Trump and Biden prepare to debate at time of mounting crises

Workers adjust signage as preparations take place for the first presidential debate in the Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion in Cleveland (Patrick Semansky/AP)

US President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden are gearing up for their first debate in the 2020 presidential election.

The Tuesday night debate will offer a massive platform for Mr Trump and Mr Biden to outline their starkly different visions for a country facing multiple crises, including racial justice protests and a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans and cost millions of jobs.