The Morning: Trump’s shadow

It hangs over Ukraine — and Germany. [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP4QkAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS90ZW1wbGF0ZS9vYWt2Mj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnByb2R1Y3RDb2RlPU5OJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVyaT1ueXQlM0ElMkYlMkZuZXdzbGV0dGVyJTJGOWI4NzIzYzgtYmM1NC01NmZkLWIyNmUtNmY1MmJiN2NjNmIyJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0SsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjAxMjYmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NTEyOTUmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTgwNzQ2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgph3dYs8WGskJfTUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) January 26, 2022 [Author Headshot](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0S-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvZGF2aWQtbGVvbmhhcmR0P2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjAxMjYmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NTEyOTUmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTgwNzQ2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgph3dYs8WGskJfTUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) By [David Leonhardt](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0S-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvZGF2aWQtbGVvbmhhcmR0P2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjAxMjYmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NTEyOTUmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTgwNzQ2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgph3dYs8WGskJfTUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) Good morning. Donald Trump’s shadow hangs over the tensions in Ukraine and Germany. A U.S. shipment of military equipment arriving in Ukraine.Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times Germany, apart Donald Trump has made a habit of deriding the U.S. alliance with Western Europe. He described NATO — the American-led alliance with Europe that dates to the 1940s — as “obsolete” and said that Americans were “schmucks” for financing it. He mused about withdrawing the U.S. from NATO and often spoke more positively about Russia than about longtime American allies like Germany and France. These comments were a radical departure from the policies of every U.S. president, Republican and Democrat, for 75 years. Still, because Trump did not make good on his biggest threats, the tangible effects were not always clear. Now they are becoming clearer. Russia has massed about 125,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, threatening an invasion that would be the most substantial ground war in Europe since the end of World War II. To prevent that, President Biden, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain and several other leaders are trying to present a unified front and tell Russia that it would suffer severe economic consequences. But one crucial country is missing from that united front: Germany. As Katrin Bennhold, The Times’s Berlin bureau chief, [writes](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TkaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS93b3JsZC9ldXJvcGUvZ2VybWFueS1ydXNzaWEtbmF0by11a3JhaW5lLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~): Denmark is sending fighter jets to Lithuania and a frigate to the Baltic Sea. France has offered to send troops to Romania. Spain is sending a frigate to the Black Sea. President Biden has put thousands of U.S. troops on “high alert.” And then there is Germany. In recent days Germany — Europe’s largest and richest democracy, strategically situated at the crossroads between East and West — has stood out more for what it will not do than for what it is doing. Germany’s government, under its new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has ruled out any arms exports to Ukraine. It is also delaying a shipment of howitzers from Estonia to Ukraine. It may have kept British planes from using German airspace when sending military supplies to Ukraine last week. Most significantly, the Scholz government has been vague about whether a Russian invasion would lead to the shutdown of an undersea gas pipeline between Germany and Russia. The pipeline, the Nord Stream 2, will become a major source of energy for Germany and a major source of revenue for Russia once it begins operating, likely in the next year. Scholz recently described Nord Stream 2 as a “private-sector project.” Pipes for Nord Stream 2 in Germany.Jens Buettner/DPA, via Associated Press Trumpism in action The pipeline’s history highlights the long-term consequences of Trump’s hostility to Europe. For years, many U.S. officials opposed Nord Stream 2, understanding that it would solidify ties between Germany and Russia. It is also likely to damage Ukraine’s economy; much of Russia’s natural gas has flowed through Ukraine, which receives fees in exchange. But Trump showed little interest in building a good relationship with Germany as a way to persuade it to abandon the pipeline. He instead criticized America’s longtime allies in Europe — and treated Russian President Vladimir Putin warmly. Trump’s hostility to Western Europe, in turn, encouraged Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor at the time, to ponder a future in which the U.S. might be pulling back from NATO. In that scenario, friendly relations with Russia ([and