Your Wednesday Briefing

> President Trump’s taxes show over $1 billion in losses. [The New York Times]( [nytimes.com]( [The New York Times]( Wednesday, May 8, 2019 | [View in browser]( Supported by Good morning, We start today with an investigation of President Trump’s taxes, the far right’s impact on European security and highlights from the Met Gala. By Melina Delkic President Trump in the Rose Garden of the White House on Tuesday. Doug Mills/The New York Times Investigation: Trump’s decade in the red The New York Times [has obtained Donald Trump’s tax figures]( for the years 1985 to 1994, which show losses of over $1 billion, largely from his casinos, hotels and retail spaces. The losses enabled him to avoid paying income taxes for eight of those years. But the red ink did not cost him his standard of living, because most of the money was borrowed, and because he was buffered by his father’s wealth. A lawyer for Mr. Trump challenged the findings. Takeaway: Year after year, Mr. Trump appears to have lost more money than nearly any other individual American taxpayer during the decade. Read other [takeaways here](. How we did it: While The Times did not obtain the president’s actual tax returns, it received the information in the returns from someone who had legal access to it. The Times was then able to find matching results in the I.R.S. information on top earners, a publicly available database. Austria’s deputy chancellor, Heinz-Christian Strache, at a rally in Vienna last month. He is the leader of the far-right Freedom Party and a onetime neo-Nazi. Florian Wieser/EPA, via Shutterstock When the far right controls security agencies In Austria, the leader of the anti-extremism unit of the domestic intelligence service recently refused to turn over informants to far-right members of the Freedom Party, part of the coalition government. Weeks later, [armed police officers burst into her office]( and carted away years’ worth of domestic files as well as intelligence from allied nations. The raids that day were later declared unlawful by Austria’s courts. The episode made Austria an important test of what happens when the far right moves from the political fringe to the halls of power. Inside the agency: Senior operatives described finding themselves now protecting informants and information not only from hostile states but also from members of their own government. Allied agencies have increasingly excluded Austrian officials from classified information, fearing where it might end up. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arriving in Baghdad for meetings on Tuesday. Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images U.S. secretary of state skips Berlin Secretary of State Mike Pompeo abruptly canceled his first official visit to Berlin and [made an unexpected trip to Baghdad](. The trip came a day after the Trump administration said Iranian forces had put American troops in Iraq and Syria at heightened risk. Mr. Pompeo met with Iraq’s prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, and other top officials during a four-hour visit. Mr. Pompeo had been scheduled to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and her foreign minister. Observers saw the reversal as further proof of the deterioration of German-American relations in recent years. Earlier, Mr. Pompeo attended the [Arctic Council]( gathering in Finland, where foreign ministers lined up to talk about the threat of climate change. But the U.S. prevented them from mentioning it in their official joint declaration. Protesters holding a placard that reads “Everything is going to be very good” during a demonstration in Istanbul on Tuesday. Bulent Kilic/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Erdogan’s opponents unify Instead of boycotting a rerun vote for mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, the opposition candidate, and other opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have [decided to work together to hand him]( a second defeat. Several minor candidates announced that they would withdraw from the race, in an apparent effort to forge a united front and throw their support behind Mr. Imamoglu. That could tip the balance in a race that was decided the first time by a razor-thin margin. Impact: Mr. Erdogan’s successful bid to nullify the Istanbul election results is certain to further undercut the confidence of the foreign investors whose money has fueled Turkish growth, but who have become increasingly disenchanted with his management of the economy. If you have 10 minutes, this is worth it Bombings shatter Sri Lanka’s tourism Adam Dean for The New York Times In the years after the country’s devastating civil war came to an end in 2009, Sri Lanka climbed the ranks of the global tourism industry. Becoming a must-see travel destination boosted much of the country’s economy, transforming small villages and generating jobs. That was [until the Easter Sunday bombings](. PAID POST: A MESSAGE FROM CAMPAIGN MONITOR Email Marketing 101: Never Sacrifice Beauty for Simplicity A drag-and-drop email builder, a gallery of templates and turnkey designs, personalized customer journeys, and engagement segments. It's everything you need to create stunning, results-driven email campaigns in minutes. And with Campaign Monitor, you have access to it all, along with award-winning support around the clock. It's beautiful email marketing done simply. [Learn More]( Here’s what else is happening Colorado shooting: [Nine students were