you (to do) your homework yesterday

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have you done/did you do your homework?

• Thread starter yuri05
• Start date Mar 28, 2014
• Mar 28, 2014

hi, i find it hard to decide which tense to use when there are no time references. for example, let's say a teacher walks in the classroom and asks his pupils:"have you done/did you do your homework?"which tense should be used in this situation? i'd use the present perfect but i'm not sure. thanks!  

Senior Member

The present perfect makes sense in that situation, but the simple past is also possible. Have you done your homework? Did you do your homework?  

owlman5 said: The present perfect makes sense in that situation, but the simple past is also possible. Have you done your homework? Did you do your homework? Click to expand...

"Have you done your homework?" This happened in the past, but somehow affects the present. "Yes." "You should give it to the teacher tomorrow." In this case, we might assume that the recently completed homework can be handed in now. The completion of the homework affects the present. "Did you do your homework?" This happened in the past. It doesn't affect the present or we don't care how it affects the present "Yes." "Why did you do so poorly on the test?" You are thinking about a past effect of doing the homework.  

Member Emeritus

• Mar 29, 2014

ChainReaction

• Sep 20, 2014

<< Moderator's note: This question has been added to a previous thread. Please scroll up and read from the top. >> Hi, I'm new here, and I have a question about something that was bothering me for quite a long time. What is the difference between the regular form of past tense, and the form 'have past_tense '? To give you the right context, what's the difference between: "Did you do your homework?" and "Have you done your homework?" << New example will need its own thread. >>  

You mean the simple past and the present perfect. Here's a good primer: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/ppvpast.htm In short, the simple past is used when referring to a situation that is completely in the past (and thus concluded, with little to no relevance for the present situation). The present perfect (which is not a past tense) is used when referring to situations that are still happening and/or have a relevance for the present situation.  

That said, there is often little distinction between these tenses in the everyday use of the language. Using the simple past ("did you do your homework") in situations that actually call for the present perfect ("have you done your homework", because the enquirer wishes to know if the person's homework is now done) is especially common in American English. << Response to deleted question. >>  

"Did you do your homework?" and "Have you done your homework?" For example, if a child wanted to watch TV, mum or dad could say either of them but the second (the one using present perfect) is better because it emphasises that we are talking about now, today. If an investigator was asking about something before the present then the first one is correct. Teacher: On the night before you went on vacation last year, did you do your homework?  

post mod (English Only / Latin)

• Sep 21, 2014
• Mar 2, 2019

[This post and the following ones have been added to a previous thread in which the same question was asked. Please read down from the top. DonnyB - moderator]. Context: I want to ask if my son has done the homework or not Did you do your homework ? Have you done your homework ? Which tense is better and why? Do we need "the" before "homework" in the context?  

Since you live in the UK, use "have you done", since you are interested in the situation in the present. I think AmE usage is "did you do". Don't use "the" with "your". "Your homework" is the usual way of saying it.  

Thanks  

• Jun 25, 2019

A teacher gave a home assignment to his students one week ago. His students show up and say that the homework is still undone. What would they say? - We haven't done our homework. - We didn't do our home work.  

Steven David

Ivan_I said: A teacher gave a home assignment to his students one week ago. His students show up and say that the homework is still undone. What would they say? - We haven't done our homework. - We didn't do our home work. Click to expand...

Parla said: I think the teacher would use the simple past tense ("Did you do your homework?") since the reference is to work assigned the day before and it should have been done the evening before. Click to expand...

Helenejj said: What would the teacher say if the work was assigned three days ago? Click to expand...

Uncle Jack said: The present perfect indicates completion. "Have you done your homework?"asks the same question as "Is your homework complete?" Click to expand...

Helenejj said: Doesn't "Did you do your homework?" indicate that the homework is complete? Click to expand...

Simple Past or Present Perfect Simple

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

• Mother: I want to prepare dinner. (you / wash) the dishes yet?
• Daughter: I (wash) the dishes yesterday, but I (have / not) the time yet to do it today.
• Mother: (you / do / already) your homework?
• Daughter: No, I (come / just) home from school.
• Mother: You (come) home from school two hours ago!
• Daughter: Well, but my friend Lucy (call) when I (arrive) and I (finish / just) the phone call.
• Mother: (you / see / not) Lucy at school in the morning?
• Daughter: Yes, but we (have / not) time to talk then.

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All you have to do now is "finish your homework" or "to finish your homework"?

I know that the sentences below are both correct.

• All you have to do is finish your homework.
• All you have to do is to finish your homework.

My grammar book says that "to do is..." is an exception and you call place the base form of a verb write after "is" without "to".

However, I have a question here. What if there's another word between "to do" and "is"? For example,

• All you have to do now is (to) finish your homework.
• What you had to do yesterday was (to) finish your homework.

"Now" and "yesterday" are placed between "to do" and "is". Is it still grammatical if you omit "to" in the two sentences, 3 and 4?

• to-infinitive

• 3 and 4 are fine. Time adverbs can be put in a sentence in many places without changing the rest of the sentence. You could even add a more complex adverbial, although if it gets much more complex, then you would be more likely to include the "to". –  Stuart F Commented Feb 15 at 11:11

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How to use the 'Present Perfect'

'I have been to Boston.'

Have/has + past participle makes the present perfect .

She has lost her bag. They have taken a taxi I have been to Australia

The present perfect tense is used to describe something that happened in the past, but the exact time it happened is not important. It has a relationship with the present.

I have done my homework = I finished my homework in the past. It is not important at what exact time, only that it is now done. I have forgotten my bag. = Exactly when in the past that I forgot it is not important. The important thing is that I don't have it now .

As we do not use exact time expressions with the past perfect, we cannot say: I have done my homework yesterday

In this case we use the past simple tense: I did my homework yesterday.

Using already just and yet with the present perfect

Already , just and yet can are all used with the present perfect.

Already means 'something has happened sooner than we expected: 'The movie only came out yesterday, but I have already seen it.'

Just means 'a short time ago': 'I have just seen your brother going into the bank with a gun!'

Yet is only used in questions and negative sentences. It means 'something is expected to happen': 'Have you finished the report yet?' No, I haven't finished it yet.'

Now choose the best answer to make the present perfect:

• My parents ___. retired yet have retired has retired
• Your sister ___ my car. have borrowed has borrow has borrowed
• Have you ___ the movie yet? seen have seen looked
• Please wait. I haven't finished ___. yet already just
• Water __ found on Mars. has been have has be
• I have ___ all my money. spend has spend spent
• They ___ you a cake. have maded have made have make

• Lesson Index

English language Schools

I __________ my homework yesterday.

A. Did B. Used to do

Select your answer:          

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Sentences and questions in the Simple Past – Exercise 1

Task no. 4123.

