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| Your Friday Briefing | Your Friday Briefing |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Good morning, | Good morning, |
| We start today with the decentralization of the Islamic State, Joe Biden’s entry into the 2020 presidential race and the mass culling of feral cats in Australia. | We start today with the decentralization of the Islamic State, Joe Biden’s entry into the 2020 presidential race and the mass culling of feral cats in Australia. |
| The coordinated attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday were believed to have been carried out by a local cell that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Sri Lankan officials have warned of more attacks, locked down Colombo, the capital, and mounted a manhunt for six more suspects. | The coordinated attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday were believed to have been carried out by a local cell that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Sri Lankan officials have warned of more attacks, locked down Colombo, the capital, and mounted a manhunt for six more suspects. |
| Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry conceded it had overstated the death toll, revising its estimate from at least 359 killed to between 250 and 260. | Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry conceded it had overstated the death toll, revising its estimate from at least 359 killed to between 250 and 260. |
| Takeaway: The attack in Sri Lanka shows that ISIS, which no longer has territory in Iraq or Syria, does not need a safe haven to be a major threat. It is now decentralized and relying on affiliates further afield. | Takeaway: The attack in Sri Lanka shows that ISIS, which no longer has territory in Iraq or Syria, does not need a safe haven to be a major threat. It is now decentralized and relying on affiliates further afield. |
| Two of the suspects in Sunday’s suicide bombings were sons of one of Sri Lanka’s wealthiest spice traders. | Two of the suspects in Sunday’s suicide bombings were sons of one of Sri Lanka’s wealthiest spice traders. |
| Looking ahead: Across Sri Lanka, Friday Prayer for Muslims and Sunday services for Roman Catholics have been canceled for security reasons. | Looking ahead: Across Sri Lanka, Friday Prayer for Muslims and Sunday services for Roman Catholics have been canceled for security reasons. |
| The former vice president announced that he would seek the Democratic presidential nomination next year. He is presenting himself as a levelheaded leader for a country wracked by political conflict. | The former vice president announced that he would seek the Democratic presidential nomination next year. He is presenting himself as a levelheaded leader for a country wracked by political conflict. |
| In an attempt to defuse one of his most glaring vulnerabilities, Mr. Biden called Anita Hill earlier this month to express regret over what she endured at the Clarence Thomas hearings. She said she wanted “real accountability.” | In an attempt to defuse one of his most glaring vulnerabilities, Mr. Biden called Anita Hill earlier this month to express regret over what she endured at the Clarence Thomas hearings. She said she wanted “real accountability.” |
| The details: Mr. Biden has largely remained on the sidelines as his record was scrutinized. We examined where he stands on the issues and how his views have changed over nearly 50 years in Washington. | The details: Mr. Biden has largely remained on the sidelines as his record was scrutinized. We examined where he stands on the issues and how his views have changed over nearly 50 years in Washington. |
| Watch: Mr. Biden shared his reasons for running. Will his record help or hurt him? We analyze this question in a video profile. | Watch: Mr. Biden shared his reasons for running. Will his record help or hurt him? We analyze this question in a video profile. |
| Global leaders are in Beijing this week for a conference on the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s plan to build a global network of ports, rails and roads that’s in its sixth year. | Global leaders are in Beijing this week for a conference on the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s plan to build a global network of ports, rails and roads that’s in its sixth year. |
| Faced with criticism about overpriced and superfluous projects, China is promising corruption-free, environmentally conscious ventures and seeking advice and collaboration from major multinational banks and countries like Japan. | Faced with criticism about overpriced and superfluous projects, China is promising corruption-free, environmentally conscious ventures and seeking advice and collaboration from major multinational banks and countries like Japan. |
| Background: President Xi Jinping, who is scheduled to address the conference on Friday, sees the project as critical to securing China’s path to power and competing with the U.S. The Trump administration has called the initiative predatory. | Background: President Xi Jinping, who is scheduled to address the conference on Friday, sees the project as critical to securing China’s path to power and competing with the U.S. The Trump administration has called the initiative predatory. |
| Feral cats, formally deemed an invasive pest in Australia, are helping to drive the country’s native species to extinction — particularly threatened rodents and marsupials. | Feral cats, formally deemed an invasive pest in Australia, are helping to drive the country’s native species to extinction — particularly threatened rodents and marsupials. |
| Out of grave concern for indigenous wildlife, the national government hatched a plan to try to kill two million of the animals by 2020. The methods include trapping, shooting and dropping lethally poisonous sausages from airplanes. | |
