The Evening: Harris delivers her economic pitch

Also, the U.S. is trying to broker an Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 25, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. Harris's economic pitch A hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico Plus, the world's oldest cheese Vice President Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh today. Erin Schaff/The New York Times Harris cast herself as a pro-business pragmatist In a closely watched speech on economic policy this afternoon in Pittsburgh, Kamala Harris promised "a new way forward" for the middle class, and portrayed Donald Trump as on the side of billionaires. During the address, Harris wove together her vows to lower costs for the middle class and help small businesses into a broader pitch for pragmatic economic leadership. "We shouldn't be constrained by ideology, and instead should seek practical solutions to problems," Harris told the Economic Club of Pittsburgh, as her aides handed out a roughly 80-page policy paper on her economic plans. Her speech, in which she said "I am a capitalist," appeared designed to push back against Trump's efforts to label her as a radical "communist." It was also an attempt to appeal to the kind of moderate swing voter who have told pollsters that they trust Trump more on the economy. Harris also attacked Trump's economic plans, which he outlined in a speech yesterday. Trump's pitch is to cut taxes on American businesses, while imposing high tariffs on foreign competitors. On the campaign trail The presidential election is 41 days away. President Biden went on "The View" today and called Trump a "loser" without "a lot of redeeming value." Republicans' electoral college edge, once seen as ironclad, looks to be fading. Here's how news outlets are preparing for election night (and beyond). Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we'll find the answers. An Israeli defense system intercepting missiles over northern Israel today. Atef Safadi/EPA, via Shutterstock The U.S. is trying to broker an Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire American diplomats are working to convince senior Israeli and Hezbollah officials to stand down before their rapidly escalating conflict turns into a wider regional war. U.S. officials hope that finding a way to step back from a war with Hezbollah could help put pressure on Yahya Sinwar, Hamas's leader, to agree to a deal that would end the fighting in Gaza and lead to the release of the remaining hostages. Here's the latest. The diplomatic push comes amid signs that the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel is heating up. Hezbollah fired a missile today at Tel Aviv for the first time, and a top Israeli military leader told soldiers to prepare for a possible ground incursion into Lebanon. Israel continued its barrage of attacks, killing at least 51 people since this morning, the Lebanese health minister said. In related news, Israeli bulldozers tore up miles of streets and destroyed businesses in the West Bank during Israel's latest raid. Filling sandbags in Clearwater, Fla., today. Ricardo Arduengo/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Helene becomes a hurricane as it heads toward Florida Helene was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane this afternoon as it traveled on a path that forecasters expect will bring heavy rain to Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and western Cuba. The storm's path is still taking shape, but Helene is expected to strengthen into a Category 3, or even Category 4, storm before making landfall late tomorrow on Florida's northeast coast. We're tracking the storm live. A vigil for the Apalachee High School shooting victims in Winder, Ga., earlier this month. Christian Monterrosa for The New York Times School threats proliferated after the Georgia shooting In the three weeks since two children and two teachers were shot dead at a Georgia high school, more than 700 students have been arrested and accused of making violent threats against schools. The threats, which have terrified parents and students and caused dozens of school closures, have happened in at least 45 states, according to a New York Times review. Almost 10 percent of those arrested were 12 or younger. More top news Congress: The House passed a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown just ahead of the November election. U.N. General Assembly: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine called for global focus to stay on Ukraine, as much of the world's attention has turned to the intensifying conflict in the Middle East. A.I.: Sam Altman, OpenAI's chief executive, is talking to the United Arab Emirates, Asian chipmakers and U.S. officials to expand the computing power needed to build artificial intelligence. Senegal: In his first interview with Western media since becoming president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye said the U.N. has to change to reflect shifting world demographics. California: One person died after a man with a gun hijacked a transit bus in Los Angeles. New York: Mayor Eric Adams appointed a new schools chancellor, less than 24 hours after the abrupt resignation of David Banks, his longtime friend. F.D.A.: Two members of Congress have asked an inspector general to investigate the top federal regulator for medical devices, whose wife is a leading lawyer for device companies. Sean Combs: Prosecutors said the music mogul orchestrated a firebombing of a convertible. The timing and facts line up with a reported 2012 attack on the rapper Kid Cudi's car. TIME TO UNWIND A screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Nintendo Zelda finally gets her turn in the spotlight For the first time in a Legend of Zelda game, players will be able to play as Princess Zelda instead of as Link, the protagonist of every previous entry in the Nintendo series. In Echoes of Wisdom, out tomorrow, players guide Zelda on a world-saving quest, solving puzzles and defeating enemies. Here's our review. The game is the latest chapter in Nintendo's transformation from a local playing card seller in the 1880s into the famed company we know today. My colleague Zachary Small explored the company's history on a tour of the new Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, Japan. Simbarashe Cha/The New York Times In Milan, designers conveyed confidence though clothing It was impossible to ignore the signs of self-assurance at Milan Fashion Week, which wrapped up this week. On and off the runway, the styles were bold: sharp corners, broad shoulders, extravagant earrings and alluring prints. Check out my colleague Simbarashe Cha's photos of the most memorable looks. In Paris, where fashion week just began, our critic Vanessa Friedman reviewed Saint Laurent and Dior's attempts to grapple with feminine strength. Errollyn Wallen in London. Adama Jalloh for The New York Times Dinner table topics Composer for the King: Errollyn Wallen spent her career challenging conventions. Now she's the official composer for King Charles. A literary journey: An admirer of Dostoyevsky traced the novelist's footsteps through three German spa towns. Cosmic wingspan: Astronomers discovered a black hole emitting energy in jets longer than the width of 140 Milky Way galaxies. Unusual advertising: Your local restaurant is doing sketch comedy on TikTok. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Armando Rafael for The New York Times Cook: This salmon and kimchi skillet is a fragrant delight. Read: Check out these three new fizzy romance novels. Listen: Our critic made a playlist with some of the best outlaw country music. Tend: It's possible to grow a meadow in your front yard without offending the neighbors. Write: We have tips for making it easier to type on your phone. Exercise: This 25-minute strength workout is perfect for beginners. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Wanjing Ping/Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences This cheese stood alone for 3,600 years In a desert in what is now northwestern China, archaeologists uncovered the mummified remains of a woman who was buried about 3,600 years ago. She was dressed in a felt hat, a tasseled wool coat and fur-lined leather boots. Around her neck were chunks of cheese, laid out like a necklace. The dairy decoration is considered the world's oldest known cheese. Researchers who examined it found that it was made with both cow and goat DNA, along with a species of bacteria and yeast that together produce a soft, sour kefir cheese. For those wondering, the scientists didn't taste it. Have a delectable 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. 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