Put in the verbs in brackets into the gaps. Use Simple Past . Watch the punctuation and form sentences or questions.

  she   the Internet? (to surf)

Did she surf the Internet?

Do you need help?

Form of the Simple Past

• I my maths homework yesterday. (to do)
• Susan to England by plane? (to go)
• They a farm two weeks ago. (to visit)
• Jenny and Peggy their brother. (not/to help)
• The children at home last weekend. (not/to be)
• When you this wonderful skirt? (to design)
• My mother into the van. (not/to crash)
• The boys the mudguards of their bicycles. (to take off)
• you your aunt last week? (to phone)
• He milk at school. (not/to drink)
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" Did you were at home ? " or "Were you at home ?" [closed]

I don't know when I should use " Did you were... " and when I should use " Were you... ". For example, Why do we say:

" Were you at home last night? "

" Did you were at home last night? "

• simple-past

• A more challenging question—because it doesn't involve running afoul of grammatical rules governing how to indicate that something happened in the past without over-identifying it as past—might be "Why isn't 'Did you be at home?' a standard alternative way of inquiring about whether someone was at home at a particular time in the past?" –  Sven Yargs Commented Dec 20, 2015 at 19:36

You would never use "Did you were" in proper English, because "did" is the past tense of "do," a verb. Example: "I did my homework last night." Also, you could correctly ask, "Did you stay home last night?" instead of "Were you home last night?" Both are acceptable usage.

• I agree with Mark. I've never heard "Did you were" used in informal/idiomatic English, either. I would call that a grammatical error. –  Duncan C Commented Dec 20, 2015 at 20:43

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged past-tense simple-past or ask your own question .

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I did my homework vs I did my homework yesterday

Explained by Michele A. Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: September 10, 2024

I did my homework

This phrase is correct and commonly used to indicate completion of homework without specifying the time frame.

• I did my homework before dinner.
• She asked if I had done my homework.
• Did you do your homework yet?
• He always does his homework on time.
• Make sure you do your homework every day.
• Dec 3, 2020 ... I did my homework is past tense, a completed action - yesterday, last night, etc. I have done my homework is present perfect - it means you ...
• Oct 1, 2021 ... However, most people would say, “ I did my homework before going/I went to bed.” When we have conjunctions like 'before' and 'after' that make ...
• Dec 16, 2016 ... It SEEMS to fit the form our textbook was teaching (" I did my homework . I was tired." -> "I was tired to do my homework.") and yet I know it's ...
• " I did my homework at 7 o'clock yesterday" strikes me as more plausible than the other way around. If the question is "What were you doing at 7: ...
• I did my homework ”. This is the simple past. It tells us only that the action happened in the past, and it is finished. We don't know (from this) whether it ...
• Jul 5, 2023 ... ... I did my homework , perhaps with finished or completed interchangeable with done/did. Upvote 2. Downvote. Reply. u/Astropee avatar Astropee • 3 ...

Alternatives:

• I have completed my homework.
• I finished my homework.
• I completed my homework.
• I have done my homework.
• I got my homework done.

I did my homework yesterday

This phrase is correct and provides a specific time frame, indicating that the homework was completed on the previous day.

• I did my homework yesterday, so I can relax today.
• She finished her homework yesterday evening.
• Did you do your homework yesterday?
• He told me he did his homework yesterday.
• I remember doing my homework yesterday.
• So, maybe, I can only say, I did my homework yesterday . Is that 100% right? no exception to use perfect tense with accurate time point? Thanks ...
• Translate I did my homework yesterday . See 2 authoritative translations of I did my homework yesterday in Spanish with example sentences and audio ...
• I did my homework yesterday . I have done my homework several times in my life. M · mhp. Senior Member. American English. Apr 3, 2008 · #6.
• I did my homework yesterday . I don't have any to do tonight so I can go out. Even though doing your homework takes time, using that tense ...
• But if you mean you began and completed your homework yesterday, then I suggest “ I did my homework yesterday , between 5 PM and 6 PM.” Or perhaps simply, “ I did  ...
• For example, I did my homework yesterday . If we want to link two actions together, and indicate which action happened first, we use the perfect tense. For ...
• Oct 31, 2017 ... How do you say this in Japanese? I did my homework yesterday . See a translation · 昨日 宿題をしました · 昨日、 宿題をしました。 · In Hiragana
• May 9, 2018 ... Is it Correct if I did my homework yesterday itself and I use present perfect answer the question? Since I can't say yesterday in present ...
• Jul 8, 2008 ... In this case we use the past simple tense: I did my homework yesterday . Using already just and yet with the present perfect. Already, just and ...
• I completed my homework yesterday.
• I finished my homework yesterday.
• Yesterday, I did my homework.
• My homework was done yesterday.
• I got my homework done yesterday.

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• Tom doesn’t wants to clean his room today. Tom doesn’t want to clean his room today.
• Helen always is talking too much with her friends. Helen always talks too much with her friends.
• The boys play football in the yard yesterday. The boys played football in the yard yesterday
• Who help you to do your homework every day? Who helps you to do your homework every day?
• Tom had helped me to make a kite three days ago. Tom helped me to make a kite three days ago.
• Where did you lived in 2004? Where did you live in 2004?
• The tasks was very difficult in the previous test. The tasks were very difficult in the previous test.
• Look! Bill catches a funny little pig in the yard. Look! Bill is catching a funny little pig in the yard.
• Your answer is very interested. I like it a lot. Your answer is very interesting. I like it a lot.
• I haven’t never visited this country. I have never visited this country.
• Sam stood at the bust stop when I see him yesterday. Sam was standing at the bust stop when I saw him yesterday
• Liz will do her homework by three o’clock tomorrow. Liz will have done her homework by three o’clock tomorrow.
• 13. Andrew already buy milk when I saw him yesterday. Andrew had already bought milk when I saw him yesterday.
• They just watched this awful film. They have just watched this awful film
• Mary always fall down because she was so absent-minded. Mary always falls down because she is so absent-minded.

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Past simple or past continuous?

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The first one is more natural if you are referring to an action that was in progress at 8 o'clock. But it is not possible to omit the subject in English, pronoun " I " in this case.

If you are referring to an action that was concluded before 8 o'clock, you should use Past Perfect and a different preposition, " by 8 o'clock" in this case.

E.g.: I had finished my homework by 8 o'clock last night.

Both sentences are syntactically incorrect, i.e. the word order is not respected. 

You have two options: 1) to use a comma for emphasis: At 8 o'clock last night , I was doing my homework; 2) to put the whole adverbial phrase after the object: I was doing my homework at 8 o'clock last night .

