Brexit, Bahamas, ‘Friends’: Your Friday Briefing

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/briefing/brexit-bahamas-friends.html

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Good morning.

We’re covering a new Brexit brawl and a very British family feud. We’re also following devastation in the Bahamas and a victory for France’s most famous rooster.

With a bill stopping a no-deal exit from the E.U. on its way to becoming law, the British Parliament pivoted to the next big question: general elections.

Opposition lawmakers have so far blocked Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan for a mid-October election, saying they would like to see the no-deal option officially off the table before Mr. Johnson can secure a clear majority in an election, undo the law and force an Oct. 31 exit.

Timeline: The bill stopping a no-deal Brexit is expected to be approved by Friday night; it could get a signoff from the queen on Monday. The government wants to hold a vote on an early election on Monday.

Family feud: Things got personal when Mr. Johnson’s younger brother, Jo Johnson, resigned from Parliament, suggesting that working in his cabinet was no longer in “the national interest.” It seemed timed to inflict maximum pain. Separately, the prime minister’s complex friendship with President Trump was underscored as Vice President Mike Pence came to visit yesterday.

Days after Hurricane Dorian bore down in fury on the Bahamas, the death count there — 30 confirmed so far, with the authorities warning it may be much higher — continued to rise, as stories of survival began to emerge.

The full human toll is still uncertain, but thousands were left homeless and local officials were concerned they would not have the resources to deal with the aftermath. We have a map tracking the storm’s path.

On the ground: We talked to a blind father who waded to safety with his 24-year-old son — who has cerebral palsy and can’t walk — on his shoulders. Another woman, trapped under rubble, was found by her dog and rescued.

In the U.S.: Hurricane Dorian, now a Category 2 storm, is hitting the Carolinas with flooding, strong winds and tornadoes. The destruction is not expected to be as severe as in the Bahamas.

About one million Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled ethnic cleansing in Myanmar are on the verge of losing cell service, one of their few links to the outside world.

Citing state security and public safety, the Bangladeshi government has threatened to impose a communications blackout on Sunday at the resettlement where they live — the world’s largest.

Context: The Bangladeshi government wants to return the Rohingya to Myanmar and has declined to categorize most of them as refugees, costing them the rights that come with the designation.

Reports from the camps say that mobile internet service has already been disrupted at night and early in the morning, and a curfew keeps aid workers and others out.

Amazon directs the destinations, deadlines and routes for its network of contract delivery drivers. But when they crash, the retail giant often escapes responsibility, a joint investigation between The Times and ProPublica found.

More than 60 accidents across the U.S. since June 2015 resulted in serious injuries, including 10 deaths. And that could be only a small fraction of the actual number: Many people don’t sue, and those who do can’t always tell when Amazon is involved.

Background: As it moves to reduce its reliance on legacy carriers, Amazon has created a network of contractors that allows it to expand and shrink the delivery force as needed, while avoiding the costs of taking on permanent employees.

“Friends,” believe it or not, turns 25 this month. With one of the best casts in TV history, the comedy ran for a decade, typically had around 25 million to 30 million viewers a week and still resonates today. It was not a fantasy during its original run, our critic writes. But maybe now, it’s just that.

Our multipart salute also posits that the ever-quirky Phoebe Buffay was actually the most grounded of the sextet, explains why a reboot is highly unlikely and notes that some of the biggest fans today are younger than the show.

U.S.-China trade: Stocks around the world rose on Thursday after officials from Beijing and Washington said that stalled negotiations would restart in early October — the 13th round of talks. But the talks would take place after new American tariffs kick in, making it even more difficult to reach a consensus.

South Africa: After rioters in and around Johannesburg targeted African immigrants with violence, the country is facing a backlash from governments and citizens across the continent denouncing what they call xenophobia.

France: Yann Moix, an author whose controversial autobiography about childhood abuse is one of France’s most discussed books, was snubbed for a top literary prize after the news media uncovered anti-Semitic drawings and texts he made in his youth. Additionally, his family accused him of fabricating details of the abuse.

Nissan: The automaker’s chief executive, Hiroto Saikawa, said he had received higher compensation than he was entitled to — but not knowingly.

Plácido Domingo: The Dallas Opera canceled its big-ticket March 2020 gala concert with the opera star amid new accusations that he had sexually harassed multiple women.

Snapshot: Above, Maurice, a famous French rooster who has the right to keep crowing from his resort-island home, a court ruled on Thursday. After nearby vacationers sued, calling the rooster a nuisance, the case became a symbol for many of France’s rural values coming under threat. But Maurice, unaware of this drama, “was just being himself,” his lawyer said.

Modern Love: In this week’s column, a writer reflects on being 17 and stepping into the foreign echelon of the British class system that her wealthy boyfriend inhabited. Years later, she wondered: “Do you think Brexit would have happened if there had been more couples like us?”

U.S. Open: Serena Williams beat Elina Svitolina and will seek her record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title in Saturday’s final against 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu, who is seeking her first.

What we’re watching: “GLOW,” on Netflix, a series that turns 1980s women’s wrestling into Pop Art. “You definitely should watch it, and Netflix should renew it,” our TV critic James Poniewozik says, “but if they don’t pick it up ‘GLOW’ should totally go to Vegas.”

Cook: Grab a bag of tortilla chips and some cowboy caviar (it’s not as fancy as it sounds).

Watch: For Gus Solomons Jr., puppets relate directly to dance: “There’s no real personality there, but as soon as they move, you see one.”

Read: A young girl’s imagination helps her cope in Ibi Zoboi’s “My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich,” which is new this week on our middle grade hardcover best-seller list.

Listen: A new country supergroup — Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby — is making music with a mission.

Smarter Living: Phasing out old-style light bulbs in your home can lower your electricity bill — and help the environment. Our Climate Fwd: newsletter looks at how the bulbs have lowered household energy use in the U.S. (though the Trump administration aims to relax rules requiring them). Pro tip: LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are the most efficient bulbs on the market, and they last the longest — up to 25 years.

And if you’re heading out on vacation, doing a few errands and chores before you leave can make coming home far more pleasant.

When Piggly Wiggly opened its doors on this day in 1916, grocery shopping changed forever.

The Memphis business was one of the first self-service groceries. Customers could fetch and compare items themselves rather than wait for clerks to wait on them.

It quickly became the standard.

The store became a national chain, making its inventor, Clarence Saunders, a tycoon. His Pink Palace Mansion is a Tennessee landmark.

But by 1923, he was involved in a bitter dispute with the New York Stock Exchange. He had cornered Piggly Wiggly stock in retaliation after traders shorted it. The fallout resulted in a slew of lawsuits and his ouster from Piggly Wiggly.

“They have it all — everything I built, the greatest stores of their kind in the world, but they didn’t get the man that was father to the idea,” Mr. Saunders said. “They have the body of Piggly Wiggly, but they didn’t get the soul.”

His next venture was a little too far ahead of his time. His “Keedoozle” stores tried automating shopping — eight decades before Amazon opened its automated store.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Melina

Thank youTo Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Nadav Gavrielov wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S.• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is on Walmart entering the U.S. gun debate. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Spanish red wine (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Developers at The New York Times recently relaunched our paywall. Members of the team explained how they did it — and why no one noticed.