The Evening: Musk interviews Trump

Also, an 'extremely dangerous' fire is burning near Athens.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 12, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Monday. The Trump-Musk interview Wildfires and irreversible climate change Plus, the next Olympics in L.A. 🇺🇸 2024 The presidential election is 85 days away. Here's the latest from the campaign trail. Elon Musk has for months urged Donald Trump to return to X.  Alex Brandon/Associated Press Trump is trying to regain the spotlight by returning to X When Donald Trump was president, he used Twitter to set policy, attack his critics and appeal to his followers. Now, in an attempt to reverse the momentum that has been fueling the candidacy of Kamala Harris, he is set to return to his old haunt. Trump is scheduled to appear tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern on X for an interview with the website's owner, Elon Musk. It will be the culmination of Musk's emergence as one of Trump's wealthiest and most high-profile backers. For Trump, the event could offer an opportunity to regain some of the spotlight from Harris, whose new and energetic candidacy has forced his campaign to recalibrate its strategy less than three months before Election Day. Polls by The New York Times and Siena College released this weekend showed Harris with leads in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. "When I talk to Trump allies and advisers, many of them view the last three weeks as Trump's worst sustained performance in a very long time," Jonathan Swan, our politics reporter, said. We took a look inside those struggles. Here's what else to know: State-level election officials are battling a flood of new disinformation. Harris is warning that Trump will repeal Obamacare, even though Republicans are no longer campaigning to end the law. The foreign hacking of the campaigns has begun in earnest. This time, the Iranians, not the Russians, are making the first significant move. 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 A resident evacuated during a wildfire in Dione, Greece, today. Angelos Tzortzinis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images An 'extremely dangerous' fire is burning near Athens Hundreds of firefighters today battled a major wildfire that broke out near Athens and raced through parched forest, destroying properties and prompting evacuation orders. In some places, the flames were more than 80 feet tall. The blaze is one of the worst to threaten the Greek capital this year in what has been a busy fire season, in part because of a dry winter and a hot summer. Last year, Europe's exceptionally hot summer contributed to 47,000 deaths, though heat adaptation measures prevented many more. In other climate news, my colleagues looked at how close we are to some major and potentially irreversible tipping points. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, left, with his defense minister, Yoav Gallant. Pool photo by Abir Sultan Netanyahu clashed with his defense minister Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel released a statement today accusing his own defense minister of adopting "the anti-Israel narrative." Netanyahu said that the minister, Yoav Gallant, had harmed the chances of a hostage release deal by stating that Netanyahu's goal of "total victory" over Hamas was "nonsense" in private comments reported by Israeli news media. The reports of tension came before a high-wire week of risk and opportunity: President Biden and mediators from Egypt and Qatar said last week that they were prepared to present a "final" proposal to end the war. In related news, the Israeli public is preparing for an expected retaliation by Iran, which is taking longer than some analysts expected. A naturalization ceremony in Savannah, Ga., in July. Anna Ottum for The New York Times Immigrants are becoming U.S. citizens at a faster rate The federal government is now processing citizenship requests faster than at any point over the last decade, allowing thousands of immigrants to become new Americans every week. The newly speedy process has allowed the government to work through a backlog that built up during the Trump administration and the pandemic. More top news Russia: President Vladimir Putin lashed out at the West over Ukraine's weeklong incursion into Russian territory, in a tense televised meeting with his top officials. California: Los Angeles was rattled by a 4.4-magnitude earthquake that was centered just outside Pasadena and about five miles northeast of the city. London: A girl and a woman were injured in a stabbing attack in Leicester Square. U.K.: Riots have put pressure on the new prime minister, Keir Starmer, to defuse tensions stoked successfully by far-right groups over immigration and fraying public services. Maryland: A gas explosion in Bel Air killed a homeowner and an employee of Baltimore Gas and Electric. Science: A journal retracted three papers about MDMA-assisted therapy after learning that a therapist who took part in the trial had engaged in a sexual relationship with a participant. Business: Uber, facing a torrent of sexual-assault litigation in Nevada, has pushed a referendum that could curb lawsuits. Law: After 30 years in jail, Brian Scott Lorenz had his murder conviction overturned. But he's still in prison. TIME TO UNWIND Los Angeles will be hosting its third Summer Games in 2028. Alex Welsh for The New York Times L.A. wants to make money off the 2028 Olympics France approached this year's Paris Games with uncompromising ambition, and left its residents with an almost universal smile. Now Los Angeles, which collected the Olympic flag at yesterday's closing ceremony, is already looking ahead to hosting the 2028 Games — hoping to achieve similar success and maybe even turn a profit. The private group organizing the Games has a budget of nearly $7 billion. But the city is investing tens of billions more in three main projects with the goal of lasting effects: expanding the rail and bus system, revamping the airport and renovating the downtown convention center. Look back: The U.S. won the Paris Games by many metrics, but not all. These were our best photos. Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Is it time for another Covid shot? Covid is circulating at elevated levels in many parts of the country, and some patients have begun asking doctors whether it is time for another dose of protection even before updated vaccines arrive in the fall. So we asked experts about the right time to consider a booster. Scott Gable for The New York Times Dinner table topics Snow all summer: A factory in western New York has been manufacturing blizzards for almost 40 years. France's wild south: For rustic landscapes, pink marshes and birds of all kinds, the Camargue is the place to be. The taste of Dirt: Daisy Alioto wants her small media empire to become "the Condé Nast of newsletters" or "the LVMH of media." R.S.V.P. by text: Some couples are ditching wedding stationary and opting for informal invitations. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Karsten Moran for The New York Times Cook: Whether you prefer them Maine- or Connecticut-style, lobster rolls are always winners. Watch: "The Arctic Convoy" is one of the best action movies to stream right now. Read: Shel Silverstein's writing was ahead of his time. Here's a look at the best of his work. Cope: Readers shared the types of art that helped them through grief. Dodge: Here's how to avoid online scams. Scrub: Workout clothes stink. We have tips for cleaning them. Compete: Take this week's Flashback history quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING A haircut and some scenery in New York City. Lucia Vazquez for The New York Times He'll cut your hair anywhere When Julien Howard was a teenager, he started cutting hair in exchange for burgers. Now, at 33, his clients include celebrities like Donald Glover, Regé-Jean Page and Josh Groban in large part because he likes to push the boundaries of what a barbershop can be. Howard, who has become known as the Vélo Barber because he travels around New York City on a collapsible bike, has taken his mobile salon to benches in Central Park, Broadway dressing rooms, secluded city rooftops and the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. And he's still not satisfied. "Why not cut hair on the Empire State Building?" Howard said. "Or in space?" Have an enterprising 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