Good Monday afternoon. Donald Trump is suggesting he may back out of the September debate with Kamala Harris, a disaster has been declared after a deadly landslide in Alaska, and Russia has attacked Ukraine’s power grid with “one of the largest strikes” since the war began. Here is what’s in our Nightly Rundown. |
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Trump suggests he may back out of September 10 debate |
Former President Donald Trump doubled down today on his suggestion overnight that he might back out of the ABC debate with Vice President Kamala Harris scheduled for Sept. 10 because of the “hostility” he said the network has shown toward Republicans. “When I looked at the hostility of that, I said, 'Why am I doing it? Let's do it with another network.' I want to do it,” Trump told reporters during an appearance near Washington, D.C., this morning. Debate negotiations have hit a roadblock over whether the candidates’ microphones will be muted when it’s not their turn to talk, Politico was the first to report. The Harris campaign wants the mics to stay hot throughout the debate. “The Vice President is ready to deal with Trump’s constant lies and interruptions in real time,” a campaign spokesman said. “Trump should stop hiding behind the mute button.” But the Trump campaign says the ABC debate rules were already agreed upon, similar to the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, with muted mics. “We said no changes to the agreed upon rules,” a Trump campaign spokesman said. "If Kamala Harris isn’t smart enough to repeat the messaging points her handlers want her to memorize, that’s their problem.” Trump, when asked today whether he wants the mics muted, said, “I'd rather have it probably on, but the agreement was it would be the same as it was last time. In that case, it was muted.” |
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Alaska declares disaster after deadly landside forces evacuations |
A massive landslide in southeast Alaska has killed at least one person and injured three others, forcing a mandatory evacuation in the city of Ketchikan, authorities said. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has issued a disaster declaration, after the landslide destroyed homes and damaged infrastructure. Two of the injured victims were admitted to the hospital, and a third was treated and released, according to an official statement. All other individuals have been accounted for, the statement said. Officials said they remained concerned that another landslide could occur south of the original slide area. |
Russia hits Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with “one of the largest strikes” of the war |
Russia launched more than 200 missiles and drones aimed at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, officials there said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it “one of the largest strikes” carried out by Moscow since the war began. The attack left least five people dead and caused power outages in several cities, according to local officials. The air assault comes as Ukraine’s forces are gaining ground in Russia’s Kursk region, weeks after Kyiv launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Russian territory. |
Israel and Hezbollah step back from the brink of all-out war, but Mideast on edge |
After an intense exchange of attacks across the border over the weekend, Israel and Hezbollah appear to have stepped back from the brink of a wider conflict, at least for now. On Sunday, Israel launched what it called pre-emptive strikes on southern Lebanon, saying it had thwarted a “large-scale” attack by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group. Hezbollah then launched a wave of rockets and drones at Israel, and claimed to have hit a military intelligence base near Tel Aviv, calling it retaliation for the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut last month. It was the biggest flare-up between Israel and Hezbollah since the Gaza war began, but afterward, both sides signaled no further escalation. Israel’s defense minister spoke to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday about “the importance of avoiding regional escalation,” while Hezbollah’s leader said the Lebanese people “can take a breath and relax.” |
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What else we're watching: |
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Massachusetts state officials say workers will begin spraying for mosquitoes this week in areas at high or critical risk for the Eastern Equine Encephalitis, which is caused by a virus that can be carried by the insects. |
The middle of the country is sweltering under a late August scorcher, with heat alerts in effect for 53 million people today across the Midwest and the Great Lakes. Chicago and Madison will be close to records. |
The captain of the superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing British tech magnate Mike Lynch and five other people, is facing a manslaughter investigation, his lawyer told NBC News Monday. |
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Watch us this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on NBC, or check your local NBC station listing. After the broadcast, access Nightly News video on NBCNightlyNews.com or the NBC News app. |
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