Should the parents of school shooters be put in prison?

Plus, senators unveil a border deal that House Republicans have already rejected.

View in Browser 02.05.24     Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Questions? Comments? what.matters@cnn.com   by Zachary B. Wolf : Should the parents of school shooters be put in prison? After previously linking to reports about the trial of Jennifer Crumbley in Michigan, I thought it would be worth a somewhat closer look.   Jury deliberations got underway Monday in the manslaughter trial.   Crumbley's son Ethan was 15 when he opened fire at Oxford High School in Michigan, killing four fellow classmates.   Now 17, he was sentenced last year to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to murder and terrorism charges. He is the first minor to get such a sentence since a 2012 US Supreme Court ruling that such sentences are excessive for minors and should be reserved for only the most egregious cases.   The trial of his mother hinges on whether she is criminally liable for manslaughter for, along with her husband, buying her son a gun four days before the shooting. She didn't mention the purchase to school officials at a meeting about her son's behavior the morning of the shooting.   Here's a key passage from CNN's report by Eric Levenson and Lauren del Valle that gets at the arguments from both sides:   Broadly, the prosecution's case relies on an unusual and novel legal strategy and represents an attempt to expand the scope of blame in mass shootings. And in its specifics, the trial has provided an intimate view of the collapse of one American family in a tangle of sex, violence and mental illness.   Evidence included video of the parents learning of their son's actions and then interacting with him, and testimony included details of Jennifer Crumbley's extramarital affair, which prosecutors said distracted her from her son.    More from Levenson and del Valle:   "It's a rare case that takes some really egregious facts," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in closing arguments Friday. "It takes the unthinkable, and she has done the unthinkable, and because of that, four kids have died."   However, the defense has argued the blame lay elsewhere: on her husband for improperly securing the firearm; on the school for failing to notify her about her son's behavioral issues; and on Ethan himself, who planned and carried out the attack on his own. Defense attorney Shannon Smith said the case was "dangerous" for parents everywhere.   "Can every parent really be responsible for everything their children do, especially when it's not foreseeable?" Smith said in closing arguments.   Jennifer Crumbley took the stand in her own defense and, in a remarkable moment, expressed no regret for her actions.   "I've asked myself if I would have done anything differently, and I wouldn't have," she testified.   James Crumbley, Ethan's father and Jennifer Crumbley's husband, is scheduled to go on trial in March.   Sponsor Content by FinanceBuzz Hands down one of the best credit cards for balance transfers Some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt faster. The secret: find a card with a 0% intro APR period for balance transfers. Then, transfer your debt balance and pay it down during the intro period.  : What else? Immigration deal! Or no deal? A bipartisan group of senators officially say they have a deal to update US border policy for the first time in decades. The House still says it's "dead on arrival." The irony is that Democrats seem to have given up much more than Republicans, but it is Republicans most vocally opposed to the deal.    A key element, per CNN's report: "New emergency authority to restrict border crossings if daily average migrant encounters reach 4,000 over a one-week span. If that metric is reached, the Homeland Security secretary could decide to largely bar migrants from seeking asylum if they crossed the border unlawfully." More.   Watch this about tranq. A year after her first profile of the Kensington area of Philadelphia, CNN's Elle Reeve returns to find the neighborhood still struggling to deal with the drug known as "tranq," in which fentanyl is mixed with xylazine -- a veterinary tranquilizer that can cause skin wounds that often won't heal.      Video: "I've never seen anything like it": Inside the center of the tranq drug crisis.     Verdict, please. A new CNN poll finds most Americans want to see a verdict on the federal charges former President Donald Trump faces related to 2020 election subversion before this year's presidential election. Most also expect Trump to pardon himself of any federal crimes he's convicted of if he wins the presidency – or to refuse to concede if he loses in November. More.   Deepfake politics. A manipulated video of President Joe Biden can remain online. Ruling from Meta's internal board.    Atmospheric rivers deluge California. There's epic rain in Southern California again. Most losses won't be covered by insurance.   : What did you think of today's newsletter? Send your feedback to what.matters@cnn.com.   You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for What Matters. 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

