Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday.
🇺🇸 2024 The presidential election is 67 days away. Here's the latest from the campaign trail.
Trump courts parentsDonald Trump is set to deliver a speech tonight to a gathering of Moms for Liberty, a conservative activist group that says it defends "parental rights" and has called for funding cuts to schools that embrace progressive ideas on gender and race. On the local level, conservative activists that focus on similar issues have lately lost some ground, but Trump's education platform still mirrors their priorities. The event comes as access to fertility treatments emerged as a flashpoint in the campaign. During stops yesterday in Michigan and Wisconsin, Trump — who is struggling for women's votes, according to polls — called for free fertility treatments for all Americans. Democrats, however, questioned Trump's sincerity. Kamala Harris has also positioned herself as a champion for parents. Part of her economic message is a vow to make raising a family more affordable. Here's what else to know:
Israel shifted its West Bank raid to JeninToday, on the third day of raids in the West Bank, Israeli forces began to pull back from the ravaged city of Tulkarm and shift their focus to Jenin. The Israeli police said their special forces had killed a local Hamas commander and two other militants there. In total, at least 19 Palestinians have been killed during the operation, according to local health authorities. Israeli officials said the raids are necessary to stem an increase in attacks on Israeli citizens and troops, but international criticism is mounting over the operation. In related news, relief agencies are rushing polio vaccines to Gaza.
Mortgage rates are falling, but houses are still expensiveAcross the U.S., and in countries around the world, home prices have increased so much in recent years that they have become unaffordable for many middle-class families. However, mortgage rates are beginning to fall as the Federal Reserve prepares to reduce borrowing costs next month. Several economists said 30-year mortgage rates, for instance, could end up in the 5.5 to 6 percent range, down from their 7.5 percent peak last year. Still, housing costs are expected to remain elevated, in large part because there's simply not enough supply to meet all of the demand.
An obesity drug may prevent Covid deathsDuring the pandemic, people who took Wegovy, the popular obesity drug, were 33 percent less likely to die of Covid even before losing large amounts of weight, according to a clinical trial. The study also found that the death rate from all causes was lower among subjects taking Wegovy, a very rare finding in clinical trials of new treatments. The result suggests that lower life expectancy among people with obesity is actually caused by the disease itself, and that it can be improved by treating obesity. In related news, North Carolina covers the costs of obesity drugs for its poorest residents, but stopped covering them for state employees. More top news
A supernatural horror movie based on a true story?In "The Deliverance," Netflix's new riotously wacky horror flick starring Andra Day, Glenn Close and Mo'Nique, a young boy scales a wall after becoming possessed by a demon. The tale is inspired by the story of Indiana woman who says that evil spirits overtook her family in 2011. The state's child service department, which claimed to have corroborated the woman's story, eventually took custody of her three children. Our reviewer wrote that, despite some odd logic jumps and clumsy sound design choices, the film delivers "big, brazen moments engineered to make us race out of the theater and tell our friends what we've just seen."
Embrace the end of summerSure, summer is waning, but Labor Day weekend offers an opportunity to host a picnic or a barbecue, or to simply take in the season's beauty before the leaves change color. My colleague Genevieve Ko pulled together a selection of easy recipes that boost the flavors of end-of-season produce. If you prefer to relax indoors, we have three charming computer games to consider. Do you have a case of the September Scaries? Here's how to manage your stress. Alternatively, you could plan a fall trip to look forward to. Prices are down as the post-pandemic rush seems finally to be easing.
Dinner table topics
Cook: This colorful grain salad is laced with juicy stone fruit and milky burrata cheese. Stock: Red-chile flakes are a pantry staple that can change your cooking. Watch: Here are five science fiction movies to stream right now. Read: Our Book Review Book Club will discuss Jo Hamya's "The Hypocrite" this month. Protect: We have tips for fending off mosquitoes. Compete: Take this week's news quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here.
College dorms with a touch of VersaillesFor some students, especially at large universities in the South, the typical dorm room aesthetic of cheap linens, Ikea furniture and corkboards just will not do. That's where a new class of high-end dorm room interior designers come in, charging as much as $10,000 a room. Depending on how much the college students (or really their parents) want to pay, the designers will equip the tiny living spaces with custom curtains, monogrammed pillows, luxury light fixtures, handmade murals and much more. The clients are almost all young women, but one male student paid a designer to turn his dorm into an Amazonian rainforest. Have a gilded weekend. Thanks for reading. We will be off on Monday for Labor Day. I'll be back on Tuesday. — Matthew Kirsten Luce was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.
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