Today's Headlines: Trump Defends Initial Remarks on Charlottesville; Again Blames 'Both Sides'

[Trump Gives White Supremacists an Unequivocal Boost]( | View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. | [Unsubscribe]( [The New York Times]( [Most Popular]( | [Video]( | [Today's Headlines]( Wednesday, August 16, 2017 IN THIS EMAIL [NYT] [World](#worldNews) | [U.S.](#nationalNews) | [Politics](#politicsNews) | [Business](#businessNews) | [Technology](#technologyNews) | [Sports](#sportsNews) | [Arts](#artsNews) | [N.Y./Region](#nyregionNews) | [Dining & Wine](#dailyFeatureNews) | [Today's Video](#videoNews) | [Obituaries](#obituaries) | [Editorials](#editorialsNews) | [Op-Ed](#opinionNews) | [On This Day](#onthisdayNews) | [CUSTOMIZE »]( Top News [President Trump spoke Tuesday at Trump Tower in Manhattan.]( [Trump Defends Initial Remarks on Charlottesville; Again Blames 'Both Sides']( By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and MAGGIE HABERMAN The president said he did nothing wrong in his first remarks on Saturday following racial unrest in Virginia. [President Trump spoke Tuesday at Trump Tower in Manhattan.]( [Trump Gives White Supremacists an Unequivocal Boost]( By GLENN THRUSH and MAGGIE HABERMAN During a shouting-match of a news conference, an angry president asserted that "alt-left" activists in Charlottesville were as much to blame as neo-Nazis. [Doug McMillon, Walmart's chief executive, said President Trump ]( [Walmart Chief Joins C.E.O. Protests]( By DAVID GELLES, KATE KELLY, RACHEL ABRAMS and MICHAEL CORKERY Doug McMillon, Walmart's chief executive, said the president "missed a critical opportunity to help bring our country together." [.][[Graphic] Graphic: The C.E.O.s on Trump Councils]( For more top news, go to [NYTimes.com »]( [Get California Today in Your Inbox]( The news and stories that matter to Californians (and anyone else interested in the state). Delivered Monday through Friday. ADVERTISEMENT Editors' Picks [The Indian Army's headquarters in Haa, Bhutan, close to a disputed border with China.]( WORLD [Squeezed by an India-China Standoff, Bhutan Holds Its Breath]( By STEVEN LEE MYERS There are fears that ambition and nationalism could lead China and India to war again, but now with more firepower at their disposal. OPINION | Op-Ed Contributor [Why Confederate Monuments Must Fall]( By KAREN L. COX They aren't about heritage or history. They are tools of white supremacy. QUOTATION OF THE DAY "After all, it's not what the president thinks or says - America is bigger than that, greater than that." [HANI ALI]( 35, an accountant from Sudan who was sworn in as an American citizen on Tuesday in Manhattan. [] Today's Videos [White nationalists clashed with counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday.]( [[Video] Video: How the Violence Unfolded in Charlottesville, Virginia]( White nationalists and counterprotesters blamed each other and the police for the violence that erupted in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday. Amateur video verified by The New York Times paints a picture of how the events led to one death and multiple injuries. [President Trump spoke Tuesday at Trump Tower in Manhattan.]( [[Video] Video: Trump: 'Not All of Those People Were White Supremacists']( President Trump, in a long, combative exchange with reporters at Trump Tower, insisted that he did nothing wrong on Saturday when he declined to specifically condemn Nazi and white supremacist groups. [[Video] Video: On a Kuwaiti Island, Relics of the Gulf War]( Step onto Failaka Island in the Persian Gulf, which was seized by Iraqi forces during the invasion of Kuwait. Bullet-riddled and abandoned buildings mark this remnant of the gulf war. [] World [President Moon Jae-in of South Korea delivered a speech on Tuesday in Seoul.]( [Trump Reminded Threats Work Differently in Diplomacy Than in Real Estate]( By DAVID E. SANGER President Trump is accustomed to using strong statements as a negotiating tactic. But on the global stage, the politics of intimidation can get complicated. [The Kaikai family's home was destroyed on Monday by a mudslide in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.]( ['This Is Too Much for Us': Sierra Leone Deluged by Mud and Grief]( By JAIME YAYA BARRY and DIONNE SEARCEY With hundreds dead and hundreds more missing after torrential rains and mudslides, residents of the country's capital can't find room for all the dead. [Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, in June. On Tuesday she accused New Zealand's main opposition party of trying to ]( [Australian Government Accuses New Zealand of Trying to Undermine It]( By CHARLOTTE GRAHAM Australia's top diplomat said a New Zealand party was meddling in her country's politics by exposing questions about the citizenship of Australia's deputy prime minister. For more world news, go to [NYTimes.com/World »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] U.S. [What Are Oceans Laws Trying to Protect?]( By CLAIRE O'NEILL and MATT RUBY A look at the warty sea cucumber, the California sea hare, the blue-banded goby and other creatures that dwell in waters near to areas with federal protections under review. [Trump Threat to Obamacare Would Send Premiums and Deficits Higher]( By ROBERT PEAR and THOMAS KAPLAN If President Trump makes good on his promise to "let Obamacare implode," premiums for the most popular plans would rise about 20 percent next year. [Broken glass being cleaned up on Monday at the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston.]