• VP debate fact-check: Vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance faced off in what could be the final televised debate of the 2024 election. Newsweek has fact-checked the key claims made during this crucial showdown. Here's the truth. Read more on the debate below.

• Harris gains ground on economy: Vice President Kamala Harris is becoming more preferred than Donald Trump on matters involving the economy, according to polls.

• Hurricane Helene: The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a disturbance in the northwestern Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico that could evolve into a tropical storm and bring more rain to Florida only a week after Hurricane Helene ravaged the state. Here's what to expect.

• Dem blames Netanyahu for Iran attack: Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley appeared to blame Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the latest developments in the Middle East in a new post to social media. Here's what she said.

• Texas execution: Garcia Glenn White, 61, convicted of fatally stabbing twin 16-year-old girls more than three decades ago, was executed in Huntsville on Tuesday. Here are his final words.

• South Korea sends new nuclear warning: South Korea on Tuesday displayed its powerful "monster, bunker buster" missile for the first time as it warned North Korea that the use of nuclear weapons would lead to the end of its regime. Find out more.

• In the ongoing war in Ukraine, an apparent Russian artillery strike targeted a bustling market in Kherson, Ukraine, on Tuesday, causing at least six fatalities and three injuries, according to officials.

Israel Sends More Troops to Lebanon as War Escalation Fears Mount

TL/DR: Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese have been displaced in over a week of action that has seen targets in the south of Lebanon and the capital, Beirut, being struck.

The rundown: Israel expanded its ground operations in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, targeting Hezbollah strongholds along the border. Get the latest.

Why it matters: Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the use of ground troops and armored units, describing the actions as "limited and localized" operations aimed at disrupting Hezbollah's military infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon caches said to be hidden beneath civilian homes. According to the Times of Israel, Hezbollah reported this morning that it confronted Israeli forces attempting to infiltrate the Lebanese town of Odaisseh, claiming that its fighters successfully forced the Israeli infantry to retreat. Meanwhile, Danish police also reported two explosions early Wednesday near the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark. The blasts occurred around 3:20 a.m., prompting heightened security measures and the closure of a nearby Jewish school for the day.

Read more in-depth:
Iran Attacks Israel—What We Know

What happens now? The investigation is ongoing to determine if there is a connection between the explosions and the embassy in Copenhagen, which is in an area with several other diplomatic missions. Meanwhile, reports suggest that Israel is preparing to launch a military strike on Iran within days, potentially targeting key infrastructure including oil facilities or nuclear sites.

Five Key Takeaways From the Vice Presidential Debate

TL/DR: Trump and Harris have only debated once thus far, and Trump has declined another debate against Harris.

The rundown: Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz faced off in a policy-focused and relatively cordial vice-presidential debate on Tuesday night that presented an opportunity for the campaigns to build momentum in a race where polls have barely budged. Here are the five key takeaways.

Why it matters: The vice-presidential debate may have been the campaigns' last chance to present their visions for the country—on issues like the economy, immigration, foreign policy and abortion—to a national audience. Both candidates delved into the kind of detailed stances voters had been eager to hear for months. But the debate came in the midst of a chaotic week both at home and abroad. Hurricane Helene brought devastation to large swaths of the Southeastern U.S., including the critical swing states Georgia and North Carolina. Overseas, tensions are boiling over in the Middle East, where an escalating regional conflict between Iran and Israel threatens to shake up the race in an October surprise.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Who Won the VP Debate, Vance or Walz? Newsweek Writers' Verdicts

What happens now? The 2024 race presents a political oddity—typically, presidential candidates would face off in at least two or three debates, with one following the vice-presidential debate. Trump and Harris have only debated once thus far, and Trump has declined another debate against Harris.

Iran Vows 'Swift, Decisive, Stronger' Attack if Israel Responds to Strikes

TL/DR: Iravani also appealed to the U.N. Security Council "to urgently and decisively intervene to halt Israel's continued aggression and war crimes against Lebanon, Gaza and Syria and to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-scale regional war."

