The Evening: Awed by the eclipse

Also, Donald Trump said abortion limits should be decided by states.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story April 8, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Monday. Eclipse Day Trump's stance on abortion Plus, the March Madness men's final The New York Times The eclipse brought darkness and fascination In an awe-inspiring cosmic coincidence, the moon and sun perfectly aligned this afternoon, producing a total solar eclipse visible across North America. The moon's shadow plunged daylight into darkness, carving a path from Mexico, up to Maine and into Canada. We took lots of photos. The event, which offered just a few minutes of totality in any location, attracted millions of onlookers — including some who traveled great distances to witness the celestial anomaly. It was a rare moment of mass gathering in a time when culture is so splintered. The eclipse first crossed into the U.S. from the border town of Piedras Negras, Mexico at 2:27 p.m. Children in a migrant shelter on the Mexican side shrieked in amazement. The moon's shadow then carried on to Russellville, Ark., where 100 or so couples were pronounced married; Buffalo, where hundreds listened to "Here Comes the Sun"; and Montreal, where locals on Mount Royal applauded. In some places like Wyoming County, N.Y., crowds were disappointed to see a sky full of clouds. But elsewhere — even away from the path of totality, like in New York City — crowds delightfully squinted through protective glasses. The path of totality finally left the U.S. after passing through Houlton, Maine around 3:30 p.m, where a quiet crowd admired the view. "I would pay a million dollars to see that again," an 11-year-old resident said. The next total solar eclipse to cross the continental U.S. is in 2044. See you then. Donald Trump has approached abortion transactionally since beginning his political career in 2015. Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Trump said abortion limits should be decided by states Donald Trump has offered wavering signals for months about his views on abortion access — an issue that both Democrats and Republicans believe could help decide the presidential election in November. But today, he delivered a statement declaring that abortion restrictions ought to be left up to the states. Trump added that he was "strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother." His comments appeared to be an effort to please the conservative base without alienating swing voters. "You must also win elections to restore our culture," Trump said. But so far, Trump's stance has angered both sides. Former Vice President Mike Pence called it a "slap in the face" to anti-abortion voters, while Democrats said that it was effectively an endorsement of the harshest state restrictions. In related news, Trump's lawyers sought to pause his Manhattan criminal trial, arguing that it should be moved. But a judge rejected their appeal. President Biden said that 10 million borrowers would see debt relief of $5,000 or more. Tom Brenner for The New York Times Biden took another swing at student loans President Biden announced a large-scale effort to help pay off federal student loans, after his initial attempt was blocked last year by the Supreme Court. The new plan would eliminate debt for more than four million Americans and reduce the burden for about 25 million others. It is likely to face legal challenges that could take months to resolve. Biden announced the plan today in Madison, Wis., the capital of a critical swing state and a college town where the president hopes to get an election-year boost. Damaged buildings in Khan Younis after Israel pulled out of southern Gaza. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Israel's troop drawdown left Gaza with no active battles The Gaza Strip, for the first time since November, is now without a major active battle. Israel's military announced yesterday that it had withdrawn from southern Gaza, leaving fewer than 5,000 Israeli troops in all of the territory. The war, according to analysts, appears to be entering a new phase in which Israeli forces will mostly mount brief raids into the enclave before retreating to Israel. More top news The Vatican: Pope Francis approved a document saying that the church believed that gender fluidity, transition surgery and surrogacy amounted to affronts to human dignity. Tech: The Biden administration will give up to $6.6 billion in grants to the microchip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to build plants in the U.S. Climate: Rising temperatures in Antarctica are making meteorites sink into the ice and out of view before researchers can collect them. A.I.: Teenage girls are confronting an epidemic of "deepfake" nudes in schools. Business: Researchers sent 80,000 fake résumés to employers. Employers contacted the presumed white applicants 9.5 percent more often than the presumed Black applicants. Hollywood: The actor Jonathan Majors was sentenced to 52 weeks in a domestic violence program after he was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Nashville: The country singer Morgan Wallen was arrested after being accused of throwing a chair from the roof of a downtown bar. Health: Physical touch can buoy well-being and lessen pain, depression and anxiety, according to a large new analysis of research. TIME TO UNWIND Donovan Clingan dunks against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports, via Reuters A matchup of Goliaths The N.C.A.A. men's basketball tournament is famous for unexpected upsets, when even the most storied institutions can lose to a tiny school you've never heard of. But in tonight's final, two of the game's biggest powerhouses will take center stage. At 9:20 p.m. Eastern, Connecticut will look to become the first team in almost two decades to win consecutive championships. But to make that happen, Connecticut will have to defeat Purdue and its 7-foot-4-inch superstar center, Zach Edey. Here's what to expect. In the women's tournament, South Carolina defeated Iowa to finish its season undefeated. Hillary Clinton, right, and Shaina Taub, third from right, with some members of the cast and crew of "Suffs." Lanna Apisukh for The New York Times Hillary Clinton's debut as a Broadway producer "Suffs," a musical about the women's suffrage movement, will open this month at the Music Box Theater. The show, a longtime passion project for the singer-songwriter Shaina Taub, will be Hillary Clinton's first producing credit on Broadway. Clinton and Taub said that they wanted the musical to be seen as both a history and a contemporary reminder of the power of advocacy and the importance of voting. For more, our critic reviewed the show during its Off Broadway run. "Tired of not hitting your weight goals, big guy?" Fella Health asks in an ad. via Fella Health Dinner table topics The "brozempic" era: Telehealth start-ups are playing up masculine stereotypes to market weight-loss medications that have been more widely associated with women. Targeted books: More books were challenged in 2023 than at any point in the past two decades. These books faced the most attempts at bans. Inbox zero: Ezra Klein explained why he was quitting Gmail for a more selective approach to email. Get going: Here are three hacks to trick yourself into liking running. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Craig Lee for The New York Times Cook: This Nutella banana bread definitely leans toward dessert. Watch: A documentary on the college admissions scandal is among the true-crime shows to stream. Read: "The Collected Poems of Delmore Schwartz" lets us see this rumpled prodigy with fresh eyes. Listen: Tracks by Prince, Young Miko, the Black Keys and others are featured on our pop critics' playlist. Clean: Wirecutter tested more than 35 laundry detergents. Here are the favorites. Compete: Take this week's Flashback history quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ONE LAST THING Jakob Hinrichs Yes, you can wash your cast-iron skillet A little bit of dish soap won't harm your cast-iron pan. In fact, it can make cleaning the most challenging residue much easier. Yet many American cooks think that soap can remove a pan's patina, a belief that comes from a time when all soap was made with lye. Our reporter Julia Moskin was one of those cooks. But after conducting tests and consulting experts, she dispelled that cooking myth and four others. Have an enlightened 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. 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