Today's Headlines: House Passes Budget Blueprint, Clearing Path for Tax Overhaul

[U.S. Soldiers Were Separated From Unit in Niger Ambush, Officials Say]( | View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. | [Unsubscribe]( [The New York Times]( [Most Popular]( | [Video]( | [Today's Headlines]( Friday, October 27, 2017 IN THIS EMAIL [NYT] [World](#worldNews) | [U.S.](#nationalNews) | [Politics](#politicsNews) | [Business](#businessNews) | [Technology](#technologyNews) | [Sports](#sportsNews) | [Arts](#artsNews) | [N.Y./Region](#nyregionNews) | [Movies](#dailyFeatureNews) | [Today's Video](#videoNews) | [Obituaries](#obituaries) | [Editorials](#editorialsNews) | [Op-Ed](#opinionNews) | [On This Day](#onthisdayNews) | [CUSTOMIZE »]( Top News [Final approval of the budget measure clears the way for House leaders to unveil their tax bill next Wednesday.]( [House Passes Budget Blueprint, Clearing Path for Tax Overhaul]( By JIM TANKERSLEY and THOMAS KAPLAN House Republicans are planning to release their tax bill next week, and the budget measure will allow the overhaul to pass Congress without any Democratic votes. [Senator John McCain said after Pentagon officials briefed lawmakers on Thursday that he still had ]( [U.S. Soldiers Were Separated From Unit in Niger Ambush, Officials Say]( By THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFF and ERIC SCHMITT New details have changed the timeline to the attack as Pentagon officials investigate the ambush that left four Americans and five Nigeriens dead. [Used needles near the Conrail train tracks in Philadelphia earlier this year. President Trump is to sign a presidential memorandum on opioids on Thursday.]( [Trump Declares Opioid Crisis a 'Health Emergency' but Requests No Funds]( By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS The long-promised directive fulfills a vow but falls short of the national emergency declaration President Trump had pledged. For more top news, go to [NYTimes.com »]( [Get California Today in Your Inbox]( The news and stories that matter to Californians (and anyone else interested in the state). Delivered Monday through Friday. ADVERTISEMENT Editors' Picks WORLD [[Interactive Feature] Interactive Feature: The Uninhabitable Village]( Hotter temperatures are forcing families in southern India to decide: Try to survive here, or leave? [Fans of the Lebanese indie-rock band Mashrou' Leila waving a rainbow flag during a performance in Cairo on Sept. 22.]( OPINION | Op-Ed | Mona Eltahawy [Why Is the Egyptian Government So Afraid of a Rainbow Flag?]( By MONA ELTAHAWY Bold expressions of L.G.B.T. pride frighten regimes accustomed to being guardians not just of "national security" but also of our sexuality. QUOTATION OF THE DAY "You think we're getting to a better place and then something like this throws a Molotov cocktail into it." [BRENT LEATHERWOOD]( the former executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party, which complained to Twitter twice about a Russian troll account that billed itself as the "unofficial Twitter of Tennessee Republicans" and posted inflammatory, divisive misinformation. [] Today's Videos [Used needles near the Conrail train tracks in Philadelphia earlier this year. President Trump is to sign a presidential memorandum on opioids on Thursday.]( [[Video] Video: The Facts on America's Opioid Epidemic]( It's the deadliest drug crisis in American history. It kills about 90 Americans every day. Here are answers to some key questions about the crisis. [[Video] Video: The J.F.K. Assassination: A Cast of Characters]( As a new trove of documents about the killing of President John F. Kennedy is released, The Times's Peter Baker walks us through who's who in this American tragedy. [Jean Yves Chainon / The New York Times. Technology by Samsung.]( [[Video] Video: Murakami Balances Modernity and Tradition in Boston]( The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, features works by Takashi Murakami, one of Japan's most famous contemporary artists, alongside traditional Japanese art. [] World [Sunni Arab fighters joined a militia to help liberate the city of Mosul, Iraq, this year. Fourteen years after the American invasion ended decades of Sunni dominance, Iraq's Sunni Arabs are struggling to reclaim influence.]