U.S. and world news for Sept. 10

Debate: Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump meet in Philadelphia tonight for what may be the only presidential debate of this campaign season. ABC News is hosting the debate at 9 p.m. New York Time, although the other major networks also plan to carry it. Even though only the microphone of the candidate whose turn it is to speak will be turned on, Trump is expected to shout at Harris or make other moves to try to distract her while she is speaking as he has done with candidates in other debates.  

False claims: The Trump campaign and Trump’s vice presidential running mate J. D. Vance have been among those spreading lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, stealing pets and eating them. A spokesperson for the City of Springfield told CNN that there have been no reports of such an incident ever having taken place. It appears that the falsehood started with a racist comment on Facebook that was repeated on Elon Musk’s site X, formerly known as Twitter, and then repeated by other right-wingers including Vance and the Trump campaign.  

Gaza attack: Officials in Southern Gaza say that at least 40 people were killed in an overnight airstrike by the Israelis. Another 60 people were reported wounded in the attack on Al-Mawasi, where thousands of displaced Palestinians have taken shelter. The Gaza official said that the area attacked had been designated as a humanitarian zone, which was supposed to be a safe place for civilians. The Israeli military said that Hamas militants who were directly involved in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel were targeted in the strike.

Drone attacks: Ukraine has staged its most intense attack on Moscow, sending at least 20 drones against various parts of the Russian capital. The Russians said that one woman was killed and at least 50 buildings were damaged. The Russians also said that at least 50 flights were diverted from landing at Moscow’s airport. Ukraine said that the Russians launched 46 drones to attack Ukrainian territory and that 36 of the drones were intercepted and destroyed.  

Storm warning: Tropical Storm Francine was expected to become a Category 2 hurricane today as it targets the Louisiana coast. Flood watches have been issued for about 5 million people along the Gulf Coast. Forecasters warn of possible storm surges higher than 10 feet as the storm makes landfall. The storm has been picking up strength from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Schools were ordered closed today and tomorrow in several of Louisiana’s parishes.

James Earl Jones: Actor James Earl Jones has died at age 93. James died at his home in Pawling, New York. The cause of death was not immediately announced. In addition to numerous acting roles on stage and screen, Jones was well known for being the voice of the villain Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” movies as well as the voice of the animated character Mufasa in Disney’s movie “The Lion King.” Jones also was the voice announcing that viewers were watching the news network CNN. Cover photo: James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander in the NEA-supported original production of Howard Sackler’s The Great White Hope at Arena Stage. Photo courtesy of Arena Stage