Monday Briefing: Kamala Harris meets with V.P. finalists

Plus, riots grip the United Kingdom.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 5, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering Kamala Harris's search for a running mate and violent protests in Britain. Plus: Who Vince Vaughn isn't. 🇺🇸 U.S. ELECTION 2024 The presidential election is less than 100 days away. This is what we're watching. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce her running mate on Monday. Erin Schaff/The New York Times Kamala Harris met with V.P. finalists Kamala Harris, the U.S. vice president, met yesterday with the top candidates to be her running mate at her Naval Observatory residence in Washington, as she moved to close out her search for a vice president with a test of chemistry. Here's the latest. Three leading contenders — Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania — spoke with Harris in private meetings, according to several people briefed on the plans. Harris often prioritizes personal rapport with her staff and advisers, her aides and associates have said, and she is expected to place considerable stock in the in-person meetings. Her campaign has said it would announce her choice of a vice-presidential candidate before Harris and her running mate begin a tour of battleground states tomorrow. In other news from the race: Harris and Donald Trump are essentially tied in Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania, while Trump has a slight lead in Georgia and Wisconsin. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent, admitted to leaving a dead bear cub in Central Park nearly 10 years ago, and trying to make it look as if it had been hit by a bicycle. Trump suggested, without evidence, that Georgia's Republican governor and secretary of state were hampering his efforts to win the battleground state. JD Vance, Trump's running mate, has been blunt about wanting to test constitutional limits. Here's how he thinks about power. 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 The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system intercepting projectiles fired from Lebanon yesterday. Leo Correa/Associated Press A tense wait in Israel for retaliation Israel is entering the week in a state of deep uncertainty, with the potential for attacks by Iran and the militant groups it supports causing disruptions. Here's the latest. Amid fears of a broadening conflict, a number of international airlines suspended flights to and from Israel pending expected retaliation against the country by Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. Some nations have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately. The move followed the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut and Hamas's political leader in Tehran. Tens of thousands of Israelis are unable to come home, according to an Israeli official, adding to the sense that the country was no longer in control of its own fate and had no clear plan for quieting its many conflicts. Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah continued throughout the weekend, as each side fired at targets in the other's territory. But the attack from Lebanon did not appear to be the major retaliation that Hezbollah has threatened. In Gaza: An Israeli airstrike on a school functioning as a shelter killed at least 30 people and injured dozens more, according to the Palestinian emergency response agency in Gaza and Palestinian news outlets. The future for Hamas: Israel's war against the militant organization is the deadliest that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have ever faced. But Hamas has remained operational, and the assassinations of two Hamas leaders may be a short-term setback, analysts say, not enough to prevent the group from re-emerging intact — and possibly more radicalized. Police officers and protesters in Rotherham, England, yesterday. Danny Lawson/Press Association, via Associated Press Riots gripped the U.K. Far-right and anti-immigration protests raged across the United Kingdom this weekend, spurred by disinformation about the suspect in a deadly stabbing attack last week at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the northern English town of Southport. Much of the initial violence in some cities had been focused on the Muslim community, with mosques and local businesses owned by Muslim people targeted. Here's what we know about the far-right groups behind the riots. On Saturday, dozens of people were arrested as demonstrations from Liverpool to Belfast, Northern Ireland, descended into violence. Yesterday, there was a new wave of clashes, with groups gathering in Rotherham, Bolton, Hull, Southport, Middlesbrough and other towns and cities scattered across the country. Mainstream politicians from across the spectrum have been united in condemning the violence. In Rotherham: Protesters smashed windows and set fires at a Holiday Inn Express, which had housed asylum seekers, and then stormed the building, as riot police officers struggled to control the rampaging crowd. At least 10 police officers were hurt, and one was left unconscious after a head injury, the South Yorkshire police service said. Statement: Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the "far-right thuggery we have seen this weekend" and vowed that participants would "face the full force of the law." MORE TOP NEWS Abu Sufian Jewel/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Bangladesh: At least 70 people were killed in clashes between security forces and protesters, as the government imposed new restrictions to quell a growing antigovernment movement. Myanmar: The country's ruling junta, unable to defeat the rebels on the ground, has increased its indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets, killing dozens of people. Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country's military had received a first batch of long-awaited F-16 fighter jets. A.I.: Using smugglers and front companies, China's private sector is obtaining advanced Nvidia chips, overcoming U.S. export restrictions to the country. Somalia: The Islamist militant group Al Shabab claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack that killed at least 32 people. China: At least four people were dead and 23 others were missing after a flash flood and landslide in a mountainous part of Sichuan Province. Russia: Two of the prisoners released in last week's prisoner swap were deep-cover sleeper spies whose own children didn't know the family had ties to Russia. Wildfire: Across North America, fires are burning with a level of intensity rarely seen at this point in the summer. Philanthropy: Tensions between Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have shaken the world of charitable giving. Olympic Games Swimming: China's team, which has been dogged by doping questions, has disappointed in the gold medal count. Track and field: Julien Alfred of St. Lucia won the women's 100-meter sprint — and her country's first-ever medal, a gold. (Here's how she did it.) And in the men's 100-meter sprint, Noah Lyles won gold — the first American to do so since 2004. Cycling: Kristen Faulkner's women's road race gold ends a 40-year American drought. Golf: Scottie Scheffler triumphed, edging out Tommy Fleetwood for the gold medal. Tennis: Novak Djokovic overcame Carlos Alcaraz to win his first Olympic gold and complete a career Golden Slam. SPORTS NEWS Soccer: Riccardo Calafiori's Arsenal signing awakens a long-dormant Italian connection. Formula 1: Summer report cards. MORNING READ Devin Oktar Yalkin for The New York Times When David Marchese, a reporter for The New York Times Magazine, interviewed Vince Vaughn, he expected to talk with someone akin to the playfully glib guy who appeared in the hit comedies of the 2000s like "Dodgeball," "Wedding Crashers" and "The Break-Up." What he found was a surprise. CONVERSATION STARTERS Give it away: When a former monk and struggling actor won a $259 million jackpot in 2014, he decided to splurge on something uncommon: support for nonprofit theater. A long way from "poison apples": Here's what nutrition experts say about tomatoes, and some recipes to go with them. "Beast Games": Contestants in MrBeast's reality show expected outlandish challenges and signed contracts that acknowledged risks of serious injury and death. Still, few were prepared for the conditions on set. ARTS AND IDEAS Oksana Parafeniuk for The New York Times Ukraine's shattered love lives Pursuing love might seem secondary to dealing with missile attacks, power outages and food shortages, but many Ukrainians say that they need romantic relationships to help them cope with the trauma of war. For women, the problem is particularly acute. Tens of thousands of men have died. Many more are on the front lines, and others are reluctant to leave their homes because of draft officers in the streets. Some women are turning to dating apps or speed-dating events, and singles still dance at nightclubs in Kyiv. In this search, at least, there is a chance to briefly forget the harsh realities of war. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Bryan Gardner for The New York Times Cook: Basil and tomato make a dynamic appearance in this vegetarian fried rice. Connect: Here are five ways to meet new people. Listen: Groove to new songs from Charli XCX and others. Read: In our Read Like the Wind newsletter, Sadie Stein recommends two authors she disliked and gave a second chance. 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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