The Evening: Vance takes the stage

Also, new details emerged about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 17, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. J.D. Vance in the spotlight The Trump shooting investigation Plus, Emmy nominations J.D. Vance will take the stage this evening at the Republican convention.  Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times Vance will introduce himself to American voters J.D. Vance is 39 years old and has spent just 18 months as the junior senator from Ohio; he had never even attended a national political convention before this year. But tonight, the newly minted Republican vice-presidential nominee will introduce himself to millions of Americans as one of the party's most powerful figures. You can expect Vance to use the prime-time address to tell his personal story, our political correspondent Michael Bender told me. It's the kind of tale that helped convince Donald Trump that he would be an asset: Vance grew up poor, enlisted in the Marine Corps, went to Yale Law School and wrote a best-selling book. So far, Vance has received a mostly warm welcome in Milwaukee, where the party's convention is in its third day. "We're at a moment in time right now where Trump can do no wrong in the party's eyes," Michael said. "A lot of that excitement and momentum is transferring directly to J.D. Vance." Vance — once a sharp Trump critic — earned the admiration of many of the former president's allies during his time in the Senate, where he did not establish much of a legislative record but showed a willingness to break with Republican orthodoxy and mount a lawyerly defense of Trump's policies. Perhaps his most consequential shift was his choice to defend Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. We took a look at Vance's other policy views. Michael said we should also expect Vance to mention his isolationist foreign policy positions, perhaps including his opposition to aiding Ukraine. "Trump picked Vance not just because of his roots in the Midwest where Trump needs to win, but also because he has been one of the party's most combative voices on some of its most controversial issues," he added. Follow our live coverage. Test yourself: Think you know Republicans' host city? Take our Milwaukee quiz. The cluster of warehouse buildings that the gunman climbed to fire at Donald Trump. Kristian Thacker for The New York Times Local police shot at the gunman at Trump's rally, an official said At least one local police officer fired at the gunman who over the weekend rained gunfire on Donald Trump and his supporters at a rally in Pennsylvania, the local district attorney said. It was unclear, however, if the officer had hit the gunman, who the Secret Service said was killed by one of its own snipers. Here's what we know so far. A report obtained by The Times said that the gunman had two improvised explosive devices in his car, and that the devices used a radio-controlled initiation system designed for commercial fireworks demonstrations. Leaders of the F.B.I. and the Secret Service briefed members of Congress this afternoon about the shooting and the investigation into the security lapse that allowed it to happen. The director of the Secret Service said she took responsibility for the events but did not plan to resign. Twenty House Democrats have now said publicly that President Biden should end his campaign. Eric Lee/The New York Times The D.N.C. slowed Biden's nomination as unease persists The Democratic National Committee announced today that it would push back by a week its plans to nominate President Biden for re-election. The move will allow more time to accommodate party leaders and voters who remain concerned about Biden's presence atop the ticket. A recent poll found that nearly two-thirds of Democrats want him to quit the race. Today, another prominent voice urged Biden to step down: Representative Adam Schiff of California, a leading candidate for a Senate seat and a top ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In related news, Biden said he would consider dropping out if a doctor told him he had a condition that made it necessary. Surface temperatures in major cities, with temperatures 120 degrees and over highlighted. The New York Times Summer heat waves have made surfaces more dangerous Nearly a quarter of Americans live in areas where the heat was expected to reach dangerous levels today. The heat index values in large swaths of the South and the East were over 100 degrees. But there's another metric that matters: Surfaces like sidewalks can get hot enough to cause contact burns. In other news, passengers riding Amtrak are facing record delays because of extreme weather. More top news Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for "pressure, pressure and more pressure" on Hamas in cease-fire negotiations, which appear to be at a standstill. Health: Bird flu is spreading. Why aren't more people getting tested? Ukraine: Temperatures reaching 104 degrees Fahrenheit have further strained the country's damaged electrical grid. Media: A Wall Street Journal reporter in Hong Kong said that she had been fired over her role as the leader of a journalists' trade union. Thailand: Six people, including two Americans, were found dead in a hotel in Bangkok. Police said that cyanide had been administered by one of the people found dead. Health: A study found that moving frequently in childhood had a bigger effect than poverty on adult mental health risk. Science: This is what your brain looks like on psychedelic drugs. Nature: Scientists said that the world's rarest whale just washed up on a New Zealand beach. TIME TO UNWIND Hiroyuki Sanada in "Shogun." Katie Yu/FX, via Associated Press 'Shogun' and 'The Bear' dominated Emmy nominations "Shogun," the FX hit about 17th-century feudal Japan, led all television series with 25 Emmy nominations, which were announced today. Another FX show, "The Bear," broke a 15-year-old Emmy record, earning the most nominations in the comedy category in a single year. Check out all the nominees, and the most notable snubs. This year's submissions plummeted after last year's actors' and writers' strikes, along with several years of cost cutting. The awards ceremony will be held on Sept. 15. "It really was just like, 'Oh, it's done,'" Donald Glover said. Ashley McLean for The New York Times Donald Glover is saying goodbye to Childish Gambino Donald Glover has been a star on a television comedy, an actor in blockbuster movies and the creator of the hit series "Atlanta." But the rawest expression of his art has long been his rap alter ego, Childish Gambino, under which he has won several Grammys. But now Glover, who is 40, plans to retire the persona for good after the release of his sixth album, "Bando Stone & the New World," on Friday. "It's not fulfilling," he said. "And I just felt like I didn't need to build in this way anymore." Ben Buckland for The New York Times Dinner table topics A very human trek: Our writer ditched his phone and relied on serendipity — and hand-drawn maps — to guide him across Switzerland. Personal jokes: Ali Siddiq's stand-up special is nervy humor, with both punches and punchlines that reflect his years in prison. Treasure the original: In an era of extreme lamination and viral hybrid pastries, the plain croissant is still the best croissant. Bee gone: Asian honeybees protect their hives by slapping away invaders. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Linda Xiao for The New York Times Cook: This smoky confit tomato pasta is a testament to simplicity. Watch: "Aftersun" is one of this month's best under-the-radar streaming picks. Read: Check out these three riveting new thrillers. Tend: Our columnist recommends coming up with a mission statement for your garden. Consider: Here's how to weigh artificial sweeteners against sugar. Compete: Take our quiz to see how well you know 21st-century literature. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Mayor Anne Hidalgo swimming in the Seine.  James Hill for The New York Times A symbolic plunge in the Seine This morning in Paris, the city's mayor went for a celebratory swim in the Seine — something that's been outlawed since 1923. She took the plunge to prove that the river's murky waters were finally clean enough to be the centerpiece of this year's Olympic Games, which begin in just nine days. The swimmable Seine was the result of a $1.5 billion engineering project. If no further problems arise, it will be a venue for several Olympic events, including the triathlon and two 10-kilometer swimming events. Have a refreshing evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Emree Weaver was our photo editor today. 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. 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