The Evening: Harris picked Tim Walz

Also, Debby is bringing historic levels of rain to the Southeast.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 6, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. Walz chosen as Harris's running mate Rain and floods from Debby Plus, breaking's Olympics debut 🇺🇸 2024 The presidential election is 91 days away. Here's the latest from the campaign trail. Tim Walz's description of Donald Trump and some Republicans as "weird" has become a Democratic talking point. Caroline Yang for The New York Times Tim Walz is Harris's choice for vice president Vice President Kamala Harris announced today that she had selected Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate, betting that his Midwestern appeal and plain-spoken attacks on Republicans will help her defeat Donald Trump on Election Day. Until recently, the 60-year-old Walz was largely unknown outside of his home state. But his national profile rose quickly over the last two weeks, fueled by his catchy attacks on Trump and Republicans, whom he described as "weird." Walz and Harris appeared together at a rally in Philadelphia tonight for the first time as the Democratic ticket. Walz is a former football coach and schoolteacher who served for 24 years in the Army National Guard. He got his start in politics in 2006 by winning a congressional race in a rural, largely conservative district of Minnesota. He edged out better-known vice-presidential contenders, in part, because Harris was impressed by his folksy charm, and by his backing of liberal policies like paid family leave. Here's more on why Walz was chosen, his policy positions and his climate record. "Walz doesn't represent a crucial swing state," Jess Bidgood, who writes our On Politics newsletter, told me. "So, in choosing Walz, Harris has calculated that, in a hypersonic political campaign, Democrats need fellow feeling, and fun, more than they need a conventional political advantage." Republicans see openings to cast Walz as overly liberal, especially on public safety, and his critics resurfaced a decades-old drunken driving arrest. But Democratic leaders have broadly embraced the new ticket. Here's what else to know: Democratic and Republican primaries are taking place in a number of high-profile races today. Trump sought to blame yesterday's stock market troubles on Harris. Trump said that Elon Musk will interview him on Monday. Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we'll find the answers. Firefighters helped residents stuck inside their homes in Savannah, Ga. Dustin Chambers for The New York Times Debby is bringing historic levels of rain to the Southeast Tropical Storm Debby, which hit Florida as a Category 1 hurricane yesterday, moved across the Southeast today at roughly the speed of a walking person. That slow pace has allowed it to deliver massive amounts of rainfall to parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The tropical storm is headed back out to sea and could make a second landfall on Thursday. The rainfall from Debby is expected to rival or break records in multiple states. Here's where flooding is expected. Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza City last year.  Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times Hamas appointed a new political leader Hamas announced today that Yahya Sinwar, the presumed mastermind of the deadly Oct. 7 attacks, would be the next head of the group's political office. Sinwar, a hard-line figure who is widely believed to be hiding in tunnels underneath Gaza, will replace Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated last week in Tehran. Sinwar was born in the enclave, and spent years in an Israeli prison before his release in a prisoner exchange with Israel in 2011. Here's the latest news from the region. Steve Allen was spending his senior years living in his car before he received rental aid. Philip Cheung for The New York Times A decline in homeless veterans hints at broader solutions Since 2008, the number of homeless veterans in the U.S. has fallen by more than half, even as overall homelessness has grown. The shift was made possible under a program run by two federal agencies that have spent billions on rental aid for unhoused veterans. Many analysts consider the progress among veterans to be the greatest success in homelessness policy. My colleague Jason DeParle explained how the program might help find solutions to the broader problem of homelessness. More top news Stocks: Wall Street recouped some losses from yesterday. Stocks in Japan, the hardest hit by recent selling, jumped 10 percent. Law enforcement: The F.B.I. arrested a Pakistani man for trying to hire a hit man to assassinate U.S. leaders, possibly including Donald Trump. Bangladesh: Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate, has been named to lead an interim government after fierce protests forced the prime minister to flee the country. Business: X filed a lawsuit against a coalition of major advertisers, claiming that it had coordinated to dissuade brands from spending money on the platform. Health: The E.P.A. issued an emergency order suspending all uses of DCPA, a weedkiller linked to serious health risks for unborn babies. Education: Utah banned 13 books from all public schools, including works by Margaret Atwood and Judy Blume. Mental health: A national survey found promising signs that key mental health measures for teen girls have improved since the depths of the pandemic. David Lynch: The director said he has emphysema but would not retire. TIME TO UNWIND Noah Throop and Emily Rhyne/The New York Times Breaking arrives at the Paris Games More than 50 years since it first appeared, breaking — not "break dancing," a term disdained within the breaking community — will debut this week as an Olympic sport. It's a watershed moment for a dance form conceived and cultivated by Black and Hispanic youth in the Bronx during the 1970s. But the art form no longer belongs solely to New York, or even the U.S. Breakers representing Japan, Lithuania, Morocco and more will compete in one-on-one in battles for gold. The latest: U.S. sprinter Gabrielle Thomas won gold in the women's 200-meter race. Sara Andreasson The 'orgasm gap' isn't going away Sex researchers and therapists have long known that women in heterosexual relationships tend to have fewer orgasms than men do. Researchers thought they might find evidence that the so-called orgasm gap narrowed as women got older and developed confidence and learned what they liked (and, perhaps, their partners developed skills to help pleasure them). But a large new study suggests that the orgasm gap does not improve with age. Philippe Petit doing a high-wire walk in New York City on Saturday. Paola Chapdelaine for The New York Times Dinner table topics Man on wire: Fifty years after his famous walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, Philippe Petit is still performing high-wire acts at 74 years old. "If you can't beat them, join them": A couple on Fire Island preserved their ocean view by hiring the same architects who were taking it away. Pet cosmetics: Dolce & Gabbana has a new dog perfume. Veterinarians say it's a bad idea. Ask our Well desk: Is nail polish bad for your nails? WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Armando Rafael for The New York Times Cook: These spicy tuna and avocado tostadas are a satisfying, no-cook lunch or dinner. Watch: Stream these movies before they leave Netflix this month. Read: The historian Daisy Dunn's new book corrects history by adding women back in. Listen: The world is still catching up to the music of the Romantic-era composer Hector Berlioz. Style: Dare to wear white this fall. Cheer: Our writer recommends falling in love with baseball over the radio. Cool down: As temperatures rise, small electric fans have become a go-to accessory. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Adam Amengual for The New York Times Inspirational quotes, inspirational food Inside the kitchens of some of the world's most highly regarded restaurants — the kinds of places that win Michelin stars or at least hope to — are inspirational quotes or slogans designed to rouse the staff as they grind out service day after day. Some read like a meditation, or a rousing locker room chant. "All in, all the time," reads the wall at one San Diego restaurant, while a quote from the comedian Steve Martin — "be so good they can't ignore you" — appears in at least two different award-winning restaurants. The behind-the-scenes practice even inspired the creators of the TV show "The Bear" to put up a motivational sign under the set's kitchen clock. Have a stirring evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew William Widmer 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. 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