Thursday Briefing: Fighting U.S. election interference

Plus, a government reshuffle in Ukraine.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 5, 2024 SUPPORTED BY ROHDE & SCHWARZ By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering interference in the U.S. election and a public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire. Plus: The dangers of "last chance tourism." 🇺🇸 U.S. ELECTION 2024 The presidential election is two months away. This is what we're watching. An RT broadcast in Moscow in 2019. Misha Friedman/Getty Images U.S. fights against Russian election interference The U.S. has accused Russia of using its state media to influence the American presidential election and announced a broad effort to push back on the Kremlin's plans to sway voters. The Kremlin's campaign seems to favor Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, seeing him as more skeptical of continued U.S. aid to Ukraine, intelligence officials said. The attorney general, Merrick Garland, yesterday announced the indictment of two Russian employees of RT, the state-owned broadcaster, and the takedown of a Russian malign influence campaign known as Doppelganger. RT used a company in Tennessee to spread thousands of pro-Kremlin videos on social media. The U.S. is planning more sanctions, indictments and seizures of web domains that it says the Kremlin uses to spread propaganda and disinformation about Ukraine. But it's not just Russia: Iran has become one of the top threats in the disinformation game, U.S. officials and experts say. Here's what else to know: TikTok said that it would add more content about media literacy and how elections work. It will also increase security requirements for verified accounts belonging to American politicians. From the campaign: The Harris and Trump campaigns have agreed to have the candidates' microphones muted at their debate when they are not speaking. Liz Cheney, the once high-ranking Republican from Wyoming, said she would be voting 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 Grenfell Tower in 2017. Andrew Testa for The New York Times A damning final report into the Grenfell Tower fire Seven years after 72 died in a blaze at Grenfell Tower, a public housing building in West London, a public inquiry has blamed unscrupulous manufacturers, a cost-cutting local government and reckless deregulation for the disaster. The 1,671-page final report painted a damning picture of a Conservative-run local council that approved the widespread use of cheap flammable cladding that suppliers knew should never have been used in a high-rise building. Context: The disaster was Britain's worst residential fire since World War II and has become emblematic of the hazards of deregulation and of the persistent social inequality in Britain's capital. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Sergei Chuzavkov/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Zelensky plans a major government reshuffle President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine laid out plans for a significant reshuffling of his cabinet. Half a dozen senior officials offered their resignations yesterday, and a list of nine candidates for top cabinet positions was released last night. Zelensky's overhaul comes at a precarious moment in the war. Russian attacks across Ukraine have increased, killing dozens over the past week. And Ukrainian forces are still trying to maintain control of territory that they have seized in western Russia now that their incursion into the Kursk region has slowed. Context: Zelensky's announcement did not appear to signal fundamental shifts in domestic or foreign policy, but might suggest he's planning for a "new phase of the war," some analysts say. But some critics are worried that such changes could further concentrate power in Zelensky's office, depending on who is named to fill the posts. A MESSAGE FROM ROHDE & SCHWARZ Protecting the lifelines of society Critical infrastructures, such as power grids, transportation systems and financial networks are increasingly vulnerable to various threats. At Rohde & Schwarz, we recognize the importance of ensuring the reliability, resilience, and security of these essential systems. That's why we're dedicated to providing innovative solutions to support the protection of critical infrastructures. Learn more! MORE TOP NEWS Guardia Costiera, via Reuters Italy: Twenty-one migrants were missing at sea, according to survivors rescued from a sinking boat about 10 miles from the island of Lampedusa, the Italian Coast Guard said. Afghanistan: A 114-page manifesto codified the Taliban government's decrees restricting women's rights, including a ban on women's voices in public. Markets: The tumble that began in the U.S. on Tuesday continued across Asia and Europe over concerns about the global economy and major tech companies. Space: Leaving two NASA astronauts behind at the International Space Station, Boeing's troubled Starliner craft is set to begin its return to Earth tomorrow evening. Russia: A Moscow court sentenced a physicist who specializes in hypersonic flight to 15 years in prison on charges of treason. Japan: The country's era of "free" mortgages is coming to an end. Elton John: The British singer said he was recuperating from a severe eye infection that limited his vision in one eye, but that he was optimistic about his recovery. South Africa: A beauty pageant contestant's Nigerian heritage set off a national debate about nationality and, ultimately, xenophobia. War in Gaza Hostages: Hamas released a video of two captives whose bodies were among those recovered earlier this week by the Israeli military. Truce: International mediators are finalizing a new cease-fire proposal to narrow the gaps between Israel and Hamas, U.S. and regional officials said. Gaza: Israel has demanded to retain a military presence in the territory, which Hamas and Egypt oppose. The view among some Gazans on that point is less clear-cut. From the U.S. Gun violence: Four people were killed in a shooting at a high school in Georgia, the authorities said. A 14-year-old was in custody. Business: President Biden is preparing to block a bid by Japan's Nippon Steel to buy U.S. Steel on national security grounds, according to people familiar with the matter. Anna Sorokin: The fake heiress, who went by "Anna Delvey" and who was convicted of larceny and theft, will appear on "Dancing With the Stars." Hunter Biden: His trial on tax charges begins tomorrow in Los Angeles, and there are no indications that a plea deal is likely. Migration: The Biden administration is considering making the president's tough but temporary asylum restrictions almost impossible to lift, officials said. For sale: Rarely seen footage that captures the moments after John F. Kennedy was shot will be auctioned. SPORTS NEWS Soccer: Mats Hummels is set to join Roma following his Borussia Dortmund exit. U.S. Open: Karolina Muchova and Jack Draper advanced to the semifinals. Catch up with the latest updates. (Plus, in praise of the nosebleed seats.) Breaking: Rachel Gunn, the Australian breaker known as Raygun, said much of the heavy criticism of her skills was due to a lack of knowledge of the sport. MORNING READ Stod2/Vilhelm Gunnarsson, via Associated Press Climate change has popularized "last chance tourism," in which adventurers head to glaciers and ice caves before a warming planet erases them forever. But such trips can be perilous. Lives lived: Simon Verity, a British master stone carver who worked on the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Upper Manhattan and the shrine to Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral in England, died last month at 79. CONVERSATION STARTERS Dead butt syndrome: Spend your days at a desk or hours in a car? Learn to recognize the symptoms of "gluteal amnesia." Look ma, no hands: Self-driving cars sometimes struggle to drive themselves. Some get help from human technicians hundreds of miles away. Nepo baby: Jack Robbins makes videos lampooning celebrity offspring culture. His parents, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, help out. ARTS AND IDEAS Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters The return of fashion month Fashion month begins in New York this week, before moving on to London, Milan and Paris. But in a September crammed with attention-demanding events — the U.S. Open finals, the Harris-Trump debate, the Emmys — how can fashion month compete? "By accessorizing with associated content," Vanessa Friedman, our chief fashion critic, writes in this roundup. That means political tie-ins, shows and designers on the move and one big designer debut. In London, Fashion Week will celebrate its 40th birthday with a retrospective exhibition, a bash at 10 Downing Street and a finale blowout party. Here's what to know about what may break through the noise. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS The New York Times Cook: Meal planning can be overwhelming. Here are 100 easy dinners for the months ahead. Travel: Go "wild swimming" in these European cities. Watch: "The Room Next Door," Pedro Almodóvar's first English-language feature, inspires talk of beauty, hope and more collaborations from its stars. Read: Buenos Aires is a literary city. The author Samanta Schweblin provides a guide to her hometown in books. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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