Debate Anxiety, Terror in Aleppo, Erin Brockovich

Coming up on today’s show:

• This week, our partners at the Retro Report documentary team are taking a look back at the evolution of presidential debates, and how the advent of television has influenced candidates and the people who vote for them. Erik German, a producer with Retro Report, weighs in. 

• With less than 10 percent of American voters still undecided, the majority of those watching the the first presidential debate will know who they’re rooting for, and the stakes are high. Kevin Lonie is a Donald Trump supporter from New Hampshire, and Lisa Hansen is a Hillary Clinton supporter from New Jersey. They’re both looking towards the debate with some anxiety, and share their thoughts today on The Takeaway.

• In the city of Aleppo, “Syrians and Russians seem to be mobilizing to apply [a] kill-all-who-resist strategy” to rebel-held sections of the city, our partners at The New York Times report. Anne Barnard, Beirut bureau chief for The Times, brings us the latest on the deadly onslaught gripping Aleppo. 

• Back in 2010 when he was just 15-years-old, José Fernández escaped Cuba and was headed towards the MLB. This weekend, the 24-year-old ace pitcher for the Miami Marlins was killed in a tragic boating accident that has rocked the sports world. Luis Hernandez, morning host at public radio station WRLN in Miami, explains how Fernández touched the Cuban-American community. 

• The golf world is mourning the death of one of the most successful players of any sport: Arnold Palmer died on Sunday at the age of 87 after suffering heart trouble. Cindy Boren, a sports writer for The Washington Post, says Palmer went beyond golf to define the business of sports itself. 

• Today, Tammany Hall is synonymous with urban corruption and machine politics, the kind that a young progressive reformer named Franklin Roosevelt disdained. But in his book, “Machine Made: Tammany Hall and the Creation of Modern American Politics,” author Terry Golway argues that it is nearly impossible to overstate the dual importance of Tammany and four-term New York Governor Al Smith, Tammany’s most beloved son, in understanding Roosevelt’s rise and success in New York politics in the 1920s. Takeaway Host John Hockenberry reflects on Golway’s work today. 

• What is trust? Many Americans have lost trust in U.S. institutions, politicians, and the media. In a special five-part series this week, The Takeaway explores what it means to trust ahead of the 2016 election. We begin our exploration with environmental advocate Erin Brockovich.