Running mates don’t shape campaigns, and climate change isn’t a top-tier election issue.
Normally.
But Tuesday’s vice presidential debate unfolds under circumstances that are far from normal.
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Southeastern states are still digging out from Hurricane Helene, which left a trail of destruction that experts said was likely supercharged by warmer conditions. The Democratic ticket is only two months old, after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and handed the reins to Vice President Kamala Harris. And national and swing-state polling are showing essentially a tied race between Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump.
