The Evening: Trump and Harris agree to debate

Also, Ukraine launched a surprise push into Russia.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 8, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday. Trump's news conference Ukraine's incursion into Russia Plus, a world record in hurdles 🇺🇸 2024 The presidential election is 89 days away. Here's the latest from the campaign trail. At Mar-a-Lago. Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump and Harris agreed to a September debate Donald Trump held a news conference this afternoon at Mar-a-Lago in an effort to recapture some political momentum after Vice President Kamala Harris's sudden ascent. During the event, he proposed three dates for debates in September, and ABC News confirmed that it would host a debate between Trump and Harris on Sept. 10. The news conference was the former president's first public appearance since Harris became the Democratic nominee, and he resurrected a series of his familiar attacks, calling her "not smart" and "a radical left person." Trump insisted that little had shifted in the contest, even though his allies have said he has become unsettled by Harris's burst of momentum. His remarks were littered with falsehoods: He suggested that nobody was killed during the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol, when in fact several people died. He said "everybody is going to be forced to buy an electric car," and he said that Democrats had violated the constitution by replacing President Biden on the ticket. Here's what else to know: Harris's national security adviser said that she does not support an arms embargo on Israel. A look at Tim Walz's congressional record shows his liberal streak, but with a deference to a conservative district's needs. Taylor Swift's coveted endorsement went to Biden in 2020. Some of Swift's fans are craving similar support for Harris. 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 Ukraine's incursion into Russia opened a new front in the 30-month war. Alexei Smirnov, via Associated Press Ukraine launched a surprise push into Russia Ukrainian forces punched through Russian border defenses this week and seized several settlements in a shocking assault that caught Moscow off guard. Fighting was still raging today, according to analysts and Russian officials. The attack prompted a state of emergency in the Kursk region in western Russia, and Ukrainian armored columns were filmed moving along roads as far as six miles inside Russia. But the attack left some military analysts wondering why Ukraine would throw scarce resources into a risky assault at a time when it is fighting pitched battles to hold on to positions in its own territory. The New York Times Mortgage rates dropped sharply The average rate for a 30-year mortgage, the most popular home loan in the U.S., fell to 6.47 percent this week. It was the biggest one-week decline of the year and the lowest the rate has been in 15 months. The decline is a relief for buyers and potential sellers, who have felt locked into lower rates on their existing loans and have kept their houses off the market. Rebel fighters outside Kadugli, Sudan. Moises Saman for The New York Times Inside Sudan's civil war A war broke out last year in Sudan when two generals began vying for control. Thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in the fighting, yet the brutal civil war remains largely unknown to those outside the country. My colleague Nicholas Casey recently traveled there to document the conflict and the lives of the Sudanese enmeshed in it. He spent time with an elusive mountain army and learned that the group's biggest enemy may not be government forces, but hunger. More top news Weather: A reinvigorated Tropical Storm Debby unleashed torrents of rain on some of the Carolinas' largest cities as it pushed into Virginia. Middle East: Satellite imagery makes clear just how profound the toll of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon has been on both sides of the border. Bangladesh: Muhammad Yunus, a Noble laureate, was sworn in as the new leader of an interim government, days after the former prime minister fled the country. Climate: This year is on track to be the warmest on record after the previous high set in 2023, according to European climate scientists. Austria: One of the two youths accused of planning to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna confessed to a plot to kill as many attendees as possible, security officials said. Health: The F.D.A. is poised to rule on the therapeutic use of the club drug Ecstasy. Science: Researchers have developed an impostor virus that steals essential proteins from H.I.V., pointing to a new therapy. TIME TO UNWIND Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, center. Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone made a world record look easy No one came close to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the U.S. in today's 400-meter hurdles final at the Paris Olympics. The hurdler blew away the competition and ran a world record time of 50.37 seconds, earning her a second consecutive gold medal in the event. In another high-profile race today, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana won gold in the men's 200-meter sprint. Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles of the U.S. earned silver and bronze. Lyles, who won the 100-meter race on Sunday, revealed after today's race that he had Covid. For more: What to watch | Live updates | Medal count | Photo highlights | Olympics Briefing The New York Times Inside the mind of Missy Elliott For nearly three decades, Missy Elliott has stretched the boundaries of what a rapper can look and sound like, but she has somehow never headlined a proper tour — until now. Her current arena show is in many ways the culmination of a 30-year project, remixing her trademark work into a career-spanning revue. My colleague spoke to her about the inspirations for the show, titled the Out of This World Tour. "It's always been a spaceship for me," said Elliott, who decided that intergalactic travel would provide the narrative thrust of the experience. Nathan Angelakis Dinner table topics Sea lions with cameras: The animals are helping scientists map the ocean floor. Post Malone goes country: While recording his latest album, "F-1 Trillion," the pop hitmaker showed Nashville he's for real. Politics-free weddings: Couples are trying to prevent their nuptials from becoming an occasion for heated debates. Food porn gets dark: Shots of extravagantly composed dishes have become cliché. Recent TV shows have used them to traumatize, not tantalize. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Christopher Testani for The New York Times Cook: This dumpling tomato salad with chile crisp vinaigrette is a hearty yet light main course salad. Watch: Lily Collias delivers an extraordinary lead performance in "Good One." Read: Gabino Iglesias's new book is part supernatural revenge fantasy, part hurricane novel. Plan: These are the best and worst states for retirement. Address: Hearing and vision loss increase the risk of dementia. Here's what to do about it. Hunt: Which Manhattan apartment would you buy with a $700,000 budget? Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING David Chow. Artwork by Nicholas Buffon and Kambel Smith. Artists who swap fantasy for grime Nicolas Pierre's 11-inch Parisian bakery is covered in graffiti. Tracy Ealdama's mini jazz club is marked with soot. Joshua Smith's scaled-down deli even has a run-down employee bathroom. These hyper-realistic structures are from a new generation of miniaturists who are more interested in replicating our imperfect world, sometimes in a state of minor disrepair, than designing something precious. Many of the artists create the tiny buildings to memorialize the architecture and the character of the cities they love. "These places are changing a lot," Pierre said. "I just want to make them live forever." Have an authentic evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Kirsten Luce 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? 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