The rundown: In a letter obtained by Newsweek, a senior Iranian diplomat has warned of a harsher attack against Israel should the country respond to missile strikes launched by the Islamic Republic amid a worsening series of escalations in the Middle East. Find out the details of the letter.

Why it matters: The letter, written by Iranian Permanent Representative to the U.N. Amir Saeid Iravani and addressed to U.N. Security Council President Pascale Christine Baeriswyl and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, sought to justify the launching of what the Israel Defense Forces estimated to be 180 ballistic missiles as an act of "self-defense" in response to "aggressive actions of the Zionist regime." The operation was said to have been conducted over the unclaimed assassination of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July, the killings of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC General Abbas Nilforushan in Israeli airstrikes last Friday in Beirut. Iranian officials told Newsweek that the Islamic Republic did not inform the United States before launching a barrage of missiles against Israel and instead issued a direct warning to Washington after the attack.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Iran Delivers 'Serious Warning' to US After Missile Strikes on Israel

What happens now? The IDF has yet to officially report any casualties from the strikes, while Palestinian officials reported that a Palestinian man in Jericho had died from shrapnel wounds sustained during the missile strike. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday to act against Iran, but Israel's war cabinet has yet to finalize the specific nature of its response. The government is expected to consult with the United States before making any definitive moves.

Ted Cruz Campaign Update as Forecaster Shifts Race Toward Democrats

TL/DR: "We still think this race remains tough for Allred, and that winning those last few points in Texas will be a herculean task," read the Cook Political Report.

The rundown: Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz's 2024 election campaign was downgraded from likely Republican to lean Republican on Tuesday by the Cook Political Report. Here's what it reveals.

Why it matters: Texans have not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1988, although Cruz's opponent, Democratic candidate Representative Colin Allred, appears to be a worthy challenger. As Cook Political Report noted on Tuesday, Allred outraised Cruz in the second quarter of this year by just shy of $3 million. Recent polling has also been less unfavorable to Cruz. In a survey released Sunday by Public Policy Polling/Clean and Prosperous America, the senator led Allred by just 1 percentage point (47 percent to 46 percent), within the survey's margin of error of 3.5 percent.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Ted Cruz Gets Two Worrying Signs From New Texas Poll

What happens now? The Cook Political Report reads, "We still think this race remains tough for Allred, and that winning those last few points in Texas will be a herculean task. Republicans say they are now beginning to drive up Allred's negatives as well as more money pours in, and an Oct. 15 debate will also be crucial."

Trump Hits Back at Jack Smith's Evidence Proposal

TL/DR: Smith said his plan to release the evidence was "rooted in a faithful application of binding D.C. Circuit case law."

The rundown: Former President Donald Trump's legal team has hit back at special counsel Jack Smith's plans to publicly release evidence from the former president's federal election subversion case. Read more for the latest updates about the case.

Why it matters: Smith filed a sealed 180-page brief last week containing the government's evidence against Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges related to attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss and to the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack that followed. The special counsel submitted a motion on Friday to publicly release evidence like "grand jury transcripts, interview reports, or material obtained through sealed search warrants." Other information, such as the names of witnesses who could be "intimidated and threatened" by Trump supporters, would be redacted.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Jack Smith Could Be Donald Trump's October Surprise

What happens now? U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the case, has already indicated that she may be unlikely to agree with legal arguments that Trump should not be prosecuted because of his status as a presidential candidate.

COVID Map Update Shows US States With 'Very High' Wastewater Viral Activity

Levels of the virus that causes COVID-19 remain high across the U.S. despite recent decreases in positive case reports across the country. However, viral activity varies significantly across different states, new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows.

As of September 21, the overall viral activity level in wastewater across the country has been demoted from "very high" to just "high," although "very high" levels are still being detected in 13 states. These are particularly concentrated in the Midwest. Twenty-one states now exhibit "high" levels of wastewater activity, and nine are classed as "moderate."

Meanwhile, "low" levels have been detected in six states, with "minimal" levels, the lowest classification, seen in New York.