The Evening: Israeli raids in the West Bank

Also, the Supreme Court blocked another Biden student debt plan, for now.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 28, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. Israeli raids in the West Bank A hold on Biden's student debt plan Plus, Oscar buzz for a trans actress Israeli soldiers during raids near Tulkarm in the West Bank, today.  Jaafar Ashtiyeh/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Israel began a major military operation in the West Bank Hundreds of Israeli troops, backed by fleets of drones and armored vehicles, carried out raids today in the West Bank. At least 10 Palestinians were killed, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, in operations that Israeli officials described as an effort to target militants. The raids were concentrated in the cities of Tulkarm and Jenin, where Israel has targeted militant groups for several years. But the groups' strongholds have persisted, said my colleague Adam Rasgon, who is based in Jerusalem. Today's operation, he added, appears "to be a more significant effort than usual to challenge these groups and try to undermine their hold on authority." The raids followed months of escalating Israeli operations in the West Bank. More than 600 Palestinians have been killed there since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault on Israel, according to the U.N. For Israel, the operations represent a third front in conflicts that now extend from Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip to southern Lebanon. They also came after American, Israeli and Iranian officials said that Iran is secretly smuggling weapons to the West Bank in an effort to foment unrest. 🇺🇸 2024 The presidential election is 69 days away. Here's the latest from the campaign trail. In Georgia today. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Democrats target red counties and blue states Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, embarked today on a bus tour through the rural counties of southeast Georgia, seeking to build Democrats' momentum in the Sun Belt. Ahead of what is expected to be a tight election, the Democrats are looking to stem their losses outside of the cities and suburbs where they are most popular. Polling shows that Harris has made Georgia competitive, after it seemed to be slipping out of reach for President Biden. Democrats have also spent a considerable amount of attention on blue states like New York and California. There is little doubt that Harris will win those states in November, but they are major battlegrounds for control of Congress. Here's what else to know: Texas celebrated a purge of 1.1 million people from the voter rolls. Most had moved or died. Elon Musk hired a Republican operative with expertise in field organizing to help steer his political work. Donald Trump reposted a crude remark about Harris. Kent Nishimura for The New York Times Justices blocked another Biden student debt plan, for now The Supreme Court today temporarily blocked an effort by President Biden to wipe out tens and perhaps hundreds of billions of dollars of student debt. The plan was part of Biden's piecemeal approach to forgiving debt after the Supreme Court rejected a more ambitious proposal last year. The decision leaves in limbo millions of borrowers enrolled in the program, Saving on a Valuable Education, which ties monthly payments to household size and earnings. The justices, who did not offer any reasoning, sent the case back to a lower court to consider the merits of the plan. Pavel Durov in 2014. Jim Wilson/The New York Times Telegram's founder was charged with a range of crimes Pavel Durov, the entrepreneur who founded the online communications platform Telegram, was charged today in France with a wide range of crimes related to illicit activity on the app and was barred from leaving the country. Prosecutors said that Telegram had refused to cooperate on cases tied to child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking and other crimes. Telegram has said that it abided by E.U. laws, and Durov's arrest raised the question of whether tech executives should be held responsible for what happens on their platforms. More top news Business: Nvidia's quarterly revenue jumped 122 percent, a sign that enthusiasm for A.I. is still running hot. Antitrust: Yelp, the online business review platform, sued Google weeks after a landmark ruling declared the search giant a monopoly. Court: A former county official in Las Vegas was found guilty of murdering a reporter who wrote articles critical of him. Climate: The wildfires that ravaged boreal forests last year produced more planet-warming emissions than almost any country in the world, new research found. Ukraine: Russian strikes near the front line killed six people and Russian troops pressed ahead in eastern Ukraine, closing in on the key city of Pokrovsk. Africa: The continent's debt crisis is getting worse, sapping growth in many countries and stoking instability. Japan: Nearly a million people were ordered to evacuate as the country braced for Typhoon Shanshan. Science: A study comparing chimpanzee and human brains suggests that the regions that grew the most during human evolution are the most susceptible to aging. TIME TO UNWIND Karla Sofía Gascón. Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times A transgender actress could make Oscars history The Netflix musical "Emilia Pérez" is a film like no other. It centers on a cartel kingpin who fakes death in order to get gender-affirming surgery abroad, only to seek a reunion with the wife and children she left behind. Karla Sofía Gascón, who plays the titular role, is one of a kind, too. Gascón's breakout performance wowed audiences at the Cannes Film Festival and led industry prognosticators to speculate that she could be the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for an Oscar. We spoke to her about her journey to stardom. Jack O'Neil, an American Paralympic swimmer, yesterday in Paris. Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press The Paralympics are underway in Paris Do you miss the Olympics? Well, fear not, because the Paralympics began today in Paris, where about 4,400 athletes will compete for 11 days in front of some of the city's most majestic backdrops. Participants paraded up the Champs-Élysées today for the opening ceremony. But the real action gets underway tomorrow, with para-swimming, para-taekwondo and sitting volleyball. Next week, blind soccer will take center stage in front of the Eiffel Tower. Here's what to watch for. Graham Dickie/The New York Times Dinner table topics A Grand Slam's signature accessory: The most coveted symbol of the U.S. Open is a simple cap with a logo and the year. The older the better. Quiet luxury: For socially ambitious women, Peress was more than just a lingerie shop. A for-profit city: U.S. corporations built Próspera off the coast of Honduras to escape government control. The government wants it gone. Tree collecting: Yes, it's a thing. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Chris Simpson for The New York Times Cook: This honey salabat tea cake is rich and gingery. Watch: Serena Williams revisited her highs and lows in a new docuseries. Read: Our romance columnist recommended four new novels. Listen: These nine great songs were all sampled in classic hip-hop tracks. Travel: The hills of La Rioja offer a rich, rustic taste of Spain. Connect: Dr. Ruth spent her final years talking about loneliness. Check out her tips. Save: We have tips for squeezing more time out of a struggling phone battery. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Stefano Ukmar for The New York Times Step inside Tony Danza's apartment The focal point of Tony Danza's Upper West Side apartment is a piano that plays itself — its keys propelled to tunes coded onto a floppy disk. A 73-year-old actor and entertainer, Danza often sings along with the instrument for hours at a time, belting out Sinatra lyrics in preparation for his upcoming New York cabaret show. Danza's walls are also covered with memories of an earlier era, including mementos of his previous career, as a boxer. We recently toured his apartment, and highlighted the nostalgic prints, old photographs and art that tell the story of his career and life. Take a look. Have a revealing evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Philip Pacheco was our photo editor today. 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