| The background: Australia has the highest mammal extinction rate in the world, and cats are considered to have been a leading threat for 22 extinct species. But critics of the mass culling have called it animal genocide. “I can’t help but use terms like ‘xenophobia,’” said one ecologist who opposes the plan. “It’s gobsmacking how much hatred there is.” | The background: Australia has the highest mammal extinction rate in the world, and cats are considered to have been a leading threat for 22 extinct species. But critics of the mass culling have called it animal genocide. “I can’t help but use terms like ‘xenophobia,’” said one ecologist who opposes the plan. “It’s gobsmacking how much hatred there is.” |
| By the numbers: Feral cats have established a permanent foothold across 99.8 percent of Australia. In addition to hunting mammals, they kill an estimated 377 million birds and 649 million reptiles every year in the country. | By the numbers: Feral cats have established a permanent foothold across 99.8 percent of Australia. In addition to hunting mammals, they kill an estimated 377 million birds and 649 million reptiles every year in the country. |
| B.R. Ambedkar was a prominent writer, a trained lawyer and the chief architect of India’s Constitution. He was also born into one of India’s so-called untouchable communities, collectively known as Dalits. | B.R. Ambedkar was a prominent writer, a trained lawyer and the chief architect of India’s Constitution. He was also born into one of India’s so-called untouchable communities, collectively known as Dalits. |
| Dalits fall outside the traditional Hindu caste system. The upper castes once considered Dalits so impure they were barred from sharing the same streets, water wells, temples and schools. Some even “had to tie brooms to their waists to sweep away their polluted footprints,” writes the novelist and journalist Arundhati Roy. | Dalits fall outside the traditional Hindu caste system. The upper castes once considered Dalits so impure they were barred from sharing the same streets, water wells, temples and schools. Some even “had to tie brooms to their waists to sweep away their polluted footprints,” writes the novelist and journalist Arundhati Roy. |
| Today, the more than 200 million Dalits still face severe discrimination. | Today, the more than 200 million Dalits still face severe discrimination. |
| Ambedkar rose to the heights of Indian politics and the independence movement despite his background. He also fought for Dalit rights, writing protections into the constitution. | Ambedkar rose to the heights of Indian politics and the independence movement despite his background. He also fought for Dalit rights, writing protections into the constitution. |
| With the general election underway, many modern political parties are hoping to tap the Dalit vote by claiming Ambedkar’s legacy, said Irfan Nooruddin, director of the Georgetown University India Initiative. That includes the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, even as critics say its embrace of Hindu identity could worsen the oppression of Dalits. | With the general election underway, many modern political parties are hoping to tap the Dalit vote by claiming Ambedkar’s legacy, said Irfan Nooruddin, director of the Georgetown University India Initiative. That includes the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, even as critics say its embrace of Hindu identity could worsen the oppression of Dalits. |
| As for Ambedkar himself, he rejected Hinduism and converted to Buddhism shortly before his death. — Alisha Haridasani Gupta | As for Ambedkar himself, he rejected Hinduism and converted to Buddhism shortly before his death. — Alisha Haridasani Gupta |
| Send us your feedback or questions on this series here. | Send us your feedback or questions on this series here. |
| Facebook: Canadian regulators said the company’s weak privacy safeguards prevented it from protecting the personal data of millions of users. | Facebook: Canadian regulators said the company’s weak privacy safeguards prevented it from protecting the personal data of millions of users. |
| Russia: North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, met with President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday. Mr. Putin made a public show of support for North Korea on nuclear disarmament, seeming to undermine President Trump’s approach. | Russia: North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, met with President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday. Mr. Putin made a public show of support for North Korea on nuclear disarmament, seeming to undermine President Trump’s approach. |
| Japan: More than 20 years after it repealed a eugenics law, the country has agreed to compensate victims of a decades-long government program that forcibly sterilized people with intellectual disabilities, mental illness and genetic disorders. | Japan: More than 20 years after it repealed a eugenics law, the country has agreed to compensate victims of a decades-long government program that forcibly sterilized people with intellectual disabilities, mental illness and genetic disorders. |
| Pakistan: A polio vaccinator was shot and killed in the southwestern city of Chaman on Thursday, at least the third vaccinator killed this week. | Pakistan: A polio vaccinator was shot and killed in the southwestern city of Chaman on Thursday, at least the third vaccinator killed this week. |
| Carlos Ghosn: The former auto executive charged with financial wrongdoing was released from a Tokyo jail after posting a multimillion-dollar bond for the second time in two months. | Carlos Ghosn: The former auto executive charged with financial wrongdoing was released from a Tokyo jail after posting a multimillion-dollar bond for the second time in two months. |
| Snapshot: Have a look around the Bourse de Commerce in Paris, above, a state-of-the-art new museum in a historic building set to open in 2020. (It will be financed by one man: the French billionaire François Pinault.) | Snapshot: Have a look around the Bourse de Commerce in Paris, above, a state-of-the-art new museum in a historic building set to open in 2020. (It will be financed by one man: the French billionaire François Pinault.) |
