Today’s Headlines: Doused by Rain, Paris Opens Its Games With a Boat Party on the Seine

How the U.S. Captured One of Mexico's Biggest Drug Lords

View in browser July 27, 2024, 4:00 a.m. Eastern time Top News Doused by Rain, Paris Opens Its Games With a Boat Party on the Seine Undeterred by arson attacks on rail lines earlier in the day, the Parade of Nations continued beneath a glittering Eiffel Tower, where Celine Dion belted out a love anthem. How the U.S. Captured One of Mexico's Biggest Drug Lords The improbable arrest of Ismael Zambada García, who for decades had evaded the authorities, at a small airport outside El Paso appears to be a tale of subterfuge and betrayal. A Mysterious Plot Prompts a Rare Call From Russia to the Pentagon Russia's defense minister said he needed to talk to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about an alleged Ukrainian operation. What happened next remains murky. Editors' Picks Speculation Swirls About What Hit Trump. An Analysis Suggests It was a Bullet An absence of medical records or official accounts has stirred confusion, but a Times video and trajectory analysis indicates a bullet, not debris, wounded the former president. Opinion | Americans Deserve More Debates and Transparency in This Election Voters need a chance to see how the two candidates handle close public scrutiny in debates, interviews and informal events. Today's Videos Video | Rail Sabotage in France Causes Delays Ahead of Olympics The Paris Olympic Games are opening under tightened security after a coordinated arson attack disrupted France's national rail system. Video | Fast-Moving Wildfires Burn Canada's Jasper National Park Devastating wildfires have forced thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate Jasper, Canada. World As Starvation Spreads in Sudan, Military Blocks Aid Trucks at Border A country torn apart by civil war could soon face one of the world's worst famines in decades, experts said. In Japan, Turning the Tables on Rude Customers The country is famous for its hospitality. But businesses have had enough of people screaming at workers or tormenting them on social media. Is 100 Days Enough Time to Pick a Leader? Around the World, Yes. Vice President Kamala Harris may run the shortest presidential campaign in modern U.S. history. But in many democracies, it's plenty of time. See more world news U.S. Clear Encampments? Mind Your Own Business, Los Angeles Says. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom's declaration urging cities to clear homeless camps met its strongest opposition in Los Angeles. California Wildfire Races Through a Forest Community, in a Haunting Reminder The Park fire in Northern California quickly became the state's largest and most destructive wildfire this year, not far from where Paradise, Calif., was decimated in 2018. In JD Vance Country, an Addiction Scourge That Won't Go Away The Republican vice-presidential nominee has spoken often about drug-afflicted communities like the one he escaped. But those communities have tempered their expectations for his help. See more U.S. news Politics Spaceman, Senator, V.P. Pick? Kamala Harris Sizes Up Mark Kelly. The Arizona senator, a Navy veteran and former astronaut, has an almost impossibly strong political résumé. But an overlooked asset is his expertise on the Southern border. Silent No More, Harris Seeks Her Own Voice Without Breaking With Biden The vice president's expressions of concern for Palestinian suffering marked a shift in emphasis from the president's statements as she moved to establish herself as the leader of her party. The Evolution of Usha Vance An accomplished Yale-educated lawyer, she has left her job at a top firm as she adjusts to the life of a high-profile political spouse. See more political news Business 'We Feel Stuck': Child Care Needs Limit Women's Work Force Gains Participation in the labor force has surged among women in their prime working years. But for those with children under 5, the gains may have peaked. Fed's Preferred Inflation Measure Cooled Overall in June The Personal Consumption Expenditures Index climbed 2.5 percent, still more than the Fed's 2 percent target, as price increases take time to come down. Motels Are Having a Moment What's old is new again, and the humble roadside motel that an older generation might dismiss as outmoded is appealing to a new group of younger fans attracted to hit-the-road adventures. See more business news Technology A Digital Coin Based on Baby Trump? Yup. One of the wildest, most scam-ridden corners of the cryptocurrency industry — memecoins, which are rooted in internet memes — has roared back. Automakers Sold Driver Data for Pennies, Senators Say Ron Wyden and Edward Markey urged the F.T.C. to investigate how car companies handled the data from millions of car owners. When A.I. Fails the Language Test, Who Is Left Out of the Conversation? The use of artificial intelligence is exploding around the world, but the technology's language models are primarily trained in English, leaving many speakers of other languages behind. See more technology news Sports The French Swimmer Who