The Bulletin

• Harris Interview: Vice President Kamala Harris gently tip-toed away from President Joe Biden's record while touting her policy agenda during a hotly anticipated joint interview with running mate Tim Walz on Thursday. Read more about her CNN interview below.

• Trump's double-header campaign: Donald Trump campaigned in Michigan and Wisconsin on Thursday, visiting Alro Steel in Potterville to discuss the economy, inflation, and manufacturing. His campaign also hosted a town hall at the La Crosse Center, addressing concerns from independent Wisconsinites. Today, he travels to Pennsylvania for a rally as he intensifies his battleground state schedule. Here's how to watch his PA rally.

• Labor Day weekend: AAA data shows increased domestic travel this Labor Day weekend, with a 2 percent dip in travel costs. Many major U.S. cities will experience pleasant temperatures, but a cold front will bring storms and cooler weather from Texas to Maine. Here's what else to expect.

• Eastern equine encephalitis: A 41-year-old man in Hampstead, New Hampshire, has died because of a rare, mosquito-borne virus, while another man in his 80s in Worcester County, Massachusetts, has been hospitalized. Nearly a dozen towns in Massachusetts have shut down public parks and are restricting outdoor activities at times when the insects are most active. Here's where cases have been detected.

• World population density: Parts of Asia and various small island nations are among the most densely populated countries in the world, according to data from the World Bank. Find out which countries top the list for the highest and lowest population density.

• Iran nuclear program warning: The United Nations' nuclear watchdog group has warned in a recently revealed report that Iran has further boosted its stockpile of enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels. Here's what we know.

• In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Netherlands has said that the country may use its fighter jets "as it wishes" on strikes inside Russia, reflecting a more relaxed stance on how Kyiv employs Western-supplied weaponry.

The rundown: Vice President Kamala Harris did not hesitate to address voters' top concerns while appearing for her first sit-down interview in the 2024 presidential race. Here's a breakdown of what Harris and Walz said about some of voters' top issues while speaking with CNN.

Why it matters: Harris has faced pushback for not being clear on her administration's policy agenda with just under 10 weeks until voters head to the polls. During a roughly hour-long conversation with CNN's Dana Bash that aired Thursday night, Harris was pressed for her stances on issues ranging from inflation costs to foreign policy, while her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, fielded questions about his family and military experience. In a recent poll from Bloomberg News and Morning Consult, 50 percent of registered voters said that they trust Trump to handle their concerns over the economy, while 43 percent put their trust in Harris.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Was Kamala Harris' First Interview a Success? Experts Weigh In

TL/DR: The vice president has flipped the script across national polling since launching her campaign, with most surveys showing her closing the gap with Donald Trump in the past five weeks.

What happens now? Harris had no Friday campaign events scheduled, but her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, is slated to deliver remarks at campaign events in San Francisco and Aspen, Colo., today, according to the White House. The vice president will face Donald Trump in a debate on Sept. 10 on ABC.

Deeper reading The 7 Key Topics Harris, Walz Addressed in Interview Amid Policy Concerns

The rundown: Former President Donald Trump has unveiled a new policy proposal requiring the government or insurance companies to cover the costs of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. Find out more about the policy.

Why it matters: Trump made the announcement while campaigning in Michigan and Wisconsin, ramping up his battleground state travel heading into the traditional Labor Day turn toward the fall election. When pressed on whether the government or insurance companies would be responsible for covering IVF services, Trump reiterated that one option would involve mandating insurance companies to pay. Democrats have criticized Republicans, claiming that GOP-led abortion restrictions could extend to limiting IVF access. The issue gained further attention after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos should be considered people, causing some clinics in the state to suspend IVF services.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Republican Ripped for Calling IVF 'Morally Wrong'

TL/DR: IVF, a fertility treatment, has become a contentious issue in the 2024 campaign.

What happens now? In recent months, Republican lawmakers have faced significant backlash over measures that critics say limit access to reproductive health care, including IVF. Trump's proposed policy seems to be a move to counteract this negative perception by showing his support for fertility treatments, which are crucial for many families.

Deeper reading Donald Trump Reveals New IVF Payment Policy Plan

The rundown: The Social Security Administration has made a major update to its Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application, hoping that Americans can apply for benefits more easily. Find out about the changes here.

Why it matters: SSI provides monthly checks to Americans living with disabilities as well as older adults with limited incomes. For many, the current SSI application can be difficult to navigate, but the SSA hopes to address some of those issues with a new application that will go live in December. The new December application will be fully online and streamlined for first-time applicants between 18 and almost 65 who have never married and are concurrently applying for Social Security benefits and SSI. This could make a big difference compared to the current application, which is submitted via a paper form and usually takes two hours to complete with help from an SSA employee.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Social Security Announces Plans to Change Applications

TL/DR: According to the SSA's press release, the new application will use "user-tested, plain-language questions" and "seamless step-by-step transitions.

What happens now? In the second phase, targeted for late 2025, the SSA said it hopes to expand the new application to all applicants. However, the SSA is still up against a ticking deadline as the agency faces an insolvency crisis.

Deeper reading Social Security Administration Makes Major Change to Program's Application

The rundown: A senior Chinese official for the polar regions called on China and Russia to work more closely together in the Arctic, including in science, while visiting a territory that NATO ally Norway owns. Here's more about the growing Arctic collaboration.

Why it matters: The comments by Tiejun Ling, deputy director of the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration, were made as a record three Chinese icebreakers traversed the freezing seas near the North Pole in a further sign of China's deepening interest in the increasingly contested region. The visit on August 21—apparently still unreported a week later by Chinese state media—highlights growing tensions surrounding the activities of both China and Russia in the High North, where NATO states are watching increasingly warily for signs of deepening cooperation following Russia's full invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which Beijing has not condemned.

Read more in-depth coverage:
How NATO Is Countering Russia in the Arctic

TL/DR: China has called itself a "near-Arctic state" and says it is an important stakeholder in Arctic affairs—even though the East Asian country's territory is 900 miles away from the Arctic Circle.

What happens now? Chinese and Russian officials agreed to start preparations for joint research projects in the region, with follow-up meetings in the fall, High North News said.

Deeper reading China and Russia to Expand Scientific Cooperation in Arctic: Report

The rundown: Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet may have been brought down by Ukraine's own air defense in a case of friendly fire, a source in the country's air force told Voice of America's (VOA) Ukrainian service. Here are the different versions being considered for the cause of the crash.

Why it matters: Kyiv said the F-16 crashed on Monday during a mission to repel Russian missiles, confirming the first loss of one of the U.S.-made fighter jets since their delivery to Ukraine was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Oleksii Mes, was killed in the crash, Ukraine's Army General Staff said on Thursday. Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets were used during a missile and drone barrage launched by Russia, the General Staff said.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Ukraine Confirms F-16 Crash, Pilot's Death

TL/DR: Zelensky had long called on his Western allies to provide his military with the advanced fighter jets to assist in the war against Russia, now in its third year.

What happens now? Ukraine is considering the possibility that the F-16 crash was caused by friendly fire, the unnamed source in Ukraine's air force said, adding that an investigation is ongoing into the incident. "Various versions are being considered, including 'friendly fire' from our own air defense, a technical malfunction, and pilot error," the source told the VOA on the condition of anonymity. "However, the exact causes will only be known after the investigation is completed."

Deeper reading Ukraine F-16 Crash May Have Been Friendly Fire: Reports