The Evening: The N.Y.P.D. commissioner resigns

Also, a billionaire completed the first commercial spacewalk.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 12, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday. The N.Y.P.D. commissioner's resignation The first commercial spacewalk Plus, Taylor Swift's endorsement Edward Caban had faced calls to step down since news broke that he was entangled in an investigation. Dave Sanders for The New York Times The N.Y.P.D. commissioner resigned Edward Caban, the New York City police commissioner, announced today that he had resigned. Officials in City Hall had asked Caban to quit after federal agents seized his phone last week as part of a criminal investigation — one of several focused on members of Mayor Eric Adams's administration. Caban, who was appointed to his role last summer, explained in an email to the Police Department that the investigation had "created a distraction for the department." Under his leadership, police officials touted recent drops in the city's crime rate. But his successes were overshadowed by a series of federal inquiries targeting Caban and other top city officials. In all, there appear to be at least four federal investigations focused on the mayor and some of his most senior aides. One is examining whether Adams and his campaign conspired with the government of Turkey; another is focused on a bribery scheme involving city contracts; the third includes Caban, his brother and other police officials; and a fourth is targeting the mayor's Asian affairs liaison. A building in the Moscow area damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack this week. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters Biden is facing pressure to loosen Ukraine's arms limits President Biden appears on the verge of clearing the way for Ukraine to launch long-range Western missiles deep inside Russian territory, as long as those weapons were not provided by the U.S. White House officials said Biden had not made a final decision yet, but the issue will come to a head tomorrow when Britain's new prime minister, Keir Starmer, makes his first visit to Washington. Britain has signaled an interest in letting Ukraine strike inside Russia with its Storm Shadow missiles, but wants Biden's go-ahead. Biden has hesitated to allow Ukraine to use American weapons in the same way, particularly after warnings from American intelligence agencies that Russia could respond by aiding Iran in targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East. In related news, Russian forces stepped up their attacks on the strategic city of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian officials said. Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Charlotte, N.C., for a rally today. Travis Dove for The New York Times Harris's campaign is preparing for a 'game of inches' Kamala Harris's strong debate performance has her campaign riding a political high. But polls show that Donald Trump still commands strong Republican support, and surveys in the battleground states forecast very tight contests. Harris's aides are preparing for an exceedingly close grind until Election Day. "This is a game of inches in the swing states," Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said. After her success with the strategy during the debate, Harris's aides want to focus the race squarely on Trump's fitness for office. More from the campaign trail The presidential election is 54 days away. Trump insisted that there "will be no" second debate between him and Harris. Harris raised $47 million in the first 24 hours following her debate. The first general election ballots of 2024 were just sent out in Alabama. Your questions: We're asking readers what they'd like to know about the election and taking those questions to our reporters. Today, we turned to Jonathan Weisman, who covers politics. "Ohio went for Obama in 2008 and 2012. Why is Ohio not seen as an important swing state?" — Maureen Dawn, Ohio Jonathan: Ohio defines the white working-class electorate that has drifted away from the Democratic Party. Perhaps most important, the Harris-Walz campaign has made no effort to contest Ohio this year, unlike its efforts in other states once considered swing states, such as Florida. You can send us your questions here. Jared Isaacman outside the Crew Dragon capsule. SpaceX A billionaire completed the first commercial spacewalk Two private astronauts, including the billionaire Jared Isaacman, lifted themselves outside their spacecraft this morning to conduct the first-ever commercial spacewalk, hundreds of miles above Earth's surface. Here's a video of what they saw. The successful operation was a collaboration between Isaacman and Elon Musk's SpaceX. A key goal of the mission is the development of more advanced spacesuits for any attempt at off-world colonization by SpaceX. More top news California: Three major wildfires in the Los Angeles area have burned more than 100,000 acres, but cooler weather will help firefighters. Syria: Israeli commandos carried out a raid that obliterated a Hezbollah missile production facility. Hurricane Francine: Residents of southern Louisiana survived a harrowing night, but power outages were widespread. New York: Prosecutors said that Harvey Weinstein, whose conviction for sex crimes was overturned in April, faces a new indictment. Gaza: Condemnation of Israel mounted after an airstrike on a shelter killed 18 people. Six U.N. employees died, the most in a single strike since the war began. Mexico: The country is poised to start electing its judges. Mexicans are split on the idea. Tech: OpenAI is closing in on a funding round that would value it at $150 billion. U.S.: Jon Bon Jovi helped talk a woman off the ledge of a Nashville bridge that he was filming a music video on. New York City: Happy, the Bronx Zoo's 50-plus-year-old female Asian elephant, hasn't been seen in two months. The zoo says she's in her barn. Activists are concerned. TIME TO UNWIND Andre Dias Nobre/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images How much influence does Taylor Swift have? Taylor Swift is perhaps the biggest pop star in the world, and this week she endorsed Kamala Harris for president. Will that matter in November? Evidence is mixed on the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements. It appears that they're more important in primaries, when the candidates are similar, than in the general election. But it's also possible that Swift is different: She has an unusually broad fan base, and could encourage some young people to vote rather than stay home. Casey Kelbaugh for The New York Times A little-known path from Manhattan to the Catskills Just 231 people are known to have ever completed the Long Path, a 358-mile hiking trail that connects the bustling streets of New York City to the wild landscapes just south of the Adirondack Mountains. The photographer Casey Kelbaugh knew he wanted to take on the challenge when he saw a trail marker near his house in the Catskills. So he grabbed his camping gear and his camera, and he documented his journey. Simbarashe Cha/The New York Times Dinner table topics Commanding attention: During fashion week, the streets of New York were overflowing with great clothes. French delight: Marseille is for pizza lovers. "The Power Broker": In an astonishing turn, Robert Caro's 50-year-old book seems more popular and relevant than ever. Rising rent: Could your favorite TV and movie characters afford their homes today? WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Linda Xiao for The New York Times Cook: These meatballs have a secret: They're half vegetable, half chicken. Sip: After decades of dry martinis, it's great to go wet. Watch: "My Old Ass" is a buoyant comedy with a big heart. Read: Laszlo Krasznahorkai's new novel consists of just once sentence. He pulls it off. Embrace: There's still plenty of summer to enjoy over the next several days. Relax: Wirecutter said these are the best robes. Hunt: Which Chicago home would you buy with a $650,000 budget? Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Bhumi and Belle, mother and daughter marmosets. David Omer Lab These monkeys have names Marmosets are certified chatterboxes — just listen to them chirp, trill and whistle. The small South American monkeys use their voices to defend territory, announce the discovery of food, warn of danger and find family members hidden by dense forest foliage. They are also the only nonhuman primates to address one another with individual names, according to a new study. That finding surprised scientists because marmosets are not considered cognitively advanced, suggesting that perhaps many more animals use names like we do. Have a friendly 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? 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