Democrats fight over health care, immigration at debate

Democrats intensified an acrimonious battle over health care on Wednesday that showcased deep divisions within the party and focused on the dispute between former Vice President Joe Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris.

Their divisions were reinforced by their ideological allies from the progressive and moderate wings of the party, with New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker occasionally playing the role of peacemaker.

Biden charged that Harris’ health care plan would cost taxpayers $3 trillion even after two terms in office and would force middle-class taxes to go up, not down. He said that would put Democrats at a disadvantage against President Donald Trump.

“You can’t beat President Trump with double talk on this plan,” he said.

Harris slapped back that Biden was inaccurate.

“The cost of doing nothing is far too expensive,”

DETROIT —

Harris said. She added: “Your plan does not cover everyone in America.”

There were also tense exchanges on immigration early on the second night of Democratic debates that pitted the 76-year-old Biden against a younger slate of more diverse candidates. There were no candidates of color onstage in the first wave Tuesday night. On Wednesday night, there were four.

Biden was flanked by Harris on one side and Booker on the other. As Biden greeted Harris onstage moments before the opening statements, he quipped, “Go easy on me, kid.”

Wednesday’s debate comes 24 hours after another set of 10 Democrats debated, fiercely at times, over the direction of their party.

Biden, who leads virtually all early polls, is considered the premier moderate onstage. In addition to Harris and Booker, his more progressive opponents include New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, former Obama administration housing chief Julián Castro, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.

In addition to health care, the candidates also had sharp disagreement on immigration, highlighting a persistent fault line between the more liberal and moderate candidates.

Biden suggested that some of his rivals favor immigration laws that are far too forgiving. Castro, for example, would decriminalize illegal border crossings.

“People should have to get in line. That’s the problem,” Biden charged.

Castro shot back: “It looks like one of us has learned the lessons of the past and one has not.”

While the first primary votes won’t come for six more months, there is a sense of urgency for the lower-tier candidates to break out. More than half the field could be blocked from the next round of debates altogether — and possibly pushed out of the race — if they fail to reach new polling and fundraising thresholds implemented by the Democratic National Committee.

A U.S. Navy fighter jet crashed Wednesday in Death Valley National Park, injuring seven people who were at a scenic overlook where aviation enthusiasts routinely watch military pilots speeding low through a chasm dubbed Star Wars Canyon, officials said.

The crash sent dark smoke billowing in the air, said Aaron Cassell, who was working at his family’s Panamint Springs Resort about 10 miles away and was the first to report the crash to park dispatch.

“I just saw a black mushroom cloud go up,” Cassell told The Associated Press. “Typically you don’t see a mushroom cloud in the desert.”

A search was underway for the pilot of the singleseat F/A-18 Super Hornet that was on a routine training mission, said Lt. Cmdr. Lydia Bock, spokeswoman for Naval Air Station Lemoore in California’s Central Valley.

“The status of the pilot is unknown at this time,” Bock said about four hours after the crash.

LOS ANGELES —