( [As ISIS Is Driven From Iraq, Sunnis Remain Alienated]( By DAVID ZUCCHINO The grievances of Iraq's Sunni Arab minority allowed the Islamic State to flourish. How the government deals with Sunnis now could have long-term consequences. [Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan leader, making a statement in Barcelona, Spain, on Thursday.]( [Catalan Leader Will Let Lawmakers Decide on Independence]( By RAPHAEL MINDER The move by Carles Puigdemont virtually ensures that the central government will take control of the restive region of Catalonia. [Residents observed from a distance as demonstrators tried to prevent voters from reaching a polling station in the Mathare area of Nairobi.]( [Low Turnout in Kenya's Do-Over Election Raises Concerns]( By JINA MOORE With so little participation, some fear that millions of Kenyans won't accept the results. For more world news, go to [NYTimes.com/World »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] U.S. [President John F. Kennedy was shot as his motorcade drove through Dealey Plaza in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.]( [J.F.K. Files, Though Incomplete, Are a Treasure Trove for Answer Seekers]( By PETER BAKER and SCOTT SHANE President Trump ordered the long-awaited release of more than 2,800 documents that investigators, historians and conspiracy theorists hope hold more clues to what happened on Nov. 22, 1963. [Dr. Hannes Vogel, head of neuropathology at Stanford University, looking at brain tissue slides in his lab.]( [Vegas Gunman's Brain Will Be Scrutinized for Clues to the Killing]( By SHERI FINK A Stanford neuropathologist will be looking for physical abnormalities in Stephen Paddock's brain, although the examination is unlikely to answer the mystery of the mass killing. [A murder trial has begun in Iowa for the 2016 killing of Kedarie Johnson, left, shown with his mother, Katrina Johnson.]( [An Iowa Teenager Was Killed in an Alley, but Was It a Hate Crime?]( By MONICA DAVEY A murder trial in the death of a 16-year-old, described by his mother as gender fluid, has become part of the national debate over gender identity. For more U.S. news, go to [NYTimes.com/US »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] Politics [Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, before heading to a vote at the Capitol last week. He has shrugged off personal insults and deep ideological differences in exchange for President Trump's ear.]( [As Other Republican Senators Bolt, Lindsey Graham Cozies Up to Trump]( By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and SHERYL GAY STOLBERG Senator Lindsey Graham, once the target of President Trump's barbs, is suddenly his cheerleader, even as other like-minded Republicans recoil from Mr. Trump. [A border wall prototype in San Diego on Thursday. Agency officials said they would test the mockups to determine which worked best in curbing illegal immigration and drug trafficking.]( [Border Wall Prototypes Are Unveiled, but Trump's Vision Still Faces Obstacles]( By RON NIXON The president's campaign promise of a wall all along the border has yet to be financed and would involve taking property from hundreds of private landowners. [Kalashnikov Concern is one of the companies being considered for sanctions by the Trump administration.]( [Trump Administration Sends Congress List of Possible Russia Sanctions]( By NICHOLAS FANDOS and MICHAEL D. SHEAR The list appeared to be an effort to mollify critics, including Senator John McCain of Arizona, who have criticized delays in imposing new sanctions. For more political news, go to [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [] Business [In addition to its pharmacies, where it runs walk-in clinics, CVS is one of the nation's top three pharmacy benefit managers.]( [CVS Is Said to Be in Talks to Buy Aetna in Landmark Acquisition]( By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN, MICHAEL J. de la MERCED and KATIE THOMAS The proposed deal, which could be worth more than $60 billion, would accelerate the health care industry's transformation. [The European Central Bank headquarters in Frankfurt. The bank has already signaled its plans to roll back emergency measures enacted during the financial crisis, but it is expected to do so slowly.]