Your Friday Briefing

Rashida Tlaib, Gamergate, Greenland: Here's what you need to know. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

nytimes.com Friday, Aug 16, 2019 | View in browser Supported by Good morning. We’re covering Israel’s decision to allow in one of the two congresswomen whom it barred on Thursday and looking back at the legacy of Gamergate. It’s also Friday, so there’s a new news quiz. By Chris Stanford Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan last month. She is of Palestinian descent.  Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times Israel will allow U.S. lawmaker to visit family Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government said today that Representative Rashida Tlaib, one of the two congresswomen whom it barred the day before, would be allowed into the country on humanitarian grounds to see her 90-year-old grandmother, who lives in the West Bank. On Thursday, Israeli officials blocked a proposed visit by Ms. Tlaib and Representative Ilhan Omar, who are both vocal supporters of the boycott-Israel movement. That decision came after pressure from President Trump, an extraordinary intervention by an American president against members of his own Congress. Go deeper: Israel’s decision on Thursday was based on a 2017 law aimed at foreign supporters of the movement called Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. This was reportedly the first time it had been used against American lawmakers, although seven European officials were barred in 2017. The risky path of a trade warrior As evidence mounts that the global economy is slowing, President Trump is caught between his pursuit of the trade war with China and his need to keep the U.S. economy humming as he campaigns for re-election, our correspondents write in a news analysis. Economists say the president’s tariffs are causing damage the administration does not acknowledge. For their part, Mr. Trump’s advisers point to data like the retail sales numbers released on Thursday, which showed consumers spent at a higher-than-expected pace last month. Yesterday: At a rally in New Hampshire, Mr. Trump cited the strength of the economy in saying, “Whether you love me or hate me, you’ve got to vote for me.” We fact-checked some of his claims. Explainer: The financial world has been worked up this week about the inversion of the yield curve, something that has happened before several recessions. Our senior economics correspondent explained this bond market phenomenon, in which longer-term interest rates fall below shorter-term ones. Joe Biden and Barack Obama during a campaign rally in Florida in 2008.  Doug Mills/The New York Times Revisiting the Obama-Biden relationship When he was running for president, Barack Obama knew he was a standard-bearer of change and was wary of asking voters to digest too much at once. So he turned to Joe Biden, a running mate who would provide the experience he lacked. That decision has implications for the 2020 race, as many Democrats push the party to move beyond Obama administration positions that they view as too timid. Another angle: John Hickenlooper, the former Colorado governor, ended his presidential campaign on Thursday. Separately, Beto O’Rourke said he would abandon a focus on early primary states and more directly confront President Trump over immigration and gun control. An Adani facility in the western city of Mundra is the largest private coal-fired power plant in India.  Rebecca Conway for The New York Times Three countries, decades of coal The Australian government granted the Indian industrial giant Adani approval in June to extract coal from a vast, untapped reserve. The coal is to be transported to India to fuel a $2 billion power plant that Adani is building with government support. Some of the electricity generated will be sold to neighboring Bangladesh. The project ensures that coal will remain woven into the economy of all three countries for decades. Why it matters: The story helps explain why Asia keeps burning a substance that scientists say contributes to climate change: abundant supply and demand, generous government support and scarce alternatives. Do you love the Morning Briefing and want to ​help ​our journalists​ seek the truth? ​Subscribe to The New York Times for $2 a week. If you have time this weekend, this is worth it A playbook for a culture war Delcan & Company Five years ago, an angry ex-boyfriend published a 9,425-word breakup post that spiraled into Gamergate: a vile harassment campaign that changed the way we fight online. Our Opinion section has published several articles about the legacy of Gamergate, the elements of which are now frighteningly familiar. PAID POST: A MESSAGE FROM CAMPAIGN MONITOR Email Marketing 102: Work smarter, not harder. Working smarter means running beautiful, results-driven email marketing campaigns – without sacrificing any bandwidth along the way. And with Campaign Monitor, you'll have access to a drag-and-drop email builder, a gallery of templates, and personalized customer journeys – all the tools you need to replace ‘harder’ with ‘smarter.' Learn More Here’s what else is happening North Korea launch: The country fired