Your Monday Evening Briefing

AT&T, North Korea, Angela Merkel View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Monday, November 20, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( [Your Monday Evening Briefing]( By KAREN ZRAICK AND DAVID SCULL Good evening. Here’s the latest. Larry W. Smith/European Pressphoto Agency 1. Showdown: The Justice Department filed a lawsuit to [block AT&T’s $85.4 billion bid for Time Warner](. Above, the company’s headquarters in Dallas. Federal officials argue that the deal would create a communications behemoth unrivaled in its ability to reach American homes. But a central component of the dispute is CNN — which President Trump has frequently attacked as a purveyor of “fake news.” AT&T said it would defend its merger in court. _____ Tom Brenner/The New York Times 2. At the White House, President Trump returned [North Korea to a list of state sponsors of terrorism](. North Korea was on the list from 1987 to 2008 — but was taken off by President George W. Bush, when he was trying to salvage a nuclear deal. The designation will be accompanied by tougher sanctions. Mr. Trump heads to Mar-a-Lago for the Thanksgiving break on Tuesday. Congress is in recess for the week. _____ Tom Brenner/ The New York Times 3. The floodgates are still open. A second woman said [Senator Al Franken groped her]( in 2010 — while her husband was taking a photo of them. Unlike the first accusation, this episode involves Mr. Franken’s time in office. PBS [halted distribution of Charlie Rose’s interview program]( and CBS News suspended him following a report by The Washington Post that eight women are accusing him of unwanted advances and inappropriate behavior. And The Times suspended [a White House correspondent, Glenn Thrush]( after he was accused of sexual misconduct. Here’s our updated graphic of at least 30 men [who have been accused]( since the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke. _____ Wally Fong/Associated Press 4. Charles Manson, one of the most notorious killers of the 20th century, [died Sunday](. At 83, he had spent most of his life behind bars on convictions in nine murders with which he had hoped to start a race war. Here’s [what became of the members]( of his murderous band of young drifters, the so-called Manson family, whose victims included the actress Sharon Tate. And this video examines [Mr. Manson’s peculiar influence]( on pop culture. _____ Markus Schreiber/Associated Press 5. Germany is locked in a political crisis that is sending tremors across Europe. The breakdown of talks to form a coalition government raised [fresh doubts about the staying power of Chancellor Angela Merkel](. She said she was hopeful about forming a majority government — but would prefer to go through new elections rather than try to lead a minority government. “This is uncharted territory since 1949,” one analyst said. “Not only is this not going to go away soon, there is no clear path out.” _____ Ben Curtis/Associated Press 6. Zimbabwe’s president, Robert Mugabe, ignored an [ultimatum from his own party demanding that he step down](. Parliament is now under pressure to impeach him, a process that could extend broad national frustration for weeks. Above, a cafe-goers in Harare watched Mr. Mugabe deliver a speech on Sunday. Here’s how Mr. Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabwe has known since its independence in 1980, [lost power in just days](. And a veteran reporter who was there when Mr. Mugabe took over sees [disturbing parallels with the current moment]( of hope and joy. _____ Daniel Berehulak for The New York Times 7. With the “disappeared” in Mexico’s drug war numbering in the tens of thousands, some [families are taking up the search for loved ones]( on their own. Above, Vicky Delgadillo and Carlos Saldaña, who are searching for clues about their missing children, in Xalapa, Mexico. Separately, [a Border Patrol agent was killed]( and his partner seriously injured over the weekend while on patrol in West Texas. The authorities called it an attack. We’ll be updating our article with details as we get them. _____ Larry W. Smith/European Pressphoto Agency 8. Nebraska regulators [approved the Keystone XL pipeline]( removing the last major obstacle to the project. But they assigned it an alternative route, and the pipeline company, TransCanada, said it would have to evaluate how to proceed. The decision came four days after another pipeline operated by the [same company spilled 210,000 gallons of oil]( in neighboring South Dakota. Opponents said that episode underscored the risks that pipelines pose for the environment and nearby communities. _____ Disney/Pixar 9. The new Pixar movie [“Coco,” opens in U.S. theaters this week]( and it’s breaking some barriers. It tells the story of Miguel Rivera, a 12-year-old Mexican boy who dreams of becoming a famous singer. But his family disapproves, leading to a fateful act of rebellion during Día de los Muertos, the festive holiday that honors the dead. Miguel is the first minority lead in a Pixar movie. The non-Latino director, Lee Unkrich, took pains to make sure the film was accurate in its representation of Mexico. It seems it’s paid off: “Coco” has become Mexico’s highest-grossing animated film ever since it was released there last month. _____ Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America 10. Finally, it’s almost Thanksgiving. Let us help you make it great. Our Smarter Living team [put together a comprehensive guide]( on how to prepare for travel, host, cook, select wine, be a good guest, argue without rancor and other relevant tips. Above, two candidates for this year’s presidential pardon, Drumstick and Wishbone, met the press in Washington. Have a great night. _____ Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. And don’t miss [Your Morning Briefing]( posted weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern, and Your Weekend Briefing, posted at 6 a.m. Sundays. Want to catch up on past briefings? [You can browse them here](. If photographs appear out of order, please download the updated New York Times app [from iTunes]( or [Google Play](. What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at [briefing@nytimes.com](mailto:briefing@nytimes.com?subject=Evening%20Briefing%20Feedback). LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. 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