Senate, Julian Assange, CES: Your Thursday Briefing
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Good morning.
Here’s what you need to know:
• Senate hearing on Russian hacking.
The Armed Services Committee, led by Senator John McCain, are receiving testimony from intelligence officials today on “foreign cyberthreats to the United States.”
Here’s what to watch for. We’ll be providing live updates.
The proceedings come as President-elect Donald J. Trump and the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange forged an unlikely alliance, uniting against the idea that Russia hacked emails to influence the U.S. presidential election.
• Undoing Obamacare.
Weaken the filibuster; add details to the legislation; wait for Mr. Trump’s executive orders on health care; create a replacement for the law.
Those are the four steps Republicans intend to follow to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, according to our writer. Lawmakers began their quest to repeal the law on Wednesday.
• Charleston killer shows no remorse.
The sentencing phase in Dylann S. Roof’s murder trial is underway. In his brief opening statement, he told jurors that he was not mentally ill, and he offered no apology for killing nine black parishioners at a Bible study class in South Carolina.
Prosecutors sought to strengthen their case for giving Mr. Roof the death penalty by releasing a white supremacist manifesto he penned in jail. “I am not sorry,” he wrote. “I have not shed a tear for the innocent people I killed.”
• Effects of Syria’s war.
The almost-six-year conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more, and now it has created a water crisis for 5.5 million people around the capital, Damascus. Most of the city’s water comes from a valley under rebel control.
In Turkey, recent terrorist attacks have been linked to that country’s involvement in the Syrian war. But the pro-government Turkish news media has accused the U.S. of being behind the violence.
• Money for college athletes.
In 2015, some universities began giving football players stipends. The amount varies. Clemson, which will play for the national title next week, gives out $388 a month during the academic year.
We took a closer look at how the athletes of different programs spent the money — most sent it home.
Business
• The newly released minutes from last month’s Federal Reserve meeting indicate that the officials see themselves as a counterbalance to the president-elect’s proposed tax cuts and to infrastructure and military spending.
Faster economic growth would mean quicker increases of the benchmark interest rate, the minutes showed.
• With a few exceptions, the occupations that are growing in the U.S. are predominantly filled by women, while jobs that are disappearing are mostly done by men.
More than a fifth of American men aren’t working, yet they aren’t flocking to service-sector jobs. Experts suggest that much of the resistance comes from a culture of masculinity.
• Ultra high-definition televisions, smart-home systems, drones and artificial intelligence are among the products to watch this week at the International CES in Las Vegas.
MARKET SNAPSHOT View Full Overview
- S.& P. 500–0.33%
- DOW–0.38%
- NASDAQ–0.12%
Noteworthy
• Plan your getaway.
Did you resolve to travel more this year? Our list of 52 places to visit in 2017 will get you started.
And consider a trip to British Columbia. This 360 video showing some of the Canadian province’s stunning scenery might help you decide.
52 Places to Go: Canada
Canada (all of it!) is the No. 1 destination in our 52 Places to Go in 2017. Step across two suspension bridges for some of Canada's best views.
By JOSH HANER, MAUREEN TOWEY and TIM CHAFFEE on January 4, 2017. Photo by Josh Haner/The New York Times. Technology by Samsung. . Watch in Times Video »
• From a galaxy far, far away.
Strange bursts of radio waves have been traced to a distant part of space — but don’t get too excited.
“We’ve joked about spaceship battles and Death Stars blowing up,” an astronomer said, “but we think we can explain it with ordinary physics.” An unexpected quirk of a supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy could be the cause instead, he said.
• A challenge for the mind.
“Are my thoughts helping to build me up, or tear me down?”
A psychologist suggests asking yourself this question as a way to overcome negativity. Controlled breathing may help, too. Here are more bits of advice on conquering your negative thoughts.
• Recipe of the day.
If you’re looking for something packed with flavor and perfect for a cold night, try kimchi soup, which takes about 45 minutes to make. While it bubbles, see how much added sugar is in your diet.
Back Story
Thailand’s resort island of Phuket is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, with a well-earned reputation as a playground for the ultrarich.
Starting today, millionaires and billionaires will gather at the Royal Phuket Marina to party at one of the largest and most exclusive yacht shows in the world.
While the posh atmosphere has helped the island flourish in modern times, Phuket partly owes its existence to the heroic acts of two women.
In 1785, a Burmese army was at the gates of Thalang, then the largest town on Phuket. The governor had just died and the defenders were hopelessly outnumbered. That was when Lady Chan, the governor’s widow, and her sister, Lady Mook, convinced Thalang’s women to impersonate male soldiers and hold positions on the city’s walls.
The invaders were tricked and retreated. The brave sisters were revered as national heroes and given honorary titles from the king.
To this day, many Thais leave incense and offerings at a monument to the two, asking for protection before leaving the island, whether for work, an education or maybe a quick jaunt on a yacht.
Charles McDermid contributed reporting.
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