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Yes, You Can Opt Your Kids Out of Homework—Here’s How

When Juliana Porter thinks about the feeling that homework induces, one word comes to mind: dread.

“The subject we’ve found to be the most challenging is math, in large part because strategies and ‘show your work’ are often required to get correct answers,” says the North Carolina mom of three. “But as parents who are not in the class to learn new methods, we’re not able to help. Or we can help, but it’s not the correct method being taught and adds to our child’s confusion.”

The Porter family’s experience isn’t unique. Research published in the Child & Youth Care Forum found more than 25% of parents and kids say homework “always or often interferes with family time and creates a power struggle.” And according to an additional study conducted by a Stanford researcher, 56% of students surveyed say homework is a primary source of stress.

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While many families do their best to help their children complete homework with as little frustration as possible, my family has chosen a different option: to simply skip it. For four years, my family has totally opted out of homework, which I’ve learned doesn’t produce enough benefits for the stress it causes. And I want other parents to know that opting out of homework is an option for their kids, too.

Homework: How to Opt Out

If your child goes to an open admissions public school, opting out of homework can be something you consider. While it may be a particularly good choice if homework is causing major household stress, you don’t have to wait until your child is miserable to act if they (or you) would simply prefer to spend the time in other ways. There are no legal requirements that students complete work outside of school hours and, for many children, the actual determinants of homework outweigh the theoretical benefits.

How I Opt My Kids Out of Homework

To opt out, I send a note to each of my children's teachers at the beginning of the year letting them know that my child will not be completing homework, that their overall grade should not be impacted, and that they should not be penalized in any way for not turning in homework assignments.

I also let them know that we're committed to our kids' education, that we read together most evenings, and that, if my child is struggling or needs extra support in any subject, we're happy to brainstorm solutions to help them get the practice they need.

Opting out has worked well for our family but implicit bias might mean that other families don't receive the same neutral or positive reaction that our white family does. 

"Many historically marginalized families never consider opting out of homework, even when they know that it's not meaningful," says Sequoya Mungo, PhD , an educational equity consultant and co-founder of BrownLight Inc. , a company helping to create positive diversity and inclusion results in educational, nonprofit, and corporate environments. "When white families make these types of educational choices, they are viewed as forward-thinking and as advocates for their children's education. When non-middle class and non-white families opt out, the assumption is that parents don't value education.” 

According to Dr. Mungo, coming with research or policy can be helpful as even some school level administrators are unaware that opting out is within your rights as parents. “The more prepared you are, the more likely you are to not be met with pushback.” 

Why Families May Want to Opt Out of Homework

Since homework is so prevalent, many assume it's vital, or at least important, to kids' academic growth. But the reality is murkier. "There's really no good evidence that homework completion positively impacts kids' academic growth or achievement," says Samantha Cleaver, PhD , a reading interventionist and author of Raising an Active Reader: The Case for Reading Aloud to Engage Elementary School Youngsters . 

A 2006 meta-analysis of homework and achievement found moderate correlation in middle school and little correlation in elementary school, while there was negative correlation (that is, more homework means less learning) in third grade and below.

While research shows homework can help high school kids improve grades, test results, and likelihood of going to college, the reality is academic pressures in the U.S. have increased over the last two decades, and so too has the amount of homework that kids are assigned. The National Education Association (NEA) recommends no more than 10 minutes of homework per night per grade level, but that's often not what's happening.

Excessive homework can negatively impact sleep, mental health, and stress levels . It’s also important to note homework is an issue of equity, since not every child has the same opportunities at home.

"When kids are doing work in school, the classroom environment serves as somewhat of an equalizer,'' says Dr. Mungo. "Kids have access to the same teacher and generally the same resources within the classroom setting. At home, kids have different environments, different access to resources, and different levels of support." This means kids with less support and more challenges often end up getting lower grades or being penalized for not turning in work for reasons totally outside their control.

Parents who don't want to be the only ones opting out can work to change the homework culture at their school. Consider reaching out to your principal about your homework concerns or connecting with other parents or the PTA to help build support for your cause.

And if you do opt out, don't be shy about letting other parents know that's what you've chosen to do. Sometimes just knowing there is an option and that others have opted out successfully can help families decide what's right for them.

What to Do With the Extra Time You're Not Doing Homework

When Porter thinks about what a life without homework would be like, she envisions a much more relaxed evening routine. “I imagine a scenario where my kids can do their after-school activities , read more, get outside, and generally just decompress from the daily eight-hour grind that is school,” she says.

If you opt out of homework and find your family with more time for other sorts of learning, leisure, or adventure, be thoughtful about how you’ll structure your new routine and talk with your kids about the value of doing nothing, the importance of family time, or how to spend their time in ways that matter to them.

And if you want to be sure they're getting in some valuable post-school learning, consider repurposing your previous homework time to reading with your kids. "Reading aloud has benefits long after your kids can read on their own," says Dr. Cleaver. "Encourage them to choose books about subjects they're interested in, snuggle up together, and enjoy watching them learn through active reading."

But reading isn’t the only way to reap benefits. "There are lots of things that kids can do after school that will positively impact their growth and development that don't involve sitting down to do more of the work they've done at school,'' says Dr. Cleaver. " Time to decompress through play or relaxation isn't just fun, it actually helps kids' brains and bodies relax, making them more open to learning."

Homework and Children in Grades 3–6: Purpose, Policy and Non-Academic Impact .  Child Youth Care Forum.

Nonacademic Effects of Homework in Privileged, High-Performing High Schools .  The Journal of Experimental Education

Suitable Homework Boosts Highschool Learning Effects . World Journal of Education.

How much homework is too much? National Education Association.

Related Articles

The Friendship Project

How to know if your friendship is toxic—and what to do about it.

W e all know the importance of fostering close social connections. Friends are great—until they’re not.

Psychologists say they hear often about so-called toxic friendships, which veer away from the health benefits we’re accustomed to and instead take a hammer to emotional and psychological well-being. “A lot of what I see in these dynamics is that one person is acting in good faith, and the other is being manipulative or controlling,” says Brooke Sprowl, a therapist in Santa Monica, Calif. “It really takes a toll on your self-trust, because you’re being told that if you set boundaries, you’re being selfish, or if you’re not giving in to all of their needs, you’re letting them down.” People with toxic friends might also experience self-doubt, she adds, constantly questioning if they’re seeing things the right way, or if they’re missing something. It’s no wonder these relationships can trigger anxiety, depression, and self-esteem issues.

With that in mind, we asked experts how to know if your friendship is toxic—and what to do about it.

