Today's Headlines: Kushner Is Said to Have Discussed a Secret Channel to Talk to Russia

[Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Adviser to Jimmy Carter, Dies at 89]( | View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. | [Unsubscribe]( [The New York Times]( [Most Popular]( | [Video]( | [Today's Headlines]( Saturday, May 27, 2017 IN THIS EMAIL [NYT] [World](#worldNews) | [U.S.](#nationalNews) | [Politics](#politicsNews) | [Business](#businessNews) | [Technology](#technologyNews) | [Sports](#sportsNews) | [Arts](#artsNews) | [N.Y./Region](#nyregionNews) | [Travel](#dailyFeatureNews) | [Today's Video](#videoNews) | [Obituaries](#obituaries) | [Editorials](#editorialsNews) | [Op-Ed](#opinionNews) | [On This Day](#onthisdayNews) | [CUSTOMIZE »]( Top News [President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, at the White House last week.]( [Kushner Is Said to Have Discussed a Secret Channel to Talk to Russia]( By MAGGIE HABERMAN, MARK MAZZETTI and MATT APUZZO A back channel between Jared Kushner, a White House adviser, and Moscow was proposed to discuss Syria, but never pursued, in the weeks before Donald J. Trump's inauguration. [Zbigniew Brzezinski in 1987. He had considerable influence in global affairs, both before and long after his official tour of duty in the White House.]( [Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Adviser to Jimmy Carter, Dies at 89]( By DANIEL LEWIS Mr. Brzezinski, who guided Mr. Carter during the Iran hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, had decades of influence in global affairs. [President Trump at the White House last week. His administration on Friday avoided a confrontation with the government's top ethics officer over waivers issued to former lobbyists.]( [White House Backs Down on Keeping Ethics Waivers Secret]( By ERIC LIPTON In a reversal, the White House said it would publicly disclose waivers allowing former lobbyists to work in the administration. For more top news, go to [NYTimes.com »]( [Get the Morning Briefing in Your Inbox]( What you need to know to start your day, delivered Monday through Friday. [Sign up »]( ADVERTISEMENT Editors' Picks [Pvt. Kayla Padgett, right.]( U.S. [For Army Infantry's 1st Women, Heavy Packs and the Weight of History]( By DAVE PHILIPPS The Army has sought to play down the significance of the mixed-gender milestone. But female grunts see it as monumental and revolutionary. [Greg Gianforte delivering his victory speech on Thursday.]( OPINION | Op-Ed Columnist [Going Beyond Bad Trump]( By GAIL COLLINS Montana gave its House seat to a Trump supporter who had just assaulted a reporter for asking about health care legislation. QUOTATION OF THE DAY "Everybody sees that he's trying to be a tough negotiator with the Europeans, whom he apparently views as a bunch of weaklings. But nobody sees any use in firing back. They think there will be very little action on trade. Ultimately, they think it's harmless." [DANIEL GROS]( the president of the Center for European Policy Studies, on President Trump's interactions with European leaders. [] Today's Videos [[Video] Video: Theater of War: A Warrior's Last Words]( U.S. veterans read the words of the Greek hero Ajax and his wife, Tecmessa, as he contemplates suicide. [Mark Makela for The New York Times. Technology by Samsung.]( [[Video] Video: Strap Into the Jersey Shore's New Roller Coaster]( The Hydrus opened in May, replacing the famous Jet Star roller coaster, which was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Experience the ride in this 360° video. [] World [President Trump in Taormina, Sicily, with Group of 7 and European bloc leaders on Friday. The meeting's topics included terrorism, Iran and climate change.]( [Mild in Mideast, Trump Is All Elbows in a Europe Eager to Jab Back]( By MARK LANDLER and MICHAEL D. SHEAR The president played the statesman in the Middle East, but has switched to a familiar role, disrupter, as he joins the Group of 7 meeting, getting headlines like "Boor in Chief." [Demonstrators clashed with police in Brasília this week, part of protests against the government and policies of President Michel Temer, who is embroiled in corruption scandals.]( [Their Government in Chaos, Brazilians Fear the Joke Is on Them]( By SIMON ROMERO President Michel Temer has grown so unpopular that some in Brazil believe the coach of the national soccer team, or a clown named Grumpy, would be better choices. [Relatives mourned on Friday during a funeral service for some the victims of an attack by armed militants on a Coptic Christian caravan near Minya, Egypt.]( [Gunmen in Egypt Force Coptic Christian Pilgrims From Buses and Kill 28]( By DECLAN WALSH and NOUR YOUSSEF The assault on vehicles carrying Coptic worshipers, including children, was the latest in a wave of violence targeting the Christian minority in the country. For more world news, go to [NYTimes.com/World »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] U.S. [Workers from the St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry cleaning paint off a Confederate Civil War monument on Wednesday in Forest Park.]