The Morning: You ask, we answer

Answering readers' questions about the news. Plus, the latest on the presidential race.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 21, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. Today, for a change of pace, we're answering readers' questions about this newsletter, and the news in general. We're also covering the latest from the presidential campaign. Haruka Sakaguchi for The New York Times You ask, we answer We recently asked you — the readers of The Morning — to submit questions to us about this newsletter, recent news or anything else on your minds. We're devoting today's edition to some of your questions and our answers. We have room for only a small selection in today's email, but we've posted a longer selection online, including answers from Times journalists who cover a range of subjects, whether it's Moscow or personal fitness. We enjoyed this project so much that I expect we'll do it again soon. About The Morning I love The Morning. Every morning when I get up, I make a cup of coffee and open the newsletter. I have one wish: Please resist using the awful phrases "modern history" or "recent history." They are too vague to mean anything. Be precise! — Mark Matassa David: Thank you. And noted! We try to avoid vague language, and we will think twice before using these phrases now. I grew up surrounded by discussion of language — my mom was a copy editor, my dad a high school French teacher — and I appreciate it when readers write to us with grammar and usage critiques. Keep 'em coming. I would like to see key business/finance news included each morning. — John W. Morris III David: My colleagues and I agree that the newsletter has probably been too light on business news recently. We will aim to change that. Thank you for the nudge, John. I enjoy the mix of information you provide in The Morning. Wondering as an addition if you could add a "Good News" section. — Genie MontBlanc David: I, too, worry that we journalists suffer from bad-news bias. I don't think The Morning will add a section devoted to good news, but we make a concerted effort to cover both good news and bad news. A couple examples: My colleague German Lopez has written about both rising crime and falling crime. During the Covid pandemic, I argued that the vaccines were a marvel of science whose effectiveness was sometimes underestimated. I should note that good-news stories can lead to criticism. Some readers worry that reporting a positive trend reduces the urgency to address larger problems. But I promise you that we will continue to do our best to report all kinds of news. I would love to know why the sports section is primarily men's sports. — Kathryn David: It's almost as if you've been listening to our daily meeting, Kathryn. We have recently included more stories about women's sports. Still, we are nowhere near parity. Some of that reflects the major U.S. sports leagues, which are mostly male. But this is a personal priority for me, partly because I spend many hours watching women's basketball. We can do better. How do you deal with and guard against criticism that your coverage favors one party or ideology over another? — Thomas K. Moore David: Independence is a core value of The Times. We don't always get the balance right, but we try hard. I recommend reading this essay on journalistic independence by our publisher, A.G. Sulzberger. President Biden's age is a relevant case study. Earlier this year, some Democrats criticized The Times for covering his aging and voters' deep concerns about it. In retrospect, it's pretty hard to argue that coverage was a mistake. Politics and more The U.S. Capitol. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Will The Morning do a letter discussing national debt ahead of the election? — Lia Robinson David: My colleague German has written a newsletter on precisely this topic. I'd note that the two presidential candidates are quite different on this issue: Donald Trump's proposed policies would significantly increase the deficit, while Biden's proposals would reduce it somewhat. Power is never given away freely; it must be taken. Is the browning of America causing more fanatical behavior by Trump and his supporters? — Mark Shoenfield David: Thanks for the sharp question, Mark. The short answer is yes. Trump has used the language of white nationalists, and he has won a large share of the white vote. But I think Trump's critics are wrong when they suggest his appeal is entirely racial. Since Trump entered politics, voters of color — Asian, Black and Latino — have also shifted toward the Republican Party. If the Democratic Party wants to win back some of those voters (and some white voters, too), it probably needs to be more introspective about why it has become an increasingly affluent party that turns off many working-class people. Too often, Democrats suggest that anyone who doesn't vote for them is being irrational or ignorant. How do we make people care about the state of our environment? It seems like no one cares, and I often feel frustrated that no one does. — Julia Adams David: I do think many people care, Julia. But you're right that the environment isn't a major issue for some voters, including many lower-income voters. One reason, I think, is that the economic and social trends have been pretty disappointing for them over the past few decades. If you're struggling to get by, it can be difficult to focus on a long-term threat. For more How does The Morning staff make this newsletter every day? How did the WordleBot create its word list? What coffee does Wirecutter recommend? Get the answers to those questions — and insights from Times writers on electric vehicles, Amazon's labor union, Modi's India, the changing English language and more — by clicking here. (Note: We edited some questions for brevity.) THE LATEST NEWS 2024 Election President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Eric Lee/The New York Times As Biden weighs whether to drop out of the race, another question follows: Should he endorse Kamala Harris, or open the door for a wider contest? Donald Trump's campaign is preparing to run against Harris if Biden steps aside, conducting polls to find her weaknesses and creating ads about her record. At his first rally since he was shot, Trump seemed to abandon his pivot to a more unifying message. He insulted his opponents repeatedly, calling Biden stupid and Harris crazy. The Secret Service acknowledged that it had turned down requests for more resources from Trump's security detail in the two years before his shooting. Trump and the Republican Party raised more money than Biden and the Democrats did last month for the first time in this election. Other Big Stories An oil facility in Yemen. