Supported by
Russia, Robert Mueller, Miami: Your Friday Briefing
Jennifer Jett and
Good morning.
Here’s what you need to know:
Intruders in the control room
• Russian hackers have infiltrated U.S. and European water and power plants, the Trump administration said. The hackers have yet to sabotage or shut down a plant, but they could have done so, officials said.
Details were revealed on Thursday as the White House imposed sanctions against Russians and Russian organizations it accused of election meddling and “malicious cyberattacks,” its most significant action against Moscow since President Trump took office.
• Mr. Trump also said Moscow was probably behind the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England last week.
Russia inquiry moves closer to Trump
• The special counsel, Robert Mueller, has subpoenaed records from President Trump’s business, including some related to Russia, people briefed on the matter said.
It’s the first known time he’s demanded documents directly related to the president’s businesses.
• The White House purge may not be over: John Kelly, the chief of staff, and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser, are said to be on thin ice.
‘We were dying in there’
• Seven years to the day since Syria’s civil war began, thousands of civilians fled eastern Ghouta, a rebel-held enclave under government assault since last month.
“There was no food, no medicine, nothing,” one woman said.
The rebels, who once controlled large parts of Syria, now hold very little territory, and emboldened government troops are advancing.
• In Iraq, an American military helicopter crashed on Thursday near the city of Qaim, killing some of the seven service members aboard, officials said. It was unclear why the aircraft went down.
Bridge falls on a bustling street
• A pedestrian bridge in Miami collapsed on Thursday, crushing cars and killing at least six people.
The walkway at Florida International University was installed on Saturday and had not yet opened to the public. A student described the collapse as “a sonic boom from an aircraft which shook the ground.”
• The death toll was likely to rise. An inquiry is expected to examine the bridge’s design, construction and method of installation.
Up vs. out
A proposal in California would allow eight-story buildings near major transit stops, even if local communities objected.
The idea is to foster taller, more compact residential areas, to shorten commutes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and alleviate the state’s housing shortage.
• But opponents say the bill goes too far in overriding residents’ views.
Business
• An Obama-era rule requiring financial professionals to act in their clients’ best interests faces an uncertain future after a federal appeals court ruled against it.
• Nike’s brand president is leaving, a move announced the same day the company told employees about reports of workplace misbehavior.
• Toys “R” Us went from planning a turnaround to collapsing, the latest failure of financial engineering in private equity.
• Most U.S. stocks were lower on Thursday. Here’s a snapshot of global markets today.
Smarter Living
Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.
• What to do when a good friend becomes a terrible colleague.
• How to escape the scourge of butt dialing.
• Recipes of the day: A selection to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Noteworthy
• Wildcats and Hurricanes are sent home
The N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament had two upsets on its first day, as Buffalo knocked off Arizona and Loyola-Chicago stunned Miami with a buzzer-beater shot. The women’s tournament starts today — here’s a printable bracket.
• No news quiz this week
It will return next Friday.
• Ready for the weekend
At the movies, our critic liked “Love, Simon,” a teen romance with surprising emotional resonance. The new “Tomb Raider” starring Alicia Vikander, on the other hand, is “a dreary, inept reboot.”
New this week on our hardcover fiction best-seller list are adaptations of “The Shape of Water” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” shaped by the films’ directors. You can find all the lists here.
We also recommend five new books and the weekend’s best TV offerings.
Need something new in your viewing rotation? Try one of these shows from Hong Kong, Brazil and Sweden.
If you’re in New York, the Thomas Cole show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art features gorgeous 19th-century Hudson River landscapes.
• The most polluted capital
It’s not Beijing or New Delhi, but Ulan Bator, Mongolia.
Faced with winter temperatures as low as minus 40, migrant workers burn raw coal or even garbage to heat their homes, filling the air with smoke. The government plans a ban on coal, but might struggle to enforce it.
• Best of late-night TV
Jimmy Kimmel rallied support for the legal defense fund of the pornographic film actress known as Stormy Daniels: “Now you can give money to a porn star — just like the president of the United States.”
• Quotation of the day
“If you start to take away Astons and Bentleys and huge apartments in Kensington, freezing those assets, people will care a lot more.”
—Cliff Kupchan, the chairman of the consulting firm Eurasia Group, on ways the British government could penalize Russian expatriates closely tied to Moscow following an attack on a former spy.
• The Times, in other words
Here’s an image of today’s front page, and links to our Opinion content and crossword puzzles.
Back Story
St. Patrick’s Day, which is Saturday, is all the more enjoyable for a number of intriguing myths and misconceptions — and not just about leprechauns.
Scientists say there were never any snakes in Ireland, for one thing, which contradicts the tale of St. Patrick driving them into the sea. There is also reason to doubt that the snake story is an allegory for St. Patrick’s eradication of pagan religions. (Christianity might have already arrived.)
The real Patrick, who became a patron saint of Ireland, wasn’t even Irish: He is believed to have been a Roman born in England who was enslaved by Irish marauders. He escaped after six years and returned to Ireland to spread Christianity.
Corned beef, a mainstay of St. Patrick’s Day in the U.S., was introduced to Irish immigrants by Jewish neighbors in New York City. Then there’s the color: It was once St. Patrick’s blue. (Green dates to 18th-century Irish independence movements.)
And for a celebration of Irish culture, St. Patrick’s Day is remarkably global. In Sydney, where the Opera House is tinted green each year, the celebrations date to 1810. In Singapore, as The Irish Post writes, “the Singapore River transforms into a sea of green as part of its own two-day street festival.”
Charles McDermid contributed reporting.
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