Wednesday Briefing: A look at Harris’s polling lead

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August 28, 2024

	By Gaya Gupta and Justin Porter

Good morning. We’re covering Kamala Harris’s lead in the polls and the rescue of an Arab Israeli hostage from Gaza.

Plus, the “Beetlejuice” sequel.

🇺🇸 U.S. ELECTION 2024

The presidential election is less than 70 days away. This is what we’re watching.

Erin Schaff/The New York Times

A look at Harris’s polling lead

Vice President Kamala Harris has enjoyed an extraordinary month, taking leads in most national and battleground states. Multiple events have allowed her bask in the national spotlight, from her entry into the race to the Democratic National Convention. But will she be able to sustain this political sugar high?

The coming weeks will tell. Voters haven’t cemented their views on Harris, but Donald Trump has struggled to cast her in a negative light. And though Harris hasn’t faced any real roadblocks in her campaign (like obvious missteps, tough news cycles, hard-hitting investigations), “at some point, expect this to change,” my colleague Nate Cohn writes. “It typically does.”

One thing the Harris and Trump campaigns share is their embrace of tariffs as a way to protect American manufacturing and workers, though their approaches vastly differ.

Trump has floated the idea of an across-the-board surcharge on global exports, with an especially high tariff on China. Economists warn that such a policy could badly damage international trade, increasing prices for consumers. Harris has shared few specifics on her approach, but a spokesperson said she would “employ targeted and strategic tariffs.”

Here’s what else to know:

Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we’ll find the answers.

Stay up-to-date: Live coverage | Poll tracker | The “Run-Up” podcast | On Politics newsletter

Farhan al-Qadi’s brother showing a photo with him on his phone. Menahem Kahana/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A hostage was rescued in Gaza

Israeli forces rescued an Arab citizen of Israel during an operation in southern Gaza, the Israeli military said. Farhan al-Qadi, 52, is a member of the country’s Bedouin minority and the first Israeli Arab hostage to be rescued alive since the Oct. 7 attacks.

Israeli soldiers and special forces appeared to have found al-Qadi by chance as it was combing through a tunnel network for Hamas fighters, according to two senior officials who spoke anonymously. He was discovered alone and unguarded, in a room roughly 25 yards underground.

Ataa Abu Al-Mudaygham, the former mayor of Rahat, Israel, said al-Qadi had told him he had been held for months in more or less total darkness. “What he described was terrible captivity,” said Al-Mudaygham. “His eyes were still struggling to adjust from seeing the light.”

Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, and Wang Yi, China’s top foreign policy official.  Pool photo by Ng Han Guan

A top U.S. aide is visiting China

Jake Sullivan arrived in Beijing yesterday for talks aimed at showing that U.S. and China can manage their differences. It will be his fifth meeting with Wang Yi, China’s top foreign policy official, in less than 18 months. There is much to talk about — but probably little on which they will agree.

The U.S. wants to talk about limiting the spread of fentanyl and expanding high-level military contacts, as well as about China’s support of Russia. Both sides plan to bring up Taiwan, and Beijing indicated that it wanted the U.S. to ease its controls on technology exports.

Rescuers working at a site of a Russian missile strike in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on Tuesday. Reuters

U.S. Open

Naomi Osaka yesterday. Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

People’s Park, known for its matchmaking corner, in Shanghai. Qilai Shen for The New York Times

Love can be found in the most unexpected places, and Shanghai’s older singles are looking in them. Corners of public parks — and, inexplicably, an Ikea cafeteria in the upscale Xuhui district — have become thriving social hubs for the lonely and retired. They are searching for what has become known in China as “twilight love.”

Lives lived: Mariah Carey’s mother, Patricia, and sister, Alison, died on the same day over the weekend, the pop star announced.

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

Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton are reprising the roles they made famous. Warner Bros.

Tim Burton revisits ‘Beetlejuice’

Tim Burton got the band back together — more than thirty years since “Beetlejuice” cemented itself as a cult classic. Now, the principal cast has reunited for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” debuting at the Venice Film Festival today. Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Burton assembled from time zones far and wide for a video call with The Times, and looked back at the first film, their ghost comedy’s afterlife and that iconic “Day-O” scene.

“It was like falling back into it, like no time had passed,” Ryder said.

Read the full interview with the reunited cast.

Joe Lingeman for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Cook: Gochujang and a spicy slaw dressed with rice vinegar amp up a classic American burger.

Read: Donald Trump’s insecurities and weaknesses harmed U.S. foreign policy, his former national security adviser wrote in his memoir.

Listen: Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth full-length album, “Short n’ Sweet,” is “equal parts playful, vulnerable, amorous and calculating,” our critic says.

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

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Gaya & Justin

P.S. Which of these classic novels got a bad review from our critics? Take our quiz.

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

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