Monday Briefing: Another Putin term

Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of U.S. criticism and the search for a lost silent film

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 18, 2024 By Daniel E. Slotnik Good morning. We're covering Russia's election results and the Israeli prime minister's rejection of U.S. criticism. Plus: The search for an offensive silent movie. President Vladimir Putin said the election results reflected "internal consolidation" that would allow Russia to "act effectively at the front line" in Ukraine. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters Putin won a rubber-stamp election President Vladimir Putin yesterday extended his rule over Russia until 2030, using a heavily stage-managed election with no real opposition to claim overwhelming public support for his domestic dominance and his invasion of Ukraine. Western governments condemned the election, and some Russians tried to turn the vote into a protest by forming long lines at polling stations at noon. Ukraine sought to cast its own vote of sorts, firing a volley of exploding drones at Moscow and other targets. But the Kremlin brushed those challenges aside and released results claiming that Putin had won 87 percent of the vote, an even higher number than in the four previous elections in which he ran. In a news conference after the voting, Putin commented for the first time on the death of the imprisoned opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, calling it an "unfortunate incident." (Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, waited in line for hours to vote in Berlin.) The extent of the public's true support for Putin was hard to judge, with opposition candidates barred from running — the three other candidates on the ballot didn't criticize Mr. Putin — and the work of independent poll observers reduced to its lowest level since the days of the Soviet Union. Putin is set to use his new six-year term to further cement his control of Russian politics and to press on with the war in Ukraine. If he finishes the term, he will become the longest-serving Russian leader since Catherine the Great in the 1700s. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel's army would invade Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken shelter. Amir Levy/Getty Images Netanyahu rejected U.S. criticism Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, lashed out at criticism from the U.S. senator Chuck Schumer, describing Schumer's call for a new Israeli election as "totally inappropriate." "That's something that Israel, the Israeli public, does on its own," Netanyahu said in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union." "We're not a banana republic." The remarks by Schumer, the Senate majority leader, were part of a scathing speech he gave last week, during which the New York Democrat also accused Netanyahu of putting his political survival before the good of his country. The speech was indicative of the growing gap between Israel and the U.S. on the war in Gaza. President Biden praised the speech but stopped short of endorsing Schumer's call for a new election. Netanyahu, in remarks to his government, vowed that the Israeli military would invade Rafah, where more than a million Gazans have taken shelter. Displaced people there are terrified by the prospect of a ground invasion. Humanitarian crisis: New approaches for getting aid into Gaza have not curtailed the hunger and malnutrition there, experts said. Three years after Donald Trump spread falsehoods about his defeat online, social media platforms have fewer checks on the intentional spread of lies about elections. Emily Elconin for The New York Times Trump's allies are winning a war over disinformation After the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, officials and social media companies worked to rein in the lies that spurred the assault. Donald Trump and his allies embarked on their own coordinated effort to block what they called dangerous censorship of conservatives, with financial support from conservative donors who have backed groups that promoted lies about voting in 2020. That effort, little noticed by most Americans, has weakened checks on disinformation online, potentially bolstering Trump's attempt to recapture the presidency. U.S. elections: Trump again described immigrants as "poisoning" America. President Biden's re-election campaign said it had raised $53 million in February, which is expected to widen Democrats' cash advantage over Republicans. Icelandic Coast Guard, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MORE TOP NEWS Iceland: The latest in a string of volcanic eruptions happened there on Saturday, leading the authorities to declare a state of emergency. Chile: A lack of water helped make recent wildfires the deadliest in the country's history. Haiti: Port-au-Prince's health system is in tatters after gang assaults shut down many hospitals. Australia: The first case tried under Australia's broad foreign-interference laws has become a cautionary tale for the country's large diaspora communities. France: Paris relies on an ambitious and aggressive public housing effort to make the city affordable for many middle- and lower-income residents. Serbia: Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, is working on a $500 million deal for a site in Belgrade similar to one Trump considered more than a decade ago. Climate Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Olympics: The organizers said that the Summer Games in Paris would generate no more than half the greenhouse gas emissions of recent Games. Regulations: A U.S. court temporarily halted new rules that require public companies to disclose more about the business risks they face from climate change. Opinion L.G.B.T.Q. rights: Investigators have a chance to show that the treatment of L.G.B.T.Q. Ukrainians by Russian forces amounts to a war crime, writes J. Lester Feder. Grief: A year after the death of her daughter, Sarah Wildman writes that she still sees signs of her. Gaza: Nicholas Kristof urges President Biden to press Israel harder for a cease-fire. A Morning Read Charlotte Hadden for The New York Times The designer Phoebe Philo, who transformed the French fashion brands Chloé and Celine, has been called the Chanel of her generation. But Philo walked away from the industry almost seven years ago, becoming a myth practically overnight. In her first interview in a decade, Philo spoke with Vanessa Friedman, our chief fashion critic, about reversing a fashion designer's traditional trajectory by starting her own label after working for major brands. Live lived: Steve Harley was a British rock star who topped British music charts with the single "Make Me Smile." He died at 73. Conversation Starters Pets: Looking inside luxurious dog hotels. Sword: A man found a 1,000-year-old Viking sword while magnet fishing in the River Cherwell in England. SPORTS NEWS From Bayern to Gladbach: How Saarbrucken became the haunted home of cup terrors. Equals for now: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the future of tennis. Players Championship analysis: The top numbers from a thrilling third round of golf. ARTS AND IDEAS Hadley Chittum for The New York Times The search for an 'offensive' silent film The 1927 silent comedy "The Callahans and the Murphys" depicted stereotypes of Irish Americans so noxious that it was yanked from circulation and is now considered lost. That did not stop my colleague Dan Barry, who learned about the film while impulsively researching the actor Marie Dressler, from eventually tracking down a short clip from the movie, which one critic and historian described as "legendary." "There's really only been a handful of films that, instead of simply being edited, were pulled altogether because they were considered offensive," the historian said. You can watch that clip, which Barry found in an enormous storehouse run by the Library of Congress, and another one discovered in the Irish Film Institute's collection, in his article. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Sang An for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Bake: This chocolate Guinness cake is simple but deeply pleasurable. Watch: Lindsay Lohan plays a book editor whose romantic dreams come true in "Irish Wish." Read: "On Gaslighting" reassures you that you're not being gaslit. (Or are you?) Soak: How to shop for a hot tub. 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. Thank you for spending part of your morning with us, and see you tomorrow. — Dan P.S. Steven Erlanger, The Times's chief diplomatic correspondent, compares the leader of HBO's "The Regime" to autocrats he has covered. You can reach Dan and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, 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