We’re inching closer to that fateful day in November, and after Donald Trump dodged an assassination attempt, President Biden unexpectedly bowed out, the first Black female Democratic frontrunner emerged, and a case about a stolen election continues despite all legal challenges, the only thing that could shock us now is if aliens descended on planet Earth and decided to throw their hats into the ring.

Lucky for you, we’re here to keep you up to speed on the most jaw-dropping political news of the week—because who knows what might tip the scales in the 2024 US presidential election? This week, we’re looking at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s eyebrow-raising endorsement of Kamala Harris, and the devastating school shooting at Apalachee High School that claimed four lives.

In a move that will undoubtedly upset his former best buddy Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin has surprisingly endorsed the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris to be the next president of the United States.

On Thursday 5 September 2024, the Russian president told an economic forum that he would recommend his supporters back Harris, although he acknowledged that it was up to the American public to choose their next leader, as initially reported by the Huffington Post.

“We will support her,” he reportedly said. “She laughs so expressively and infectiously that it means that everything is fine with her,” the authoritarian leader stated.

Vladimir Putin, with a smile, says he supports Kamala Harris for president, citing her laugh: pic.twitter.com/NkdxBSdXoz

— The Recount (@therecount) September 5, 2024

Experts took this response to mean that Putin thinks Harris would refrain from imposing further sanctions against Russia.

Next to endorsing the first Black female Democratic nominee, Putin claimed that Biden was more of an “old school” politician than his Republican opponent Trump, noting: “He’s more experienced, he’s predictable.” Okay…

Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson @IanSams on Russian President Vladimir Putin saying his country supports Kamala Harris in 2024: "I think everybody knows who dictators and bullies around the world prefer in this election. They prefer President Trump." pic.twitter.com/PJuYHnaIfs

— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) September 5, 2024

The move came as a surprise since both Putin and Trump had expressed familiarity and kinship in the past. Trump has regularly boasted about his relationship with the Russian leader, claiming to admire his “genius” and calling him “savvy” for his invasion of Ukraine.

Thus, experts were quick to conclude that this is most likely just a “savvy” political move by Moscow meant to deflect claims Trump is pro-Putin.

Less than 24 hours after the GOP and their social media surrogates are exposed for conspiring with Vladimir Putin/Russia to steal an election for Trump, Putin announces his "endorsement" of Kamala Harris.

Yeah, we're not MAGA stupid.

We see you traitors.

We're not going back.

— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) September 5, 2024

Trump has repeatedly promised to end the Russo-Ukraine war but has not offered many details, leading to concerns that he would allow Moscow to formally seize the Ukrainian land its troops currently occupy.

Now, in more tragic news, two students and two teachers were killed at a Georgia high school in a fatal mass shooting committed on Wednesday 4 September. According to authorities and media reports, the perpetrator was a 14-year-old male student at the school.

The suspect is named Colt Gray and he is being at Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Centers as of Thursday, the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice told CNN. He will make his first court appearance on Friday.

On Thursday, Colin Gray, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that the shooter’s father was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the state’s deadliest school shooting yet.

Chris Hosey, the bureau director explained at a news conference that the charges are “directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon,”. He declined to provide details, including what evidence he had given the authorities.

In addition to two counts of second-degree murder, the 54-year-old was also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to a statement.

Georgia is one of seven swing states, or battleground states that could be pivotal in November. According to pollsters, the others are currently believed to be Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Thus, this shooting and the candidate’s responses towards it could play a major role with undecided voters who could swing the election within the state.

So far, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance has stated that school shootings are a “fact of life” and argued that the US needs to harden security to prevent more carnage like this.

“I don’t like that this is a fact of life,” Vance said. “But if you are a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets. And we have got to bolster security at our schools. We’ve got to bolster security so if a psycho wants to walk through the front door and kill a bunch of children they’re not able.”

School shootings are not just a fact of life.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We can take action to protect our children—and we will. https://t.co/Oi8s9MfgvU

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 6, 2024

The Harris campaign, on the other hand, has condemned Vance’s controversial statement, advocating for more gun control and noting that “it doesn’t have to be this way.”

Our statement on JD Vance calling school shootings “a fact of life” https://t.co/8OfUFHHzaL pic.twitter.com/rFFF3i4qa2

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) September 6, 2024

And that’s what you missed this week. Tune in for the next recap to stay up to date on the US presidential election!