( [As European Central Bank Eases Emergency Measures, Risks May Lurk]( By JACK EWING The bank will reduce the virtual money-printing that has helped to keep the eurozone afloat. Some businesses and governments may be in for a shock. [A dog park provided by Amazon and adjacent to one of its buildings in Seattle. The company is considering various factors as it decides where to put a second headquarters.]( [Following the (Bike) Trail to Amazon's Second Headquarters]( By JAMES B. STEWART Among the factors that will affect where the company chooses to put its new headquarters: cost, diversity, universities - and coffee roasters. For more business news, go to [NYTimes.com/Business »]( [] Technology [Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco. The company is being called to account for its role played in the deception and chicanery that surrounded the 2016 presidential election.]( [Russia Fanned Flames With Twitter, Which Faces a Blowback]( By DAVID STREITFELD A troll account linked to Moscow shows how easily social media fanned the flames of outrage. Unlike other tech giants, Twitter could have a harder time dealing with the fallout. [What Worries? Big Tech Companies Post Glowing Quarterly Profits]( By NICK WINGFIELD and DAISUKE WAKABAYASHI Some are heading to Washington to explain their role in the 2016 election. Others are facing regulatory scrutiny. Consumers don't seem to care. [A House bill passed last month would require new cars to include a device for detecting children in the back seat.]( Wheels [Forgetting a Child in a Back Seat Can Kill. Cars May Soon Warn You.]( By PAUL STENQUIST Lawmakers are weighing whether to force automakers to include a device to alert drivers when a child in the back seat of a car after it has been turned off. For more technology news, go to [NYTimes.com/Technology »]( [] Sports [Joe Girardi during a news conference after the Yankees' Game 2 loss in the division series against the Cleveland Indians. Girardi announced his departure from the Yankees in an emailed statement on Thursday morning.]( [After a Decade, Joe Girardi Is Out as Manager of the Yankees]( By BILLY WITZ Girardi won one World Series title, took the Yankees to the postseason on five other occasions and became famous for his work ethic. But his run is over. [People watching a soccer match between Brazil and Serbia through the window of an appliance store in São Paulo, Brazil, before the 2014 World Cup.]( [How Did a Tiny Swiss Company Quietly Secure Valuable World Cup TV Rights?]( By TARIQ PANJA A subsidiary of Grupo Televisa, a giant Mexican television network, is under scrutiny in a corruption probe. [DeMarcus Cousins, left, and Anthony Davis, each 6-foot-11, make for an unusual frontcourt pairing in the modern N.B.A.]( [Checking In on the Nonconformist New Orleans Pelicans]( By MALIKA ANDREWS How are they doing with their towering frontcourt of DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis? "Ay, we good," Cousins says. For more sports news, go to [NYTimes.com/Sports »]( [] Arts [From left, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Caleb Mclaughlin and Finn Wolfhard in Season 2 of Netflix's ]( [Review: 'Stranger Things' Returns, More Familiar but Still Fun]( By JAMES PONIEWOZIK Did last year's surprise nostalgia phenomenon need a sequel? Not really, but we'll take it anyway. [Jin Ha, left, as the opera singer Song Liling and Clive Owen as the French diplomat Rene Gallimard in ]( [Review: 'M. Butterfly' Returns to Broadway on Heavier Wings]( By BEN BRANTLEY A powerful Clive Owen is the best thing about the didactic revival of David Henry Hwang's breakthrough look at sexual delusion and East-West relations. [Beaded Soldier's Quilt, artist unidentified, India, circa 1860–1870. Its appliqué composition is enhanced by glass beads.]