Today's Headlines: Trump Ordered Mueller Fired, but Backed Off When White House Counsel Threatened to Quit

Trump Immigration Plan Demands Tough Concessions From Democrats View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. | [Unsubscribe]( [The New York Times]( [Most Popular]( | [Video]( | Subscribe: [Digital /]( [Home Delivery]( [My Account]( [Today's Headlines]( Friday, January 26, 2018 IN THIS EMAIL: [Top News](#0) | [Editors' Picks](#2) | [Today’s Videos](#4) | [World](#5) | [U.S.](#6) | [Politics](#7) | [Business](#8) | [Technology](#9) | [Sports](#10) | [Arts](#11) | [Movies](#12) | [New York](#13) | [Media & Advertising](#14) | [Science](#15) | [Obituaries](#16) | [Editorial](#17) | [Op-Ed](#18) | [CUSTOMIZE »]( [] Top News [Trump Ordered Mueller Fired, but Backed Off When White House Counsel Threatened to Quit]( [Trump Ordered Mueller Fired, but Backed Off When White House Counsel Threatened to Quit]( By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and MAGGIE HABERMAN The president ordered the firing last June as he first learned that the special counsel might be investigating whether he had obstructed justice. [Trump Immigration Plan Demands Tough Concessions From Democrats]( [Trump Immigration Plan Demands Tough Concessions From Democrats]( By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and SHERYL GAY STOLBERG If Democrats want relief for young unauthorized immigrants, they would have to accept a border wall and restrictions on low-skilled immigrants joining their families in America. [With Nassar Put Away for Sex Abuse, Focus Turns to What Michigan State Knew]( [With Nassar Put Away for Sex Abuse, Focus Turns to What Michigan State Knew]( By MITCH SMITH and ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS Federal and state authorities began investigations of what the university knew about Dr. Lawrence G. Nassar’s abuse while he was employed there for two decades. For more top news, go to [NYTimes.com »]( ADVERTISEMENT [Get the Morning Briefing in Your Inbox]( [Get the Morning Briefing in Your Inbox]( What you need to know to start your day, delivered Monday through Friday. [Sign up »]( [] Editors' Picks [10 Monkeys and a Beetle: Inside VW’s Campaign for ‘Clean Diesel’]( World [10 Monkeys and a Beetle: Inside VW’s Campaign for ‘Clean Diesel’]( By JACK EWING An experiment that produced false data sheds light on how German automakers financed scientific research to promote their political agenda. [The Men Who Want to Live Forever]( Opinion | Opinion [The Men Who Want to Live Forever]( By DARA HORN Some very wealthy people are serious about outsmarting mortality. [] QUOTATION OF THE DAY "I’m like, how can I be negligent for kissing my girl?" [GIL ROBERTS]( an Olympic gold medal sprinter who was exonerated for failing a drug test by a court that accepted his defense: A passionate kiss with his medicated girlfriend had caused the violation. [] Today’s Videos [Sinking Islands, Floating Nation]( [[Video]Video: Sinking Islands, Floating Nation]( By MATTHIEU RYTZ Rising sea levels are forcing the nation of Kiribati to make difficult choices. [How Did Larry Nassar Get Away With It?]( [[Video]Video: How Did Larry Nassar Get Away With It?]( By NATALIE RENEAU, NEETI UPADHYE, ROBIN STEIN and SARAH STEIN KERR Lawrence G. Nassar, the sports doctor accused of sexually abusing more than 160 young women, committed his crimes with impunity for decades. Here’s how. [Anatomy of a Scene | ‘The Florida Project’]( [[Video]Video: Anatomy of a Scene | ‘The Florida Project’]( By MEKADO MURPHY Sean Baker narrates a sequence from the film featuring Willem Dafoe, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance. ADVERTISEMENT [] World [Trump and Davos: Not Exactly Best Friends, but Not Enemies Either]( Davos Memo [Trump and Davos: Not Exactly Best Friends, but Not Enemies Either]( By PETER BAKER and PETER S. GOODMAN Last year, the chieftains at Davos were panicked at the thought of Trump. This year, they welcomed him with somewhat open arms. [Fire Kills at Least 37 People at South Korea Hospital]( [Fire Kills at Least 37 People at South Korea Hospital]( By CHOE SANG-HUN The deadly blaze was the latest in a string of a tragedies that have heightened public concern over the country’s safety standards. [Victory Assured, Putin Seeks Turnout as Final Affirmation]( [Victory Assured, Putin Seeks Turnout as Final Affirmation]( By NEIL MacFARQUHAR In his re-election bid, the Russian president is seeking the legitimacy of a contested election without real democracy. It is a hard sell. For more world news, go to [NYTimes.com/World »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] U.S. [Most Americans Want Legal Status for ‘Dreamers.’ These People Don’t.]( [Most Americans Want Legal Status for ‘Dreamers.’ These People Don’t.]( By MIRIAM JORDAN A slice of the public bucks popular sentiment for young undocumented immigrants, underscoring the conflicted feelings over the issue that has stymied Congress for years. [Hurricane-Torn Puerto Rico Says It Can’t Pay Any of Its Debts for 5 Years]( [Hurricane-Torn Puerto Rico Says It Can’t Pay Any of Its Debts for 5 Years]( By PATRICIA MAZZEI and MARY WILLIAMS WALSH According to a fiscal plan released by the government late Wednesday, the island expects its budget to be $3.4 billion in the red this year, a deficit that will take five years to close. [Descendants’ Stories of the Clotilda Slave Ship Drew Doubts. Now Some See Validation.]( [Descendants’ Stories of the Clotilda Slave Ship Drew Doubts. Now Some See Validation.]( By SANDRA E. GARCIA and MATTHEW HAAG “So many people said that it didn’t really happen that way, that we made the story up,” one woman said of the boat that brought her great-great-grandfather to America. For more U.S. news, go to [NYTimes.com/US »]( [] Politics [Trump’s Impromptu News Conference: An Unplanned Drop-By or a Deliberate Dig?]( White House Memo [Trump’s Impromptu News Conference: An Unplanned Drop-By or a Deliberate Dig?]( By MAGGIE HABERMAN Some in the White House saw President Trump’s appearance at a background briefing as a message to his chief of staff, John F. Kelly. [Patrick Meehan Won’t Seek Re-election in Pennsylvania]( [Patrick Meehan Won’t Seek Re-election in Pennsylvania]( By KENNETH P. VOGEL and KATIE ROGERS Mr. Meehan, Republican of Pennsylvania, facing backlash after settling a sexual harassment complaint brought by a former aide, will not seek re-election this year. [In a Comically Drawn Pennsylvania District, the Voters Are Not Amused]( [In a Comically Drawn Pennsylvania District, the Voters Are Not Amused]( By TRIP GABRIEL The bizarre shape of the state’s Seventh Congressional District makes it a headache just to tell who lives there. Few seem to lament a court order to redraw the map. For more political news, go to [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [] Business [Why Is Pay Lagging? Maybe Too Many Mergers in the Heartland]( [Why Is Pay Lagging? Maybe Too Many Mergers in the Heartland]( By NOAM SCHEIBER and BEN CASSELMAN Consolidation is often seen as a consumer problem. But it may also reduce competition for workers, especially outside big cities, holding down wages. [For Mnuchin, a Lesson in How Words Can Move Markets]( Davos Memo [For Mnuchin, a Lesson in How Words Can Move Markets]( By PETER BAKER Steven Mnuchin, whose apparently offhand remark on the dollar caused a tumble, joins many Treasury secretaries whose words have been given more meaning than intended. [Trump Appointee Is Trying to Squelch Us, Labor Board Staff Says]( [Trump Appointee Is Trying to Squelch Us, Labor Board Staff Says]( By NOAM SCHEIBER The civil servants who handle most labor-relations cases — a group seen by critics as anti-employer — have expressed alarm over a proposal to demote them. For more business news, go to [NYTimes.com/Business »]( [] Technology [Keep Your Head Up: How Smartphone Addiction Kills Manners and Moods]( [Keep Your Head Up: How Smartphone Addiction Kills Manners and Moods]( By ADAM POPESCU “Text neck” is becoming a medical issue suffered by countless people, and the way we hang our heads has other health risks, too. [F.D.A. Panel Rejects Philip Morris’ Claim That Tobacco Stick Is Safer Than Cigarettes]( [F.D.A. Panel Rejects Philip Morris’ Claim That Tobacco Stick Is Safer Than Cigarettes]( By SHEILA KAPLAN The committee expressed doubts about the company’s health claims that the device, called IQOS, would cause less tobacco-related disease. [Alexa, What Happened to My Car?]( Wheels [Alexa, What Happened to My Car?]