Bill O’Reilly, Trump, Patriots: Your Wednesday Evening Briefing

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/briefing/bill-oreilly-trump-patriots.html

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Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. It’s the end of an era: Bill O’Reilly has been forced out at Fox News. Tucker Carlson will replace him in the 8 p.m. Eastern slot.

The announcement comes just weeks after a Times investigation revealed payouts of $13 million to resolve claims against him of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.

Since then, advertisers fled and women’s rights groups called for his ouster. He denies the allegations.

Hours before the news broke, Mr. O’Reilly briefly met Pope Francis at the Vatican.

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2. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, fell short in a Georgia congressional race that was seen as an early referendum on President Trump. He’ll face Karen Handel, the top Republican vote-getter, in a June runoff.

Mr. Ossoff’s strong showing is increasing pressure on Democrats to play hard in next month’s election in Montana for the House seat of Ryan Zinke, who became the interior secretary.

And Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah, the powerful chairman of the House Oversight Committee, will not run for re-election in 2018.

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3. At the White House, President Trump hosted the New England Patriots, this year’s Super Bowl champions.

Robert K. Kraft, above right, the team’s owner and a friend of Mr. Trump’s, donated $1 million to his inauguration, according to newly released disclosure forms. Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate, gave a record-breaking $5 million.

Two dozen or more players for the Patriots didn’t go to the White House. Some cited politics.

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4. Mr. Trump did not mention the grim news about the former Patriots star Aaron Hernandez during the ceremony.

Hernandez, a former tight end who was serving a life sentence for a 2015 murder conviction, hanged himself in a Massachusetts prison, the authorities said.

The 27-year-old had appealed his verdict. He was found not guilty last Friday in a second murder case.

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5. As France prepares for the first round of voting in its presidential election on Sunday, a political novice, Emmanuel Macron, is head-to-head in the polls with the far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

In Turkey, dozens of people were detained in a crackdown on critics of this week’s referendum that expanded the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

President Trump had called Mr. Erdogan to congratulate him on the outcome on Monday.

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6. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Iran is complying with the nuclear deal, but also accused the nation of sponsoring terrorism. The U.S. is reviewing its Iran policy.

The company that Mr. Tillerson used to lead, Exxon Mobil, is seeking a waiver on Russia sanctions for an oil project. Above, Mr. Tillerson, right, and President Vladimir Putin in 2012.

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7. Trillions of pieces of plastic trash are being swept into Arctic waters, creating worries about how the litter may affect the ecosystem, a new study said.

Our magazine devoted this week’s issue to climate change, exploring how we live with the fact that the world we knew is going and, in some cases, already gone.

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8. Speaking of plastic containers, Starbucks started selling limited edition “unicorn Frappuccinos.”

This new category of “unicorn food,” made popular on Instagram, refers to any food jazzed up with food coloring, sprinkles or other cute accessories.

We talked to a blogger who helped kick off the trend: “The unicorn thing has gotten just insane,” she said.

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9. What makes a good parent? New research points to genetics.

In a pioneering study published in the journal Nature, researchers at Harvard identified a genetic basis for the unusually good parenting skills (and monogamy) seen among oldfield mice.

It is the first time that scientists have linked DNA to variations in parenting habits among mammals.

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10. Finally, first comes Tinder, then comes … marriage? A sociologist working for the app found users are more likely than offline daters to be looking for committed relationships.

In other love-related articles today, our Travel section published a special issue about romance on the road.

Have a great night.

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