Good morning. Ready or not – and like it or not – Joe Biden and Donald Trump kick off the U.S. presidential election tonight with a debate in Atlanta. More on that below, along with an AI pioneer’s effort to save the Ontario Science Centre and a 105-year-old’s playbook for living well. But first:
Today’s headlines
- As defence minister, Harjit Sajjan instructed special forces to rescue Afghan Sikhs out of Kabul
- Billionaire businessman Frank Stronach faces eight new charges related to sexual assault
- British candidates and party officials, most of them Conservatives, allegedly bet on when the election would be called
Yup, that's them.Patrick Semansky/The Associated Press
U.S. Election
What to expect at the Biden-Trump showdown
The last time these two hit the debate stage, back in October, 2020, also happens to be the last time they were in the same room. A lot has transpired since, including – but very much not limited to – COVID waves and vaccine rollouts, two costly global wars, inflation, insurrection, a surge of migration and the end of Roe v. Wade. Some of that, hopefully, will come up tonight in Atlanta, when Joe Biden and Donald Trump face off for the first of two presidential debates. (The next one will be on Sept. 10.) Oh, and the Supreme Court is about to decide whether Trump is immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to subvert the 2020 election. That might come up tonight, too.
Here’s what else you need to know ahead of their rematch at 9 pm EST.
What’s new: Presidential debates are usually organized by an independent, non-profit commission. But this time, a single TV network – CNN – is in charge, choosing the camera angles, stage design and moderators (Jake Tapper and Dana Bash). That means ad breaks and, per Biden’s request, an unusually early date, more than four months before the general election.
What’s not: Some of the more headline-grabbing features of this debate – no audience; mutable mics – are relics of a former one. They also go back to October, 2020, when the pandemic called for a tiny, socially distanced crowd, and when Trump’s constant interruptions in the first debate demanded some way to cut the sound.
Who’s up: Trump holds a very slight edge in most national and battleground-state polls, but Biden has recently narrowed the gap.
Who’s missing: Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after he failed to meet the qualifications. And because this debate is being held so early – 72 hours after the final game of the Stanley Cup?! – Trump hasn’t yet picked his running mate. If you, like British politicians, are a fan of betting on election outcomes, smart money seems to be on North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum or Ohio Senator and Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance.
Debate baggage: Well, they’re both old, and there’s a risk on that stage they’ll seem even older. But there’s also Trump’s hush-money convictions, Biden’s son’s gun-felony convictions, Trump’s pending criminal cases, Biden’s historic unpopularity, and their respective rustiness in debates, given that Biden is the incumbent and Trump blew off the Republican primary matches last year.
Debate expectations: Consider them raised! After months insisting to anyone who’d listen that Biden is basically catatonic, Trump now argues (baselessly, let’s add) that Biden will perform “better than ever before” because he’ll be high on cocaine. Biden delegated expectation management to Hillary Clinton, who said that his round-the-clock presidential work leaves little time for debate prep.
The voters: would prefer neither of these men take office again. A full quarter of Americans hold negative views of both candidates, the highest-ever share of “double haters” (in pollster-speak) at this stage of an election cycle.
The issues: The Globe’s Adrian Morrow expects Biden and Trump will clash over a range of hot-button issues, including the economy, immigration, rule of law, abortion, foreign policy and the climate. In particular, Trump is likely to hammer the rise in border crossings and the 20-per-cent spike in prices since he left office, while Biden will lean in on Trump’s anti-democratic agenda and anti-abortion Supreme Court appointees. You can read more from Morrow here, and tune in tonight to see just how well those mute buttons work.
The Shot
‘I don’t really have a secret – it’s just good, plain living.’
Angeline Charlebois, looking seriously great at 105.Gino Donato/The Canadian Press
At 105 years old, Angeline Charlebois bakes pies, plays cards, dances well and knits hats for babies at the local hospital (a hobby she only picked up after she turned 100). Learn more about the science behind Canada’s “super agers” here.
The Wrap
What else we’re following
At home: After his candidate lost the midtown Toronto by-election this week, Justin Trudeau is fielding calls from two former Liberal cabinet ministers to step down as leader of the party.
Abroad: Russia begins its closed-door trial of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who faces espionage charges and a likely prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Out of the woods? Artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has offered to donate $1-million to repair the Ontario Science Centre – as long as Doug Ford’s government promises to keep it in its current home.
Out of this world: In astronomically bad news for Boeing, two U.S. astronauts have been stuck on the International Space Station for weeks while the company works out problems with its Starliner capsule.