The Evening: How the E.U. agreed to fund Ukraine

Also, the world's largest music company pulled its songs from TikTok.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 1, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday. How the E.U. agreed to fund Ukraine Why some of TikTok went quiet Plus, a choreographer in pointe shoes Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary in Brussels in December. Johanna Geron/Reuters The E.U. agreed to aid Ukraine, shifting focus to the U.S. At an emergency summit today in Brussels, European Union leaders agreed to create a $54 billion fund to support Ukraine in its protracted war against Russia. The assistance, which will be spread out over four years, will prop up the nonmilitary portion of Ukraine's budget and will be a lifeline to a country at risk of financial meltdown. The approval of European aid came to many as a surprise. Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, the bloc's closest ally of Vladimir Putin, had blocked the funding for weeks. Only after a behind-the-scenes game of good cop, bad cop by top E.U. officials and heads of state did Orban agree to withdraw his opposition. It is not clear what, if anything, he got in exchange. Before the announcement, Ukraine was considering major spending cuts that could have stirred instability or driven more Ukrainians into Europe as refugees. The money will cover pensions, payments to people displaced by war and salaries for teachers and doctors. Ukrainian officials were quick to thank the E.U., while also alluding to the uncertainty over U.S. support. A $60 billion package, which includes military assistance and other aid that Ukrainians say is badly needed, is currently languishing in Congress as Republicans have signaled diminishing interest in advancing the funding for Ukraine. In Washington, Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, said he would set up a vote next week on a border deal that would include aid for Ukraine. President Biden gave a speech in Washington today. Doug Mills/The New York Times Biden imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers President Biden ordered broad financial and travel sanctions today on Israeli settlers accused of violent attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. The move, for now, affects four Israelis, who will be cut off from the U.S. financial system. His executive order comes a month after the U.S. banned the visas of dozens of Israeli settlers who have committed violence in the West Bank. Today's action appeared to be a gesture aimed in part at Arab American voters furious about the president's backing of Israel's war in Gaza. The White House announced the sanctions just hours before Biden held a campaign event in Michigan, a critical battleground state with a large Arab American population. In Gaza, at least 33 controlled demolitions by the Israeli military have destroyed hundreds of buildings — including mosques, schools and entire sections of residential neighborhoods — since November, a Times visual analysis found. Billie Eilish's music is vanishing from TikTok. Mohammed Badra/EPA, via Shutterstock The world's biggest record label took its music off TikTok Countless videos on TikTok, the popular social media platform, went quiet this morning after Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, removed its tracks. The silence followed a breakdown of contract negotiations. Universal, which represents stars like Taylor Swift, Drake and U2, had threatened to withdraw licenses if TikTok did not offer a more attractive royalty rate and crack down on A.I.-generated music. Until a new deal is reached, TikTok will remove any post that includes Universal music. Our music reporter Ben Sisario suggests that the power may reside with Universal's artists, who will have to decide whether it's worth holding out from TikTok's massive audience. A molecule called Xist silences the second X chromosome. Biophoto Associates/Science Source Why more women may suffer from autoimmune diseases A group of researchers believe they might have an explanation for why women are much more likely than men to have their immune systems turn against them, resulting in autoimmune diseases like lupus. Their study, published today, suggests that molecules that silence the extra X chromosome carried by women can confuse the immune system. Independent experts said that the molecules are unlikely to be the sole cause. But if the new study's results hold up, they could serve as a guide for new drugs to specifically treat the molecules. More top news Court: Donald Trump's former finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, is negotiating a deal that would require him to plead guilty to perjury. Iran: The country slowed its production of enriched uranium, a U.N. watchdog said, possibly to ease tensions with the U.S. Utah: The state banned diversity, equity and inclusion programs at schools and government offices. Business: To comply with European regulations, Apple has a plan for its app store. Many developers hate the proposed changes. Economy: President Biden has accused large grocery chains of overcharging shoppers and reaping excess profits. Politics: It cost more than $160 million for Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida to come in second place in a single nominating contest. Moscow: A new Russian law will allow the government to seize the property of antiwar Russians living abroad. Disability: One of the first openly autistic candidates to be elected to public office in the U.S. sued for discrimination. After four years, she was awarded $10. Crime: Roughly $1.6 million of wine was stolen from a famous Parisian restaurant. Sports: Lewis Hamilton, one of the most decorated Formula 1 drivers of all time, will leave his team and join Ferrari. Sanitation: Meet New York City's garbage truck of the future. TIME TO UNWIND Tiler Peck. Thea Traff for The New York Times A choreographer in pointe shoes Tiler Peck has danced for New York City Ballet for nearly two decades, becoming one of its most celebrated stars. But tonight, for the first time, Peck has a different role: The company will premiere "Concerto for Two Pianos," a ballet she created. Peck's company debut as choreographer was notable from its opening rehearsals: That a woman was in charge would have been unusual until a few years ago. But Peck was also directing the performance while wearing pointe shoes herself, occasionally stepping in to explain her vision. The City Ballet's associate artistic director said she had never seen that in 40 years on the job. Illustration by The New York Times; Photographs by Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times Small, female dogs with prominent noses live the longest Researchers in Britain published a study today of nearly 600,000 dogs from more than 150 breeds, examining which have the longest life span. They found that smaller dogs and those with elongated snouts lived longer than large breeds and breeds with flatter faces. Female dogs also lived slightly longer. Across all dogs, the median life span was 12.5 years. Topping the list was Lancashire heelers, petite herding dogs that live 15.4 years on average. The much larger Caucasian shepherd dogs had the shortest recorded life span, at just 5.4 years. Check out the full list. La Plaza México is the largest bullfighting arena in the world. Luis Antonio Rojas for The New York Times Dinner table topics Bullfighting's biggest stage: After a nearly two-year ban, bullfighting is back at La Plaza México in Mexico City. But the fight over the tradition's future is still going on. Advancing tech: Can Perplexity, an A.I.-powered search engine, replace Google? It has for our columnist. Elegant and historic: Turin is one of Italy's most photogenic cities. Here's what to do on a weekend there. High-society nostalgia: Ryan Murphy's new series, "Feud: Capote vs. the Swans," recalls the fine art of getting dressed. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Cook: This crispy gnocchi dish is studded with juicy tomatoes and mozzarella. Watch: Stream these movies before they leave Netflix this month. Read: Kristin Hannah's new novel puts combat nurses front and center in Vietnam. Consult: Considering lip fillers? Here's what to know. Balance: Here's how to stroll with confidence in icy weather. Exercise: If you have aches or pains after workouts, learn how to listen to your body. Hunt: Which Queens condo would you buy with an $850,000 budget? 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 An aerial photo of the shipwreck, taken from a drone. Corey Purchase A maritime mystery in Newfoundland In the tiny Canadian community of Cape Ray, Newfoundland, population 250, there has been no shortage of activity lately. Late last month, a 90-foot wrecked wooden ship washed ashore. One local shipwreck expert, Neil Burgess, said the vessel was probably from the 1800s because of some construction details, like treenails and copper pegs, which were common in that era. He also suggested that the ship was most likely brought close to shore by Hurricane Fiona in 2022. Have a notable 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. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018