( Art Review [Wartime Quilts Honor Battles and Leaders, but Mostly Art]( By ROBERTA SMITH Military quilts made by men during the 18th and 19th century are, pure and simple, eye dazzlers. For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »]( Movies [Julianne Moore and Matt Damon in George Clooney's ]( [Review: Glib Laughs and Race Hate in 'Suburbicon']( By MANOHLA DARGIS George Clooney stays off camera to direct Matt Damon and Julianne Moore in a caustic comedy about the good old American days of fear, hate and rage. [Elisabeth Moss and Claes Bang in Ruben Ostlund's new movie, ]( [Review: 'The Square' Takes Aim at Art, Sex, Money and More]( By A.O. SCOTT This Swedish satire from Ruben Ostlund, the director of "Force Majeure," won the top prize at Cannes. [Joan Didion and her husband, John Gregory Dunne, with their daughter, Quintana Roo. Ms. Didion is the subject of a new documentary by her nephew Griffin Dunne.]( [Review: A 'Joan Didion' Portrait, From an Intimate Source]( By GLENN KENNY This documentary is directed by Griffin Dunne, Ms. Didion's nephew, a relationship that limits the movie in certain ways, but opens it up in others. [Marie Leuenberger in ]( [Review: 'The Divine Order' Recalls the Fight for Women's Suffrage in Switzerland]( By BEN KENIGSBERG Set in 1971, Petra Volpe's film takes a middlebrow, mildly rollicking approach toward a serious subject. [Véro Tshanda Beya Mputu in ]( [Review: In 'Félicité,' a Mother Scrambles to Save Her Son]( By GLENN KENNY Set in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this film resists the race-against-the-clock trap, instead bringing several illuminating, moving surprises. [Margaret Qualley as Sister Cathleen in ]( [Review: 'Novitiate' Shares a Young Nun's Emotional Story]( By A.O. SCOTT A novice struggles with her own faith in a changing church in this film, written and directed by Maggie Betts. For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »]( [] New York [Fear vs. Hope: Battle Lines Drawn Over a Constitutional Convention]( By JESSE McKINLEY A constitutional convention could go a long way to addressing the dysfunction in Albany, but not everyone is in favor of having one. [Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, testified in federal court in Newark on Thursday on behalf of his colleague, Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey.]( [Two of Menendez's Senate Colleagues Defend His Character]( By NATE SCHWEBER Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, and Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, from South Carolina, traveled from Washington for a bipartisan display of support. [Alse Young of Windsor, Conn., was the first person who was recorded as being executed for witchcraft in New England. Some accounts say she was hanged in Hartford's Meeting House Square, which is now the site of Connecticut's Old State House.]( [Where Was the First Woman Condemned for Witchcraft? Not in Salem]( By RAY CAVANAUGH Decades before the trials in Massachusetts, women in Connecticut were being accused. Now, a group of people there is moving to clear the names of the victims. For more New York news, go to [NYTimes.com/NewYork »]( [] Media & Advertising [Mark Halperin is a former political director at ABC News and more recently was an analyst at MSNBC.]( [Mark Halperin, a Top Political Journalist, Faces Multiple Claims of Harassment]( By JOHN KOBLIN and MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM The accusations against Mr. Halperin, among the most prominent political journalists in the country, were made by former colleagues from his time as political director at ABC News. [Harvey Weinstein claimed in a lawsuit that he needs access to records and emails controlled by his former studio in order to defend himself against sexual harassment allegations.]( [Weinstein Sues Weinstein Company, Demanding Access to Records]( By BROOKS BARNES Harvey Weinstein sued the studio he had co-founded, saying he needs access to records and emails to defend himself against accusations of misconduct against women. [About 200 people attended a 10th anniversary celebration for Women and Hollywood, a nonprofit that advocates for gender parity in the film industry, at the ArcLight Hollywood on Wednesday.]( [Talk of Weinstein Dominates Women's Ceremony in a Hollywood 'Unmoored']( By BROOKS BARNES "It kind of feels like Rome is burning," one honoree said at a celebration hosted by Women and Hollywood, which advocates for gender parity in the film business. For more media and advertising news, go to [NYTimes.com/Media »]( []Obituaries [Mr. Wayne danced with the Harkness Ballet, became a principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet and American Ballet Theater, and started his own troupe.]