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Biden's valediction, Hamas misfire and Santos guilty plea

 
Today's politics story

Biden passes the torch to Harris on DNC's first night

What happened
President Joe Biden closed out the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday with an emotional speech recapping his accomplishments and urging voters to elect Vice President Kamala Harris and "beat Donald Trump." Biden's valedictory address in Chicago capped a night of speeches by Hillary Clinton, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and UAW President Shawn Fain in a "Trump's a scab!" T-shirt, among others. 

Who said what
Biden "formally passed the torch" to Harris in front of a cheering crowd that greeted him with a four-minute standing ovation, The Washington Post said, a "bittersweet moment that marks the unofficial end of his half-century in politics." The 81-year-old president "basked in the applause," even if the "adulation was as much about his decision to step aside" for the younger Harris, Politico said. He then embraced both Harris and "the role he'd long resisted: passing the baton."

"I love my job, but I love my country more," Biden said. Choosing Harris as his vice president was the "best decision I made my whole career," he added. "She's tough. She's experienced. And she has enormous integrity."

"America, I gave my best to you" for 50 years, Biden concluded. "I've been too young to be in the Senate" and "too old to stay as president. But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you."

What next?
Biden left the convention for a family vacation in California, and after he "lays low for the rest of the month, the president and his senior advisers have fixated on the finishing touches of his career," Politico said. Harris will accept the Democratic nomination on Thursday.

 
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Today's international story

Hamas claims Tel Aviv blast amid cease-fire talks

What happened
Hamas on Monday claimed responsibility for an explosion in Tel Aviv on Sunday night, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel to promote a U.S.-backed cease-fire deal in Gaza. Israeli authorities said the man carrying the explosive died in the attack, near the Shimon Bar Yochai synagogue, while one bystander was injured. Hamas said it carried out the "martyrdom operation" with Islamic Jihad. 

Who said what
"This is a decisive moment — probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a cease-fire" in Gaza, Blinken said Monday between meetings with Israeli leaders. "Israel accepts the bridging proposal" from last week's international talks in Doha, designed to close the distance between Israel and Hamas, and "it's now incumbent upon Hamas to do the same." 

There is an "increased urgency to reach a cease-fire deal amid fears of an escalation across the wider region," Reuters said. Israel accuses Hamas of "coordinating" Sunday's attack to "disrupt cease-fire negotiations," The Washington Post said. It was the first suicide bombing inside Israel since 2016, and Hamas said such operations "will resume prominently" as long as the war in Gaza continues. 

What next?
Blinken is on his ninth trip to the Middle East since war broke out in Gaza following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel. He left Israel for Egypt later Monday.

 
 
Today's CRIME Story

George Santos pleads guilty to federal crimes

What happened
Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) pleaded guilty Monday to federal counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft tied to the grift and serial mendacity during his 2022 congressional campaign. The GOP-led House expelled him in December, after just 11 months in office.

Who said what
When Santos flipped New York's 3rd Congressional District, helping Republicans win control of the House, the "young, Latino and gay" candidate "was heralded as a new kind of Republican," The New York Times said. But his "seemingly endless series of falsehoods" started coming to light even before he took office, and his career quickly unraveled.

Santos "finally, under oath, told the truth," said New York U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. "And that truth is he is a criminal" who lied, stole and "conned people." Santos apologized to his former constituents and told reporters outside the Long Island federal courthouse that he had "allowed ambition to cloud my judgment," leading him to "make decisions that were unethical and — guilty."

What next?
Santos, 36, is free on bond until his Feb. 7 sentencing. The charges carry a minimum sentence of two years, but he is "likely to spend at least six years in prison and owes more than $570,000 in restitution," The Associated Press said.

 
 

It's not all bad

Adults with less-healthy lifestyles appear to get the highest benefit from regular use of aspirin, according to a new study published in JAMA Oncology. After following 100,000 men and women for 30 years, researchers from Mass General Brigham found that "aspirin can proportionally lower the markedly elevated risk in those with multiple risk factors for colorectal cancer," lead author Dr. Daniel Sikavi said. Aspirin likely prevents colorectal cancer in several ways, the study found, including possibly blocking the signaling pathways that make cells grow uncontrollably.

 
 
Under the radar

There is concern among military officials and experts that the Navy's longstanding prowess in building warships has sunk to its worst state in 25 years, allowing the Chinese Navy to leapfrog some of America's naval fleet capabilities.

One of the biggest hindrances facing the U.S. Navy is an ongoing "struggle to hire and retain laborers for the challenging work of building new ships as graying veterans retire," said The Associated Press. This labor shortage is "one of myriad challenges that have led to backlogs in ship production and maintenance," along with "shifting defense priorities, last-minute design changes and cost overruns." The Navy itself "frequently changes requirements, requests upgrades and tweaks designs after shipbuilders have begun construction," the AP said.

For now, the United States Navy is "still widely considered to be the world's most powerful," said Business Insider. Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper "said in 2020 that even if the U.S. were to stop building ships, it would take years for China to match the U.S. Navy's power." But with the delays in shipbuilding, China is starting to catch up. As of 2021, according to the U.S. Naval Institute, China has more warships than the U.S. and is building new ships faster.

All of this means that the "U.S. Navy is sailing straight into a storm it can't avoid," said Foreign Policy. The "decades of deindustrialization and policymakers' failure to prioritize among services and threats have left the Navy ill-equipped to endure a sustained high-intensity conflict in the Pacific."

 
 
On this day

August 20, 1920

A meeting of football executives in Ohio led to the creation of the American Professional Football Association, which was renamed the National Football League (NFL) in 1922. The NFL is now the most-watched sports league in the United States. The league's 105th season is set to begin on Sept. 5 with a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.

 
 
TODAY'S newspaperS

The Democratic Party "ushers in a new guard" at the Democratic National Convention, The Washington Post says on Tuesday's front page. As President Joe Biden "hands off to [Kamala] Harris," the Chicago Sun-Times says, the Democrats have to strike a "delicate balance" between celebrating Biden and building up his younger hand-picked successor, the Chicago Tribune adds. Biden's convention "swan song" was an "unconventional address," The Boston Globe says. And his "goodbye kiss" was "bittersweet" for the Biden faithful as he "passes the torch to Harris," the Philadelphia Daily News says.

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
Tall tale

Groundhog play

A groundhog that climbed into a claw machine game in Pennsylvania and settled in among the stuffed animals is now a "local icon," The Associated Press said. Dubbed Colonel Custard, the animal is thought to have clambered into the arcade game through a chute. When a customer noticed a “real live groundhog was blinking back at them," AP said, police were called in to help free the animal, and he was later released into a nearby field.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images; Jack Guez / AFP via Getty Images; Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images