Russia, Venezuela, Malala: Your Thursday Evening Briefing
(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)
Good evening. Here’s the latest.
1. The clash between Russia and the West is intensifying.
Russia will expel 150 diplomats, including 60 Americans, in retaliation for Western measures designed to punish Moscow for its alleged role in a nerve-agent attack on a former spy in Britain. Russia denies any involvement.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, above, summoned the American ambassador, Jon Huntsman, to his office to give him the news. The Americans were given until April 5 to leave the country.
The daughter of the spy, who was also poisoned, is showing improvement as she recovers in a British hospital.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story
____
2. The Trump administration is expected to launch an effort to weaken standards for greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy for automobiles. That would be a major victory for car manufacturers, giving them ammunition to potentially roll back industry standards worldwide.
Continue reading the main story
Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is expected to frame the initiative as eliminating a regulatory burden on automakers that will result in more affordable vehicles for buyers.
An E.P.A. spokeswoman confirmed that Mr. Pruitt had sent a draft plan to the White House for approval. Above, an emissions test.
____
3. President Trump was in Ohio, where he heralded a new trade agreement with South Korea — but then suggested he could delay finalizing it while negotiating with North Korea over its nuclear program.
Earlier in the day, he took to Twitter to rail against Amazon, accusing the company of not paying enough taxes and abusing the post office. We fact-checked his claims.
And on Wednesday night, he placed a personal call to a political supporter with a huge megaphone. That would be Roseanne Barr, who got huge ratings for the premiere of her series reboot on Tuesday.
____
4. North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea agreed to meet for the first time on April 27.
They’ll get together at the so-called truce village of Panmunjom, near their shared border. Above, South Korean negotiators there on Thursday.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story
Mr. Kim would be the first leader from the North to set foot in the South since the Korean War. He is also supposed to meet with President Trump in May, but no date has been set.
____
5. We examined the record of John Bolton, President Trump’s new national security adviser, who will surely be a key figure in the North Korea talks. He has a reputation as a “kiss-up, kick-down sort of guy.” Hear more on “The Daily.” Above, Mr. Bolton, left, with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
And we published an Op-Ed essay by David Shulkin, who was replaced yesterday as secretary of veterans affairs.
“In recent months, the environment in Washington has turned so toxic, chaotic, disrespectful and subversive that it became impossible for me to accomplish the important work that our veterans need and deserve,” he wrote.
Having trouble keeping track of all the turnover in the Trump administration? You’re not alone. Here’s our running tally.
____
6. “I never wanted to leave my country.”
Malala Yousafzai, the world’s youngest Nobel laureate, returned to Pakistan for the first time since she was gravely wounded there by a Taliban attack in 2012.
Ms. Yousafzai, now 20 and studying at Oxford, is expected to stay mostly in Islamabad, the capital, during her four-day visit. Above, a meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
____
7. In Venezuela, at least 68 people died after a fire broke out during a prison riot in the northern city of Valencia.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story
Enraging Venezuelans and rights advocates, the police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at grieving relatives who gathered outside the jail overnight demanding information. Above, a victim was buried.
With Venezuela in an economic collapse, inmates throughout the country are going hungry. Gangs, weapons and bribery are common — and protests are on the rise.
____
8. The Fox News host Laura Ingraham, above, apologized for taunting a survivor of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., as at least four companies confirmed they would pull ads from her show.
The dispute began when Ms. Ingraham shared an article about the student, David Hogg, 17, getting rejected from some colleges — and accused him of whining about it.
“On reflection, in the spirit of Holy Week, I apologize for any upset or hurt my tweet caused him or any of the brave victims of Parkland,” she said.
____
9. It was opening day for Major League Baseball. Rain in Cincinnati, above, and Detroit ended a plan to have all 30 teams play. But the other 26 were still on deck, and ESPN has a national quadruple header. Here’s the lineup.
____
10. The comedian Dana Carvey impersonated John Bolton, President Trump’s incoming national security adviser, in an interview with Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show.”
It was a bit reminiscent of Carvey’s famous impression of the first President George Bush — but a few notches more ludicrous.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story
By the end, his face was covered in an overgrown mustache, and he was attempting to breast-feed a golden retriever puppy.
Market Snapshot View Full Overview
____
11. Finally, John Legend will play the title role in a live concert version of “Jesus Christ Superstar” airing Sunday night on NBC. We talked to the lead performers about their roles.
And we were remiss yesterday not to include Passover recipes in our final item. Our Cooking team, of course, has many, including a 13th-century haroseth recipe from Provence and a simple but satisfying matzo ball soup. Browse the full collection here.
Have a great night.
____
Newsletter Sign Up
Continue reading the main story
The Evening Briefing by Email
Get a nightly rundown of the day’s top stories, delivered to your inbox every Monday through Friday.
Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box.
Invalid email address. Please re-enter.
You must select a newsletter to subscribe to.
Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services.
Thank you for subscribing.
An error has occurred. Please try again later.
You are already subscribed to this email.
View all New York Times newsletters.
- See Sample
- Manage Email Preferences
- Not you?
- Privacy Policy
- Opt out or contact us anytime
Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.
And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing. Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning.
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.
Continue reading the main story Read the Original Article
