Biden and Trump to face off at CNN presidential debate

• Tonight’s faceoff: President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will have their first in-person showdown of the 2024 election cycle at CNN’s debate in Atlanta at 9 p.m. ET. Here’s how to watch and follow our coverage. Sigue la cobertura en español.
• High-stakes moment: With less than five months until the election, the stakes are high as the candidates make their pitch to voters on key issues such as immigration and the economy. Read up on campaign promises from both Biden and Trump.
• Debate rules: The candidates agreed to appear at a uniform podium. Microphones will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak. Read more about the agreed parameters here.
• SCOTUS decisions: Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Thursday formally dismissed an appeal over Idaho’s strict abortion ban, blocking enforcement of the state’s law. Biden has made abortion rights a centerpiece of his reelection push. The court has yet to announce a decision on Trump’s immunity claims.

President Joe Biden and Donald Trump have espoused vastly different viewpoints about America’s role on the world stage, with Biden focused on bolstering alliances with countries in Europe and Trump preaching a more isolationist policy stance, especially on Ukraine.

Biden has said he will continue to repair relationships that have faltered under Trump’s control — and uphold American commitments to NATO and Ukraine.

Trump, meanwhile, has said he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to NATO-member countries who don’t fulfill certain funding obligations.

In some of his first actions as president, Biden worked to return the United States to the presence it held on the world stage before Trump became president.

As president, Trump denigrated alliances like NATO and withdrew the United States from crucial international agreements, including the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate accords.

The former president has also previously pledged to end the war in Ukraine, though he’s offered no details on how he would do so…