5 essential points for September 9: Presidential debate discussion, Forest fires rampage, Kentucky shooting incident, Pope Francis's addresses, Apple's 'illuminated hours'
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1. Presidential debate
As Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump prepare for their first — and possibly last — presidential debate, Trump over the weekend imposed threats of prosecution and "long-term prison sentences" for election officials and political operatives, whom he suggested could cheat in the 2024 election, if he wins the presidency again in November. Trump's threats of prosecution — part of his repeated, baseless attempts to undermine the integrity of the 2024 election — come as early voting will soon be underway in several states. The debate will take place on Tuesday at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, marking the first face-to-face encounter between Harris and Trump, who are in a close race.
2. Wildfires
Raging wildfires in California and Nevada have resulted in mandatory evacuations of thousands of homes as forecasters warn of record heat in the West for the next few days. In California, the Line Fire has consumed more than 20,000 acres after starting at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains on Thursday. The fire has more than quadrupled in size since Saturday morning and over 1,800 firefighters are battling the wildfire, which was still zero percent contained as of Sunday evening, according to Cal Fire. And in Nevada, the Davis Fire — a dangerous, wind-driven blaze south of Reno — has burned about 6,500 acres and remains zero percent contained as of late Sunday.
3. Kentucky shootings
Classes have been canceled in schools across parts of central Kentucky today, and residents have been advised to stay alert as the search for a suspect accused of firing along I-75 enters its third day. Joseph Couch, 32, has managed to elude capture since Saturday afternoon, when authorities say he fired an AR-15 from a cliff ledge on the side of the interstate about nine miles north of London, Kentucky, striking 12 cars and wounding five people. Though the motive is still unclear, the attack appeared to be a "random act" of violence, said Laurel County Sheriff’s Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, according to The Associated Press.
4. Pope Francis
Pope Francis has arrived in the tiny Southeast Asian nation of East Timor earlier today for the penultimate stop on a journey through Asia and the South Pacific for the 87-year-old pontiff. East Timor is one of the world’s youngest countries and has strong ties to the Catholic Church, which played a significant role in its struggle for independence from Indonesia. The country of just 1.3 million people is the second-most Catholic country in the world, with 97% of the population identifying as Catholic — the highest share outside of the Vatican. But the issue of clerical sexual abuse is also overshadowing this part of the pope's visit, as allegations of misconduct involving high-profile East Timor clergy have emerged in recent years. Two years ago, the Vatican admitted that it had secretly disciplined East Timor bishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner Carlos Ximenes Belo for alleged sexual abuse.
5. Apple ‘glow time’
Apple is set to unveil its first lineup of iPhones featuring generative artificial intelligence — which allows users to create text and images — during its annual product event later today. The upcoming launch was alluded to with the cryptic slogan of "it's glow time," and the company is keeping tight-lipped about what it means. Apple has already hinted at some of the things the new AI features will be capable of, such as enabling more natural conversations with Siri, helping to draft emails, making it easier to find specific moments in photo albums, and incorporating users’ personal information into its responses. Apple may also announce updates to the Apple Watch and AirPods during the 1 p.m. ET event.
BREAKFAST BROWSING
Victorious tennis player The No. 1 tennis player in the world, Jannik Sinner, clinched the US Open championship on Sunday, defeating American Taylor Fritz in straight sets. Fritz was the first American man to reach a grand slam singles final since 2009.
Financially successful actress She made her name on the Disney Channel, today she's a star in the popular Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building” — and now Selena Gomez can add becoming a self-made billionaire to her extensive list of accomplishments.
Shark mysteries solved When scientists attached a tag to a pregnant porbeagle shark in October 2020 to learn more about its habitat, they didn't anticipate discovering evidence of how large sharks hunt one another.
Space tourist transportation With the growing interest in space tourism, why not a plane that takes people into outer space? It's challenging to bypass the vertical launch of a rocket — but one company believes it has the solution.
Employee tracking A major accounting firm has informed its employees that their locations will soon be monitored to curb the work-from-home culture and enforce its back-to-office policy.
$240 millionThat's the enormous sum that Dallas Cowboys' star quarterback Dak Prescott will be raking in as part of a groundbreaking, four-year contract extension, according to his representative. This puts 31-year-old Prescott at the top of the NFL salary chart, making him the first player to earn a staggering $60 million annually. The Cowboys started their season on a positive note with a victory against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
DAILY QUOTE
"I never would have opened up my relationship and marriage. I feel like it was a disaster just waiting to happen."
Taylor Frankie Paul, renowned star of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," which made its debut on Hulu last week. The series delves into the lives of current and former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, grappling with controversies such as excessive alcohol use, unplanned pregnancies, male strip shows, and partner-swapping.
WEATHER FORECAST
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AND AS FOR THE FINAL TOUCH...
12-year-old receives texts meant for NFL playerAn Arizona boy ended up sharing the same phone number previously used by San Francisco 49ers' Ricky Pearsall. Now, he's eager to relay some messages to the NFL novice, who recently suffered an injury during a shooting incident. Watch the video here.
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- In the midst of the debate preparations, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump should remember to maintain respect and adhere to the rules during their face-to-face encounter, ensuring a peaceful discourse for the nation.