Recognizing the signs of a toxic friend

Toxic friendships are often one-sided. You might notice you're always the one initiating conversations, making plans, and generally keeping the friendship alive. You might even start to feel like your friend’s pseudo-therapist. “You’re listening to their concerns and giving them advice, but you’re not getting that same kind of treatment and respect in return,” says Dr. Sarah Quaratella, a psychiatrist in Denver who works with college students often struggling with toxic friendships. “You become a vessel for a friend's trauma dumping, but they can't remember your dog's name.”

Read More: How to Make a Long-Distance Friendship Work

Boundary violations are also common: If you’re not a night person, and you tell your friend that after 8 p.m., you’re going to be on the couch in front of the TV, they shouldn't keep calling you at 11. “If you have a friend pressuring you or making you feel guilty, or like you need to change yourself to meet their expectations, that’s a red flag,” Quaratella says.

Angela, 43, who used her first name only in order to talk candidly about her relationships, grew up in a small town where high school nights were spent around a bonfire, drinking beer out of kegs. “That set the tone for ‘friendships,’” she says. Throughout her teens and 20s, her friends often encouraged her to drink or party more than she wanted to, leading her to make choices she later regretted. And as she got older, she felt too embarrassed to talk about the things she was passionate about or that they couldn't relate to, like her business-school classes. “Who we surround ourselves with is so important, because feelings and emotions are contagious,” she says. “And the negative ones will bring you down.”

Like Angela, you might realize that you don’t like who you are when you’re around your so-called friends, adds Jenna Brownfield, a psychologist in Minneapolis. Perhaps you feel like you’re losing parts of yourself that you cherish. “You might feel like it’s hard for you to be compassionate toward your friend, when that’s a characteristic you really value,” she says. “Or feeling less playful or funny, if that's a way you like to show up in the friendship.” If you check in with yourself after spending time with a friend, you might also find that you feel mentally and emotionally drained.

Toxic friends are often guilty of emotional hijacking, Brownfield points out. That’s when, intentionally or not, someone does something that escalates emotions rapidly, like yelling or slinging insults. That person will also create lots of pressure: “We have to talk about this now .” They might have a scarcity mindset, too, which Brownfield describes as wanting your friendship to be more important than any other friendships. “That might look like messages of, ‘You can't have other friends’ or ‘Why did you go to another friend instead of turning to me when you needed help?’” she says. It can end up isolating you from other connections, leaving you focused solely on what’s actually a toxic friendship.

What to do about it

It’s a good idea to give yourself time to figure out how to proceed. Take a step back from the situation and talk to your support system to get some perspective, Quaratella urges. Talk through your long-term expectations: What are your hopes for the friendship? What needs to change, and realistically, will it? You can start to “come up with ways to preserve your integrity and self-respect, while also advocating for yourself,” she says.

Sometimes, there are changes you can personally make that will prove helpful. If you make it a point to be in tune with your emotions and practice emotional-regulation strategies, you might not feel as triggered by your friend’s behaviors, Brownfield says. “You can start to see, is that enough to shift the dynamic between us? Me being able to stay calm when things get heated?” she says.

Otherwise, it’s time for a direct conversation. The best way to approach it, Brownfield says, is to focus on the pattern or cycle hurting your friendship. “Have that common enemy of like, ‘What is this pattern playing out between us, and how do we conquer it together?’” Improvement is possible, she says—but it won’t happen overnight or with one conversation. It requires time and effort from both people. After you’ve talked, if you notice old behavior flaring up again, you’ll need to call attention to it: “Oh my gosh, there we went again.'' If the situation continues to deteriorate—or if your friend isn’t committed to positive change—it may be time to part ways.

More From TIME

How to end a friendship respectfully.

Ending a friendship is difficult no matter what, but the way you approach it can make a big difference. Sometimes, it might make sense to simply distance yourself without formally cutting ties. “If it’s like, you’re at different places in your life, you can decide if you want to just have things naturally fade and leave it open, so that if things change, you can always come back to them,” Quaratella says.

But if the friendship clearly needs to end, it’s usually best to have a direct conversation and set firm, cordial boundaries. In that case, you might say, “I’m in a place right now where I need to take a step back from this friendship.” Or: “I’m taking time to myself right now and working through some things. I’ll reach out when I'm feeling more able to participate in our friendship.” If the person has really hurt you, Quaratella suggests adding: “I’m not comfortable with the way this friendship is going right now, so I'm going to stop our communication here.”

• How to Make Friends as an Adult
• How to Rebuild a Broken Friendship
• How to Know if Your Friendship Is Toxic
• How to Make a Long-Distance Friendship Work
• What Makes a Friendship Last Forever?

Before having that conversation, keep in mind it can be a good idea to rehearse what you’re going to say with someone you trust. “You can practice what you're going to say, so you set yourself up in the best position without feeling like, ‘Oh, no, I sent that text when I really wish I didn't,’” Quaratella says.

When Angela, the woman whose friends pushed her to party, realized those relationships weren’t healthy, she handled the breakups in different ways. Though she communicated directly with some people in her friend group—calling out hurtful behaviors—things naturally shifted with others. Today, she has “wonderful” friends who share many of her interests, like health, spiritual growth, and parenting. “As we evolve and grow, our friendships will evolve and grow. I think it’s so important to know that you never have to feel like you're trapped in a friendship.”

What to do when a friend ghosts you

Sometimes, it might feel like a friend vanished into thin air. Being ghosted is painful,Quaratella acknowledges, and can make you feel confused and distressed. She suggests first reaching out to a mutual friend to see if they've heard from your potential ghoster. “The answer could be yes, and that hurts so much,” she says. “But it can give you context in the sense of whether this is a universal issue—like, ‘This person fell off the grid from our friend group’—or ‘It seems like they’re ghosting just me.’” That can help you determine your next step.

You might find it makes the most sense for you to try to reach your own place of acceptance that the friendship is at least on pause. “You can accept that and be like, ‘I’m going to make the choice to not keep reaching out,’” Quaratella says. “You almost ghost them in return. What I like about that option is it leaves the door open for a rekindling of that friendship.” She's seen high school best friends, for example, drift apart during college—and then, 10 years later, reconnect. When they look back, they’re glad they didn’t say any harsh final words that might have arrested the reunion. 

Depending on the circumstances, however, you might also want to be more direct. For example, you might send a message that says: “I'm really sad that we haven't been able to talk as much. I miss you,” giving your friend an opportunity to respond, Quaratella suggests. Sometimes, people apologize, explaining that they’ve been busy or are going through a hard time, which helps the person who’s been ghosted realize it’s not personal. Otherwise, knowing you made a final effort can allow you to move on and grieve the friendship.

