The Evening: Republicans push Biden cabinet impeachment

Also, Chita Rivera, the electrifying Broadway star, died at 91.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 30, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. A partisan fight over border policies A truce proposal considered in Gaza Plus, how alcohol affects the gut Members of the House Homeland Security Committee during a hearing, today. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Republicans push to impeach Biden's homeland security chief The Republican-led House panel on homeland security is set to advance articles of impeachment today, seeking to oust Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, for his handling of immigration at the southern U.S. border. In what are expected to be party-line votes, the committee plans to charge Mayorkas with refusing to uphold the law and breaching the public trust — specifically citing the Immigration and Nationality Act, which mandates that migrants not otherwise admissible "shall be detained" pending their removal. The full House could vote as early as next week. The emerging consensus among legal scholars is that Republicans have produced no evidence that the secretary committed an impeachable offense, and the effort is all but certain to collapse if it reaches the Senate. But by making it there, Republicans could force an election-year trial of President Biden's immigration policies. Spurred by record numbers of border crossings and an asylum system that is effectively broken, immigration has become one of the biggest threats to Biden's re-election. While he began his presidency pausing deportations and preaching compassion, Biden last week implored Congress to grant him the power to shut down the border. Some of the circumstances are out of the president's control. But an examination by my colleagues showed that Biden has failed to overcome those obstacles, resulting in a growing humanitarian crisis at the border and in major cities around the country. Many voters now say immigration is their top concern, and they do not have confidence that Biden is addressing it. An Israeli soldier in central Gaza this month. Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times Hamas said it is considering a deal to pause the war Hamas's political chief said today that the group was considering a proposal, floated by Israel, the U.S., Qatar and Egypt, to stop the fighting in Gaza for six weeks and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The comments raised hopes in the region for the possibility of a longer truce. While signaling openness, the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, stuck with the group's longstanding demand for the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, which Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, immediately rejected. Netanyahu also appeared defiant, saying in a speech today that "we will not compromise on anything less than total victory." In the West Bank, Israeli forces killed a Hamas commander inside a hospital. In Gaza, journalists risk their lives to document death and destruction of a scale that is impossible for outsiders to grasp. At least 76 Palestinian journalists have been killed since Oct. 7. Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis. Richard J. Green/Science Source Syphilis is soaring in the U.S. Cases of syphilis, the sexually transmitted infection that was once nearly eliminated in the U.S., increased by 80 percent between 2018 and 2022. The rates soared in every age group, including newborns, bringing total new infections to their highest recorded rate since 1950. Syphilis has been on the rise even in countries with national health care. Experts cited increased substance use, falling condom use and dwindling sexual health services as potential factors. Chita Rivera in 1957. Associated Press Chita Rivera, the electrifying Broadway star, died at 91 The dancer, singer and actress Chita Rivera, who leaped to stardom in the original Broadway production of "West Side Story" and dazzled audiences for nearly seven decades as a Puerto Rican lodestar of the American musical theater, died today at 91. Her dancing sometimes overshadowed her thrillingly dramatic way with a song: husky yet clarion, unaffected but full of comment and character. Have a listen. Also, check out her life in photos. More top news Jobs: UPS plans to cut about 12,000 jobs this year, in an effort to slash costs in the face of falling package volumes and higher wages. Eligibility: Illinois's state elections board ruled that Donald Trump would remain on the state's ballot. Politics: Donald Trump's PACs spent roughly $50 million on legal expenses in 2023. Congress: The Justice Department is investigating the use of campaign funds by Representative Cori Bush. Business: A Tesla pay package that added billions to Elon Musk's net worth was blocked by a judge, who said it had been granted under a "deeply flawed" process. Ukraine: Kyiv is consumed with speculation that President Volodymyr Zelensky will fire his top military commander. Pakistan: Imran Khan, the former prime minister, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in what is widely seen as a campaign by the military to sideline a leading critic. Donations: Patagonia's profits have funded wildlife restoration and Democrats. Music: Months before he is to step down from the New York Philharmonic, Jaap van Zweden began his term as the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's music director. Sports: The N.C.A.A. is investigating the University of Tennessee's football program for a potential recruiting violation involving a booster group. Animals: A monkey, nicknamed "Kingussie Kong," is on the run in the Scottish Highlands after escaping from a wildlife park enclosure. TIME TO UNWIND Iowa guard Caitlin Clark during a game on Saturday. Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press The men who try (and fail) to guard Caitlin Clark Across the country, male college students — many of them good high school athletes — compete against the top women's basketball programs during practice. Their job: Use their size and strength to prepare the women for upcoming opponents. Perhaps no gig is harder than the one assigned to Will McIntire and Isaac Prewitt at the University of Iowa. They have the unenviable task of matching up against Caitlin Clark, 2023's player of the year, who is one of the most talented scorers the game has ever seen and more than willing to get into her opponent's face. Mojo Wang How does alcohol affect the gut? There is still a lot that researchers do not know about microbiome science, but evidence suggests that heavy drinking is associated with less healthy guts. People with alcohol use disorder often have an imbalance of "good" and "bad" bacteria in their guts, while moderate drinkers appear to have even more diverse gut microbiomes than people who don't drink at all. For more, my colleague Alice Callahan took a close look at the research. Mara Catalan; Tony Cenicola/The New York Times Dinner table topics A Brooklyn timeline: Follow four decades of transformation in Williamsburg, from bohemia to boom. Absurdist projects: An artist has found millions of fans with elaborate gags like 400 hot dog ice sculptures made of hot dog water. The "in" do: Barbers in America and abroad are being inundated with requests for "the Travis Kelce." There she is: Hannah Neeleman, a Juilliard-trained former ballerina and homemaker, competed in a beauty pageant two weeks after giving birth. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Nico Schinco for The New York Times Cook: There aren't many ways to vary a patty melt, but try Dijon mayo. Watch: Tonight is the season premiere of "Vanderpump Rules." Here's what else is on TV this week. Listen: The new album from the Radiohead spinoff the Smile is a critic's pick. Read: Two new books consider the country's obsession with firearms. Heal: Your lip balm might be making your chapped lips worse. Perfect: Here's how to wash your hair the right way. Strategize: No one knows a surefire way to win at the game Catan, but these tips will help. Compete: Take our quiz to see if you know these short stories that became major films. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ONE LAST THING ReelShort Is America ready for minute-long soap operas? During the pandemic, minute-long, melodramatic tales of romance and revenge became hugely popular across Asia. One company is betting that the mini-soap operas, which are vertically shot and formatted for smartphone viewers, can succeed in the U.S. ReelShort aims to get people hooked as quickly as possible, with much of the action happening in the first few super-short episodes. If the content is compelling enough, some viewers will pay as much as $10 or $20 to keep watching. Have an engaging evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Photo Editor: Brent Lewis Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. 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