Wednesday Briefing: Early voters head to the polls

Plus, a radical approach to flooding

View in browser|nytimes.com October 23, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering the latest from the U.S. election and Antony Blinken's visit to Israel. Plus: Politics and TikTok. Voters lined up to cast their ballots in Stamford, Conn., on Monday. John Moore/Getty Images Early voters head to the polls As of yesterday, some form of early voting has commenced in all seven swing states. By Monday, 17 million people had already cast a vote, and there are initial indications that Republicans are showing up to the polls or returning absentee ballots with more gusto than in recent years. In 2020, Donald Trump thoroughly demonized every method of voting that didn't occur in person on Election Day, and he repeatedly discouraged his supporters from taking advantage of expanded access to mail-in and absentee voting, saying that those methods would cause "chaos and confusion." Not all states release early voting data broken down by partisanship, limiting the snapshot. But available data and experts who closely following ballot returns see an uptick for Republicans in a few key places. As of Monday evening, about 39.5 percent of the roughly 245,000 ballots submitted in Nevada came from Republicans, and 36.3 percent came from Democrats. Sowing doubts: A handful of Trump's allies are already questioning this year's voting. Their efforts could help lay the groundwork to once again undermine the results should Trump lose. Silent backers: Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan's chief executive, has told associates of his support for Vice President Kamala Harris only in private conversations. And Bill Gates donated about $50 million to a nonprofit organization that is supporting her run, but he has not endorsed her. More on the U.S. election Americans head to the polls in less than two weeks. Russia may act to stoke protests and even violence over the U.S. election results, intelligence officials warned yesterday. As Election Day nears, Polish American voters — as well as other Eastern European ethnic groups — have become a hot electoral commodity. John F. Kelly, the former Marine general who was Trump's longest-serving chief of staff, said that he believed Trump met the definition of a fascist and would govern like a dictator. Trump will record a podcast interview with Joe Rogan as part of his strategy to reach young men. The Harris campaign hopes that a blitz of Facebook ads and WhatsApp channels will help win over disillusioned Muslim and Arab voters. A Times analysis found that Project 2025, a conservative initiative to reshape the government, has numerous ties to Trump and his campaign, despite his claims otherwise. Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we'll find the answers. Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. Nathan Howard/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Blinken urges truces in Gaza and Lebanon Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, met with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, in Jerusalem yesterday. It was Blinken's 11th visit to the region in just over a year. He pressed Israel "to capitalize on" the killing last week of Hamas's leader, Yahya Sinwar, and to end the war with Hamas in Gaza, according to a State Department spokesman. Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defense minister, told Blinken that Israeli strikes against Hezbollah would continue even after the country's ground invasion of Lebanon ended — "until it is possible to ensure the safe return of Israel's northern communities to their homes, and the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from southern Lebanon," Gallant's office said in a statement. Developments: Israel's military said that it had killed Hashem Safieddine, the presumed successor to Hezbollah's recently slain leader, in an airstrike near Beirut, Lebanon, in early October. There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah. In Beirut: The Israeli military hit buildings overnight, killing at least 18 people, including four children, according to Lebanon's health ministry. Janet Yellen, the Treasury secretary. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images A $50 billion loan to Ukraine The U.S. and Europe are close to finalizing a plan to provide Ukraine with a $50 billion loan backed by Russia's frozen central bank assets, the U.S. Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, said yesterday. An announcement could come this week, as finance ministers and central bank governors hold talks in Washington during the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. "This is a way of making Russia bear the cost and the expense of the damage that it's inflicting on Ukraine," Yellen said at a news conference. Related: The U.S. has agreed to provide $800 million in military aid to Ukraine for the manufacturing of long-range drones. Inflation: The I.M.F. said that the global economy had managed to avoid falling into a recession. MORE TOP NEWS Rebecca Blackwell/Associated Press Business: Mike Jeffries, the former chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch, was indicted on charges of running an international sex-trafficking scheme. Diplomacy: Britain and Germany agreed to strengthen military cooperation and develop sophisticated weapons through a new defense pact. Taiwan: China said it would carry out live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait, a week after the Chinese military conducted large-scale exercises. Russia: Isolated by the West, President Vladimir Putin scored a diplomatic victory by welcoming the leaders of China, India and South Africa for a summit of emerging-market countries. Himalayas: India and China reached an agreement on their shared border, which could ease hostilities. Malaysia: The Chinese property developer Country Garden promised to deliver a "dream paradise" of 700,000 apartments across four man-made islands. Then it defaulted on its debt. Iran: Prosecutors in New York charged four men, including an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps official, in a failed plot to assassinate an activist in Brooklyn in 2022. Singapore: The son of the country's first prime minister said he was granted political asylum in Britain. Catholic Church: The Vatican extended an agreement with China on the appointment of bishops there. Climate: Russia's warming Arctic is a serious threat. Western climate scientists can't study it, however, because of the war in Ukraine. Australia: A woman's attempt to retrieve her phone left her stuck between two boulders — upside down. SPORTS NEWS Soccer: Toni Kroos explains his decision to retire while at the top of his game. Commonwealth Games: Glasgow will host a stripped-back version of the event in 2026. Basketball: As the N.B.A. season begins, predictions for each team. MORNING READ Andrew Testa for The New York Times When tidal waters were permitted to sweep across a huge tract of land on the Somerset coast in England, the project was slammed as "ridiculous" by a local lawmaker. But the result, a swampy wilderness that acts as a natural and hugely effective bulwark against flooding, has been transformative. Lives lived: Christine Boisson, a French actress who became famous at 17 with her performance in the erotic film "Emmanuelle," died at age 68. CONVERSATION STARTERS Retail paradise: New York's reputation as a shopping town has waned over recent years, but there are new signs of life. Varsity Spirit: How did cheerleading become so athletic — and so dangerous? Political infighting: Why was the vice president of the Philippines threatening to behead President Ferdinand Marcos? Sex and literature: New York's literati welcomed Feeld, a sex-positive dating app, with a new erotic magazine. ARTS AND IDEAS The New York Times The election has taken over TikTok Every week, thousands of videos that mention Vice President Kamala Harris or Donald Trump rack up hundreds of millions of views on TikTok. The clips — election updates, conspiracy theories and dance routines — might feature bombastic debate clips, comedic impersonations and solo diatribes. Fans of Taylor Swift, for instance, use her songs to promote Harris and Trump alike (even though the pop star herself has endorsed Harris). Other users put their own spin on political commentary, including via the musical "Hamilton." Reporters for The Times watched hundreds of videos from creators across the political spectrum. Here's what we learned. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Cook: This cheesy baked pumpkin pasta is cozy and easy to make. Create: Even a dinky old computer program like MS Paint can be meditative. Watch: The comedy "What We Do in the Shadows" begins its final season. Preen: Learn about the science behind hair growth supplements. Listen: Roy Hargrove's posthumous album is a reminder of what the trumpeter left behind. 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 next time. — 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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