President Biden has spent the last five days at Camp David, the presidential retreat in the woods of northern Maryland, sparring with a man pretending to be Donald Trump and working with his closest advisers to prepare for this week’s debate.
The president’s aides have turned a movie theater and an airplane hangar at Camp David into a mock debate stage. There, Ron Klain, a longtime adviser to Biden, is leading an effort to help Biden shake off the rust that often comes with being an incumbent on the defense and to combat voter concerns that he is too old to be president.
People involved with planning Biden’s strategy sessions told my colleague Katie Rogers that they were trying to game out exactly which attacks Trump might launch, and how they can best keep the president focused on drawing contrast on issues like immigration and abortion access. Trump is taking a far looser approach to debate prep, with some policy briefings but no role playing.
For both candidates, the debate, at 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday in Atlanta, could be the highest-stakes moment of their rematch. It will probably be the single most-watched moment of the campaign, and both men face significant risks: Any notable misstep — a physical stumble, a mental lapse or a barrage of too-personal insults — could reverberate for months.
Justices will hear a case on gender-transition care
The Supreme Court agreed today to consider the constitutionality of a Tennessee law that bans hormone therapy and puberty blockers for transgender minors. It will be the first time that the justices will rule on statewide restrictions on gender-transition care.
The court’s decision on the case, which is likely to arrive around this time next year, could have broad ramifications for about 25 states that have enacted similar measures.
Russian officials called a deadly assault an act of terror
The death toll from two seemingly coordinated attacks yesterday in Russia’s southern republic of Dagestan rose to 20, investigators said.
Wielding rifles and Molotov cocktails, the attackers assaulted synagogues and Orthodox churches in two major cities in Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region. Five attackers were eventually killed after exchanging shots with law enforcement, officials said. The authorities designated the assault an act of terrorism, but it was not immediately clear who was responsible.
Israel said it was shifting to a new phase of the war
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that “the intense stage of the war with Hamas is about to end.” His comments suggested that Israel might soon be mounting fewer offensive operations against Hamas in Gaza and would instead focus on the conflict with Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia.
U.S. officials are working to head off a new Israeli miliary push in Lebanon and are seeking clarity on the Israeli government’s intentions. Israel’s defense minister met today in Washington with William Burns, the C.I.A. director, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
More top news
An N.H.L. final for the ages
Only one N.H.L. team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to become the Stanley Cup champion; that was 82 years ago. Tonight, the Edmonton Oilers have a chance to become the second when they face off against the Florida Panthers at 8 p.m. Eastern. The team that wins gets to go home with the trophy.
It’s a dramatic finale to a series that easily qualifies as one of the most memorable in the history of hockey. The Oilers are led by Connor McDavid, probably the league’s best player, and they are hoping to become the first Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup since 1993. The Panthers, meanwhile, are looking to win their first title in front of a home crowd, and avoid an embarrassment of historic proportions.
In an age of A.I., how can you tell what’s real?
A new study found that people could not tell the difference between genuine Yelp restaurant reviews and those churned out by artificial intelligence. In fact, people were more likely to think the A.I. reviews were real.
It’s not just text A.I.-powered software that is getting better. Take our quiz to see if you can spot the fakes among these images and learn a few telltale signs of A.I. imagery.
A wild flamingo is summering in the Hamptons
Move over Jay-Z, there’s a new star in the moneyed enclave of the Hamptons: a wild American flamingo. When the bird was spotted in a coastal pond this month, it attracted hundreds of spectators, including celebrities like Steven Spielberg.
A marine biologist said the flamingo may have taken a wrong turn and arrived in the summer hot spot, or maybe it was simply exploring. Luckily, the bird has managed to establish friendly relations with some longtime residents of the pond — a flock of sometimes ornery swans.
Have a colorful evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
Emree Weaver was our photo editor today.
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