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VP candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) alone has participated in many times more interviews and press conferences than the Harris-Walz ticket over the past few months.

• The Democratic ticket is on pace to do fewer interviews and press conferences than any major party's presidential pairing in modern U.S. history.

Why it matters: Vice President Harris' team is betting she and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, can avoid many tough interviews and still win as they run down the clock to Election Day.

By the numbers: Over the two months analyzed by Axios, Republicans Donald Trump and Vance have participated in more than 70 interviews and press conferences with TV and print reporters, while Harris and Walz have taken part in seven.

The breakdown since July 21:

• Local TV interviews: Trump, 7; Vance, 15; Harris, 1; Walz, 3.
• National print publications: Trump, 1; Vance, 8; Harris, 1; Walz, 0.
• National TV interviews: Trump, 2; Vance, 24; Harris, 1; Walz, 1.
• Press conferences: Trump, 3; Vance, 12; Harris, 0; Walz, 0. (Vance's press conferences often cater to local reporters and his staffers limit follow-up questions, as The New York Times has noted.)

We didn't include several interviews in the Axios tally because they involved partisan-leaning commentators.

Reality check: Harris' team believes limiting interactions with the press is the right strategy — even if it frustrates reporters, some close to the campaign told Axios.

• Trump and Vance may get more attention for interviews, but that often brings negative attention too — such as when Vance has had to defend his past comments about "childless cat ladies" and when he has spread unverified rumors about immigrants eating residents' pets in Ohio.

What they're saying: The Harris-Walz campaign declined to make either candidate available for a brief interview.

Between the lines: Harris' approach carries risks at a time when polls have shown that many voters still don't know her or her running mate well.

• An ABC poll in mid-August, before the Democratic convention, found that nearly a third of voters had no opinion of Walz.

Zoom out: Neither side is investing much time with local newspaper reporters.

• The only published interview with a local paper in the past two months was Trump's with the Detroit News in August.
• A previous Vance interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer is expected to be published soon, a spokesperson told Axios.

Go deeper...

👋 Hi there! Holly Moore, executive editor for Axios Local, here.

This week, 115 Axios employees from 30 cities across the U.S. are meeting in Minneapolis for our annual Local team retreat, including your newsletter authors.

Why it matters: Getting together allows us to share best practices, setting the foundation for our continued growth as we aim to prove that our model for local news is sustainable nationwide.

Between the lines: Axios Local launched four years ago, with 13 reporters covering five cities. We don't intend to waste our head start.

• With a newsroom that stretches from Seattle to Miami, in-person time is incredibly valuable.
• This week allows us to peel away from Zoom meetings and other distractions and focus on how our product best serves you.

What's next: Watch for more Axios Local cities in 2025.

The bottom line: Thank you for allowing us the time and space to do this.

• As a subscriber, you are part of the vanguard of our local news revolution, and we couldn't do it without you.

If you have feedback on your newsletter or want to brag on your reporting team, feel free to reach out at any time: Holly.Moore@Axios.com.

🤣 Oberlin College alum Jane Wickline is one of three new cast members for the 50th season of "Saturday Night Live." (Cleveland Magazine)

🌳 The Cleveland Metropolitan School District and the city of Cleveland unveiled a new plan for the reconstruction of Marion C. Seltzer school that largely preserves Cudell Commons Park and the mature trees there. (Ideastream)

⛔️ The rough draft of a new plan for Shaker Square jettisons the controversial idea of Shaker Boulevard through the Square, which had been proposed in 2019. (News Channel 5)

🥟 Chef Liu Fang of Abundance Culinary in Cleveland Heights has been named one of the nation's 15 chefs to watch. (Plate Magazine)

Your city tap water is safe, but did you know quality can vary?

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It isn't easy being a Browns fan.

Driving the news: Cleveland lost what was considered a winnable game yesterday to the New York Giants, 21-15.

• The Browns move to 1-2 on the season.

The intrigue: Things began positively with Cleveland forcing a fumble on the opening kickoff.

• Quarterback Deshaun Watson turned that into a touchdown pass to wide receiver Amari Cooper, giving the Browns an early 7-0 lead.

Yes, but: It went downhill from there, with the Giants scoring 21 unanswered points and Watson being sacked eight times.

• Cooper scored another touchdown in the second half, but the Browns could not complete a comeback.

Zoom in: The Dawg Pound wasn't happy, booing throughout the game as Watson continuously worked against pressure and overthrew receivers.

• Cleveland only ran for 69 yards, compared to the Giants' 112.

What's next: The Browns have two more potentially winnable games against the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders before the schedule hits a tougher stretch.

This week's photo was submitted by subscriber Kevin Moriarty and taken on a recent Sunday at Wendy Park.

📷 If you have a recent photo representing Cleveland's essence, please submit it by replying to this email.

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Thanks to our editor Tyler Buchanan and our team of copy editors.

🏈 Sam heard there's a Browns Backers bar in Minneapolis. He'll try to find it and share a photo before the week is out.

🟣 Troy is looking to purify himself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.