♪ this is "nightline." tonight, that's the ticket. the democratic presidential running mates uniting on stage for the first time. >> i am incredibly honored by this responsibility. and i'm ready to get to work. >> joe biden and kamala harris, trying to reach out to a new generation, but how might her past actions as a prosecutor impact the race for the white house. plus, the tribe turning the tide. the navajo nation fighting for its life. >> things that we're doing here on the navajo nation is working. >> once teeming with covid cases, how one community took matters into their own hands to curb a killer. "nightline" starts right now.

with byron pitts. >> good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight, with just 83 days left until election day, presumptive democratic of candidate for president, joe biden and kamala harris stepping out for the first time and already on the offensive. here's janai norman. >> this is a moment of real consequence for america. everything we care about, it's all on the line. >> reporter: this afternoon in delaware, the official debut of the joe biden-kamala harris ticket. the former vice president and hi his history-making choice. >> this morning, all across the nation, little girls woke up, especially little black and brown girls, who so often feel overlooked and undervalued in their communities. but today, today just maybe they're seeing themselves for the first time in a new way. >> joe, i'm so proud to stand with you. and i do so mindful of all the

heroic and ambitious women before me. whose sacrifice, determination and resilience makes my presence here today even possible. >> reporter: the candidates walking out with masks on, socially distant, and almost entirely alone in a high school gym. the reality of campaigning during a pandemic. it was biden's first significant event in five months. both he and harris taking direct aim at president trump. >> donald trump has already started his attacks, calling kamala, quote, nasty. whining, about how she's quote, mean to his appointees. it's no surprise. because whining is what donald trump does best. >> he inherited the longest economic expansion in history. from barack obama and joe biden. and then, like everything else he inherited, he ran it straight into the ground. >> reporter: the chance to

witness history not lost on supporters gathered outside the gym. my colleague, mary bruce talking to them. >> i heard he was picking kamala harris, i had to sit for a minute. because it really was, and i told somebody earlier that it really was breathtaking. >> reporter: harris is the daughter of immigrants, a jamaican father and indian mother who met fighting for civil rights. now as the first woman of color on a major political party ticket, she's become a symbol for many of what's possible. >> for me, she checks off all of the boxes. she comes from a very diverse, multi-cultural background. she has a 30-plus year career in fiors right. >> reporter: the power of this moment also hitting home for stacy johnson batiste, who's been friends with harris since they were kids. >> she stood up for me, so when we were in kindergarten, there was a boy that had taken my art project and threw it on the ground and broke it. and she said something, got in

between hem and me, and, you know, he got so upset, and we were kids, he picked up a rock, hit her in the head, and i think she still has that scar to this day. you know, that's the spirit, the fighter in her, standing up for what's right and wanting to take care of people. >> there would be no senator harris as our vp without the courageous, bold candidacy of shirley chisholm back in '72, with ibb wells. >> reporter: he is the founder of "she the people." she hosted a presidential forum that included then-candidate harris. >> we didn't want to be just the backbone vote, we want to governor, we want to shape the country, we want to shape the political agenda. now we're in a position to do that. >> when i saw a broken justice system, i became a lawyer to try to fix it. >> reporter: she was california's top cop, serving as

attorney general for 2011 to 2017. she was the first black, and asian woman to serve. some take issue with her decisions on policing. has senator harris demonstrated a willingness to re-examine those past views? >> she's got a real difficult job ahead. it's hard to run away from years and years and years of bro prosecuting black and brown bodies in the manner in which she did. she's got a mighty tall task ahead of her, in terms of convincing them that she's not the same person that she was all those years when she was california's top cop. >> reporter: over the years, she's changed her position on various issues. >> senator harris, you released your plan -- >> reporter: my colleague, linsey davis pressed her on that. >> you used to oppose legalization of marijuana, now you don't. you used to oppose outside investigations of police

shootings, now you don't. you say you've changed because were you quote, swimming against the current and thankfully the currents have changed. but when you had the power, why didn't you try to effect change then? [ applause ] >> so there have been, i'm glad you asked me this question. and there have been many distortions of my record. i made a decision that if i was going to have the ability to reform the system, i would try to do did from the inside. >> reporter: do you think she needs to be better prepared to defend that record? >> many believe she is political to a fault, that she will morph herself into the position that best suits the situation that she is in. and, you know, that's where candidates get into trouble. >> she needs to craft a message that looks forward while also acknowledging the shortcomings of the past. because that's what they were. >> reporter: during her run for president last year, the senator fo plan that would in part end mandatory minimum sentences,

