MORGAN CITY, La. (AP) — Francine has weakened to a tropical depression after slamming into Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane, causing widespread power outages and sending a dangerous storm surge rushing into coastal communities. The National Hurricane Center predicted the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season would continue weakening.

WRIGHTWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters battling three major wildfires in the mountains east of Los Angeles are taking advantage of cooler weather as they slowly gain the upper hand against blazes that have destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate.

SEATTLE (AP) — Hundreds of people turned out at a beach in Washington for a vigil remembering Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, the 26-year-old human rights activist from Seattle killed by the Israeli military during a protest in the occupied West Bank. 

An estimated 67.1 million people watched the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. That's a sharp increase from the June debate that eventually led to President Joe Biden dropping out of the race. The debate was run by ABC News but the Nielsen company said it was shown on 17 different networks. The Trump-Biden debate in June was seen by 51.3 million people. 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi and a video production assistant have talked down a woman standing on the ledge of a pedestrian bridge in Nashville. Police say the encounter happened Tuesday on the Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift has won the biggest award at the MTV Video Music Awards — the trophy for video of the year for “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone. Swift took home seven awards, bringing her to a career total of 30. 

In other news: 

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.