Tuesday Briefing: Election Day is here

A leaked documents scandal in Israel.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 5, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. Americans will pick their next leader today, with major implications for the rest of the world. Plus: Leaked documents caused an uproar in Israel. Voters at the Italian-American Club in San Pedro, Calif., on Monday. Isadora Kosofsky for The New York Times Americans head to the polls The wait is over. Americans will vote today after a presidential campaign season that many say has been darker than any in recent memory. In the final hours, candidates, staff members and tens of thousands of volunteers were in an all-out sprint, with the race deadlocked and the country on edge. Here's the latest. Donald Trump delivered a 90-minute, grievance-filled speech in North Carolina yesterday, while Kamala Harris focused all of her energy on Pennsylvania, the largest of the seven swing states that will choose the next president. Trump continued to depict the nation in dark and menacing terms, often mentioning immigration and crime. Harris emphasized a theme of unity and talked about bolstering the economy and restoring federal abortion rights. The mood: In dozens of interviews over the final days before the vote, Americans reported a grim sense that their nation was coming undone. View from the markets: Investors appear to be unwinding bets on the so-called Trump trade. In a major reversal, bonds have rallied and the dollar and crypto currencies have dipped in the race's final hours. When will we know? Counting the votes will extend beyond election night, and determining the outcome of the presidential race could, too. Here's when to expect results. (We'll have a special post-election newsletter tomorrow morning to catch you up.) More on the U.S. election Here's where Trump and Harris stand on the biggest issues. Harris is counting on many right-leaning voters to shift to the left. The U.S. election could have a significant effect on Ukraine. In an interview, JD Vance explained his vice-presidential agenda. The Times mapped out how Red and Blue America shop, eat and live. If Harris wins, this is how analysts will say she did it. And here's the argument for a Trump victory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, left, and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant. Amir Cohen/Reuters A leaked documents case roiled Israel The Israeli authorities are investigating a civilian who has been working over the past year in the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is suspected of illegally obtaining and leaking classified documents to the news media. The documents helped support the prime minister's reasoning for adding tough new conditions for a cease-fire deal with Hamas over the summer, amid intense public pressure for a deal to release Israeli hostages and end the fighting in Gaza. On Sunday, an Israeli court partially lifted a gag order to identify Eliezer Feldstein, who was hired last year to work as a spokesman in Netanyahu's office, as a suspect in the case. Three other suspects in the case are members of the military and the security establishment, according to the court, and have not been publicly named. Context: Critics say the leak appears to be part of a disinformation campaign by Netanyahu or by his supporters, intended to dampen the campaign for the hostages' release and to influence Israeli public opinion. The prime minister has not been questioned about the allegations. From the region: An Israeli bombardment damaged an already crippled major hospital in Jabaliya, just north of Gaza City, injuring medical workers and patients, the Gazan health ministry said. A Gazan man was faced with a perilous choice as Israel's forces closed in on the north: stay with his family, or risk his life escaping. Cleanup efforts yesterday in Alfafar, Spain.  Jose Jordan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Spain faced yet more rain Reeling from the worst floods in Spain's modern history, parts of the country yesterday experienced up to an additional foot of rain. The national death toll has now risen to 215 people, according to the Interior Ministry, and the country has been rocked by angry debate over accountability, with some people accusing officials of waiting too long to send warnings. Some families are taking to the airwaves to plead for help in finding lost loved ones. The government has deployed hundreds more troops to help with the search for victims, in addition to the thousands of soldiers and police officers already there, according to the emergency authorities. For more: See how a year of rain fell in just eight hours last week. MORE TOP NEWS Christophe Petit Tesson/EPA, via Shutterstock France: Eight people went on trial in Paris in connection with the murder of Samuel Paty, a teacher who was beheaded by an Islamist terrorist in 2020. Pakistan: Primary schools in Lahore canceled classes because of record levels of pollution. Indonesia: At least 10 people were killed when a volcano on the island of Flores erupted for more than 24 minutes. China: Foreclosures have soared, the legal system is struggling to keep up with evictions and the country's housing crash threatens the financial system. Tech: Physical Intelligence, an A.I. start-up seeking to create brains for robots, plans to announce that it has raised $400 million from big investors. Sept. 11: A judge has agreed to hear arguments on the plea deal given to Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and two other defendants, which was reversed by the Pentagon. Media: The Times Tech Guild, which represents workers like software developers and data analysts at The New York Times, went on strike. (The paper now has more than 11 million subscribers, according to its most recent earnings report.) California: A county's sheriff's office agreed to pay $300,000 after it seized a 9-year-old girl's pet goat, which was later slaughtered, court documents show. SPORTS NEWS Soccer: Edu, Arsenal's sporting director, is expected to leave the club to join the group of teams controlled by Nottingham Forest's owner. Hockey: One month into the N.H.L. season, The Athletic takes a look at the unusual things that have happened so far. Formula 1: How Lando Norris's push for the title faltered because of a gamble and an unlucky red flag. MORNING READ Meredith Kohut; Grant Harder; Anna Boylazis; Fabeha Monir; Florence Goupil; Yagazie Emezi; Enri Canaj; Tatsiana Chypsanava; for The New York Times For teenagers living in areas around the world affected by climate change, the sense of growing crisis is real — not in some hazy future but today, disrupting their adolescence in ways both large and small. Athanasios Kosteas, 16, lives in Kalamata, Greece, where temperatures in September regularly rose to 90 degrees Fahrenheit — 32 degrees Celsius — or higher. ''When it's hot, I feel dizzy, and I get angrier and angrier, and I don't want to work anymore," he said. Lives lived: Murray McCory, whose signature innovation, the lightweight JanSport backpack, revolutionized school life for millions of students, died last month at 80. CONVERSATION STARTERS Ceviche, quinoa, pisco: How Peruvian food became a global sensation. Terror bird: In Colombia, a fossil-collecting rancher found a giant, flightless killer from 13 million years ago. Cia-Cia: An Indonesian tribe has adopted the Korean alphabet to preserve its own oral language. ARTS AND IDEAS Damon Winter/The New York Times Remembering a giant of American music Quincy Jones, a generational musical force, died on Sunday night at 91. For more than half a century, as a jazz trumpeter, arranger, composer and producer, he helped shape American popular music. Without Jones, there would be no "Thriller," the best-selling album of all time; no "Austin Powers" theme music; no "Sinatra at the Sands." He left a profound influence on nearly every genre he touched — jazz, funk, soundtracks, syrupy R&B and chart-topping pop — and created the conditions for other Black musicians to flow between styles, outlets and markets. Read our obituary, listen to some of his most iconic songs and check out his life in photos. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Christopher Testani for The New York Times Cook: Need a break from the election? Make these brownies. Watch: "Blitz," by Steve McQueen, is not just another World War II drama, our critic writes. Snooze: This test can help show whether you're drowsy or sleep deprived. Wear: These are the best chore coats. Compete: Take this week's Flashback history quiz. 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 tomorrow. — 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. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, 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