( By JOHN R. QUAIN The arrival of voice-controlled assistants in cars raises security and privacy concerns. Depending on automakers’ setups, it could expose your information or property. For more technology news, go to [NYTimes.com/Technology »]( [] Sports [Simona Halep vs. Caroline Wozniacki: One Will Finally Win the Big One]( On Tennis [Simona Halep vs. Caroline Wozniacki: One Will Finally Win the Big One]( By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY At stake when Halep and Wozniacki meet in the Australian Open final on Saturday: a first Grand Slam singles title and the No. 1 ranking in women’s tennis. [Russia Is Barred From Winter Olympics. Russia Is Sending 169 Athletes to Winter Olympics.]( [Russia Is Barred From Winter Olympics. Russia Is Sending 169 Athletes to Winter Olympics.]( By VICTOR MATHER and REBECCA R. RUIZ Despite penalties for its doping scheme, Russia has used a side door to get a full delegation of athletes into the Pyeongchang Olympics. [Does an N.B.A. All-Star Draft Held in Private Make a Sound?]( On Pro Basketball [Does an N.B.A. All-Star Draft Held in Private Make a Sound?]( By MARC STEIN A novel approach to this year’s N.B.A. All-Star game, with captains picking the teams, was undermined in an effort to protect players’ feelings. For more sports news, go to [NYTimes.com/Sports »]( [] Arts [Will the Grammys Have a #MeToo Moment?]( [Will the Grammys Have a #MeToo Moment?]( By BEN SISARIO and JOE COSCARELLI Coordinated efforts at the Golden Globes drew the world’s attention to abuses against women, but big stars in music are mostly mum for now about their industry’s big night. [Bringing It All Back Home: City Ballet Begins Again With Balanchine]( Critic’s Notebook [Bringing It All Back Home: City Ballet Begins Again With Balanchine]( By ALASTAIR MACAULAY Peter Martins is gone. But the company, at a critical moment in its history, showed grit and rose to the challenge in six Balanchine ballets. [A Museum’s Fresh Take on the Whole Megillah]( Art Review [A Museum’s Fresh Take on the Whole Megillah]( By JASON FARAGO “Scenes From the Collection” at the Jewish Museum puts visual art, not just history, at the museum’s heart. For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »]( [] Movies [At Sundance, Films Filled With Fury, Propelled by Outsiders]( Critic’s Notebook [At Sundance, Films Filled With Fury, Propelled by Outsiders]( By MANOHLA DARGIS No single film stood out at this year’s edition, which was chockablock with character-driven movies by filmmakers who are not white men. [Review: In ‘Have a Nice Day,’ a Follow-the-Money Tale in China]( [Review: In ‘Have a Nice Day,’ a Follow-the-Money Tale in China]( By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS This wittily animated feature by Liu Jian works as a gangster thriller and a commentary on modern materialism. [Review: ‘Maze Runner: The Death Cure,’ an Enjoyably Overstuffed Sequel]( [Review: ‘Maze Runner: The Death Cure,’ an Enjoyably Overstuffed Sequel]( By BEN KENIGSBERG However silly it may sound, the third “Maze Runner” really moves. [Review: ‘West of the Jordan River’ Examines the Mideast Peace Process]( [Review: ‘West of the Jordan River’ Examines the Mideast Peace Process]( By BEN KENIGSBERG In this documentary, the Israeli director Amos Gitai describes himself as an archaeologist of Israeli-Palestinian relations. [When the Maysles Made a Vérité Star of a Bible Huckster]( Rewind [When the Maysles Made a Vérité Star of a Bible Huckster]( By J. HOBERMAN Metrograph is screening a new digital restoration of the 1969 documentary “Salesman,” a classic of downbeat Americana. For more movies news, go to [NYTimes.com/Movies »]( [] New York [Now the Real Work Begins on a Manhattan Congestion Plan]( [Now the Real Work Begins on a Manhattan Congestion Plan]( By WINNIE HU and VIVIAN WANG The New York State task force’s plan is seen as the starting point for negotiations to build political consensus to make congestion pricing a reality. [Cuomo Uses Billionaire’s Plane for Sundance Trip]( [Cuomo Uses Billionaire’s Plane for Sundance Trip]( By SHANE GOLDMACHER Gov. Andrew Cuomo used the private plane of a hedge fund manager to attend the screening of a documentary by his girlfriend, Sandra Lee. [The Case for Fancier Subways: We Deserve Them]( About New York [The Case for Fancier Subways: We Deserve Them]( By JIM DWYER Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo are at odds over what the mayor sees as bells and whistles, but maybe they are not extras after all. For more New York news, go to [NYTimes.com/NewYork »]( [] Media & Advertising [Belatedly, The Indianapolis Star Gets Its Due for Gymnastics Investigation]( [Belatedly, The Indianapolis