The Midge 5AM SPECIAL: Clinton v Trump. The highlights. The (very) low blows. And who won?

Hello and welcome to this special 5am edition of the The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere. One story leads the field - the first, live, presidential debate between Republican nominee Donald Trump and the Democrats' Hillary Clinton at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York.

Hillary Clinton – Hillary Clinton claims Donald Trump invited Russian …

Hillary Clinton said that Donald Trump gave Russian president Vladimir Putin the thumbs up to hack away at U.S. emails. Putin has "let loose cyber attackers to hack into government files, to hack into personal files, hack into the Democratic National Committee," Clinton said during the first general election presidential debate at Hofstra University.

Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

With a tight election on the line, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton will face off in less than an hour at their first presidential debate, a battle 18 months in the making that is emerging as the most hotly anticipated moment in modern US political history. An audience rivaling that of the Super Bowl - perhaps around 100 million Americans - will be glued to televisions, smart phones and social media when the rivals rip off the gloves at 9 pm ET.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump ditch reporters to travel to debate venue

Countdown begins for fight of the century: Trump and Clinton family and supporters arrive at Hofstra ahead of presidential debate as candidates fire the first shots on social media ahead of historic showdown Ivanka Trump, her brother's Donald Jr and Eric, and Tiffany Trump, are also listed as seated in the front row Members of Team Trump and Team Clinton have begun arriving at Hofstra University for what could be the most epic presidential debate in a generation. The candidates will use their wit, their instincts and their guests to get under each other's skin and Trump's entire family is expected to bring their glamour to the front row.

Stephanie Grace: Party and problems aside, most Louisiana voters still like Gov. John Bel Edwards

Governor John Bel Edwards meets with Cynthia Trahan, outside of her flood damaged home, during his tour of Derby Heights subdivision on Thursday, September 1, 2016, in Lafayette. Governor John Bel Edwards meets with Cynthia Trahan, outside of her flood damaged home, during his tour of Derby Heights subdivision on Thursday, September 1, 2016, in Lafayette.

Presidential Debate: Watch the Live Stream Here

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump face off tonight at 9 ET/6 PT and if you don't have cable, don't worry: You can watch the presidential debate right here at TheWrap. Will Trump appear presidential? Will Hillary stoop to name calling? Will a surprise guest cause a distraction from the front row? We'll know all the answers in roughly two hours.

Senate Progressives Look To Flex Muscles in 2017

Democrats and activists who pushed Hillary Clinton to the Left during the campaign are preparing their next acts: Keeping her there, and joining forces to push progressive policies on Capitol Hill next year. If a couple of big "ifs" come to pass-Clinton winning and Democrats reclaiming the Senate-the chamber's left flank is poised to have more political and policy influence.

The District Where Democrats Want a Gun-Control Debate

The Democrat in one New York swing district is pushing a debate that for years was one of the party's biggest election-year liabilities: gun control. In her challenge to Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin in the 1st District, Anna Throne-Holst is placing the issue at the core of her campaign, airing two television ads focused solely on the issue.

William and Kate Take Canada by Storm

Driving rain and wind couldn't dampen William and Kate's enthusiasm while touring Bella Bella, British Columbia, Monday. The royal couple had t... British environmental writer and pro-science advocate, Mark Lynas, who has devoted his career to speaking around the world on climate change, biotechnology and nuclear power ... Nebraska setter Kelly Hunter received her second Big Ten Setter of the Week honor this season, the conference office announced Monday.

Elevator trouble closes Washington Monument indefinitely

The Washington Monument will be closed indefinitely because of ongoing problems with its elevator, the latest in a series of woes for one of the city's most enduring tourist attractions. The National Park Service announced Monday that the monument, which draws 600,000 visitors a year, will remain closed until its elevator control system can be modernized, a process expected to take up to nine months once work begins.

Polls: GOP Closing Fast on Senate Seats

The GOP's chances of holding the Senate just got a big push: Sens. Mark Kirk of Illinois and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin moved into striking distance of the long-favored Democratic nominees, according to recent polls. A poll from Emerson College showed the race in Illinois was close - with Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth leads Kirk by only 41 percent to 39 percent among likely voters.

Conway: Trump Camp Worried He Won’t Be Treated Fairly

Donald Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway Monday said she's worried that he won't be treated fairly by the media following his first presidential one-on-one debate, and that there are already headlines "written" as "conclusions in search of evidence." "This weekend was spent by editorial writers and people on Twitter and elsewhere really just trying to undercut Donald Trump before the debate," Conway told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program, complaining that there are many in Hillary Clinton's campaign who are "putting the burden on the media to prop up Hillary Clinton and pregame the debate."

NY Times: Why Trump Should Not Be President

One day after endorsing Hillary Clinton, The New York Times has published a scathing editorial on why Donald Trump should not be commander in chief, calling the billionaire real-estate tycoon a man "far more consumed with himself than with the nation's well-being." The newspaper's editorial board says in Monday's edition that the GOP presidential nominee has carried on "a freewheeling campaign marked by bursts of false and outrageous allegations, personal insults, xenophobic nationalism, unapologetic sexism and positions that shift according to his audience and his whims."