Tuesday Briefing: Biden weighs a response to Iran

Plus, farmers are protesting in Paris.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 30, 2024 By Jonathan Wolfe Good morning. We're covering a possible U.S. response to Iran and protests by farmers in France. Plus: What Americans streamed in 2023. Soldiers killed at a U.S. base in Jordan. From left, Specialist Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, Sgt. William Jerome Rivers and Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders. U.S. Army Reserve Biden weighs a response to Iran President Biden is faced with a decision on how far he is willing to go after a drone strike killed three U.S. soldiers at a base in Jordan on Sunday. He vowed to respond to the attack, which he blamed on militant groups backed by Iran, but retaliation could risk a wider war. Air defenses failed to stop the attack at least in part because the hostile drone approached at the same time an American drone was returning to the base, U.S. officials said. That caused confusion over whether the hostile drone was friendly and delayed the activation of air defenses. Biden has carefully calibrated his responses to the more than 150 attacks by Iranian-backed militias on U.S. forces in the region since Oct. 7. But this is the first attack in which American troops have died, and U.S. officials say a different level of response is warranted. My colleague David Sanger writes that Biden's options range from unsatisfying to risky. Biden could order strikes on the Iran-backed militias, which would be a major escalation of the attacks it has already conducted in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. But those strikes have not deterred the proxy forces. He could also go after Iranian suppliers of drones and missiles, perhaps even inside Iran, but that could open another front in the war. Iran yesterday tried to distance itself from the attack. A foreign ministry spokesman said that the militias "do not take orders" from Iran. Gaza: Representatives from the U.S., Israel, Egypt and Qatar proposed a six-week pause in the war in Gaza and an exchange of prisoners and hostages, officials said. A NATO exercise in Nowa Deba, Poland, last year. Artur Widak/NurPhoto, via Getty Image Europe and NATO make plans to take on Russia by themselves Concerns are rising among European nations that Russia could invade a NATO nation over the coming decade and that they might have to face its forces without U.S. support. Former President Donald Trump, who in the past has vowed to pull the U.S. out of NATO and recently threatened never to come to the aid of allies in the organization, looks very likely to be the Republican nominee for the White House. At the same time, some Republicans in Congress are looking to limit American aid to Ukraine. Europe's worries have been further fueled in recent months by Vladimir Putin's militarization of Russia's economy and huge spending increases for the country's army and its weapons industry. To prepare, NATO will test its readiness in a monthslong military exercise — including 90,000 troops — that began last week. The exercise, which is a test of how NATO forces would respond to a Russian invasion, has rattled nerves in border states, particularly the Baltic and Nordic countries. Analysis: An invasion could happen within five years of a conclusion of the war in Ukraine, according to some officials and experts, who believe that would be enough time for Moscow to rebuild and rearm its military. Tractors headed for roadblocks south of Paris yesterday. Emmanuel Dunand/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images French farmers laid 'siege' to Paris Hundreds of French farmers have converged on Paris for what they termed a "siege" of undetermined length, a major escalation after a week of protests that have steadily gripped the country. The protests have become the first major test for France's newly appointed prime minister, Gabriel Attal. Many farmers complain that imports are undercutting their livelihood, that wages are too low and that regulations have become suffocating. But their demands are so varied that the protests present an increasingly precarious moment for the government, one that defies easy solutions. What's next? Attal met with the main farmer unions yesterday, and the government said there would be new announcements today. But it was unclear whether that would persuade farmers to pack up and leave, with rolling shifts set to last at least several days. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Around the World Rajesh Jantilal/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress, moved to kick former President Jacob Zuma out of the party. The U.S. government charged an Iranian man and two Canadians in a plot to kill two Iranian refugees living in Maryland, according to court documents. Toyota halted global shipments of 10 of its models after an affiliate mishandled an engine test. Europe News Adrian Dennis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images King Charles III was released from a London hospital yesterday after undergoing a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate. He was released hours after Catherine, Princess of Wales, left the same hospital following abdominal surgery. The U.K. will ban disposable vapes after surveys showed that the number of young people trying vapes had risen sharply. The Danish jewelry chain Pandora announced that it is now sourcing only 100 percent recycled silver and gold for its collections. What Else Is Happening Kamila Valieva, the Russian skater whose positive doping test upended the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, was barred from competition for four years. Watching Donald Trump ascend, the newly energized Biden campaign is aiming to make the general election all about him. A Morning Read Luca Bruno/Associated Press Liliana Segre has become Italy's conscience on the Holocaust. For decades, she visited Italian classrooms to recount her expulsion from school under Benito Mussolini's antisemitic racial laws, her doomed attempt to flee Nazi-controlled Italy and her deportation from Milan's train station to the death camps of Auschwitz. But now, in the face of rising antisemitism, she is wondering if it was all wasted breath. SPORTS NEWS David Ornstein's transfer guide: The deals that could happen before deadline day. Giant killers: Maidstone United, from bankruptcy to the unthinkable. Australian Open 2024: Here's what we learned. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. ARTS AND IDEAS What Americans streamed in 2023 The latest season of "Ted Lasso" was the No. 1 streaming original show last year. Apple TV+ Hollywood was on strike for much of the year, and yet the time American viewers spent streaming shows and movies last year jumped an eye-popping 21 percent from 2022. What did they watch? Here's a look at the trends. Original shows were less popular. Last year, the 10 most-watched original shows accounted for 134 billion minutes of viewing time, a 32 percent decline from the top 10 originals in 2022. Instead, viewers turned to older shows: "Friends," for instance, was streamed for 25 billion minutes last year, up from 14 billion minutes in 2022. But the unexpected streaming hit from last year was "Suits," a legal procedural that aired from 2011 to 2019. With 57.7 billion minutes of viewing time in 2023, it eclipsed both "The Office" in 2020 and "Stranger Things" in 2022 as the most-streamed show on television in a single year. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Julia Gartland for The New York Times898 Cook: Serve this superpunchy one-pan eggplant adobo over rice with a handful of basil leaves. Watch: With a new season of his series "Next Level Chef," Gordon Ramsay — reality TV's most enduring antihero — still reigns supreme. Read: Add these 17 new books coming in February to your reading list. Cleanse: Here's advice on how to wash your hair. Learn: Are edibles safer than smoking? Game: We have tips for becoming a better Catan player. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Jonathan P.S. The Food team's interactive article on restaurant menus has roots in an earlier effort. You can reach Jonathan and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. 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