In the news today: Kamala Harris pressed a forceful case against Donald Trump in their debate; the US commemorates 9/11 attacks; and how a battle between Russia and the U.S. is playing out in Central African Republic. Also, if your lawn has been looking patchy, fall is the time to do something about it.
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Donald Trump watches as Kamala Harris speaks during the debate. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Key takeaways from the presidential debate
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Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced each other on the debate stage Tuesday night for the first — and possibly the last — time in an event that showcased their starkly different visions for the country on abortion, immigration and American democracy. Read more. |
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The Democratic vice president opened the faceoff with a power move, marching across the stage to Trump’s lectern to shake his hand. The exchange set the tone for the 90-minute debate to come: Harris controlled the conversation at times, baiting Trump with jabs at his economic policy, his refusal to concede his 2020 election loss and his performance at his rallies.
Trump, while measured early on, grew more annoyed as the night went on. Trump was often on defense, but he did drive the core message of his campaign: inflation and immigration are hammering Americans, and he repeatedly tied Harris to Biden. Trump also went to some dark places. He amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating pets as he argued that the Biden-Harris administration was admitting dangerous immigrants. And when Harris pressed him on the array of criminal and civil cases against him, Trump accused Harris and Biden of planting all the cases.
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In a divided nation, the election will ultimately be decided by a small slice of swing voters in only a handful of states. And in a nod toward that fact, Harris made an explicit appeal to voters across the political spectrum — including Republicans. She noted that she is a gun owner. She cited the “late, great John McCain,” and she listed the many Republicans who formerly served in the Trump administration who have now endorsed her campaign. Trump, meanwhile, offered little outreach to voters in the middle, ignoring the calls for unity that framed his summertime convention speech.
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US commemorates 9/11 attacks with victims in focus, but politics in view
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The U.S. is remembering the lives taken and those reshaped by 9/11, marking an anniversary laced this year with presidential campaign politics. Sept. 11 — the date when hijacked plane attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in 2001 — falls in the thick of the presidential election season every four years, and it comes at an especially pointed moment this time. Read more.
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Fresh off their first-ever debate Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are both expected to attend 9/11 observances at the World Trade Center in New York and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. It’s not yet clear whether Harris and Trump even will cross paths. If they do, it would be an extraordinary encounter at a somber ceremony hours after they faced off on the debate stage.
Regardless of the campaign calendar, organizers of anniversary ceremonies have long taken pains to try to keep the focus on victims. For years, politicians have been only observers at ground zero observances, with the microphone going instead to relatives who read victims’ names aloud.
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The US-Russia battle for influence in Africa plays out in Central African Republic
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Hours after Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin rebelled against his country’s top military leaders, his private army’s biggest client in Africa panicked and turned for help to his foe in the West. Some 1,500 of Prigozhin’s shadowy Wagner Group mercenaries were stationed in Central African Republic and officials there wrote a letter requesting a meeting with a private U.S. security firm to discuss collaboration. Bancroft Global Development and Central African Republic ultimately reached a deal, but the firm's presence was shrouded in secrecy. Read more.
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Tensions in the region are a window into a larger battle playing out across the continent as Moscow and Washington vie for influence. In the wake of Prigozhin’s rebellion and suspicious death, the Russians are recalibrating their Africa operations. The United States, which has been largely disengaged from the region for years, is attempting to maintain a presence and stymie Russian gains as it pushes African countries to distance themselves from the mercenaries.
In recent years, Russia has emerged as the security partner of choice for a growing number of governments in the region, displacing traditional allies such as France and the U.S. But Russian mercenaries — using success in staving off rebels in this impoverished nation as a model for expansion — have long been accused by locals and rights groups of stripping natural resources such as minerals and timber and are linked to the torture and death of civilians.
- As the U.S. and Russia jockey for power, African governments say they want to make their own choices. For most here, there’s little interest in squabbles among foreign nations. “There are problems between the Americans and Russians, but that doesn’t matter to us,” said Jean Louis Yet, who works at Bangui’s market. “We are here working, trying our best to make a living. All we want is security.”
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A lawn that incorporates both turfgrass and clover. (Jessica Damiano via AP)
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Fall’s the time to renovate your lawn. Here’s how
If you’re growing cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky or Canada bluegrass, ryegrass, or tall or fine fescues, and your lawn has been patchy or discolored, now’s the time to do something about it. |
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Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Sarah
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