Today's Headlines: Texas Judge Strikes Down Obama’s Affordable Care Act as Unconstitutional

Trump Names Mick Mulvaney Acting Chief of Staff View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [Most Popular]( | [Video]( | Subscribe: [Digital /]( [Home Delivery]( [My Account]( [The New York Times]( Saturday, December 15, 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) | [New York](#12) | [Obituaries](#13) | [Editorial](#14) | [Op-Ed](#15) | [CUSTOMIZE »]( [] Top News [Texas Judge Strikes Down Obama’s Affordable Care Act as Unconstitutional]( [Texas Judge Strikes Down Obama’s Affordable Care Act as Unconstitutional]( By ABBY GOODNOUGH and ROBERT PEAR The ruling was over a lawsuit filed this year by a group of Republican governors and state attorneys general. A group of intervening states led by Democrats promised to appeal the decision. [Trump Names Mick Mulvaney Acting Chief of Staff]( [Trump Names Mick Mulvaney Acting Chief of Staff]( By MICHAEL TACKETT and MAGGIE HABERMAN In Mr. Mulvaney, President Trump chose a hard-line conservative and former congressman with a deep understanding of how Congress works and a personal chemistry with Mr. Trump. [In Battle Over Johnson’s Baby Powder, Asbestos Opens a New Legal Front]( [In Battle Over Johnson’s Baby Powder, Asbestos Opens a New Legal Front]( By RONI CARYN RABIN and TIFFANY HSU Johnson & Johnson says its product is safe. But asbestos, a carcinogen that can exist underground near talc, was a concern inside the company for decades. For more top news, go to [NYTimes.com »]( ADVERTISEMENT [Get New York Today in Your Inbox]( [Get New York Today in Your Inbox]( What you need to know to start your day in New York, including news, weather, free events and a look at the lighter side of life. [Sign up »]( [] Editors' Picks [Despair, Love and Loss: A Journey Inside West Virginia’s Opioid Crisis]( U.S. [Despair, Love and Loss: A Journey Inside West Virginia’s Opioid Crisis]( Photographer Mark E. Trent chronicled the everyday lives of friends who were addicted to drugs. Some survived. Others did not. [The Hard Truths of Trying to ‘Save’ the Rural Economy]( Sunday Review [The Hard Truths of Trying to ‘Save’ the Rural Economy]( By EDUARDO PORTER Rural America's economy is in decline, and trying to fix it by turning small towns into tech hubs isn't working. [] QUOTATION OF THE DAY "Call Facebook a tool, a threat, a weapon, it’s hard to know. But there would be no Yellow Vests today without it." [THOMAS MIRALLÈS]( who moderates a Facebook group for French protesters that has amassed more than 305,000 members. [] Today’s Videos [Walker Defends Legacy After Signing Bills Limiting Successor’s Power]( [[Video]Video: Walker Defends Legacy After Signing Bills Limiting Successor’s Power]( By REUTERS The departing Republican governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, signed into law measures limiting the power of the incoming Democratic governor, Tony Evers. Evers called the move “not reflective of this last election.” [Bolton Warns of Threat From Russia and China in Africa]( [[Video]Video: Bolton Warns of Threat From Russia and China in Africa]( By REUTERS John R. Bolton, President Trump’s national security adviser, criticized the expansionist efforts of Russia and China and their “influence across Africa.” ADVERTISEMENT [] World [Theresa May Finds No Joy in Brussels. Now What for Brexit?]( [Theresa May Finds No Joy in Brussels. Now What for Brexit?]( By STEVEN ERLANGER and STEPHEN CASTLE Theresa May’s foray to Brussels to seek the E.U.’s aid in getting a deal through her Parliament ended in frustration, leaving her with no clear way forward. [Russia Slowly Throttles a Ukrainian Port]( [Russia Slowly Throttles a Ukrainian Port]( By ANDREW HIGGINS When Russia fired on Ukrainian naval vessels, some say it was looking to rewrite the rules in the Sea of Azov and possibly elsewhere, just as China has done in the South China Sea. [Australian Gag Order Stokes Global Debate on Secrecy]( News Analysis [Australian Gag Order Stokes Global Debate on Secrecy]( By DAMIEN CAVE When a local judge placed a gag order on a high-profile criminal case, it muzzled journalists and publishers around the world from reporting on a subject of international interest. For more world news, go to [NYTimes.com/World »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] U.S. [Wisconsin’s Scott Walker Signs Bills Stripping Powers From Incoming Governor]( [Wisconsin’s Scott Walker Signs Bills Stripping Powers