Good morning. We’re covering Israeli strikes on Hezbollah-affiliated financial branches and life for U.S. voters in swing states. Plus, the French town shaken by a rape trial.
Israel targeted Hezbollah-affiliated financial branchesThe Israeli military launched a wave of airstrikes across Lebanon yesterday targeting branches of Al-Qard al-Hasan, a financial association associated with Hezbollah. The association operates as a lender and financial services provider for civilians in many areas of Lebanon, where the traditional banking sector is in shambles. Many of its branches are situated on the ground floors of residential buildings. Ahead of the strikes, an Israeli military spokesman said that the system was being “used to finance Hezbollah’s terror activities.” It was among several attacks on Gaza and Lebanon this weekend. Earlier, rescue workers in northern Gaza were searching for survivors after a major Israeli airstrike overnight killed at least 87 people, according to Palestinian officials. Israeli jets had also bombed a Hezbollah stronghold near the Lebanese capital over the weekend. The death of Yahya Sinwar last week had raised some hopes that negotiations to end the war might gain new momentum. But the Israeli government, Hamas and its ally Hezbollah have all signaled that they will not back down. Attacks over the weekend suggest the violence might be ramping up. Intelligence leak: On Friday, highly classified U.S. documents that described recent satellite images of Israeli military preparations for a potential strike on Iran began circulating on Telegram. Possible assassination attempt: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, described a drone attack near his private residence as an attempt on his life by Hezbollah. Shaaban al-Dalou: The 19-year-old wanted to escape Gaza and become a doctor. Video of him burning to death at a hospital has been viewed around the world.
Life on the swing-state battlefieldFor the vast majority of voters, the presidential election is playing out at something of a distance. But as Election Day approaches, voters in just seven states are living on the campaign battlefield. They have been buried by television advertisements, text messages, internet pop-up banners, dinner-hour telephone calls and get-out-the-vote door-knocks. Fewer than 20 percent of Americans eligible to vote this year live in those seven states, but those people wield disproportionate influence over the outcome. A lot of them are ready for it to be over. Your questions: We asked Lisa Lerer, a national political correspondent, this question from a reader. (Send us your questions here.) Where do voters living in the nonswing states find the motivation to vote? The way I understand the U.S. system, their votes barely matter. And as a follow-up: Why don’t they protest more against this? — Marcel Schutte, the Netherlands Lisa: Voters living in nonswing states are still casting ballots for a list of other statewide and local offices, so their votes do matter in those races. There’s also a sense of sending a political message. While New York or Texas is unlikely to change the outcome of the presidential race, shifts in party support in those states can impact the political mandate a new president has to lead. While fought in battleground states, presidential elections are national races and voters like to have their voices heard. Scrapping the electoral college would require a constitutional amendment, which would face an extraordinarily — if not nearly impossible — bar to passage. With no clear way to change the system, most Americans focus on more pressing concerns, like the economy, immigration, abortion rights or even foreign policy.
Indonesia’s president stepped down, leaving a mixed legacyIn his two terms as president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, who stepped down yesterday, transformed his country, virtually eradicating extreme poverty in the sprawling archipelago. Millions of Indonesians say he was is only president to connect with ordinary people and deliver significant, concrete progress. But many believe he also tried to bend the laws to install a political dynasty to keep his son in power, undercutting the very democracy that let him become the country’s first president who was not from the military or the long-established political elite.
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The trial of the 51 men accused of raping and drugging Gisèle Pelicot has rattled France. But no place has been as shaken as Mazan, a small village in Provence, where Pelicot lived with her husband. “It’s at my home that this happened,” one resident said. “It feels a bit like it’s in our family.”
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A glimpse into a future of droughtsElectricity cuts across an entire nation. A capital rationing water. A mayor encouraging people to shower together to save precious drops. The world’s largest river system, the Amazon, is drying up and upending lives and local economies. The record-breaking drought, well into its second year, is punishing much of South America, and it provides an alarming glimpse into the future as the effects of climate change become more apparent. This is how the drought has hit nearly every country on the continent.
Cook: Start off your week with these buttery, sautéed cardamom apples and maple-sour-cream pancakes. Shop: Searching for a good pair of loafers? Start here. Well: Eczema is a common skin condition that affects millions of people. Experts explain how to manage its symptoms at home. Watch: In these five international movies, a vampire comes of age in Canada and a Chilean secretary dreams of life as a killer. Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here. That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Gaya Lisa Lerer contributed to this newsletter. We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.
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