The Evening: Ukraine’s attack with U.S. missiles

Also, prosecutors called for a four-year freeze on Trump's New York case.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 19, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. Ukraine's attack on Russia Trump's criminal case Plus, the "Glicked" movie face-off The U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS. John Hamilton/White Sands Missile Range, via Associated Press Ukraine fired U.S.-made missiles into Russia Early this morning, Ukraine's military launched a volley of American-made ballistic missiles into Russia for the first time. The attack came on the 1,000th day of the war and less than a week after President Biden gave the Ukrainians permission to do so in a major shift of American policy. The strike targeted an ammunition depot in the Bryansk region of southwestern Russia, causing explosions, Ukrainian officials said. Russian officials claimed to have shot down five of the six missiles. The use of long-range American weapons was a show of force that demonstrated how continued Western support could help Ukraine more easily degrade Russian forces. The attack came on the same day President Vladimir Putin lowered Russia's threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. He declared that Russia could use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty is threatened, even against a nonnuclear state so long as that state is backed by a nuclear power — similar to the situation in Ukraine. The timing of the long-planned move was clearly meant to send a message to Europe and the U.S. The White House said it had observed "no changes to Russia's nuclear posture" and played down Putin's new doctrine. The reaction was telling, my colleague David Sanger wrote. Over nearly three years, the war in Ukraine has inured Washington and the world to the renewed use of nuclear weapons as the ultimate bargaining chip. In related news, Germany's defense minister claimed that the severing of fiber-optic cables this week in the Baltic Sea was an act of sabotage aimed at Ukraine's European allies. Donald Trump outside a Manhattan court in May.  Doug Mills/The New York Times Prosecutors called for a four-year freeze on Trump's case Manhattan prosecutors sent a letter today to the judge who oversaw Donald Trump's New York criminal case, seeking to oppose the president-elect's push to dismiss his conviction. Instead, the prosecutors said they were willing to freeze the case for four years while Trump is president. In the letter, the prosecutors said they were "mindful of the demands and obligations of the presidency," but they emphasized that a jury convicted Trump of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal. Trump is now expected to move for a dismissal, a legal battle that could reach the Supreme Court. His sentencing, which was scheduled for next week, will almost certainly be delayed. In related news, several state cases against Trump's allies are in fragile shape after the election. Howard Lutnick at a Trump rally in New York last month. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Trump tapped a Wall St. C.E.O. for commerce secretary Trump announced today that he would nominate Howard Lutnick, the chief executive of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, to be his commerce secretary. Lutnick has been a top economic adviser to Trump over the past year and has been leading the president-elect's transition team. Lutnick has called for lower corporate taxes, an expansion of American energy production and tariffs to protect U.S. industries. Trump is also trying to find a Treasury secretary with a similar vision. The selection of Lutnick has not received much pushback from Republicans, unlike Trump's picks to lead the Justice Department and the Pentagon, who he has admitted might not have enough support to be confirmed. Trump is still pushing their nominations and has demanded that the Senate allow him to make so-called recess appointments. Here's how that would work. In other politics news: Trump said that he intends to nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Follow the latest nomination news. A hacker is said to have downloaded a file containing damaging testimony about Matt Gaetz, Trump's pick for attorney general. Trump's allies in Congress are beginning an effort to translate his economic agenda into law. It could be challenging. Republicans are trying to bar Sarah McBride, who will be the first transgender U.S. lawmaker, from using women's rooms at work. Trump appears determined to fight against the #MeToo movement's role in society. Many minority working-class voters said they lost trust in Democrats. The mother of one of the defendants held a banner that read: "The righteous shall live; the wicked shall perish." Tyrone Siu/Reuters Pro-democracy leaders were jailed in Hong Kong A Hong Kong court today sentenced 45 former politicians, journalists and activists to prison, some for as long as 10 years. The punishments — for taking part in an unofficial 2020 straw poll by the opposition — highlighted the sweeping power of a national security law Beijing imposed to tighten its grip on the territory. Here's a look at the people who were sentenced. More top news Education: Texas will allow Bible-infused lessons in public schools. Weather: Residents of Asheville, N.C., can now drink their tap water for the first time since Hurricane Helene. Lebanon: A top U.S. envoy signaled progress in negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah on a cease-fire proposal. Gaza: We interviewed badly wounded Palestinians who made it out for medical treatment in Qatar. Health: After Trump's election, orders for morning-after and abortion pills rose. Brazil: Authorities said that members of an elite army unit planned to kill Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva shortly before he became president, in an effort to keep Jair Bolsonaro in power. France: As the rape trial of her ex-husband and dozens of other men neared its end, Gisèle Pelicot made her final address to the court. Space: On a second attempt, SpaceX failed to catch the giant booster of its moon and Mars rocket. TIME TO UNWIND Universal Pictures Can 'Glicked' recapture the magic of 'Barbenheimer'? When "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" opened on the same day in the summer of 2023, crowds swarmed to movie theaters to be part of "Barbenheimer." Now there's a buzzy new movie face-off with its own catchy name: "Glicked." "Wicked," the first installment of the adaptation of the Broadway musical, and "Gladiator II," a swords-and-sandals epic directed by Ridley Scott, arrive in theaters this Friday. Will Elphaba green replace Barbie pink? Here's what to know about each film. Kandice Chavous for The New York Times Jon Batiste returned to classical music, on his own terms Before Jon Batiste was a bandleader and Grammy-winning artist, celebrated for his jazzy R&B hits, he was a classical piano student. Batiste returned to those roots this month with a new album, "Beethoven Blues." On it, Batiste adds his own improvisations to masterpieces like "Für Elise" and the Fifth Symphony. We interviewed him about why he decided to take on the classics and recorded him riffing on Beethoven. Gabriella Angotti-Jones for The New York Times Dinner table topics Hypebeasts: ComplexCon is a hybrid of a sneaker mall, a fashion show and a music festival. The kids just love it. Museum show: A couple taught A.I. to sing, and it was beautiful. Online celeb: Caleb Simpson tours other people's apartments in New York. We took a look inside his place. A new era: Will Ozempic crush the junk food business? WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Cook: Brighten up your table with this maple-roasted squash dish. Read: Looking for a Christmas read? Check these out. Listen: Our critic recommends Ethel Cain's "Punish" and six other new songs. Accessorize: Bag charms have become a popular form of self-expression. Consider: Flu infections have started picking up. Here's what to know. Pluck: These are the best tweezers. Compete: Take our quiz to see how well you know memorable couples of literature. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. ONE LAST THING Neil Munns/PA Images, via Getty Images Magicians are searching for a woman who tricked them In 1991, a woman gained entry into a male-only society of magicians in London by performing a 20-minute show while posing as a man named Raymond Lloyd. Later that year, when the woman revealed her identity, she was ousted from the club. The group, known as The Magic Circle, now accepts women. And its current leaders have embarked on a quest to find the woman, who went by the name Sophie Lloyd, in order to make amends and offer her membership. But the woman seems to have pulled a disappearing act. Have a crafty 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 Editorial Director: Adam Pasick 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