The formal vetting process is finished, and the first major decision of Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign is just days away.

Harris Begins Final Phase of Accelerated V.P. Search

The negotiations that led to the prisoner swap and the freeing of Americans wrongfully held in Russia required patience and creativity, but gave both sides what they wanted most.

Behind the Prisoner Swap: Spies, a Killer, Secret Messages and Unseen Diplomacy

The author Peter Hessler posed a question with an elusive answer: How could Chinese society open up so profoundly while its politics stagnated or even regressed?

In Xi’s China, Politics Eventually Catches Up With Everyone

The  Post is creating a division under Will Lewis, its C.E.O., to find valuable audiences in new places. His last company shows that’s a tough road.

Washington Post C.E.O.’s Last Company Lost Millions Betting on Gen Z

A tax incentive, with bipartisan roots, aims to foster development in poor areas. It has fueled building, but it hasn’t always aided local residents.

Trump Cites Opportunity Zones as a Triumph. Their Success Is Middling.

From the shooting range to the swimming pool, teens and preteens are grabbing medals and the spotlight. Nowhere is this truer than at the skateboard park.

Kids at the Olympics: ‘It’s Honestly Kind of Insane.’

The contestants in the internet star’s “Beast Games” expected outlandish challenges and signed contracts that acknowledged risks of serious injury and death. Still, few were prepared for the conditions on set.

Willing to Die for MrBeast (and $5 Million)

Central bankers are preparing to cut interest rates, and are monitoring job data as they consider when and how much to lower them.

Is the Fed Behind the Curve? As Unemployment Rises, Worries Mount.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage is using artificial intelligence to create an installation where visitors can interact with people who directly experienced the Holocaust.

Long After Surviving the Nazis, They Use A.I. to Remind the World

How can an art fair lure customers and make sales in a down market? Pitching its tent next to billionaires is a start.

In Aspen, a New Art Fair Follows the Money

Winzar Kakiouea, a 100-meter runner, is the only competitor at the Paris Games from the Pacific island nation of Nauru. His debut came and went in a flash.

A One-Man Team’s 11-Second Olympics

Online fury and unclear rules have left organizers of the women’s boxing competition in Paris facing complex questions about fairness in women’s sports.

Olympic Officials Defend Fighters’ Eligibility in Women’s Boxing Controversy

The Justice Department said TikTok illegally collected children’s data and knowingly allowed users under the age of 13 to create accounts.

U.S. Sues TikTok Over Child Privacy Violations

Politicians have long cast their opponents as outsiders. But Donald J. Trump has taken the strategy to the next level against Kamala Harris.

Not One of Us: Trump Uses Old Tactic to Sow Suspicion About Harris

Big technology companies show no signs of slowing their spending on artificial intelligence, even though a payoff still looks a long way away.

Tech Bosses Preach Patience as They Spend and Spend on A.I.

Quotation of the Day for Friday, August 2, 2024.

Quote of the Day: What Can a City Do When Neo-Nazis March Its Streets?

To capture images of surfers taking on the dangerous swells in Teahupo’o, Ben Thouard must suit up himself.

In Tahiti’s Waters, an Ocean Photographer Follows Big Waves

The report on hiring in July added to worries about the economy. Stocks fell sharply, and Treasury yields declined in expectation of a Federal Reserve rate cut.

Jolted by Soft Jobs Report, Stocks Tumble to End a Turbulent Week

The Federal Reserve left interest rates at a two-decade high, but all the attention was on what it will do next.

The Big Number: 5.25%

Is anyone as excited by the Paris Games as Antoine Griezmann? It doesn’t seem possible.

The Olympics’ No. 1 Fan

New York’s hundreds of hotels are subject to less regulatory scrutiny than many other businesses. The industry is resisting City Council efforts to change that.

Hotels in New York City Don’t Need Licenses. Should They?

A rapidly strengthening yen and a sell-off in stocks in the United States pushed Japan’s markets to a second consecutive day of big losses on Friday.

Japanese Stocks Tumble 6% as Long-Running Surge Falters

A new program allows spectators at the Paris Games to upgrade their seats, eat tastier food, tip glasses of bubbly and avoid the throngs.

Champagne, Soft Piano and No Lines: Luxe Life at the Olympics

The Supreme Court is caught in a crisis of its own making.

Joe Biden Issues a Stinging Dissent

Previous editions of the performing arts event launched shows like “Baby Reindeer” and “Fleabag.” Maybe there’s another breakout hit among this year’s more than 3,600 shows.

August 2, 2024

Headlines from August 2, 2024

Harris Begins Final Phase of Accelerated V.P. Search

Behind the Prisoner Swap: Spies, a Killer, Secret Messages and Unseen Diplomacy

In Xi’s China, Politics Eventually Catches Up With Everyone

Washington Post C.E.O.’s Last Company Lost Millions Betting on Gen Z

Trump Cites Opportunity Zones as a Triumph. Their Success Is Middling.

Billboard 200

ATE (EP)

Muse

The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace)

The Tortured Poets Department

The Great American Bar Scene

Historical Context for August 2, 2024