The Evening: Senate set to avoid government shutdown

Also, the advance of A.G.I.

View in browser|nytimes.com March 14, 2025 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday. A vote to avert a shutdown Rapidly improving A.I. systems Plus, a new team for "Ted Lasso" Senator Chuck Schumer leaves a Senate Democratic luncheon on Thursday. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times The Senate is set to pass a bill to avoid a shutdown The Senate is on track to pass a Republican-written spending bill and avert a government shutdown after Senator Chuck Schumer and eight other Democrats broke with their party and voted this afternoon to advance the measure. The vote inflamed an intraparty feud about how to effectively resist President Trump. The legislation, which would keep the government running through Sept. 30, would largely keep federal funds flowing at levels set during the Biden administration, save for an increase in military spending. It also cuts out so-called earmarks and effectively slashes Washington, D.C.'s city budget by roughly $1 billion over the next six months. It does not contain the specific instructions to allocate money for programs that are usually included in spending bills. Democrats have warned the bill could essentially create slush funds for the Trump administration at a time when it is already disregarding spending directives set by Congress. Schumer, the leader of Senate Democrats, had argued against the bill just two days ago. He defended his reversal on the basis that a shutdown would benefit Trump, and he said he was willing to take political hits to protect his members. Several members of his own party criticized his stance as a shameful capitulation, though some conceded privately that he was simply doing his job as a leader. Angus King, the Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, also voted with Schumer. For more: The backlash against Schumer thrust into public view a generational divide that has emerged as one of the Democratic Party's deepest and most consequential rifts. Trump at the Department of Justice today. Eric Lee/The New York Times Trump assailed opponents in Justice Department speech In an unusual speech delivered at Justice Department headquarters in Washington, Trump made clear that he intends to bend the vast powers of federal law enforcement to his will. During the address, Trump veered from his prepared remarks to launch into a bitter spiel. He accused the department's previous leadership of trying to destroy him, declared Joe Biden the head of a "crime" family and lashed out at lawyers and former prosecutors by name in a venue dedicated to the impartial administration of justice. "Scum," Trump called his adversaries. In other politics news: The Supreme Court signaled that it would consider Trump's request to lift a nationwide pause on his birthright citizenship order. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump's pick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid, was grilled at his confirmation hearing. My colleagues evaluated the advice he gave as a TV doctor. The Senate passed a bill to make permanent harsh penalties for trafficking fentanyl-related drugs. A close confidant of Elon Musk has taken a new role in the Social Security Administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth closed the Pentagon office that focused on future wars. Musk's DOGE team might gut a piece of Trump family history. Oklahoma proposed teaching 2020 election "discrepancies" in U.S. history classes. Friedrich Merz, the likely next chancellor of Germany. Ralf Hirschberger/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Germans agreed to spend big on defense Germany's likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, announced today that he had secured support in Parliament for extensive government spending. His plan would lift hallowed limits on borrowing as they apply to the military, and includes climate and infrastructure investment. Merz has billed the spending push as a response to Trump's decision to pull back American security guarantees for Europe. In particular, the military spending could better equip Germany to push back against Russia's advances in Ukraine. In related news, Vladimir Putin insisted that Ukraine order some of its forces to surrender, a striking demand made hours after Trump said the U.S. had "very good and productive" discussions with the Russian leader about a potential cease-fire. Shira Inbar A.I. systems are getting better every day Engineers and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley often talk about the imminent creation of artificial general intelligence, or A.G.I., which is usually defined as something like "a general-purpose A.I. system that can do almost all cognitive tasks a human can do." Elsewhere in the world, many people scoff at the idea. But our tech columnist, Kevin Roose, believes we should take it seriously, and some insiders are alarmed. He offered three arguments for why the right time to begin preparing for A.G.I. is now. More top news Tariffs: U.S. officials told Canada that there was no way it, or any other country in Trump's cross hairs, could avoid a new round of tariffs on April 2. Middle East: Hamas said it was willing to free Edan Alexander, an American Israeli hostage, but Israel called the offer "psychological warfare." Education: The University of Minnesota, which the Justice Department is scrutinizing for its handling of antisemitism, largely barred itself from making official statements on issues. Iraq: A senior Islamic State leader believed to be the head of the group in Iraq and Syria was killed in an airstrike, the prime minister said. Economy: Stocks rebounded today, but consumer sentiment has dropped 11 percent this month as Americans raised their expectations of inflation. Weather: Forecasters warned of wildfire outbreaks in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, with winds that could reach 90 miles per hour. New York City: For the first time in nearly two decades, the number of felony assaults in the subway system was greater than the number of robberies. Alaska: Star VII is the unofficial mascot of Anchorage and perhaps the nation's most famous reindeer. Why someone sprayed him with air freshener and tried to steal him is a mystery. Lives Lived: Alan Simpson, the folksy, influential former senator who balanced conservative views with moderate stands on social issues, died at 93. TIME TO UNWIND Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham in "Ted Lasso." Colin Hutton/Apple TV+, via Associated Press 'Ted Lasso' has a new team The heartwarming soccer comedy "Ted Lasso" will return for a fourth season, and Jason Sudeikis will reprise his role as the title character, Apple announced today. But a big part of the show is changing. Sudeikis said on a podcast this morning that Ted would be coaching a women's team. "It's daunting, because we told the story we wanted to tell," he said. "But there's more there." Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton during practice. Edgar Su/Reuters A new F1 season begins This weekend, Formula 1 is back. Check out The Athletic's predictions for this year in the car racing league, which has captivated Europeans for decades and has recently caught on in the U.S. thanks to a Netflix show. Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, now appears beatable; Lewis Hamilton, the British superstar, is racing for a new team; and several rookies are debuting, including Hamilton's 18-year-old replacement on the Mercedes team. For car enthusiasts: Italy's famous supercar makers, like Ferrari and Lamborghini, offer factory tours and test drives. We tried them out. "Harlem Stoop." Tyler Mitchell Dinner table topics Costume Institute: To create a "Portrait of the Modern Dandy," the Met enlisted a young superstar photographer. You know him for "LOVE": Two rival galleries are trying to reboot the legacy of the artist Robert Indiana for a new generation. Not-so-discreet charm: Graydon Carter, an editor from the heyday of glossy magazines, looked back on his parties and his feuds. Modern Love: Is my husband a doormat? WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND Armando Rafael for The New York Times Cook: Recreate Magnolia Bakery's beloved banana pudding at home. Watch: The zany comedy "The Paragon" is one of the best science fiction movies to stream now. Read: We recommend "Goddess Complex" and seven other new books. Travel: Singapore is celebrating its diamond jubilee this year. Here's how to spend 36 hours there. Style: Sneakers are suddenly getting smaller. Observe: We talked to experts about surprising signs of aging. Compete: Take this week's news quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Ingrid Daubechies, a mathematician at Duke. John Taggart for The New York Times Happy Pi Day If you love numbers, shapes and equations, today is a good day to celebrate. It's March 14 — or, put another way, 3.14, the beginning digits of the mathematical constant pi — which means it's the International Day of Mathematics. One mathematician we spoke to said she was celebrating by giving tours of "Mathemalchemy," a traveling art installation that has been described as "a mathematics fever dream." It features an octopus that describes the movement of waves, an arch that highlights twin primes and roads in every direction that head to infinity. Check it out. Have a calculating weekend. Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Monday. — Matthew Brent Lewis 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. 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