Note: The video of the debate (above), a replica of the live telecast, is the best bet to get a real picture of what really was the latest American presidential debate, first hand. Watch.

WASHINGTON, Sept 11: The pendulum swung to the extreme as celebrated pop star Taylor Swift with a global fan following far greater than the American registered voters endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for President as soon as the debate between the Democratic candidate and Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump came to an end at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night.

As it was widely anticipated, Swift addressed her 283 million followers on Instagram, “Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them."

She is seen in the post holding her pet and signing as “Childless Cat Lady,” a reference to Trump’s running mate Senator JD Vance's recent remark about women without children.

Earlier an AI-generated post had been put in circulation by anonymous people in which she was reportedly shown supporting Trump. In reponse to that she said in the latest post, " “It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth."

Currently she is in on international tour swaying jam-packed stadiums around the world.

Some quotable QUOTES from debate

A graceful first: Heading into the debate, there was a question as to how Harris and Trump, who have never met, would greet each other. Harris settled the issue, definitively. She walked over to Trump at his podium, extended her hand and introduced herself as “Kamala Harris.” It was a disarming way for Harris to greet a man who has spent weeks insulting her race and gender.

• “Same tired playbook.” “A bunch of lies, grievances and name calling.” Harris on Trump
• “And I do believe that the American people know we all have so much more in common than what separates us, and we can chart a new way forward.” - Harris
• "Clearly I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump," she said when Biden came under attack.
• "First of all, it's important to remind the former president you're not running against Joe Biden, you're running against me," she said.
• When asked again if he regretted his actions (attack on Capitol), Trump answered, "I had nothing to do with that other than they asked me to make a speech. I showed up for a speech."
• "I believe in the ambition, the aspirations, the dreams of the American people, and that is why I imagine and have actually a plan to build what I call an opportunity economy," said Harris.
• “What we have done is clean up Donald Trump’s mess.” - Harris
• "What you're going to hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025 that the former president intends on implementing if he were elected again." - Harris.
• “Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. What we have done is clean up Donald Trump’s mess.”
• "You are a disgrace for the country... World leaders are laughing at you." - Harris
• Trump criticized Harris for the persistent inflation during the Biden administration's term.
• Inflation, he said, "has been a disaster for people, for the middle class, for every class."
• "Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?" Harris campaign chair, after the debate.
• He'd be "less inclined to" debate her a second time "because we had a great night." He would "think about it." Trump supporter
• Appearing on 'Fox & Friends' on Wednesday morning, Trump claimed the debate, hosted by ABC News, was "rigged"

TIDBITS

(Ahead of the debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday night)

Biden states Kamala Harris seems 'calm, cool, and collected' ahead of presidential debate, after speaking to her before debate. “She seems calm, cool and collected. I think she’s going to do great.”

The details of the group of campaign surrogates which will support Harris from spin room is as follows: Senators Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Laphonza Butler of California and Chris Murphy of Connecticut; and Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Veronica Escobar of Texas, and Robert Garcia and Ted Lieu of California.

Kamala Harris will be joined by her husband, Doug Emhoff, sister Maya Harris and her husband, Tony West, at the National Constitution Center, NBC News reported.

Two former Trump White House officials will support Kamala Harris’s campaign as surrogates at the debate. Anthony Scaramucci, who previously served as White House communications director under Donald Trump, and Olivia Troye, a former homeland security adviser to Mike Pence, will both advocate against Trump and in favour of Harris ahead of the debate, according to the campaign.

Former President Donald Trump will be joined by family members and key campaign advisers, according to a source cited by CNN. Eric Trump, his wife Lara Trump, and several top advisers, including co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, will accompany him at the venue. Senior advisers Corey Lewandowski, Jason Miller, Steven Cheung, and Taylor Budowich are also expected to be present, preparing Trump ahead of his debate with Kamala Harris.

Dan Scavino, Trump’s social media director, is also set to post live updates from the event on Trump's X account, CNN reported.

The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.

Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.

• The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line provides Kashmir with all-weather connectivity and integrates the Valley with the rest of India.
• The saying 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' is now a dream come true.
• The Chenab bridge on the line, an engineering marvel, is the world's highest railway bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower. (Video: File)

A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924) (Today's headlines )

Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”

Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.

PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.

Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people. (Today's headlines )

"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...

Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.

Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.

As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.

The committee headed by justice Kurian Joseph will study Centre-State relations and make proposals to ensure foolproof separation of powers.

"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.

Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.

ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!

What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America! (Today's headlines )

PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).

In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.

THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.

The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.

Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See: New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)

ANALYSIS: "The standard operating procedure for deportations by aircraft used by ICE that is effective from 2012 provides for the use of restraints," says the Government. That means, it is taken for granted the US will set the standard for deportations. For another, the Government is more interested in comparing with what happened in 2012 under a different Government to justify its own compliance! No surprise, others are trampling upon us. (How we conduct ourselves inside decides, inherently, how we are treated outside) Thirdly, the Government blamed the gangs doing the business of human trafficking for the illegal migration. For all the crimes taking place in the country, let us blame the criminals! Funny! We will never move an inch forward! The mindset defines what we are.

Meanwhile, a UN-returned Congress leader Shashi Tharoor sounded like a layman when he said, "If they are citizens of India we have an obligation to take them back." Who said 'No'?. He should know that is not the issue now. Who will identify an undocumented person, and how?

The function was held indoors from 12 pm (10:30 pm IST) at the rotunda of the US Capitol building because of unusually intense cold and snow. Delivering his inaugural address, Trump remarked, “The golden age of America begins right now," and just hours later signed a slew of executive orders to redeem the election pledges.