The presidential debate on September 10 is just around the corner

STORY OF THE WEEK: With the Democratic National Convention winding down, the stage is now set for a final push toward the crucial November election. The Rhode Island delegation, like other Democrats at the DNC, seemed excited by Kamala Harris’ performance as the party’s nominee. The convention gave Harris control over her public reintroduction as she made her case against Republican Donald Trump. Republicans countered by citing what they called a lack of substance at the DNC. Republican pollster John McLaughlin remains optimistic about Trump’s chances, while Democrats have high hopes for Harris. Regardless of the view, the gloves are off now that the conventions are over. One key date is a debate scheduled for Sept. 10. If current trends continue, a relatively small number of votes in a handful of key swing states will decide the November election.

VIEW OF DNC: Tom Kane, chief of staff to Rhode Island Senate Majority Leader Ryan Pearson, was one of 35 delegates representing the state at the DNC in Chicago. He describes what he called an incredible experience: “I am deeply grateful to the voters who entrusted me with this opportunity. The convention was an eye-opening journey filled with moments I will never forget. Some of the most unexpected highlights were the shuttle bus rides to and from the convention. It may sound mundane, but being crammed into a bus with delegates from all over the country led to some of the most stimulating conversations of the entire trip. I had the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life – elected officials, former incumbents, passionate advocates, and everyday citizens who care deeply about the future of our nation. Hearing their stories, learning about the challenges they face in their home states, and sharing a shared hope for a better future was truly inspiring. These conversations confirmed that despite our different backgrounds, we are united by a common goal: to make a difference and drive positive change. I return home with a renewed sense of purpose and excitement for what lies ahead, and I am confident that together we can continue to build a better future for all Americans.”

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?: Some pretty dramatic things — the 1938 hurricane, a 1959 prison break, and the “December debacle” of 2007 — all happened when the governor was not in Rhode Island. So who would have been in charge of the response if an emergency had occurred while Governor Dan McKee, Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos, and House Speaker Joe Shekarchi were all in Chicago? It turns out that, unlike in Massachusetts, and because of a change in the Sundlun administration, the governor was still in charge.

GINAWORLD: Gina Raimondo leaned on a familiar story during her appearance on opening night of the DNC — namely, that her father had lost his job at the Bulova watch factory in Providence. The former Rhode Island governor made more headlines later in the week when she botched a question about changes in employment numbers. And during a conversation with Axios the week of the DNC, an unusually unfiltered Raimondo surprised interviewer Hans Nichols (around 10:30 a.m.) by dropping a curse word while describing what currently riles her up most about the GOP.

RI POLI-MEDIA PEOPLE IN MOTION: Karen Greco, formerly of communications at Bryan University, is now spokeswoman for the state Department of Administration. … Justin Lake, a member of the West Greenwich School Committee, is the new vice chair of the RI Young Republicans. … Olivia George, a former Brown Daily Herald staff writer and reporter for the Tampa Bay Times, was named Florida’s Most Outstanding Young Journalist by the state chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. … Omar Mohammed is the newest reporter at Globe RI.

OUT: Local zoning in Exeter — one of the state’s wealthiest communities — requires three acres to build a home. That rules out the possibility of building three to four homes on a three-acre lot. “Having a site that we thought we could build on and we couldn’t is really tough,” Colin Penney, executive director of South County Habitat for Humanity, told my colleague Alex Nunes. As Alex reports as part of our ongoing series, which launched this week on how zoning complicates efforts to solve Rhode Island’s housing crisis, nearly a third of the land in South County requires two acres for a single-family home.

Interior view: Brenda Clement of HousingWorksRI, from an interview in our series: “A lot of what we like about Rhode Island, a lot of what we hold up as great examples in Rhode Island, [is] not reproducible within the framework of existing land use regulations.”

MIGRANTS-MAILER: An Associated Press photo of Haitian migrants crossing a river in 2021 became an unnamed part of a mailing sent by Hopkins’ campaign this week. The mailing claims that Fenton-Fung supports free college tuition for so-called “illegal immigrants.” As a state legislator, Fenton-Fung voted for free college tuition for illegal immigrants and points out that state policy requires illegal students in the College Promise program (which she also supports) to apply for citizenship. Hopkins’ campaign defended the mailing, while Fenton-Fung called it “maliciously false.”

RI SENATE 28: Sen. Josh Miller (D-Cranston) tells me he won’t endorse any potential successor among the five Democrats vying to succeed him in the Sept. 10 primary: “Too many good people.”

Soon: The Pell Center at Salve Regina University is hosting a forum on September 5th on the global geostrategic and national security challenges and opportunities posed by climate change. Participants in the forum include former Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, authors Thomas Barnett and Sherri Goodman, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. U.S. Senator Jack Reed is also invited.

FOOTBALL: URI economist Leonard Lardaro is known for his sharp-tongued observations about Rhode Island’s economy, so it’s notable when Lardaro notes improvement. The 83 reading for his Current Conditions Index in June was “the highest in a long time,” he said by email, adding that he doesn’t think rising unemployment is a cause for concern. “At this point, it’s safe to say Rhode Island’s economy has finally gotten out of first gear,” Lardaro said in a statement.