The Evening: A Republican turnabout on early voting

Also, Israel said it killed a top Hezbollah leader.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 22, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. Many millions of early voters The global fight against inflation Plus, "Dr. Strangelove" for the theater The first day of early voting in Black Mountain, N.C. last week. Mike Belleme for The New York Times More Republicans appear to be voting early With two weeks until Election Day, well over 17 million people — roughly a tenth of all registered voters — have already cast their ballots. Many states have set daily records for early voting, offering the clearest sign yet that voting habits were forever changed by the pandemic. Last presidential election, Democrats dominated the early and mail votes in large part because Donald Trump convinced his supporters that anything but a vote cast in person on Election Day could not be trusted. But this year, the Republican Party has embarked on a multimillion effort to change voters' minds. And so far, it appears to be working. Democrats still have a large advantage in early votes in some states, like Pennsylvania, but Republicans are closing the gap. And in North Carolina, which is also a battleground, early voting totals are almost evenly split between the two parties. Take a look at the early votes cast so far in your state. To be clear, surges in early voting do not necessarily translate into high turnout by Election Day. However, if campaigns know that a voter has already cast their ballot, they can spend their time and money appealing to others. The Republican uptick comes despite Trump's mixed messaging on early voting, calling it "stupid stuff" while himself voting early in Florida's primary. He has repeatedly questioned mail voting in particular, saying without evidence that it is "totally corrupt." On the campaign trail The presidential election is 14 days away. Both Bill Gates and Jamie Dimon, the JPMorgan C.E.O., back Kamala Harris. But they have sought to keep their support private. Republicans who led the effort to deny the 2020 election results are now sowing doubt about this year's vote. Russia is considering actions to stoke protests and even violence over the U.S. election results, intelligence officials said. Trump is planning to go on Joe Rogan's podcast. Which Republican might join a potential Harris cabinet? We asked around. The election has taken over TikTok. Here's what it looks like. Hashem Safieddine in a southern suburb of Beirut, in August. Khaled Desouki/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Israel said it killed a top Hezbollah leader Israel's military announced today that it had killed Hashem Safieddine, the presumed successor to Hezbollah's recently assassinated leader. Israeli officials said he was killed in an airstrike early this month that had targeted a meeting of senior Hezbollah leaders. Western and Israeli officials had identified Safieddine as the man most likely to lead Hezbollah after the killing of its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was his cousin. Hezbollah has not yet confirmed his death. In related news, Israel has decimated Hamas's leadership. But the group's small-scale, hit-and-run approach still poses a threat in Gaza's north. The I.M.F. chief economist, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, at the I.M.F.-World Bank meetings in Washington, today. Brendan Smialowski/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The I.M.F. said the global inflation fight is largely over Global inflation is poised to continue its downward trajectory and widespread fears of a post-pandemic recession appear to have been averted, the International Monetary Fund said today. But, the I.M.F. added, significant economic threats still remain, including violence in the Middle East. The strength of the global economy continues to be driven by the U.S., whose growth is outpacing that of the other advanced economies of the Group of 7 nations. The U.S. is already approaching the Fed's goal of 2 percent annual inflation. In related news, gas prices in the U.S. have dropped to their lowest level since February. Ukrainian servicemen load drones onto a truck Kyiv, today. Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA, via Shutterstock The U.S. agreed to give Ukraine millions to build drones The U.S. agreed to give Ukraine $800 million in military aid that will go toward manufacturing long-range drones to use against Russian troops. The Ukrainians have long been trying to convince the U.S. to buy weapons from manufacturers in Ukraine instead of primarily in America. In related news, the U.S. and Europe are close to finalizing a plan to provide Ukraine with a $50 billion loan backed by Russian assets. More top news Iran: Prosecutors in Manhattan charged four men, including an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps official, in a failed plot to assassinate a human-rights activist in Brooklyn in 2022. Business: Mike Jeffries, the former chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch, was indicted on charges of running an international sex-trafficking scheme. Health: In nearly every state that has banned abortion, the number of women receiving abortions increased between 2020 and the end of 2023. Law: A German princess, Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, spoke with The Times about her friendship with Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Asia: India and China reached an agreement on patrolling their shared, restive Himalayan border. Food: One person died and 49 people have become ill from an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders, the C.D.C. said. Australia: A woman trying to retrieve her phone got stuck upside down between boulders. She was rescued after seven hours. TIME TO UNWIND Armando Iannucci. George Muncey for The New York Times From 'Veep' to 'Dr. Strangelove' One of London's most anticipated upcoming theatrical productions is an adaptation of a movie that came out 60 years ago. That's largely because it's being led by the satirical powerhouse Armando Iannucci, who is most famous among Americans for creating "Veep." But it doesn't hurt that the production — a stage adaptation of "Dr. Strangelove," Stanley Kubrick's beloved doomsday comedy — focuses on themes that can still resonate. Iannucci insists that, given threats from Russia, Iran and others, laughing at nuclear disaster couldn't be more timely. The New York Times A new 'John le Carré novel' At booksellers across the country, a new book called "Karla's Choice" hit the shelves today having been billed as the latest "John le Carré novel." But it was not written by le Carré, the famed spy novelist who died in 2020, but rather by his son, Nick Harkaway. It features George Smiley, le Carré's best-known character, and tries to fill in the 10-year gap between le Carré's breakout novel, "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold," and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." Here's our review. Amrita Chandradas for The New York Times Dinner table topics A $100 billion project in Malaysia: Forest City was supposed to be a "dream paradise" for China's middle class. But on a recent trip, it looked abandoned. Art preservation: Duck stamps have safeguarded large swaths of habitat in the U.S. and inspired some of its best wildlife art. Signs of life: New York City used to be a shopping town. Is it again? So acrobatic, so dangerous: Modern cheerleading has been shaped in large part by one company — and one man. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Sarah Jampel's baked pumpkin pasta. Linda Xiao for The New York Times Cook: This cheesy baked pumpkin pasta is cozy and easy to make. Watch: Parker Finn, the director of "Smile 2," narrated one of the film's crucial scenes. Listen: Roy Hargrove's posthumous album reminds us what he left behind. Cheer: A new N.B.A. season begins tonight. LeBron and Bronny James are set to become the league's first father-son duo. Create: Even a dinky old computer program like MS Paint can be meditative. Exercise: Getting older? It might be worth considering a personal trainer. Compete: Take our quiz to see if you can find the hidden book titles. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Heather Willensky for The New York Times These are New York's best bagels There are few things New Yorkers like to fight about more than bagels. And the arguments have only become more entrenched as bagels have become bigger, fluffier and less traditional over the last few decades. So my colleague Becky Hughes went on a quest to find the city's most remarkable bagels, regardless of variety. Check out her list of the 17 best — some are old-school, others are innovative and a handful are really meant to be eaten as sandwiches. The comments are open for those of you who disagree. Have a well-rounded 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. 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