Today’s Headlines: Major Democratic Donors Devise Plans to Pressure Biden to Step Aside

A.I. Begins Ushering In an Age of Killer Robots

View in browser July 5, 2024, 4:00 a.m. Eastern time Top News Major Democratic Donors Devise Plans to Pressure Biden to Step Aside The president appears intent on remaining on the ballot, while wealthy donors are discussing plans to put their money elsewhere. A.I. Begins Ushering In an Age of Killer Robots Driven by the war with Russia, many Ukrainian companies are working on a major leap forward in the weaponization of consumer technology. Editors' Picks Legal Conservatives' Long Game: Amp Up Presidential Power but Kneecap Federal Agencies Blockbuster decisions by the Supreme Court's Republican-appointed supermajority — expanding one kind of executive branch authority while undercutting another — were no contradiction. Opinion | Who Should Lead the Democratic Ticket? Six Columnists Weigh In. Gretchen Whitmer, Kamala Harris, President Biden — who is best positioned to beat Donald Trump in November? 29 MIN LISTEN World Iranians' Demand for Their Leaders: Fix the Economy In a series of interviews, virtually every resident of Tehran listed Iran's sickly economy as the No. 1 issue for the country's next president. On Small Islands Off Canada's Coast, a Big Shift in Power British Columbia recognized the Haida's aboriginal title to their islands decades after the Indigenous group launched a battle on the ground and in the courts. Why More French Youth Are Voting for the Far Right Most young people in France usually don't vote or they back the left. That is still true, but support has surged for the far right, whose openly racist past can feel to them like ancient history. See more world news U.S. Why a New Conservative Brain Trust Is Resettling Across America Pro-Trump professionals aren't just talking about remaking Western civilization. Some are uprooting their lives to show that they mean it. Northern California Wildfire Slows, Allowing Most Residents to Return Home The fire in Oroville forced 29,000 people to evacuate their homes earlier this week, but on Thursday officials said they felt "more confident" about containing the fire's spread. Yale's New President Pushed Policing as Head of Stony Brook University In her four years at the state university, Maurie McInnis drew criticism from faculty members who said some of her decisions violated academic freedom. See more U.S. news Politics Biden Stumbles Over His Words as He Tries to Steady Re-Election Campaign The president's appearances have come under intense scrutiny since he appeared feeble in his debate against former President Donald J. Trump. Trump Stays Quiet (Relatively), Hoping Biden Stays in the Race The former president has spent months painting President Biden as incapable of leading, but he has let Democrats do the doubting when it comes to whether Mr. Biden should leave the race. How Biden's Struggles Are Factoring Into Trump's V.P. Selection The former president's reluctance to name a running mate has, in recent days, been partly to avoid shifting the focus away from President Biden amid fallout from the debate. See more political news Business Apartments Could Be the Next Real Estate Business to Struggle Owners of some rental buildings are starting to struggle because of rising interest rates and waning demand in some once booming Sun Belt cities. How China and Russia Compete, and Cooperate, in Central Asia China's leader, Xi Jinping, and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia are courting regional leaders and pushing an alternative to the U.S.-led order. Europe Tells China's Carmakers: Get Ready to Pay Tariffs The European Union took the next step toward collecting heavy tariffs on electric vehicles, ahead of a final decision in October. See more business news Technology Ray Kurzweil Still Says He Will Merge With A.I. Now 76, the inventor and futurist hopes to reach "the Singularity" and live indefinitely. His margin of error is shrinking. A Hacker Stole OpenAI Secrets, Raising Fears That China Could, Too A security breach at the maker of ChatGPT last year revealed internal discussions among researchers and other employees, but not the code behind OpenAI's systems. Is Xenophobia on Chinese Social Media Teaching Real-World Hate? Violent attacks on foreigners have prompted a debate about extreme nationalism online in a country that heavily censors information the government bans. See more technology news Arts A Masterpiece of Fiction Inspires the Urge to Submerge in a Gallery Crawl In New York's art show of the summer, paint and prose meet in "The Swimmer," a psychoanalysis of John Cheever's suburban nightmare of 1964. The Dazzling Artistry of Hiroshige's '100 Famous Views of Edo' It's actually 118 at the Brooklyn Museum, and the more the better. These vivid color woodblocks have much to teach Instagram, and even Murakami. Piñatas That Provide Awe Instead of Candy The artist Roberto Benavidez is elevating the traditional piñata with his ornate creations. See more arts news Movies 'MaXXXine' Review: Fame Monster Mia Goth returns to Ti West's horrorverse as an actress fleeing a mysterious stalker and a traumatic past. 