| We’re covering explosive document leaks from Iran and China, a reversal on proposed e-cigarette restrictions, and the latest N.F.L. results | | | A leak of hundreds of secret Iranian intelligence reports reveals the country’s shadow war for influence in Iraq — and the battle within its own spy divisions. | | | Working with The Intercept, The Times reviewed hundreds of reports and cables sent by the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, Iran’s version of the C.I.A., from 2014 to 2015 that detail work by Iranian spies to co-opt Iraq’s leaders, pay Iraqi agents working for the U.S. to switch sides and infiltrate every aspect of political, economic and religious life. | | | Another angle: The Iranian government, which has faced protests in Iraq and Lebanon over its outsize influence, is now being challenged domestically over gasoline price increases. It has blocked nearly all internet access. | | | More than 400 pages of internal papers obtained by The Times reveal how top-level policy led to the creation of the camps in western China where inmates sometimes undergo years of indoctrination and interrogation. | | | The documents, leaked by a Chinese official concerned about the policies behind the crackdown, showed the direct involvement of senior officials in conceiving and ordering it — including President Xi Jinping. | | | Response: A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that “preventive” measures in Xinjiang had helped to prevent terrorist attacks. But he did not dispute the authenticity of the documents. | | | With impeachment proceedings underway and an election less than a year away, information is crucial. Yet many Americans say they feel disoriented by the rise of social media, the proliferation of online material and a flood of news. | | | “Now more than ever, the lines between fact-based reporting and opinionated commentary seem blurred for people,” said Evette Alexander, research director at a journalism foundation. “That means they trust what they are seeing less. They are feeling less informed.” | | | Details: According to one recent poll, 47 percent of Americans believe it’s difficult to know whether the information they encounter is true. About 60 percent say they regularly see conflicting reports about the same set of facts from different sources. | | | Joe Biden in Las Vegas on Saturday. He has struggled to keep pace with more liberal candidates in the Democratic race. Bridget Bennett for The New York Times | | | Poll: Pete Buttigieg jumped out to a robust lead among likely Democratic caucusgoers in Iowa. Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders were effectively tied for second. | | | Hunter Kerhart for The New York Times | | | The long-promised streaming revolution is here, and the three biggest old-line media companies — Disney, NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia — are charging into the fray to challenge streaming services like Netflix. | | | It’s upending how Hollywood does business. Instead of relying exclusively on middlemen to get shows and movies to viewers, traditional entertainment companies are selling content directly to consumers — and studios are releasing fewer films in theaters. | | | PAID POST: A MESSAGE FROM EMMA | | Here's one free month to see how email marketing can work for you. | | At Emma, we're email people, not math people. But $44 ROI for each $1 spent is something we can get on board with. You too? That's the magic of an email marketing platform that gives you all the tools you need to really connect with your subscribers at the right time, resulting in increased clicks, higher engagement, and more sales. | | | Get a free month | | | | Reconsidering heart surgery: Drug therapy alone may save lives as effectively as bypass or stenting procedures, a large federal study showed. | | | Tennis keepsake: The racket that Serena Williams broke in last year’s U.S. Open final goes on sale today. The price is expected to reach five figures. | | | Ryan Young for The New York Times | | | In memoriam: Bogaletch Gebre, an Ethiopian activist and scientist who helped lead a successful campaign against female genital mutilation, died this month in Los Angeles. She was said to be 66. | | | Opinion: Fertility rates have been dropping precipitously around the world for decades, most markedly in rich countries. A writer considered the case of Denmark. | | | Metropolitan Diary: In this week’s column, reporting the smell of gas, getting a private bus ride and more reader tales of New York City. | | | What we’re reading: This essay in The Atlantic. “Tom Junod’s remembrance of his friend and subject Mister Rogers was filled with all kinds of revelations that brought me to my knees a little,” writes Taffy Brodesser-Akner. | | | Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. | | | Listen: Whipping between the establishment and the avant-garde, the pianist and composer Conrad Tao, 25, is a rising star. | | | The liquor sank with a Swedish steamship that was attacked by a German submarine in 1917, during World War I. The haul included 50 cases of cognac and 15 cases of Benedictine, a herbal liqueur. | | | Cases of cognac and liqueur were discovered in the Baltic Sea this month. Agence France-Presse, via Ocean X Team/Afp Via Getty Images | | | Amanda Schuster, a cocktail expert, said it would be unlikely that the spirits would be safe to drink. | | | But David Wondrich, senior drinks columnist at The Daily Beast, said the cold water might have preserved them. Spirits, he said, “tend to keep far better than most wines over very long periods. I’ve tasted numerous not just drinkable, but delicious bottles from the 1910s and before.” | | | The world’s oldest known booze is in the Speyer wine bottle, which dates back nearly 1,700 years. Scientists say drinking it probably wouldn’t kill you — but it would taste terrible. | | | That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. | | Thank you
Melina Delkic and Andrea Kannapell helped compile today’s briefing. Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. The Back Story is based on a report by Mihir Zaveri. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. | | | Were you sent this briefing by a friend? Sign up here to get the Morning Briefing. | | |
