Wednesday Briefing: Concern over Biden’s lapses

Plus, evacuations in Gaza and a deadly crush in India.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 3, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering concerns about President Biden and evacuations in Gaza. Plus: New workouts to kick-start your fitness journey. In the weeks before the debate, President Biden kept up a grueling travel schedule. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Biden's lapses have grown increasingly common President Biden appeared confused or listless in the weeks and months before his devastating debate performance last week, according to current and former officials who said that the lapses seemed to be growing more frequent, more pronounced and more worrisome. Biden, 81, is apparently not always that way: Many of those who were with him in the days since the debate described him as alert, coherent and capable. But by many accounts, he is not the same today as he was even when he took office three and a half years ago. Speaking in Virginia yesterday, Biden acknowledged that he "fell asleep on the stage" during his disastrous debate last week, blaming his performance on the fact that he had traveled "around the world a couple times" in the two weeks before. "It's not an excuse but an explanation," he said. Opponent: Donald Trump, 78, has shown his own signs of slipping over the years and often makes statements that are incoherent. While voters have expressed worries about his age as well, their concerns about him have not been to the same degree as those about Biden. Growing anxiety: A slew of Democratic officials who had previously backed Biden went public about their concerns for the first time. An Israeli tank in the Gaza Strip yesterday. Jack Guez/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Thousands fled in evacuations in Gaza Israel issued a new round of evacuation orders yesterday in the city of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, sending thousands of Palestinians once again fleeing for relative safety. The U.N. estimated that some 250,000 people would have to leave the area to comply with the new orders. The trigger for the evacuation orders appeared to be a barrage of roughly 20 rockets that the Israeli military said had been fired from Khan Younis by Palestinian militants a day earlier. Israeli forces struck back overnight after "enabling civilians to evacuate from the area," the military said. Calls for a truce: Israel's top military leaders want a cease-fire in Gaza even if it keeps Hamas in power for the time being, security officials said. That position puts them at odds with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has opposed a deal that would allow Hamas to survive the war. Relatives and volunteers moving bodies after the stampede.  Manoj Aligadi/Associated Press More than 100 were killed at a religious event in India A stampede at a Hindu prayer meeting in the state of Uttar Pradesh yesterday killed more than 100 people and left many others injured. Local officials suggested that heat and overcrowding had set off a panic at the gathering, which appeared to had drawn a far larger crowd than the 5,000 people allowed by its permit. Most of the dead and injured were women and children, who appear to have suffocated in a crush to leave the venue. Witnesses told local media that some of the victims had fallen into a drainage ditch on top of one another. Context: Stampedes during religious pilgrimages are relatively common in India, usually because of poor enforcement of public safety measures. Recently, the authorities have increased surveillance, with more police officers and drones. MORE TOP NEWS Lucanus Ollivierre/Associated Press Americas: Hurricane Beryl carved a trail of destruction through the southeast Caribbean, killing at least four people on different islands. North Korea: The country said that it had tested a new ballistic missile with a "super-large warhead." Trump: After this week's Supreme Court immunity ruling, Manhattan prosecutors agreed to delay Donald Trump's sentencing until Sept. 18. The special counsel Jack Smith plans to pursue his criminal cases against the former president through the election and even up until Inauguration Day. Ukraine: Viktor Orban, who is Hungary's prime minister and a staunch ally of Russia, met with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky. The Kremlin's spokesman said that he did not "expect anything" from the meeting. Turkey: As economic woes rise, groups of men have targeted Syrian refugees in the country, resulting in clashes with Turkish soldiers across the border in northern Syria. Science & Technology Tesla: The electric car maker's sales fell for the second consecutive quarter. Analysts suggested that political outbursts from Elon Musk might bear some of the blame. Health: U.S. regulators approved a new drug to treat Alzheimer's disease that could modestly slow cognitive decline in early stages, but it also carries safety risks. Tech: The GPS system, an essential part of modern life, is under constant attack from hackers. America's network is especially old and vulnerable. Politics U.K.: The Labour leader Keir Starmer has revived his party's electability with ruthless efficiency, though he struggles with Britain's "performative" politics. Netherlands: The country swore in its first far-right government, joining several European nations that have had an electoral swing to the right. Italy: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged her political party to reject nostalgia for totalitarian regimes after members of the youth arm were shown glorifying fascism on a hidden camera. France: Parties on both sides of the political aisle are focusing on a cost-of-living crisis to woo voters, but their plans risk worsening a soaring deficit. (Here's an overview of the changes a far-right government might bring.) SPORTS NEWS What went wrong: The U.S. Soccer Federation will conduct a "comprehensive review" after the men's national team crashed out of the Copa América tournament. Tennis: Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have pushed their bodies to further their tennis careers. But what will happen to them after retirement? Also, the latest updates from Wimbledon. Golf: Lilia Vu will represent the U.S. at the Paris Olympics. Her story can be traced back to a daring escape in 1982 from Vietnam and the improbable journey that followed it. MORNING READ Sasha Maslov for The New York Times Russia's invasion has driven Ukraine to become the Silicon Valley for autonomous weaponry, often made by local companies adapting consumer goods. The availability of off-the-shelf devices, software, powerful algorithms and specialized artificial intelligence microchips has pushed a deadly innovation race into uncharted territory, fueling a potential new era of killer robots. Lives lived: The painter and sculptor June Leaf, whose exploration of the female form paved the way for generations of feminist artists, has died at 94. CONVERSATION STARTERS Grow it black: On TikTok, goth gardeners are sharing images of gorgeous, ghastly gardens of dark red or purple flowers, spiky branches and poisonous plants. Hail, Caesar: The world-famous salad is the pride of Tijuana, Mexico. But 100 years later, no one can agree on who created it. Etsy vs. sex: The online marketplace is putting in place a new safety-oriented policy that bans the sale of "mature" products. ARTS AND IDEAS Nicholas Sansone for The New York Times Our favorite workouts of 2024 Building a fitness habit requires commitment and creativity. Now — just past the halfway point of the year — is the perfect time to start, and my colleagues on the Well desk compiled a list of some of their favorite workouts to help you. See the full list here. You could try exercising like an animal: Crawling around like a gorilla or a crab might look a little silly, but it's also a serious workout. Maybe you'd rather do something fun and competitive, like pickleball. If so, here's a workout to keep you on the court. Or do you just want to get it over with? Here's a 20-minute HIIT, or high intensity interval training, regimen. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Cook: Salsa verde plays both marinade and dressing in this skirt steak salad. Read: Joy Williams's "Concerning the Future of Souls" delivers 99 fablelike stories about the angel of death. Watch: Our critic reviews the new season of "The Bear." Smooth: King Charles's former tailor explains how to properly fold a suit. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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