The Evening: The economy looks strong

Also, Trump is returning to the site where he was shot.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 4, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday. A strong economic picture The drawbacks of marijuana use Plus, Saoirse Ronan's Oscar buzz Karl Russell The economy looks strong after the latest jobs report The American labor market, which for months has worried even some optimistic economists, looked in remarkably good shape today after the government released a new employment report. Businesses added 254,000 jobs last month, far outpacing expectations. The unemployment rate declined to 4.1 percent and wage growth remained strong. The robust jobs numbers align with other strong economic data to paint a portrait of a solid economy. Consumer spending has been holding up, overall growth has been solid and inflation has ticked town. Employers appear to be meeting resilient consumer demand by expanding their work forces. The fresh data is good news for the Federal Reserve, the White House and Kamala Harris. The report came less than a day after striking dockworkers agreed to return to work, avoiding what could have been a major economic disruption before the election. The vice president has been trying to argue that she and President Biden deftly led the economy through the challenges of the pandemic. In related news, a surge in pandemic era start-ups has helped drive job growth, and could have longer-term benefits. People gathered for Friday prayers led by Iran's supreme leader, in Tehran. Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times Iran's leader threatened to attack Israel again Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led the Friday prayer in Tehran for the first time in nearly five years. He used the rare appearance to praise the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and warn that Iran would strike Israel again if it continued its military campaigns against his allies, Hezbollah and Hamas. At the same time, Iran's foreign minister was in Beirut, appearing eager to convey Iran's readiness to support a joint cease-fire in Lebanon and in Gaza. Here's the latest. Overnight, Israeli warplanes carried out a strike in an area just south of Beirut that targeted Hashem Safieddine, the presumed new leader of Hezbollah. It is unclear whether Safieddine was killed. In related news, American officials said that the leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, is holding out for a wider regional war. The scene in Butler, Pa., after the shooting of Donald Trump in July. Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump is returning to the site where he was shot A few days after he was shot by a would-be assassin in Butler, Pa., Donald Trump said he would tell the story once, and never again. Then he spent the next three months stitching the shooting into a campaign narrative about "them" — the Democrats, the Deep State, the Marxists and the news media — trying to stop him at all costs. Tomorrow, that effort will culminate in Trump's dramatic return to the scene of the shooting for a huge campaign rally. The former president will be given enhanced protection, but some law enforcement officials are still concerned, and one former Secret Service officer called it "ill-advised." On the campaign trail The presidential election is 32 days away. Kamala Harris was shaped in part by her now-estranged father, who lives just two miles away from her. We asked undecided voters for their biggest worries about both candidates. Here's what they said. "The Daily" held a round table with our political reporters to discuss the state of the race with four weeks left to go. Javonte Hill experienced psychosis after smoking marijuana legally purchased in Colorado. Chet Strange for The New York Times Marijuana use is growing, and so are the harms Marijuana is now legal in 24 states, and people are consuming more of the drug, more often and at ever-higher potencies. Most of the tens of millions of people who use marijuana don't experience problems. But a growing number, mainly heavy users, have experienced addiction, psychosis and other harmful effects. Hundreds of people told my colleagues about serious — sometimes frightening — symptoms that they were stunned to learn could be caused by cannabis. Here are some of their stories. More top news Hurricane Helene: The storm damaged an estimated 80 percent of the buildings in the River Arts District of Asheville, N.C. Haiti: At least 70 people — including 10 women and three infants — were killed in a gang attack, according to the U.N. Human Rights Office. Supreme Court: The justices agreed to decide whether Mexico can sue gun manufacturers in the U.S. for aiding in the trafficking of weapons used by drug cartels. Climate: The Supreme Court also said it would not stop the Biden administration from enforcing rules to reduce emissions of mercury and methane. Eric Adams: In a poll, 69 percent of adults living in New York City thought the mayor should resign. Britain: The government said that it would back two proposals to capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial plants and bury it beneath the sea. European Union: The top court said governments in the bloc must recognize legal changes to a person's gender identity and name made in other E.U. nations. Science: Researchers said they found the world's oldest termite mound, at 34,000 years old, in an arid region of South Africa. TIME TO UNWIND Celeste Sloman for The New York Times Saoirse Ronan is generating Oscar buzz, again At 30, Saoirse Ronan has spent more than two decades in front of the camera and has been nominated for four Oscars. The Irish actress has played the title character in "Lady Bird" and Jo March in "Little Women," as well an immigrant in New York, a child assassin, a vampire and Lady Macbeth. Now, Ronan's two latest projects have put her back in the awards conversation. She plays the leading roles in Nora Fingscheidt's "The Outrun," which opened in theaters today, and Steve McQueen's "Blitz," out on Nov. 1. Her performance in Fingscheidt's film is stunning, our critic writes A scene from "Salem's Lots," directed by Gary Dauberman. Justin Lubin/HBO A scaredy cat's guide to horror movies The October ritual of watching horror movies in the lead-up to Halloween can be exhilarating. Unless, of course, you can't quite stomach the spooky, gory and gruesome. My colleague Maya Salam used to hate that spine-tingling feeling, but now she considers herself a horror enthusiast. She has five tips for anyone who wants to start enjoying scary movies, too. To get started, here are five new horror films to check out. Tomer Zvulun, artistic director of Atlanta Opera. Ray Spears for The New York Times Dinner table topics Investing in opera: Unlike its peers, Atlanta Opera is growing and producing ambitious work. College football: Does a multibillion-dollar sports enterprise, attached to American universities, make any sense? Delivery dispute: A New Jersey couple sued Uber after a crash left them severely injured. A pizza order unraveled their lawsuit. A viral fashion show: The French house Coperni closed Paris Fashion Week with a show at Disneyland Paris. WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND Julia Gartland for The New York Times Cook: This salsa di noci (walnut sauce pasta) is simple yet luxurious. Watch: "Where's Wanda?" is a charming German dramedy. Read: Our Books desk recommended eight books to read this week. Focus: Challenge yourself to look at this portrait by Alice Neel for 10 minutes, uninterrupted. Prepare: Some expired Covid tests are still effective, but they do eventually degrade. Salvage: Here are four ways to turn around a bad day. Compete: Take this week's news quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING 32 Chunk is a strong competitor in Fat Bear Week. E. Johnston/National Park Service It's Fat Bear Week Election season has arrived. By that, I mean it's the time of year when millions of viewers will tune in to a live webcam of Alaska's Katmai National Park and vote for the fattest bear around. The contest, which is in its 10th year, is designed to celebrate the bears' successful feeding season before their hibernation. This year's race is anyone's to win because the reigning champion and a few other veteran bears haven't been seen at the park's salmon run this season. Have a well-nourished weekend. Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Monday. — Matthew Kirsten Luce 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. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, 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. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018