Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday.
Biden promised federal support for survivors of HelenePresident Biden traveled today to Florida and Georgia, where he toured pockets of devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. He promised that the federal government would not abandon the communities that were damaged by one of the deadliest storms in American history. Most of the 198 reported deaths — a figure that officials expect to rise — occurred far from Florida, where the storm first made landfall. Many of the hardest-hit areas were in and around western North Carolina, where residents were not prepared to evacuate. The heavy toll of hurricanes far away from the coastline is not new. From 2013 to 2022, more than half of deaths attributed to tropical cyclones were caused by inland flooding. "Inland deaths are growing because there's too much focus on the coast," a former FEMA administrator said, adding that he expected more discussion about the use of mandatory evacuation orders in inland areas. Several towns were left without food, water, phone service or gas. Supplies are now flowing into many of the most ravaged areas, but language barriers made it difficult for some Latino communities to find support. Looking back: For years, North Carolina lawmakers have rejected building standards that experts now say could have prevented some damage.
Cheney aims to help Harris appeal to conservativesKamala Harris is campaigning this evening alongside Liz Cheney, the most prominent Republican to cross party lines and endorse her. They are holding an event together in Ripon, Wis., the symbolic birthplace of the Republican Party. Cheney agrees with Harris on very little politically, aside from their distaste for Donald Trump. Her appearance with the Democratic candidate in a battleground state is an attempt to appeal to Republican and independent voters who are repelled by Trump.
Israel expanded its evacuation orders in southern LebanonThe Israeli military today urged the evacuation of more than 20 additional towns and villages in southern Lebanon, where its troops are fighting Hezbollah militants. The move appeared to be a sign that the ground invasion that Israeli forces began this week could be expanding. The Israeli military said it had struck about 200 sites in Lebanon overnight. Lebanese health officials also said the death toll from an Israeli strike near the heart of Beirut had risen to at least nine people. Here's the latest. In related news, oil prices jumped after Biden said he was discussing an Israeli strike on Iran's facilities.
An exodus of agents left the Secret Service unpreparedThe Secret Service knew that 2024 would be a big year. There would be presidential campaigns, political conventions and a NATO summit on top of the typical threats. But the agency wasn't ready: More agents left the service in 2022 and 2023 than at any point in decades. We talked to dozens of former agents about the punishing hours, dilapidated facilities and lackluster leadership that prompted them to depart, leaving the agency unprepared to respond to an assassination attempt against Trump. More top news
Can wacky cocktails save the movies?Movie theaters have been struggling with declining attendance for decades. But this summer, AMC earned more from concessions on the weekend "Deadpool & Wolverine" was released than at any point since 2019, in large part because moviegoers were quick to buy a pair of superhero-themed cocktails. Similar limited-edition drinks and popcorn buckets, as well as popcorn alternatives like Korean gochujang wings or chocolate-hazelnut-filled churros, have recently become ubiquitous at theaters looking to entice viewers who might otherwise have waited a few weeks to stream a film. In theaters this weekend: The new sequel to the award-winning "Joker" is seriously un-fun.
A bartender, a firefighter and a Giuliani walk onto a fairwayThe Brooklyn Open is by turns a golf competition and a block party. The event — at a city-owned course designed by one of America's pre-eminent golf architects — is open to everyone, and attracts golfers with backgrounds as varied as their swings. We spent the day at the course to see what it's like to play in what one writer called a "very unusual golf tournament."
Dinner table topics
Cook: Want a better scone? Try adding potatoes. Watch: In the documentary "Blink," parents take their kids on a world tour before they lose their sight. Read: The writer Megan Kamalei Kakimoto recommended books that explain Hawaii. Travel: Visiting a Disney park? We have a guide for avoiding the lines. Soothe: Here's what to do if your eyes feel strained. Move: Exercise can help improve many gut issues, like I.B.S. Hunt: Which Brooklyn home would you buy with a budget of $800,000? Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here.
Future astronauts could turn to rocks when hungryNASA is preparing for a future where astronauts travel to Mars and perhaps beyond. But the deeper the space travel, the more difficult it is to pack enough freeze-dried meals to sustain the crew. So a group of engineers came up with an alternative food source that they believe is better than trying to farm: space rocks. The astronauts wouldn't chomp down on the asteroids. Instead, they would break the rocks down into their components and feed them to bacteria, resulting in a "biomass" with nutritional properties similar to Earth food. Have an inventive 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.
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