The Evening: After verdict, Trump shifts to campaign mode

Also, Biden endorsed Israel's cease-fire proposal.

View in browser|nytimes.com May 31, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday. Trump's response to his conviction A U.S.-endorsed Gaza cease-fire deal Plus, an early start to summer Donald Trump spoke at Trump Tower in New York this morning. Doug Mills/The New York Times After a guilty verdict, Trump shifted to campaign mode Donald Trump tried to turn his criminal conviction to his advantage today, delivering a 33-minute speech laden with baseless attacks on the prosecution team and the presiding judge, along with other falsehoods and misleading claims. He also said he would appeal his conviction, a process that could take months or even years to resolve. Trump's campaign announced that it had raised a record-breaking $34.8 million in the hours after the jury found him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records. Republicans used the first criminal conviction of a former president as a rallying cry — for campaign cash, for congressional hearings and for motivation to vote in November. President Biden broke his long silence on Trump's legal troubles, calling the former president's remarks reckless, dangerous and irresponsible. How will the conviction influence the election? No one knows. But, as my colleagues Lisa Lerer and Shane Goldmacher explain, it will create an unprecedented stress test of America's legal institutions and the country's ability to hold an election under some of the greatest partisan strains in decades. Cheriss May for The New York Times Biden endorsed an Israeli cease-fire proposal President Biden said today it was time for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza: "It's time for this war to end, for the day after to begin." Biden said Hamas was no longer capable of carrying out a major terrorist attack on Israel, and endorsed a new Israeli proposal that he said would begin with a temporary six-week cease-fire in exchange for the release of the hostages. The plan, Biden added, would pave the way for negotiations to eventually end the war and rebuild Gaza. "This is truly a decisive moment," Biden said. "Hamas says it wants a cease-fire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it." The Israeli government has not talked about the plan in public, and it was not immediately clear how it differed from past proposals — or whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has declared that Israel's objective is the complete destruction of Hamas, would describe it in similar terms. An apartment building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, after a strike today. Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times Permission to fire into Russia boost spirits in Ukraine Along Ukraine's northeast border, commanders fending off a barrage of Russian attacks were in a buoyant mood today. They had just received word that they could fire American-made weapons into Russia, after a major policy shift by the Biden administration. Ukraine's troops are still restricted from firing U.S. weapons deep into Russia, and U.S. officials said the weapons should be used only in self-defense in the border region around Kharkiv, where Russia has been launching missiles and gathering forces from the safety of its own territory. The peril to civilians near the border was underscored on Friday when a Russian missile tore into an apartment block in Kharkiv in the early morning, killing three and wounding two dozen more, regional officials said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also suggested today that the U.S. could eventually allow Ukraine to use American weapons across a broader area. More top news Economy: Inflation remained essentially flat last month, according to the Fed's preferred measure. Congress: Senator Joe Manchin switched his party identification to independent, leaving open the possibility of another run for office. Weather: A brutal heat wave in South Asia is turning daily work into a life-threatening task, with one town enduring temperatures of 126 degrees Fahrenheit. Climate: Greece is pivoting to clean energy for itself, but also wants to become a new hub for U.S. natural gas exports. U.S.-China: The U.S. secretary of defense and his Chinese counterpart held their first face-to-face talks in 18 months. Tesla: Elon Musk is using his social media platform to bolster support for his $46.5 billion pay package. MDMA: The Food and Drug Administration raised concerns about the health effects of the drug as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Alzheimer's: Long before people develop dementia, they often fall behind on paying their bills, new research showed. San Francisco: The city took down a flag that had gained notoriety after it was spotted outside the vacation home of Justice Samuel Alito. TIME TO UNWIND Alexa Weibel's tomato and peach salad with whipped goat cheese. Con Poulos for The New York Times Put yourself in a summer state of mind While there are officially still a few weeks of spring left, the weather is getting warmer and outdoor meals are more appealing. My colleagues on our Cooking team have prepared a collection of 100 breezy and adaptable summer recipes and dozens of seasonal cocktails to go with them. For those more interested in a summer of beach reading, our Book Review has you covered. Here are some recommendations for thrillers, romance and historical fiction. Getty Images Google's A.I. is not great for medical advice Do you have a headache or a sinus infection? Is the pressure in your chest just heartburn, or something more serious? If you Google those kinds of important health questions these days, the first answer is often written by artificial intelligence, and it might not be accurate. This month, Google rolled out a new feature that uses generative A.I., a machine learning technology trained on information from across the internet. But it can produce bad answers by drawing on untrustworthy sources. When asked "how many rocks should I eat," for example, Google told some users to eat at least one a day for vitamins and minerals. (The advice was scraped from the satirical news site The Onion.) On a related note, my colleague tried out the new version of ChatGPT. It mostly failed to deliver on the hype. At left, SuZen's mural after it originally went up in 1984. At right, the mural in 2024. Only a sliver is visible from the street now. SuZen; Amir Hamja/The New York Times Dinner table topics Look closer: New York City is full of hidden art if you know where to look. Making it big: Three friends who met as teenagers in Texas are now Broadway stars. How to help: Your partner is ignoring a potentially serious health issue. Now what? Renaissance: After decades out of the spotlight, the songwriter Sarah McLachlan is going back on tour. WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND Christopher Testani for The New York Times Cook: You can't go wrong with a Philly cheesesteak. Watch: "On the Bowery," about a bygone New York, is one of the best documentaries now streaming. Read: Our books editors recommend the debut novel "Early Sobrieties" and five other new releases. Travel: Check out these beautiful and wild swimming spots in California. Don't forget: Wirecutter has 28 great Father's Day gifts. Compete: Take this week's news quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING The Summer Corgi Nationals, on Monday. Francesca Forquet for The New York Times Have you ever seen a corgi race? Corgis are known for their tiny legs and photogenic looks, so you might not expect them to be all that speedy. But that didn't stop Captain, the dog who took first place in the big race at this year's Summer Corgi Nationals. The event, which draws hundreds of corgi aficionados to California's Santa Anita Park, is more an exercise in cuteness than a display of peak athletic prowess. Some of the corgis get distracted and never reach the finish line. Have an adorable weekend. Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Monday. — Matthew We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Photo Editor: Brent Lewis Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018