the death penalty, solitary confinement and cash bail. this summer, she teamed up with senator cory booker to introduce the george floyd justice in policing act which in part would ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, calls for independent investigations of police misconduct and establish a national police misconduct registry. >> what's important now is who she's showing up right now. she was one of the first senators to be out with protesters in solidarity in the wake of the murder of george floyd, called for justice for breonna taylor. sponsored legislation to protect essential workers. the majority of essential workers are black and brown women. >> reporter: what does she give the campaign? >> she comes very qualified for the job. there's no question about it. for joe biden, who's been accused of being pulled to the left, she brings the perception of a centrist ticket, which is

appealing to independents. >> reporter: so far, team trump struggling to find a line of attack against harris. trump surrogates called harris, a former district attorney, both too soft on criminals and too tough. >> i don't want someone who says that they are not going to be tough on hardened criminals. >> reporter: but then. >> she fought to keep inmates locked up in overcrowded prisons. >> reporter: in an interview with sinclair broadcasting today, trump once again calling harris nasty. >> she was the nastiest of anybody in the senate. she was the worst, meanest person to judge kavanaugh, who became justice kavanaugh. i've never seen anything like it. >> when they use the word nasty, it's shorthand for den greating the integrity and humanity of a woman. it's also racist. >> reporter: harris following in the footsteps of geraldine faray

row and sarah palin. >> they faced sexist attacks. there's something about a black woman being in that role that attracts a more sinister combination of racism and sexism. that's what she will continue to face. >> i think the way kamala's going to deal with attacks on her character is by sticking to the issues, sticking to the truth, and not getting derailed by mudslinging. >> reporter: harris is readying for the battle ahead, and so is her running mate. >> kamala harris has had your back, and now we have to have her back. >> i couldn't be prouder. to be by his side, running to represent you. the people.

>> our thanks to janai. up next, it once had the highest infection rate of coronavirus anywhere in the u.s. how the navajo nation fought back. where are you?! honey, did you hear about these new geico savings? mom? you'll get an extra 15% on top of what geico could already save you. can i call you back? your father's been researching our geneology. we're vikings! there's never been a better time to save with geico. switch by october seventh for an extra 15% on car and motorcycle insurance. hey, we lost the wifi password. do you remember what that is? for bathroom odors that linger try febreze small spaces. just press firmly and it continuously eliminates odors in the air and on soft surfaces. for 45 days.

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the navajo nation bouncing back from a vicious battle with a foreign invader, flattening the coronavirus curve on the reservation, but the fight far from over as officials seek to keep their most vulnerable safe during the pandemic. here's abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: in the expanse of red rocks where the navajo nation suffered one of the highest covid-19 infection rates per capita in the country, tonight a flicker of hope. numbers here are on the decline. >> we have never gone through something like this in this magnitude before. >> reporter: when cases started to rise in april, navajo president jonathan nez listened to the scientists and ordered some of the strictest measures in the country, including a 57-hour weekend curfew and mandatory mask wearing. how many daily new cases were there, and how many new cases

per day are there now? >> we were having days that were over 100 covid-19 positive cases a day. as of now this discussion, from yesterday to today, 22 new cases. i believe our lowest was seven a couple of days ago. you know, we had one of the most stringent public health orders in the country, and the navajo people saw that it worked. and now, not many people are complaining. >> reporter: yeah, i would say much more, much more stringent than the mask wearing was the curfew. i don't think there's anyplace like it in the country that had curfews nightly and over the weekends as well. >> we used our sovereign ability to govern ourselves, and that included these stringent public health orders. things on the navajo nation are working. >> reporter: motels used to house and isolate the ill. the navajo nation's population of about 170,000 has access to

