Front-runner Biden sent stumbling when his record on race is attacked

'My time is up'

Joe Biden, 76, laughed off back-of-the-pack congressman Eric Swalwell, 38, when he tried to make the former vice president's age an issue in Thursday night's Democratic debate.

“I was 6 years old when a presidential candidate came to the California Democratic convention and said it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans,” Swalwell said of Biden's first run for president. Biden snapped back: "I'm still holding onto that torch." Bernie Sanders, 77, grumbled at upstart Swalwell, saying the issue here is "not generational."

But Kamala Harris picked apart one legacy of Biden's half-century of politics for a withering attack. She recalled Biden had worked to prevent the Department of Education from ordering busing to integrate schools during the 1970s, and that decision hurt a little African-American girl in California. "That little girl was me," Harris said.

Biden accused Harris of a "mischaracterization of my position across the board." But he stood by his stance on federally ordered busing, brushing aside Harris' argument that the federal government had to step in where states fail to preserve the civil rights of all people. He rambled on about other civil rights causes he supported and then cut himself off mid-sentence, saying, "my time is up, I'm sorry."

The Harris-Biden faceoff was the most electric of the night, which also showed the left-to-center shadings of the 10 candidates on questions such as health insurance.

Sanders, championing Medicare-for-all, acknowledged it would raise taxes on the middle class but said that they would save on health costs. Others such as Pete Buttigieg and Kirsten Gilliband wanted to create a Medicare buy-in option but let consumers with private insurance decide which is more attractive. Biden would built on Obamacare. Harris lined up with Sanders

Trump's hard-line immigration policies were roundly condemned, and all 10 Democrats on the second night of the inaugural debate on NBC raised their hands when a moderator asked if their health care plans would cover undocumented immigrants. That brought a derisive tweet from Donald Trump in between his G-20 meetings in Japan. "How about taking care of American Citizens first!? That’s the end of that race!" the president said.

They heard it before 

A writer's recently revealed allegation that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s is not just a she-said, he-denied story.

Two women — both well-known New York media figures in that era — spoke publicly for the first time about what E. Jean Carroll confided in them after the alleged assaults. Carol Martin, who was a news anchor for WCBS-TV, and Lisa Birnbach, an author best known for “The Official Preppy Handbook,” spoke on The New York Times podcast “The Daily.”

Birnbach recalled in explicit detail what Carroll had told her and that she responded “What? He raped you?" and urged Carroll to go the police. But Carroll refused, telling The Times she blamed herself. Martin, upon hearing Carroll's story, had an opposite take — that she shouldn't tell anyone because Trump could essentially use his team of lawyers to make her life miserable.

Martin and Birnbach both said they were acquainted with Trump in those days

Trump has denied accounts of sexual harassment and misconduct by at least 16 women, including Carroll, saying of her "she's not my type." The statute of limitations has long passed, and Democrats in Congress have shown little interest in adding Carroll's story to list of their Trump investigations.

Not down with the count

Trump is calling for a delay in the 2020 census after the Supreme Court found the administration had not justified its plan to add a question on U.S. citizenship to the survey form. 

Chief Justice John G. Roberts said the reason Trump officials gave — that it would somehow help enforce the Voting Rights Act — “seems to have been contrived.” Opponents of the question say the real motive is to discourage participation by minorities, especially Hispanics, with the effect of boosting the clout in Republican-leaning areas as it depresses the count in Democratic areas.

The court didn't rule out listening if the administration came up with a more credible rationale for the question, but the printing of the forms is supposed to begin next week. Trump, tweeting at 2:40 a.m. Japan time, said that he has asked lawyers if they can “delay the Census, no matter how long.” Under federal law the census must begin on April 1, 2020.

Republicans who saw the citizenship question as a potential advantage got a big consolation prize from the high court. It decided federal courts must stay out of gerrymandering disputes over when politicians go too far in drawing district lines for partisan gain. Both parties do it, but the practical effect will help Republicans who control the process in many states.

Janison: Is this trip necessary?

Newsday's Dan Janison writes that a natural question arises about Trump's trip to the G-20 summit in Japan: Why is he there?

In this internet age, Trump can razz leaders of India and Japan about trade from the comfort of Mar-a-Lago. Osaka is a long way to travel to say what can be said on FaceTime.

Big deals don't seem to be in the offing. His top economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Tuesday was downplaying the significance of Trump's coming conference with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

By eschewing a leadership role, he has added interest to three-way meetings of the leaders of India, Russia and China.

Trump wins on border bill

The president is getting the $4.6 billion emergency funding bill he wanted for the border crisis without the demands House Democrats had sought on standards for the treatment of migrants.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi blinked in her standoff with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after moderate House Democrats including Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) rebelled and urged acceptance of the Senate version. It passed the House 305 to 102, with 95 Democrats voting no

“In order to get resources to the children fastest, we will reluctantly pass the Senate bill,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to her caucus announcing her reversal. See Newsday's story by Tom Brune.

Toxic label for Trump tweets?

Twitter said Thursday it plans to place a disclaimer on future tweets from world leaders that break its rules but which Twitter decides are in the "public interest" to keep visible. That includes Trump.

The social media platform has frequently been criticized for allowing tweets posted by Trump that arguably violate the site's rules against, among other things, dehumanization, degradation and the glorification of violence.

The disclaimer will read: "The Twitter Rules about abusive behavior apply to this Tweet. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public's interest for the Tweet to remain available."

Trump has complained that Twitter and other big tech companies are biased against him and conservatives.

De Blasio gaffe riles Miami

Fresh off a strong debate performance. Bill de Blasio got ripped by Miami Democrats for using a slogan associated with Che Guevara — reviled by refugees from Communist Cuba — at a rally for striking airport workers.

State Rep. Annette Taddeo, a Democrat, tweeted: "How can anyone wanting to be the leader of the free world quote a murderous guerrilla -in Miami no less!" De Blasio tweeted later he didn't know the phrase "Hasta la victoria siempre!" which translates as "Until victory, always!" was associated with Guevara and, "I certainly apologize for not understanding that history."

What else is happening:

• Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Jared Kushner went behind his back to conduct foreign diplomacy. In one incident, he recalled discovering his Mexican counterpart was in Washington only when he walked into a restaurant and saw him dining with Trump's son-in-law,
• Vladimir Putin endorsed Trump's immigration hard line in an interview with the London-based Financial Times in advance of the G-20 summit. He mocked liberals as wanting to let migrants "kill, plunder and rape with impunity because their rights as migrants have to be protected.”
• Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, dressed in a blue jailhouse jumpsuit and a brown belt, pleaded not guilty Thursday afternoon to New York mortgage fraud charges.
• Soccer star Megan Rapinoe said Thursday that she stands by previous comments that she would not visit the White House if the United States wins the Women’s World Cup, but she regretted using profanity to make the point. Trump attacked her in a series of tweets Wednesday.
• The White House is considering ways to bypass Congress for a tax break that would benefit the wealthy by indexing capital gains for inflation, Bloomberg News reported.