| Japan: Nagasaki University said it had stopped hiring faculty members who smoke unless they promise to quit. The once-unthinkable decision comes in a country that has just recently cracked down on its heavy-smoking ways. | Japan: Nagasaki University said it had stopped hiring faculty members who smoke unless they promise to quit. The once-unthinkable decision comes in a country that has just recently cracked down on its heavy-smoking ways. |
| What we’re reading: This article in Mosaic from 2016. Anna Holland, an editor in London, writes: “This piece on suicide rates among young people in Northern Ireland is how I first learned of Lyra McKee, who dedicated her journalism career to covering the lasting trauma of the Troubles. She was killed last week doing just that, at only 29.” | What we’re reading: This article in Mosaic from 2016. Anna Holland, an editor in London, writes: “This piece on suicide rates among young people in Northern Ireland is how I first learned of Lyra McKee, who dedicated her journalism career to covering the lasting trauma of the Troubles. She was killed last week doing just that, at only 29.” |
| Cook: Blistered green beans and tomatoes with honey, harissa and mint make a flavorful vegetarian dinner. | Cook: Blistered green beans and tomatoes with honey, harissa and mint make a flavorful vegetarian dinner. |
| Go: With few exceptions, musical comedies today are comedic only in the sense that the protagonist doesn’t croak, and musical only in the sense that he does. The new “Tootsie” on Broadway is an exception, one of our critics writes. | Go: With few exceptions, musical comedies today are comedic only in the sense that the protagonist doesn’t croak, and musical only in the sense that he does. The new “Tootsie” on Broadway is an exception, one of our critics writes. |
| Read: The humorist Dave Barry describes emulating his dog’s grace in “Lessons From Lucy,” which is new this week on our hardcover nonfiction and combined print and e-book nonfiction best-seller lists. | Read: The humorist Dave Barry describes emulating his dog’s grace in “Lessons From Lucy,” which is new this week on our hardcover nonfiction and combined print and e-book nonfiction best-seller lists. |
| Smarter Living: Not all plastic is created equal. Ever notice those recycling symbols, the triangles with numbers inside, on some plastic packaging and containers? Those numbers are resin identification codes, and they tell what kind of plastic the item is made from. Depending on where you live, some plastics are recyclable — and some aren’t. | Smarter Living: Not all plastic is created equal. Ever notice those recycling symbols, the triangles with numbers inside, on some plastic packaging and containers? Those numbers are resin identification codes, and they tell what kind of plastic the item is made from. Depending on where you live, some plastics are recyclable — and some aren’t. |
| And here are some kitchen tools to help you minimize food waste and maximize savings. | And here are some kitchen tools to help you minimize food waste and maximize savings. |
| April is National Poetry Month. So we thought we’d look back at a different kind of poet: Larry Eisenberg, a prolific commenter on nytimes.com — who posted in verse, mostly limericks. | April is National Poetry Month. So we thought we’d look back at a different kind of poet: Larry Eisenberg, a prolific commenter on nytimes.com — who posted in verse, mostly limericks. |
| With more than 13,000 comments, beginning in 2008, Mr. Eisenberg became a cult figure. A former editorial page director called him “the closest thing this paper has to a poet in residence.” | With more than 13,000 comments, beginning in 2008, Mr. Eisenberg became a cult figure. A former editorial page director called him “the closest thing this paper has to a poet in residence.” |
| Mr. Eisenberg was a biomedical electrical engineer by day who wrote science fiction (and limericks) by night. He died in December at 99. | Mr. Eisenberg was a biomedical electrical engineer by day who wrote science fiction (and limericks) by night. He died in December at 99. |
| He turned a decade of news into poetry, from the doings of former President Barack Obama and President Trump to sports to TV reviews. In 2011, he took on the topic of social media: | He turned a decade of news into poetry, from the doings of former President Barack Obama and President Trump to sports to TV reviews. In 2011, he took on the topic of social media: |
| Was there no Life before there was Twitter?Was it stodgy, lackluster or bitter?I find Life too fleetingTo spend time in Tweeting,I’m a face-to-face kind of a critter! | Was there no Life before there was Twitter?Was it stodgy, lackluster or bitter?I find Life too fleetingTo spend time in Tweeting,I’m a face-to-face kind of a critter! |
| That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. | That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. |
| — Stephen and Katie | — Stephen and Katie |
| Thank youChris Stanford helped compile this briefing. Mark Josephson, Eleanor Stanford and Kenneth R. Rosen provided the break from the news. Remy Tumin, on the Briefings team, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. | Thank youChris Stanford helped compile this briefing. Mark Josephson, Eleanor Stanford and Kenneth R. Rosen provided the break from the news. Remy Tumin, on the Briefings team, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. |
| P.S.• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Today’s episode is about accusations against a Navy SEAL leader.• Here’s today’s mini crossword puzzle, and a clue: Operator of the world's largest cargo airline (5 letters). You can find all our puzzles here.• The Times has accepted letters to the editor since the paper was founded in 1851. (Here are tips for getting yours published.) | P.S.• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Today’s episode is about accusations against a Navy SEAL leader.• Here’s today’s mini crossword puzzle, and a clue: Operator of the world's largest cargo airline (5 letters). You can find all our puzzles here.• The Times has accepted letters to the editor since the paper was founded in 1851. (Here are tips for getting yours published.) |