The Evening: Harris and Trump battle for the Midwest

Also, rain from Debby pounded the Carolinas.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 7, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. Dueling campaigns in the Midwest Antiracism protests in Britain Plus, artistic swimming at the Olympics 🇺🇸 2024 The presidential election is 90 days away. Here's the latest from the campaign trail. In Eau Claire, Wis. Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press Harris and Trump battled for the Midwest The Harris and Trump campaigns made dueling appearances today in the same Upper Midwest cities, providing a split screen that emphasized the importance of the region in this year's election. Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly selected running mate, Tim Walz, held a packed rally this afternoon in Eau Claire, Wis., where they issued a full-throated appeal to rural America, promoting her economic policies and his Midwestern bona fides. Tonight, Harris and Walz will host another campaign event in Michigan. At the same time, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, Donald Trump's Midwestern man and running mate, held campaign events of his own in Eau Claire and Michigan. The rival campaigns even passed by each other at an airport. Harris picked Walz, the Minnesota governor, in part because she believed that his identity — a football coach and gun owner who speaks like a Midwesterner — would appeal to voters in states like Wisconsin and Michigan. "He sort of embodies the Midwest," Ernesto Londoño, my colleague based in Minnesota, said. "She clearly thinks that that's going to bring the kind of moderate, white working-class voters that the campaign needs." When we asked undecided voters how they felt about the Democratic ticket, several were still unsure. But Walz's extraordinarily ordinary life has helped energize Harris's base and generated tens of millions in donations. Here's what else to know: Trump has embraced new, sometimes novel tax cuts in an attempt to shore up support with major constituencies. In a Missouri House primary, Wesley Bell defeated Cori Bush, a prominent progressive incumbent. When a conspiracy theory about President Biden was proved wrong, those pushing it doubled-down or moved on. Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we'll find the answers. Stay up to date: Live coverage | Poll tracker | The "Run-Up" podcast | On Politics newsletter Far-right groups called for further protests tonight. Pa Wire/Press Association, via Associated Press Britain braced for protests Thousands of police officers fanned out across Britain today amid fears that protests planned by far-right groups would descend into fresh violence after days of anti-immigrant riots. But at least as of early evening, large far-right protests had not materialized and only a handful of arrests had been made. Instead, thousands of antiracism protesters gathered in cities across the country, including Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool and London. Isle of Palms, S.C. Marco Bello/Reuters Rain from Debby pounded the Carolinas Parts of South Carolina were flooded today after receiving more than a foot of rain from Tropical Storm Debby. The storm is loitering off the coast but is forecast to come ashore again overnight. North Carolina looks to be the area of greatest concern tomorrow, forecasters said, before rain from Debby moves into the Mid-Atlantic and New England. The world's reefs are in the grips of the most widespread bleaching event on record. David Gray/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Extreme heat is threatening the Great Barrier Reef This generation will probably see the demise of the Great Barrier Reef unless humanity acts with far more urgency to rein in climate change, according to new research. The study found that ocean temperatures surrounding the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world, are at their highest in at least 400 years. The extreme heat causes the coral to bleach, meaning it loses the symbiotic algae it needs to survive. More top news Ukraine: Troops have crossed into Russia's western Kursk region and appeared to be advancing, in a major incursion onto Russian soil. Middle East: Several Arab countries are encouraging Iran to exercise restraint in responding to the assassination of Hamas's political leader in Tehran last week. Abortion: Planned Parenthood announced this week that its only Manhattan clinic would stop performing abortions after 20 weeks. Thailand: The Constitutional Court disbanded the country's most popular political party over charges that some of its proposals were an attempt to overthrow the monarchy. Health: Federal health officials urged doctors to address pain from the process of getting an IUD. Taylor Swift: Three of her concerts in Austria were canceled after officials arrested two men accused of plotting a terrorist attack. Space: NASA says problems with Boeing's Starliner may lead two astronauts to flying home on SpaceX in 2025. TIME TO UNWIND The Chinese team in Paris today. Adam Pretty/Getty Images The sport flipping, twisting and pushing for respect Being an artistic swimmer at the Olympics takes a dancer's grace, a gymnast's flexibility, a deep-sea diver's lung capacity — and a large packet of gelatin, dissolved in water and applied to the head like shellac. Today, China won the team event, while the U.S. came away with a silver medal. The event, previously known as synchronized swimming, is a flashy crowd-pleaser, and increasingly elaborate acrobatic lifts have made it much more physically