China, too](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0T5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud3NqLmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlcy9hbmdlbGEtbWVya2VsLWdlcm1hbi1hbGxpYW5jZS1iaWRlbi10cmFucy1hdGxhbnRpYy1yZWxhdGlvbnMtMTE2MzIzNDQ4Njg_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)) would have advantages, especially because of its importance to European energy supplies. “By the time Biden took office, the pipeline was nearly complete,” said my colleague Michael Crowley, who covered Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Germany last week. “Biden calculated that restoring relations with Berlin after the Trump era was far too important to risk with a last-ditch and potentially futile effort to stop the project.” Instead, Biden waived sanctions — which Congress established starting in 2017 — on companies that worked on the pipeline. It was too late to prevent completion, he decided. Trump’s European policy is hardly the only reason that the pipeline exists. Discussions about it began before he was president, reflecting decades of close ties between Germany and Russia, as Katrin notes. But Trump’s foreign policy diminished American influence in Europe — and, if anything, sent signals that the U.S. favored closer ties between Russia and Western Europe. Leaders across much of Eastern Europe are not happy about these developments. Ukraine’s foreign minister has accused Berlin of effectively “encouraging” Russian aggression. A senior Lithuanian official said that Germany was “making a big strategic mistake and putting its reputation at risk.” Putin, on the other hand, seems thrilled. He has embarked on a campaign to weaken democracies and strengthen autocracies, both in his own region (as in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus) and elsewhere (through election misinformation campaigns in the U.S. and Western Europe). Despite this aggression, NATO is not unified in confronting him, giving Putin more leeway to act as he chooses. “He well recognizes that Europe’s main power base is France, Germany and Britain,” Tobias Ellwood, a member of Britain’s Parliament who helps set military policy, [told](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvZXVyb3BlLWRpdmlkZWQtdWtyYWluZS8_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) The Washington Post. “If these three countries are united, the rest of Europe follows. If you can sow divisions among these three, then there’s no leadership, there’s no coordination and there’s no unity.” The divisions even extend to internal U.S. politics. This week, Tom Malinowski, a Democrat who represents New Jersey in the House, tweeted: “My office is now getting calls from folks who say they watch Tucker Carlson and are upset that we’re not siding with Russia in its threats to invade Ukraine, and who want me to support Russia’s ‘reasonable’ positions.” It’s still possible that Germany will do more to discourage an invasion than it has so far. Scholz said recently that Russia would suffer “high costs” if it invades. Yet Putin is savvy enough to understand the difference between a unified, clear European effort to prevent an invasion and a muddled one. Germany has chosen a muddle so far. It’s a sign that Trump has succeeded at one of his foreign-policy goals: creating distance between the U.S. and at least some parts of NATO. More on Ukraine: - The Biden administration is working to [increase Europe’s oil and gas supplies](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS91cy9wb2xpdGljcy91cy1ldXJvcGUtZnVlbC1zdXBwbHktcnVzc2lhbi1jdXRvZmYuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) in case Russia cuts off shipments. - Ukraine’s leaders are playing down the threat of an invasion. It might be an effort to [avoid provoking Putin](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS93b3JsZC9ldXJvcGUvdWtyYWluZS1ydXNzaWEtaW52YXNpb24uaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). - Biden said the U.S. was willing to levy personal sanctions against Putin. [Here’s the latest](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TTaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbGl2ZS8yMDIyLzAxLzI2L3dvcmxkL3VrcmFpbmUtcnVzc2lhLXVzP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjAxMjYmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NTEyOTUmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTgwNzQ2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgph3dYs8WGskJfTUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). 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Other Big Stories No more pencils, no more bubbles.Tetra Images, via Getty Images - The [SAT will go completely digital](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TPaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS91cy9zYXQtdGVzdC1kaWdpdGFsLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) by 2024. Students will take the exam on laptops or tablets at testing centers. - A [second New York City police officer](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TkaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS9ueXJlZ2lvbi93aWxiZXJ0LW1vcmEtZGVhZC1ueXBkLXNob290aW5nLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) died from injuries sustained in a shooting last week. - The former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz [made the Baseball Hall of Fame](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TkaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS9zcG9ydHMvYmFzZWJhbGwvZGF2aWQtb3J0aXotaGFsbC1vZi1mYW1lLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens