The Evening: Trump suggests he might pull out of the debate

Also, Russia attacked Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 26, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Monday. A tussle over the presidential debate A major Russian attack on Ukraine Plus, the first day of the U.S. Open 🇺🇸 2024 The presidential election is 71 days away. Here's the latest from the campaign trail. Todd Heisler/The New York Times, Roger Kisby for The New York Times Harris and Trump squabbled over debate rules Donald Trump said today that he was still "thinking about" whether he should participate in a Sept. 10 debate with Kamala Harris on ABC News, threatening again to pull out of the only debate that both candidates have agreed to. Harris's campaign announced today that it was pushing for the agreed-upon rules to be altered. Her team said it wants both microphones to remain on throughout the entire debate, rather than muting the person who isn't speaking. The effort seems to be aimed at turning Trump's proclivity for speaking off the cuff and out of turn against him. Such squabbles over debate rules might seem minor, but the last presidential debate proved to be the turning point that convinced many top Democrats that they needed a new candidate. My colleague Jess Bidgood, who writes the On Politics newsletter, said the debate could easily be the defining moment in a historically brief presidential campaign. Here's what else to know: Trump and Harris strike starkly different tones on how to fight poverty. Harris has become tougher on immigration, but the subject remains a political vulnerability for Democrats. North Carolina's rural voters could swing the election. Hear what they have to say about the candidates. What would you like to know about the election? Send us your question and we'll take it to our reporters. Stay up-to-date: Live coverage | Poll tracker | The "Run-Up" podcast | On Politics newsletter Sheltering in a metro station during a Russian air attack in Kyiv today. Roman Pilipey/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Russia attacked Ukraine's energy infrastructure Russian forces today launched more than 200 missiles and drones across a broad swath of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's leader, condemned the assault as "one of the largest strikes" of the 30-month-old war. The barrage damaged energy facilities across the country and caused residents of Kyiv to seek shelter in basements and subways. Multiple cities reported blackouts, and officials said that four people had been killed and more than 30 injured. The strikes occurred as Ukraine's troops continued to advance, slowly, into Russian territory. Pavel Durov, Telegram's founder, in 2014. Jim Wilson/The New York Times French officials explained the Telegram founder's arrest Prosecutors in France announced today that Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging platform, was arrested outside Paris over the weekend in connection with an investigation into criminal activity on the app and a lack of cooperation with law enforcement. He has not yet been charged. The investigation, the French officials said, was into charges including money laundering and complicity in the distribution of child pornography and the selling of drugs. Telegram has long been on the radar of law enforcement agencies because terrorist organizations, drug sellers, weapons dealers and far-right extremist groups have used it to communicate. For more: My colleagues explain how Durov went from Russia's Mark Zuckerberg to a wanted man. John Taggart for The New York Times Recycled plastic isn't always what it sounds like Many companies, including Nalgene, Ferragamo and Stanley Black & Decker, sell products that are made with Tritan Renew, a plastic that is marketed as 50 percent recycled material. But that's not exactly true. The company behind the material uses a green accounting method called "mass balance" to build up credits for recycling plastic and then apply them to the products. More top news Court: Prosecutors appealed Judge Aileen Cannon's dismissal of the classified documents case against Trump. Weather: Forecasters warn that "dangerous heat and humidity" will spread across the central and eastern U.S. this week. Middle East: After weeks of foreboding, an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah has been averted, at least for now, as both sides returned to more contained confrontations. Venezuela: A top election official said he had no proof that Nicolás Maduro won the election. Pakistan: At least 38 people were killed in several assaults across Baluchistan Province in what appears to be part of a campaign by armed separatists. Business: Kroger seeks to acquire Albertsons in the biggest supermarket merger in history, but federal regulators argue the deal would hurt workers. New York: The city's bus system has a big fare evasion problem, with roughly one out of every two passengers failing to pay. Climate: Meta and Google are looking to power their data centers in a new way — by harnessing clean heat far below Earth's surface. Food: California is considering banning food dyes in schools. Some studies have found a link between dyes and hyperactivity. TIME TO UNWIND Coco Gauff during her first-round match against Varvara Gracheva. Earl Wilson/The New York Times Day 1 of the U.S. Open The U.S. Open, which began today in Queens, has been the most unpredictable of tennis's Grand Slam tournaments in recent years. Five different players won the last five titles, on both the men's side and the women's side, and this year's event is expected to be just as competitive. Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton of the U.S. won their opening contests, and high-ranked stars like Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka will play later tonight. Here are the matches we are most looking forward to. For more: Does all the grunting really help? Larissa Volokhonsky and Richard Pevear at their home in France. Clara Watt for The New York Times The reigning couple of Russian translation For more than three decades, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky have been the West's pre-eminent translators of Russian literature. They are the Constance Garnett of our time, making classics by Tolstoy and Chekhov, as well as lesser-known Russian works, accessible in English. The married couple are adored by many readers, but also strongly disliked by others, in part because they aim for something like objectivity and fidelity in their translations, leaving in awkward diction rather than smoothing it over. Jared Isaacman is preparing for a SpaceX mission. John Raoux/Associated Press Dinner table topics A daring spacewalk: The billionaire Jared Isaacman is going to space for a second time. This time, his aspirations are grander and riskier. Channeling a playhouse: An artist turned a covered wagon in her Moroccan garden into a guesthouse, taking inspiration from Roald Dahl. Tech cannibalism: When generative A.I. ingests its own output, the results get a lot worse. A reader asked: Is it better to be overdressed or underdressed? WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Armando Rafael for The New York Times Cook: This Hasselback kielbasa recipe is a good reason to fire up the grill. Watch: "The Practice" is one of the best international movies to stream right now. Read: Danzy Senna's new novel "Colored Television" is funny, foxy and fleet. Listen: All eight of these songs could be the song of the summer. Save: Opening a Roth account may be a good move at any age. Soothe: There are a number of tricks to stop a bug bite from itching. 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 Graham Dickie/The New York Times A new generation of club kids St. James Joy is a popular daytime party in Brooklyn where attendees can groove to techno music and salsa. It's also one of a handful of dance spots in New York where toddlers are welcomed for some pre-bedtime fun. The parties give nightlife-loving parents a dance floor release, while offering their children a dose of social life and a chance to burn off their energy. "It's such an important part of my life that I want my kids there," one parent said. Have an upbeat 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