The Evening: U.S. and Russia pursue closer ties

Also, Mayor Eric Adams faces political peril.

View in browser|nytimes.com February 18, 2025 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. A shift in U.S.-Russia relations Peril facing Mayor Eric Adams Plus, the writers who influenced Jane Austen U.S. and Russian officials in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today. Pool photo by Evelyn Hockstein Trump officials and Russians pursued closer ties President Trump sent a high-level delegation to Saudi Arabia to meet with senior Russian officials today and discuss a plan to end the war in Ukraine. After four hours of negotiations — the most extensive in years between the two powers — participants in the meeting suggested that the U.S. and Russia would begin to work more closely together. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described a three-step plan that both countries had agreed to. First, they would discuss ways to ease embassy restrictions. They would also work on a peace settlement for Ukraine. Finally, Rubio said, the U.S. and Russia would explore new partnerships, both in geopolitics and business. The plans reflected a significant shift in U.S. strategy. For years, Joe Biden and other Western leaders focused on punishing Russia for starting Europe's most destructive war in generations. Today's striking display of bonhomie showed that Trump was eager to work with Russia to end the war — an approach that would most likely fulfill many of the demands of its president, Vladimir Putin. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine reacted angrily to the U.S.-Russia meeting. He insisted that it was important that any peace negotiations did not happen "behind the backs of the key subjects." Any decisions, he added, "cannot be imposed" on Ukraine. For more: Our Moscow bureau chief explained the parameters of a possible Ukraine peace deal. Elon Musk with President Trump in the Oval Office last week. Eric Lee/The New York Times A judge declined to limit Elon Musk's authority A federal judge in Washington ruled against 14 Democratic-led states who had sought to bar Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency from accessing data and ordering personnel changes at several federal agencies. The judge, Tanya Chutkan, said that the states had failed to prove that Musk's actions could cause them imminent or irreparable harm. In related news, a White House official said Musk is not the head of DOGE. In other politics news: A top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., resigned after she declined to comply with a request by Trump administration officials to freeze the assets of a government contractor. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. laid out his agenda to scrutinize chronic disease, saying "nothing" will be off limits. Programs aimed at averting violence, instability and extremism worsened by global warming are closing down. What will Trump do with the Kennedy Center, now that it's under his control? One expectation is more country music. Current and former national park employees said that job cuts could make the lands more dangerous. One rare place where Republicans still resist Trump: Utah. Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Associated Press New York's governor is weighing whether to remove Adams Gov. Kathy Hochul held meetings today with elected officials and community leaders in New York City to discuss Mayor Eric Adams's future. Under the state's Constitution, Hochul has the power to remove Adams, a fellow Democrat. Last night, she said that such a move "should not be taken lightly." Adams is facing a political crisis after the prosecutor overseeing a corruption case against the mayor accused him of having agreed to a quid pro quo with the Trump administration. Four of Adams's deputy mayors said yesterday that they would resign. A photo of Shiri Bibas and her husband, and a photo of their children, Ariel and Kfir. Maya Alleruzzo/Associated Press Hamas said it would return the remains of Israeli hostages Hamas officials said today that they intended to hand the remains of four hostages over to Israel on Thursday in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. According to Hamas, the remains will include the bodies of three of the most well-known hostages: Shiri Bibas and her young children. For many Israelis, their kidnapping epitomized the cruelty of the Hamas-led attack that prompted the 15-month war in Gaza. Today's report of the deaths of Bibas and her children, which Israel has not confirmed, left many in the country distraught. In related news, Israeli forces retained control over strategic border points in southern Lebanon as a deadline passed for Israel and Hezbollah to leave the region. More top news Vatican: Pope Francis has developed pneumonia in both lungs, the Vatican said. It described his condition as presenting "a complex picture." Toronto: The authorities are investigating what caused a plane to crash-land and flip over on the runway yesterday. All 80 people aboard survived. Panama: Hundreds of people deported by the Trump administration have been trapped in a hotel for days and were told they would soon be sent to a camp near the jungle. Weather: An Arctic air mass is forecast to bring dangerous cold to much of the U.S., including wind chills as low as 60 degrees Fahrenheit to the Northern Plains. Air safety: The family of a victim of the January midair crash near Washington that killed 67 people filed two legal claims against the federal government. Clemency: Leonard Peltier, a Native American rights activist held for nearly half a century for the killing of two F.B.I. agents, was released from a federal prison today. California: A legislator introduced a bill that would make it illegal to sell over-the-counter anti-aging products to shoppers under 18 years old. Business: Economic uncertainty from tariffs, regulatory changes and inflation is causing some companies to delay going public. Health: Heart failure deaths are rising. New treatments could help. TIME TO UNWIND The Print Collector/Getty Images, Bridgeman Images, Thomas Lawrence The forgotten writers who influenced Jane Austen As a rare-book collector, Rebecca Romney knows much more about literary history than the average person. And she had come to believe that Jane Austen was far superior to other female writers of her time. Then, Romney read Frances Burney and realized that she had underestimated an entire generation of women who had influenced Austen and been great in their own right. So she used her skills to find the writers and learn how they had fallen out of the canon. Romney's book documenting her search, "Jane Austen's Bookshelf," was published today. A scene from Barrie Kosky's "Threepenny Opera," performed by the Berliner Ensemble. JR Berliner Ensemble The director New York has been waiting for When "The Threepenny Opera" returns to New York this spring, it will be the first real opportunity for New York audiences to see the work of the director Barrie Kosky. That's a shock, our classical music critic Joshua Barone said, because Kosky is one of the busiest and most brilliant directors working in Europe today. Joshua explained what stands out about Kosky. Jason Varney Dinner table topics Hollywood pedigree: The loft where Tom Hanks and Antonio Banderas lived in the 1993 movie "Philadelphia" has been renovated into a grand apartment. New era: A group of young female singer-songwriters are reinventing R&B by looking backward. Endlessly reinvented: Jane Fonda, the actor and activist, spoke to us about aging into her latest role as a sneaker model. An inside job: She was America's leading art consultant. Then she stole millions from her clients. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Kelly Marshall for The New York Times Cook: This sardine and egg sandwich tastes both complex and comfortingly simple. Watch: "The Wild Robot" is one of the best science fiction movies that you can stream right now. Listen: Check out Sabrina Carpenter's take on country, and 12 other new songs. Plan: We tried out a less expensive way to ski on some great mountains. Wear: Take inspiration from our fashion photographer's latest look of the week. Rest: Despite social media claims, there's no evidence that women need more sleep than men. Compete: Take this week's Flashback history quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING A scene from "Paddington 2." Warner Bros. Pictures, via Associated Press Is 'Paddington 2' the perfect movie? Six decades after a charming, duffle-coated bear named Paddington was first brought to life in a British children's series, "Paddington 2" was released in 2018 to modest box-office success. Eventually, however, rave reviews and word-of-mouth praise helped turn the film into a pandemic streaming hit — and an online sensation. In less than a week, the marmalade-loving bear's third feature-length movie, "Paddington in Peru," has amassed $100 million in theaters. But many fans still believe that the second installment — which for a while was the best reviewed film ever on Rotten Tomatoes — was the real prize. They told us why. Have an adoring evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Sean Kawasaki-Culligan 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. 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