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Good afternoon. Here's what you should know today, Aug. 20: | |
- Republican candidates gear up for Wednesday's debate
- California braces for a rare tropical storm
- Russia's war in Ukraine could run for years
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 | | Photo Composite: Emily Siu for The Wall Street Journal | | |
1. Russia's lunar mission failed, boosting India's hopes of landing on the moon's south pole first. | |
| India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, which means "moon craft" in Hindi, is scheduled to attempt a landing on Wednesday. India had found itself in a race with Russia, which had been aiming to land on the same area on Monday, ahead of the India craft. But Russia's mission ended in a disaster this weekend (🔐read for free) as its unmanned spacecraft crashed into the surface of the moon, leaving India better poised to become the first to land on the challenging terrain—an achievement that would solidify its position as a major space power amid renewed global interest in lunar exploration. | |
| 🎥 Why Russia and India Want to Reach the Lunar South Pole (Watch) | |
2. Trump's rivals seek ways to break through with voters. | |
| The Republican presidential primary will shift into a new phase this week, as the candidates gather on a debate stage in Wisconsin and former President Donald Trump negotiates his surrender to Georgia authorities by Friday on charges he conspired to reverse his 2020 loss in the state. Trump is planning to skip Wednesday's debate, and his absence could provide his opponents with an opportunity to gain traction with a national audience inundated by the news of Trump's four criminal indictments. The front-runner may hold his own competing event on the debate night. | |
| GOP Bickering in Georgia Puts Party at Disadvantage in 2024 (Read) Mitt Romney's Political Journey Reaches a Crossroads (Read) | |
3. Nvidia's earnings will test the market's AI frenzy. | |
| The chip maker stunned Wall Street three months ago with a revenue forecast that blew past expectations, sparking a share price rally and a surge in investor enthusiasm for companies developing artificial intelligence technology. That enthusiasm faces its first major test Wednesday, when Nvidia is scheduled to report fiscal second-quarter results. This time around, the bar to dazzle investors is much higher. Retailers Macy's, Lowe's and Nordstrom willl also be reporting earnings this week. Also on investors' radar: Central bankers will gather at Jackson Hole, Wyo., between Thursday and Saturday to discuss structural shifts in the global economy. | |
| The Outlook: Why the Era of Historically Low Interest Rates Could Be Over (Read) Where Investors Are Finding Returns in a World of Yield (Read) | |
4. Ecuadoreans and Guatemalans head to the polls today. | |
| The first round of voting for a new president in Ecuador is taking place amid a state of emergency after gunmen assassinated candidate Fernando Villavicencio, upending the campaign in a nation buffeted by rising drug-fueled violence. Voters' top concern is ending the bloodshed caused by heavily armed gangs fighting to control drug-trafficking routes, according to political analysts and polls. Leading the field of presidential hopefuls is left-wing candidate Luisa González, polls show, with a second runoff vote seen as likely. | |
| Guatemalan Front-Runner Calls for Democratic Renewal (Read) | |
5. China is looking to woo developing nations as its divisions with the U.S. harden. | |
| Last week, at a summit hosted by President Biden at his Camp David retreat, leaders of the U.S., Japan and South Korea pledged cooperation in confronting China's "dangerous and aggressive behavior." Beijing, meanwhile, is looking to shore up its own friendships among countries that are traditionally suspicious of U.S. power. That is the backdrop to the summit of Brics nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—scheduled to begin Tuesday in Johannesburg, where they will be joined by other African leaders. China's Xi Jinping will attend in person, with Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to join by video link. | |
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