demanding. But year after year, it has had to make the case, at least to the general public, that it is even a sport at all. For more: What to watch | Live updates | Medal count | Photo highlights | Olympics Briefing Sadness and Joy in "Inside Out 2." Disney/Pixar How 'Inside Out' changed therapy Olivia Carter, a school counselor, said that before 2015 she had tried out many different strategies to help her students understand how to communicate their feelings. But after Pixar released "Inside Out," all she had to ask was who had seen the movie. In the animated film, and its sequel "Inside Out 2," emotions like joy, sadness and anxiety operate a control panel inside a child's brain. Therapists we spoke to said that concept has been transformative by providing a common language for children and adults to discuss their emotions. "The Blair Witch Project" was marketed as a potentially true story when it came out in 1999. Illustration by Tala Safie Dinner table topics When reality became debatable: Twenty-five years ago, "The Blair Witch Project" compelled audiences to ask, "Was that real?" The question now permeates our modern era. Touch-screen dining: In his last essay as a restaurant critic, Pete Wells reflected on some of the ways the dining world has changed, and not for the better. The gamer and the psychiatrist: Did Dr. Alok Kanojia's livestreamed conversations with a troubled video game champion cross an ethical line? Getting fit: N.F.L. players have fallen in love with Pilates. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Armando Rafael for The New York Times Cook: Serve this zucchini scampi with crusty bread, or as a side dish to any summery meal. Watch: "The Imaginary" is one of the best children's movies to stream. Read: The novelist Peter Heller recommended his favorite books about Denver. Listen: Our critic made a playlist of songs with great guitar cues. Travel: Southern Sardinia is wild, beautiful and overlooked. Exercise: Trainers often say to "engage your core." Here's what that actually means. Dig: The right shovel can last a lifetime in the garden. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING The New York Times Meet the winners of a zillion blue ribbons It's peak state-fair season in America, when the spotlight hits concession stand foods like pecan pie on a stick and deep-fried ranch dressing (yes, that's a thing). But the real culinary action happens inside pavilions, where thousands of the best cake bakers, jam makers and vegetable canners compete for blue ribbons. The most dedicated competitors analyze categories, pick out the best produce and study how to impress judges. Year after year, they don't just take home a ribbon or two; they dominate. We talked to seven state-fair all-stars about how they do it. Have a victorious evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Kirsten Luce was our photo editor. 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

Tim Walz, ‘Prairie Populist’?

The Democratic ticket acquires an Upper Midwest flavor, plus: Britain's riots aren't over; what's next for Venezuela?; Bangladesh steps into the void; and how Mexican moves reduced US border crossings …

View this email in your browser  Insights, analysis and must reads from CNN's Fareed Zakaria and the Global Public Square team, compiled by Global Briefing editor Chris Good   Seeing this newsletter as a forward? Sign up here.   August 7, 2024 Tim Walz, 'Prairie Populist'? In picking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris has catered to her party's left wing, The Wall Street Journal's editorial board writes, citing a litany of Walz's left-leaning policies: raising taxes, making undocumented immigrants eligible for driver's licenses, offering free college tuition to low-income students (including undocumented immigrants), ensuring paid family and medical leave funded by a state payroll tax, and more.   While drawing ire from conservatives, much of that will likely please Democrats. So has a particular attack line Walz has deployed against former President Donald Trump and his supporters, whom Walz has called "weird." (The Economist prefers this "needling" to President Joe Biden's "sombre approach" of warning that Trump is a danger to America's democracy and national soul.) The Sacramento Bee's editorial board calls Walz "spicy," writing that he "may be the most potent Democrat on the campaign stump to go after Trump both personally and politically."   Perhaps most important to Democrats, so far, are Walz's Upper Midwest cultural roots. The Sacramento Bee dubs him "pure Middle America." The New York Times' Michelle Cottle observes that Walz, who was born in Nebraska, "looks natural rocking a camo baseball cap and grubby T-shirt—a big plus for a party that has trouble relating to regular folks."   Some argue Walz could enhance the Democratic ticket's appeal in parts of the country shaded deep red on recent electoral maps and mitigate some of the party's perceived coastal bias. In a New York Times guest opinion essay, rural Kansan author Sarah Smarsh—who penned the 2018 bestseller "Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth"—writes that many rural Americans have no natural affinity for Trump, a city slicker who reminds Smarsh of salesmen and property speculators who would show up at her family's farm.   "Imagine if the type of person you most loathe became the symbol for your people and place," Smarsh writes. "It has been, for me and so many others, excruciating." Walz, by contrast, "embodies the earnest, humane, rural people who shaped me and the prairie populism that shaped the progressive foundations of the Great Plains. ... [T]he rural white working class is not a monolith. Among them remains a large and consequential minority of sensible people who even in their vulnerable economic state remain unmoved by charlatans blaming immigrants while amassing corporate wealth. In recent decades, the Democratic Party has made little direct appeal to them, such that Mr. Walz's rural background seems downright transgressive on the top ticket." Britain's Riots Aren't Over Anti-immigrant riots have swept Britain, fueled by disinformation about the suspected perpetrator of a stabbing attack on children. As the BBC reports, authorities are bracing for further unrest, and counter-protesters have gathered in some places.   The Spectator's political editor, Katy Balls, writes: "The hope among ministers is that, as individuals are named and sentences handed out, it will start to act as a deterrent against those considering taking part in further disorder in the coming days. More than 2,000 extra riot police are on standby. As the riots drag on, [new Labour Prime Minister Keir] Starmer is facing further criticism of his handling of the situation, including from a former [London police] Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson who suggested too much from Starmer has been rhetoric over action."   X owner Elon Musk has feuded with the Labour government over the riots, tweeting that "[c]ivil war is inevitable" in Britain and drawing a rebuke from Downing Street for it. Noting the spat, The New Statesman's Finn McRedmond writes that the riots have offered a real-world reminder of social media's political toxicity. What's Next for Venezuela? Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was officially declared the winner of his country's election, held two Sundays ago, but few seemed to believe the results were real.   On Sunday's GPS, Fareed spoke with exiled Venezuelan opposition activist and politician Leopoldo López, who said Venezuelans want a transition to true democracy—and that such a change would ease a crisis that has seen millions flee the country in recent years. Bangladesh Steps into the Void "Until she fled Bangladesh on Monday," New York-based author Salil Tripathi, writes for Foreign Policy, "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina governed as if she still had full legitimacy, even as students and protesters had been on the streets for days asking her to resign. The trigger for the demonstrations—civil service job quotas for Bangladeshi freedom fighters and their families—had become a distant memory. Collective anger about years of human rights abuses, corruption, and rigged elections had coalesced into an uprising." CNN's Helen Regan notes heavy Gen Z participation in the protests and reports that government forces killed about 300 people in response.   The military has installed an interim government, naming as its chief adviser Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, a microfinance pioneer known as the "banker to the poor."   Bloomberg columnist Karishma Vaswani calls for a quick democratic transition that can restore confidence in Bangladesh's economy.  It's not clear what will happen to Bangladesh's political system, The Economist writes, noting the main opposition party suffers from similar cronyism to the just-ousted ruling order. "The final question is the extent to which outside powers seek to influence Bangladesh's direction," the magazine writes. "Under Sheikh Hasina it aspired to be the archetypal swing state, balancing China, India and the West in order to extract the maximum concessions from abroad and guarantee the minimal level of interference. Having backed a decaying autocratic regime, India may now be more minded to push for a deeper political reset. And although America and Europe often turned a blind eye to Sheikh Hasina's abuses, they have some leverage over the country as major markets for its garment exporters, and as potential sources of financial assistance. Ultimately, however, Bangladesh's destiny after Sheikh Hasina lies in the hands of its citizens." How Mexican Moves Have Reduced US Border Crossings After a consultation with US officials, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's government made significant and effective efforts this year—a presidential election year for both countries—to slow migration through Mexico to the southern US border, Michelle Hackman and Santiago Pérez write for The Wall Street Journal.     In June, US southern-border crossings fell to their lowest totals since early 2021. July figures are expected to be even lower, Hackman and Pérez write. In Mexico, "security checkpoints dot highways. Mexico's National Guard patrols the southern banks of the Rio Grande, aiming to prevent mass concentrations of migrants. Thousands of asylum seekers caught heading north have been put on buses and sent back to southern Mexico near Guatemala. Aid organizations liken the busing strategy to the board game Chutes and Ladders, as migrants are moved around the country. The policy aims to discourage them from heading north. Many decide to return to South America, migrants say." What did you think of today's newsletter? Send ideas, questions and feedback to globalbriefing@cnn.com   You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for Fareed's Global Briefing. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or sign up to manage your CNN account    Get CNN web alerts  |  Sign up for a free CNN account   ® © 2024 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved. 1050 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318