The Evening: Secret Service director resigns

Also, Harris went on the offensive against Trump.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 23, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. The Secret Service director's resignation Harris's first rally as de facto nominee Plus, a very brief coin heist Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service, on Capitol Hill yesterday. Kenny Holston/The New York Times The Secret Service director resigned Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service, announced her resignation today after acknowledging that her agency had failed to adequately protect Donald Trump from an attempted assassination earlier this month. Her decision to step down was a rapid fall after nearly 30 years in the agency. But her departure had become increasingly expected over the past week, especially after lawmakers in both parties called for her to resign during a contentious hearing yesterday on Capitol Hill. "I was surprised that it took this long," said my colleague David Fahrenthold, who has been reporting on the shooting, which occurred at a Trump rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13. The top Republican and Democrat in the House said today that they were forming a bipartisan task force to investigate the shooting. When I asked David about the big questions still remaining, he said there were many: There are still not complete answers for why the roof used by the shooter was left unsecured; how the gunman was able to elude police after he was labeled a "suspicious person"; and why agents near Trump were not informed of reports of a man crawling on the roof. There are also several unanswered questions about the gunman himself and his motives. "It's clear that the job of the Secret Service is harder than it used to be. They protect more people now than they used to, especially during campaign season, and it's clear that their resources were stretched," David told me. "But the problems in Butler went beyond the budget — there was a lack of imagination and of clear accountability." Visual investigation: The Times recreated, in 3-D, the lines of sight for three countersniper teams and the would-be assassin, showing how he had an advantage over law enforcement officers. Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally near Milwaukee, Wis. today. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Harris went on the offensive against Trump In her first battleground-state rally as the de facto Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris greeted an exuberant crowd in Wisconsin this afternoon and assailed Donald Trump, telling them that she'd convicted fraudsters and cheaters as a prosecutor and "I know Donald Trump's type." Speaking to what her campaign called the largest crowd she or President Biden had addressed since their re-election bid began over a year ago, Harris offered a far more energetic version of the arguments the president has been making. Earlier in the day, the two top Democrats in Congress, Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries, threw their support behind Harris. She has already clinched commitments from enough delegates to secure the party's presidential nomination. For more: Trump has been trying to soften his harshest rhetoric, but he has a history of attacking female rivals and critics in personal terms. Senator Robert Menendez was convicted of 16 counts of bribery and corruption. Jefferson Siegel for The New York Times Menendez said he will resign next month Senator Robert Menendez, the once powerful New Jersey Democrat, announced today that he would resign from Congress in late August. Several top Democrats called on him to step down after a Manhattan jury convicted him this month of participating in a vast international bribery scheme. Menendez's decision would allow his party to avoid a potentially ugly expulsion process in the months before Election Day. New Jersey's Democratic governor is expected to quickly appoint a replacement who would serve until Jan. 1. Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's prime minister, at her office in Dhaka last year. Atul Loke for The New York Times An unbending leader's crackdown is roiling Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh became the world's longest-serving female head of government in part by steamrolling dissent. But her deadly crackdown on the student-led protests that have convulsed the country this month has grown into the biggest challenge ever to her dominance. More top news Politics: President Biden said he would address the nation tomorrow on "what lies ahead." Delta: The Transportation Department said that it would investigate the airline's slow recovery from the CrowdStrike outage last week. Gaza: A day after deadly strikes in the southern city of Khan Younis, Israel used tanks and fighter jets to strike what it said were Hamas facilities. Business: Tesla's profit fell 45% in the second quarter on weak electric vehicle sales. California: Voters frustrated with fentanyl use and shoplifting may choose a tougher approach on crime in the November elections. Olympics: The captain of Japan's women's gymnastics team withdrew because she had smoked and drank alcohol, and a British dressage star withdrew over an "error in judgment during a coaching session." New Zealand: A contestant on "Race to Survive: New Zealand" apologized for killing and eating a weka, a protected bird species, during filming. TIME TO UNWIND Serge Koussevitzky in the late 1940s at his home in the Berkshires. William Whitaker, via BSO Archives A conductor who bent music history to his will More than 70 years ago, when Serge Koussevitzky died, he was considered among the most important influences on American music. He bullied unmatched virtuosity out of his Boston Symphony Orchestra and commissioned hundreds of contemporary pieces. In the years since, his legend has dimmed. So to celebrate 150 years since his birth, the Boston Symphony is putting on concerts, exhibitions and events in his memory. Hear snippets of his recordings. Ali Cherkis for The New York Times Not your usual used book sale Crowds of bibliophiles and film fans lined up last weekend at a Manhattan theater for a chance to buy secondhand books about Hollywood's golden age, like "My Life with Chaplin" by Lita Grey Chaplin. The books were not necessarily rare or valuable, but they did once belong to the eminent editor Robert Gottlieb, who died last year. Several of the customers said that buying Gottlieb's books — he edited Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie and Robert Caro, among others — made them feel closer to a bygone world of literary and intellectual life in New York. Katharine Graham's former house has continued to be the site of annual brunch parties. Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times Dinner table topics Renovation spat: The home of Katharine Graham, the former Washington Post publisher, was once a hub of power and comity. Now the owner of the home is looking to sell after years of vacancy. Bring a gun: For Olympic shooters, traveling to competitions takes steely nerves and careful planning. Computing troubles: A.I. can write poetry but struggles with math. Night travel: Our reporter took a retro-romantic train journey to Paris. Here's how it went. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Ryan Liebe for The New York Times Cook: This sheet-pan gnocchi dish is inspired by classic steakhouse sides. Watch: Our critic thinks that "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" deserves a second chance. Read: "Catalina" brings readers into the life of a blue-collar brainiac from Ecuador. Save: There's finally a way around exorbitant rental car surcharges for tolls. Learn: Your hairstyle might be giving you a headache. Here's what to know. Exercise: Gauge your fitness and mobility with these tests. Compete: Take our quiz and see how well you know literary Brooklyn. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING A scan of the original coin being manipulated by the artist. Ilê Sartuzi A very brief coin heist In June, a Brazilian art student used the type of sleight of hand typically associated with magicians to swipe a 17th-century British coin from the British Museum and replace it with a fake. The museum found out only after the artist released an Instagram video. But the student, Ilê Sartuzi, did not steal the real artifact, instead placing it in a donation box on his way out. His project was designed to bring attention to the museum's questionable legacy of colonial-era acquisitions, and the head of his department said the project had received "a very high mark." Have a crafty evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Anna Ruch 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. 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