jtrent238 test blog: Evening Briefing: Biden to deliver a State of the Union address

February 7, 2023

By Matthew Cullen

Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday.

President Biden's State of the Union address tonight is likely to draw one of the year's largest live television audiences.Shawn Thew for The New York Times

1. In his State of the Union address tonight, President Biden will lay down an economic challenge.

In what is likely to be his most watched speech of the year, the president will look to set the tone for the first period of divided government since he took office by warning viewers against embracing Republicans' economic agenda. Aides said that Biden would call for higher taxes on the wealthy and more assistance for the needy.

Watch the speech live, and follow along with our live updates.

The president will take credit for leading the country through the Covid pandemic and emerging with the lowest unemployment rate in a half-century, but widespread economic anxiety and his historically low second-year approval ratings may complicate his pitch.

At 80, he will once again be the oldest president to ever deliver a State of the Union address. He prepared by using special notations in an effort to conquer his stutter and avoid accusations that his age is affecting his ability to do his job — ahead of an expected re-election announcement in coming months.

As is tradition, the Republicans will respond to the State of the Union. This year's rebuttal will be delivered by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas.

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People try to access the bodies trapped inside a collapsed residential building in Iskenderun, Turkey.Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times

2. Rescuers are racing against time as the earthquake's death toll rises to 7,700 in Turkey and Syria.

Thousands of rescue workers spent all day today digging through debris after yesterday's 7.8-magnitude quake and its aftershocks devastated several cities. Turkish officials said that more than 8,000 people had been rescued from the wreckage, but freezing temperatures continued to threaten those who remained trapped.

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In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces that were affected by an earthquake. In Syria, rescue efforts have been limited by the location of the quake zone, which included government- and opposition-controlled lands.

Destroyed military vehicles were all that remained at a Russian base in the town of Snihurivka.Ivor Prickett for The New York Times

3. As Russia amasses troops, questions arise about its ability to sustain an offensive.

In a renewed push to capture more of eastern Ukraine, Russia has poured additional military conscripts and supplies into its war effort. Its troops are attacking Ukrainian positions from five different directions along the front lines, allowing it to slowly tighten its grip around the city of Bakhmut.

But Western intelligence officials have questioned how long Russia can keep going, as hundreds of its soldiers are killed or wounded every day for just several hundred meters of territory per week.

Google has plans to release more than 20 A.I. products and features this year.Pau Barrena/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

4. After ChatGPT's success, tech giants are racing to become leaders in artificial intelligence.

First, Google said yesterday that it would soon release an experimental chatbot named Bard and release new A.I. features to its search engine. And Baidu, the Chinese tech giant, introduced its own bot, Ernie. Then today, Microsoft held a coming-out party of sorts for A.I., promoting its new Bing search engine that is backed by the same system as ChatGPT.

A memorial for Tyre Nichols at the corner where the police beat him.Desiree Rios/The New York Times

5. A Memphis police officer texted a photo of Tyre Nichols after he was beaten.

One of the five officers who were fired and charged with second-degree murder in connection to Nichols's death last month sent a photograph of Nichols to at least five people, according to a document released this afternoon.

Videos of the beating that were released by the city last month appeared to show the officer, Demetrius Haley, taking pictures of Nichols a few minutes after the beating, when the police officers had propped him up against a police car. Haley admitted to sending the photograph, according to the newly released documents.

Joan Powell, 69, has myelodysplastic syndrome. Treatment costs $196,303 a year.Alisha Jucevic for The New York Times

6. A wave of new drugs can cure devastating diseases, but only if you can afford it.

Scientific advancements fueled by enormous government and industry investments have completely altered the prospects for people with conditions that were once considered incurable, including cancers, allergies, neurological disorders and obesity. But many people, even the insured, are finding the treatments unaffordable.

Maria Chimishkyan

7. You probably have questions about climate change. Here are some answers.

Discussion about the climate is often complex and filled with jargon. So my colleagues on the climate desk, some of whom have been covering the topic for many years, decided to answer reader questions. Don't see your question answered? Just ask. We're collecting and answering more.

Gustavo Dudamel conducted the New York Philharmonic for two weeks in March 2022.Jeenah Moon for The New York Times

8. The New York Philharmonic named a new conductor.

Gustavo Dudamel, whose fiery baton and bouncy curls have made him one of classical music's most recognizable figures, will become the music director of the New York Philharmonic in 2026.

Dudamel is the company's second big hire from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the most progressive major orchestra of the 21st century. It's an ambitious attempt to recapture the populist glamour the New York Philharmonic enjoyed under Leonard Bernstein in the 1960s, our classical music critic wrote.

Dudamel, who is known for the sheer energy of his performances, has a varied catalog of classics and contemporary works as well as film scores. Here's a sampling of his works.

Eric Helgas for The New York Times

9. Are gel manicures dangerous?

The UV nail lamps used in gel manicures, which are popular because of their durability, were recently found to damage cells in ways that could potentially increase the risk for cancer. Without more evidence to determine the level of danger, you can still mitigate the risks if you don't want to avoid the nail treatment altogether. Check out some nail-salon safety tips.

Aaron Leitz

10. And finally, even ugly-duckling houses can be transformed into swans.

When Paul and Tatiana Markel moved out to Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, they were mostly just hoping for more space. They purchased a frumpy 1930s two-family house in 2017 and figured that they would slowly update the interior until they were satisfied.

Instead, they decided to spend sizable amounts of money and time to turn their home into a Franco-American gem inspired by New Orleans rowhouses, with ceiling medallions, muscular crown molding and arched doorways. Take a look at the finished design.

And have an upgraded night.

Allison Zaucha compiled photos for this briefing.

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes.com.

Here are today's Mini Crossword, Spelling Bee and Wordle. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here.

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