The Evening: Ukraine aid is set to pass the House

Also, the Israeli military struck Iran.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story April 19, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday. A vote on aid for Ukraine Israeli retaliation against Iran Plus, "The Tortured Poets Department" Democrats stepped in to support bringing the Ukraine and Israel aid package to the floor, in a remarkable breach of custom. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times The House is set to approve Ukraine aid this weekend The House took a critical step today toward approving a long-stalled package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and other American allies. A majority of Democratic and Republicans lawmakers voted to advance the bills past a procedural hurdle, setting up the legislation to pass the House tomorrow. The measures, which are all expected to pass in the House with bipartisan support, provide $60.8 billion in aid to Ukraine, $26.4 billion for Israel and aid for Palestinians, and $8 billion for Taiwan and other allies. In order to steer around opposition from members of his own party, Speaker Mike Johnson broke down the package into three pieces, adding a fourth bill to sweeten the deal for conservatives. That bill would require TikTok's Chinese owners to sell it within nine months, otherwise the app could be banned. After the House, the measures head to the Senate, which has already approved a similar package, and then to President Biden, who has vowed to sign them. Final approval would be an enormous victory in the long effort to fund Ukraine, and a defeat for the voices of isolationism in the Republican Party. In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country could not win the war without more American aid. A mural in Tehran celebrating Iran's attack against Israel. Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times Reactions to Israeli strikes on Iran hint at de-escalation Israel's military struck Iran early this morning, in what appeared to be a response to the Iranian drone attack on Israel last weekend. The scope of the strikes so far appears to be limited. Iranian officials said a strike had hit a military base near the city of Isfahan, in central Iran. But initial reaction in both Israel and Iran was muted, which analysts said was a sign that the rivals were seeking to lower the temperature. World leaders, who for the last week have urged Israeli restraint, called for both sides to de-escalate. Unions are having a moment after years of falling membership. Nick Carey/Reuters A test for unions in the South Thousands of workers at a Volkswagen factory in Tennessee are voting on whether to join the United Automobile Workers union. The results are expected tonight, though 70 percent of the workers had pledged to vote yes. Approval would mark perhaps the first time a foreign carmaker's U.S. plant became unionized. It would also add fuel to the U.A.W.'s push to expand in the South, where union resistance has historically been strong, and where right-to-work laws make it hard for unions to organize. More top news Trump: Jury selection wrapped up in the former president's criminal trial, clearing the way for opening statements next week. A man set himself on fire near the courthouse. Environment: The Biden administration ruled that polluters, and not taxpayers, will pay to clean up two "forever chemicals" linked to serious health risks. Rights: New regulations issued today extended legal protections to L.G.B.T.Q. students and rolled back several policies set under the Trump administration. Health: Many older women need an extra breast scan as a form of cancer prevention, but Medicare won't pay for it. India: Few doubt that Narendra Modi will win a third term in national elections that began today. His strong hand is just what many Indians seem to want. Energy: A Massachusetts solar company abandoned plans to build a $1.4 billion U.S. factory amid a flood of Chinese exports, casting doubts about a U.S. domestic solar boom. Alaska: The Biden administration expanded federal protections across millions of acres of wilderness in the state, blocking oil, gas and mining operations. Crime: Officials are moving to increase enforcement and change laws in response to the rise in the number of counterfeit or expired license plates. Greece: The government published a list of 198 beaches that are now off limits to bars, restaurants and large public gatherings in an attempt to contain development. TIME TO UNWIND Taylor Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department" was released today.  Beth Garrabrant Taylor Swift delivers an abundance of music, and more This morning, just hours after Taylor Swift released her new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," she put out 15 more songs — bringing "The Anthology" edition of the album to 31 tracks. "Tortured Poets" was her ninth LP in five years, a remarkable pace for someone who is already the most ubiquitous pop star in the world. The release was also preceded by a promotional blitz: a Swift radio station, a Swift word game and even a Swift library. For her fans, more is always welcome. But our music critic, Lindsay Zoladz, wrote in a review of the latest album that Swift could have used an editor. "At times, the album is a return to form," Lindsay wrote, adding: "As the album goes on, Swift's lyricism starts to feel unrestrained, imprecise and unnecessarily verbose." Portraits by the Chinese artist Yu Hong in the Chiesetta della Misericordia in Venice. Casey Kelbaugh for The New York Times At the Venice Biennale, art and politics are intertwined The Venice Biennale, the world's longest-running and most extravagant festival of contemporary art, opens to the public tomorrow. My colleagues spent the past few days previewing the exhibitions, which include individual shows from nearly 90 countries. Our critic Jason Farago, who has been covering the Biennale for two decades, said the event no longer truly plots out where the art world is headed. Instead, he said, the nation-by-nation structure feels more like going from "a political lecture to a political lecture to a political lecture." Here are the event's biggest highlights. The professional women's hockey team in New York has yet to be named. Mimi d'Autremont for The New York Times Dinner table topics No home ice: A new women's professional hockey league is booming. Just not in New York, where the team doesn't have a name or a home rink. Ethical quandary: Several libraries are debating what to do about books in their collections that are bound in human skin. Living small: Can you build a house out of paper? Apparently, yes. Aging drivers: The "car key conversation" can be painful for families to navigate. Experts have tips. