Harris and Trump’s first debate and Israel strikes Gaza humanitarian zone: Morning Rundown

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are set to debate for the first time. Palestinian officials say at least 19 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a Gaza humanitarian zone. And body camera footage was released of the police stop involving the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill.

Here’s what to know today.

What to watch for in Harris and Trump’s first debate

After 75 days of political upheaval, the stage is set — again — for a presidential debate. But instead of Donald Trump facing off against President Joe Biden for a second time, the former president faces Vice President Kamala Harris. ABC News hosts tonight’s debate in Philadelphia, which will start at 9 p.m. ET.

With 55 days until Election Day, the debate presents different opportunities for each candidate.

This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.

Harris, who is still introducing herself to many Americans since ascending to the top of the Democratic ticket in July, will likely try to convey her modest roots as the daughter of a single mother, as well as her work as the attorney general of California. She’ll also go on the attack against Trump, seeking to flip the script and expose him as the aging candidate unfit to lead. She’ll have a “Golden Corral-scale buffet of material,” as senior White House correspondent Peter Nicholas writes, to choose from in mounting an attack.

Trump, meanwhile, needs to appeal to voters beyond his base — particularly suburban women, independent and undecided voters. That’ll require him to keep his composure throughout the debate, which he mostly did in June. He’ll likely go after Harris’ record as a prosecutor, which his allies have called “dangerously liberal.” And there’s little doubt he’ll get personal in his attacks against Harris. It’s just a question of when and to what degree.

Read the full story here.

More 2024 election coverage: 

• Trump has become increasingly explicit in describing plans to use the DOJ to prosecute political foes he says are “corrupt” if he wins the November election.
• Nikki Haley said Trump and running mate JD Vance should change the way they speak about women.
• Ohio police said they have received “no credible reports” of Haitian immigrants harming pets, contradicting a claim made by Vance.
• Trump repeated a false claim that children are undergoing transgender surgery during their school day.
• RFK Jr. must be removed from North Carolina ballots, the state’s Supreme Court ruled.
• Trump has called Harris a failed border czar. Recent political upheaval in Venezuela shows how the U.S. has limited leverage in Latin American countries that are home to many migrants.

At least 19 killed in Israeli tent strike in Gaza humanitarian zone, Palestinian officials say

An Israeli airstrike on a crowded tent camp in a Gaza humanitarian zone killed at least 19 people and injured 60 others, officials in the enclave said.

The Israeli military said it targeted “senior” Hamas militants and disputed the death toll.

Images from the site showed craters left by the strike reached meters deep, while videos geolocated by NBC News showed emergency responders sifting through the sand with bare hands and shovels to search for survivors using flashlights. 

Read more here.

Tyreek Hill recalls police confrontation that ‘went from 0 to 60’

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill described fears he could have been shot or taken to jail in a “worst-case scenario” when police stopped him just outside Hard Rock Stadium before Sunday’s Dolphins-Jacksonville Jaguars game. “It just went from 0 to 60, man, from the moment that those guys pulled up behind me, knocked on my window,” Hill said in an exclusive interview with NBC News a day after the incident.

As for the touchdown celebration, in which Hill and teammate Jaylen Waddle acted out an arrest: “You got to learn how to laugh and have a good time,” Hill said. See the full interview.

The Miami-Dade Police Department released body camera video of the incident. After Hill pulls over, a back-and-forth ensues between Hill and an officer before Hill opens his door, is pulled out of his car and put face-down on the pavement.

A second Dolphins player who stopped after seeing Hill was pulled over was detained. One of the officers involved in Hill’s detainment was placed on administrative duties pending the investigation, the director of Miami-Dade Police said. Watch the bodycam footage and read more about the encounter.

Politics in Brief

Shutdown threat: A band of conservative rebels said they would vote no on a short-term funding package coupled with a Trump-backed proposal to overhaul voting laws, putting House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to avoid a government shutdown on life support.

U.S.-China relations: The United States’ top commander in the Indo-Pacific region spoke with his Chinese counterpart last night, according to U.S. officials familiar with the planning. It’s the first time in years the two have engaged in a formal conversation.

Want more politics news? Sign up for From the Politics Desk to get exclusive reporting and analysis delivered to your inbox every weekday evening. Subscribe here.

Read All About It

• James Earl Jones, the legendary actor whose inimitable baritone voice gave life to Mufasa in “The Lion King” and Darth Vader in “Star Wars,” has died at the age of 93. 
• Apple unveiled a slate of new products, including AirPods with built-in hearing aids and iPhone 16 models with a suite of AI tools.
• Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was moved from a New York City jail to a hospital and had emergency heart surgery.  
• Authorities released body camera video of investigators’ 2023 interview with the father and teen charged last week in a Georgia school shooting.
• Tropical Storm Francine is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before it makes landfall tomorrow along the Louisiana coast, the National Hurricane Center says. 

Staff Pick: New research suggests Covid lockdowns ‘aged’ teens’ brains

Covid lockdowns left an indelible impression on many of us. For teens, those lockdowns — and school closures, canceled sports activities and less time to spend on social interaction — prematurely aged their brains by up to four years, a new study found. Also of note: For teen girls, the aging was more pronounced. The study is a startling reminder that while the pandemic is over, we’re still experiencing its impacts. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified 

NBC Select editors rounded up the best sales to shop this week. Find discounts on travel accessories, bedding, fall fashions and more. And here’s one sale in particular to pay attention to: a mega discount on many Select staffers’ go-to under eye masks.

Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.