Thursday Briefing

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/03/briefing/trump-niger-ukraine.html

Version 0 of 1.

Donald Trump’s indictment for trying to overturn the 2020 election has thrown the U.S. into uncharted territory ahead of the presidential vote next year. Though the former president has been charged dozens of times across three cases, he can still run for president and faces no campaign restrictions.

But if he is convicted on any of the felony counts, things get complicated. The Constitution and U.S. law have clear answers for only some of the questions that would arise. Many of the huge decisions would rest in the hands of federal judges.

The indictment has put Mike Pence, Trump’s former vice president, at the center of an extraordinary moment in U.S. politics. Pence is among Trump’s rivals in the race for the Republican Party nomination, and he criticized Trump on Tuesday, setting himself apart from several other Republican candidates who largely avoided criticizing the former president, even indirectly.

More on the indictment:

Trump has been summoned for his initial court appearance in the case this afternoon before a magistrate judge in Federal District Court in Washington, the special counsel’s office said.

Shortly after learning he was being indicted, Trump dined with leaders at Fox News, as they lobbied him to attend the first Republican presidential primary debate this month.

The indictment asserted that six people aided Trump. Most of them can be identified by details included in the indictment, leaving a mystery: Who is Co-Conspirator 6?

Are the Trump indictments a turning point? History says not likely.

At first, Niger’s coup, which began last week, resembled others that have roiled West Africa in recent years — soldiers detained the president and declared they had seized power; foreign powers were condemnatory but did nothing. But in recent days, things have taken a different course.

The U.S. and France threatened to cut ties with Niger, endangering hundreds of millions of dollars in aid. The deposed and detained president, Mohamed Bazoum, spoke with world leaders, received visitors and posted defiant messages on social media. And neighboring countries threatened to go to war — some to scuttle the coup, others to ensure its success.

Although Niger has a long history of coups, Bazoum promised a democratic future. Elected in Niger’s first peaceful transfer of power in 2021, he advocated girls’ education and tried to reduce the country’s birthrate, the highest in the world. After years of stagnation, the economy had been forecast to grow 7 percent this year.

Ukrainian troops who were trained and armed by the U.S. and its allies have become bogged down in dense Russian minefields under constant fire from artillery and helicopter gunships. Units got lost. One unit lost its advantage by delaying a nighttime attack until dawn. Another fared so badly that commanders yanked it off the battlefield altogether.

Now Ukrainian military commanders have changed tactics, focusing on wearing down the Russian forces. But early results have been mixed. Ukrainian troops have yet to make sweeping gains, raising questions about the quality of their foreign training and about whether tens of billions of dollars’ worth of weapons have been able to transform the military into a NATO-standard fighting force.

In Ukraine: The high-stakes standoff over grain is not only escalating tensions in the Black Sea and raising worries over the global food supply; it’s also creating challenges for farmers across southern Ukraine.

A city in Mexico has banned songs with lyrics that “promote violence against women.”

An Italian rapper has become a voice of compassion for the migrant crisis.

In London, a stairway that goes nowhere was sold for 25,000 pounds (about $32,000).

The demise of the electric bike company VanMoof has left owners unable to get repairs and worried that app-enabled functions may stop working.

Iran ordered all government agencies, banks and schools to close for two days because of “unprecedented” heat.

A record low in Antarctic sea ice is raising alarm about sea levels and the effects on ocean and air temperatures.

Larry Fink, the chief executive of BlackRock, is facing criticism for championing social governance goals while courting Saudi oil money.

A jury sentenced to death the gunman who killed 11 worshipers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.

A fight has erupted in South Africa and the U.S. over “Kill the Boer,” an old anti-apartheid chant that some see as a call to anti-white violence. Others say the song should not be taken literally.

Was this 39-million-year-old whale the heaviest animal ever?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, are separating after 18 years of marriage.

Three dancers who toured with Lizzo are suing the star over accusations of a hostile and “overtly sexual” work environment.

Booksellers along the Seine in Paris have been told to relocate for the Olympics next year.

Two Canadian men — Eddy Ambrose and Richard Beauvais, above — who were switched 67 years ago after being born to families of different ethnicities are now questioning who they really are.

One had a difficult childhood made more traumatic by Canada’s brutal policies toward Indigenous people; the other enjoyed a happy, carefree upbringing, steeped in the Ukrainian Catholic culture of his adopted family and community.

Goals against 100 clubs: From Albacete Balompié to Atlanta United, Lionel Messi’s goals visualized.

Meet Lauren James: England’s golden girl, and the world’s best player in waiting.

Formula One summer break: Why the shutdown is essential.

Women’s World Cup: Jamaica and South Africa head into the round of 16; Sweden won its group and earns a matchup against the U.S.

Through the service Cameo, celebrities and others can be paid to make personalized videos commemorating birthdays, bachelorette parties, divorces and the like. Last month, there was a 137 percent increase in the number of accounts reactivated or created on the service compared with June. (Hollywood actors went on strike on July 14.)

With bills looming, Cheyenne Jackson, an actor who has appeared in the “American Horror Story” TV shows and in “30 Rock,” was among those to make the leap. “My husband cringed a little,” he said. “But you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

The latest: Movie and television studios have asked for a meeting tomorrow with the screenwriters’ union to discuss negotiations, the first sign of movement in a three-month stalemate.

Wrap this coconut salmon in foil and let the fish steam in its juices.

A literary guide to Hanoi, Vietnam.

Dance the Pinegrove Shuffle.

Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Something you might do “like a log” (five letters).

And here are today’s Wordle and the Spelling Bee.

You can find all our puzzles here.

That’s it for today’s briefing. Thanks for joining me. — Natasha

P.S. The Emmy Awards recognized Times journalism with 16 nominations across 12 categories.

You can reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com.