( [Holocaust Memorial in Boston Is Vandalized for Second Time This Summer]( By CHRISTINE HAUSER The Boston police commissioner said that the behavior was "senseless and shameful," especially after the turmoil in Charlottesville, Va. For more U.S. news, go to [NYTimes.com/US »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] Politics [Roy S. Moore, a former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, and his wife, Kayla Moore, appeared at a campaign event in Montgomery, Ala., on Tuesday night.]( [Roy Moore and Luther Strange Head for G.O.P. Runoff in Alabama Senate Race]( By JONATHAN MARTIN and ALAN BLINDER After a crowded Republican race, Mr. Moore, a former chief justice of the State Supreme Court, and Mr. Strange, the current senator, will face each other in a runoff next month. [A statue of a Confederate soldier that was brought down by protesters outside the old Durham County Courthouse in North Carolina on Monday.]( [Protesters in Durham Topple a Confederate Monument]( By MAGGIE ASTOR Officials around the country have removed or considered removing Confederate relics. But in North Carolina on Monday, activists took matters into their own hands. [President Trump spoke Tuesday at Trump Tower in Manhattan.]( [Trump Asks, 'What About the Alt-Left?' Here's an Answer]( By LINDA QIU In remarks about Charlottesville, President Trump falsely equated "alt-left" violence with the killing of Heather D. Heyer. For more political news, go to [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [] Business [Inside the Big Ass Fans factory in Lexington, Ky. The largest fans the company makes reach 24 feet in diameter and sell for upward of $8,000.]( [One U.S. Factory Goes Global, While Trump Shrinks the World]( By PETER S. GOODMAN As the administration renegotiates Nafta, a fan manufacturer in Kentucky worries that its business could be hurt by rising impediments to trade. [A lawsuit against the Kushner Companies was filed in New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Tuesday on behalf of nine tenants, but it concludes that more than 100 former and current tenants could have similar claims.]( [Tenants Sue Kushner Companies Claiming Rent Rule Violations]( By JESSE DRUCKER A group of tenants sued the company, claiming rent overcharges. [Mr. Gupta leaving federal court in New York in October 2012 after he was sentenced to prison for divulging corporate secrets.]( [For Rajat Gupta, Returning Is a Hard Road]( By ANITA RAGHAVAN After going to prison for a Wall Street scandal, the once-revered executive finds former friends divided about accepting him back into their lives. For more business news, go to [NYTimes.com/Business »]( [] Technology [Discord, a group chat app, was popular among far-right activists, including some of those involved in last weekend's protest in Charlottesville, Va.]( The Shift [This Was the Alt-Right's Favorite Chat App. Then Came Charlottesville.]( By KEVIN ROOSE Discord, a chat app for video game players, became a digital home for the alt-right before deciding to ban their chat rooms on Monday. [John Brecher for The New York Times. Technology by Samsung.]( [Microsoft Teaches Autonomous Gliders to Make Decisions on the Fly]( By CADE METZ Microsoft is building gliders that adapt to surprises. The goal is to teach autonomous vehicles of all sorts to deal with uncertainty the way humans do. [Uber Agrees to Privacy Audits in Settlement With F.T.C.]( By CECILIA KANG The ride-sharing giant agreed to strong privacy scrutiny after a federal investigation into its data protections. For more technology news, go to [NYTimes.com/Technology »]( [] Sports [J.B. Case of Jasper, Tenn., and Scott Moss of Bridgeport, Ala., playing at Sweetens Cove Golf Club, a nine-hole course outside Chattanooga. Case said the course was ]( [The Little Golf Course That Could]( By DYLAN DETHIER Sweetens Cove Golf Club, a nine-hole course that opened in 2014, is winning acclaim at a time when golf is facing declining participation and stagnant course construction. [Claire Liu, 17, recently became the first American since 1992 to win the Wimbledon girls' championship.]( [Claire Liu, a Rising Teenage Tennis Player, Reaches a Crossroad]( By NICK PACHELLI Liu, the world's top-ranked junior, has reached a crucial point in her development at age 17, and will soon choose between going to college or turning pro. [Lucas Duda is a slugging first baseman and a reluctant social media presence.]( ['Trade' Ensures Lucas Duda Can't Shake That Pesky Instagram Account]( By JAMES WAGNER After Duda was traded to the Rays, his old Mets teammates put together another deal: handing over the keys to the Instagram account they used to torment him. For more sports news, go to [NYTimes.com/Sports »]( [] Arts [Taylor Swift's blunt words about being groped by a radio host have caught the attention of lawyers and others who work with sexual assault survivors.]( [Taylor Swift Spoke Up. Sexual Assault Survivors Were Listening.]