Friday Briefing: Biden promises a peaceful transition

November 8, 2024

	By Gaya Gupta

Good morning. We’re covering U.S. preparations for a transition to Donald Trump and Australia’s plan to ban social media for teens.

Plus, the readers turning to “healing” fiction.

President Biden looks down, holding a pair of sunglasses and wearing a blue suit.

President Biden yesterday at the White House. Anna Rose Layden for The New York Times

Biden promised an orderly transition to Trump

President Biden urged Americans to accept the election of Donald Trump and vowed that there would be an orderly transfer of power.

“The American experiment endures,” Biden said at the White House yesterday. “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.”

After his victory, Trump shifted his focus to filling positions in his new administration with loyalists ready to deliver on his campaign promises. His expansive agenda would reshape government, foreign policy, national security, economics and domestic affairs as broadly as any modern president has before him.

After winning the Senate, Republicans inched closer to keeping control of the House with three victories in Pennsylvania. Control of both chambers in Congress would give Trump an easier path to carrying out sweeping new proposals.

Meanwhile, Democrats faced a largely powerless future as party leaders grappled with how deeply they underestimated Trump’s hold on the nation. In interviews, lawmakers and strategists tried to explain Vice President Kamala Harris’s defeat, pointing to misinformation, the war in Gaza, a toxic Democratic brand and the party’s approach to transgender issues.

More on the election result

Australia’s ambassador to the U.S. has deleted posts on X that were critical of Trump.
China is bracing for a new phase of rivalry with the U.S., though its economic problems may limit its options for pushing back.
In 2016, social media was awash in calls to protest Trump’s victory. After his win this time, many said it seemed like business as usual.
After Trump’s victory, the mood is shifting in Russia. Some see an opportunity for President Vladimir Putin.
Elon Musk gave Trump his money and time on the campaign trail. What does he expect in return?

From Opinion: Our columnists break down what the worst version of a second Trump administration would be.

An aerial photo shows three people walking across a dry, sandy riverbed.

The dry bed of the Madeira River in northwestern Brazil in September. Edmar Barros/Associated Press

This year is on track to be the hottest on record

Just days before U.N. climate talks open in Azerbaijan, a new report said that this year will almost certainly be the hottest on record.

2024 will also be the first year in which global temperatures will have consistently risen 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, according to the assessment, from an E.U. agency that monitors global warming. That threshold is the level of warming that scientists say would expose the Earth to permanent damage. While a single year above the threshold isn’t the end of the world, it’s “not good news,” and scientists said it would put the planet on a dangerous trajectory.

At the annual climate negotiations, starting Monday, diplomats and leaders will try to chart a course forward. Here’s what to know about COP29.

Related: A U.N. report warned that rich countries aren’t spending enough to help developing nations adapt to climate shocks, saying that hundreds of billions of dollars per year were needed.

Two adolescent girls sitting on a bench, with one holding a cellphone, seen from behind.

David Gray/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Australia wants to ban teens from social media

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will introduce legislation to his cabinet today that would make social media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram, off limits for anyone under 16. If passed by Parliament, it would put Australia at the forefront of regulating social media access for children.

Details: Under the proposal, platforms would be held accountable for enforcing the rules. There will be no exemptions for children with parental permission, but neither underage users nor their parents will face punishment for violations.

MORE TOP NEWS

People walking along a muddy road, some of them carrying others either on their backs or in their arms.

Evacuees from the coastal town of Aparri, Philippines. Francis R Malasig/EPA, via Shutterstock

Philippines: Typhoon Yinxing made landfall, bringing dangerous winds and extreme rainfall to Luzon.
Middle East: The Israeli military said that it had struck dozens of sites in the north and south of Lebanon. Lebanese officials said dozens of people had been killed.
Germany: The collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition will very likely lead to early elections in March, at a precarious time for the country.
Ukraine: Over the past two months, Russia has launched waves of drones at cities, including Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said.
Pakistan: The authorities in Lahore told half of the work force to stay home as record-breaking air pollution choked the region.
Canada: The government ordered TikTok to close its offices in the country because of national security risks.
U.S.: A judge’s ruling revived the possibility that the man accused of planning the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks could get life in prison instead of the death penalty.
New York: A man shot another man and fled into the subway, the police said, forcing passengers to take shelter on the floors of train cars.

Business and The Economy

Britain: The Bank of England cut interest rates, but policymakers said the country’s new budget meant it would take longer to bring down inflation.
U.S.: The Federal Reserve Board cut interest rates by a quarter point, the second reduction this year.
Cars: Nissan Motor said that it would slash 9,000 jobs and reduce its global production capacity by 20 percent.

Sports

Baseball: Meet the next Japanese star pitcher, Roki Sasaki.
Olympics: The Australian breaker Rachael “Raygun” Gunn plans to retire from competition.
Tennis: Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have qualified for the WTA Tour Finals.

MORNING READ

Aaron Fowler

Something distinctly un-Australian recently turned up on a beach Down Under: a male emperor penguin, who had swam thousands of kilometers north from Antarctica.

It may be the farthest journey a penguin has undertaken on its own. The reason, one scientist says, was almost certainly food. Emperors are known for their appetites.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

A .gif shows sparks flying as a giant puppet is burned.

Thomas Prior for The New York Times

Burn, baby, burn: Every year, Santa Fe incinerates a giant monster puppet — a ritual meant to purge anxiety and promote a reset.
An ancient twist: D.N.A. analysis has revealed new truths about the destruction of Pompeii in 79 A.D.
For rent: Keir Starmer, the British prime minister who recently moved to Downing Street, is looking for a tenant.
Back to the Colosseum: Ridley Scott’s sequel “Gladiator II” has been in the works for over two decades. Scott speaks his mind about the project.

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

ARTS & IDEAS

Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times

The refuge of ‘healing fiction’

Cozy, feel-good novels, often featuring magical cats, are popular in Japan and South Korea. Now, translated books of “healing fiction” are catching on around the world.

The novels typically take place in mundane locations — laundromats, convenience stores, diners, bookstores and cafes — but often have a dose of magical realism. Fans say the books offer an escape from news about wars, politics and climate disasters. Read more about feel-good books.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Cook: This simple roast chicken calls for just four ingredients.

Watch: In “Heretic,” Hugh Grant puts his charm to fiendish use.

Prevent: These 8 factors can increase your risk of heart disease.

Listen: “The Good Whale,” a new podcast from Serial Productions and The Times, is about an experiment to try to teach an orca how to be free.

Savor: We have expert tips to help you store cheese for longer.

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

That’s it for today. See you Monday. — Gaya

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