WeekDay AM: 10 Things you need to know this morning
A presidential debate, a Mormon sex scandal, and a pill to end snoring

 
today's international story

Harris and Trump trade blows in 'combative' debate

What happened 
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris met in person for the first time yesterday in a high-stakes presidential debate that, after a "halting start", rapidly took a "sharp turn towards the combative", said The New York Times.

Who said what
Harris said Trump was offering nothing more than the "same old, tired playbook, a bunch of lies, grievances and name-calling". Meanwhile, the former president said of his Democratic rival: "She doesn't have policies. In fact, I was gonna send her a Maga hat … she has destroyed our country with policy that's insane. Almost policy that you'd say they (Harris and Joe Biden) hate our country."

Fox News felt Harris was "nervous and rambling" throughout the debate. The New York Times said Trump was left "visibly infuriated" by the clash.

What next? 
Heading into the debate polling in seven key battleground states showed a "very tight" race between Harris and Trump, said the BBC. Five states – Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania – showed differences in support of less than one percentage point, according to the latest polling averages from analysts at 538.

As for whether the debate will shift the momentum of the campaign, historically presidential debates have "offered us some of the most enduring moments in our history", said The Hill. But will the head-to-head between Harris and Trump have changed people's voting preferences, the site asked. "Probably not."

 
 
today's politics story

Stride crashes out of Tory leadership race

What happened
Just four candidates remain in the Conservative leadership contest after former cabinet minister Mel Stride was knocked out in a vote of Tory MPs. Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick remained on top with 33 votes, with Kemi Badenoch on 28. James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat got 21 votes each.

Who said what
"Out of the contest but really enjoyed the journey," Stride wrote on X. "Met so many wonderful people. Our party's values still run deep and strong."

Yesterday's vote offers a "boost for Badenoch", said The Times. The shadow housing secretary narrowed Jenrick's lead by picking up six extra votes. After the vote Badenoch said only she had the "star power to cut through", which would help her "take the fight to Labour" and lead the Conservatives back to government.

What next?
MPs will vote again after the Conservative Party's conference next month to select the final two candidates. Those will then be put to a vote of Tory members, who get the final say over who will be the new leader.

 
 
Today's health story

Daily pill could halve snoring symptoms

What happened
A daily pill might soon provide relief for heavy snorers after a new study found sulthiame – an existing treatment for childhood epilepsy – could significantly reduce symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.

Experts hope sulthiame can offer an effective medical treatment for millions of snorers, "helping to reduce the risk of heart complications and providing relief for their long-suffering partners", said The Times.
 
In a trial involving 298 participants, those who took sulthiame had substantial improvements in symptoms such as disrupted breathing during the night, daytime sleepiness and blood oxygen levels.

Who said what
The study's lead author, Professor Jan Hedner from Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said sulthiame "could be an effective treatment, especially for those who find they cannot use the existing mechanical treatments" like CPAP machines.

What next?
Hedner said larger studies were needed before sulthiame could be introduced as a standard treatment for snoring.

 
 

It's not all bad

A major restoration project has revitalised the historic Swindon Railway Village, once home to workers at the world-renowned Swindon Works. Established in the 1840s by engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the village featured pioneering amenities including a health centre and public library. The Swindon Heritage Action Zone, launched in 2019, has now refurbished more than 300 historic buildings, restored parks and created a community hub, preserving the area's industrial heritage while generating jobs and inviting modern businesses into the town.

 
 
under the radar

The Mormon sex scandal hitting the small screen

What happens when a member of a church that bans everything from pornography and caffeine to sex before marriage admits she's involved in swinging?

In 2022 a group of wives and mothers known as Mormon MomTok, who rose to TikTok fame with their "viral dance and lip-sync videos", were left reeling when a founding member admitted on a livestream that she and her husband were involved in swinging with some of the stars of her social media clips, said Fox News.

Now a new TV series takes viewers behind the scenes as members of the online community struggle to save their friendships and reputations.

Piling scandal upon scandal for the religious community, one of the group's main stars, Taylor Frankie Paul, said other Mormon couples were also involved. Several MomTok members took to social media to insist they were absolutely not swingers, while others preferred to stay silent.

Mormonism is a sexually conservative belief system where "chastity is a virtue, homosexuality is a sin" and the father is the "presiding authority in his family", wrote Jessica Grose for The New York Times. So it's "notable" that the wives "haven't left the religion outright", added Grose.

A lot of them "love the foundation of our church: love, family, service", said Paul in the series, but they find it "impossible" to be a "modern woman" and "follow all the rules". Commenting on why many Mormons found it hard to keep to their church's beliefs, one participant said the problem was that Mormons were "getting married before their brains even develop".

 
 
on this day

11 September 2007

Russia successfully field tested what its military claims is the world's most powerful non-nuclear weapon: the aviation thermobaric bomb of increased power (ATBIP) – nicknamed the "Father of All Bombs". Thermobaric devices, known as glide bombs, are highly controversial and destructive. Russia announced last month that it had started using smaller versions against Ukrainian forces.

 
 
Today's newspapers

The Daily Mail leads on the winter fuel payment vote in the Commons and the early prisoner release scheme. It says that Keir Starmer "mugged pensioners and freed muggers yesterday on a day of shame for Labour". The i paper says Labour is now ready to press on with "more contentious spending and tax decisions" after defeating the "rebellion" but The Guardian says Starmer is facing growing pressure to help the poorest in next month's budget. Meanwhile, says The Telegraph, Joe Biden is "poised" to lift a ban on long-range missiles supplied by the US and UK being fired into Russia by Ukraine. 

See the newspaper front pages

 
 
tall tale

Harrods launches nuclear peaches

Harrods has begun selling peaches grown in Fukushima, the Japanese region devastated by nuclear disaster, for £27 a piece. The fruit is already generating "a lot of interest and hype", the department store's greengrocer told The Daily Telegraph. The move is part of a sales campaign by The Tokyo Electric Power Company, operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, to "dispel myths about its exports" – but not everyone is convinced. "It's like trying to sell grapes from Chernobyl," one punter told the paper. "There is no way I would eat those."

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Arion McNicoll, Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, Sorcha Bradley and Chas Newkey-Burden, with illustrations by Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Win McNamee / Getty Images; Wiktor Szymanowicz / Future Publishing via Getty Images; Demaerre / Getty Images.