From Incoming Governor]( By MITCH SMITH and MONICA DAVEY Mr. Walker, a Republican who has pushed Wisconsin to the right, signed legislation hobbling his Democratic successor as one of his final acts as governor. [Lists of Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse Are Spilling Out Across the Country]( [Lists of Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse Are Spilling Out Across the Country]( By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON Facing aggressive investigations into sex abuse scandals, Catholic dioceses around the country are releasing their own lists of accused priests. [North Carolina Republican Says He Chose to Hire Controversial Operative]( [North Carolina Republican Says He Chose to Hire Controversial Operative]( By RICHARD FAUSSET, ALAN BLINDER and ELIZABETH DIAS Mark Harris, the Republican candidate in the Ninth Congressional District, denied wrongdoing and said he hired L. McCrae Dowless Jr. because of his work on a past campaign. For more U.S. news, go to [NYTimes.com/US »]( [] Politics [Mueller Rejects Flynn’s Attempt to Portray Himself as Victim of the F.B.I.]( [Mueller Rejects Flynn’s Attempt to Portray Himself as Victim of the F.B.I.]( By ADAM GOLDMAN Michael T. Flynn, the president’s former national security adviser, had cooperated with the special counsel, but in asking for leniency, he stoked an unfounded theory about potential evidence he did not lie to investigators. [Michael Cohen Says ‘Of Course’ Trump Knew Hush Payments Were Wrong]( [Michael Cohen Says ‘Of Course’ Trump Knew Hush Payments Were Wrong]( By MAGGIE HABERMAN and EILEEN SULLIVAN In his first public comments since he was sentenced to three years in prison, President Trump’s former personal lawyer said he was “done being loyal to President Trump.” [For Kushner, Criminal Justice Has Been a Personal Issue and a Rare Victory]( [For Kushner, Criminal Justice Has Been a Personal Issue and a Rare Victory]( By ANNIE KARNI Jared Kushner played a major role in moving forward a bipartisan policy that has thwarted lawmakers for years. For more political news, go to [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [] Business [China’s Economy Slows Sharply, in Challenge for Xi Jinping]( [China’s Economy Slows Sharply, in Challenge for Xi Jinping]( By KEITH BRADSHER and AILIN TANG Car sales are falling. Housing is slow. Workers get three-month unpaid vacations. For Chinese leaders, pressure for a trade deal with President Trump is rising. [How a National Security Investigation of Huawei Set Off an International Incident]( [How a National Security Investigation of Huawei Set Off an International Incident]( By MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN, EMILY FLITTER, KATIE BENNER and ADAM GOLDMAN The chief financial officer was arrested after a yearslong American inquiry into the Chinese telecommunications company. [The Simplest Annuity Explainer We Could Write]( Your Money [The Simplest Annuity Explainer We Could Write]( By RON LIEBER We define immediate annuities, fixed annuities, variable annuities and index annuities, plus give you questions to ask salespeople. For more business news, go to [NYTimes.com/Business »]( [] Technology [How YouTube’s Year-in-Review ‘Rewind’ Video Set Off a Civil War]( The Shift [How YouTube’s Year-in-Review ‘Rewind’ Video Set Off a Civil War]( By KEVIN ROOSE To many YouTubers, the video felt like evidence that YouTube the company was snubbing YouTube the community. [After Yellow Vests Come Off, Activists in France Use Facebook to Protest and Plan]( [After Yellow Vests Come Off, Activists in France Use Facebook to Protest and Plan]( By ELIAN PELTIER and ADAM SATARIANO Away from the street protests, demonstrators have built thriving communities in Facebook groups, which are helping to fuel the Yellow Vests. [Facebook Says Bug Opened Access to Private Photos]( [Facebook Says Bug Opened Access to Private Photos]( By MIKE ISAAC and NATASHA SINGER The announcement is the latest in a string of problems the social network has had with consumer data. For more technology news, go to [NYTimes.com/Technology »]( [] Sports [N.F.L. Injury Analysis as Fast as You Can Say Ouch]( [N.F.L. Injury Analysis as Fast as You Can Say Ouch]( By ZACH SCHONBRUN David Chao, a former team doctor for the Chargers, has become a popular in-game analyst on Twitter from his couch. But is it responsible for him and others to diagnose from a distance? [Another Very Good ‘Short’ Quarterback Rises From