5 things to know for Sept. 11: Presidential debate, Extreme weather, Hostages, Mexico protests, Hygiene products

CNN’s 5 Things brings you the news you need to know every morning.

On this day 23 years ago, the US suffered a tremendous loss of loved ones in the September 11 terrorist attacks. Nearly 3,000 people were killed when hijackers crashed planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. It is with our deepest admiration and respect that today we remember the victims, their families, and the first responders who met the tragedy and its aftermath with courage and strength. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump battled fiercely during their first presidential debate Tuesday in Philadelphia. Both candidates sought to make their case to voters with less than two months until Election Day, but Harris appeared to succeed with tactics designed to enrage the former president and bait him into attacking her. Harris said that world leaders were laughing at Trump and accusing him of belittling people. Trump was often out of control and pushed a host of falsehoods, including the bizarre claim that immigrants in Ohio are eating people’s pets. He also repeated lies about widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Registered voters who watched the debate broadly agree that Harris outperformed Trump, according to a CNN poll of debate watchers conducted by SSRS. Francine has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane ahead of its landfall in Louisiana today. The most severe impacts are likely to be felt this week along the state’s southern coast and in the New Orleans area. Authorities said flooding, powerful winds and potentially life-threatening storm surge could cause extensive damage and widespread power outages. Meanwhile, hotter temperatures due to human-made climate change are contributing to intense wildfires across the US. Parts of Southern California were especially hit hard Tuesday with three major fires, forcing evacuations and testing firefighting capacities. Other fires in Idaho and Nevada are also alarming officials as flames and record heat threaten the destruction of homes and businesses. An Israeli official has floated the possibility of offering Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar safe passage out of Gaza once all remaining 101 hostages held in the Palestinian territory are released. Sinwar, one of Hamas’ most powerful figures, is accused by Israel of being the key architect of the October 7 massacre in Israel, when militants killed 1,200 people in Israel and took more than 250 people hostage. He is also among the Hamas leaders charged by US prosecutors over the deadly attack. An Israeli official said the conditions for his release, along with Gaza being “demilitarized and deradicalized,” could help recover Gaza and end the war. CNN has reached out to Hamas for comment on the proposal. Mexican lawmakers were forced to suspend debate on a controversial judicial reform after protesters broke down the doors of the Senate building and forced their way into the upper level of the chamber. The vote on the sweeping constitutional reform — under which Mexicans would elect judges by popular vote — was later passed by the Senate, clearing a key hurdle. Dramatic footage of the scene showed protesters banging on the doors of the chamber while others waved the Mexican flag from a gallery above the floor of the Senate. The constitutional changes that sparked the unrest are being championed by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has long been critical of his country’s Supreme Court after it stood in the way of some of his signature policy proposals.