A nation looks back at a brutal and chaotic first presidential debate
The night voters across the U.S. were waiting for finally arrived Tuesday night: Republican President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate, went head to head in their first presidential debate. Unfortunately, the candidates spent most of their time during the 90-minute event trying to get their points across amid frequent interjections, back-and-forth exchanges and moderator Chris Wallace struggling to rein them both in, particularly Trump. Analysis and fact checking of candidates’ claims is expected to continue Wednesday. But one key moment could end up being scrutinized more heavily. Near the end of the debate, Wallace asked Trump whether he was willing to condemn white supremacists and militia groups. Trump sidestepped the question, focusing more on “antifa and the left.” His response energized the Proud Boys, a known extremist group, one expert said.
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Breonna Taylor grand jury records to be released
In a highly unusual move, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron on Wednesday is expected to release recordings of secret grand jury deliberations related to the Breonna Taylor case. Cameron’s office said in a statement Monday it would reluctantly comply with a judge’s order to make the recordings public. “The grand jury is meant to be a secretive body,” he said. In a controversial decision, the grand jury issued no charges against the Louisville officers who fatally shot Taylor. One officer was charged with wanton endangerment after some of his bullets went into an occupied apartment next to Taylor’s.
Former FBI Director James Comey to testify on Russia probe
James Comey will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday as Republicans continue to try to make the case that he and the agency conspired against President Donald Trump in 2016. Comey, whom Trump fired as FBI director in May 2017, will be a featured witness in Sen. Lindsey Graham’s investigation into the origins of the Justice Department’s Russia probe. That investigation, conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller, found multiple contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia but said there was not enough evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy. Trump and fellow Republicans contend the department was conspiring against the president before and after the 2016 election.
NBA Finals between the Lakers and Heat is set to tip off
The NBA Finals will begin Wednesday night (9 p.m. ET, ABC) in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, with the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the Miami Heat. The Lakers, led by First Team All-NBA selections LeBron James and Anthony Davis, defeated the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals securing them a spot in the Finals for a record 32nd time, but for the first time in 10 years. The Heat, led by 2020 All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, advanced to the Finals for the first time since 2014 after taking down the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. Heat team president Pat Riley, who coached the Heat to a championship in 2006, also won four championships with the Lakers in the 1980s.
Yabba Dabba Doo! ‘The Flintstones’ turns 60
“The Flintstones” was prehistoric by design when it premiered Sept. 30, 1960. Sixty years later, primetime TV’s first animated series seems even older in some ways, surprisingly contemporary in others and still gets callbacks in today’s popular culture. The six-season classic was a takeoff of Jackie Gleason’s “The Honeymooners.” Our Bill Keveney looks back with six fun facts on the TV gem, which was centered on Fred and Wilma Flintstone, a suburban Bedrock couple with mid-20th Century sensibilities living in 10,000 B.C.