Star Gets Its Due for Gymnastics Investigation]( By DANIEL VICTOR The newspaper started looking into allegations against Lawrence G. Nassar, the former doctor for the national gymnastics team, in 2016. Now, The Star is credited for helping bring Dr. Nassar’s crime to light. [Review: ‘The Confidence Man’ Finds Trump’s Business Image Was Made for TV]( [Review: ‘The Confidence Man’ Finds Trump’s Business Image Was Made for TV]( By JAMES PONIEWOZIK This film, part of Netflix’s docu-series “Dirty Money,” argues that the success the president used as a campaign plank was largely set dressing. [Apple Goes Deeper Into La La Land With Damien Chazelle Project]( [Apple Goes Deeper Into La La Land With Damien Chazelle Project]( By JOHN KOBLIN As part of its plan to spend more than $1 billion on original programming, it strikes a deal with the Oscar-winning writer and director. For more media & advertising news, go to [NYTimes.com/Media »]( [] Science [In Cave in Israel, Scientists Find Jawbone Fossil From Oldest Modern Human Out of Africa]( [In Cave in Israel, Scientists Find Jawbone Fossil From Oldest Modern Human Out of Africa]( By NICHOLAS ST. FLEUR The discovery could rewrite the migration story of our species, pushing back by about 50,000 years when Homo sapiens were thought to have first left Africa. [Doomsday Clock Is Set at 2 Minutes to Midnight, Closest Since 1950s]( [Doomsday Clock Is Set at 2 Minutes to Midnight, Closest Since 1950s]( By SEWELL CHAN The “clock,” kept by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, is a symbolic measurement of scientists’ concerns about disaster. [Scientists Rebel Over a Trump Ally at the Natural History Museum]( [Scientists Rebel Over a Trump Ally at the Natural History Museum]( By ROBIN POGREBIN and SOMINI SENGUPTA More than 200 scientists and other academics are asking the American Museum of Natural History to remove Rebekah Mercer from its board. For more science news, go to [NYTimes.com/Science »]( [] Obituaries [Warren Miller, Ski Bum Turned Filmmaker, Is Dead at 93]( [Warren Miller, Ski Bum Turned Filmmaker, Is Dead at 93]( By MATT HIGGINS Skiing was a niche pursuit when he began filming it in the 1940s. His movies popularized the sport and helped create a multibillion-dollar industry. [Mark E. Smith, Uncompromising Leader of the Fall, Dies at 60]( [Mark E. Smith, Uncompromising Leader of the Fall, Dies at 60]( By JON PARELES Mr. Smith led the bristling and influential post-punk band for four decades with an intransigent voice and anarchically caustic lyrics. [Bernadine Morris, Veteran Observer of Fashion, Dies at 92]( [Bernadine Morris, Veteran Observer of Fashion, Dies at 92]( By SAM ROBERTS She uncovered the latest trends for more than five decades, including 32 years at The New York Times, where she became the chief fashion writer. For more Obituaries, go to [NYTimes.com/Obituaries »]( [] Editorial [Trump and the Holocaust Remembrance: A Second Chance]( Editorial [Trump and the Holocaust Remembrance: A Second Chance]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD He claims to be “the least anti-Semitic person,” but his words don’t always support that. He has a chance for atonement on Holocaust Remembrance Day. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] Op-Ed [We Have Met the Enemy, and He Is Us]( Contributing Op-Ed Writer [We Have Met the Enemy, and He Is Us]( By SUSAN E. RICE The most significant long-term threat to United States national security may be our political polarization. [How to Rethink Australia Day]( Contributing Op-Ed Writer [How to Rethink Australia Day]( By WALEED ALY Our national holiday is built on the dispossession of Aboriginal Australians. It’s time to change the date. [Politics Shouldn’t Be Like Open Mic Night]( Op-Ed Contributors [Politics Shouldn’t Be Like Open Mic Night]( By JONATHAN RAUCH and RAYMOND J. LA RAJA Amateur candidates can refresh government — but they can also magnify polarization and dysfunction. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( Follow NYTimes [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@NYTimes]( [Pinterest] [Pinterest]( [Instagram] [Instagram]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL This is an automated email. Please do not reply directly to this email from NYTimes.com. You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Today's Headlines newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018