Friday Briefing: Stars rally for Harris

Plus, an interview with the Taliban's most fearsome leader.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 25, 2024 By Justin Porter Good morning. We're covering Kamala Harris's star-studded campaign as well as plans for a new round of Gaza cease-fire talks. Plus, an interview with the Taliban's most fearsome leader. Kamala Harris, Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama backstage in Georgia yesterday. Erin Schaff/The New York Times Harris packs in the star power Kamala Harris held a rally with former President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen in Atlanta yesterday. She painted Donald Trump as a child, saying that during his administration he had "people who could control him." But she also made the case that a second Trump administration would be dangerous, pointing out that many of the aides who were able to rein him in, including John Kelly, have spoken out against him. Earlier this week, Kelly called Trump a "fascist," remarks that Harris is highlighting in two stark new ads. Harris also addressed young people, who will be integral to her turnout in November. She acknowledged that they were "rightly impatient for change," having grown up amid a climate crisis and active-shooter drills, watching as the rights that their grandparents had enjoyed were taken away from them. Harris closed the event by telling the crowd, "Your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power." Beyoncé is headlining Harris's next rally, today in Houston. The event will be focused on abortion rights. The country music legend Willie Nelson will also be in attendance. More on the U.S. election Election Day is Nov. 5. Elon Musk has grown more frenzied in his efforts to help elect Trump. Trump raised the possibility of eliminating income taxes and replacing the lost revenue with money received from tariffs. On "The Daily," Times journalists discuss both campaigns' strategies. Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we'll find the answers. A former school in Nuseirat, Gaza, that was bombed by Israel yesterday. Eyad Baba/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A renewed push for a cease-fire in Gaza Negotiators are expected to meet over the weekend in an effort to revive cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The head of Israel's spy agency is expected to meet with the C.I.A. chief, William Burns, and the prime minister of Qatar. U.S. officials said that they were open to the possibility of a shorter cease-fire to allow more aid into Gaza in exchange for the release of a small number of the dozens of hostages. But it remains unclear whether Hamas was willing to re-engage in the long-stalled talks after Israel killed the group's leader. On the ground: Israel said it had struck a Hamas command center inside a compound formerly used as a school in Nuseirat in central Gaza. Video obtained by Reuters taken after the strike shows wounded people, including children, at the compound, which has been housing displaced Palestinians. Other Middle East news: Iran has several plans in case Israel launches a strike, but Iranian officials said that if Israel limits its attacks, Tehran may not respond at all. The main emergency service in Gaza has ceased all rescue operations in the northern part of the territory because of an Israeli offensive in the area. Lebanon's military said that three more of its soldiers were killed in an Israeli attack in the south. France said it would support the recruitment of thousands of extra troops for Lebanon's military. A defaced wall mural reading "Peace for me is the right to vote" in Kabul, Afghanistan. Wakil Kohsar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The world opens up to the Taliban After facing near-total international isolation over recent years for their erasure of women's rights, the Taliban are now seeing a shift. Dozens of countries have welcomed Taliban diplomats. There has even been talk of removing the group from terror lists. The diplomatic moves toward normalizing the Taliban reflect a growing consensus among world leaders that the Taliban government is here to stay. Afghanistan's best hope for change? Sirajuddin Haqqani was once known as an angel of death who topped the U.S. most-wanted list. But since the Taliban returned to power, he has tried to remake himself into a pragmatic statesman. Our Afghanistan bureau chief, Christina Goldbaum, interviewed him. Here's what she learned. MORE TOP NEWS Dibyangshu Sarkar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images India: About a million people were evacuated from parts of the eastern coast, as Tropical Cyclone Dana approached. Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced significant cuts to the number of immigrant newcomers after years of expansion. Climate: A U.N. assessment of the world's climate goals found that countries have made no progress in cutting emissions over the past year. Russia: At a summit, President Vladimir Putin appeared to acknowledge that North Korean troops had been deployed to his country. Britain: Lucy Letby, a former nurse who was convicted of the murder of seven babies, lost her bid to appeal one of her convictions. Turkey: Despite a deadly attack, the government is showing a new openness to reviving talks with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or P.K.K. Business: Boeing's largest union rejected a tentative contract, extending a damaging strike after the company reported a $6.1 billion loss. Mozambique: Daniel Chapo was declared the winner of the presidential election after a process marred by violence and fraud accusations. Coins: Seven friends testing a metal detector found the Chew Valley hoard — the most valuable treasure ever discovered in Britain. A.I..: President Biden is expected to sign the first national security memorandum on how the Pentagon and the intelligence agencies should handle artificial intelligence. SPORTS NEWS Julio Cortez/Associated Press Baseball: The World Series is here, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees set to battle for the trophy. Here are our experts' predictions. Soccer: When the French superstar Kylian Mbappe made his long-awaited move to Real Madrid, he chose to live in La Finca, an exclusive private development in Spain's capital. Formula 1: A breakdown of the Mexico City Grand Prix circuit. MORNING READ Shiho Fukada for The New York Times The journalist Shiori Ito became the face of #MeToo in Japan when she went public with rape allegations against a well-known television correspondent. Now, as she prepares for the release of "Black Box Diaries," a documentary she directed about her experiences fighting Japan's justice system, she's ready to move on. Ito's defiance has made her a feminist hero in some circles and a punching bag in others. Lives lived: Ron Ely, a television actor best known for his role in the 1960s show "Tarzan," died at age 86. CONVERSATION STARTERS A normal partner: Lana Del Ray married her longtime boyfriend, Jeremy Dufrene, a swamp tour guide. Other celebrities have also wed someone who's not rich or famous. Math is power: A documentary filmmaker and a mathematician discuss our fear of numbers and its civic costs. Attention, passengers: American Airlines is testing a system that will produce a sound when a passenger tries to skip the line. ARTS AND IDEAS Illustration by Chantal Jahchan; Photographs by Getty Images Do people in 'blue zones' live longer? The concept is simple and alluring: There are special regions around the world — called blue zones — where people remain vibrant and active into their 90s and 100s, thanks to a simple set of behaviors that anyone can follow. It's sensible enough to sound convincing and ambiguous enough to support a health and longevity empire. In the 20 years since blue zones were first introduced, the Blue Zones brand (now trademarked) has spawned eight books, a Netflix series and several product partnerships, all in the name of helping people attain their longevity goals. But not everyone is buying into it. Some experts are questioning whether the blue zones themselves might be too good to be true. Here's what they are saying. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Cook: Scallion oil is the star of this foolproof preparation for flavorful fish. Watch: "Magpie," starring Daisy Ridley, is about female rage and the loneliness of motherhood. Read: Here are four new romance books with a spooky twist for Halloween. Train: These exercises extend the spine's range of motion and can help prevent back injuries. Travel: Vancouver serves as a gateway to explore the beauty of British Columbia's coastline. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. Have a good weekend. Natasha will be back on Monday. — Justin Reach Justin 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. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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