The Evening: The Paris Olympics open

Also, a stunning betrayal led to the arrest of cartel leaders.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 26, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday. The opening of the Paris Olympics Harris's search for a running mate Plus, Billy Joel's goodbye to M.S.G. The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times The Paris Olympics opened in spectacular style Nearly 7,000 athletes from 206 delegations were ferried down the Seine today in an extravagant and star-studded opening ceremony to kick off the Olympic Games in Paris. As the rain poured, hundreds of thousands of spectators cheered from the river's banks. And Celine Dion closed out the night with a triumphant return to the stage. The ceremony was a showcase for the city after years of planning. It continued as scheduled only hours after coordinated arson attacks brought France's national rail system to a standstill, rattling nerves in a city under intense security. Here's what we know. Some competitions have already begun, but the Games move into full swing tomorrow with men's basketball, tennis and women's swimming (including the exciting 400-meter freestyle). "Gymnastics, swimming and track remain the heartbeat of the Games," Andrew Das, our lead Olympics editor, told me. "Good stories there will make any Olympics more memorable." Some athletes to watch are the gymnast Simone Biles, who pulled out of the Tokyo Games, and the swimmer Katie Ledecky, who is looking to add to her seven gold medals. France is also hoping for medal glory from Léon Marchand, a swimmer who is known as the French Michael Phelps. Part of what makes the Games special, however, are the lesser-followed sports. Andrew recommended watching beach volleyball, rugby sevens and breaking, the new Olympic sport more commonly known as break dancing. There is also a bunch of under-the-radar American athletes worth following. Keep up: Here's how and what to watch at the Games, and sign up for our Olympics newsletter to follow all of the highlights. In his short political career, Mark Kelly has won two elections to the Senate in Arizona. Valerie Plesch for The New York Times Harris is sizing up Mark Kelly Among the handful of politicians that people close to Vice President Kamala Harris said she was considering for her vice-presidential pick is Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona. His résumé is unusually strong: Twice elected in a swing state, he was both a Navy pilot and a NASA astronaut. But his biggest asset might be his expertise on the border, his backers said. Here are the latest updates from the campaign trail. Newspapers reporting the arrests of the Mexican drug cartel leaders. Gustavo Graf/Reuters A stunning betrayal led to the arrest of cartel leaders Ismael Zambada García, the leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel and arguably Mexico's most powerful criminal, was arrested yesterday by U.S. authorities in Texas after he was lured under false pretenses onto a plane into the country. The man who convinced him to board the plane was a son of the drug lord El Chapo; he was also arrested. Initial accounts of the arrest suggest that Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of El Chapo who is also a cartel leader, betrayed Zambada García, the kingpin known as El Mayo. It is not yet clear why he decided to surrender to American law enforcement. The moment when Donald Trump was shot in Pennsylvania.  Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump was grazed by a bullet, a Times analysis indicated Nearly two weeks after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, there's still no confirmation of what caused the wound on the former president's right ear. This lack of clarity has fueled speculation about whether he was hit by something else. But the Times Visual Investigations team's detailed analysis of bullet trajectories, footage, photos and audio strongly suggests Trump was grazed by the first of eight bullets fired by the gunman. Take a look at what it found. For more: Interviews with current and former Secret Service agents revealed an agency that wears down its employees, risking their sharpness. More top news Inflation: A new report serves as a reminder that inflation is substantially lower than it was at its 2022 peak, but is not yet entirely vanquished. Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Donald Trump, who has for months urged Israel to end the war in Gaza. New York: Mount Sinai Beth Israel, a major hospital in Manhattan, will close after a yearslong battle by community activists to keep it open. California: The Park fire, the state's largest so far this year, has burned more than 164,000 acres. This morning, it was only 3 percent contained. Canada: Hundreds of firefighters fought an intense blaze in Alberta and rushed to save what they could of the historic town of Jasper. Lives lived: Roland Dumas, a former French foreign minister and star defense lawyer whose taste for living large proved to be his undoing, died at 101. TIME TO UNWIND Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden last night.  Thea Traff for The New York Times Billy Joel said goodbye to Madison Square Garden Every month for the last 10 years, minus a pause during the Covid shutdown, Billy Joel has performed his classic '70s and '80s hits at Madison Square Garden. His concert run featured 104 shows, attracted two million fans and earned more than $260 million. Last night, the 75-year-old Joel played the final show of his residency. Joel exuded his typical cool while telling the crowd that nothing — not performing in the Soviet Union or in the Colosseum in Rome — could top the Garden. "This is the best," he said. "We'll come back." We took photos of the big night. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in "Deadpool & Wolverine."  Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios Deadpool and Wolverine want you to laugh Ryan Reynolds's Deadpool and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine now both exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and their new collaboration could be one of the biggest movies of 2024. "Deadpool & Wolverine," which arrived in theaters today, is expected to break the record for the highest-grossing R-rated film. The movie is chock-full of jokes, like the two "Deadpool" films before it. Our critic Alissa Wilkinson wrote that both Reynolds and Jackman are fun to watch. But ultimately, she wrote in her review, it "is a movie about corporate mergers." For more: The director walked us through a key scene. The architect Winka Dubbeldam's renovation. Nick Kane Dinner table topics Living small: A compact house in London's Primrose Hill was designed around a diva of a staircase. An ethereal tenor: Klaus Florian Vogt, whose strange singing voice divides fans, has become one of opera's most essential performers. Caped Crusader: A new Batman series intentionally makes the classic hero a bit "weird and creepy." TV love: Reality dating shows often take place in luxury resorts to set the mood. But not all resorts love the attention. WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Cook: Gazpacho is perfect when it is too hot to eat but you need a meal all at the same time. Read: "Long Island Compromise" is one of the new books we recommend this week. Travel: Avoid the heat, and the crowds, at these six summer vacation spots. Work out: When the air is smoky, consider whether it's safe to exercise outside. Here's what you need to know. Tidy: We have expert advice on how to clean your purse. 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 Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Slap your watermelon. Then, listen. It is hard to pick out a good watermelon. Looks can be deceiving and sweetness is determined largely by the weather. But farmers and other agriculture experts agree: The best way to judge a melon is by giving it a smack. Good watermelons will sound a bit like a drum; the sound of a slap will bounce back. Bad melons will absorb the sound, suggesting that inside they are old and mealy. Have a sweet weekend. Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Monday. — 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. 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