The Evening: Trump faces Hispanic voters

Also, the Supreme Court suggested that U.S. water regulations are too vague.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 16, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. Trump's town hall with Hispanic voters A potential solution for brain drain Plus, NASA's new spacesuit Donald Trump at a town hall in Doral, Fla., today. Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump faced tough questions from Hispanic voters During a town hall this afternoon, a former supporter of Donald Trump, alarmed by the former president's handling of Jan. 6, gave Trump the opportunity to win back his vote. Trump turned it down. Instead, the former president offered a version of the storming of the Capitol out of step with reality and said it was OK that the questioner might not vote for him. The event, in which Trump faced questions from undecided Hispanic voters, was the latest in a media blitz by both candidates to lure votes from their opponents' bases in a close race. Trump has recently declined to mollify skeptics, instead escalating threats to opponents that he has deemed the "enemy." Trump has even threatened to turn the military on Americans because they oppose his candidacy — a level of retribution never before publicly discussed by a presidential candidate. On the campaign trail The presidential election is 20 days away. Kamala Harris sat for an interview today with Fox News that will air at 6 p.m. Eastern. Here's why she agreed to it. The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that people with felony convictions can vote after finishing their sentences. Jimmy Carter cast his ballot today for Harris. It's not just Taylor Swift. Musical activism is back. Your questions: We're asking readers what they'd like to know about the election. Today, we gave one to my colleague Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court. What scenario could lead to the presidential race being contested where the Supreme Court of the United States would get involved? — Stephanie, Calabasas, CA. Adam: There are countless ways in which the outcome of the election could effectively be decided by the Supreme Court, but almost all of them hinge on three factors in combination: a very tight race in one or more battleground states that could determine the national result where voting procedures are open to plausible legal challenge. All those factors were present in Bush v. Gore, the 2000 decision that delivered the presidency to George W. Bush. They may recur this year, but that is hardly certain, as the 2020 election demonstrated. That year, in a brisk and dismissive order, the Supreme Court refused to throw out the results in four battleground states that Donald Trump had lost. There is little reason to think the court is eager to get involved this year, either. Indeed, some justices may be reminded of the election administrator's prayer: "Lord, let this election not be close." You can send us your questions here. Jim Wilson/The New York Times Justices suggested that U.S. water regulations are too vague The Supreme Court's conservative majority appeared to side with San Francisco today in its argument to the court that the Environmental Protection Agency's water regulations are too vague. The case could have sweeping implications on the government's ability to curtail pollution. At its core, the case was about whether the Clean Water Act of 1972 allowed the E.P.A. to impose generic prohibitions on waste water released into the Pacific Ocean and to penalize the city. San Francisco, often considered a liberal bastion, was joined by mining and oil industry groups. Separately, the Supreme Court temporarily cleared the way for the E.P.A. to limit carbon emissions by power plants. Smoke rising from an Israeli airstrike today in Dahiya, south of Beirut. Hussein Malla/Associated Press Israel launched strikes near Beirut The Israeli military carried out airstrikes today in Hezbollah-dominated areas in Beirut's southern suburbs, the first attacks in days near Lebanon's capital. American officials have told Israel that they were concerned about the civilian toll there. Here's the latest. Israel also struck a southern Lebanese city where local officials were meeting, killing at least 16 people, including the mayor, according to Lebanese officials. The Lebanese government postponed the start of the school year and designated 1,000 schools as shelters for the one million people displaced by the bombings. Melissa Lukenbaugh for The New York Times Can remote workers reverse brain drain? Many midsize, non-coastal cities have struggled with "brain drain": successful young professionals leaving for places like New York and Los Angeles. Tulsa, Okla., may have found a solution: It offered $10,000 to remote workers willing to move there. Researchers found that the workers ended up living a more affordable lifestyle, and that the city raked in additional tax revenue. More top news Italy: The Senate passed a law that criminalizes seeking surrogacy abroad. North Korea: Pyongyang has been sending military engineers and soldiers to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky pitched his "victory plan," which he said could end the war by next year, to Parliament. Nigeria: A fuel tanker overturned and exploded, killing more than 140 people, many of whom had gathered to scoop up spilled gasoline. Court: A man who stashed fentanyl in a Bronx day care that killed one child and poisoned three others last year was sentenced to 45 years in prison. U.S.: Recent hurricanes spurred pet adoptions nationwide. Lives Lived: Megan Marshack was the subject of rumors about Nelson Rockefeller's last moments. She broke her silence posthumously. TIME TO UNWIND Thomas Tuchel, center. Ryan Pierse/Getty Images England entrusted its most cherished team to (gasp!) a German Many of Britain's largest tabloids plastered the news in all caps: England's beloved men's national soccer team will soon be led by a coach from Germany — one of the country's greatest rivals for a century. Some of England's fans were outraged that a symbol of national pride would be handed over to a German. The right-leaning Daily Mail called it a "dark day for England." But the sporting logic of the hiring is easy to follow, wrote my colleague Rory Smith. The new coach, Thomas Tuchel, has a résumé stuffed with soccer triumph. Axiom, Prada NASA's new spacesuits were designed by Prada When NASA sends a group of astronauts to the moon during the Artemis III mission in 2026, they will be wearing Prada. The fashion label helped design the suit in collaboration with the space contractor Axiom. It's NASA's first major suit redesign in four decades. Prada's involvement started "as a sort of joke," said Lorenzo Bertelli, the chief marketing officer of Prada. The company's fingerprints can be spotted in a few aspects of the function-first design — including the carefully placed red stripes. Alex Goodlett for The New York Times Dinner table topics Adrenaline equality: This year women began competing in mountain biking's scariest and most lucrative event, which was long reserved for men. Limits of genius: The architect Paul Rudolph's once-praised buildings have become cautionary tales. Family history: Eddie Van Halen changed rock. Now, his brother is telling their story. Good hair days: At fashion weeks, hairstyles are becoming as integral as the clothing. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Bryan Gardner for The New York Times Cook: If you like mustard, this strip steak with Dijon sauce is for you. Watch: A new Netflix documentary, "Sweet Bobby," tells a sinister tale of a decade-long online romance scam. Read: Two new books argued that "us vs. them" mind-sets are natural and maybe even useful. Listen: On "Modern Love," Amelia Dimoldenberg offered advice for flirting. Cope: More than 25 million Americans are afraid of flying. We have tips for relieving the stress. Tend: Make room for "cosmopolitan plants" in a garden of natives. Compete: Take our quiz to see how well you know famous fictional detectives. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Kristian Thacker for The New York Times A beloved maple tree came down, but lives on On Daryln Brewer Hoffstot's farm in western Pennsylvania, a colossal sugar maple stood out. The tree offered a majestic canopy for birds and children, and Hoffstot, a writer, likened it to a family member after she lived in its glory for three decades. But then the maple started to die, and the time came to cut it down. Hoffstot decided that it should live on in a different form, so she had bowls made from the maple wood. "Now, instead of gazing up at the tree, I can hold her in my hands," she wrote. Have a comforting evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Sean Kawasaki-Culligan 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. 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