Whatever you do, remind yourself that “regardless of what that friend did, you are able to have healthy friendships, and you can feel secure with yourself,” Brownfield says. “There’s a difference between ‘I feel disposable’ vs. a deep belief of ‘I am disposable.’” If you’re able to hold onto the knowledge that you’re a valuable friend, you’ll be better able to endure the pain of evolving friendships, she stresses.

More Must-Reads from TIME

• How Kamala Harris Knocked Donald Trump Off Course
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No evidence there were transmitters in Kamala Harris' earrings during debate | Fact check

The claim: Kamala Harris wore 'audio earrings' during presidential debate

A Sept. 10 Facebook post ( direct link , archive link ) shows side-by-side photos, one of Vice President Kamala Harris’ left ear during the presidential debate and another of a pair of earrings that double as wireless communication devices.

“Nova Audio Earrings. She was Being coached, Now we know,” text in the image states.

The post was shared more than 1,000 times in a day. A similar version of the claim was reposted tens of thousands of times on X, formerly Twitter.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

There is no credible evidence that Harris' earrings contained audio transmitters, which would have broken rules that ban in-debate interactions with people offstage. Photos of the debate show her earrings do not match the Nova model referenced in the post.

No evidence Harris’ earrings contained wireless earphones

For more than 90 minutes on Sept. 10, Harris and former President Donald Trump traded barbs, claims and policy proposals during their first presidential debate of the election season.

But the claim in the Facebook post is baseless. There is no credible evidence to indicate Harris’ jewelry during the debate contained audio transmitters that could have allowed her to be “coached," as the post claims.

Presidential debate fact check: Analyzing Trump, Harris on abortion, immigration, more

The earrings she wore on the debate stage featured large pearls with two gold stalks that curve behind her earlobes in a “J” shape. A journalist-run website that tracks the vice president’s clothing choices identifies them as a discontinued style from Tiffany & Co. Indeed, the earrings bear a close resemblance to the earrings in Tiffany & Co.’s HardWear line of jewelry, although the pearls in Harris' earrings are noticeably larger than the ones pictured on the jeweler's website.

"There was a bizarre narrative being pushed last night claiming the vice president wore earrings with an audio receiver," Susan Kelley wrote for her site, What Kamala Wore . "I am comfortable stating that was clearly not the case; these are the same Tiffany earrings she has worn for months."

Harris was photographed wearing similar earrings multiple times before the debate – including at events where no clear advantage could be gained by using such technology.

In addition, the electronic earrings shown in the post do not match the ones shown in high-resolution photographs of Harris during the debate . The Nova H1 Audio Earrings from German company Icebach Sound Solutions – which are purported to have embedded wireless transmitters – have single stalks. The hinge that bends around each earlobe has a smaller radius than the ones visible in photos of Harris .

Additionally, it is unclear if anyone actually possesses a pair of the earrings, which are not available for purchase on the Icebach website. Company founder and CEO Malte Iversen told USA TODAY the earrings are out of stock and the company is seeking investors to "ramp up operations accordingly." Icebach acquired Nova's intellectual property after it became insolvent in 2023 but did not receive any money from Nova's Kickstarter investors, he said. Nova has not updated its Kickstarter page or its Instagram account since May 2023.

In what appears to be a tongue-in-cheek response to the increased attention, Icebach updated its website to add a promotion of its “Special Edition for Presidential Debates – soon available for everyone.”

Using an earpiece to communicate with anyone during the debate would have been a flagrant violation of its rules, which prohibit interactions with campaign staff during commercial breaks .

The claim echoes false assertions debunked by USA TODAY in 2020 that President Joe Biden wore an earpiece at a town hall and a wire at a presidential debate ahead of that year’s election.

The Harris campaign declined to provide an on-the-record response to a USA TODAY request for comment. USA TODAY reached out to a Tiffany spokesperson and to the Facebook user who shared the post but did not immediately receive responses.

Our fact-check sources:

• Malte Iversen , Sept. 11, Email exchange with USA TODAY
• ABC News (YouTube), Sept. 10, DEBATE REPLAY: VP Harris and former President Trump l ABC News Presidential Debate
• ABC News, Sept. 11, Kamala Harris reminds Americans she's a gun owner at ABC News debate
• Tiffany & Co., accessed Sept. 11, Double Pearl Hinged Earrings in Sterling Silver
• Getty Images, July 22, Vice President Harris Delivers Remarks Celebrating NCAA Championship Teams
• Getty Images, Sept. 10, US-VOTE-POLITICS-DEBATE-HARRIS-TRUMP
• Getty Images, Sept. 10, ABC News Hosts Presidential Debate Between Donald Trump And VP Kamala Harris At The National Constitution Center In Philadelphia
• What Kamala Wore, accessed Sept. 11, Tiffany Hardwear Pearl Earrings & Necklace
• The Daily Beast, July 23, The Secret Reason Team Trump Fears Kamala Harris
• Icebach Sound Solutions, accessed Sept. 11, Products

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here .

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta .

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Mom Emails Son's Teacher to Opt Him Out of Homework After He Comes Home with Packet: 'We Are Done'

On TikTok, one mom describes how her son received a 15- to 20-page, double-sided August homework packet on the first day of school

• TikToker cayleyxo and her son faced a difficult moment after he came home with homework following his first days of kindergarten
• Cayley emailed his teacher, sharing that "we are done" with assignments
• Following comments from other parents and educators, the mom shared that she and her son's teacher were able to meet in the middle

For one mom, kindergarten homework was just not working.

In a now-viral TikTok , Arizona-based mom of three, Cayley (known as cayleyxo on social media), explains why she emailed her son's kindergarten teacher at his charter school to opt out of homework assignments. In the video, she describes how her son received a 15- to 20-page, double-sided August homework packet on the first day of school, which stressed him out.

"I sent my son's kindergarten teacher a cutesy little email saying, 'I'm sorry. Based on the stress, mental, physical anxiety it's causing my kid, we are done,' " the mom explains in the TikTok.

She adds that the email came after she and her son tried to work on the homework packet together. On Aug. 26, she had him sit down quietly during breakfast and work on finishing at least one or two pages of the packet because he was behind.

During that moment, Cayley says they both started crying.

"It was an emotional mess. I felt so guilty dropping him off at school," she says. "He didn’t want to be there. For the last two weeks, he told me he doesn’t even like school and doesn’t want to be there anymore, which hurts my mama heart because you’re 5. The only thing you should be worrying about is learning and what time snack time is."

"Work to live, we don’t live to work," she adds, explaining how she wants her kids to love school.

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

d3sign / Getty Images

Since posting, Cayley’s video has garnered almost 250,000 views and 1,600 comments from people sharing their reactions to the situation, including teachers offering their thoughts on homework.