Oklahoma]( [Another Very Good ‘Short’ Quarterback Rises From Oklahoma]( By MIKE PIELLUCCI Kyler Murray won the Heisman. Mason Fine of North Texas is about to be college football’s leading active passer. He’s two inches shy of six feet. [Iowa Basketball Rivalry Fizzles as Big School Ducks the Upstarts]( [Iowa Basketball Rivalry Fizzles as Big School Ducks the Upstarts]( By PAT BORZI The Hy-Vee Classic, a mainstay of college basketball in the Midwest, is going away for now. It’s about money and avoiding upsets. For more sports news, go to [NYTimes.com/Sports »]( [] Arts [The People of Mbomo Tell Their Stories]( Footnotes [The People of Mbomo Tell Their Stories]( By LOVIA GYARKYE and PIETER HENKET In “Congo Tales,” a new book about the second-largest tropical forest in the world, the story of a people and their home comes alive. [Springsteen on Netflix, Where Everyone Can Get a Ticket]( Critic’s Notebook [Springsteen on Netflix, Where Everyone Can Get a Ticket]( By MIKE HALE This Netflix film gives a straightforward, unadorned, up-close experience of Bruce Springsteen’s solo show, and it doesn’t cost a month’s rent. [Nitehawk Prospect Park Is Finally Ready, Promising Art-House Movies (and Cleaner Floors)]( [Nitehawk Prospect Park Is Finally Ready, Promising Art-House Movies (and Cleaner Floors)]( By SARA ARIDI Expanding from its Williamsburg location, Nitehawk has taken over the Pavilion in Park Slope, a notoriously decrepit theater that closed in 2016. For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »]( [] New York [What Amazon Could Learn From Google in New York City]( [What Amazon Could Learn From Google in New York City]( By WINNIE HU and J. DAVID GOODMAN Amazon’s arrival in New York City has been loud. But Google has been quietly expanding in Manhattan for years, with few complaints from residents. [She Says Rikers Guards Raped Her, Then Warned: ‘This Never Happened’]( [She Says Rikers Guards Raped Her, Then Warned: ‘This Never Happened’]( By JAN RANSOM “This never happened,” an officer told the woman, according to a lawsuit claiming the city tolerates sexual violence at Rikers Island. [You Want Snacks With That? New Jersey Bill Considers Marijuana Delivery]( [You Want Snacks With That? New Jersey Bill Considers Marijuana Delivery]( By NICK CORASANITI Though the effort to legalize marijuana has been mired in political gridlock, the legislation does provides a road map for how legalized marijuana would be regulated and distributed. For more New York news, go to [NYTimes.com/NewYork »]( [] Obituaries [Nancy Wilson, Singer Who Bridged Jazz and Pop, Is Dead at 81]( [Nancy Wilson, Singer Who Bridged Jazz and Pop, Is Dead at 81]( By JIM FARBER A three-time Grammy winner, Ms. Wilson liked to turn songs into stories, telling them through jazz ballads, Broadway show tunes and R&B torch songs. [Sondra Locke, 74, Is Dead; Oscar-Nominated Actress]( [Sondra Locke, 74, Is Dead; Oscar-Nominated Actress]( By JULIA JACOBS Ms. Locke, who received an Academy Award nomination for her first film, “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,” starred in several movies with Clint Eastwood, with whom she had a turbulent relationship. For more Obituaries, go to [NYTimes.com/Obituaries »]( [] Editorial [A Partisan Ruling on Obamacare]( [A Partisan Ruling on Obamacare]( By CRISTIAN FARIAS A decision by a judge in Texas striking down the totality of the Affordable Care Act has little basis in law. [New Jersey Democrats Play Power Games Too]( [New Jersey Democrats Play Power Games Too]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD A proposal would change redistricting procedures to help ensure their party controls the Legislature. [New York City Can Protect Tenants Now ]( [New York City Can Protect Tenants Now]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD A package of bills would allow the city to fight harassment by landlords. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] Op-Ed [The Solace of Birds in Winter]( [The Solace of Birds in Winter]( By MARGARET RENKL Nature offers its own consolations in the darkest days of the year. [An Antidote to Idiocy in ‘Churchill’]( [An Antidote to Idiocy in ‘Churchill’]( By BRET STEPHENS In this season of giving, get (and give) Andrew Roberts’s brilliant new biography. [I Got Rejected 101 Times]( [I Got Rejected 101 Times]( By EMILY WINTER Being told no is inevitable in most creative endeavors. But maybe I could win by losing. 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