Friday morning news: August 9, 2024

Trump, Harris agree to debate » Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will square off in at least one presidential debate.

ABC News confirms it’ll host a debate September 10th, though Trump says the two sides still need to work out details.

TRUMP: Audience, some location… which city would be put it into? But, all things that will be settled very easily, very… I think it’ll be very easy. The other side has to agree to the terms.

Anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate.

The vice president says…

HARRIS: I’m looking forward to it and, um, hope he shows up.

Trump says he’s willing to debate up to three times. Harris says she’s happy to talk about having an additional debate after their already-scheduled showdown.

SOUND: [Closing bell]

Economy: good jobs numbers, stocks bounce back » All smiles and cheers as the closing bell rang down on Wall Street’s best day since 2022.

The key reason stocks were way up? A much better than expected jobs report, which eased fears the U.S. economy may be slowing down.

Just Monday, stocks took a massive dive amid concerns over a possible recession. It was Wall Street’s worst day in three years.

Mortgage rates lowest in a year » If you’re hoping to buy a house in the U.S., that goal’s starting to look a little less daunting. Mortgage rates dropped significantly this week.

The average fixed-rate for a 30-year mortgage fell to 6.47%, down from last week’s 6.73%.

That’s the lowest level in more than a year and the biggest drop since December. Economists say this news should boost homebuyers’ purchasing power.

But it’s not all roses. Overall, the housing market’s still tight with demand outpacing supply.

Israel preparing for attack » Israel is still bracing for a possible attack from Iran and its proxies.

Regional tensions have soared after the killing of a top Hamas political leader in Tehran late last month.

Israel is thought to be behind that attack, but hasn’t claimed responsibility.

GALLANT: [Speaking in Hebrew]

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant saying his country is in a state of high defense readiness. He says Israel has taken precautions, some of which can be seen, while others cannot.

U.S. State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller says the Biden Administration is cautioning Iran against doing anything to inflame tensions.

MILLER: We continue to make clear to Iran that they should not escalate this conflict. They should not take any further escalatory steps, that those steps are not in their interests. They're not in the interests of the wider region. And that's a point we will continue to impress in all of our diplomatic engagements in the region.

Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet Israel is already in a multi-front war with Iran and its proxies.

SOUND: [Storm in Bladenboro, N.C.]

Tropical Storm Debby latest » Parts of North Carolina are trying to dry out after a wallop from Tropical Storm Debby earlier this week.

In the town of Bladenboro, people woke up to standing water a few feet deep in some places.

WEST: It was scary, not knowing when the rain was going to stop. That was really scary.

This woman says she never lost power and the water is receding quickly, but the heavy rain left a few stores in the downtown area damaged.

WEST: We are waiting for the water to go down so we can help everybody get their stuff cleaned up and get back in their buildings and see what damage is done. The drains are working pretty good right now. The water's going down really fast. We're just praying that we don't get any more rain.

Forecasters say more flooding’s on the way for parts of eastern South Carolina and southeast North Carolina as the storm moves through.

Lyles wins bronze while racing with COVID » The American sprinter Noah Lyles brought home the bronze yesterday in the men’s 200-meter Olympics finals. But it wasn’t easy for him.

SOUND: [Race beginning]

Audio here courtesy of the International Olympics Committee.

Lyles revealed he was diagnosed with COVID-19 two days before the competition. He says he’s had the chills, aches, and a sore throat, but it didn’t stop him from competing.

Lyles is supposed to compete in the 100-meter relay today, but given his illness, he said he’d leave it up to his teammates to decide whether he runs.

He says he’s at about 90 or 95 percent of peak condition.

I'm Mark Mellinger.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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