( By MELENA RYZIK The pop superstar gave blunt testimony in her case against a radio host in Denver, and provided a voice for others in similar situations. [Donald J. Trump appearing on ]( On Comedy [The Misunderstood History of Trump on Letterman]( By JASON ZINOMAN In more than 30 appearances, the future president tried out his talking points on a host who was among the first to treat him as a serious political thinker. Books of The Times ['New People' Riffs on Race and Love, With a Twist]( By PARUL SEHGAL Danzy Senna's new novel follows a woman's love triangle (of sorts) with two men. For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »]( [] New York [Amelia Watts, of New York City's Human Resources Administration, talking to parents outside of a Brooklyn school as part of a program aimed at preventing families from becoming homeless.]( [1 in 7 New York City Elementary Students Will Be Homeless, Report Says]( By ELIZABETH A. HARRIS A new report details the daunting challenges faced by children and schools as homelessness increases in New York City. [Hartford has one of the highest property tax rates in Connecticut, but it still cannot raise enough money to pay for basic government operations.]( [Hartford, With Its Finances in Disarray, Veers Toward Bankruptcy]( By RICK ROJAS and MARY WILLIAMS WALSH The financial troubles for Connecticut's capital come at a time when the state is mired in its own problems, including going weeks without a budget. [Howard Pilmar, who was stabbed to death 21 years ago in his combination coffee shop-office supply store in Manhattan. His wife and her brother were charged in the crime on Tuesday.]( [21 Years After Stabbing, Victim's Wife Is Charged With Murder]( By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr. New witnesses with incriminating information allowed prosecutors to move forward in a notorious 1996 killing known as the Coffee Bar Case. For more New York news, go to [NYTimes.com/NewYork »]( [] Food [Fawn Weaver on a farm in Lynchburg, Tenn., where Nearest Green and Jack Daniel first began distilling whiskey together.]( [When Jack Daniel's Failed to Honor a Slave, an Author Rewrote History]( By CLAY RISEN The whiskey maker backed away from a promise to acknowledge its debt to a black distiller - until Fawn Weaver swooped into town and took up the cause. The Chef [For Niven Patel, Farm-to-Table Cooking Means Taro and Mangoes]( By RACHEL WHARTON The Miami chef grows produce in his backyard in Homestead, Fla. - the only part of the contiguous United States with a tropical monsoon climate. Restaurant Review [Made Nice Is Fast and Casual. But Is It Good?]( By PETE WELLS The chef Daniel Humm tries to bring his meticulous care and artistry to a high-speed operation. For more dining news and recipes, go to [NYTimes.com/Dining »]( []Obituaries [Neil Chayet on the air in 2016.]( [Neil Chayet, Host of 'Looking at the Law' on Radio, Dies at 78]( By RICHARD SANDOMIR Mr. Chayet, a pun-loving Massachusetts lawyer, reached a national audience from his base in Boston. [Milton Mollen, right, then deputy mayor for public safety, with Mayor David N. Dinkins in 1992.]( [Milton Mollen, 97, Dies; Investigated Police Corruption in New York]( By JOSEPH P. FRIED In the 1990s, he led a commission that uncovered a "deep-rooted institutional reluctance to uncover corruption" in the city's police department. [Ruth Pfau in Jati, Pakistan.]( [Dr. Ruth Pfau, Savior of Lepers in Pakistan, Dies at 87]( By SAM ROBERTS A German-born medical missionary who discovered her life's calling by chance was hailed as "the Mother Teresa of Pakistan." For more obituaries, go to [NYTimes.com/Obituaries »]( [] Editorial [The lobby of Trump Plaza on Tuesday before the president held a press conference.]( Editorial [Mr. Trump Makes a Spectacle of Himself]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Given one more chance to condemn white supremacists, the president takes up their talking points instead. Editorial [Let Prisoners Learn While They Serve]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Inmates who participate in prison education programs are far more likely to stay out of prison once they leave. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] Op-Ed [People in India still heap marigolds on images, like this, of Mahatma Gandhi.]( Op-Ed Contributor [Gandhi Won't Leave India]( By GOPALKRISHNA GANDHI His legacy faces the challenge of neglect, obfuscation and co-option in the country. Disability [10 Things My Chronic Illness Taught My Children]( By PAULA M. FITZGIBBONS I worried that my rheumatoid arthritis would harm them. Instead, it has helped them grow. [An American Army helicopter in Kabul, Afghanistan, in April.]( Op-Ed Columnist [Charlottesville, ISIS and Us]( By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN Pluralism is America's strength, both at home and abroad. [Eclipse glasses for sale at an Ace Hardware store in Spring City, Tenn., last week.]( Op-Ed Columnist [Can't Eclipse the American Spirit]( By FRANK BRUNI What's happening in the heavens is a bonanza on earth. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] ON THIS DAY On Aug. 16, 1977, the singer Elvis Presley died at Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tenn., at age 42. [See this Front Page]( | [Buy this Front Page]( FOLLOW US: [Facebook] [Facebook]( | [Twitter] [@NYTimes]( | [Pinterest] [Pinterest]( | [Instagram] [Instagram]( [NYT]( Access The New York Times from anywhere with our suite of apps: [iPhone®]( | [iPad®]( | [Android]( | [All]( [.] Save 15% at [The NYTimes Store »]( [.] Have questions? 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