( [Dennis Wayne, 72, Charismatic Dancer With Leading Troupes, Is Dead]( By RICHARD SANDOMIR Mr. Wayne had matinee idol looks that made teenage girls scream and a rebellious streak that earned him the nickname the Bad Lad of Ballet. [The four-man crew of the shuttle Challenger in June 1982 during a turnover ceremony at Rockwell International's final assembly site in Palmdale, Calif. From left are Dr. Story Musgrave; the pilot, Karol J. Bobko; the mission specialist, Donald H. Peterson and the commander, Paul J. Weitz, who died on Monday. (The man at the right is unidentified.)]( [Paul Weitz, Astronaut on Skylab and Challenger, Dies at 85]( By NEIL GENZLINGER Captain Weitz commanded the shuttle Challenger on its maiden voyage, and after it later exploded, he was among NASA officials who examined why. [Marina Sturdza at an event sponsored by the charity Hope and Homes for Children in Bucharest, Romania, in March 2014. She was a leading patron of the group.]( [Marina Sturdza, Romanian Princess and Humanitarian, Dies at 73]( By SAM ROBERTS She and her family fled the Communist takeover after World War II. When she returned in the 1990s, she supported child protection and palliative care. [Dr. Isabella L. Karle in an undated photograph. Her work helped give pharmaceutical researchers a better idea of the chemistry going on inside the body in their efforts to make drugs to treat illnesses.]( [Isabella L. Karle Dies at 95; Findings on Molecules Helped Husband Win Nobel]( By KENNETH CHANG Her husband was disappointed that her work, which aided in the development of drugs for illnesses, was not cited by the Nobel committee. [Tom Mathews, Promoter of Liberal Causes and Candidates, Dies at 96]( By SAM ROBERTS A former journalist, Mr. Mathews raised the profile of groups like the Peace Corps and was the spokesman for Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1968. For more obituaries, go to [NYTimes.com/Obituaries »]( [] Editorial [[Graphic] Graphic: Who Does Benefit From the Tax Cut Anyway?]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Eliminating the state and local tax deduction would hurt many Americans. [A darkened street in Yauco, Puerto Rico, earlier this month.]( Editorial [Powerless Puerto Rico]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Three-quarters of the island has no electricity, but a tiny power company whose owner knows a cabinet member has a $300 million contract. [Rush hour in Gurgaon, a suburb of Delhi, India.]( Editorial Observer [The Question More Indians Ask - 'Is My Phone Tapped?']( By MIRA KAMDAR "Someone says something mildly critical of the government, and then you learn that person's office was paid a visit the next day by the income-tax authorities." For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] Op-Ed [Wisconsin is one of several states using algorithms in the sentencing process. Above, the state capitol.]( Op-Ed Contributor [When an Algorithm Helps Send You to Prison]( By ELLORA THADANEY ISRANI Giving a computer program responsibility over sentences doesn't eliminate bias. [President Trump received high-fives from students as he arrived at Dallas Love Field on Wednesday.]( Op-Ed Columnist [Trump's $700 Billion Gift to Wealthy Foreigners]( By PAUL KRUGMAN Tax cuts: They're not just for American plutocrats [President Trump with Mitch McConnell at the Capitol on Tuesday.]( Op-Ed Columnist [The Week Trump Won]( By DAVID BROOKS Like with the Bolsheviks' takeover of Russia, we are witnessing a clash of political, moral, economic and social ideologies all rolled into one. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] ON THIS DAY On Oct. 27, 1904, the first rapid transit subway, the IRT, opened in New York City. [See this Front Page]( | [Buy this Front Page]( FOLLOW US: [Facebook] [Facebook]( | [Twitter] [@NYTimes]( | [Pinterest] [Pinterest]( | [Instagram] [Instagram]( [NYT]( Access The New York Times from anywhere with our suite of apps: [iPhone®]( | [iPad®]( | [Android]( | [All]( [.] Save 15% at [The NYTimes Store »](