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, June 13, 2017 [NYTimes.com »]( [Your Tuesday Evening Briefing]( By KAREN ZRAICK AND SANDRA STEVENSON Good evening. Here’s the latest.  1. “Please colleagues, hear me on this.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions, above, started his testimony [before the Senate Intelligence Committee]( with an emotional appeal, calling the suggestion that he colluded with Russians during the 2016 election an “appalling and detestable lie.” On Monday, a friend of President Trump said that [Mr. Trump was considering whether to fire Robert Mueller]( the special counsel investigating possible ties between Russia and his campaign. A White House official said that “only the president or his attorneys are authorized to comment” on the matter. And Senate leaders said they had reached an agreement to impose [new sanctions against Russia]( — which would place the White House in an uncomfortable position. _____ Kyodo, via Reuters 2. An American college student, [Otto Warmbier, held prisoner in North Korea]( for more than a year, has been evacuated in a coma and is on his way back to the United States. Mr. Warmbier, 23, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for attempting to steal a propaganda poster from a hotel. (Above, Mr. Warmbier apologizing on North Korean state television last year.) [Three other American citizens]( are known to be detained in North Korea. The release coincided with yet another visit by[Dennis Rodman, the ex-N.B.A. star]( to Pyongyang. Mr. Rodman, who is apparently friendly with Kim Jong-un, declined to say whether he had spoken about the trip with President Trump. _____ Victoria Will/Invision, via Associated Press 3. Megyn Kelly responded to criticism over [her interview with Alex Jones]( the right-wing conspiracy theorist who runs the website Infowars. The segment is scheduled to run on NBC on Sunday night. An anti-gun violence group dropped Ms. Kelly from its gala over the interview. Mr. Jones says the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax. “I find Alex Jones’s suggestion that Sandy Hook was ‘a hoax’ as personally revolting as every other rational person does,” Ms. Kelly said in a statement. “It left me, and many other Americans, asking the very question that prompted this interview: How does Jones, who traffics in these outrageous conspiracy theories, have the respect of the president of the United States and a growing audience of millions?” _____ Larry W. Smith/European Pressphoto Agency 4. Twitter was buzzing with rumors that the [Golden State Warriors would not go to the White House]( to celebrate their championship victory. It’s true, but not because they turned down the invitation to a White House photo op. They haven’t actually been invited yet. N.B.A. champions often go the season after a championship, when they have a game nearby. “Today is all about celebrating our championship. We will make those decisions when and if necessary,” a team spokesman said. _____ Justin Sullivan/Getty Images 5. Uber’s chief executive will take a leave of absence “to work on himself” and reflect on building “a world class leadership team” for the company. [Travis Kalanick announced the move]( minutes after the release of [a new report]( detailing the findings of an investigation led by former Attorney General Eric Holder. The inquiry, which was commissioned after complaints of sexual harassment and other violations, concluded that the $70 billion company must repudiate its aggressive start-up culture. The difficulties of changing Uber's culture were captured during a staff meeting on Tuesday, when a male board member said that adding more women to the company's board would result in "more talking." _____ Scott McIntyre for The New York Times 6. A Venezuelan student who was tortured by the security services for participating in an antigovernment protest may be deported from the U.S. [Marco Coello, above, now 22, fled to the U.S.]( when he was released from prison, and his case was documented extensively by Human Rights Watch. So his lawyers figured his asylum application would be a cinch. Not so. He was detained after an appointment at an immigration office, and a judge will decide his fate. The case may be a sign of how far the government is willing to go to crack down on immigration. _____ Romeo Ranoco/Reuters 7. It’s gritty house-to-house fighting as the [siege of the southern Philippine city of Marawi]( enters its fourth week. The Islamic State-backed rebels are holding out in part of the city center, controlling several bridges and planting snipers in mosques. The Philippine military controls the skies, inflicting heavy damage but so far failing to drive out the militants. Our correspondent says both sides are digging in for a protracted battle. _____ Bryan Anselm for The New York Times 8. The cardinal of Newark, appointed last year by Pope Francis, is welcoming lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics into the church. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, above, is among a handful of church leaders nationwide taking a more inclusive approach, and recently offered [a Mass specifically for L.G.B.T. groups](. “It felt like a miracle,” one attendee said. “I felt, after a lifetime of struggle, that we are home.” _____ Susan Wright for The New York Times 9. Take a break with us to discover the hidden treasures of [Italy’s grand historic libraries](. Many of the stunning structures were built during the Renaissance and house rare books. Our travel writer and photographer toured a handful, including the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, above, designed by Michelangelo. “Michelangelo’s library is so rational, so resolute, so majestically realized, that not in my wildest dreams could I imagine working here,” the reporter concluded. _____ NBC 10. Finally, [Seth Meyers had some fun]( with the news that President Trump’s advisers have become concerned about his tweeting. He imagined what his tweets might look like after legal vetting: “Haters and losers (stipulating that such terms are subjective, pursuant to relevant codes and libel laws) ...” Have a great night. _____ 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](. For questions, email sponsor@nytimes.com or call [1-844-698-2677](. FOLLOW NYTimes [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytimes]( Get more NYTimes.com newsletters » | Sign Up for the [Morning Briefing newsletter »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Evening Briefing newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018