Your Friday Briefing

Donald Trump, Mexico, Mideast Policy View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, February 17, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( [Your Friday Briefing]( By SEAN ALFANO [In a news conference on Thursday, President Trump took issue with reports of an administration in turmoil, saying his team was running like a “fine-tuned machine.”]( In a news conference on Thursday, President Trump took issue with reports of an administration in turmoil, saying his team was running like a “fine-tuned machine.” Stephen Crowley/The New York Times Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: • Trump to head south. President Trump is expected to visit a Boeing factory in South Carolina today for the unveiling of the company’s newest jet. He’s then scheduled to head to Florida, where he will [hold a rally on Saturday]( and spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort. The trips follow a contentious news conference on Thursday, during which the president said he had “[inherited a mess]( and called reports about his campaign aides’ contacts with Russia “fake,” ignoring advisers who urged him [to take a softer tone](. Read [a transcript]( of his remarks, which we [fact-checked](. • Filling vacant posts. The news conference was called for the president to announce his new choice for labor secretary, [R. Alexander Acosta]( the dean of Florida International University’s law school. If confirmed, he would be the first Hispanic member of Mr. Trump’s cabinet. But replacing Michael T. Flynn, who resigned this week as national security adviser, might be tougher. The retired vice admiral [Robert S. Harward]( turned down the job. The senate is set to vote today on the confirmation of [Scott Pruitt]( to run the Environmental Protection Agency. • The latest on the targeted travel ban. A new executive order on immigration is in the works. The Justice Department said on Thursday that it [would not seek a rehearing]( after a U.S. appeals court blocked key parts of the original order to suspend the refugee program and travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The move avoids a Supreme Court test for the Trump administration. • Speaking of the Supreme Court. Senate confirmation hearings for [Judge Neil M. Gorsuch]( are set for March. And the justices may receive an appeal from a florist who refused to sell flowers for a same-sex wedding. Washington State’s highest court said he [could not use religious belief as a defense](. • Confusion over Mideast policy. Mr. Trump’s suggestion this week that he wasn’t wedded to a two-state solution for Palestinians and Israelis has set off a debate about whether [other options exist](. Nikki R. Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., sought to calm nerves, saying, “[We absolutely support a two-state solution]( • Water crisis in a crowded capital [Climate change]( is threatening to push Mexico City toward a breaking point as areas are sinking because of droughts and flooding. “The Aztecs managed,” an architect there said. “But they had 300,000 people. We now have 21 million.” • The Daily, your audio news report. Our media columnist joins today’s broadcast to discuss Mr. Trump’s news conference on Thursday. Listen from [a computer]( on an [iOS device]( or on an [Android device](. Business • House Republican leaders presented the outlines of their strategy on Thursday [to replace the Affordable Care Act](. They did not include estimates of the number of people who would gain or lose insurance under the plan. • Immigrants in some of the largest U.S. cities stayed home from work on Thursday to [protest the Trump administration’s policies]( toward them. • If you’re not a fan of built-in screens on airplane seats, good news: [hey're being phased out]( on some planes. Instead, airlines are looking into ways to stream offerings directly to passengers’ electronic devices. • U.S. stocks [were mixed]( on Thursday. Here’s a snapshot of [global markets](. Smarter Living • Meet the longtime pastry chef for [God’s Love We Deliver]( a charity that prepares meals for people who are too sick to shop or cook. • Cake for breakfast? [Yes, please](. • And if you’re craving something other than sweets, our recipe of the day is for [fish tacos](. Noteworthy • What makes someone American? Nine citizens describe their struggle to belong in a nation that both [embraces and rejects them](. • Get some street style. TK Wonder and Cipriana Quann are redefining what it means to be a fashion icon. [Our 360 video]( follows them at New York Fashion Week. • New to watch and read. We review “[The Great Wall]( starring Matt Damon, and “[A Cure for Wellness]( which our critic calls “a lustrous box of genre candy.” If you’re looking for some heavier fare, consider [streaming these documentaries]( which won Oscars in recent years. In books, “[Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow]( focuses on the future of the human species. “In seeking bliss and immortality,” the author writes, “humans are in fact trying to upgrade themselves into gods.” Last, a novelist examines [what it means to be polite]( in society today. • Best of late-night TV. [Mr. Trump’s news conference]( provided inspiration to the hosts on Thursday. Jimmy Fallon donned an orange toupee for a parody, and Stephen Colbert said, “Starting Monday, ‘Presidents’ Day sale’ means the president is for sale.” Back Story Happy Birthday to Michael Jordan. The basketball legend turns 54 today. He won’t be competing at this weekend’s N.B.A. All-Star dunk contest, but three decades ago, he helped elevate the competition with [gravity-defying slams]( from the free-throw line. Jordan’s seemingly effortless flights to the basket made him one of the most instantly recognizable faces in the world. [Michael Jordan in 1998.] Michael Jordan in 1998. John Swart/Associated Press Years later, he even managed to [dunk from half-court]( in the partly animated movie “Space Jam.” Animation, though, wasn’t needed in 1984 to capture Jordan leaping, legs in an airborne split. “It may be the most famous silhouette ever photographed,” Time Magazine said as it designated the image [one of the 100 most influential of all time](. The image lives on as the inspiration for the logo of Nike’s Air Jordan shoes. Jordan, who is [now a billionaire]( and his brand have thrived despite his lackluster second career in baseball, criticism over his reluctance to discuss politics (though he [spoke]( last year about police brutality) and the popularity on social media of the [Crying Jordan meme]( which our culture writer says “takes one of America’s biggest sports stars and makes him small.” “Michael actually thinks it’s funny,” his spokeswoman said. Des Shoe contributed reporting. _____ Correction: An earlier version of the Thursday[briefing]( misstated Winston Churchill’s role in 1939. He was in the wartime cabinet, not Britain’s leader. (He became prime minister in 1940.) The Morning Briefing won’t be published on Presidents’ Day, but we’ll be back on Tuesday.  Your Morning Briefing is published weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern and [updated on the web all morning](. What would you like to see here? 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