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' Review: It's Busted Eddie Murphy struggles to revive the moribund action-comedy franchise. 'Space Cadet' Review: Emma Roberts Shoots for the Stars In a lightweight comedy, the actress plays a bartender who dreams of becoming an astronaut. One problem: She has no qualifications for the job. This Service Cat Has a Big Job: The Apocalypse The director of "A Quiet Place: Day One" was confident a cat could take on the end of the world. But could the feline actors win over Lupita Nyong'o? 'This Closeness' Review: So Near, So Far Away An indie comedy set in an Airbnb leans into the ways we distance ourselves from one another. Series Raises the Curtain on the Muppets A traveling series of films, workshops and discussions at the Cinema Arts Center in Huntington explores Jim Henson's creations. See more movies news New York Hot Dog Eating Contest Crowns Patrick Bertoletti as New Men's Champion Mr. Bertoletti won the title, succeeding the 16-time champion Joey Chestnut, who was barred from the July 4 spectacle. In the women's contest, Miki Sudo ate 51 hot dogs, a record. New York Moves to Clean Up Times Square After a Spate of Crimes Despite highly publicized attacks, most major offenses are down. But quality-of-life problems tarnish the "Crossroads of the World," the city says. We Counted 22,252 Cars to See How Much Congestion Pricing Might Have Made in One Morning A year's worth of tolls is hard to picture. But what about an hour's worth? See more New York news Media & Advertising Netflix Show Earns Its Saudi Creator Plaudits, and a Prison Sentence In a video plea for help, Abdulaziz Almuzaini — a dual Saudi-American citizen — described how the authorities had accused him of promoting extremism through a cartoon franchise. India's Cable News Predicted a Big Modi Win. How Did They Get It So Wrong? Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slim election victory has forced India to reflect on how fawning coverage may have obscured a wave of opposition. Signs of Life Appear in TV Show Purchases Netflix and Amazon are driving a small bump in the market for TV shows after a major slowdown. See more media & advertising news Science Melodies of Popular Songs Have Gotten Simpler Over Time A new study that reviewed Billboard hits from the past 73 years found a steady simplification of rhythm and pitch. Our Planet Is About to Reach Its Greatest Distance From the Sun Earth whirls around the sun in an ellipse, rather than a circle. On Friday the planet will reach its farthest point from its star, known as aphelion. Competitive Eaters Are Just Like Us. Give or Take a Dozen Hot Dogs. These titans of caloric consumption aren't signing deals or getting specials, but they form the backbone of an American tradition. See more science news Obituaries Audrey Flack, Creator of Vibrant Photorealist Art, Dies at 93 She painted and sculpted, but she was best known for her oversized still lifes, painted from photographs and crowded with color and detail. See more Obituaries Opinion Ezekiel Kweku Why the Flag Looks Like That. And Like That. And Like That. 50 stars, 13 stripes, 1,000 meanings. Esau McCaulley Loving America Means Expecting More From It On the other side of honesty is the possibility of change. Kristen Soltis Anderson No Poll Can Tell Biden What He Needs to Hear The Democratic Party seems to be playing the wait-and-see game, hoping polls give it permission to pull the emergency brake. Simon Barnicle Gettysburg's Lost Cause Problem The site of the battle is hallowed ground, but it is littered with Confederate propaganda. Pamela Paul Your Religious Values Are Not American Values Christian nationalists aim to impose their beliefs on others. Frank Bruni There Is Apparently No Accountability — Ever — for Donald Trump Impeachments, bankruptcies, fraud judgments, felonies. Nothing sticks. Nothing matters. See more Opinion Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. 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