| We’re covering new details about the death of Jeffrey Epstein, the demonstrations at Hong Kong’s airport, and a deadly shootout in California. | |  By Chris Stanford | | | Neither of the two people guarding the financier had checked on him for several hours before he was found dead in his cell, prison and law-enforcement officials said on Monday, and one of the two was not a full-fledged correctional officer. | | | Related: Mr. Epstein’s death has prompted an explosion of unfounded conspiracy theories. On Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio joined those who have questioned the official explanation. “It’s just too convenient,” he said. | | | The Daily: Today’s episode is about the future of the criminal case involving Mr. Epstein. | | | Under a regulation announced on Monday, poor immigrants would be denied permanent legal status, known as a green card, if they are considered likely to use benefit programs such as food stamps and subsidized housing. | | | Hundreds of thousands of immigrants enter the country legally every year, but President Trump has said that the U.S. should welcome immigrants based only on the “merit” they demonstrate. | | | The details: The program would not apply to those who already have green cards, to certain members of the military, to refugees and asylum-seekers, or to pregnant women and children. Immigration advocates warned that many people may drop out of programs they need because they fear retribution. | | | The bald eagle has been one of the Endangered Species Act's success stories. Damon Winter/The New York Times | | | The new rules, expected to go into effect next month, would also make it more difficult for regulators to factor in the effects of climate change. | | | Republicans have long sought to narrow the scope of the law, saying that it burdens landowners and businesses. Environmental groups, Democratic state attorneys general and Democrats in Congress said they would challenge the changes in court. | | | Background: The Endangered Species Act has been regulators’ most powerful tool for protecting wildlife since it was signed by President Richard Nixon in 1973. The law has been credited with rescuing the bald eagle, the grizzly bear and the American alligator, among other species, from the brink of extinction. | | | Protesters at Hong Kong International Airport today. Anthony Kwan/Getty Images | | | The demonstrations in the city have become the biggest public resistance to the rule of China’s leader, Xi Jinping, since he took power in 2012. Although he doesn’t want to be perceived as yielding, he is likely to be wary of taking drastic action, such as deploying troops, for fear of broader fallout. | | | George Etheredge for The New York Times | | | Arizona’s capital is one of the hottest and fastest-warming cities in the U.S., with 128 days at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit last year. | | | That means work and play shift into cooler hours. In the hottest months, the zoo opens at 6 a.m., and some construction starts in the middle of the night — not only for the safety of workers, but also because the heat can affect some building materials. | | | 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 | | | | Assault weapons ban: Top Democrats are calling for a ban on the firearms. A 1994 law barred Americans from buying certain military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, until Republicans let it expire in 2004. | | | Shootout in California: A Highway Patrol officer was killed and two others injured after a driver apparently opened fire during a traffic stop in Riverside, near Los Angeles. The driver was also killed. | | | Owen Franken for The New York Times | | | Snapshot: Above, crowds at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre in Paris on Monday. The museum has moved the famous painting during renovations, causing commotion. | | | In pursuit of Amelia Earhart: An explorer who found the Titanic and other famous shipwrecks is leading a search for the plane in which the aviator disappeared in 1937. | | | Metropolitan Diary: In this week’s column, a reader is taken aback while crossing the street, a photogenic doughnut and more tales of New York City. | | | Late-night comedy: “I’m not saying the Clintons don’t have any power,” Stephen Colbert said. “But masterminding a scheme to assassinate a high-profile prisoner in a maximum-security federal custody? They couldn’t even mastermind a visit to Wisconsin.” | | | What we’re reading: This Grub Street article. Our newsletter director, Adam Pasick, writes: “The secret history of ‘nutcrackers’ — illegal cocktails sold under the counter in New York City — suggests that legalization isn’t the end of the story for mind-altering substances.” | | | David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. | | | Go: The dance-theater production “Under Siege” turns an oft-told tale into theatrically vivid entertainment. It’s at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater. | | | Smarter Living: Feeling uninspired at work? Our Smarter Living newsletter suggests reminding yourself that you make an impact. Try dividing big goals into smaller ones, where achievement will be easier to see. If all else fails, take a break to do something you love. | | | (Every week, the Smarter Living editor, Tim Herrera, emails readers with advice for living a better, more fulfilling life. Sign up here.) | | | The history of roller derby is one of booms and busts — and it’s booming again: Some 463 leagues have started in 33 countries over the past 15 years. | | | Roller derby was born at the Chicago Coliseum on Aug. 13, 1935, when an event promoter named Leo Seltzer created the Transcontinental Derby, a monthlong event with coed teams skating a total of 57,000 laps — the equivalent of the 2,700-mile width of North America. | | | A roller derby event in New York in 1950. Al Aumuller/PhotoQuest, via Getty Images | | | The sport got another lift in the 1960s, when Mr. Seltzer’s son, Jerry, started airing the games on local TV stations. That’s when the real drama began, as spectators flocked to the collisions and feuds that took place as the “jammer” for each team tried to score points by passing opponents, and the “blockers” tried to hold them back. | | | The most recent revival began in 2001, when a group of women in Austin, Tex., restarted the sport with a decidedly feminist bent, and a bevy of complicated tactics and terms. This year’s championship playoffs for the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association start next month. | | | That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. | | Thank you
Melina Delkic helped compile today’s briefing. Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. Victoria Shannon, on the briefings team, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach us at briefing@nytimes.com. | | | Were you sent this briefing by a friend? Sign up here to get the Morning Briefing. | | |
