Your Tuesday Evening Briefing

Your nightly rundown of the day's top stories delivered straight to your inbox. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Tuesday, February 14, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( [Your Tuesday Evening Briefing]( By KAREN ZRAICK AND LISA IABONI Good evening. Here’s the latest. Al Drago/The New York Times 1. The resignation of Michael Flynn [as President Trump’s national security adviser]( has added to the impression that the White House is in chaos, and that the U.S. security apparatus is, as Senator John McCain said, “dysfunctional.” If Mr. Flynn [was not entirely honest]( with the F.B.I. about his conversations with a Russian ambassador, it could expose him to a felony charge. Mr. Trump knew for weeks, his spokesman said, that Mr. Flynn had misled the vice president about the conversations. His departure dampened hopes of improving Russian-American relations, just as news broke that Moscow [had secretly deployed a new cruise missile]( in what U.S. officials said was a violation of the landmark arms control treaty that helped end the Cold War. _____ Wissam Nassar for The New York Times 2. Mr. Trump is scheduled to meet tomorrow with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. A likely topic of conversation is the “outside-in” approach to a two-state solution: [building relationships with Arab countries]( worried about Iran and getting them to press the Palestinians in negotiations. Such an approach has been tried before, without success. Today’s episode of our new podcast, The Daily, considers the prospects now. Listen [here]( if you’re on a computer, [here]( if you’re on an iOS device or [here]( for an Android device. _____ Kyodo News, via Associated Press 3. The police in Malaysia are searching for two women in [the assassination]( of the half brother of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, in an attack using poisoned needles at a Kuala Lumpur airport. The half brother, Kim Jong-nam, was once considered the heir to power, but he had been living in semi-exile for years. South Korea’s governing party called the killing a “naked example of Kim Jong-un’s reign of terror.” _____ Richard Drew/Associated Press 4. “We finally have some measure of justice.” That was the father of Etan Patz, the 6-year-old Manhattan boy who went missing almost 40 years ago, forever changing the way parents watched over their children. He spoke after a former Greenwich Village deli worker, Pedro Hernandez, was [found guilty of murder and kidnapping]( in the case. _____ Jim Urquhart/Reuters 5. The threat of catastrophic flooding from [the damaged Oroville Dam]( in Northern California this week is a warning sign for the state, where a network of dams and waterways is suffering from age and stress. Climate change is exacerbating the challenges. Engineers and environmentalists said problems like Oroville’s damaged spillway could occur at many of the more than 1,000 dams that dot the state. “When you build a dam, you are playing God,” one engineer said. “And it’s tough to be God.” _____ Universal Images Group, via Getty Images 6. An influential science advisory group [lent its support]( to a once-unthinkable proposition: human genetic engineering. It’s an ethical minefield, and the group only endorsed the practice to prevent babies from being born with genes known to cause serious diseases and disabilities. The group acknowledged concerns that scientists could try to engineer traits like beauty, strength or intelligence — like something out of a dystopian sci-fi novel — and said they were trying to ensure that the technique was used for the right purposes. _____ Roberto Schmidt/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images 7. India’s air pollution is surpassing China’s [as the deadliest in the world](. A new study found that smog in India is causing about 1.1 million premature deaths a year and rising, while China’s rate has stabilized. _____ Roman Pilipey/European Pressphoto Agency 8. After trying in 1853 to determine the origins of Valentine’s Day, The Times called it “one of those mysterious historical or antiquarian problems which are doomed never to be solved.” Here is [a guide to some of the competing theories]( including that it emerged from a Roman fertility rite, or possibly to honor the martyrdom of St. Valentine. Now, if you’ve received flowers, some tips on [how to keep them fresh longer]( Clip the ends under warm running water and keep them out of direct light. Chrysanthemums and carnations are sturdier than roses, which are unlikely to last more than a week. [Romantic movie recommendations]( on the other hand, are forever. (O.K., sort of.) _____ Todd Heisler/The New York Times 9. A walk behind the scenes [at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show]( can be overwhelming. But our photographer took a close look, and his photos reveal what makes each breed unique. Pilot, the chow chow above, won best in breed. The chow chow’s blue-black tongue is perhaps its most distinctive feature. _____ Joshua Roberts/Reuters 10. Finally, we’re continuing our roundup of the best of late-night comedy. Last night, the comedians [set their sights on the White House]( — especially Stephen Miller, above, the architect of some of Mr. Trump’s most explosive executive orders; Betsy DeVos, the new education secretary; and, of course, Michael Flynn. And if you want a break from politics, here’s a selection of [the best nonpolitical stuff]( to read, watch and listen to from around the internet. Happy Valentine’s Day. _____ Photographs may appear out of order for some readers. Viewing [this version of the briefing]( should help. 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 look back? Here’s [last night’s briefing](. 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). 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