The Evening: Campaign attacks heat up

Also, the U.S. said North Korea sent troops to aid Russia.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 23, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. Harris's focus on Trump North Korean troops in Russia Plus, Seth Meyers's less likable side Kamala Harris in Washington, today. Tierney L. Cross for The New York Times Harris sharpens her message on Trump Kamala Harris delivered a short and searing statement today from the vice president's official residence at the Naval Observatory, rarely a site for political events. She called Donald Trump "unhinged and unstable," and said that reports that he made admiring remarks about Hitler offered voters "a window into who Donald Trump really is." Harris pointed to comments that John Kelly, the former Marine general and Trump's longest-serving chief of staff, made to my colleague Michael Schmidt. Kelly, across three interviews, said that Trump met the definition of a fascist and would govern like a dictator if re-elected. Listen to his comments. Trump's campaign has tried to discredit Kelly, and has denied his accounts. Harris's speech today, after which she took no questions, showed a shift in campaign strategy. As Democrats grow anxious about the closeness of the race, Harris is trying to turn the race into a referendum on the former president — a man they think they can convince enough voters to vote against. Trump has also ramped up his attacks on Harris. His comments have become more personal and derogatory as Election Day nears. More from the campaign trail: Harris will do a town hall with CNN tonight. Trump has two events in Georgia, a battleground he appears to be narrowly leading. An Omaha district could deliver a tiebreaking vote for Harris. Here's what it's like there. Trump's allies are reviving voting machine conspiracy theories with a blitz of lawsuits. No, a voting machine did not "flip" a vote in Georgia. Gender may be the defining issue of the election. What's at Stake: The Pace of Change The presidential election is 13 days away. Each day, The Times will feature one story that focuses on the impact of the choice voters will make. By Erica L. Green Kamala Harris is not offering sweeping change, even as voters express dissatisfaction about the direction of the country. She's an institutionalist who wants to preserve democratic ideals, and an incrementalist who believes progress takes time. That means her pragmatic approach could be frustrating to some supporters. READ THE STORY Erin Schaff/The New York Times What Drives Kamala Harris: The Art of the Possible → Ahn Young-Joon/Associated Press The U.S. said North Korea sent troops to aid Russia Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said today that North Korean troops had landed in Russia to join the fight against Ukraine. Austin called the troops' presence a "very, very serious" escalation that would have ramifications in both Europe and Asia. American officials estimate that 3,000 North Korean troops have been dispatched to training sites in the Russian Far East. South Korean officials said they expect their numbers to swell to 10,000 by December. Austin cast the development as a sign of desperation by Vladimir Putin, the Russian president. More than 600,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to U.S. estimates. For more: Here's what we know about relations between Russia and North Korea. A picket line outside Boeing's Seattle office, last week.  M. Scott Brauer for The New York Times Boeing workers are voting on whether to end their strike Members of Boeing's largest union, whose ongoing strike has brought most of the company's commercial airplane production to a halt, are voting today on whether to approve or reject a new contract. The deal on the table includes raises of nearly 40 percent over four years. However, even if the more than 33,000 workers agree to return, Boeing's new C.E.O. acknowledged that there's still much more to do in order to revitalize the beleaguered company, both in its reputation and its finances. It lost $6.2 billion in the last quarter. On the left, a text exchange between the chatbot and Sewell Setzer. Sewell's mother, Megan Garcia, right. Victor J. Blue for The New York Times Can A.I. be blamed for a teen's suicide? Just before taking his own life, Sewell Setzer, a 14-year-old from Florida, took out his phone and texted his closest friend: a lifelike A.I. chatbot named after Daenerys Targaryen, a character from "Game of Thrones." He had spent months talking to the chatbot, which he called "Dany." He expressed to her his thoughts of suicide and a desire to "come home" to her. This week, Sewell's mother filed a lawsuit that accused the company behind the bot of being responsible for his death. Read about Sewell's story. More top news Lebanon: Israel struck the ancient city of Tyre after issuing its broadest evacuation order there yet. Health: The leader of a long-running study on puberty blockers said she has not yet published it because of the political environment. Turkey: Five people were killed and 22 injured at a state-run aerospace company in what officials called a "terrorist attack." France: Gisèle Pelicot testified in the rape trial of her husband and dozens of other men charged with sexually assaulting her. New York: A four-year-old boy starved to death in a Harlem apartment. The city's child welfare agency will conduct an in-depth review. Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was urged to resign by members of his party during a closed-door meeting. Education: Professors in trouble for pro-Palestinian activism wonder if free speech is dying. Health: Hundreds of volunteers joined a test for an Alzheimer's without being told that they were at high risk for brain injuries. Two died. Sports: Julia Hawkins, who took up running after her 100th birthday and set two world records in the 100-meter dash, died at 108. TIME TO UNWIND Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times Seth Meyers isn't as nice as you might think As the host of "Late Night," Seth Meyers has spent the last decade crafting a genial on-air persona. He did the same for the decade prior on "Saturday Night Live." So it might surprise some fans to see him embrace the testier, less flattering aspects of his personality on "Dad Man Walking," his new comedy special, which comes out this weekend. It's about parenting, or as Meyers describes it: the reality that "good parents have moments where they really hate what their kids are doing." Friends of his, like John Mulaney and Andy Samberg, said it's a part of his personality that's always been present. Shrek, a Przewalski's horse, in Aurora, Colo. Daniel Brenner for The New York Times How two of the world's rarest horses got lost Hannah Huckabay, who lives with her four children on a ranch in Aurora, Colo., paid $1,375 this summer to save a mule from the so-called slaughter pipeline. But when the animal arrived, she realized that it was not a mule but a Przewalski's — a horse so rare that it was once extinct in the wild. Shockingly, the Huckabays weren't alone. Another Przewalski's turned up at a Utah sanctuary after it had been purchased at an auction for just $35. My colleague Sarah Maslin Nir traveled across the region, talking to ranchers and investigating how the horses got there. Here's what she found. Little Island is one of New York's newest free attractions. Colin Clark for The New York Times Dinner table topics Cheapskate in New York: There's free art, beautiful walks, decent lodging and delicious food. Here's how to visit Manhattan on a budget. Regional treasure: The hard-shell taco deserves your respect. 'Floppy ankles': A soccer star's biggest flaw is also is also what makes him so great. Here's why. Stumping scientists: Mysterious white blobs have been washing up on Canada's shores. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Linda Xiao for The New York Times Cook: These pumpkin-orange rice balls combine Senegalese and Japanese cuisine. Watch: "Snack Shack" is one of this month's best under-the-radar streaming picks. Read: These four new novels are brimming with historical drama. Find: You can use your phone's camera to search the internet. Here's how. Exercise: Rest days are good, but active recovery days can be better. Grate: This kitchen gadget seems gimmicky, but it actually works pretty great. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING The American Giants Museum in central Illinois. Bryan Birks for The New York Times A tribute to the fiberglass giants For more than a decade, a 19-foot-tall fiberglass man has towered over Atlanta, Ill., a tiny no-stoplight town along Route 66. Now, a few more gigantic figures, including a 22-foot gas station attendant, have joined him in the newly opened American Giants Museum. This free museum celebrates the history of the fiberglass statues, which are commonly known as muffler men. Hundreds of them were made in the 1960s and '70s and sold to businesses as advertising tactics. Have a tremendous evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Jill Foley 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. 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