Gaza, Sports Betting, Margot Kidder: Your Monday Evening Briefing

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/briefing/gaza-sports-betting-margot-kidder.html

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Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. The Israeli military killed dozens of Palestinians and injured more than 2,700, Gaza officials said, during protests along the border fence.

The protests came as the U.S. Embassy was formally moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv on the 70th anniversary of the formation of Israel. The move was welcomed by the Israeli government but opposed by an international consensus and met with fury by Palestinians.

Our reporter at the fence described seeing a woman get shot in the stomach. “She wasn’t holding a stone,” her brother said. “So what’s the excuse for shooting her?” Above, a Palestinian who was killed.

The violence made for a surreal contrast with the celebration at the embassy, barely 40 miles away. Another contradiction: Two American evangelical pastors who took part in the opening ceremony have made inflammatory comments about Jews.

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2. President Trump appears to be taking a moderate tack on China, looking to strike a deal to avoid a trade war. First step: throwing a lifeline to a beleaguered Chinese telecom company.

Mr. Trump’s about-face yesterday on ZTE, which was on the brink of collapse after the U.S. penalized it for breaking American sanctions, was greeted warmly in Beijing and could help him strike deals on thorny issues like trade and North Korea. Above, ZTE’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China.

But as Washington demands that Pyongyang rid itself of nuclear weapons, the U.S. is moving to expand its own arsenal. It’s hardly the first time the U.S. has bolstered its nuclear capabilities while trying to persuade other nations to give up theirs.

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3. Gambling on sports is about to become a lot more common.

The Supreme Court struck down a federal law that effectively banned commercial sports betting in most states, opening a path for states to legalize and tax such gambling.

Does that mean you can head to Atlantic City and plunk down a bet on tonight’s N.B.A. game between the Warriors and the Rockets? Not necessarily.

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4. Vice President Mike Pence is seizing a big role in the midterm elections. Trump allies aren’t happy about it.

With the White House lacking a strategy for November, Mr. Pence has stepped into the void, speaking at dozens of Republican events and shaping the president’s endorsements in crucial races.

That has worried Trump loyalists who see the vice president forging his own power base, possibly with an eye on an unpredictable presidential election in 2020. Above, Mr. Pence and his wife, Karen, at a rally last week in Elkhart, Ind.

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5. Our reporters have uncovered new details in the case of the aging Russian spy who was nearly poisoned to death in Britain this year.

The episode set off an angry confrontation between Moscow and the West. Britain accused Russia of trying to assassinate the spy, Sergei Skripal, and portrayed him as a victim who was living quietly in semiretirement.

But European officials told us that in the years before the poisoning, he traveled widely and met secretly with European intelligence officers — meetings that were almost certainly approved and possibly facilitated by the British authorities. Above, Mr. Skripal at a hearing in Moscow in 2006.

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6. Facebook and Instagram have received a lot of attention for their role in elections. Now it’s WhatsApp’s turn.

The Facebook-owned app has become a powerful political tool in developing countries. In a crucial legislative election in India, where 250 million people use the service, WhatsApp message groups have been filled with election updates, as well as false news and posts intended to inflame sectarian tensions. Above, an Indian election official applying ink to the finger of a voter.

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7. “What if another one comes? We’re very worried.”

That was one Puerto Rican speaking for many others as the island nervously prepares for the start of a new hurricane season on June 1.

Thousands of people are still without electricity after Hurricane Maria, and the big question is whether the power grid can withstand even a minor storm. “If a little bit of wind blows through, we will lose power,” one resident said. Above, a home in Las Piedras, P.R.

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8. Margot Kidder, who gained fame as Lois Lane in the “Superman” movies, has died at 69.

She starred opposite Christopher Reeve in all four films in the original movie franchise, and appeared in more than 130 films and television shows in total. Above, Ms. Kidder with Mr. Reeve.

The director of the original “Superman” recalled meeting her in the casting office: “She tripped coming in, and I just fell in love with her. It was perfect.”

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9. Have you ever visited a museum and worried about bumping into art worth millions of dollars?

Something like that may have happened to a Pablo Picasso painting valued at $70 million that was set to be auctioned on Tuesday.

The auction house Christie’s wouldn’t offer details, saying only that the 1943 work, “Le Marin” (“The Sailor”), above, had been “accidentally damaged” during a presale exhibition. Christie’s chief executive said with a resigned smile, “These things happen.”

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10. Finally, the story of the Australian man with the golden arm.

For six decades, James Harrison has donated blood every few weeks. That blood has saved more than two million babies.

How? He has a rare antibody that’s necessary to make a pioneering medication given to mothers to keep their babies healthy when their blood types don’t match. Now, at 81, he’s given his last donation, advised to stop because of his age.

“Saving one baby is good,” he said. “Saving two million is hard to get your head around, but if they claim that’s what it is, I’m glad to have done it.”

Have a great night.

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