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Your Friday Evening Briefing: Donald Trump, Hezbollah, Pfizer Your Friday Evening Briefing: Donald Trump, Hezbollah, Pfizer
(35 minutes later)
(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)
Good evening. Here’s the latest.Good evening. Here’s the latest.
1. Some rights activists hailed the Obama administration’s directive to give transgender students freedom to choose their school bathrooms and locker rooms, while conservatives lashed out. A Texas official, Dan Patrick, called it the biggest issue since prayer in schools. “Parents are not going to send their 14-year-old daughters into the shower or bathroom with 14-year-old boys,” he said. “It’s not going to happen.” 1. Some rights activists hailed the Obama administration’s directive to give transgender students freedom to choose their school bathrooms and locker rooms, while conservatives condemned it. A Texas official, Dan Patrick, called it the biggest issue since prayer in schools. “Parents are not going to send their 14-year-old daughters into the shower or bathroom with 14-year-old boys,” he said. “It’s not going to happen.”
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2. “None of your business.” That was Donald Trump, after an interviewer asked him what he paid in taxes. Speculation about Mr. Trump’s motives for withholding his tax returns is deepening, since the I.R.S. discounts his rationale of waiting for an audit to end. Meanwhile, some of his fiercest Republican critics have softened, suggesting a return to party-first priorities.2. “None of your business.” That was Donald Trump, after an interviewer asked him what he paid in taxes. Speculation about Mr. Trump’s motives for withholding his tax returns is deepening, since the I.R.S. discounts his rationale of waiting for an audit to end. Meanwhile, some of his fiercest Republican critics have softened, suggesting a return to party-first priorities.
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3. Science fiction appeared to draw a step closer to fact. A secret meeting at Harvard Medical School this week focused on the idea of creating a synthetic human genome, using chemicals to manufacture the DNA for chromosomes. Such a genome could be implanted into embryos, creating humans without parents.3. Science fiction appeared to draw a step closer to fact. A secret meeting at Harvard Medical School this week focused on the idea of creating a synthetic human genome, using chemicals to manufacture the DNA for chromosomes. Such a genome could be implanted into embryos, creating humans without parents.
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4. For fun: Our music critics’ weekly playlist includes Bob Dylan’s new Sinatra cover, “Melancholy Mood,” and Merle Haggard’s final song, “Kern River Blues.” Our Watching experts suggest bingeing on “Being Erica,” a Canadian TV series that sends its regret-filled heroine back in time for do-overs (Hulu). Or head out to the cinema for “The Lobster,” above, to see Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz try to beat a 45-day deadline to find love or be turned into an animal.4. For fun: Our music critics’ weekly playlist includes Bob Dylan’s new Sinatra cover, “Melancholy Mood,” and Merle Haggard’s final song, “Kern River Blues.” Our Watching experts suggest bingeing on “Being Erica,” a Canadian TV series that sends its regret-filled heroine back in time for do-overs (Hulu). Or head out to the cinema for “The Lobster,” above, to see Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz try to beat a 45-day deadline to find love or be turned into an animal.
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5. For a second time, the vaunted security at the Swift global financial messaging system failed. Officials said there were similarities to an $81 million heist at the central bank of Bangladesh, above, in February. The attackers had a “deep and sophisticated knowledge” of the banks’ systems, officials warned, “that may have been gained from malicious insiders or cyberattacks, or a combination of both.”5. For a second time, the vaunted security at the Swift global financial messaging system failed. Officials said there were similarities to an $81 million heist at the central bank of Bangladesh, above, in February. The attackers had a “deep and sophisticated knowledge” of the banks’ systems, officials warned, “that may have been gained from malicious insiders or cyberattacks, or a combination of both.”
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6. Russian officials and athletes scrambled to deny allegations of a widespread doping program that peaked at the 2014 Olympics. “All this simply looks like slander by a turncoat,” a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said. The former Russian official who detailed the program said he had left Russia in fear for his life. Two of his colleagues died recently and unexpectedly.6. Russian officials and athletes scrambled to deny allegations of a widespread doping program that peaked at the 2014 Olympics. “All this simply looks like slander by a turncoat,” a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said. The former Russian official who detailed the program said he had left Russia in fear for his life. Two of his colleagues died recently and unexpectedly.
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7. FIFA has been making a host of organizational changes as it rebuilds after a shattering scandal. The latest: A veteran United Nations diplomat, Fatma Samoura of Senegal, was named FIFA’s secretary general. She is the first woman to hold a senior executive position in world soccer’s governing body.7. FIFA has been making a host of organizational changes as it rebuilds after a shattering scandal. The latest: A veteran United Nations diplomat, Fatma Samoura of Senegal, was named FIFA’s secretary general. She is the first woman to hold a senior executive position in world soccer’s governing body.
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8. The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer closed off the last official source of drugs for executions. “Executing states must now go underground if they want to get hold of medicines for use in lethal injection,” a human rights monitor said.8. The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer closed off the last official source of drugs for executions. “Executing states must now go underground if they want to get hold of medicines for use in lethal injection,” a human rights monitor said.
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9. A Hezbollah commander who directed operations in Syria crucial to keeping the government in power was killed in a blast near the Damascus airport. Mustafa Amine Badreddine is suspected of playing a role in a long string of deadly attacks in the region, including the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, in 2005.9. A Hezbollah commander who directed operations in Syria crucial to keeping the government in power was killed in a blast near the Damascus airport. Mustafa Amine Badreddine is suspected of playing a role in a long string of deadly attacks in the region, including the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, in 2005.
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10. Finally, an artist in Brooklyn has trained 2,000 pigeons for his aerial light show, “Fly by Night.” Tiny bulbs attached to their legs reveal the graceful patterns of their swooping flights. Given good weather, their mass performance will run Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through mid-June. Watch a preview, above.10. Finally, an artist in Brooklyn has trained 2,000 pigeons for his aerial light show, “Fly by Night.” Tiny bulbs attached to their legs reveal the graceful patterns of their swooping flights. Given good weather, their mass performance will run Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through mid-June. Watch a preview, above.
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Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.
And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing, posted weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern, and Your Weekend Briefing, posted at 6 a.m. Sundays.And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing, posted weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern, and Your Weekend Briefing, posted at 6 a.m. Sundays.
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