"Kindergarten teacher here—it's normal for kids to not like school the first couple of weeks or even months!" one person wrote in the comments. "It’s a big adjustment, especially for kids who have never been to preschool or away from their parents. Hang in there, Mama. He’ll love it once he starts to make friends. As for homework, I agree with you. I never sent home homework unless parents specifically asked me, and I always let them know it was optional. I did, however, tell parents to read a book to their child every day, so that was their only 'homework.' "

"I’m a substitute teacher, and homework is SO outdated and unnecessary! Most teachers at the district I work for have made it a thing of the past, but some are still hanging on. Good for you, though!" another teacher replied.

Other parents also chimed into the conversation, one adding: "My kids get SO much homework. They’re GRADED on it too, starting in 1st grade public school! The pressure on these kids is insane."

"We had kinder orientation tonight and my son’s teacher said “homework! It’s kindergarten, I’m not giving homework. Just read with them.” And I thought “good because we ain’t gonna do it” 😂," another parent said.

On Sept. 7, Cayley posted a follow-up video to the TikTok , revealing that after emailing, the teacher reduced the homework to one page. She also included more interactive assignments like keeping a reading log and practicing sight words.

"I told her I would be up for meeting in the middle and working as a team because that is what we’re here for — the benefit of our children," Cayley says in the video. "This is your sign to maybe say something to your teacher, nicely and politely, if something doesn’t sit right with you at their school."

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-harris-and-trump-debate-pbs-news-simulcast-of-abcs-2024-presidential-debate

WATCH: Harris and Trump debate — PBS News simulcast of ABC’s 2024 Presidential Debate

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump faced off Tuesday night for their first and possibly only debate before Election Day.

The state of the race as they meet in Philadelphia is starkly different than it was just more than two months ago, when Trump debated President Joe Biden in a performance that accelerated calls for Biden to leave the race .

WATCH: What to watch in the ABC Harris-Trump debate

Since then, Biden ended his campaign and endorsed Harris, Trump survived an assassination attempt, and both tickets named running mates and made their cases to voters at their national party conventions.

Watch PBS News’ special coverage here and the ABC Presidential Debate in the player above .

Watch a post-show viewer question and answer hosted by PBS News’ Deema Zein with correspondents Lisa Desjardins and Laura Barrón-López about the night’s major moments and what’s next for both candidates.

Educate your inbox

Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else.

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This year’s presidential race is a genuine contest of ideas between Harris and Trump — with clear differences on taxes, abortion, immigration, global alliances, climate change and democracy itself.

Harris has pledged to chart a new way forward even as she’s embraced many of his ideas. She wants middle class tax cuts, tax hikes on the wealthy and corporations, a restoration of abortion rights and a government that aggressively addresses climate change, among other stances.

LIVE FACT CHECK: Trump and Harris meet for presidential debate

Trump wants to accomplish much of what he couldn’t do during a term that was sidetracked by the global pandemic. The Republican wants the extension and expansion of his 2017 tax cuts, a massive increase in tariffs, more support for fossil fuels and a greater concentration of government power in the White House.

The two candidates have spelled out their ideas in speeches, advertisements and other venues. Many of their proposals lack specifics, making it difficult to judge exactly how they would translate their intentions into law or pay for them.

Yasmeen Sami Alamiri is the Senior Editor for video and special projects at the PBS NewsHour.

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The offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us. That may influence which products we write about, but it does not affect what we write about them. Here's an explanation of how we make money and our Advertiser Disclosure.

Mortgage and refinance rates today, September 12, 2024: Lowest 30-year rate since early 2023

Fixed mortgage rates are down today. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.20% — it had sat at 6.35% for two straight weeks. The 15-year fixed mortgage rate has decreased by two basis points to 5.27% . Rates are at their lowest since February 2023.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the August Consumer Price Index (CPI) yesterday, and the inflation rate was at its lowest since February 2021. The CPI solidified many people's belief that the Federal Reserve will lower the federal funds rate by 25 basis points at its Wednesday meeting instead of 50. So, we should see rates continue to inch down, but not as significantly as if the Fed rate faced a bigger cut.

Dig deeper: How does the Federal Reserve rate decision affect mortgage rates?

Today's mortgage rates

Here are the current mortgage rates, according to the latest Zillow data:

30-year fixed: 5.69%

20-year fixed: 5.42%

15-year fixed: 4.99%

5/1 ARM: 6.10%

7/1 ARM: 5.96%

30-year FHA: 4.66%

15-year FHA: 4.25%

5/1 FHA: 4.70%

30-year VA: 5.03%

15-year VA: 4.52%

5/1 VA: 5.59%

Remember, these are the national averages and rounded to the nearest hundredth.

Learn more: 5 strategies to get the lowest mortgage rates

Today's mortgage refinance rates

Here are today's mortgage refinance interest rates , according to the latest Zillow data:

30-year fixed: 5.82%

20-year fixed: 5.46%

15-year fixed: 5.22%

5/1 ARM: 6.03%

7/1 ARM: 5.94%

5/1 FHA: 4.56%

15-year VA: 4.87%

5/1 VA: 4.78%

As with the purchase mortgage rates, these are national averages we've rounded to the nearest hundredth. Keep in mind that refinance rates are usually higher than purchase mortgage rates.

Monthly mortgage payment calculator

Yahoo Finance has a free mortgage payment calculator to help you see how various mortgage rates will impact your monthly payments.

Our calculator goes even deeper by including factors like homeowners insurance and property taxes in your calculation. You can even add private mortgage insurance costs and HOA dues if they apply to you. These monthly expenses, along with your mortgage principal and interest rate, will give you a realistic idea of what your monthly payment could be.

How do mortgage rates work?

A mortgage interest rate is a fee for borrowing money from your lender, expressed as a percentage. There are two basic types of mortgage rates: fixed and adjustable rates.

A fixed-rate mortgage locks in your rate for the entire life of your loan. For example, if you get a 30-year mortgage with a 6% interest rate, your rate will stay at 6% for the entire 30 years. (Unless you refinance or sell the home.)

An adjustable-rate mortgage keeps your rate the same for the first few years, then changes it periodically. Let’s say you get a 5/1 ARM with an introductory rate of 6%. Your rate would be 6% for the first five years and then the rate would increase or decrease once per year for the last 25 years of your term. Whether your rate goes up or down depends on several factors, such as the economy and U.S. housing market.

At the beginning of your mortgage term, most of your monthly payment goes toward interest. As time passes, less of your payment goes toward interest, and more goes toward the mortgage principal or the amount you originally borrowed.

Dig deeper: Adjustable-rate vs. fixed-rate mortgage — Which should you choose?

How are mortgage rates determined?

Two categories determine mortgage rates : ones you can control and ones you cannot control.

