Your Thursday Evening Briefing

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/03/briefing/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-elections-midterms-crime.html

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Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Thursday.

1. Benjamin Netanyahu will return to power in Israel.

Israel’s current leader, Yair Lapid, conceded the election, paving the way for Netanyahu, a former prime minister, to return to office at the helm of one of the most right-wing governments in Israeli history.

After the last votes were counted on Thursday night, Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc secured a clear majority in Parliament. The win ensures that Israel, after five elections in less than four years, will have a cohesive government for the first time since 2019.

Netanyahu, who is currently standing trial on corruption charges, said that he would not use his authority to upend that process. But some of his coalition partners have said they would push to legalize one of the crimes he is accused of committing or even to end the trial entirely.

2. Fears of crime loom large for midterm voters, especially conservatives.

Roughly 61 percent of Democrats and 95 percent of Republicans think that crime is worse now than it was a year ago, a factor that will almost certainly benefit Republican candidates during next week’s midterm elections.

National crime trends are mixed, but voters often refer to reports of homicide spikes in places like Memphis or Albuquerque, or have heard from friends who have been victims of car thefts or muggings. In many cases, their anxieties stem from seeing homeless encampments or reading accounts in their neighborhood social networks of vandalism.

In other politics news, Nevada’s Senate race between Catherine Cortez Masto, an incumbent Democrat, and Adam Laxalt, a Republican, is seen by many as the tightest in the country.

Also, more than 32 million Americans have already cast their ballots, keeping pace with the record levels of the 2018 elections. Hints have emerged of Republican strength.

3. The war in Ukraine has led to conflict over refugees across Europe.

The continent has taken in 4.4 million Ukrainians this year, in addition to more than 365,000 first-time asylum applicants — far more than it did in 2015, which once stood out as the landmark period of migration in contemporary European history.

The sanctioned influx, which was seen as necessary to provide safety to those fleeing the war, has raised nettlesome questions about the distribution of refugees and their uneven treatment. Economic discontent and weariness over migration have spurred fresh interest in far-right and populist forces.

In Russia, U.S. officials met with the jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner. The White House press secretary said the athlete was doing “as well as can be expected.”

4. Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former leader, was shot at a rally.

An unidentified man opened fire on Khan’s convoy during a protest march he was leading. Bullets hit both of Khan’s legs in what his allies described as “100 percent an assassination attempt.”

The episode was one of the most serious outbreaks of political violence targeting a prominent government official since former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007. The doctor who treated Khan said at a news conference this afternoon that Khan was in stable condition.

In other international news, the peace deal between Ethiopian and Tigrayan forces appears to be a decisive victory for Ethiopia’s government — but it could be hard for leaders of the Tigray region to sell it to their people.

5. First-time home buyers are becoming increasingly uncommon.

American home buyers are getting older, whiter and wealthier, with first-time purchasers accounting for the smallest share of the market in 41 years, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors.

In a brutally competitive market, younger people with moderate and even middle incomes are finding it difficult to find a home. The repercussions could be lasting and deepen racial and generational disparities in homeownership.

In other housing news, investors, homeowners and prospective buyers have changed their behavior in reaction to the Federal Reserve’s rate increases, pushing mortgage rates even higher.

6. The future of our climate may be decided in China.

China has become the world’s dominant manufacturer and user of solar panels and wind turbines. It leads the world in producing energy from hydroelectric dams and is building more nuclear power plants than any other country.

But it also increased its emissions of energy-related greenhouse gases nearly 6 percent last year, the fastest pace in a decade. China burns more coal than the rest of the world combined and has accelerated mining and the construction of coal-fired power plants.

In other climate news, global warming made Siberian wildfires worse, and extreme fires there may become more common.

In New Mexico, a coal plant is set to be revamped with the help of federal climate subsidies, but a plan to rely on natural gas converted into hydrogen has generated criticism.

In Egypt, the annual climate meeting known as COP27 begins Sunday. The Times will host Climate Forward Sharm el Sheikh, featuring conversations with world leaders.

7. Cherokees ask the U.S. to make good on a 187-year-old promise.

Almost two centuries after American officials pushed the Cherokee Nation off its land in Georgia and forced its members at gunpoint to sign a treaty allowing their territory to be opened up for white settlers, the tribe is calling on Congress to honor its side of the deal, by establishing a nonvoting delegate seat for the Cherokees.

The push for a seat coincides with increasing concerns among members of the Nation that their efforts to govern themselves may be under threat. With the Supreme Court tilting further to the right, many Native Americans are worried that long-settled issues over their sovereignty could be undermined or reversed.

8. Qatar says it’s ready to host the World Cup. Critics are skeptical.

With just a few weeks until the soccer tournament, Qatar, the smallest-ever country to host it, has poured more than $220 billion into the preparations, erecting highways, a metro system, a new airport, stadiums and high-rises. But its gamble on becoming a global player has mostly brought controversy.

Dire working conditions for migrant laborers came under fire after scores of them died on World Cup-related construction sites. Advocacy groups have slammed the country’s human rights record, which includes laws criminalizing homosexuality and restricting free speech.

Qatar’s government is providing free travel and tickets to hundreds of soccer fans so long as they promise not to criticize Qatar and to report others who do.

9. This holiday season is stacked with movie releases.

Many long-awaited sequels and highly anticipated originals are about to hit small and big screens. Next week, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” arrives in theaters. It explores how Wakanda moves forward without King T’Challa, whose death was written into the new movie after Chadwick Boseman, the actor who played the character in “Black Panther,” died. The sequel to “Knives Out” will arrive the following week. Take a look at our list to see what else is coming.

We also asked Hollywood stars about what movies they love this time of year. The actress Lindsay Lohan said her favorites include “Love Actually,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “Elf.”

Our critics also have new recommendations, including “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” an uproarious sham biopic, and “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” the new film from Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

10. And finally, gas station sunglasses are suddenly chic.

If you take a look at the Instagram feeds of young, stylish celebrities — Rihanna, Bella Hadid, or Kylie Jenner — you may be surprised to see them wearing sunglasses that look like the ones from your local Shell station.

The once lampooned sunglasses, known as wraparounds, for their face-hugging silhouette, are now equally (if not more) at home on the runways of Paris as they are on dads in cycling shorts. The global shopping platform Lyst reported that searches for wraparounds have increased by 49 percent over the last three months.

Have a fashionable night.

Brent Lewis compiled photos for this briefing.

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