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Israeli fighter jets bombed a port in Yemen controlled by the Houthi militia in retaliation for a drone attack in Tel Aviv. The airstrikes hit a power station, as well as gas and oil depots. A celebration of a Catholic ritual drew more than 50,000 people to Indianapolis. Leaders hope the gathering — the first of its kind since the 1940s — will revive excitement around the church. Texas' governor has bused more than 119,000 migrants to Democrat-led cities over the past two years. These maps show where they went. A fire destroyed the sanctuary of First Baptist Dallas Church, a landmark in the city's downtown. In basketball, Team WNBA defeated Team USA in the women's All-Star Game, thanks to a record-setting 34 points from Arike Ogunbowale. THE SUNDAY DEBATE Donald Trump in Michigan on Saturday. Doug Mills/The New York Times Did Trump's speech at the Republican convention convey unity? No. While Trump did show some humility, his speech was self-absorbed and frequently attacked Democrats. "His party's advocacy around unity was built entirely — and cynically — on sand," Timothy L. O'Brien of Bloomberg writes. Yes. The assassination attempt clearly tempered Trump's boisterous tone and unified the Republican Party. "They said it would be a different Donald Trump, and it was," Mark Davis writes for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. FROM OPINION Trump tells Americans they are in constant danger. Biden tells Americans everything is fine. Both are creating an environment where conspiracy theories thrive, M. Gessen writes. Republicans are split between those who want Trump to lead a revolution, and those who want a calmer Trump presidency, David French writes. Go on a journey this summer: Learn a new language, Mark Vanhoenacker writes. Here are columns by Lydia Polgreen on J.D. Vance as a D.E.I. candidate, and Ross Douthat on Trump's speech. MORNING READS Asha's Farm Sanctuary in western New York. Lauren Petracca for The New York Times On the loose: When two cows — Hornee and Blackee — strayed from their pasture, they set off a chaotic chain of events involving death threats, chicken rustlers and Joaquin Phoenix. Wartime writing: A manuscript buried under a cherry tree helped prompt a flourishing interest in Ukrainian literature. Vows: They met through a "Sex and the City" Instagram account. And just like that, they felt a spark. Lives Lived: Thomas Neff, an M.I.T. physicist, had an idea: What if the Soviets, in need of cash, sold their unused nuclear warheads to the U.S. to use for energy? His proposal went on to convert some 20,000 nuclear arms into electricity. Neff died at 80. THE INTERVIEW Joel Embiid Philip Montgomery for The New York Times By David Marchese This week's subject for The Interview is the N.B.A. superstar Joel Embiid. A citizen of Cameroon, France, and the U.S., Embiid explained his decision to play for Team USA at the Paris Olympics. A lot of people thought you were going to play for the French team. You ultimately decided to play for the American team. Can you tell me how you wound up making that decision? It was tough. Obviously, I got my home country, Cameroon, which I love, and the U.S., where I've been for 14 years now, and then France, where I have a lot of family. I wanted to take as much time as possible, and it didn't help that France had put an ultimatum on when the decision had to be made. What was the timeline? I didn't know. I saw it on Twitter, and I was like, 'Whoa, where did this come from?' But one thing that was always known was that Cameroon is the first choice, and if they qualify I'm playing for my home country. I had the opportunity to talk to the French president [Emmanuel Macron] about what was going on, and I told him one thing that was kind of bothering me a lot was the relationship between France and Cameroon and the African continent in general. Historically, you mean? Yeah, and even right now. There's a lot of pushback as far as basically kicking out the French because it's been so many years of oppression. So that was my mind-set. I still got my family living in Cameroon, and I don't want to put them through any of that stuff. Given the tension between you and French basketball officials, what reaction do you expect from French fans in Paris? I expect a lot of boos. But I actually love it. It's not going to be anything I haven't seen. Read more of the interview here. THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE Photograph by Jamie Chung for The New York Times. Source photograph: Kaye Maze. Click the cover image above to read this week's magazine. BOOKS J.D. Vance at the Republican convention. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times "Hillbilly Elegy": Trump's running mate was a best-selling author before he was a senator. A.O. Scott, our critic, looks at how Vance's views of America have changed. Relationship drama: Miss the Showtime series "Couples Therapy"? These 11 books let you peer into others' love lives. By the Book: Suzanne Nossel, head of PEN America, says "Roctogenarians" by Mo Rocca and Jonathan Greenberg was the last book that made her laugh. Our editors' picks: There are six new books recommended this week, including "Cue the Sun!," a history of reality TV. Times best sellers: "True Gretch," a memoir by Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan's governor, is new this week on the hardcover nonfiction best-seller list. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Test your focus: Can you spend 10 minutes with this one painting? Dip into the stream of local life — grocery stores, swimming pools, barbershops — on your next vacation. Watch a stand-up comedy special that resembles a solo version of "The Wire." Stream five horror movies from around the world. THE WEEK AHEAD What to Watch For The Tour de France concludes today. The director of the Secret Service testifies tomorrow on Capitol Hill. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday. The Olympic Games begin Wednesday with men's soccer and rugby. Women's soccer begins Thursday. The Olympics' opening ceremony is Friday. Meal Plan David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Emily Weinstein loves the Yiddish word "schmaltzy," whether it's being used in the literal sense (slicked with poultry fat) or conveying an over-the-top, showbiz quality. That's why a recipe for skillet chicken thighs with schmaltzy tomatoes tops her list this week. She also recommends a basil-butter pasta and grilled shrimp with spicy slaw. Get the recipes. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were chariot, haricot and thoracic. Can you put eight historical events — including Alexander the Great's conquests, the construction of the Sydney Opera House and the naming of the color orange — in chronological order? Take this week's Flashback quiz. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. 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