The Evening: Debate prep

Also, the U.S. argued that Google has an ad-tech monopoly.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 9, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Monday. Debate night preparations Apple's bet on A.I. Plus, the end of "My Brilliant Friend" 🇺🇸 2024 The presidential election is 57 days away. Here's the latest from the campaign trail. Final preparations are underway for the first presidential debate in Philadelphia. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Harris said she is ready for the biggest night of her career Vice President Kamala Harris has spent much of the past several days holed up in a Pittsburgh hotel, practicing for her debate tomorrow night against Donald Trump. There's a stage, replica TV lighting and an adviser acting as Trump. Trump has opted for much more casual debate prep, with his advisers urging him to avoid looking like a bully. One of the key questions going into the event is whether Trump can restrain himself despite his history of being physically and rhetorically hostile to women on the debate stage. The clash will be especially important for Harris, who began her campaign for president less than two months ago. A recent Times poll found that she was narrowly trailing Trump nationwide in part because nearly a third of voters said that they needed to learn more about her. The debate will also be a test of Harris's carefully rehearsed, aggressive debate style. "When Harris has not methodically prepared, she sometimes has trouble," our politics reporter Lisa Lerer said. "That could end up being a problem with Trump because he is, above all other things, a highly unpredictable debater." Here's what else to know: Trump's rambling, sometimes incoherent public statements have raised questions about his cognitive health and stirred concern among voters. After a summer of political upheaval, the polls are finally showing what analysts expected all along: a dead heat. We talked to voters who want to leave the country because of the political environment. Your questions: We're asking readers what they'd like to know about the election and taking those questions to our reporters. We gave one to Edward Wong, who covers foreign policy. "Europe is watching. How come the candidates don't talk about the global view on America and the necessity to reconnect to allies?" — Yasha Young, Berlin Edward: Most American voters do not see foreign policy as a decisive issue or a priority in U.S. elections, unless American troops are directly involved in a disastrous war, so candidates generally do not spend much time talking about U.S. alliances or global affairs. However, we might see journalists ask both Harris and Trump questions about their foreign policy views in the televised debate on Tuesday. You can send us your questions here. Google's antitrust trial opened in Alexandria, Va., today. Tom Brenner for The New York Times The U.S. argued that Google has an ad-tech monopoly The Justice Department told a federal judge today that Google had built a monopoly in online ad-selling technology, kicking off the search giant's second major antitrust trial. The government's prosecutor argued that Google's large market share, 87 percent, allowed it to charge high prices and take a significant portion of each sale, harming website owners. The case could reshape the tech giant's business: Last year, about three-quarters of Google's revenue came from advertising, which it argues it earned by offering the best product. It arrived in court for this case about a month after a judge separately ruled that Google had illegally maintained a monopoly over online search. Tim Cook, the Apple chief executive, at the launch event in Cupertino, Calif. Peter Dasilva/EPA, via Shutterstock Apple is betting on A.I. Apple today unveiled its first artificially intelligent smartphone, the iPhone 16, in an effort to re-energize its most popular product with software that can summarize notifications, offer writing recommendations and find photos from a user's description. Other capabilities will arrive over time, Apple said. The broader tech industry is hoping that Apple can help make A.I. mainstream. Test yourself: A.I. can now create lifelike videos. Can you tell what is real? James Earl Jones in 2012.  Todd Heisler/The New York Times James Earl Jones died at 93 James Earl Jones, the versatile stage, film and television actor who gave life to characters like Darth Vader in "Star Wars" and Mufasa in "The Lion King," died today at 93. Jones was abandoned as a child by his parents, raised by a racist grandmother and mute for years as he struggled with a severe stutter. But he learned to speak again with a herculean will, and his voice became iconic for a generation of moviegoers. More top news California: More than 11,000 people were ordered to evacuate as the Line fire has now burned through more than 21,000 acres in San Bernardino County since starting last week. Kentucky: A manhunt continued for a suspect wanted in connection with a shooting spree on a highway. Ukraine: Russian forces captured two villages near the strategic city of Pokrovsk. Science: Pandemic lockdowns rapidly aged the brains of teenage girls — far more than those of boys — a new study found. Supreme Court: Justice Samuel Alito reported receiving $900 concert tickets from a German princess, Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, a party girl turned far-right conservative. Royals: Catherine, Princess of Wales, said that she had completed her chemotherapy for cancer. Weather: Tropical Storm Francine is expected to become a hurricane and make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday evening. Investigation: Tim Ballard's work to fight sex trafficking made him a star. Several women have accused him of being a sex predator. TIME TO UNWIND "My Brilliant Friend" stars Irene Maiorino, left, as Lila and Alba Rohrwacher as Lenù. Eduardo Castaldo/HBO 'My Brilliant Friend' comes to a brilliant conclusion Beginning tonight, the final season of HBO's "My Brilliant Friend" will wrap up the tale of Lila and Lenù. Their story is adapted from Elena Ferrante's beloved novels, but our critic James Poniewozik writes that the show stands out by itself. "This is, simply put, one of the most incisive portraits of a lifelong relationship ever made for TV," James wrote. We also talked to the four actresses who played Lila and Lenù about how the show changed their lives. For more: Here are the television shows that we are most looking forward to this fall. Prince at the premiere of the movie "Purple Rain" in 1984. Ron Galella/Getty Images A portrait of Prince that you may never see My colleague Sasha Weiss is one of a small group of people who have watched Ezra Edelman's nine-hour documentary about Prince. It's a dense and revealing portrait about a deeply flawed genius and pop icon that could redefine our understanding of him, Sasha wrote. But you will probably never get to see it. That's because the new executors of Prince's estate object to the project, and are fighting Netflix, which owns the rights to the film, to make sure it never sees the light of day. Ibrahim Kamara took his Off-White show to Brooklyn Bridge Park, with New York City as the backdrop. Off-White Dinner table topics Fashion week: Off-White celebrated the allure of New York City. Here's our review. Last dance: Kathy Bates found surprising depths in a rebooted "Matlock," which she said will be her final job. Bright stones: No one really knows what makes a good turquoise stone. Upscale meal: At the U.S. Open, a $100 box of chicken nuggets drew a covetous crowd. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT David Malosh for The New York Times Cook: These simple, dense, slightly sweet tea cakes are an adaptable treat. Sip: Our wine critic recommends 10 bottles from Spain. Watch: "The Clean Up Crew" is one of the best action movies to stream right now. Read: These two books celebrate the joy of marriage. Scrub: Our climate desk has tips for doing your laundry with the environment in mind. Rest: Some people go to extreme lengths in pursuit of better sleep. 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 The Pig in the Cotswolds. Jeremie Souteyrat for The New York Times English manors with easy manners Britain is dotted with centuries-old mansions that have been carefully restored as high-end hotels. They often offer fine dining, poolside champagne and croquet lawns, and have fancy names like "manor." But The Pig, as you may have guessed by its name, is something different. It's a collection of British country house hotels that caters to a much less formal clientele. The buildings are still grand and historic, and often surrounded by handcrafted gardens, but there's certainly no white glove service. But please don't put your feet up on the furniture. Have a laid-back evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Sean Kawasaki-Culligan 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. 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