Is Carrying His Country on His Back Léon Marchand, who has the potential to win medals in four individual events, bears much of the weight of France's expectations. He is ready, he says, but adds, "it does feel weird." Will These Sensational Skateboarding Tricks Win Japan Olympic Gold? They have landed some of the most difficult tricks in the history of skateboarding. But in Paris, they may have a problem. N.C.A.A. Settlement Agreement Reveals How Colleges Would Pay Athletes The agreement, if approved by a federal judge, could deliver the final hammer blow to the amateur model of college athletics. See more sports news Arts 104 Shows. $260 Million. After 10 Years, Billy Joel Closes a Chapter. The singer and songwriter, 75, wrapped his decade-long residency at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Up next? A new era in his live career. He Wrote Michael Jackson's 'Human Nature' and Has 2 More in the Vault Steve Porcaro of Toto, who played on some of the biggest hits of the '80s, has sold the rights to his music, including a pair of unreleased tracks with the superstar. Heirs of Jews Who Fled the Nazis Return Art to Heirs Whose Family Could Not An Egon Schiele drawing was returned on Friday at the Manhattan district attorney's office. The heirs said in a statement that relinquishing the work was "the right thing to do." See more arts news New York Billy Joel at the Garden: Scenes From a Celebration At the close of his 10-year Madison Square Garden residency, the singer took a victory lap with some of his most ardent fans. New York Will Allow Beth Israel Hospital to Close The health facility's potential closure had been contentious following the shuttering of other hospitals serving Lower Manhattan. In Love and Hoping for Asylum, Migrants Line Up for City Hall Weddings The steady parade of couples seeking civil marriage ceremonies in New York City has expanded in recent months to include newly arrived migrants. See more New York news Media & Advertising Harris Joins TikTok, Another Sign of the App's Value in Reaching Young Voters Vice President Kamala Harris launched her account on Thursday with an eight-second video that has since been viewed 5.8 million times. 'Barbie' Was Supposed to Change Hollywood for Women. Why Didn't It? The film was a global phenomenon and seemed to herald a new era of embracing stories by, about and for women. The Collapse of Romance Writers of America The group worked for decades to build the profile of the genre and its writers. Now romance fiction is booming — but the R.W.A. has filed for bankruptcy. What happened? See more media & advertising news Science A Canadian Wildfire Grew So Intense It Made Its Own Weather Blazes that generate such stormy conditions can be nearly impossible to put out and pose special dangers to firefighters. Bats Already Had Problems. Now, Add Taxidermy Listings on Etsy and eBay. Online sales appear to be compounding threats from climate change and habitat loss, according to new research. NASA Aims to Restore Space Station Traffic After SpaceX and Boeing Problems With the Falcon 9 rocket set to fly again, and testing of the Starliner capsule progressing, the agency is seeking to turn the page on a brief, troubled chapter in orbit. See more science news Obituaries Martin S. Indyk, Diplomat Who Sought Middle East Peace, Dies at 73 As ambassador to Israel in the Clinton administration and as a special envoy under Barack Obama, he was skeptical of Israeli settlements. Bob Booker, Whose J.F.K. Parody Was a Runaway Hit, Dies at 92 Most record companies didn't think "The First Family," which he and his writing partner created, was a good idea. It became the fastest-selling album of the pre-Beatles era. Walter Shapiro, Political Columnist With a Contrarian Streak, Dies at 77 He brought to his writing a sharp sense of humor, honed in stand-up comedy clubs, and never pulled punches even though he was an unabashed Democrat. See more Obituaries Opinion Michelle Goldberg The Unnerving Changeability of JD Vance He has a history of remaking himself to suit the men in his life. Guest Essay Venezuela Is Ready for Change. Maduro Must Allow It. It is clear Venezuelans have chosen to oust President Maduro. Whether that will happen remains in question. Guest Essay I Created 'Veep.' The Real-Life Version Isn't So Funny. Politics has become so much like entertainment that the first thing we do to make sense of the moment is to test it against a sitcom. Guest Essay Why in the World Are We Sending 11-Year-Olds to the Olympics? We don't let preadolescent kids work. Why do we let them appear in the most high-pressure athletic contests on a global stage? Guest Essay Here's Why You Hate Watching TV Right Now The streaming era turned on a fire hose of content that's drowning viewers. We need TV that feels created by humans, not served up by an algorithm. Guest Essay The Climate Is Changing. The Olympics Need to Change, Too. Organizers must reduce the event's carbon footprint. See more Opinion Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Today's Headlines from The New York Times. 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