The presidential showdown between Harris and Trump isn’t exciting for everyone

But first, you have two minutes, and your time starts now.

If this has been forwarded to you, sign up here.

The big story

Let’s debate

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will face off on the debate stage tonight, exactly eight weeks before their official showdown on the ballot.

The debate, which will be held in Philadelphia and begins at 9:00 p.m. ET, will be the first time the vice president and former president have met in person. Business Insider’s Brent D. Griffiths has a brief overview everything you need to know tonight.

It’s a high-stakes matchup as Harris’ emergence has transformed what it may once seem like as a sure win for Trump essentially in a dead heatwrites BI’s John L Dorman. A recently released Times/Siena poll shows Trump holding just a one-point lead over Harris among likely voters.

So what is the game plan for the candidates?

For Trump, the focus will likely be the economy, which is a high priority for voters and also a sore spot for Harris. The latest Times poll showed Trump (55%) holding a wide lead over Harris (42%) on who would be better equipped to handle the economy.

And in typical Trump fashion, expect some name calling. (“Communist” is his preferred jab at Harris.) Trump will also likely target Harris the biggest vulnerabilitieswhich can include trying to define their changing views as rogue flip-flops, Brent writes.

Meanwhile, Harris will be looking to set some of his own economic plans. She recently added a policy page on her campaign website and has shown a desire to break away from the current administration. Her capital gains tax rate of 28 percent for Americans earning at least $1 million is lower than the 39.6 percent proposed by the White House.

As someone who is is no stranger to a meme on the internetHarris will also be looking to secure a viral moment from the debate.

But for some, Tuesday is just another distraction.

The constant struggle between both sides became more of a headache than anything else for some people on Wall Streetwrites BI’s Bradley Saacks.

The financial industry has a lot of sincere people expressing their support – and pledging donations – to both sides. But for investors, hedge fund managers and private equity investors, entering the fray just means less time spent managing their money.

It’s not unlike the sentiment coming from some in Silicon Valley. Constant bickering about elections has some frustrated onesespecially at a time when a lot of VCs and startups are struggling.

Certainly, people on both sides could argue that mindset is a privilege. Some don’t have the luxury of ignoring a choice with so much at stake.

And that’s not to say everyone in tech and finance is apathetic about the choices. BI’s Alice Tecotzky spoke to industry leaders who highlighted what they will be watching tonight.

News summary

Top titles

3 things in markets

1. Wall Street went to higher education, and students paid the price. When private capital got involved in for-profit colleges, the profits were huge. But two groups were left out: the public, whose tax dollars kept the machine running, and those students who were dismissed with pay.
2. China’s economy is showing signs of hope. It hasn’t been pretty for the world’s second-largest economy, but it could turn around. Goldman Sachs’ China chief economist said a number of factors (fiscal tightening, strong export dynamics) point to the country comes out of the slump this fall.
3. Cleared for a (soft) landing. Apollo Chief Economist Torsten Sløk believes in all the data indicates that the US economy is avoiding a recession. From wage growth to consumer spending, key indicators bode well for the US.

3 things in technology

1. It’s time to shine, baby. At Apple’s ‘Glowtime’ event, CEO Tim Cook unveiled the new iPhone 16, but its features seemed more understated than the hype surrounding the release. And if you’re wondering if your old iPhone will still work with Apple’s new iOS 18, the answer is all about AI. For all announcements, read the BI liveblog of the event.
2. How a VC is using AI to help startups. VC firm TRAC uses a AI dashboard to help startups raise new funds, allowing companies to arrive at more accurate valuations and benchmark against competitors. “It helps us get into every deal we want to get into,” TRAC’s founder said of the software.
3. Justice for Bing users. Some 20 years after earning a place in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “Google” is losing its status as a verb. Gen Zers and especially Gen Alpha don’t google anythingpreferring the more brand-neutral term “search” instead.

3 things in business

1. Bitcoin is taking a bite out of small town America. Driven out of China, bitcoin miners have set up shop in America’s economically-strapped small towns. Their expansion poses great risks both to the global climate crisis and to US economic tension with China.
2. How ex-Chipotle boss could shake up Starbucks. Brian Niccol has just started as CEO of the coffee chain, which is in dire need of a change. He did not talk about his plans for the business, but analysts have some ideas about things they could change.
3. It’s just good business, they say. Several countries are openly flaunting their ties to Russia as Putin seeks to end the country’s diplomatic isolation. Despite sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, Russia remains a key global economy and energy supplier – and woo the Global South.

In other news

what is happening today

• Andrew Cuomo testifies to a House select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic.
• Arab League foreign ministers are meeting in Cairo, with the agenda focused on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The Insider Today Team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, Editor-in-Chief, London. Milan Sehmbi, colleague, in London. Amanda Yen, colleague, in New York.