Thursday Briefing: Calls grow for Biden to drop out

July 11, 2024

	By Daniel E. Slotnik

Good morning. We’re covering more calls for President Biden to end his re-election bid and the latest on the war in Gaza.

Plus, a Go master warns people about A.I.

Representative Nancy Pelosi wearing a blue dress.

Nancy Pelosi, the congresswoman and former speaker of the House. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

Calls grow for Biden to drop out

President Biden faced a fresh wave of pressure yesterday to step aside as Democrats aired concerns that he would lose to Donald Trump in November.

Nancy Pelosi, congresswoman and former speaker of the House, gave the strongest public signal yet that Democrats were divided over Biden’s candidacy. On a news show, she said that “time is running short” for him to reconsider, adding that she would back him “whatever he decides.”

Explicit calls for Biden to withdraw increased. Representative Pat Ryan of New York, one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents, called on Biden to drop out “for the good of the country.” He was the eighth House Democrat to do so publicly.

George Clooney, who hosted a $28 million fund-raiser last month for the president, also pleaded with him to step aside in a New York Times opinion essay, adding that he had seen Biden’s decline up close.

Biden has tried to silence his doubters by criticizing the Democratic “elites” who he portrays as having turned on him, my colleague Peter Baker writes. Biden may also be hoping to run out the clock until his nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month.

Donald Trump: The former president is nearing the end of his monthslong search for a running mate. This analysis shows how Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s club in Florida, became a White House in exile for America’s far right.

Civilians stand on a street piled with rubble, amid empty ruined houses. A car is smashed, and none of the buildings have windows.

The destroyed Shajaiye neighborhood in Gaza City. Omar Al-Qattaa/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Israel urged Gaza City residents to evacuate

The Israeli military dropped leaflets telling Palestinians to flee south from Gaza City through four “safe corridors,” a sign that renewed fighting there was likely to continue.

Residents leaving along the approved routes would be allowed through “quickly and without inspection,” the Israeli military said. The move is the latest example of Israeli troops’ coming back to areas they had previously secured and left. Analysts have said Israel’s unwillingness to install an alternative administration in Gaza has created a power vacuum, allowing Hamas to regroup.

Deadly airstrike: Israel hit a school turned shelter in Khan Younis on Tuesday, killing at least 27 Palestinians, according to Gazan authorities. Israel said the strike had targeted a Hamas member.

President Joe Biden sits at a large roundtable with other heads of state during a NATO Summit.

A working session at the NATO summit in Washington, yesterday. Doug Mills/The New York Times

NATO plans to cement long-term support for Ukraine

The NATO summit is wrapping up today in Washington. Leaders are expected to issue an official document that solidifies the alliance’s “irreversible” commitment to move Ukraine closer to membership.

The document won’t lay out an exact timeline, and there could be last-minute changes to it, but more and more U.S. and European officials believe that Ukraine will eventually be able to join.

The alliance is also preparing for Donald Trump’s possible re-election. NATO is taking steps to make itself the main organizer of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, rather than the U.S. Member nations will also be pushed to spend at least 2 percent of their economic output on their militaries, a commitment that Trump has railed against them for failing to meet.

MORE TOP NEWS

Alec Baldwin exits a black SUV, his gaze downcast.

Prosecutors accused Alec Baldwin of reckless disregard. Sonia Goydenko for The New York Times

U.S.: The actor Alec Baldwin went on trial over the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the movie “Rust.” Here are four takeaways.
Russia: A lawyer for the jailed dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza said his client was “stable” after being moved to a prison hospital without explanation.
Europe: Analysts see the elections in Britain and France less as a resurgence by the left than a trend of intense political polarization across Europe.
Britain: Rwandan officials said their government did not have to repay the money it received from Britain as part of a plan for the African country to take in migrants.
Pakistan: Authorities are bolstering security for Chinese workers after a surge in militant violence targeting Chinese-funded megaprojects.
Venezuela: Venezuelans abroad find it almost impossible to register to vote in this month’s presidential election. Many left because they oppose the autocratic president.
Spain: Some tourists are experiencing more hostility from locals, angry over housing shortages and overcrowding.
West Africa: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are withdrawing from the ECOWAS bloc, further destabilizing the region.
Crime: The police in England apprehended a man who was suspected of killing three women with a crossbow.
Science: A woman who lived for 47 days with a kidney transplanted from a genetically modified pig has died.

Business and the economy

Trade: The Biden administration said it would impose tariffs on imports of Mexican steel and aluminum that are partly made in China.
South Korea: Workers at Samsung Electronics decided to extend a three-day strike indefinitely. The union has been negotiating since January over vacation days and wages.

Sports

Two soccer players, one in white and one in orange, struggle for the ball.

England's Declan Rice, left, and Xavi Simons of the Netherlands, during yesterday’s match. Darko Vojinovic/Associated Press

Soccer: England faced off against the Netherlands in the Euro semifinals. Read our coverage here.
Wimbledon: Lorenzo Musetti eliminated Taylor Fritz and other updates from day 10.
Swimming: The World Anti-Doping Agency cleared itself of wrongdoing over its decision not to discipline Chinese athletes who tested positive for a banned drug.

MORNING READ

On a film set made to look like a train car, a man in a burgundy sweater wearing a mask talks to other crew members and actors.

The director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat on a film set. Ketan Mehta

The writer-director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat bristles when people put a Bollywood label on “Kill,” his claustrophobic action film that pits a commando against bandits during a train robbery.

Bhat spoke to us about crafting gory fight sequences in tight spaces, the real-life inspiration for “Kill” and his love for James Cameron’s “Aliens.” Read the interview.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Not too wiggy: Shani Lechan makes custom human-hair wigs that are worn by neighborhood moms and supermodels like Naomi Campbell.

Grand funeral: About 100 volunteers held an elaborate ceremony in Berlin for ancient skeletons that were discovered there nearly 20 years ago.
Behind “The Bear”: Will Guidara used to run an acclaimed restaurant. Now he’s helping replicate one on television.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

ARTS AND IDEAS

Lee Saedol sits at a table with a Go game board in front of him. His right hand rests on a white game piece placed on the board.

Lee Saedol, one of the world’s top Go players. Jean Chung for The New York Times

A warning about A.I.

Lee Saedol was the finest player of the board game Go in his generation, an 18-time world champion, when an artificial intelligence program beat him in 2016.

Lee retired three years later, disheartened, as what he considered an art form was mastered by an algorithm’s ruthless efficiency. Now he delivers lectures about A.I., urging others to be prepared for how the technology could affect humanity’s future.

“People used to be in awe of creativity, originality and innovation,” he said. “But since A.I. came, a lot of that has disappeared.”

RECOMMENDATIONS

Chicken fried rice inside a wok that is set atop a gray textured surface. The dish is garnished with chopped cilantro and peas.

Linda Xiao for The New York Times

Cook: This chicken fried rice is easy and delicious.

Quit: Giving up vaping isn’t easy. Here are some tips on how to stop.

Read: Amy Tan’s avian obsession fueled her new book, “The Backyard Bird Chronicles.”

Watch: A new series about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders looks at what lurks beneath the glossy surface.

Travel: The lavender fields of central Spain rival vacation favorites like Provence in France.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Dan

We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition, 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 Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on: