The Evening: New pollution rules for trucks

Also, a U.S. reporter has spent a year in a Russian prison.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 29, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday. New U.S. truck rules Germany's shift on Israel Plus, how the bunny became cute The regulation would apply to more than 100 types of vehicles including tractor-trailers, ambulances and R.V.s. Mark Abramson for The New York Times The U.S. aims to boost electric truck sales The Biden administration today announced a new environmental regulation that forces manufacturers of heavy trucks to quickly transition their new vehicles to electric power or other low-pollution technologies. Together with a similar regulation on passenger cars issued last week, the new rules represent the administration's most significant effort to transform the transportation industry, which is the nation's largest source of fossil fuel emissions. The new rule does not mandate the use of electric motors, but rather sets increasingly strict emissions limits across manufacturers' production lines. Officials project that it will increase the percentage of new nonpolluting long-haul trucks sold in the U.S. from 2 percent to as much as 25 percent by 2032. But that won't be cheap or easy. The shift to electric trucks lags far behind the adoption of electric personal vehicles, in part because electric eighteen-wheelers can cost two or three times as much as a diesel truck and require large, heavy batteries that reduce the truck's capacity. Also, there are currently only 5,000 charging stations in the U.S. capable of serving heavy trucks, far fewer than what truckers say would be required to make the transition. Relatives of Israeli hostages held pictures of Germany's chancellor during his visit to Tel Aviv in October. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images Germany, a loyal Israel ally, shifts its tone For German leaders, support for Israel has long been considered a "Staatsräson," or national reason for existence, as a way of atoning for the Holocaust. But some officials there have begun to question whether their backing of Israel's campaign in Gaza has gone too far. The change in tone is partly a response to fears that Israel will go ahead with its planned invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah — a concern that U.S. officials share. An electronic billboard in New York on Friday. Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A U.S. reporter has spent a year in a Russian prison One year ago today, Russian authorities detained Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and accused him of spying for the U.S. government. He is the first American reporter to be held on espionage charges in Russia since the end of the Cold War. The U.S. and The Journal vehemently deny the accusations, but this week his detention was extended for another three months. Vladimir Putin recently said that he would consider trading Gershkovich in a prisoner swap, but my colleague Valerie Hopkins, who covers Russia and knows Gershkovich, said his future is still uncertain. "It's incredibly difficult to make any kind of agreement at this time," she told us. "Not a day has gone by when I'm not thinking about what he might be doing." For more: We talked to Gershkovich's parents about their experience. The New York Times School absences have spiked since the pandemic Across the country, an estimated 26 percent of public school students were considered chronically absent during the last school year, up from 15 percent before the pandemic. That spike, educators said, suggests that something fundamental has shifted in American childhood and the culture surrounding school. "Our relationship with school became optional," one expert said. Absenteeism has increased in districts big and small, and across income levels and races. But poor communities are facing an even bigger crisis: Around 32 percent of students in the poorest districts of the U.S. were chronically absent during the 2022-23 school year. More top news Syria: Airstrikes near Aleppo killed a number of soldiers, state news media reported, in what appeared to be one of the biggest Israeli attacks in the country in years. Baltimore: President Biden said he would travel to the city next week after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Markets: The S&P 500 has risen more than 10 percent over the first three months of 2024, with 22 record highs since January. Health: The F.D.A. warned that a heart pump used as a temporary implant had been linked to 49 deaths, but allowed the device to remain in use. Housing: Arizona is facing a dire shortage of affordable housing, and it's sowing economic anxiety among voters. Education: Applications to Harvard were down this year, even as applications to many other highly selective schools hit record highs. Wildlife: In a move to protect whales, Polynesian Indigenous groups signed a treaty that recognizes them as legal persons. Arts: Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win the Oscar for best supporting actor, for his portrayal of a drill instructor in "An Officer and a Gentleman," died at 87. TIME TO UNWIND Beyoncé during New York Fashion Week in February. James Devaney/GC Images, via Getty Images Beyoncé stretches the meaning of genre Beyoncé's new album, "Cowboy Carter," which was released this morning, is as country as expected: The star's twang shines through, and Dolly Parton makes an appearance. But Beyoncé doesn't stop with one, or even two, genres. She covers the Beatles' song "Blackbird," draws inspiration from the Beach Boys and even flexes some opera skills. The album includes a slew of famous collaborators, including Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus and Post Malone. We took a look at some of the significant figures and musicians behind the scenes. Erik Carter Literary allusions are everywhere You might not always recognize it, but the literary allusion is ubiquitous. Consider the recent major novels "Birnam Wood" and "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow." Both borrowed their titles from "Macbeth." While it's common now, this kind of appropriation seems to be a relatively modern phenomenon, our critic A.O. Scott writes. You may even be surprised by how often allusions appear. Take our quiz to see how many literary references you can recognize. The cast of the 2024 season of "Gladiators." BBC/Hungry Bear, via Gary Moyes Dinner table topics Is appointment television back? A reboot of "Gladiators," the musclebound 1990s staple, has attracted millions of viewers in Britain. Extra large: Where do NCAA basketball's tallest players find clothes that fit? It's not so simple. Saving San Francisco: Is the tech investor Garry Tan the city's "Twitter menace" or true believer? He might be both. Quadruple axel: Champion figure skaters accomplish their extraordinary jumps and spins by rewiring their brains. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND Ryan Liebe for The New York Times Cook: Add baked eggs with kale, bacon and cornbread crumbs to your Easter table. Watch: Are you a pop culture-obsessed weirdo? Try this alternative to Netflix and Hulu. Read: Our critics and editors recommend these eight new books. Plan: What to do with 36 hours in Mumbai. Protect: We answered your burning questions about sunscreen. List: Feeling overwhelmed? Try tallying your tiny wins. Drink: Here are 10 Austrian red wines to try. Compete: Take this week's news quiz. 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 Tony Evans/Getty Images How the bunny became cute If you look around this weekend, you'll notice that cute bunnies are everywhere: in chocolate, in children's toys and even at the White House. But it wasn't always this way. Early versions of the Easter Bunny were enigmatic and omniscient figures, as likely to punish a naughty child as reward a good one. It wasn't until the late 1930s, following a series of hit children's books, that the bunny became the cuddly character we know today. Have a darling Easter weekend. Thanks for reading. Daniel E. Slotnik contributed to today's newsletter. I'll be back on Monday. — 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? 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