Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are set to debate for the first time today in a pivotal moment that could shape the tight 2024 presidential race. ABC will host the debate in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center at 9 p.m. EDT.

The debate is especially important for Harris, who launched her presidential campaign just seven weeks ago, giving her significantly less time in the national spotlight than Trump. Recent polls reveal that many voters are still unfamiliar with Harris’s policy proposals, raising questions among pollsters about whether her campaign is losing the momentum it built a few weeks ago.

In June, Trump’s debate against President Joe Biden precipitated a turning point in the 2024 race. Biden faced mounting pressure from within his own party to step down after a poor performance, exited the race in July, and endorsed Harris. Read the full story here›

Researchers at Stanford University have developed a method to make living skin temporarily transparent using a common food dye. Scientists used the dye to make the scalp and abdomens of live mice transparent. This innovative technique allowed them to see internal organs without the need for invasive surgery.

“For those who understand the fundamental physics behind this, it makes sense; but if you aren’t familiar with it, it looks like a magic trick,” said Zihao Ou in a statement. Ou is one of the lead authors and conducted the study while he was a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford before joining the University of Texas faculty.

Traditional imaging methods like X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans often involve radiation and lead to various side effects. This new approach offers a non-invasive alternative by making tissues transparent. Researchers note that these findings are still preliminary. Read the full story here›

Lawmakers returning from summer recess passed a battery of bills targeting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Monday. Two noteworthy bills require the blacklisting of Chinese biotech firms and funding for the State Department to coordinate efforts to counter the Chinese regime’s malign influence.

The House voted in a bipartisan manner to add a “China Week” to the calendar, signaling broad congressional consensus that the Chinese communist regime poses the most significant national security risk to the United States. The 15 bills, most of which were fast-tracked with a 40-minute debate and a voice vote, focus on addressing the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to the United States in two areas: technology and influence.

The bills aim to prohibit communist China from breaching U.S. security via insecure devices or predatory data collection, including Chinese drones, port cranes, and biotech companies collecting the genetic data of Americans. The proposed legislation aims to support the U.S. global technological leadership by fending off Chinese espionage and strengthening export controls. Two of the bills seek to reduce CCP influence in and outside of the United States. Read the full story here›

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