“Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker on what she’ll be watching for in tonight’s debate between Biden and Trump. The top picks from the first night of the NBA Draft. And a ceremony near Yellowstone honors the recent birth of a rare white bison.
Here’s what to know today.
What to watch for during tonight’s debate, according to 2020 moderator Kristen Welker
Which version of former President Donald Trump will show up at tonight’s debate in Atlanta? Will President Joe Biden be able to reverse perceptions about his strength?
Those are among the questions “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker is asking ahead of this evening’s event, which marks the first time the candidates will face off ahead of the 2024 election. The CNN-hosted debate kicks off at 9 p.m. ET.
There are sure to be plenty of moments of opportunity and potential peril for both candidates. Key exchanges are likely to touch on Trump’s recent felony conviction in his hush money case; inflation, Biden’s biggest perceived policy weakness; and abortion, one of the biggest X factors in the election.
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How they handle those pivotal moments could sway the small group of undecided voters who will be decisive in the November election, Welker writes.
Also important is how the debate rules will affect each candidate’s performance. Welker saw firsthand how the decision to mute Biden and Trump’s microphones in the second 2020 debate proved to be a powerful tool.
More debate coverage:
- Follow our live blog throughout the day for the latest debate updates.
- NBC News’ politics team watched 19 debates that Biden and Trump have taken part in, looking for clues about their strategies and how they might handle tough moments. Read the analysis.
- Trump previews his line of attacks against Hunter Biden.
- Do you plan to ignore the debate? Biden’s campaign is finding ways to reach you anyway.
- Foreign policy is supposed to be a Biden specialty, but things could get “tricky,” a former U.S. diplomat said. It has everything to do with the two wars that began on his watch.
- Both Republicans and Democrats launched Black voter outreach efforts around the debate, with a particular focus on men.
Supreme Court accidentally posts abortion document online
A document that a Supreme Court spokesperson said was “inadvertently and briefly uploaded” online yesterday appeared to signal the court is set to allow emergency room doctors in Idaho to perform abortions in certain situations. Bloomberg Law obtained a copy of the document before it was removed from the court’s website. It is not known whether it was a draft decision, the actual decision or neither.
The case concerns whether a federal law that regulates ER treatment overrides Idaho’s strict abortion ban. The ruling laid out in the accidentally posted document would allow a lower court ruling in favor of the Biden administration to go back into effect. The document also hints at differing opinions among justices over abortion access and whether the court should dismiss the case.
Highlights from the first night of the NBA Draft
In the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, two Frenchmen were chosen first and second, and LeBron James’ son will have to wait another night to see if he’ll go pro. While last night’s event didn’t boast the superstar hype of past years, it still launched several young stars to the next stage of their careers.
The Atlanta Hawks took Zaccharie Risacher, a 6-foot-8 wing/forward from France, at No. 1 overall. A fellow Frenchman, 7-foot Alex Sarr, was chosen second by the Washington Wizards. The Houston Rockets picked Kentucky star and elite shooter Reed Sheppard next, followed by the San Antonio Spurs taking UConn guard Stephon Castle.
Among the most-watched prospects was James’ oldest son and USC freshman, Bronny James, who hopes to hear his name called tonight in the second round. Here’s what else happened on Night One.
Panda diplomacy returns as a pair of bears sets off for California
The San Diego Zoo is set to welcome two new, fluffy residents this week: a pair of giant pandas — the first to come to the U.S. in more than 20 years. The return of the bears to U.S. soil also marks the resurgence of panda diplomacy and a step forward for relations between Washington, D.C., and Beijing, as they try to repair strained ties.
The two bears — Yun Chuan, a 4-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a 3-year-old female — were crated and sent on their way to sunny California in a secretive farewell ceremony attended by San Diego Zoo officials and the city’s mayor, Todd Gloria. When the pandas will be ready for their public debut hasn’t been determined.
Here’s what else to know about the bears. For starters, “they seem to like each other,” their caretaker in China said.
Longtime Christian summer camp attendee alleges sex abuse
A 37-year-old Colorado man who says he was sexually abused by a director at a camp run by Kanakuk Kamps, one of the biggest Christian summer camp operations in the country, has sued the organization and one of the camp’s insurance providers, alleging fraud.
Andrew Summersett said that after he revealed to Kanakuk Kamps directors in fall 2009 that, years earlier, he’d been abused by Pete Newman, then director of the Kanakuk Kamp in Branson, Missouri, high-ranking officials in the organization denied knowing that Newman had been accused of molesting other children and told him to keep quiet about it, according to a lawsuit filed this week in Missouri.
In the lawsuit, Summersett — who attended the camp every summer from 1994, when he was 7 years old, until 2005, when he was 18 — details the years of alleged abuse and an insurance company’s alleged cover-up of Newman’s conduct. Read the full story here.
End of the Perfect 10: How modern scoring in gymnastics works
For many years, understanding gymnastics was pretty simple — falls are bad, and a 10 is the best score! Some of the old rules still stand, but scoring in the sport is more complicated now. NBC News reporter (and gymnastics fan) Kaetlyn Liddy breaks down how scoring works as Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee and other athletes compete for a spot on Team USA.
More Olympics highlights:
- ⚽ Soccer star Alex Morgan was left off the roster for the U.S. Women’s National Team.
- 🏊♀️ Paris’ mayor says the Seine will be safe and vows to swim in the river before athletes do.
Politics in Brief
House committee hearing: Paris Hilton described the traumatic abuse she faced at a residential youth treatment facility during a public testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, in which she urged federal reform to protect vulnerable children.
Health care: The Biden administration said it will impose inflation penalties on 64 prescription drugs for the third quarter of the year, lowering costs for certain older Americans enrolled in Medicare.
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Staff Pick: Rare white buffalo calf honored in Yellowstone ceremony
I was stunned into silence as tribal leaders marched in a short procession, wearing feather headdresses and ceremonial regalia. They were gathered to welcome the recent birth of a white bison calf — rare not just in color, but also in the message its arrival portends. According to Lakota lore, the white calf would come at a time when the world is in need of great healing. The message seemed to reverberate throughout the surrounding lake and valley as the chief revealed the calf’s name, which translates to Sacred Return. I attended the ceremony yesterday outside Yellowstone National Park. Here’s what I saw. — Alicia Victoria Lozano, reporter
In Case You Missed It
- In a sudden reversal, Kenya’s president said he will withdraw a controversial finance bill that had sparked deadly protests.
- At least 1,300 people died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Witnesses described the scene as people around them reacted to extreme heat.
- Five people were charged with the attempted bribery of a Minnesota juror who was offered more than $120,000 and instructions on how to get other jurors to acquit.
- A federal investigation into who supplied actor Matthew Perry with ketamine before his death could result in charges against several people.
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Not only is using a bidet more hygienic than using toilet paper — it also prevents potential plumbing issues, experts told NBC Select. And what about wet wipes? They’re great to have on hand, but whether you should use them regularly depends on a few factors.
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