The Evening: Key Democrats endorse Harris

Also, lawmakers called for the Secret Service director to resign.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 22, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Monday. Key endorsements for Harris Calls for the Secret Service chief to resign Plus, true crime on TikTok Kamala Harris made her first public appearance since President Biden's exit from the race. Erin Schaff/The New York Times Democrats cleared the path for Harris's nomination Vice President Kamala Harris has already secured the endorsement of the vast majority of elected Democrats, just a day after President Biden made the stunning announcement that he was dropping his re-election bid. Few obvious challengers to her nomination remain, as the party anxiously looks to move past the divisions that have torn it apart for weeks. Here's the latest. Harris today earned the endorsements of several key Democratic governors, including JB Pritzker of Illinois and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, who were seen as some of the last serious threats to her nomination. She also secured the backing of Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House, who continues to wield considerable influence in the Democratic Party. A few other key Democrats, like Barack Obama, have so far not endorsed Harris. In her first 24 hours as a 2024 presidential candidate, Harris raised $81 million and took control of Biden's enormous operation. Several celebrities also announced their support. This morning, the vice president made her first public appearance since Biden ended his campaign. She praised Biden's record as "unmatched in modern history," while making a concerted effort to reintroduce herself to the electorate on her own terms. "One day down," she later posted on social media. "105 to go. Together, we're going to win this." Harris's first big task will be choosing a running mate. The list of possibilities includes several governors and well-known Democrats; Eric Holder, a former attorney general, will lead the vetting process. What's next: As our chief political analyst, Nate Cohn, wrote, it won't be easy for Harris to beat Donald Trump, in part because Biden's age was not the only thing that voters said they were dissatisfied with. Democrats say that President Biden's willingness to give up power may enhance his role in posterity. Doug Mills/The New York Times In stepping aside, Biden looked to rewrite his legacy President Biden, who has long been concerned about his epitaph, was persuaded over the weekend that his legacy would be enhanced if he made the ultimate political sacrifice in the effort to prevent Donald Trump's return to the White House. My colleagues reported on the behind-the-scenes discussions that led to the decision. By Saturday night, some people very close to the president could sense that something was coming. But almost no one outside Biden's Delaware vacation home, where the president was recovering from Covid, knew what he was thinking until he posted his statement on social media yesterday. Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the U.S. Secret Service, on Capitol Hill today.  Kenny Holston/The New York Times Lawmakers called for the Secret Service director to resign In testimony today to Congress, Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service director, acknowledged that the attempted assassination of Donald Trump was the agency's "most significant operational failure" in decades. She said that she had called Trump to apologize. But Cheatle repeatedly refused to answer specific questions, angering lawmakers in both parties who called for her to resign, including the leaders of the House oversight committee. Cheatle cited the continuing investigation into the shooting when declining to answer queries about how the would-be assassin had gained access to the warehouse roof from which he fired and managed to bring a firearm to the event, and why Trump had been allowed to come onstage despite warnings about a suspicious person, among other details. Smoke rose after Israeli bombardments in Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, today.  Abdel Kareem Hana/Associated Press Israel shrunk the safe zone in Gaza The Israeli military today ordered evacuations in parts of the Gazan city of Khan Younis, where it launched strikes that it said were in response to Hamas's rocket fire from the area. Local health officials reported that scores of people had been killed or wounded in the Israeli strikes. The new evacuation orders extended into a portion of an area that Israel had previously designated a humanitarian zone. Here's the latest. What diplomats are saying: A cease-fire in Gaza could also provide an offramp in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. More top news Delta: Three days after a CrowdStrike computer outage grounded planes around the world, Delta Air Lines was the only carrier still canceling hundreds of flights. Climate: The E.P.A. is set to announce $4.3 billion for 25 projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Politics: JD Vance criticized Kamala Harris in his first solo campaign stop as Trump's running mate. New York: Arva Rice, the head of a police civilian oversight board, resigned after being pushed out by Mayor Eric Adams. Egypt: Daily power cuts have plagued the country during an extraordinarily hot summer. Canada: The bodies of a couple who planned to sail from Nova Scotia to the Azores using green energy were found washed ashore at a Canadian national park. Philanthropy: Darren Walker, the president of the Ford Foundation, said that he would step down after a 12-year tenure in which he shifted the organization's focus to inequality. Alabama: Latino residents of Montgomery have been sounding the alarm for months about a pattern of violent robberies that culminated in a deadly burglary. TIME TO UNWIND Sarah Turney posted her first TikTok after the disappearance of her stepsister, Alissa. Sarah Turney True crime survivors take control with viral videos True crime podcasts, movies and investigative TV series are wildly popular. Many, though, are made without the involvement of those most closely affected, making some survivors and family members of the victims uneasy about the genre. TikTok is beginning to change that. Julie Murray used the video app to attract millions of viewers to the story of her missing sister after struggling for years to get people to pay attention. "I was able to sort of take agency over my sister's story for the first time," she said. Kouzou Sakai Bone loss is natural, but it can be slowed As we age, our bodies break down more bone tissue than they build. For older adults, the results can be devastating. But experts we talked to said there were ways to slow the process: Exercise is a major part of it, and so is your diet. To keep your bones healthy, prioritize foods that are rich in calcium, vitamin D and protein. Here's what to know. "Nocturne in Blue and Silver" by James McNeill Whistler. Lauren O'Neil for The New York Times Dinner table topics Test your focus: Can you spend 10 minutes with one painting? Crowd favorite: The critically acclaimed 1990s police procedural "Homicide: Life on the Street" will soon be available to stream. Decathlete at war: Volodymyr Androshchuk, a Ukrainian athlete who hoped to compete in the Olympics, told his loved ones he would make it back. This is his story. Big truck energy: Tesla's Cybertrucks provoke strong aesthetic judgments, and assumptions about the people who drive them. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Julia Gartland for The New York Times Cook: Combine salmon and sweet peas for a quick and satisfying supper. Sip: These 10 French wines are a perfect pairing with the Olympics. Watch: "What Remains" is one of the best horror movies to stream right now. Read: Our crime columnist recommends four new novels. Save: Here's how to visit Chicago on a budget. Lounge: Wirecutter found the best beach chair. Compete: Take this week's Flashback history quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING The 8-bit classic NHL '94. EA Sports The best games are impossible to forget It has been more than 20 years since Madden 2004 was released. Calvin Cestari, a reader from Boston, estimates he played more than 30 full seasons. "Just typing this out puts me back on that couch holding my wired controller, probably drinking orange soda," he said. Another reader, Darrell Sampson of Saskatchewan, still organizes NHL '94 tournaments every year. Check out the other sports video games our readers love. Some offer an escape from reality, others a burst of nostalgia. Have a winning evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Scott Nelson was our photo editor. 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 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. 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