Your Friday 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]( Friday, March 31, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( [Your Friday Evening Briefing]( By KAREN ZRAICK AND SANDRA STEVENSON Good evening. Here’s the latest. Eric Thayer for The New York Times 1. “A witch hunt.” That’s what President Trump [called the Congressional inquiry]( into possible collusion between his campaign and Russia. The remark on Twitter came after news that Michael Flynn, who was briefly his national security adviser, [asked for immunity from prosecution]( in exchange for testimony before the House and Senate Intelligence committees. Mr. Flynn resigned over his contacts with Russia. Mr. Trump defended his request for immunity, tweeting that the investigation was an “excuse for big election loss” by the media and Democrats. Sean Spicer, the White House spokesman, [reasserted Mr. Trump’s unproven allegations]( against the Obama administration, insisting that there is evidence of “politically motivated” surveillance of the Trump campaign. _____ John Francis Peters for The New York Times 2. Mr. Trump signed a pair of executive orders aimed at cracking down on trade abuses, vowing they would “set the stage for a great revival of American manufacturing.” We took a look at [current trade practices]( around the world, and then stopped in Tijuana, Mexico, where factories [specialize in medical devices](. The medical supply industry makes [a particularly revelatory case study]( of the difficulties of untangling global trade. _____ Gabriella Demczuk for The New York Times 3. The Senate is careering toward a chamber-rattling showdown over Mr. Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch. Republicans are [eager to vote on his confirmation]( next week, but Democrats are threatening a filibuster, which would prevent that. We’re [tracking the votes here](. We also scoured the internet for the best [political writing from the right and left](. Above, Democratic senators Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse and Charles Schumer, from left, spoke out against Judge Gorsuch’s nomination. _____ Andrew Cullen for The New York Times 4. A judge approved a $25 million agreement to settle fraud claims against Trump University. The judge [said it was the best possible outcome]( for the 3,730 students from Mr. Trump’s for-profit education venture. Their suit alleged that they had been cheated out of thousands of dollars in tuition through high-pressure sales techniques and false claims about future earnings. Above, the plaintiffs’ lawyers outside the courthouse in San Diego. _____ David Goldman/Associated Press 5. In Atlanta, schools were closed and traffic was extensively rerouted in the [aftermath of a bridge collapse]( on a section of Interstate 85. A fire caused the collapse during the evening rush hour on Thursday. No one was hurt, but it’s unclear when the roadway — among the most widely used in the car-centric city — will be back in business. _____ Thomas Coex/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images 6. Israel said it would [“significantly rein in the footprint”]( of West Bank settlements “out of consideration for the positions” of Mr. Trump. Officials said they would allow construction within existing settlements but limit their expansion into new territory. Meanwhile, a day earlier, Israel approved the [construction of a new settlement]( for the first time in more than 20 years. Above, structures from an illegal settlement that was dismantled by force. The issue may arise next week during Mr. Trump’s meetings [with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt]( and King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House. _____ DHA, via Associated Press 7. “We’re trapped between two forces.” That was a mother of eight whose home in southeastern Turkey was destroyed in a government offensive against Kurdish separatists. Now she and other civilians [are trapped]( the fighting](. Above, the scene after a police checkpoint was bombed last year. Our correspondent describes the area in the latest installment of [“State of Emergency,”]( an investigation into how Turkey is coping with war, terrorism, a refugee crisis and a crackdown on dissent. _____ Eric Thayer for The New York Times 8. Dozens of community activists and parents gathered outside the African-American Civil War Memorial in Washington this week for a Protect Black Kids candlelight vigil. Their activism followed a confusing episode in which a rumor of a surge in missing girls started trending on Twitter, fueled by social media posts from the police and celebrities. The numbers do not show a surge in disappearance, but rather a recurring issue. When black and Latino youth go missing, their cases [often receive little attention](. _____ Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press 9. The opening game in the [women’s N.C.A.A. Final Four]( will feature two of the most prominent female coaches in college basketball. But they’re [a minority in their field](. In 1972, women were head coaches of more than 90 percent of women’s college teams across 24 sports. Now that number is 40 percent. There’s no clear reason the number plummeted. Dawn Staley, above, guided South Carolina to the national semifinals for the second time in three seasons. _____ Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/HBO 10. Finally, the “Big Little Lies” finale is this Sunday on HBO. Our critic says [Reese Witherspoon is the episode’s standout]( “At her best when she’s silently beholding the festivities around her: perfect people in their perfect costumes at a perfect party, each one phonier and more desperate than the last.” And we’ve compiled a list of what is [new on various streaming services]( in April. Have a great weekend. _____ 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). ADVERTISEMENT Sponsor a Subscription Inspire the future generation of readers by contributing to The Times’s [sponsor-a-subscription program](. 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