Your Friday Briefing

> Paul Manafort, Venezuela, International Women’s Day: Here’s what you need to know. [The New York Times]( [nytimes.com]( [The New York Times]( Friday, Mar 8, 2019 | [View in browser]( Supported by Good morning, We start today with the sentencing of Paul Manafort, a vote against hate in the House, and a widespread power outage in Venezuela. By Chris Stanford Paul Manafort is sentenced to less than four years [The prison term given to President Trump’s former campaign manager]( on Thursday was far lighter than the 19 to 24 years recommended under sentencing guidelines. The judge in the case, T.S. Ellis III, said that while Mr. Manafort’s financial crimes were very serious, he had “lived an otherwise blameless life” and the guidelines suggested an unduly harsh punishment. Mr. Manafort was a prime target for the office of the special counsel, Robert Mueller, though prosecutors said on Thursday that Mr. Manafort had provided little information of value to their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Background: Last August, [The Times wrote about Judge Ellis]( who sparred repeatedly with the special counsel’s team during Mr. Manafort’s trial. What’s next: Mr. Manafort will be sentenced next week in another case involving two counts of conspiracy. They carry a maximum sentence of five years each. Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, voted in favor of the resolution and left the House floor without saying anything. Sarah Silbiger/The New York Times House vote condemns hate in all its forms Lawmakers [overwhelmingly approved a measure on Thursday]( that started as a response to anti-Israel comments by Representative Ilhan Omar but developed into an all-inclusive condemnation of bias and bigotry. One Democratic aide called it a “kitchen-sink resolution.” Democrats have been divided along racial and religious lines this week as they debated how to respond to Ms. Omar, one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. She has faced accusations of anti-Semitism for weeks. The details: Only Republicans voted no in the 407-to-23 vote. [Here’s how every representative voted](. Asylum seekers gain more protection A ruling by a federal appeals court on Thursday [broadened constitutional protections for undocumented immigrants]( at the border, opening a potential new legal gateway for some to stay in the country. President Trump has said that migrants exploit the asylum system, and his administration has made applying harder. Related: Activists and journalists [received additional scrutiny]( when they entered the U.S. last year, according to a government document. Those on the list had traveled with migrant caravans from Central America as they arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum. Yesterday: The Census Bureau [will tap Department of Homeland Security files]( on millions of immigrants, including noncitizens, as part of the 2020 census, bureau officials said. Outside experts said the data request did not necessarily indicate an attempt to sidestep recent judicial rulings that banned a question about citizenship. Disinfecting a room during a funeral last year for a person believed to have died of Ebola in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo. Goran Tomasevic/Reuters A grim battle against panic, distrust and Ebola The war-torn northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo is suffering through the second-longest Ebola outbreak on record. Since August, there have been 907 recorded cases of the highly infectious disease and 569 deaths, with no end in sight. Distrust, fear and lack of communication from aid groups [have alienated communities]( leading some people to spurn treatment or even to attack treatment centers. On Thursday, Dr. Joanne Liu, the international president of Doctors Without Borders, said her organization was among those that had fallen short. Quotable: “Ebola responders are increasingly being seen as the enemy,” Dr. Liu said. “The existing atmosphere can only be described as toxic.” If you have listening time this weekend, this is worth it The songs that matter now Photo illustration by Cristiana Couceiro. What kind of music captures our moment? It usually takes a certain amount of hindsight, but this era might be an exception. For The Times Magazine’s annual Music Issue, [our critics described how 25 songs]( reflect the “very earnest, very serious desire to find the right reaction to a world that feels tense and high-stakes.” PAID POST: A Message From XBrand Renewable Energy in Today's Age Look around you...All of the things that you love about this planet can be used to power it. the sun, rain, wind, tides and waves. We are creating renewable enery that benefits you and our planet, more efficiently and inexpensively. Recharge today with something different. [Learn More]( Here’s what else is happening Power outage in Venezuela: The government of President Nicolás Maduro blamed its opponents after [a blackout struck across much of the country]( on Thursday. Venezuela has been plagued by power failures as its economic crisis has worsened, but this one seemed more severe. Michael Cohen sues the Trump Organization: President Trump’s former lawyer [has accused his ex-boss’s company]( of refusing to pay about $1.9 million in legal costs. Stormy Daniels lawsuit: A judge [has dismissed a case brought against President Trump]( and Michael Cohen by Ms. Daniels, who was paid to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Mr. Trump before the 2016 election. Political crisis in Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau [has said he did nothing wrong]( after he was accused of inappropriately intervening in a criminal case, arguing that he had been defending Canadian jobs. Crackdown in Russia: The country’s lawmakers have approved measures that would [introduce jail terms and fines for insulting the government]( online or spreading “fake news.” Facebook’s future: [A Chinese app offers clues]( as to how the U.S. company might shift toward private messaging. Jobs report: Over the past quarter, job growth has averaged a remarkably strong 241,000 per month. [Here’s what to watch for]( when the numbers for February are released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Jerry Garrett Snapshot: Above, a full-scale model of a one-of-a-kind Bugatti at the Geneva International Motor Show this week. The original “Voiture Noire,” or “Black Car,” was sold before the show opened for $19 million, reputed to be [the highest price ever paid for a new automobile](. Women in the military: After The Times asked servicewomen and veterans to talk about their experiences, they shared [stories of accomplishments and challenges](. News quiz: Did you follow the headlines this week? [Test yourself](. Modern Love: In [this week’s column]( a woman discovers that understanding infidelity from within can be the key to forgiveness. Late-night comedy: Paul Manafort was sentenced on Thursday, but he will be back in court next week. [Stephen Colbert said]( “You know you’re in trouble when the only time you get out of jail is to go get sentenced to more jail.” What we’re reading: [This article in The Los Angeles Times](. Randy Archibold, our sports editor, recommends it as a “riveting account of a new form of animal rights ‘vigils’ taking root, offering comfort to animals before they are killed for consumption.” Now, a break from the news Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Cook: Ease into the weekend with a comforting dinner of [loaded sweet potatoes with beans and Cheddar](. Watch: [This weekend on TV]( try a unique new cooking series, a British remake of an American comedy and something for all the lovable losers. Go: [Epic fly-fishing]( is just one more reason to visit Patagonia, the celebrated region that stretches across Argentina and Chile. Read: In “They Were Her Property,” a historian dissects the ways that white women participated in American slavery. It’s one of [eight new books we recommend](. Smarter Living: Do you need to have the “drug talk” with your children? Let what they truly enjoy and need outweigh the lessons of your upbringing, because sometimes they’re wiser than you think. Our writer [describes facing the challenge](. Also, [live a week plastic-free, vicariously](. ADVERTISEMENT And now for the Back Story on … The uses of Women’s Day Today is International Women’s Day, a day of celebration and solidarity. Many scholars [trace its origins to 1909]( when the Socialist Party of America declared a Woman’s Day. The idea spread. In 1915, Clara Zetkin, a German Marxist who had promulgated the day, used it to protest World War I. In Russia in 1917, revolutionary women used the day to demand [bread and peace](. The Women’s Suffrage Demonstration in Petrograd, Russia, on March 8, 1917. Heritage Images/Getty Images In many countries, the celebration these days is less political and more commercial, a holiday marked by candy and flowers. In your Back Story writer’s youth in a Bosnian household in St. Louis, it was a day when the women celebrated one another and all that they had overcome. Gifts from husbands and children played a part, but the focus was on women’s bonds with one another. It raises the question: Who gets to shape a holiday? As Temma Kaplan, a history professor at Rutgers University, put it, “Commemorations and holidays are like clay — you can define what they will mean.” Queen Elizabeth II, the world’s longest-reigning living monarch, passed another milestone on Thursday: [her first post on Instagram](. That’s it for this briefing. See you next week. — Chris Thank you To Margaret Lyons, Eleanor Stanford, Mathew Brownstein, Mark Josephson and James K. Williamson for the break from the news. Melina Delkic wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [briefing@nytimes.com](mailto:briefing@nytimes.com?te=1&nl=morning-briefing&emc=edit_NN_p_20190308§ion=endNotetion=endNote). P.S. • We’re listening to “[The Daily]( Today’s episode is about the accusations of abuse against Michael Jackson. • Here’s today’s [mini crossword puzzle]( and a clue: Instrument for Lady Gaga (5 letters). [You can find all our puzzles here](. • A recent edition of In Her Words, The Times’s twice-weekly newsletter about women, gender and society, [debunks myths about women’s history](. Were you sent this briefing by a friend? [Sign up here]( to get the Morning Briefing. [Today's Front Page]( [nytimes.com]( [Subscribe to The Times]( You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Morning Briefing newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2019 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 ADVERTISEMENT