The Evening: Gaetz withdraws

Also, Putin said Russia struck Ukraine with a new missile.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 21, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday. Matt Gaetz's withdrawal A threat from Putin Plus, exercises to improve your mobility Matt Gaetz on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Gaetz dropped his bid to be attorney general Matt Gaetz, the former Florida congressman who Donald Trump tapped last week as his choice for attorney general, announced today that he would withdraw from consideration. Gaetz has faced a torrent of scrutiny over allegations of sex trafficking and drug use, which he has denied. After meetings on Capitol Hill yesterday, Gaetz told people close to him that at least four Republican senators opposed his nomination — enough to block his confirmation. Susan Collins of Maine, one of those senators, said that it was "the best decision that Mr. Gaetz could have made." The collapse of Gaetz's bid underscored Trump's haphazard approach to his cabinet selection process. He picked Gaetz almost on a whim without extensive vetting. The storm surrounding Gaetz, personally disliked by lawmakers in both parties, has drawn some attention away from Trump's other contested picks. Pete Hegseth, his choice for defense secretary, has also been accused of sexual assault. The office of the city attorney of Monterey, Calif., released a redacted police file yesterday containing the accusation of a woman who said that Hegseth raped her in 2017. Hegseth met with senators today in an effort to secure their support. Many Republicans defended him. In interviews, several veterans who served with Hegseth told us they were thrilled he was chosen; his peers described him as a skillful soldier who became embittered by military dysfunction. In other politics news: Trump has tapped quite a few television stars to serve in his administration. He has less than a dozen cabinet selections to go. See Trump's picks so far. Susie Wiles, Trump's choice for chief of staff, was an experienced lobbyist. Canada fears that Trump's immigration policies will push migrants north. Mexico's leaders aren't panicking — in fact, some see his return as an opportunity. Our politics reporter Astead Herndon conducted an autopsy of the 2024 election with a group of everyday voters — his family and friends. The site of a Russian missile strike in Dnipro, Ukraine, today. Mykola Synelnykov/Reuters Putin said Russia struck Ukraine with a new missile Vladimir Putin announced today that Russian forces had struck a Ukrainian military facility with a new intermediate-range ballistic missile that is mainly intended as nuclear deterrence. He said the attack was in response to Ukraine's recent use of American and British weapons to strike deeper into Russia. Putin's comments, made in a rare address to the nation, appeared to be an ominous threat against Ukraine's western allies, including the U.S. "We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against the military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities." An analysis: Trump's vow to quickly end the war could leave Ukraine with few options. U.S. and European officials are discussing deterrence as a possible security guarantee. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and his former defense secretary, Yoav Gallant. Amir Cohen/Reuters The I.C.C. issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu The International Criminal Court today accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, of war crimes related to Israel's conduct in Gaza. The court issued arrest warrants for both men, accusing them of using starvation as a weapon and intentionally attacking civilians. Netanyahu's office rejected what it called "absurd and false accusations." He now faces the risk of arrest in any of the court's 124 member nations, including most European countries. The U.S., which is not a member of the court, said it "rejects" the decision. The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Muhammad Deif, Hamas's military chief, accusing him of crimes against humanity. Israel has said that it killed him in an airstrike, but the court said it could not determine if he was alive. Pete Kiehart for The New York Times Automakers want Trump to keep E.V. regulations in place America's largest car manufacturers are strategizing on ways to convince the Trump administration not to scrap federal regulations that essentially force them to sell electric vehicles. The main reason: They have invested billions in the transition to electric, and are worried about being undercut by competitors who didn't. More top news Illinois: The state's Supreme Court overturned Jussie Smollett's conviction on a false hate crime claim. Tech: The Justice Department asked a federal court to force Google to sell its Chrome browser to break up its search monopoly. Weather: The first major atmospheric river of the season is parked over Northern California. Forecasters expect it to keep dumping rain. Brazil: The country's federal police urged prosecutors to charge Jair Bolsonaro, the former president, over accusations that he had been involved in plotting a coup. Business: The U.S. government charged Gautam Adani, an Indian tycoon who is one of the world's richest people, with multiple counts of fraud. Climate: At the U.N. climate talks, the world's poorest countries have teamed up with China and India to demand $1.3 trillion in climate financing per year from Western countries. Education: Conservatives in Florida are targeting what they describe as liberal "indoctrination" in colleges by removing subjects like sociology from core requirements. Health: For seven straight months, drug fatalities have been declining. Changes in the drug supply may be one cause. Space: Astronomers took the first close-up picture of a star in another galaxy — and it looks as if that star is getting ready to explode. Music: Morgan Wallen was banned from performing at the 2021 Country Music Association Awards over a racial slur. This year he won entertainer of the year. TIME TO UNWIND Karsten Moran for The New York Times Percival Everett won the National Book Award This year's National Book Award for fiction, one of America's most prestigious literary prizes, was given to Percival Everett for his novel "James." The book, published in March to rave reviews, is a retelling of Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" from the perspective of Huck's companion, an enslaved man named James. The nonfiction award was given to the anthropologist Jason De León for "Soldiers and Kings," an immersive account of the nearly seven years he spent embedded with human smugglers on the U.S.-Mexico border. Theodore Tae for The New York Times How good is your mobility? As our bodies age, our soft tissues, especially the joints, become more rigid. It can make ordinary tasks, like taking out the garbage or picking things off the ground, unbearable. Luckily, mobility can be trained and improved by incorporating a handful of easy exercises into your routine. But first, it helps to know which joints to focus on. Use these tests to gauge your range of movement. Adele performed onstage at Caesars Palace in January in a dress by Dolce & Gabbana. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Dinner table topics Long black dress: As Adele brings her Las Vegas residency to an end, she leaves behind a major fashion legacy. Brooklyn church battle: A priest is in hot water with his diocese. It all started with the pop star Sabrina Carpenter. Awe-inspiring music: The Berlin Philharmonic is the best in the business. Our critic explained why. World's most expensive fruit: A fruit-stand banana taped to a wall, a conceptual artwork by Maurizio Cattelan, sold at auction for $6.2 million. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi. Cook: This Dutch apple pie is sweet, creamy and rich. Watch: We have four new true crime picks, including the film "Fanatical." Read: Jean Strouse's wise new book examines the subjects of many of John Singer Sargent's paintings. Shop: Grab some sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving. They're rich in nutritional value. Discuss: Do you recognize A.I.? Here's how to talk about it with your family. Hunt: Which Washington, D.C., apartment would you buy with a $300,000 budget? Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. ONE LAST THING Emile Ducke for The New York Times In Azerbaijan, oil is for bathing, too The chocolate-colored crude oil extracted from beneath the hills of Azerbaijan doesn't burn. Instead, the locals claim, it heals — if you bathe in it. My colleague Anton Troianovski, our Moscow bureau chief, decided to try it out while covering the U.N. climate summit there. He submerged himself in an oil-filled bathtub at a hotel in the city of Naftalan. "It was warm and pleasingly heavy," Anton wrote. "It smelled something like paint, rubber or sour milk, but I grew used to it." Have a relieving evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Philip Pacheco was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, 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