Wednesday Briefing: A guide to the Harris-Trump debate

September 11, 2024

	By Gaya Gupta

Good morning. We’re covering the upcoming Harris-Trump debate and an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Gaza.

Plus, the great films of James Earl Jones.

Reporters and camera crews setting up equipment with a sign in the foreground that reads "ABC News Presidential Debate."

The debate will be hosted by ABC News from Philadelphia. Doug Mills/The New York Times

What to watch for as Harris and Trump face off

It’s the moment an entire nation has been waiting for: debate night.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will share the stage for the first, and probably only, time before the November vote. The stakes are high for both of them. The race is exceedingly close, and voters are still craving more information about Harris.

Of course, policies and promises will feature heavily, but expect the attacks to get personal as well. Trump’s advisers have counseled him to stay away from his usual strategy of insulting opponents and critics, but many worry he won’t be able to restrain himself. For her part, Harris isn’t above using ridicule, suggesting in the past that Trump and his allies were “out of their minds.”

The debate will air at 9 p.m. Eastern. The Times will be livestreaming the event alongside real-time analysis by reporters. Here’s how to watch it.

More on the U.S. Election

Americans head to the polls in less than eight weeks.

This is where Harris and Trump stand on the key issues.

Trump has pledged to cut Americans’ energy costs in half in the span of a year. Experts and analysts are skeptical.
Harris’s so-called Tall Energy has been on Trump’s mind ahead of the debate.

Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we’ll find the answers.

Stay up to date: Poll tracker | “The Run-Up” podcast | On Politics newsletter

People cluster around two large craters in a sandy area surrounded by tents and low-rise buildings near the seaside.

The site of an Israeli strike on Al-Mawasi, in the southern Gaza Strip. Haitham Imad/EPA, via Shutterstock

Israel is likely to have used 2,000-pound bombs in Gaza

An Israeli airstrike on a camp for displaced people in southern Gaza yesterday left behind strong evidence that Israel used 2,000-pound bombs, according to three weapons experts. Video verified by The Times showed two enormous blast craters. At least 19 people were killed, Gazan officials said.

The Israeli military said that the strikes in Al-Mawasi had targeted three senior Hamas militants who had been involved in the Oct. 7 attack. It did not specify which bombs were used.

Details: The U.S. suspended exports of the highly destructive bombs this year after warning Israel that they caused excessive civilian casualties in the densely populated Gaza Strip.

Disassembled firearm parts are laid out on display.

Parts of an FGC-9 homemade firearm seized in Germany in July 2021. via Koblenz Public Prosecutor's Office, Germany

How a 3D-printed gun went viral (and global)

The FGC-9 may once have looked like a hobbyist’s garage project, but this semiautomatic firearm is now one of the most common 3D-printed weapons in the world. Paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, rebels in Myanmar and neo-Nazis in Spain have all used this weapon, which can be built entirely from scratch, without commercial gun parts.

A 26-year-old American gun maker named John Elik, who goes by the online name “Ivan the Troll,” helped design a version of the FGC-9 and has emerged as one of the most important figures in the international industry of 3D-printed guns.

MORE TOP NEWS

A figure in silhouette wearing a military-style helmet looks up at a damaged high-rise residential building.

A damaged building in Ramenskoye, in the Moscow region, yesterday. Tatyana Makeyeva/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Ukraine: One of the war’s largest drone attacks struck deep inside Russia, killing a woman in the Moscow area, setting off fires and closing airports.
France: A man who confessed to drugging his wife for years and bringing dozens of men into their home to rape her was taken to the hospital before he was to testify at his trial.
Australia: The government wants to set a minimum age for children’s use of social media.
Iran: The U.S. accused Tehran of sending missiles to Russia and vowed to impose sanctions.
Switzerland: Tariq Ramadan, a prominent scholar of Islam, was found guilty on appeal of raping and sexually coercing a woman in Geneva in 2008.
Uganda: The man accused of killing the Olympian runner Rebecca Cheptegei by setting her on fire died from burns he sustained in the attack.
Pakistan: Police arrested at least 10 lawmakers belonging to the political party of the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Jordan: As voters went to the polls, unemployment was a top concern, though an Islamist party has tried to ride a wave of anger over Israel’s war in Gaza to challenge the pro-Western government.
California: Several fast-moving wildfires were threatening homes and forcing evacuations in the mountains around Los Angeles.

Business

Britain: A hedge fund tycoon bought the politically influential right-wing magazine The Spectator.
China: Huawei unveiled its latest phone, the Mate XT, which is heavy on novelty: It can be folded, twice.
E.U.: The bloc’s highest court ruled against Apple and Google in two landmark legal cases, and they now face billions of euros in taxes or penalties.

Germany: Volkswagen ended a labor agreement that protected workers from layoffs, a week after it said it was considering closing factories.
Media: Jorge Ramos, among the most recognized journalists in Spanish-language television, will leave Univision after 40 years at the network.

Sports

Adrian Newey, second from left, at Aston Martin Headquarters in Silverstone, England. Andrew Ferraro/Getty Images For Aston Martin

Formula 1: Adrian Newey, one of the most renowned car designers in the race’s history, has found a new home at Aston Martin.
Soccer: Chelsea’s recent crisis is a hard lesson on why joint ownership rarely works in the sport.

MORNING READ

An image from a TikTok video showing two women at a grocery store.

The comedian Vivy Lin was behind a TikTok video that started a dating fad in Spain. @yosoyvivylin via Instagram

In Spain, love is in the air … conditioned supermarket aisles. After a comedian made a TikTok video about the hordes of single people she saw at a popular grocery chain, the stores developed a reputation as unlikely dating hubs.

Some customers have even started placing upside-down pineapples in their shopping carts as a mating beacon, though it’s not clear whether they’re looking for love or just a laugh.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Forced to steal: Lured by the prospect of a lucrative job in Thailand, an expectant father was trafficked and forced to scam victims.
Stay or go: Are those special clothes you don’t wear anymore worth keeping? Our fashion critic explains some options.
A multigenerational home: The same rent-controlled apartment has sheltered one family, as well as students and refugees, for nearly 90 years.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

ARTS AND IDEAS

Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Remembering James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones, who died Monday at 93, helped change Hollywood’s view of Black actors with characters who defied the prevailing stereotypes.

His career encompassed scores of plays, nearly 90 television dramas and series, and some 120 movies. He made his film debut in “Dr. Strangelove” and was nominated for an Oscar for “The Great White Hope.” We looked back at his standout movie roles, including the voice of Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King.”

A life in pictures: These snapshots capture his Hollywood stardom, love for Broadway and advocacy for the arts.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A close view of a brown butter peach cake.

Christopher Testani for The New York Times

Bake: This peach-studded cake, infused with a nutty brown butter, is perfect with coffee or ice cream.

Read: “Here One Moment” is the latest from the Australian fiction powerhouse Liane Moriarty.

Train: If squats are hurting your knees, a few adjustments can help.

Travel: Sample the full flavor of Marseille one bite at a time with the city’s favorite street food: pizza.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Gaya

We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on: