5 things to know for Aug. 9: Presidential debate, Hostage deal, Supreme Court, Mortgage rates, Maui tourism

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Millions of Americans are under tornado watches in the Northeast where post-tropical cyclone Debby is rapidly picking up speed. Flood warnings have also been extended to the US-Canada border, with forecasts calling for several inches of rain in upstate New York, Vermont and New Hampshire through Saturday. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to debate on ABC on September 10. Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Thursday, Trump said that he was “looking forward” to debating Harris and that he had agreed to upcoming dates with Fox News, ABC and NBC. Harris confirmed her participation in the September 10 showdown and said she would be “happy” to discuss further debates after they meet on stage next month. Trump previously said that he would not debate Harris if she did not agree to attend a proposed Fox News debate. Details on location, rules and moderators will be determined in the weeks ahead. Mediators from the US, Qatar and Egypt said on Thursday they may present what they called a “final bridging proposal” next week, urging Israel and Hamas to agree on a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. The three countries have been leading efforts to strike a deal, but conversations stalled after the death of a Hamas political leader in a blast in Iran last week. There are currently 115 total hostages, living and dead, being held in Gaza, according to Israeli officials. Of that number, 111 hostages were taken during the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which killed over 1,200 people. Israel’s ensuing military offensive in the enclave has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians and displaced nearly 2 million, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health and the United Nations. The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade remains unpopular with a wide majority of Americans, according to a new Marquette Law School poll. Two-thirds of Americans oppose the high court’s abortion decision, data shows, as reproductive rights remain a key issue for many Democrats and Republicans leading up to the November election. In the Supreme Court’s bombshell decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, five conservative justices voted to overturn Roe, the 1973 precedent that established a constitutional right to the procedure. The 2022 ruling returned the question of abortion to states, about half of which have banned or severely restricted access. Mortgage rates have plunged to their lowest level in more than a year on expectations that the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates next month. This is welcome news to prospective homebuyers in America’s notoriously unaffordable housing market. The standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.47% this week, down substantially from last week’s average of 6.73%. This marks the lowest level since May 2023 but home prices are still a major obstacle for many Americans — especially in large metropolitan areas. Chicago, Phoenix, Washington and Anaheim, California, have joined New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Boston as cities where total home values top $1 trillion, according to a report released Thursday from Redfin.