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND Julia Gartland for The New York Times Cook: Doolsho, a cake that gets its airiness from whipped egg whites, is an integral part of the Somali afternoon tea tradition. Watch: These four documentaries explore how families cope with dementia. Read: Alexandra Fuller's memoir "Fi," is one of nine new books we recommend. Cheer: The N.H.L. playoffs begin tomorrow. Here's what to expect. Check: Nearly a million people are still eligible for tax refunds from 2020. Decorate: Wirecutter has tips for buying good houseplants online. Compete: Take this week's news 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 Kelsey Cherry for The New York Times Why is every server wearing a chore coat? Perhaps you won't see them at McDonald's or at the Michelin-starred Le Bernardin, but countless other restaurants have embraced the chore coat. They are practical, somewhat stain resistant and project an important message: This is a stylish, but not overly fancy or fussy restaurant. "The chore coat is saying to the diner, 'We've considered what we're wearing, and style is important, but this is also a place where we're not so buttoned up that you can't have a few martinis and make it a fun night,'" one restaurateur said. Have an unpretentious weekend. Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Monday. — 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. 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

Fareed: With a Two-Issue Election, Biden Should Act Now on Immigration

What the president can do, as cultural flashpoints drive US politics. Plus: Has the Israel–Iran tit-for-tat ended?; Israel, sitting pretty?; Mike Johnson vs. his fellow Republicans; and Salman Rushdie returns with 'Knife' …

View this email in your browser  Insights, analysis and must reads from CNN's Fareed Zakaria and the Global Public Square team, compiled by Global Briefing editor Chris Good   Seeing this newsletter as a forward? Sign up here.   April 19, 2024 Fareed: With a Two-Issue Election, Biden Should Act Now on Immigration "Bill Maher recently said on his show that the 2024 election was going to be fought over two issues: immigration and abortion," Fareed writes for CNN Opinion. "The party that best navigates these cultural battlefields is likely to prevail in November. Each party has an advantage, the Democrats on abortion and the Republicans on immigration."   Immigration is fueling right-wing populism from Europe to the US, Fareed writes. Some of President Joe Biden's supporters would be angry if he took more aggressive action to block asylum-seekers from entering the country, Fareed argues, but Biden "needs to risk it and get tougher on immigration. It has become a proxy for all kinds of issues where people feel that elites simply don't get the concerns of average people. … He should declare a national security emergency, send the National Guard to the border, work with Congress to suspend the asylum process and propose a new one that basically makes it impossible to get asylum if you just show up at the border. Many will scream, and it will all be challenged in court. But it will signal that Biden is taking the problem seriously. Bill Clinton often says that the American people don't always need you to succeed, but they want to catch you trying. Joe Biden needs to be caught trying to solve the immigration crisis." Israel vs. Iran: Is It Over? The biggest story in global affairs took another turn Friday, as Israel appeared to strike Iran. So, after stirring fears of a catastrophic wider war in the Middle East, has this open tit-for-tat saga concluded for good? To recap: Israel and Iran have engaged in a so-called "shadow war" for much of the last decade. (Israel has waged a "campaign between the wars" to strike at Iran's regional and nuclear capabilities between Israel's periodic active wars with Iranian allies Hezbollah and Hamas. Assassinations, strikes, and Iranian proxy attacks have all featured in this simmering, longstanding, covert back-and-forth between these two regional powers.) While also fighting a devastating war against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation for the terrorist group's Oct. 7 massacres, on April 1 a suspected Israeli strike destroyed an Iranian consular facility in Damascus and killed Iranian military commanders. Iran responded last Saturday night, launching hundreds of drones and missiles directly at Israel, nearly all of which were intercepted before reaching their targets.   