two projectiles today, its sixth such test in a few weeks. President Trump has repeatedly played down the recent tests, calling them “smaller ones.” Penalties for hate: Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to make New York the first state to classify violence fueled by race, gender or sexual orientation as domestic terrorism. Growing DNA database: The New York Police Department has more than 82,000 profiles in its DNA database. Many people have no idea their information is there. Immigration raids: The poultry plants targeted last week across Mississippi knowingly hired undocumented immigrants, according to affidavits from federal agents. It was unclear whether the companies or managers would face charges or penalties. Romance and the “deep state”: Patrick Byrne, the chief executive of the online store Overstock.com, acknowledged having had a relationship with a Russian agent and criticized federal law enforcement officials. Grim cigarette warnings: After losing in court to tobacco companies, the Food and Drug Administration is trying again to put graphic images on cigarette packs. Greenland for sale?: President Trump has repeatedly asked highly skeptical aides to explore a way to buy the territory from Denmark, according to people familiar with the discussions. Reuters Snapshot: Above, a cornfield in Russia where a passenger jet carrying 233 people crash-landed on Thursday, after colliding with a flock of gulls shortly after takeoff from Moscow. Everyone on board survived. News quiz: Did you follow the headlines this week? Test yourself. Modern Love: In this week’s column, a man with a dog makes room in his life for someone else. Late-night comedy: Wall Street is having a wild week, but the hosts did their best to soften the blow. What we’re watching: This episode of the Vox series “Earworm.” Adam Pasick, editorial director of newsletters, writes: “It takes a fascinating look at the rise and fall and rise of male falsetto, the octave-busting, breathy voice associated with singers like D’Angelo and Curtis Mayfield. (Plus there’s a playlist.)” ADVERTISEMENT Now, a break from the news Linda Xiao for The New York Times Cook: Corn and coconut soup is naturally sweet, and a little spicy. Watch: Our TV critic has weekend suggestions, including the return of HBO’s “Succession.” Go: A sumptuous Ibsen revival starring Uma Thurman and a knockout premiere by Adam Bock close the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts. Read: “The Yellow House,” a memoir set in New Orleans, is one of nine books we recommend this week. Smarter Living: If you’re ready to open your wallet for climate concerns, our Climate Fwd: newsletter advises that donations to grass-roots groups — particularly one led by young people — may do most to shift public opinion. There are also groups focused on food waste, forest protection and restoration and girls’ education as ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And our consumer tech reporter, Brian X. Chen, discovered how much data strangers can get from just your cellphone number. And now for the Back Story on … Butter sculptures This month, 20 Democratic presidential contenders turned up at the Iowa State Fair. Between the corn dogs and Skee-Ball games, there was a prime attraction: a butter cow statue. Bill de Blasio, one of the Democratic presidential candidates, and the butter cow statue in Iowa last week.  Erin Schaff/The New York Times The tradition dates from 1911, when J.K. Daniels first used wood, metal, wire and steel mesh to give shape to 600 pounds of pure cream butter. The 8-foot-long, 5.5-foot-high creation — about the size of a real cow, and refrigerated against the late summer heat — became an annual fixture. Four successors have carried on where Mr. Daniels left off. The current sculptor, Sarah Pratt, took on the role in 2006 after 15 years as an apprentice. Every year when the fair ends, most of the butter (salted, so it keeps longer) is reused for future sculptures. But if it were eaten, state fair officials say, it could butter about 19,200 slices of toast. The Times is working on a piece about the things people do to pay for higher education, whether it be for themselves or family members. Share your experience here. That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. — Chris Thank you Melina Delkic helped compile today’s briefing. Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. Emma Goldberg, a researcher for the Times editorial board, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Today’s episode is about a mysterious explosion in Russia. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: State that has belonged to six countries (hence the amusement park Six Flags) (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • “Diagnosis,” a Netflix series based on Dr. Lisa Sanders’s popular column in The Times Magazine, debuts today. Were you sent this briefing by a friend? Sign up here to get the Morning Briefing. Today's Front Page nytimes.com Subscribe to The Times You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Morning Briefing newsletter. Want to change the time you receive your briefing? 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