( [Few in St. Louis Knew Confederate Memorial Existed. Now, Many Want It Gone.]( By JULIE BOSMAN The monument has emerged from obscurity in the last few weeks, as four prominent memorials to the Confederacy in New Orleans were pulled down amid protests. [Khaled Haj Khalaf embraced his daughter Baraa after she arrived with her family at O'Hare Airport in Chicago in February. She had spent five years in a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey.]( [U.S. Quietly Lifts Limit on Number of Refugees Allowed In]( By GARDINER HARRIS Despite President Trump's efforts to curtail resettlement, the State Department's move could result in a near doubling of refugees entering the country. [Hillary Clinton spoke at the Wellesley College commencement on Friday.]( [At Wellesley, Hillary Clinton Criticizes Trump and Invokes Nixon Resignation]( By JESS BIDGOOD and KATHARINE Q. SEELYE As her commencement speech unfolded, it was increasingly critical of the administration of the man who defeated her to become president, without ever naming him. For more U.S. news, go to [NYTimes.com/US »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] Politics [Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, can afford to lose only two Republicans if he is to get a health bill through the Senate]( [McConnell May Have Been Right: It May Be Too Hard to Replace Obamacare]( By JENNIFER STEINHAUER and ROBERT PEAR As the legislative realities of replacing the health law become clear, some Republicans are turning their attention to a different target: tax reform. [Greg Gianforte, a Republican, celebrating his victory in Montana's special House election on Thursday in Bozeman.]( [Liberals Wanted a Fight in Montana. Democratic Leaders Saw a Lost Cause.]( By JONATHAN MARTIN and ALEXANDER BURNS Tension between party leaders who will not compete for unlikely seats and an energized base loath to concede anything to Republicans risks demoralizing activists. [Oleg V. Deripaska, a Russian oligarch who is close to President Vladimir V. Putin, in Davos, Switzerland, last year.]( [Russian Once Tied to Trump Aide Seeks Immunity to Cooperate With Congress]( By BARRY MEIER and JESSE DRUCKER Oleg V. Deripaska's offer comes amid increased attention to his ties to Paul Manafort, who is one of several Trump associates under F.B.I. scrutiny. For more political news, go to [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [] Business [A container ship being unloaded in Oakland, Calif., this month. A fear of lackluster orders for durable goods is one factor leading experts to lower expectations for economic growth this year.]( [Expecting a Big Economic Bump? It's Looking Less Likely]( By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ With headwinds from trade, forecasts for this quarter are turning more tepid and point to a continuation of steady but not stellar growth. [Shampoos and conditioners on sale in the flagship store of Natura Siberica in Moscow. The company operates 70 of its own brand stores in Russia and six other countries, while its products sell in more than 40 nations.]( [A Russian Businessman's Road From Siberia to Success]( By ANDREW E. KRAMER A cosmetics company is a rare bright spot for a Russian economy that has been languishing in recent years. [Jay Ruskey is one of the first farmers to be growing coffee commercially in California. His coffee plants share the farm with avocado and cherimoya trees and passion fruit vines.]( [Your Coffee Is From Where? California?]( By STEPHANIE STROM Farmers in Southern California are nurturing coffee bushes in what may be the first serious effort to commercialize beans from the contiguous United States. For more business news, go to [NYTimes.com/Business »]( [] Technology [Kentucky Utilities' coal-fired generating plant in Ghent, Ky. Kentucky is among the coal-country states moving more of the country's electric supply to renewable sources.]( [Coal Country's Power Plants Are Turning Away From Coal]( By DIANE CARDWELL and CLIFFORD KRAUSS Corporate demand for electricity from renewable sources to meet clean-energy goals is leading utilities to cut the use of a politically prized fuel. [An Aboriginal flag near the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia.]( [New Emoji is a Meaningful Symbol for Indigenous Australians]( By TACEY RYCHTER Twitter's addition of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags comes in time for the 50th anniversary of a vote to include the communities in the national census. Tech Tip [Finding Missing Notifications]( By J. D. BIERSDORFER The iPhone and other mobile devices can alert you to breaking news and other events, as long as the settings are correct. For more technology news, go to [NYTimes.com/Technology »]( [] Sports [Eric Trump, who manages the golf business of the Trump Organization, watched the Senior P.G.A. Championship at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., on Thursday.]