Although the Biden administration has distanced itself and encouraged Israel not to escalate, it seems Israel has struck Iran in relatively limited fashion. Last night, explosions were heard near the Iranian city of Isfahan, as noted by Iranian state media. Israel's military did not comment, but the wide and immediate assumption was that Israel had attacked an Iranian airbase. Iran had promised swift and severe reaction if Israel made any such move, but an official in Tehran said Iran had intercepted three drones, the Iranian airbase in question is secure, and Iran is downplaying the event, CNN's Simone McCarthy reports. As for what to make of all this, former State Department director of policy planning and Council on Foreign Relations president emeritus Richard Haass, who had expected a limited Israeli strike on Iran, writes today in his Home & Away newsletter that Israel's apparent strike was "even more limited" than what he had foreseen. "[T]he Israeli action was also calibrated to make it easy for Iran not to respond. Israel's government is not trumpeting what took place," Haass writes. The details "suggest the high likelihood that a serious conflict between Israel and Iran is not imminent. … What just happened or more accurately didn't happen in the Middle East is a rare piece of good news." Israel, Sitting Pretty? Israel's sense of its ability to deter enemies was badly shaken on Oct. 7, former longtime US Middle East diplomat Martin Indyk said recently on a Council on Foreign Relations webcast. That's key to understanding Israel's view of its current back-and-forth conflict with Tehran, Indyk said before last night's apparent Israeli strike on Iran. That sense of insecurity notwithstanding, others see Israel and its government enjoying a stronger position thanks to recent conflict with Tehran. At the British foreign-affairs think tank Chatham House, Sananm Vakil and Bilal Y. Saab write that Iran's strike last Saturday benefited Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, by distracting world attention from the war in Gaza and ending Israel's isolation on the global stage. Netanyahu had faced protests at home and pressure from the White House not to invade the Gazan town of Rafah; after Iran's strike last Saturday, the Middle East Institute's Paul Salem suggested the attack had thrown Netanyahu a "lifeline" to sidestep domestic criticism and perhaps expand operations in Gaza. Haaretz columnist Anshel Pfeffer is less sanguine. "Just like Netanyahu's resistance to presenting a day-after plan for Gaza, he has no plans for Iran now that Tehran has upended his strategy," Pfeffer argues. "The strike in Isfahan is at most a temporary measure. Something had to be done in response to the Iranian attack, and this was something. Once again, the grand geopolitical strategist has been exposed as a windbag with nothing to offer Israel but faux-Churchillian sound bites." Mike Johnson vs. His Fellow Republicans The Republican Party appears split over whether to extend further US military aid to Ukraine, which faces grim battlefield prospects against Russia's invading army. Relatively isolationist, pro-Trump voices like Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance have argued broadly against heavier US involvement in that war or in European defense. Still, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is moving toward a weekend showdown by pushing forward an aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. As Julian Zelizer writes for CNN Opinion, Johnson is testing the strength of the House GOP's MAGA wing, which has been quite bold in demanding agreement from GOP leaders. The Wall Street Journal praises Johnson for showing "leadership" and making his case clearly, noting he has said he "would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys." Reviewing Johnson's recent remarks, including his assertion that helping Ukraine is "critically important," The New Yorker's Susan Glasser writes: "Johnson's summation of the current geopolitical map differed little from what one might hear from President Biden at the White House lectern—and it suggested that the Speaker's world view has departed sharply from Trump's autocrat-admiring brand of American isolationism." By trusting US intelligence assessments and by warning of dire consequences in Europe if Russian President Vladimir Putin wins in Ukraine, Johnson diverged from the Trumpist line on foreign policy, Glasser writes. The move to help Ukraine could cost Johnson his speakership. Mounting a charge to remove him is the ardent Trump supporter Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Last week, CNN political analyst SE Cupp observed Greene's campaign against Johnson fizzling, noting Republican criticism of Greene for seeking to throw the House GOP back into chaos. Greene's sputtering bid to unseat Johnson shows she's becoming "irrelevant," in Cupp's view. Rushdie Returns With 'Knife' A year and a half after being attacked and wounded in a grisly knife attack, while onstage due to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York in August 2022, renowned author Salman Rushdie told "60 Minutes" last Sunday that he had a "premonition" of the attack days before.     Rushdie has returned to publishing this month with a memoir, "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder." Rushdie famously has lived much of his life under an order to kill him, a fatwa issued by the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 over alleged blasphemy in Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses," a fantastical, London-set story that reimagines Quranic passages in dreams.   The Economist writes in its review: "Sir Salman was about to speak at a festival … when a black-clad man charged the stage. His first thought was: 'So it's you. Here you are.' … Omitting his name—he is 'My Assailant', then 'the A'—Sir Salman wavers over whether he wants to confront him. Instead he makes up a jokey-serious dialogue between them, probing the imaginary suspect about faith, failure and loneliness. … His other deep theme is the challenge of living in a bleak world; or, to put it another way, the riddle of human nature. He 'experienced both the worst and best' when onlookers tackled his attacker and saved his life. Above all, however, the counterbalance to evil is the love and devotion of [his wife] Eliza, with whom Sir Salman salvaged 'a wounded happiness.'" What did you think of today's newsletter? Send ideas, questions and feedback to globalbriefing@cnn.com   You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for Fareed's Global Briefing. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or sign up to manage your CNN account   Learn more about the CNN app |  Get CNN web alerts  |  Sign up for a free CNN account   ® © 2024 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved. 1050 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318