did not. - Older Americans who regularly breathe [even low levels of soot](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNi9jbGltYXRlL2Fpci1wb2xsdXRpb24tc3R1ZHktZXBhLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) face a higher chance of dying early, according to a study. - “ISIS is not over.” Attacks in Syria and Iraq show that [the militants are still able to fight](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TXaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS93b3JsZC9taWRkbGVlYXN0L2lzaXMtc3lyaWEuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). Opinions Thomas Friedman thinks you may have missed the most important thing [Biden said about Russia](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS9vcGluaW9uL3ByZXNpZGVudC1iaWRlbi1ydXNzaWEtdWtyYWluZS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjAxMjYmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NTEyOTUmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTgwNzQ2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgph3dYs8WGskJfTUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). Covid has [deepened America’s stagnation](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNi9vcGluaW9uL2JpZGVuLWNvdmlkLWFtZXJpY2FuLWRpc2FwcG9pbnRtZW50Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~), Ross Douthat argues. “[Such a range of loss](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TXaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS9vcGluaW9uL3BhbmRlbWljLWdyaWVmLWxvc3MuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)”: The pandemic has taken away the futures we envisioned for ourselves, Kathryn Schulz writes. Navigate your world with in-depth reporting. Enjoy a more informed perspective with unlimited access to Times journalism. [Subscrib](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc3Vic2NyaXB0aW9uP2NhbXBhaWduSWQ9OFlKWVcmY2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)[e now](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc3Vic2NyaXB0aW9uP2NhbXBhaWduSWQ9OFVLWDgmY2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). MORNING READS Alberto (Alpo) Martinezvia Nik Pappaconstantine “Mayor of Harlem”: Witness protection moved a former drug kingpin to Maine. But he [couldn’t stay away](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TYaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS9ueXJlZ2lvbi9hbHBvLW1hcnRpbmV6LWRlYXRoLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). Complicated feelings: What it’s like to be Asian [at an elite public school](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TjaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS91cy9zZWxlY3RpdmUtaGlnaC1zY2hvb2xzLWJyb29rbHluLXRlY2guaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). Investments: Financial advice for [when stocks behave badly](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TYaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS9idXNpbmVzcy9zdG9ja3MtaG9sZC1vci1zZWxsLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). Full House: John Stamos [on Bob Saget](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0ThaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS9hcnRzL3RlbGV2aXNpb24vam9obi1zdGFtb3MtYm9iLXNhZ2V0Lmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) and their deep friendship. Advice from Wirecutter: [Heated gloves](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TZaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vd2lyZWN1dHRlci9ibG9nL2Fzay13aXJlY3V0dGVyLWhlYXRlZC1nbG92ZXMvP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjAxMjYmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NTEyOTUmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTgwNzQ2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgph3dYs8WGskJfTUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) aren’t worth it, but [a better bath towel](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TPaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vd2lyZWN1dHRlci9yZXZpZXdzL2Jlc3QtYmF0aC10b3dlbC8_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) is. Lives Lived: Frank Dutton, one of South Africa’s most celebrated detectives, took on apartheid’s crimes. He [died at 72](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS93b3JsZC9hZnJpY2EvZnJhbmstZHV0dG9uLWRlYWQuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). ARTS AND IDEAS Morgan Wallen at the 2020 Country Music Awards.Terry Wyatt/Getty Images For CMA Country’s controversial star The most commercially successful album last year was not by Adele or Drake. It was by [the country star Morgan Wallen](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TUaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yMS9hcnRzL211c2ljL21vcmdhbi13YWxsZW4uaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). If the name is unfamiliar, that may be because he largely retreated from the public last year after a video circulated of him [using a racist slur](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wMi8wMy9hcnRzL211c2ljL21vcmdhbi13YWxsZW4tcmFjaWFsLXNsdXIuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). Wallen apologized and spoke about the situation in an interview with Michael Strahan of “Good Morning America.” “In our minds it’s playful, you know. I don’t know if that sounds ignorant but that’s really where it came from,” he said. When Strahan asked if country music had a race problem, Wallen said: “It would seem that way, yeah. I haven’t really sat and thought about that.” Major awards shows avoided Wallen, and this month Black country performers [criticized the Grand Ole Opry](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP4QYAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRlbm5lc3NlYW4uY29tL3N0b3J5L2VudGVydGFpbm1lbnQvMjAyMi8wMS8xMC9tb3JnYW4td2FsbGVuLWdyYW5kLW9sZS1vcHJ5LWFwcGVhcmFuY2UtZXJuZXN0LXNwYXJrcy1iYWNrbGFzaC85MTU1OTE4MDAyLz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) for allowing him to take the stage. But the video hasn’t jeopardized his career in the long term; if anything, it seems to have helped. Wallen’s album sales spiked after it went public, and he remains one of the most popular country performers. He recently performed with the rapper Lil Durk, who called Wallen “genuine at heart.” Depending on whom you ask, the Times pop music critic Jon Caramanica writes, Wallen is “a hero or a scourge, an upholder of racist hierarchies or someone who works across racial lines, on a rehabilitation tour or just simply on tour, the most dominant musician of 2021 or the most reviled.” PLAY, WATCH, EAT What to Cook Ryan Liebe for The New York Times [Air fryers are little miracles](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TMaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS9kaW5pbmcvYWlyLWZyeWVyLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) that make food crunchy. Use one to make [chicken parm](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly9jb29raW5nLm55dGltZXMuY29tL3JlY2lwZXMvMTAyMjkyNC1haXItZnJ5ZXItY2hpY2tlbi1wYXJtZXNhbj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). What to Watch After a string of supporting performances, Mahershala Ali steps into the spotlight [in the sci-fi drama “Swan Song.”](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNS9tb3ZpZXMvbWFoZXJzaGFsYS1hbGktc3dhbi1zb25nLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) Late Night The hosts discussed [Biden’s hot mic moment](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNi9hcnRzL3RlbGV2aXNpb24vdHJldm9yLW5vYWgtYmlkZW4taG90LW1pYy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMjAxMjYmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9NTEyOTUmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTgwNzQ2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgph3dYs8WGskJfTUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). Now Time to Play ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TAaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vcHV6emxlcy9zcGVsbGluZy1iZWU_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~ The pangram from yesterday’s Spelling Bee was honeybun. Here is today’s puzzle — or you can [play online](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TAaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vcHV6emxlcy9zcGVsbGluZy1iZWU_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). Here’s [today’s Mini Crossword](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TAaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vY3Jvc3N3b3Jkcy9nYW1lL21pbmk_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~), and a clue: Photoshop software maker (five letters). If you’re in the mood to play more, find [all our games here](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0S2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vY3Jvc3N3b3Jkcz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David P.S. “[Techbro](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TRaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9OWVRfZmlyc3Rfc2FpZC9zdGF0dXMvMTQ4NTcyMDA4MzAzMjkwMzY5MT9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)” appeared as a single word [for the first time](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNC9vcGluaW9uL2NyeXB0by1ibG9ja2NoYWluLW5mdHMuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) in The Times. Here’s [today’s front page](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0TUaHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMwMS5ueXQuY29tL2ltYWdlcy8yMDIyLzAxLzI2L255dGZyb250cGFnZS9zY2FuLnBkZj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). “[The Daily](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP0S0aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vdGhlZGFpbHk_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIyMDEyNiZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD01MTI5NSZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9ODA3NDYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmHd1izxYayQl9NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)” is about Covid and partisanship. On [the Book Review podcast](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRj07HWP4QJAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjEvYm9va3MvcmV2aWV3L3BvZGNhc3QtamluZy10c3Uta2luZ2RvbS1vZi1jaGFyYWN0ZXJzLWthdGhyeW4tc2NodWx6LWxvc3QtZm91bmQuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjIwMTI2Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTUxMjk1Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD04MDc0NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYd3WLPFhrJCX01IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), Jing Tsu and Kathryn Schulz discuss their books. Claire Moses, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Tom Wright-Piersanti, Ashley Wu and Sanam Yar contributed to The Morning. You can reach the team at themorning@nytimes.com. 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