Tuesday Briefing: A chance for U.S. foreign aid

Day one of Donald Trump's Manhattan trial and Salman Rushdie's new memoir

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story April 16, 2024 SUPPORTED BY META By Daniel E. Slotnik Good morning. We're covering a chance for U.S. aid for Israel and Ukraine, and Day 1 of Donald Trump's Manhattan trial. Plus: Salman Rushdie's new memoir. The aid package that Speaker Mike Johnson is advancing roughly mirrors the $95 billion aid bill the Senate passed two months ago. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Speaker said U.S. House will vote on foreign aid Speaker Mike Johnson said that he planned to advance a long-stalled national security spending package this week to aid Israel, Ukraine and other U.S. allies, coupled with a bill to mollify conservatives opposed to backing Kyiv. Johnson, a Republican, has agonized for weeks over whether and how to advance critical aid for Ukraine over stiff resistance from the far right faction of his conference. His announcement was the first concrete indication that he had chosen a path forward. That path appears complex. Johnson said he would cobble together a legislative package that roughly mirrors the $95 billion aid bill the Senate passed two months ago, albeit in pieces. Lawmakers would vote separately on aid for Israel, Ukraine and allies like Taiwan, and then on another measure containing policies popular among Republicans. It is not clear whether the convoluted strategy will succeed in the House, where Johnson has a tenuous hold on his caucus and a slim majority. Republicans could try to block the package from coming to the floor, and even if they let the legislation through, its success would hinge on a complicated mix of bipartisan coalitions to pass. And the plan could imperil Johnson's speakership, which is teetering under a threat to oust him. The Manhattan case may be the only one of four indictments to make it to trial before Election Day. Jefferson Siegel for The New York Times Day 1 of Trump's Manhattan trial The first criminal trial of a former U.S. president began in Manhattan yesterday, with hundreds of citizens summoned to potentially join a jury that will decide Donald Trump's fate. More than half of the first group of 96 potential jurors raised their hands to say they could not be fair to Trump. The judge immediately dismissed them. The Manhattan case, one of four indictments facing the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, may be the only one to reach trial before Election Day. Trump, who could face up to four years in prison if convicted on charges of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal, appeared in court and looked alternately irritated and exhausted. He called the case "an assault on America" when he arrived, and he later appeared to nod off. For more, the trial thrusts the presidential campaign into uncharted territory; here are a glimpse inside the courtroom and five takeaways from the first day. Demonstrators gathered in Tehran yesterday to show support for Iran's attack on Israel. Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times Israel's allies pushed for restraint The U.S., Britain and other allies urged restraint and sought to lower tensions, as Israel's war cabinet met to consider possible responses to Iran's drone and missile attack over the weekend. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel faces a delicate calculation. He must decide how to respond to Iran so as not to look weak, while trying to avoid alienating the Biden administration and other allies that helped defend Israel despite their impatience with Netanyahu's handling of the war in Gaza. An Israeli official briefed on the discussions of the cabinet said it was weighing several options, from diplomacy to an imminent strike. But there was no immediate public statement by the ministers or Netanyahu. Continue reading the main story A MESSAGE FROM META How VR helps Dr. Baid "change lives." Dr Baid used FundamentalVR and Orbis International's virtual reality platform for additional cataract surgery training in a hands-on environment, helping her perform 300 life-changing surgeries in the last year. Discover other stories. MORE TOP NEWS Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press Germany: Opponents fear that the far-right Alternative for Germany Party, or AfD, is becoming a tool of Russian influence operations to undermine support for Ukraine. Sudan: Two rival generals have laid waste to Africa's third-largest nation for the past year, driving 8.6 million people from their homes. Australia: For many people, the stabbing rampage that left six people dead in Sydney on Saturday was another reminder of misogyny in Australian society. Ukraine: Many Ukrainians were angry after the U.S. and European nations helped Israel shoot down Iranian weapons, because Ukraine's allies have not done so against Russian fusillades. Healthcare: U.S. lawmakers are targeting a Chinese firm that, by one estimate, has been involved in developing a quarter of the pharmaceuticals used in the U.S. Film: The armorer who loaded the gun before a fatal shooting on the "Rust" set was sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter. Afghanistan: A Pentagon review of the bombing that killed 13 American servicemembers at the Kabul airport in 2021 has reaffirmed findings that the U.S. could not have prevented the violence. Olivier Awards: Our London theater critics discuss "Sunset Boulevard" and the other honorees. The Boston Marathon: Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia won the men's race. Hellen Obiri, from Kenya, won the women's. Technology Tesla: The electric car company plans to lay off more than 10 percent of its workers, about 14,000 people, to cut costs, Elon Musk said. Testing A.I.: We don't really know how smart some leading A.I. tools are, which is a major problem, my colleague Kevin Roose writes in a column. Chips: The U.S. awarded more than $6 billion to Samsung to strengthen semiconductor production. MORNING READ Renata Ferrari/AIMS, via Reuters The world's coral reefs are in the throes of a global bleaching event that is expected to affect the most reefs on record. Bleaching is caused by stressors, in this case extraordinarily high ocean temperatures, and it can kill corals. Currently, more than 54 percent of the world's coral area has experienced bleaching-level heat stress in the past year, and that number is increasing by about 1 percent per week, one expert said. CONVERSATION STARTERS Quiet your inner critic: Tips to keep perfectionism in check. Online dating after 50: It doesn't necessarily get easier with age, but there may be reason for optimism. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT SPORTS NEWS Andreas Rentz/Getty Images The Briefing: Liverpool and Arsenal stutter, while Bayer Leverkusen are crowned champions. Life after Hillsborough: The stories of the men and women who survived. What greatness looks like: Scottie Scheffler wins his second Masters. ARTS AND IDEAS Clément Pascal for The New York Times Salman Rushdie's memoir weighs mortality The novelist Salman Rushdie was speaking at an event in New York in 2022 when a man wielding a knife ran onstage and stabbed him 10 times. In his memoir "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder," which is out today, Rushdie addresses the attack and credits his wife, the poet and novelist Rachel Eliza Griffiths, for helping him recover from it. The book is very different from his earlier third-person memoir "Joseph Anton," Rushdie told my colleague Sarah Lyall. "This is not novelistic," Rushdie said. "I mean, somebody sticks a knife in you, that's pretty personal." For more: Our critic said that "Knife" was "a clarifying book. It reminds us of the threats the free world faces." We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Christopher Testani for The New York Times Cook: One-pot prosciutto and peas pasta is a bright and delicate weeknight dinner. Watch: "In Flames," a drama set in Pakistan, frames patriarchy as a nightmare. Prepare: Here's a checklist for adopting a cat. Decorate: Set up a tasteful home bar. Play Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here. That's it for today's briefing. Thank you for spending part of your morning with us, and see you tomorrow. — Dan You can reach Dan and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Need help? 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