In Today's Times
- It is no coincidence that President Obama rehearsed for Wednesday's debate in Nevada, a swing state that serves as a vivid reminder of the economic distress facing the country and threatening his hopes for re-election, Mark Landler reports.
- Political observers know that both candidates face risk and reward for their debate performances, and Jeff Zeleny has a list of things to watch for in style and substance for the first of three encounters between the president and Mitt Romney.
- Jackie Calmes and John Harwood look at some of the topics that could come up in the debate and how claims the candidates have been making stack up against the facts.
- Mr. Obama has been out-advertising Mr. Romney in most of the key battleground states since the parties' conventions, which helps explain why polls in most of the competitive areas have shifted in his direction over the last month, Jim Rutenberg and Jeremy W. Peters report.
- Though he has not appeared in public since early June, Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr., Democrat of Illinois, is still running for a 10th term, leaving his little-known opponents in the surprisingly difficult position of trying to rally opposition to a campaign that does not seem to exist, Monica Davey writes.
Around the Web
- Congress could have its first openly gay Asian-American member, its first openly bisexual member and its first openly gay senator after the elections, The Associated Press reports.
Happenings in Washington
- There will be a number of debate watch parties around the city, and the one in the Bloomberg Room of the National Press Club will be open to the public.
- The National Museum of American History will unveil a portrait of Celia Cruz, a Cuban-American salsa performer, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
