Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday.
Biden vowed an orderly transitionPresident Biden said today that he accepted Donald Trump's victory and vowed to honor the Constitution with a peaceful transfer of power, even as he acknowledged the pain felt by supporters of him and Kamala Harris. "The American experiment endures," Biden said at the White House. "We're going to be OK, but we need to stay engaged. We need to keep going, and above all, we need to keep the faith." The remarks came as a demoralized Democratic Party played the blame game and stared at a largely powerless future. In dozens of interviews, lawmakers and strategists tried to explain Harris's defeat, pointing to misinformation, the war in Gaza, a toxic Democratic brand and the party's approach to transgender issues. Democratic voters, some of whom had become dedicated activists after Trump's first win, are wondering if they can summon the strength to do it all — or even some of it — over again. Trump has shifted his focus to filling out his second administration with loyalists ready to deliver on his campaign promises, which were far more sweeping than what he enacted in his first term. His expansive agenda would reshape government, foreign policy, national security, economics and domestic affairs as dramatically as any modern president has before him.
The Fed cut rates againFederal Reserve officials cut interest rates today to a range of 4.5 to 4.75 percent, their second reduction this year and the latest sign that policymakers believe inflation is finally coming under control. Meeting just after Trump's election victory, Fed officials avoided talking about politics afterward. Asked by reporters, Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, said he would not leave if asked to resign. Inflation peaked in 2022, but it has been moderating ever since. As of the latest report, it is nearly back to normal: September price increases came in at 2.1 percent overall, just above the Fed's 2 percent goal. Taxes: Trump advisers and Republicans on Capitol Hill are already looking at ways to scale back some of his most expensive tax cut ideas.
Russia is hitting Ukrainian cities with waves of dronesAs Russian troops march forward in eastern Ukraine, Moscow has unleashed a wave of long-range drone strikes that has little precedent in the war. Over the past two months, there was only one night when Russia did not launch swarms of drones packed with explosives at targets far from the front. The barrage included attacks aimed at Kyiv. In October, the Ukrainian military said it had tracked a record 2,023 unmanned aircraft against civilian and military targets, with the vast majority shot down or disabled by electronic warfare systems.
Australia moved to ban teens from social mediaFar-reaching legislation announced today in Australia would make social media off limits to anyone under 16. The proposed law, which would put Australia at the forefront of regulating social media access for children, would hold platforms accountable for enforcement, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. If passed, the restrictions would take effect 12 months later. In an open letter published last month, more than 100 experts and organizations in Australia and elsewhere acknowledged the serious risks of social media but raised reservations about keeping children from information and connections online that may help them develop. More top news
Ridley Scott returns to the arenaIt has been 24 years since the director Ridley Scott scored one of the biggest hits of his career with "Gladiator," a swords-and-sandals epic starring Russell Crowe that won the Oscar for best picture. "Gladiator II," which will be out in theaters this month, picks up two decades after Crowe's character, Maximus, died heroically in the arena. Ahead of the release, my colleague Kyle Buchanan met in Los Angeles with Scott, who spoke his mind about rejected sequel ideas, Joaquin Phoenix's plan to quit the original and working with Denzel Washington.
In tumultuous times, turn to 'healing fiction'A booming genre called "healing fiction" — cozy, feel-good novels that have long been popular in Japan and South Korea — are catching on in translation around the world. The novels typically take place in mundane locations, like laundromats, convenience stores, diners, bookstores and cafes, but they often have a dose of magical realism. The genre's fans say the heartwarming, whimsical stories offer comfort at a time when the world seems chaotic and off-kilter. Dinner table topics
Cook: Chicken and dumplings work beautifully in a slow cooker. Watch: "Christmas Eve in Miller's Point," a lightly nostalgic ensemble piece set on Long Island, is a critic's pick. Read: An imagined chat with Winnie-the-Pooh commemorates the 100th anniversary of A.A. Milne's "When We Were Very Young." Listen: Our reporter visited Susanna Clarke, the author of "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell," at her limestone cottage in England's Peak District. Give: Here are 37 great gifts for teachers. Prevent: Doctors say these eight factors can raise your heart disease risk. Travel: Here's how to spend 36 hours in San Francisco. Play: Today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. For more, find all our games here.
A penguin far from homeLast week, on a beach in the small town of Denmark in Western Australia, something distinctly un-Australian turned up: a male emperor penguin. The bird was about 2,100 miles from Antarctica, where one might expect to find it, probably driven by the search for food. The penguin didn't seem to have been flummoxed too much by its new surroundings, but it soon discovered that sand and ice are very different. "He did a little belly slide on the sand. I think he thought it was snow," one onlooker said. "He didn't get far. He had a bit of a tumble." Have an adventurous evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Jonathan Phil Pacheco was our photo editor. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at evening@nytimes.com. And follow The New York Times on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and TikTok at @nytimes.
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