Hello and welcome to background briefing available 24-7 at background briefing.

I'm Ian Masters, and today we'll examine a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin ahead of tonight's CNN interview with Vice President Kamala Harris

and her vice-presidential running mate Tim Walsh,

and discuss how much Republicans and the press who have been pressuring Harris

for sit-down interviews to elaborate on policy will be satisfied.

Joining us to also assess what might happen in the forthcoming debate between Harris and Trump is Paul Walman,

a journalist and opinion writer whose work has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines and digital outlets.

He's a former columnist at the Washington Post,

and his books include Being Righters Not Enough,

What Progressives must learn from conservative success,

the press effect, politicians, journalists,

and the stories that shape the political world,

and most recently, white, rural, rage,

the threat to American democracy.

He runs the cross-section on Substack, where his latest articles, which we will discuss,

include why Republicans don't think working for the government is a real job, and media and Republicans join in pretending they care about policy.

Then we look into the historical breakthroughs of electing a black man Obama,

almost electing a woman Hillary Clinton,

and now possibly electing a black and Asian woman married to a Jew.

Joining us is Andra Gillespie,

a professor of political science and director of the James

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