Tuesday Briefing: Eclipse day

The Vatican condemns gender change and the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" finale

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story April 9, 2024 SUPPORTED BY META By Daniel E. Slotnik Good morning. We're covering eclipse day and the Vatican's opposition to surrogacy and gender transition. Plus: The "Curb Your Enthusiasm" finale. For more than four hours on Monday, the silhouette of the moon cut into the sun. Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times A shadow of wonder crossed North America The first total solar eclipse in seven years plunged the day into darkness in Mexico, Canada and the U.S. yesterday, reminding millions of sky gazers of our planet's place in the cosmos. The celestial marvel carved a southwest-to-northeast path, delighting watchers behind eclipse glasses as the moon's shadow grew until daylight was extinguished, except for the silvery glow of the corona. But only if the weather held. For spectators in Canton, Texas, the clouds parted just in time. They stuck around too long for people riding the eclipse train in Western New York and returned to block the totality in Gander, Newfoundland, one of the last places the complete eclipse was visible. (Even if you missed it, we took plenty of pictures.) I joined throngs of people in Manhattan's Central Park to watch the partial eclipse. It felt like dusk by 3:20 in the afternoon, and people cheered when just a cuticle of sun remained. Eclipse watchers gathered in Washington Square Park in Manhattan on Monday. Amir Hamja/The New York Times Many Central Park spectators departed long before the sun fully emerged from behind the moon. People seemed more contemplative in other parts of the country, like Houlton, Maine, where the eclipse concluded the U.S. portion of its journey. "I would pay a million dollars to see that again," said Sebastian Pelletier, 11. He, like the rest of us, will probably have to wait. A total solar eclipse will not be visible again in the contiguous 48 U.S. states or Canada until 2044. But eclipse chasers can catch one as soon as 2026 in Greenland, Iceland or Spain. Pope Francis has refused to budge on doctrine that has left many transgender Catholics feeling alienated. Alessandra Tarantino/Associated Press The Vatican called gender fluidity a threat to dignity The Vatican said in a document that the Roman Catholic Church believes gender fluidity and transition surgery amount to affronts to human dignity. The document also unequivocally states the church's opposition to surrogacy and in vitro fertilization. The sex assigned at birth is an "irrevocable gift" from God, the document argues, and "any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception." The document, which was approved by Pope Francis, immediately generated deep consternation among advocates for L.G.B.T.Q. rights in the church, who fear that even though it warns against "unjust discrimination" toward transgender people, it will be used to target them. Context: Francis, who has met with gay and transgender Catholics, has made a less judgmental church a hallmark of his papacy. But he has refused to budge on the church rules and doctrine that many gay and transgender Catholics feel have alienated them. Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times The Supreme Court was urged to reject Trump's immunity claim Jack Smith, the special counsel prosecuting Donald Trump on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election, urged the Supreme Court to reject Trump's argument that he is immune from prosecution for actions he took as president. Lower courts have so far rejected Trump's claim. The case, which Smith asked the court to address quickly, will be argued on April 25. If it takes a long time to resolve, Trump's trial could be delayed until after the election, and if he wins the White House, he could order the Justice Department to drop the charges. Related: An appeals court rejected Trump's latest attempt to delay his Manhattan criminal trial, which is scheduled to begin on April 15. Continue reading the main story A MESSAGE FROM META "VR helped me get back to the game." After an injury, footballer Marcus Rashford used Rezzil's VR training tools to train with less physical exertion. This helped him keep his skills sharp during recovery, and return with confidence. Discover other stories. MORE TOP NEWS Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times Ukraine: U.N. inspectors condemned drone strikes at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, saying that they "increase the risk of a major nuclear accident." Mozambique: Nearly 100 people died and more than a dozen were missing after an overcrowded boat sank off the country's coast, the local authorities said. Ecuador: Jorge Glas, the former Ecuadorean vice president who was arrested inside Mexico's embassy in Quito, was found in a "self-induced coma" in jail after ingesting pharmaceuticals, the authorities said. Diplomacy: Janet Yellen, the U.S. Treasury secretary, ended economic meetings in China without making any major breakthroughs. Chips: The Biden administration will award up to $6.6 billion in grants to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which is building chip factories in the U.S. Pollution: A new study of more than 45,000 water samples from around the world found harmful levels of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals." Israel-Hamas War Gaza: Active fighting in the enclave reached its lowest point since a brief truce in November, but both Israel and Hamas suggested that the war was not yet over. Khan Younis: Some Palestinians found only devastation when they returned to their homes in the city in southern Gaza after Israeli troops withdrew. U.S. Politics Debt relief: President Biden announced an effort to help pay off federal student loans for tens of millions of Americans. Abortion: Donald Trump said states should set their own laws on abortion, a stance that Mike Pence, Trump's former vice president and an evangelical Christian, called a "slap in the face." MORNING READ Associated Press Running gets much more difficult when the runner faces robbery, illness and men with machetes. Russ Cook, a 27-year-old Englishman nicknamed the Hardest Geezer, faced those hardships and others after he set out last year to run the length of Africa. Despite all the challenges, Cook completed his more than 10,000-mile run on Sunday. CONVERSATION STARTERS '3 Body' problems: The Netflix series "3 Body Problem," a major cultural export from China, is being pilloried on Chinese social media platforms. Vanishing meteorites: Antarctica is known for its many meteorites, but thousands of them are sinking into the ice as temperatures rise. Debunked: Yes, you can wash cast-iron pans. Here are four other big kitchen myths. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT SPORTS NEWS Paul Ellis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Manchester United 2, Liverpool 2: The main talking points from a classic at Old Trafford. Champions League: Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each quarterfinalist. Japanese Grand Prix takeaways: Williams's woes and Red Bull's status quo statement. ARTS AND IDEAS John Johnson/HBO The 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' finale After 24 years, Larry David's HBO comedy "Curb Your Enthusiasm" ended on Sunday. But where some see David's character as the personification of selfish, antisocial behavior, the Times critic Wesley Morris sees a 21st-century Emily Post. "'Curb Your Enthusiasm' is about more than Larry's probable narcissism," Morris writes in an essay. "It's a supreme comedy of manners." Read the rest of Morris's piece here. You can also read our television critic on series finales that "stick the landing," and test your "Curb" knowledge with this quiz. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Armando Rafael for The New York Times Cooking: Make a quick white sauce from scratch for this stovetop mac and cheese. Read: "The Sleepwalkers," an experimental novel, is a gothic mystery about a honeymoon. Exercise: Trick your brain to like running with these tips. Bond: Make a friendship bracelet. 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 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