The Evening: Harris clinches Democratic nomination

Also, the Middle East is on edge as Israel braces for retaliation.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 2, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday. Harris chosen as Democrats' nominee The Middle East on edge Plus, making new friends 🇺🇸 2024 The presidential election is 95 days away. Here's the latest from the campaign trail. Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Atlanta this week.  Nicole Craine for The New York Times Harris won enough votes to be the Democratic nominee The Democratic National Committee announced today that Vice President Kamala Harris had secured enough delegates to clinch the Democratic Party's nomination for president. She will be the first Black woman and person of South Asian heritage to earn the top spot on a major party's ticket. Harris's nomination will become official after the party's virtual roll call vote ends on Monday, capping off a month of chaos for Democrats. Just two weeks ago, they were still debating which candidate would have the best chance of defeating Donald Trump in November. Now, with the party uniting behind her, Harris is using the lessons from her troubled 2020 campaign to reintroduce herself to the American public as a different type of presidential candidate, my colleague Astead Herndon wrote. Here's how she has changed. Here's what else to know: The Harris campaign has completed its formal process of vetting running mates. She will meet with finalists this weekend. Harris hired a senior U.S. diplomat to be the chief of staff to her vice-presidential pick's campaign, and she brought on several former advisers to Barack Obama. Harris's campaign said it raised $310 million in July, more than double the funds raised by Trump. Trump has taken the age-old political tactic of presenting an opponent as somehow "not one of us" to another level. Trump cited investments in opportunity zones as a triumph. Their success has been middling. 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 Hamas supporters in Beirut, Lebanon, today.  Diego Ibarra Sanchez for The New York Times The Middle East is on edge as Israel braces for retaliation Iran and its proxies in Gaza and Lebanon have vowed to attack Israel to avenge senior leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah who were assassinated this week. The killings — one of which Israel said it carried out; U.S. officials said Israel performed the other — threatened to derail already troubled truce talks and further increase tensions in the region. Here's the latest. President Biden said he was "very concerned" about the risk of increased violence, and he called on Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, to agree to a truce. The U.S. is also preparing to send additional combat aircraft to the Middle East to protect American troops and allies against threats from Iran or Iran-backed militia groups. The New York Times Hiring significantly slowed The job market slowed down last month, according to a government report released today. The unemployment rate rose to 4.3 percent, the highest level since October 2021. Our economics reporter Jeanna Smialek explained that the news would likely raise concerns that the Federal Reserve has waited too long to cut interest rates, allowing the job market to slow in a way that will be hard to reverse. On Wall Street, stocks tumbled. President Biden greeted Evan Gershkovich and the other freed prisoners last night.  Eric Lee/The New York Times The prisoner swap took more than a year of negotiations The prisoner swap that yesterday freed Americans wrongfully held in Russia, including the reporter Evan Gershkovich, was negotiated mostly by spies and sometimes through secret messages hand-delivered by couriers. The talks dragged on for more than a year and one of the last pieces fell into place when President Biden made a crucial phone call to Slovenia's prime minister, just hours before he dropped his re-election campaign. In Opinion, The Times columnist M. Gessen explained how the prisoner swap plan was hatched for the release of the opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. If Navalny had not died in a Russian prison, the swap would probably never have happened, Gessen wrote. More top news Social media: The Justice Department sued TikTok, claiming that the Chinese-owned social media app illegally collected children's data. Elections: A federal appeals court ruled that different minority groups cannot jointly claim that their votes have been diluted, further narrowing the scope of the Voting Rights Act. Business: Chevron said it would move its headquarters to Houston from San Ramon, Calif., leaving the deep-blue state that has pushed hard on climate issues. Weather: Parts of Florida are under a tropical storm warning that could bring heavy rain, gusty winds and flash flooding. Japan: Stocks tumbled 6 percent during a second consecutive day of big losses on the markets. New York: A draft audit of Mayor Eric Adams's 2021 campaign found widespread errors that could lead to fines or a forfeiture of public matching funds. Olympics: The Paris police are investigating death threats against the artistic director of the opening ceremony after a backlash over a banquet scene that featured drag queens. Justin Timberlake: On tour in Europe, the pop singer appeared by video conference in a local court in Sag Harbor, N.Y., and pleaded not guilty to a drunken-driving charge. TIME TO UNWIND "Gwyneth Goes Skiing" showing this year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Jonny Ruff The Edinburgh Fringe is the place to look for a breakout hit Artists and audience members from across the globe decamped to Scotland this week for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest performing-arts event. Few performers actually make money at the eclectic, open-to-all festival, which began today. But previous editions of the Fringe have led to successful shows like "Baby Reindeer" and "Fleabag." This year, more than 3,300 shows will be looking to follow a similar trajectory. Here's a guide to some of the buzziest performances. Illustration by Nicolàs Ortega Dare to reach out and make new friends Many people crave more friendship and community, and stacks of evidence show how important social connections are to our health. But it can be hard to know where to begin. So, my colleague Jancee Dunn asked experts what actually works. Their advice included listing out answers to the prompt: "I am _____." And then looking for ways to plug yourself into communities that reflect those identities. A prime viewing spot for the Olympic opening ceremony.  James Hill for The New York Times Dinner table topics Champagne Olympics: A new luxury program allows spectators at the Paris Games to upgrade their seats, eat tastier food, tip glasses of bubbly and avoid the crowds. Off the beaten path: Full of solitude and untouched nature, the quieter corners of the Adirondacks are worth checking out. MrBeast: The internet star's fans raced to compete on his show. Few were prepared for the conditions on set. An extraordinary life: At 97, Herbert Blomstedt is the oldest active major conductor. But age is only one factor in his remarkable artistry. WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND Bryan Gardner for The New York Times Cook: The key to great grilled salmon? Do less. Watch: The second season of "House of the Dragon" reaches its finale on Sunday. Read: "Small Worlds" is one of several great new paperbacks. Relax: Check out these resorts with state-of-the-art wellness programs. Style: It seems like everyone in New York City is wearing sandals. Lighten up: These are Wirecutter's favorite skinny wallets. Compete: Take this week's news quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING The American gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik waiting his turn to crush it on the pommel horse. NBC Who is winning gold on the internet? At the Paris Olympics, there are athletes who are rewarded with medals. And then there are athletes who, for reasons often beyond their control, capture the adoration of fans online. Think of the men's air pistol competitor who reminded people of a hit man; the women's sport shooter who just looks really cool; the pummel horse expert who became a nerdy hero; and the women's rugby player who persuaded an N.F.L. star to become a fan. Pick your favorite. Have an endearing weekend. Thanks for reading. Jonathan Wolfe will write this newsletter on Monday. I'll be back on Tuesday. — Matthew Lara Signorelli was our photo editor. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. 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