Word – Wednesday Briefing – The New York Times
Biden faces increasing isolation
As President Biden contends with the rebellion against his candidacy within his own party, he has relied for advice on family members and a few loyalists, who are true believers in the mythology of Joe Biden as the “comeback kid.”
The result has been a standoff between Biden and his inner circle on the one hand, and, on the other, broad swaths of voters and elected Democrats who fear an electoral wipeout in November.
The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has muted some of the pressure on Biden to exit the race. But weeks after the president’s disastrous debate performance, the Democratic Party is still divided about his prospects and his acuity.
Adam Schiff, a California representative running for Senate, gave a warning during a private meeting with donors over the weekend. “We may very, very well lose the Senate and lose our chance to take back the House,” Schiff said, according to people with knowledge of the remarks.
Next steps: Leaders of the Democratic National Committee are moving to confirm Biden as the party’s nominee before the end of July, according to people briefed on the matter.
Fewer migrants: June saw the fewest illegal crossings of the southern border since January 2021. But it is far from clear that Biden will reap the political benefits.
Supreme Court: Biden is seriously considering legislative proposals, like term limits and an enforceable code of ethics, that would dramatically change the top court.
In other U.S. political news:
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The Secret Service faces growing questions over its failure to prevent the attempt on Trump’s life. In the weeks before the shooting, U.S. intelligence agencies were tracking an unrelated Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, officials said.
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On a leaked phone call, Trump tried to coax Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate, into his camp. Here’s our coverage of the second day of the Republican National Convention. Also, read about how J.D. Vance came to be Trump’s pick for vice president.
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Senator Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, was found guilty of taking part in a sweeping scheme to exchange political favors for cash, a luxury car and solid gold bars. Here’s what to know about the conspiracy, which stretched from New Jersey to Egypt.
Roughly 17 people were killed in a strike in Mawasi, a coastal area that Israel has designated a safe zone, the Gaza Health Ministry said. At least five people were killed and eight wounded at the school, in Nuseirat in central Gaza, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society. The Israeli military said it had been targeting militants who operated inside the school.
The school was the sixth U.N.-run educational institution in Gaza to be hit in just 10 days, according to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. Last week, a strike outside a school in Khan Younis killed at least 27 people.
Hamas: The C.I.A. director said that the leader of Hamas in Gaza was under pressure from his military commanders to end the war with Israel.
A deadly day: A Times visual analysis shows why an Israeli operation on June 8 that killed scores of Palestinians had such a high toll.
Ko Maung Saungkha commands a militia of 1,000 soldiers fighting Myanmar’s junta, but his background is not in the military. He is a poet, one of at least three who are leading rebel forces and inspiring young people to fight.
Lives lived: Bengt Samuelsson, a biochemist and Nobel laureate, died at 90. His discoveries led to drugs that treat inflammation, glaucoma and allergies.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
ARTS AND IDEAS
Our restaurant critic leaves the table
After 12 years of eating his way through “the feast” of New York City for The Times, Pete Wells realized that he was no longer hungry. “Exploring, appreciating, understanding, interpreting and often even enjoying that feast has been the greatest honor of my career,” he writes.
Pete wrote about 500 reviews, many of which required three multicourse meals, and he often ate “reference meals,” trying several iterations of a dish. But a recent physical showed bad scores across the board, including high cholesterol, hypertension and obesity.
Such problems often come with the job, he writes, but restaurant critics “avoid mentioning weight the way actors avoid saying ‘Macbeth.’” It was time for something new.
Read Pete’s farewell here, and check out some of his most memorable reviews.
