pm EDT

COST: 
Free, but registration is essential

THE WEEK IN TWEETS

#BidenHarris