The Evening: California’s record deluge

Plus, the women who ruled the Grammys.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 5, 2024 By Jonathan Wolfe Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Monday. California's record deluge King Charles's cancer diagnosis Plus, the women who ruled the Grammys The Los Angeles River during heavy rains in Los Angeles today. Jenna Schoenefeld for The New York Times California is hit by a record deluge A ferocious atmospheric river dumped rain on California, spawning landslides, flooding roads and causing power outages across the region. More than 350,000 homes and businesses in the state were without power. The relentless downpour, which began last night, stalled over the Los Angeles region, where officials warned of the potential for more flooding and mudslides. The rain was forecast to continue through the night. Follow our live coverage. Parts of Southern California are expecting 8 to 14 inches of rain today, potentially matching Los Angeles's average annual rainfall total — 14 inches — in a single day. More than 10 inches of rain were recorded by noon in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel Air. Atmospheric rivers — named for their long, narrow shape and the prodigious amount of water they carry — greatly affect California's weather and water supplies. As humans continue burning fossil fuels and heating the atmosphere, the warmer air can hold more moisture — and storms are more likely to be extremely wet and intense. For more: These maps show the progression of the atmospheric rivers and the rainfall forecasts, and here is a map of the rainfall totals. King Charles leaving a London hospital last week. Hollie Adams/Reuters King Charles was diagnosed with cancer Buckingham Palace said King Charles III, Britain's monarch, has been diagnosed with a form of cancer and was suspending his public engagements to undergo treatment. Palace officials said the king would still continue to carry out other duties and "remains wholly positive about his treatment." The 75-year-old sovereign, who began his reign barely 18 months ago, was discharged last week from a London hospital, following a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate. The palace did not disclose what form of cancer Charles has, but doctors detected the cancer during that procedure. Antony Blinken with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today. Pool photo by Mark Schiefelbein Blinken began a fresh push for a cease-fire deal Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived today in Saudi Arabia, as part of a Middle East trip seeking to prevent a broader war in the region, and to rally allies around a proposal to release hostages held in Gaza. The U.S. and its Arab allies are still awaiting a response from Hamas on a deal that would involve the exchange of more than 100 Israeli hostages held in Gaza for a pause in fighting and the release of Palestinians detained in Israeli jails. The Biden administration is also working toward establishing diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Under a proposed deal, the U.S. would offer Saudi Arabia a defense treaty, help with a civilian nuclear program and increase arms sales. In theory, the countries would get Israel to accept conditions for concrete steps toward a Palestinian state in return for Saudi recognition. Houses destroyed in Viña del Mar, Chile. Cristóbal Olivares for The New York Times Deadly wildfires scorched Chile Officials in Chile said that at least 122 people had been killed and hundreds remained missing days after devastating wildfires ripped through the country's Pacific coast. Tens of thousands of homes were destroyed in the flames, which ravaged entire neighborhoods and trapped people fleeing in cars. In recent days, dozens of fires have burned across central and southern Chile, and several other countries in South America have also struggled to contain wildfires. The cyclical climate phenomenon known as El Niño has exacerbated droughts and high temperatures through parts of the continent, creating conditions that experts say are ripe for forest fires. More top news Immigration: Republicans savaged a bipartisan compromise bill to crack down on unlawful migration and speed critical security aid to Ukraine, threatening to kill the deal's chances of clearing Congress. Elections: Nikki Haley's campaign said that she had raised $16.5 million in January, her biggest monthly fund-raising total to date. Economy: Top U.S. Treasury Department officials are set to travel to Beijing for economic talks as the two countries try to prevent hostilities. China: Yang Hengjun, a Chinese-Australian writer who was detained in China on national security charges, was given a suspended death sentence. Russia: Yandex, the company known as Russia's Google, reached a $5 billion deal to exit the country. France: Parisians voted to triple parking fees for large sport utility vehicles and other heavy cars. New York: A retired police inspector pleaded guilty to misdemeanor conspiracy, saying that he had directed straw donors to contribute to Mayor Eric Adams's 2021 campaign. Climate: A study of sea sponges suggested that humans have raised global temperatures by about 1.7 degrees Celsius, not 1.2 degrees Celsius, the most commonly used value. Media: In his first significant programming move, CNN's new chairman said the channel's morning lineup would have less banter and more news. Investigation: Big companies cashed in on Mississippi's water, leaving many small towns worse off than before. TIME TO UNWIND Taylor Swift posed with Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus of boygenius. Frederic J. Brown/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Women ruled the Grammys Women thoroughly dominated last night's Grammy Awards, as Taylor Swift became the first artist to win the Grammys' top prize four times and Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, SZA, Lainey Wilson, Karol G and the band boygenius all won awards. The show also featured powerful performances by Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman — two godmothers of modern songwriting who have made rare public appearances in recent years. Overall, "the show was particularly joyous, slick and thoughtful," our critics wrote. It captured pop music as it actually is — centerless, and subject to change at any moment. Here is the full list of winners and the evening's standout looks. We also have an appraisal of Chapman's performance and thoughts on Jay-Z's speech, which he used to excoriate the body that awards the Grammys. Chase Brockett, right, of Portland, Ore., began scheduling outdoor counseling sessions with the therapist Aimee Frazier. Leah Nash for The New York Times Psychiatrists embrace outdoor therapy A growing number of therapists are taking their therapy sessions outdoors, hiking, camping and braving the elements with their clients. They say that combining traditional talk therapy with nature and movement can help clients feel more open, find new perspectives and express their feelings. While some in the field are leery of the emerging discipline, studies have found that being immersed in nature can be beneficial to mental health. Dinner table topics Sports betting, Taylor's version: Online sports books have been flooded with Super Bowl options focusing on what Taylor Swift will wear, how she'll celebrate and more. Fine-tuning exhibitions: To make blockbuster shows, museums are turning to focus groups. Billy Joel: The singer and songwriter said he'd retired from pop. Here's what brought him back. Affordable housing, at the mall: A​ new Florida law​ that lets developers bypass local zoning rules has stirred an uproar around the state.​ Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO TONIGHT David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Cook: These sausage smash burgers are both delightful and stress-relieving. Read: In "Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here," Jonathan Blitzer reckons with the complexities of the migrant crisis. Watch: These five streaming children's movies include one written by Charlie Kaufman. Drink: Cap off Valentine's Day with a sweet wine. Pare: Experts told us how to clean out your closet. Stop: Wirecutter has advice for cutting back on aimless phone scrolling. Travel: Ghana has a thriving contemporary arts scene. Surf: Some video games are mourning the old internet. Play: Today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. For more, find all our games here. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ONE LAST THING Embracing one's inner child in Dali, China. Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times Young Chinese are flocking to 'Dalifornia' The Chinese mountain city of Dali, also sometimes known as Dalifornia, is an oasis for China's disaffected or drifting. The city's nickname is a homage to California, and the easy-living, tree-hugging, sun-soaked stereotypes it evokes. But recently, Dali has filled with a different crop of wandering souls: young people from China's megacities, who are fleeing the intense lifestyles that so many of them once aspired to. Worn out by the high cost of living, cutthroat competition, record youth unemployment and an increasingly suffocating political environment, they have turned Dali into China's destination of the moment. Have a laid-back evening. Thanks for reading. Matthew Cullen will be back tomorrow. — Jonathan Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team 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