Monday Briefing: The health of American democracy

Plus, a new Chopin waltz

View in browser|nytimes.com October 28, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering American fears for the future of democracy and Israeli strikes on Iran. Plus: A desperate journey across a dangerous ocean. June Kim Americans express deep concern for their democracy Nearly half of all U.S. voters believe that American democracy does not do a good job of representing ordinary people, according to a new New York Times/Siena College poll. Three-quarters of voters in the U.S. say that democracy is under threat — though their perception of those threats varies widely based on partisan leanings — and a majority of voters believe that the country is plagued by corruption. The eroding faith in the nearly 250-year-old American system of government follows four years of unparalleled challenges: a violent riot in an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election; the criminal conviction of Donald Trump; and his continued insistence that the democratic process is rigged. Those events, colliding with stubborn inflation, divisive culture wars and geopolitical crises, have voters exasperated with American politics and a government that they believe has failed to serve them at the most basic level. Such frustrations have left 58 percent of voters believing that the nation's financial and political systems need major changes or a complete overhaul. The latest: Trump closed his hourslong Madison Square Garden rally last night after a series of warm-up speakers who delivered a litany of racist remarks, vulgar insults and profanity-laden comments. Kamala Harris appeared in Philadelphia, where she courted the city's Puerto Rican population. More on the U.S. election The election is eight days away. A memo circulating in Trump's orbit says that if elected he should use private firms to check appointees' backgrounds and give them access to classified secrets. The Washington Post announced it would not endorse a presidential candidate this year, a decision made by the company's owner, Jeff Bezos. Harris has many celebrities campaigning for her. It has uncorked complicated feelings for Trump and his supporters. Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we'll find the answers. A mural in Tehran stating "Another storm is coming" in Hebrew and Persian. Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times Iran's leaders respond to Israeli strikes Israeli strikes on Saturday destroyed air-defense systems protecting important energy sites in Iran but did not hit the facilities themselves. Leaders of both nations adopted a measured tone after the assault: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said it had achieved its objectives, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran did not appear to explicitly call for retaliation. The Israeli military's chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, signaled that Israel was prepared to strike back even harder if attacked. "We used only a portion of the capabilities," he said. "We can do much more." Their comments came as Israeli and American negotiators headed to Qatar in an effort to revive long-stalled talks aimed at brokering a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Earlier, Israel carried out deadly attacks in southern Lebanon and struck the town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, killing and wounding dozens of people, according to local officials. Analysis: Experts inside and outside the Biden administration fear that Iran may conclude it has only one defense left after the damage to the air-defense systems: the pursuit for an atomic weapon. In Tehran: As tensions have escalated in recent months, huge murals in Persian and Hebrew on a wall in the Iranian capital have telegraphed threats against Israel. People who evacuated from the border region around Kursk, Russia, waiting for aid to be distributed in August. Nanna Heitmann for The New York Times What Ukraine's invasion was like for Russians More than two months ago, Ukraine invaded Russia, in the first incursion into Russian territory since World War II. The experience of ordinary Russians has been difficult to gauge. Cellphone towers have been destroyed, making it hard to reach residents. The region is largely closed to independent reporters, and propaganda has dominated news coverage, as both Russia and Ukraine have reasons to play down the human toll. Read our investigation of how it has unfolded. Related: Videos appeared to show North Korean troops in the country. Some have assembled in the Kursk region, where they are expected to join a counteroffensive against Ukraine. MORE TOP NEWS Pool photo by Takashi Aoyama Japan: The country's governing party lost its majority in parliamentary elections yesterday, throwing Japanese politics into its most uncertain period in years. Britain: The new Labour Party government will deliver its first budget this week. Britons may not like what they hear. Georgia: The governing party won parliamentary elections, as the opposition called for protests and feared that the results could derail the country's pro-Western course. Nigeria: Experts warned that a dam was vulnerable before its failure, which killed up to 1,000 people and displaced nearly half a million. Catholic Church: At a Vatican synod, church leadership said that the ordination of women required further study. U.S.: A Navy commander apologized for the 1882 bombardment of a native Alaskan community, an attack that killed six children and led to widespread suffering. China: Already the dominant producer of rare minerals used in computer chips, the country has further tightened its hold on the materials. Space: A new orbiting telescope will help improve space weather forecasting. SPORTS NEWS Premier League: Liverpool fought back to draw with Arsenal, 2-2. La Liga: Real Madrid and La Liga announced that they would take action after Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal was subjected to racist abuse in a recent game. N.F.L.: An investigation into just how many Uncrustables — frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches — the league eats each year. MORNING READ Georgia Department of Natural Resources, photographed under NOAA permit #20556-01 Follow Squilla, a rare North Atlantic right whale and her firstborn calf, as they navigate a dangerous ocean. Lives lived: Julia Hawkins, a sprinter who set two world records after taking up running after her 100th birthday, has died at 108. CONVERSATION STARTERS Women in rap: Lindsay Zoladz, a pop music critic at The Times, discusses one of the most notable trends in music right now: the number of female rappers on the charts. Goth phase: Were Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch and Max Beckmann inspired by medieval Gothic art? The "Fascism Debate": A leading historian was loath to use the term to describe Trumpism. Now he has changed his mind. ARTS AND IDEAS The Morgan Library & Museum, Robert Owen Lehman Collection on deposit A Chopin waltz, unearthed after 200 years Deep in the vault of the Morgan Library & Museum in New York on a late-spring day, a curator came across a musical scrap the size of an index card with a tiny notation and a conspicuous name: Chopin. After extensive testing, analysis and consultation, the Morgan has come to a momentous conclusion: The work is likely an unknown waltz by Frédéric Chopin, the great fantasist of the Romantic era — the first such discovery in more than half a century. Listen to the pianist Lang Lang play the waltz here. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas. Cook: Oyakodon — a Japanese poached chicken and egg rice bowl — is pure bliss. Travel: Visit Cornwall, England's most magical county. Style: Choose T-shirts designed by women for women. Clean: Here's how to keep your towels fresh and clean. Test: Take our news quiz. 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. 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