Friday Briefing: A Harris-Trump debate date

Plus, a sumptuous clafoutis.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 9, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering plans for a Harris-Trump debate and negotiations for a cease-fire deal in Gaza. Plus: Inside Missy Elliott's inspiration. 🇺🇸 U.S. ELECTION 2024 The presidential election is less than 100 days away. This is what we're watching. Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida yesterday.  Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump and Harris agreed to a September debate At a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump suggested that he was eager to face off with Kamala Harris and proposed three dates for debates. The ABC network confirmed that it would host the two candidates for a debate on Sept. 10. The conference was the former president's first public appearance since Harris became the Democratic nominee, and it signified an effort to recapture political momentum. Trump repeatedly mispronounced her first name, criticized her intelligence and resurrected a series of familiar attacks casting her as "a radical left person." Trump insisted that little had shifted, despite polling showing a tightening race and even as Democrats draw tens of thousands of supporters to rallies in swing states. "I haven't recalibrated strategy at all," he said. "It's the same policies — open borders, weak on crime." For more: Are U.S. oil reserves at an all-time low? Would the Harris administration mandate electric cars? And were tax cuts under Trump the highest ever? We fact-checked Trump's assertions. Here's what else to know: Harris does not support an arms embargo on Israel, her national security adviser said. Supporters of Trump say that Harris's rise has unsettled the former president and that he is struggling to focus. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators heckled Harris during a rally on Wednesday, resurfacing party divisions over the war in Gaza. She turned the interruption to her advantage. Taylor Swift's coveted endorsement went to President Biden in 2020. Swift fans are craving similar support for Harris. Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us and we'll find the answers. Stay up-to-date: Live coverage | Poll tracker | The "Run-Up" podcast | On Politics newsletter Damage to a school complex in Gaza City after an Israeli airstrike on Thursday. Omar Al-Qattaa/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Plans for a 'final' offer for a truce in Gaza President Biden and the leaders of Egypt and Qatar said that they were prepared to present a "final" cease-fire proposal to end the war in Gaza and release Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees. They called on Israel and Hamas to return to the negotiating table in Cairo or Doha, Qatar, next week to settle the conflict. Cease-fire talks have been on hold after a meeting last weekend in Cairo produced no breakthrough. The process has been complicated by the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, who had been leading the negotiations through intermediaries. "There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay," Biden, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar said in a statement. "It is time to release the hostages, begin the cease-fire and implement this agreement." Next steps: Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, indicated that he would agree to the meeting, but it is not clear how willing he is to reach a deal. Nor is it clear that Hamas is ready or able to make an agreement. The group did not immediately respond to the statement, and it remained uncertain who would show up for negotiations now that Haniyeh is dead. In other news from the war: Ahead of anticipated retaliatory attacks by Iran and Hezbollah, the Israeli government told people to stock up on food and water, while hospitals prepared to move patients to underground wards. Ten months of simmering conflict between Israel and Lebanon have devastated both sides of the border. At least 16 people were killed in Gaza yesterday when Israel conducted airstrikes on two school complexes in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian Civil Defense said. An image from video provided by the Russian government on Wednesday that was said to show damage from a Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk region. Mic Izvestia/Iz.Ru Ukraine's surprise attack on Russia The local government in the Russian region of Kursk has declared a state of emergency as Ukrainian armored columns advanced nearly 10 kilometers into the territory, capturing several small settlements, military analysts reported. The surprise incursion, which Ukraine has not acknowledged, began on Tuesday and opened a new front in the 30-month war, in the most concerted push by Ukraine into Russia yet. Operating surreptitiously, Ukraine gathered a force for the attack that Russia's top general has estimated at 1,000 soldiers. The goal of the attack was to shift the fighting — as well as Russian soldiers and weaponry — onto Russian territory and ease the pressure of Moscow's offensive in eastern Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official said. MORE TOP NEWS Jeff Pachoud/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Austria: One of the two youths accused of planning to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna confessed to a plot to kill as many attendees as possible, security officials said. Japan: The authorities said there was a higher-than-usual chance that an immense earthquake could occur in the next few days, following a 7.1-magnitude temblor off the coast. Bangladesh: The Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in to lead the interim government. Diplomacy: A stabbing attack in June on four American college instructors in northeast China has become a source of tension between the countries. China: Top officials have tried everything to persuade women to have more babies. But a court just ruled that unmarried women are still not permitted to freeze their eggs. Spain: Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia's separatist leader-in-exile, returned to Barcelona after seven years, defying an arrest warrant. Tech: For TSMC, a Taiwanese chip-making giant, it has been a challenge to bring Taiwanese corporate culture to America. Climate: This year is on track to be the warmest on record after the previous high set in 2023, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Olympic Games Running: Letsile Tebogo of Botswana won the men's 200 meters. Noah Lyles of the U.S. finished third and, after leaving the track in a wheelchair, revealed that he had Covid. Hurdles: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the U.S. broke her own world record and won gold in the women's 400-meter event. Diving: Xie Siyi of China and his teammate Wang Zongyuan won gold and silver in the three-meter springboard. Weight lifting: Luo Shifang of China set new Olympic records in the snatch, the clean and jerk and the total to win gold in the women's 59-kilogram event. For more: What to watch | Live updates | Medal count | Photo highlights | Olympics Briefing SPORTS NEWS Soccer: Newcastle United signed William Osula from Sheffield United. N.F.L.: Can the Cowboys afford to pay Dak Prescott in the N.F.L.'s broken quarterback economy? Formula 1: Zak Brown, the McLaren C.E.O., said he was "surprised" by his team's return to front-runner status. MORNING READ Moises Saman for The New York Times The war in Sudan, which has been raging over a year, has killed many thousands of people and displaced millions more. Despite that, the brutal civil conflict has remained nearly unknown to most of the world. My colleague Nick Casey traveled to Sudan and spent time with an elusive mountain army that has built its own state within a state — a vision of what the nation could become. Lives lived: Chi Chi Rodriguez, the flamboyant champion golfer who spent more than three decades on the pro tours, has died at 88. CONVERSATION STARTERS Sea lions with cameras: The animals are helping scientists map the ocean floor. Losing their shine: Our restaurant critic, Pete Wells, has been reviewing New York City's eateries for 12 years. He says restaurants have changed, and not for the better. Going country: Post Malone made his name with all-star collaborations and genre-bending hits. His latest record shows the country music world that he's for real. ARTS AND IDEAS Photo illustration by The New York Times Inside the mind of Missy Elliott For nearly three decades, Missy Elliott has stretched the boundaries of what a rapper can look and sound like. But somehow she has never headlined a proper tour — until now. Her current arena show, titled the Out of This World Tour, is in many ways the culmination of a 30-year project, remixing her trademark work into a career-spanning revue. Elliott broke down the inspirations for the tour: rhinestones, intergalactic travel, nostalgia and futurism. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Blackberry or blueberry flan. Evan Sung for The New York Times Cook: Turn summer bounty into clafoutis. Read: Looking for something to take to the beach? Let us help you find your next book. Watch: "Good One" is an astounding debut that shifts from gentle comedy to emotional punch. 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. Have a fabulous weekend. — 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. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018