only about 20 icu beds. we met a doctor who's practicing emergency medicine from the back of his car. but there were limits to what thte do. so ems has just showed up, because the gentleman is telling the folks here that he's got shortness of breath, asthma. >> reporter: the doctor is the co-founder of the health initiative at ucsf. he teamed up with the cope program. they established rounds at this motel in gallup, new mexico where the unsheltered and sick could go to get off the street and away from extended families. >> the headaches are bothering you. >> yeah. >> any blurry vision? >> reporter: amid the onslaught of covid infections, four motels were used as respiratory clinics. dr. eileen making her rounds of

covid cases, her office in those bags. >> if you had told me weeks ago that i would be starting elderly patients in a room by themselves without family members and keeping them in a motel, closed up in a room, i would never have believed it. >> reporter: but even the motels filled up. so they converted a gym into a clinic. we went back there in may, when the per capita rate of infection soared to that past of new york and new jersey. gallup, new mexico reaching capacity. from what we're hearing, this could be the epicenter of covid in the country right now. >> yes, you're totally right. >> reporter: the poverty and lack of infrastructure in this area, spanning arizona, new mexico and utah making it much worse. the navajo nation is larger than west virginia, but 40% of the people who live here don't have electricity, and many don't have access to running water, which

is why they need to pump water at wells like this. grassroots efforts have worked to provide food and water. the hopi fund raising $5.7 million, setting up makeshift hand washing stations and distributing them around the reservation. >> it's one fix to address the hygiene issue. >> reporter: in the vastness of the reservation, under the shadow of chimney butte is where the doctor grew up. also without running water or power. she's now the only navajo emergency physician at this urgent care clinic in winslow, arizona. you're getting peopl ts p lot t this is not technically an icu or hospital. it's an urgent care. she says the closest icu facility is at least an hour away by helicopter or three hours in an ambulance. of course, it's no longer a hospital. and growing up, the doctor says

she never saw medical professionals with a face like her own. >> i never saw a native-american as a nurse or a doctor. sometimes there's a disconnect when language and cultures are not meeting. we know that just by studies and even by experience, we are not going to have the best health care. >> reporter: she left her family and moved to an apartment an hour away to try to minimize the risk of infecting the group of people she's trying to save. >> my job is immensely hard, because i have such a connection to my people and my land. our elders, our teachers, our protectors. they hold all of the key elements that we need to have a strong sense of identity. >> reporter: dorothy scott was one of 11 people living in this traditional hut with her family when disease and death struck. as you were burying your one son who had just died from covid you heard that your husband had just

died. >> i got a call that he pass away. >> reporter: of the 11 family members, eight were positive, two died. those left behind were split into two rooms under strict quarantine. but for the first time in a week they were allowed out for that round of hugs. what do you hope for the days to come? >> i hope that the navajo people will continue to do the things that help bring the numbers down. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm matt gutman. >> our thanks to matt. up next. it's never too late for love.

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and finally, tonight, love is worth the wait. with a bunch of red balloons, a bouquet of red roses and a pocket full of surprises, jeffrey miller really knows how to

his long-time girlfriend, gloria alexis had been in the hospital. so last week when they were finally reunited at their assisted living facility in brooklyn, new york, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. sealing their engagement with a yes and a kiss. [cheers and applause] oh, by the way, jeffrey is 76. gloria is 71. the wedding date? well, they're still deciding on that. no rush, kids. first corinthians, love is patient. that's "nightline" for this evening. you can catch our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for the company, america, goodnight. >> dicky: from hollywood, it's "jimmy kimmel live," with guest host, rob lowe. tonight, danny devito, and our new health care hero of the week. and now, rob lowe. >> rob: hello, and welcome to jimmy kimmel live.

i'm your guest host, rob lowe. you probably know me from my work as an actor or as your mom's "hall pass." or maybe even your dad's. it's been a lifelong dream of mine to host a late night talk show. and here we are with no audience, no band, no laughter. it is late night, and i am talking on a show. so technically speaking, my dream has come true! but i haven't been doing much during quarantine. i started a podcast "literally with rob lowe." check it out. other than that i've just been glued to the television. been watching a lot of baseball. i'm a huge dodger fan. maybe, have you seen this? because there are no crowds, they're letting fans pay to have cardboard cutouts of themselves put into the stands, my son and i did this for opening day. there we are. prominently seated right there behind home plate. look at that! a cardboard cutout has a