What factors can you control? First, you can compare the best mortgage lenders to find the one that gives you the lowest rate and fees.

Second, lenders typically extend lower rates to people with higher credit scores, lower debt-to-income (DTI) ratios , and considerable down payments. If you can save more or pay down debt before securing a mortgage, a lender will probably give you a better interest rate.

What factors can you not control? In short, the economy.

The list of ways the economy impacts mortgage rates is long, but here are the basic details. If the economy — think employment rates, for example — is struggling, mortgage rates go down to encourage borrowing, which helps boost the economy. If the economy is strong, mortgage rates go up to temper spending.

With all other things being equal, mortgage refinance rates are usually a little higher than purchase rates. So don't be surprised if your refinance rate is higher than you may have expected.

30-year vs. 15-year fixed mortgage rates

Two of the most common mortgage terms are 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages . Both lock in your rate for the entire loan term.

A 30-year mortgage is popular because it has relatively low monthly payments. But it comes with a higher interest rate than shorter terms, and because you’re accumulating interest for three decades, you’ll pay a lot of interest in the long run.

A 15-year mortgage can be great because it has a lower rate than you’ll get with longer terms, so you’ll pay less in interest over the years. You’ll also pay off your mortgage much faster. But your monthly payments will be higher because you’re paying off the same loan amount in half the time.

Basically, 30-year mortgages are more affordable from month to month, while 15-year mortgages are cheaper in the long run.

Current mortgage rates: FAQs

What bank is offering the lowest mortgage rates.

According to 2023 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data, some of the banks with the lowest median mortgage rates are Citibank , Wells Fargo , and USAA . However, it's a good idea to shop around for the best rate with not just banks, but also credit unions and companies specializing in mortgage lending.

Is 2.75% a good mortgage rate?

Yes, 2.75% is a fantastic mortgage rate. You're unlikely to get a 2.75% rate in today's market unless you take on an assumable mortgage from a seller who locked in this rate in 2020 or 2021, when rates were at all-time lows.

What is the lowest-ever mortgage rate?

According to Freddie Mac, the lowest-ever 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 2.65%. This was the national average in January 2021.

At what rate should you refinance your mortgage?

Some experts say it's worth refinancing when you can lock in a rate that's 2% less than your current mortgage rate. Others say 1% is the magic number. It all depends on what your financial goals are when refinancing and when your break-even point would be after paying refinance closing costs.

Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris after presidential debate

Pop superstar Taylor Swift endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential candidacy on Tuesday night after the high-stakes debate with former President Donald Trump, calling the Democratic nominee a "steady-handed, gifted leader."

"I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election," Swift said in a post on Instagram to her more than 283 million followers. "I’m voting for @kamalaharris  because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos."

Swift went on to say that she was "heartened and impressed" by Harris' selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, praising him as a champion of "LGBTQ+ rights, IVF and a woman's right to own her body for decades."

"I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice," the Grammy-winning artist added. "Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early. I’ll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story."

Swift, 34, signed her post "Childless Cat Lady" — a reference to language used by Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, to describe women who do not have kids. Swift included a photo of herself holding her cat, Benjamin Button , who has graced the cover of Time magazine with the singer.

Swift's endorsement came as a surprise to the Harris campaign, two campaign officials told NBC News. The campaign views the singer's backing as part of a "decisive victory" for the vice president on the debate stage and speaks to her ability to attract support, one of the officials said.

Walz appeared to learn about the endorsement during a live post-debate interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. Walz patted his chest and smiled as Maddow read Swift's endorsement message.

"That was eloquent and it was clear," Walz said, "and that's the kind of courage we need in America to stand up."

The endorsement had been widely anticipated. Swift, who has an enormous worldwide fan base, threw her support behind President Joe Biden and Harris during the 2020 presidential election. Swift allowed the Biden-Harris campaign to use her song “Only the Young” in an advertisement during the 2020 cycle.

Swift once shied away from weighing in on American politics. But with the release of her documentary "Miss Americana" in 2020, she became more vocal. The movie chronicled her behind-the-scenes fight to publicly denounce Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., then a member of the House. She endorsed Blackburn's Senate opponent, Phil Bredesen.

Blackburn ultimately won the race, but Swift's post on Instagram encouraging her followers to register to vote activated waves of young people,  Vote.org said at the time .

In November, a national NBC News poll found 40% of registered voters had positive views of Swift, while 16% had negative views. A majority of Democrats (53%) viewed her positively, while 28% of Republicans said the same.

In the Instagram post, Swift also criticized social media users who have circulated images generated by artificial intelligence falsely stating that she had endorsed the Trump-Vance ticket. Trump shared a series of those images on his Truth Social platform.

"Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation," she said. "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."

Swifties for Kamala, a group of fans who have no official affiliation with either woman, said they were "thrilled."

"We’ve had no doubt that Taylor would endorse at the right time and are excited about the momentum she will bring to this campaign," Irene Kim, the group's co-founder, said in a statement.

In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday morning, Trump said he was not a fan of Swift. "She seems to always endorse a Democrat, and she’ll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace," he said.

Daniel Arkin is a national reporter at NBC News.

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Live Updates: The First 2024 Presidential Debate Between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris

Thanks for joining The New Yorker for its live coverage of the first—and likely only—Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. To receive full coverage of the 2024 campaign between now and Election Day, sign up for our daily newsletter .

Susan B. Glasser

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Donald Trump by now, nine years into his career in public life, it’s that his ego invariably gets in the way of what others might consider political good sense. Before the start of his first and likely only debate with Vice-President Kamala Harris, the former President posted a video clip on his social-media feed, along with a quote from an admirer: “Donald Trump is probably the greatest political debater we’ve ever had in American History.” So much for expectations-setting. Read more.

Tyler Foggatt

Taylor Swift Endorses Kamala Harris

The most famous childless cat lady in the world has spoken. Minutes after Donald Trump and Kamala Harris left the debate stage, while we were all still processing the news that Trump is a “leader on fertilization” and that Harris apparently owns a gun, Taylor Swift posted to her two hundred and eighty-three million followers on Instagram. “Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight,” she wrote. “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.”

What was it that finally moved Swift to endorse? Was it Trump’s comments, during the debate, about migrants eating pets? (“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats.”) Was it the online vitriol that Swift has received, over the past few days, for warmly embracing Brittany Mahomes, a presumed Trump supporter, at the U.S. Open? According to Swift, she felt she needed to speak out after Trump falsely implied that she had endorsed him, posting A.I. generated images of young women wearing “Swifties for Trump” T-shirts and a depiction of Swift herself dressed up as Uncle Sam, with the slogan “Taylor Wants You to Vote for Donald Trump.” As Swift wrote on Instagram, “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.”

