Tuesday, Oct 8, 2019 | View in browser

Good morning.

We’re covering the aftermath of President Trump’s promise to withdraw from Syria, the N.B.A.’s latest response to a controversy involving China, and changes to the ACT.

By Chris Stanford

Breaking

The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three scientists for their contributions to the understanding of the evolution of the universe and the Earth’s place in the cosmos.

President Trump and military leaders at the White House on Monday. Doug Mills/The New York Times

Mixed signals in the Middle East

After widespread criticism of the decision to clear the way for a Turkish military operation against U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria, President Trump switched gears on Monday and said he would restrain Turkey.

Mr. Trump has long pushed to leave “endless wars” — a position many Americans support, according to polls — only to be pulled back by the national security establishment and congressional allies. Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, warned on Monday against “a precipitous withdrawal” from Syria and urged Mr. Trump to “exercise American leadership.”

News analysis: Mr. Trump’s foreign policy “has largely abandoned the elaborate systems created since President Harry Truman’s day to think ahead about the potential costs and benefits of presidential decisions,” writes David Sanger, a national security correspondent for The Times.

What’s next: The Kurds have been among America’s most effective allies against the Islamic State, and analysts warned that a U.S. withdrawal could benefit Iran, Russia and President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. Here’s a look at what could happen.

The Daily: Today’s episode is about Mr. Trump’s shift in strategy.

Impeachment inquiry expands

The House issued subpoenas on Monday to the Defense Department and the Office of Management and Budget for documents that might help identify any ties between the withholding of U.S. aid from Ukraine and President Trump’s push for its government to investigate his political rivals.

Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union who has been deeply involved in Mr. Trump’s Ukraine policy, is expected to speak to investigators today.

The details: Impeachment investigators have been issuing near-daily requests or subpoenas. Here’s a look at the evidence they’ve collected.

Another angle: As part of U.S. policy to fight corruption in Ukraine, Energy Secretary Rick Perry has pushed for changes at a state-owned gas company. That effort has entangled him in the case at the center of the impeachment inquiry.

Joe Tsai, the owner of the Brooklyn Nets, said a tweet from the general manager of the Houston Rockets was "damaging to the relationship with our fans in China." Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

N.B.A. tries to limit fallout in China dispute

The basketball league said today that its initial response to a controversy involving an executive’s support of the protesters in Hong Kong had left people “angered, confused or unclear on who we are or what the N.B.A. stands for.”

The N.B.A. had earlier said that it was “regrettable” that many Chinese fans had been offended by a quickly deleted tweet by Daryl Morey, the Houston Rockets’ general manager, a concession that drew criticism in the U.S.

Related: Joe Tsai, a Taiwan-born billionaire who recently became the primary owner of the Brooklyn Nets, added to the controversy by referring to the Hong Kong protests as a “separatist movement,” which echoes the way Beijing describes them.

Another angle: “South Park,” the long-running Comedy Central cartoon, was erased from major online platforms in China after an episode taunted the country’s censors and parodied their effects on American entertainment.

If you have 22 minutes, this is worth it

A battle over rebuilding

Meghan Dhaliwal for The New York Times

When Hurricane Irma crushed the Caribbean island of St. Martin two years ago, the French state promised swift assistance. Aid has flowed in, but a fight has followed about recovery plans, exposing racial and class tensions.

This article is the latest in a Times series that investigates whether promises made by those in power are kept.

Here’s what else is happening

President’s tax returns: A federal judge rejected President Trump’s effort to shield his financial information from Manhattan prosecutors, calling his argument that he was immune from criminal investigation “repugnant.” An appeals court temporarily blocked the ruling, meaning the tax returns remain protected for now.

Deadliest serial killer: The F.B.I. announced that Samuel Little, a 79-year-old inmate in Los Angeles, is the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history. He has confessed to 93 murders, and the agency considers all his confessions credible.

Climate protests: The group Extinction Rebellion blocked traffic in New York and cities around the world as part of a planned five days of disruptions.

Changes to the ACT: Starting in September, students will be able to retake sections of the college entrance exam rather than the entire test, officials said today. The change will allow students to avoid damaging their scores on sections where they had already done well.

Test of diplomatic immunity: Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on the wife of an American diplomat to return to Britain after she was involved in a deadly crash, saying he would ask President Trump to intervene if necessary.

New York subway improvements: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has promised to add elevators to 70 stations over five years, at an estimated cost of $5.5 billion.

Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times

Snapshot: Above, sea lions at Russkaya Bay on the Kamchatka Peninsula. At the end of a five-year assignment in Moscow, our former bureau chief traveled to the region, which most Russians consider the obscure end of the country.

Baseball playoffs: The Yankees swept the Twins to reach the American League Championship Series, and the Cardinals, Nationals and Rays all won, extending their respective series.

Late-night comedy: The hosts were focused on the Middle East. “There’s only one way out of this: Kurds, you’ve got 24 hours to dig up dirt on Joe Biden,” Stephen Colbert said.

What we’re reading: This Vox article on Fat Bear Week at Katmai National Park in Alaska. “To be clear, this is not about fat-shaming — it’s about celebration,” according to Katmai. Melina Delkic, on the briefings team, writes, “Use the sliding tool to look at my favorite bear Holly’s incredible transformation from July to September.”

Now, a break from the news

Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

Cook: Our food editor, Sam Sifton, says vinegar chicken with crushed olive dressing could be “the greatest sheet-pan recipe of the year.” (Our Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter has more recommendations.)

Listen: Silence — music’s negative space — can be eloquent. Consider these examples.

Go: At 75, Gary Busey is trying his hand at musical theater, in an Off Broadway show in which he plays God. He spoke to The Times about his role.

Read: In “Frankissstein,” Jeanette Winterson has stitched together that rarest of beasts: a novel that is deeply thought-provoking and provocative, yet unabashedly entertaining. Here’s our review.

Smarter Living: Nir Eyal wrote the Silicon Valley playbook for creating addictive apps, but he’s reversing course with “Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.” His solution is to reclaim responsibility in myriad small ways, like silencing your phone.

Plus: Technology makes it easy for us to monitor our neighbors and families. But should we?

And now for the Back Story on …

Silver bullet

After the attacks last month on Saudi oil facilities, The Times wrote an article headlined “The Urgent Search for a Cyber Silver Bullet Against Iran.” That prompted a briefings reader, Ariel Fromowitz, to ask us where the term “silver bullet” came from.

Silver itself has been known for its healing properties since at least the time of Hippocrates.

European legends holding that only a silver bullet could kill a werewolf or other supernatural malevolence (just as only a wooden stake to the heart kills a vampire) became common in the early 1800s.

And in the 1930s American radio show “The Lone Ranger,” the masked lawman would leave behind a silver bullet as a symbol of justice.

LMPC via Getty Images

By the mid-20th century, a “silver bullet” came to mean a miraculous or fail-safe solution to a problem.

More recently, “magic bullet” has been used to convey the same idea, though in its earlier usage it referred more specifically to an undiscovered drug to cure a disease.

Thanks to Ariel for leading us to the silver bullet for the end of today’s briefing.

That’s it for this briefing, but more great journalism is available beyond your inbox. Subscribe to The New York Times for unlimited access.

See you next time.

— Chris

Thank you
Melina Delkic helped compile today’s briefing. Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. Victoria Shannon, on the briefings team, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach us at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Today’s episode is about President Trump’s new policy in Syria.
• Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: “Be the person your ___ thinks you are” (three letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• “Caliphate,” by the Times reporter Rukmini Callimachi, has been named one of the 10 most influential nonfiction podcasts by Vulture, the pop culture website.