( [With a Presidential Boost, the P.G.A. Comes to Trump National]( By ERIC LIPTON, STEVE EDER and BEN PROTESS The event, the Senior P.G.A. Championship, illustrates the pitfalls associated with a president unwilling to make a clean break with his commercial empire. [Stephen Curry of the Warriors, left, and LeBron James of the Cavaliers in last year's N.B.A. finals, which the Cavaliers won in seven games.]( [Them Again? And Again? Warriors-Cavaliers Finals Are an N.B.A. First]( By VICTOR MATHER A third consecutive championship matchup, never before seen in the N.B.A., is a rarity in any professional team sport. [Emirates Team New Zealand practicing on Bermuda's Great Sound on Tuesday for the America's Cup, set to begin Saturday.]( Global Sports [Crossing a Line, to Join the Challengers, at the America's Cup]( By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY In a first for an event with a winner-take-all theme, Oracle Team USA will race in the first phase of the qualifiers that will determine its challenger. For more sports news, go to [NYTimes.com/Sports »]( [] Arts [Denis Johnson, the poet and novelist whose work lent his desperate and sometimes crazed characters an almost mythic dimension.]( An Appraisal [Denis Johnson's Poetic Visions of a Fallen World]( By MICHIKO KAKUTANI In this author's universe, hallucinatory imaginings bleed into daily life, where reality itself can seem like a fevered nightmare. [The Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa in his Tokyo home.]( [Why Spend $110 Million on a Basquiat? 'I Decided to Go for It,' Japanese Billionaire Explains]( By MOTOKO RICH and ROBIN POGREBIN About 7,000 miles away, in New Jersey, the artist's sister summed up her family's response: "We were speechless." [Scaffolding outside El Museo del Barrio, where officials are contending with leadership changes and financial concerns.]( [El Museo del Barrio Fires Executive as New Director Faces More Challenges]( By COLIN MOYNIHAN Berta Colón, who had been the deputy director of institutional advancement, was dismissed; she has written to the board over concerns about finances. For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »]( [] New York [The new roller coaster at Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, N.J., called the Hydrus, features a steep inverted drop, a full loop and two more inversions. ]( [A Shiny New Ride Above the Sand at the Jersey Shore]( By NICK CORASANITI The Hydrus replaces the Jet Star roller coaster on the beach at Seaside Heights, where Hurrican Sandy left the old coaster a tangled wreck. [Linda Sarsour said she became a target of far-right conservatives after the Women's March in January. ]( [A Muslim-American Activist's Speech Raises Ire Even Before It's Delivered]( By ELI ROSENBERG The selection of Linda Sarsour to address the graduates of the City University of New York School of Public Health has resulted in hate messages and threats of violence. [The New Math of Parking Placards]( By KATE TAYLOR With 10,000 spots for cars at schools, Mayor de Blasio gave 50,000 new permits to teachers and others. Critics say that will equal abuse of the privilege. For more New York news, go to [NYTimes.com/NewYork »]( []Obituaries [John Mace, right, and Richard Adrian Dorr in 2011. They married in 2012.]( [John Mace, 97, Voice Coach and Campaigner for Same-Sex Marriage, Dies]( By WILLIAM GRIMES Mr. Mace lived with his partner, known professionally as Richard Adrian Dorr, for decades, and noted Broadway performers studied at the vocal studio they ran. For more obituaries, go to [NYTimes.com/Obituaries »]( [] Editorial Editorial [The Problem Isn't Food Stamps, It's Poverty]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD That so many working households qualify for the aid reflects the prevalence of low wage jobs, the real problem Washington should be solving. Editorial [Governor Cuomo's Pledge to Fix the Subways]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD "We need to have the best transit system on the globe," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said this week, but New York's system is nowhere near the best and is getting worse. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] Op-Ed [President Trump and Melania Trump met with, from left, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt and King Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last Sunday.]( Op-Ed Columnist [Trump's Triumph: A Foreign Policy Non-Disaster]( By BRET STEPHENS He restored normality to a United States Middle Eastern policy that had become abnormal under Obama. Op-Ed Contributor [Why the Palestinian Authority Should Be Shuttered]( By DIANA BUTTU With a failed peace process and his administration acting as Israel's enforcer, Mahmoud Abbas has lost legitimacy. Op-Ed Contributor [Invite Your Neighbors Over for a Barbecue This Weekend]( By MARC J. DUNKELMAN We're more connected than ever - but we're estranged from the people next door. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] ON THIS DAY On May 27, 1964, independent India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, died. 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