Even though Trump has said positive things about Swift in the past, having described her as “very talented” and “unusually beautiful,” his campaign has already tried to dismiss Swift’s endorsement of Harris, with Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt telling the Times that it’s “more evidence that the Democrat party has become the party of the wealthy elite.” It’s an argument that we’ve heard from Trump before, particularly in the 2016 Presidential election, as celebrities lined up behind Hillary Clinton. In that election, Trump so successfully weaponized his opponent’s celebrity endorsements that Swift decided to stay silent. As she told Vogue , “Would I be an endorsement or would I be a liability?”

Swift has figured out the answer to that question. In 2020, she endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket, and her endorsement of Harris in 2024 comes at a time when Swift has never been more popular, powerful, and ever-present. We’ll all be watching the Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday.

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Benjamin Wallace-Wells

Agreed. I do wonder if Harris will feel that she did enough to make her case on the economy, probably her weakest issue—when she framed her closing statement around an “opportunity economy,” it stuck out a bit in how little we’d heard of that all along. But, look, she baited Trump into incoherence, she emphasized his radicalism, and she just about avoided being effectively called a flip-flopper. The commentators all said this debate was going to be primarily about Harris, that voters have long ago made up their minds about Trump. Well, she won it.

Vinson Cunningham

As far as I can tell, Harris did more of the work she showed up tonight to do. She seemed in control all night, hitting her marks as she went. More than enough against a guy who doubled down on many of the neuroses that he’s turned into his greatest hits. This qualifies as a narrow win for Harris, I think: she certainly didn’t lose any voters and, in places like the Philly and Atlanta suburbs, may have picked one or two up.

Trump’s final words—a dark delusion about marauding immigrants—could have been from his speeches nine years ago. He has not changed. At its core, Harris’s pitch tonight boiled down to this: “I think the American people want better than that, want better than this .” That’s a proposition, perhaps an article of faith, and she applies it to a broad list of issues such as abortion rights, treatment of veterans, decency in public life, and on and on.

“They’ve had three and a half years” is one of Trump’s strongest points, and really gets to the big theme of this election. Who, here, is really the incumbent? Each contestant is trying to saddle the other with that designation, while also, here and there, taking credit for whatever glimmers of good they’d like to claim.

Clare Malone

The closing statements get to the broad-strokes messages of the campaigns: Harris says, “Don’t go back,” whereas Trump correctly points out that she’s not necessarily a change candidate, given that she’s part of the current Administration.

The story of this debate might be Trump missing some opportunities.

I agree, Clare. I’d also say, that’s a failure of Trump’s. The economy and inflation are probably his best issues.

Maybe I’m wrong, but has anyone brought up cost of living or inflation in a substantial way? Or, like, housing costs? These feel like concrete issues that voters want to hear about. We talked about tariffs at the top of the debate, but I feel like the economy perhaps should have been brought up more. . . .

“But another thing: she won’t improve private insurance”—Trump suddenly remembers a talking point from his briefings.

“Concepts of a Plan” sounds like a hellscape version of my favorite Donny Hathaway album, “Extension of a Man.” Honestly, health care should be a big layup for Harris and the Democrats, but, having achieved the A.C.A., they seem to have dropped the issue almost entirely as the center of a moral and practical appeal to everyday voters, with the always pronounced exception of one Bernie Sanders.

Trump conceding that he doesn’t have a plan by saying, “I have concepts of a plan,” deserves high potential for meme value.

Kamala Harris just said she’s a gun owner. News to anyone else?

In going for an aspirational note, about optimism and what people in this country want, Harris sounded like a candidate from a pre-2016 era. Which is a good thing.

She may be seeing those polls about her losing support among Black men, and feel that she needs to make a more specific appeal to them.

Harris has mostly avoided making race-specific appeals—as you say, Clare, she’s let that pitch fly by plenty of times over in the past few weeks. So it’s interesting to see her here, on the one hand, mention the Central Park Five and the birther lie and, on the other hand, label the issue of race as a big distraction from more concrete issues. It’s a bit of a dance.

This section is a reminder of how totally the Democratic Party has accepted the role of embodying both sides of what used to be a bipartisan foreign-policy consensus. They’re both the “strength through peace” hawks and the Samantha Power-style humanitarian interventionists. Depending on how you think our international policy proceeded from, say, 2000 to 2016, that might feel like a lot of baggage—too much—to carry.

This is one of Harris’s weakest arguments of the night. Trump answers her charge that he shouldn’t have negotiated with the Taliban by talking about snipers picking off U.S. troops, eighteen months with no one killed. . . . Not so many points to Trump in this debate, but this is one.

Afghanistan is a real sore point for the Biden Administration for obvious reasons—the troop pullout was a tragic, chaotic, embarrassing episode. Trump’s campaign has really seized on that in the past two weeks or so. The whole dustup at Arlington National Cemetery—the Trump campaign filming the former President with grieving military families—was part of the campaign’s effort to highlight a big failure of the current Administration.

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Who Won the Debate? A Sharp Harris Rattled Trump

Commentators, even Republicans, concluded that Kamala Harris had succeeded in provoking Donald Trump into veering off message.

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By Alan Rappeport

• Sept. 11, 2024

In the first, and perhaps only, presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump, the two candidates verbally sparred in often deeply personal terms, with policy arguments largely being overshadowed by fiery exchanges over character and crowd size.

Political pundits, analysts and commentators noted that Mr. Trump had often found himself on the defensive on issues such as abortion while allowing himself to be baited by Ms. Harris and veering off message. The vice president belittled the attendance at Mr. Trump’s rallies and suggested that American military leaders view him as a “disgrace,” while Mr. Trump often responded angrily, declaring that she had no policies of her own and was the “worst vice president in the history of our country.”

After the debate, many Democratic strategists and officials cheered Ms. Harris’s performance, while Republicans complained about the tenor of the questions from the moderators and acknowledged Mr. Trump’s missed opportunities to unleash focused attack lines.

Here is a sampling of the reaction.

“She was exquisitely well prepared, she laid traps, and he chased every rabbit down every hole instead of talking about the things that he should have been talking about. This is the difference between someone who is well prepared and someone who is unprepared,” former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, a Republican who led Mr. Trump’s 2016 transition team, said on ABC.

“Harris repeatedly baited him into going off topic or doubling down on his most unpopular positions. She cleared the bar in terms of telling her personal story, going deep enough on policy, but also showing she has the chops to go toe to toe with anyone,” said Caitlin Legacki, a Democratic strategist and a former adviser to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

“I think that Kamala Harris exceeded the very low expectations that were purposely set for her,” Vivek Ramaswamy, the entrepreneur and former 2024 Republican presidential candidate, said on Fox News.

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