injured, one fatally, during a school shooting]( on Tuesday in a Denver suburb, near Columbine High School. Two students were being held as suspects, according to officials. Venezuela: The Trump administration [would consider lifting sanctions]( on Venezuelan officials who abandoned the government of President Nicolás Maduro and joined the opposition seeking to topple him, Vice President Mike Pence said. Germany: The country’s health minister has proposed a fine of up to 2,500 euros, or about $2,800, for parents [who refuse to immunize their children against measles](. Health: Women of color are far more likely to die than white women from pregnancy-related causes, [according to a new study]( by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Royal family: A series of reports suggested that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their infant son [might be dispatched for a stint in Africa,]( where they would serve as the queen’s ambassadors to Britain’s 53 Commonwealth nations. North Macedonia: In the [country’s first papal visit]( Pope Francis praised North Macedonia as “a bridge between the East and West,” and expressed a hope that “integration will develop in a way that is beneficial for the entire Western Balkans.” Pete Kiehart for The New York Times Snapshot: Every spring in the Georgian village of Shukhuti, [a leather ball, like the one above, is used to play Lelo Burti, a brutal folk game]( — and then to honor loved ones who have died. 52 Places traveler: In [his latest dispatch]( our columnist decides to improvise in the face of rain on the Black Sea in Georgia and crowds on the Red Sea in Israel. Met Gala: There were color, feathers, a striptease and a few severed heads. But the theme — camp — got lost somewhere under all the showmanship, [our fashion critic Vanessa Friedman writes](. Here’s a peek [inside the fashion industry’s biggest party](. “Game of Thrones”: After an out-of-place coffee cup was spotted in the show’s recent episode and turned into social media fodder, [HBO quietly edited it out of the scene](. What we’re reading: [This in The Cut.]( Melina Delkic, a member of the Briefings team, says, “Among the things that struck me about this deeply creepy and well-reported yarn about a group of Sarah Lawrence students is how hard it is to take legal action against a cult, and how easily one can manifest near you.” ADVERTISEMENT Now, a break from the news Romulo Yanes for The New York Times: Food Stylist: Vivian Lui. Cook: This [carrot tart with ricotta and feta]( with store-bought puff pastry, is worth your time. Watch: In Netflix’s “[Dead to Me]( Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini play women linked by devastating loss. It’s a comedy. Mostly. Read: “[No Visible Bruises]( dismantles the myths that surround domestic violence. Our critic called the new book extraordinary. Smarter Living: Feeling connected isn’t just about strong friendships. Casual, low-stakes relationships (with neighbors, a local barista or fellow members in a spin class) can also offer strong rewards. Studies show that the more “weak ties” people have, the happier they are and the more empowered they feel. So, instead of considering minor brushes of socialization throwaway interactions, [cultivate a network of acquaintances](. And are you thinking about buying a 5G phone? Our advice is [to wait](. And now for the Back Story on … Canadian Music Week It’s part trade show, part music festival, part national celebration set in Toronto. On Thursday, its focus will be a lifetime achievement award for [Robbie Robertson]( one of many Canadians who’ve become international music stars. He played with the Band, which was known for its work with Bob Dylan. Robbie Robertson, lead guitarist with the Band, will be honored at Canadian Music Week this year. John Storey/Associated Press That Canada has a vibrant music industry to celebrate owes a debt to a bureaucratic move in 1970. Fears that the giant U.S. recording and broadcast industry would steamroller Canada’s led the country’s regulators to impose [minimum Canadian content requirements]( on popular radio stations. Currently, the standard is 35 percent. The rise of streaming music, which is not regulated in Canada, has diminished the effectiveness of radio as a promotional tool. But the country still churns out global stars. This month, the rapper Drake, who is also one of the biggest boosters of his hometown, Toronto, set a record for receiving the [greatest number of Billboard Music Awards,]( a total of 27. That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. — Melina Thank you Mark Josephson, Eleanor Stanford and Kenneth R. Rosen provided the break from the news. Ian Austen, our Canada correspondent, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [briefing@nytimes.com](mailto:briefing+midnight@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback&te=1&nl=morning-briefing&emc=edit_MBE_p_20190508§ion=endNote;section=endNote). P.S. • We’re listening to “[The Daily]( Today’s episode is the second of a two-part series about China’s surveillance state. • Here’s today’s [Mini Crossword puzzle]( and a clue: Take it easy (5 letters). [You can find all our puzzles here](. • The New York Times seeks out the best journalists, data designers, videographers, art directors and many others. Check out [our career opportunities](. 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. Want to change the time you receive your briefing? 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