Your Thursday Evening Briefing

Iraq, Trump, Pruitt | View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Thursday, April 5, 2018 [NYTimes.com »]( [Your Thursday Evening Briefing]( By KAREN ZRAICK AND SANDRA STEVENSON Good evening. Here’s the latest. Tony Cenicola/The New York Times 1. Five trips to Iraq. More than 15,000 documents. One collapsed “caliphate.” We [published the results of a yearlong investigation]( in which Times journalists scoured former offices of the Islamic State that were abandoned by the militants. It shows that ISIS fighters, known for their brutality, were also effective administrators. We also have a new audio series, “Caliphate,” which followed our reporter Rukmini Callimachi as she covered the Islamic State and the fall of Mosul, Iraq. [Listen to a preview here](. The U.S. military, meanwhile, is spending about [$1 million on makeshift detention camps for Islamic State]( prisoners in Syria, broadening its involvement in operations it had sought to avoid. ____ Whitten Sabbatini for The New York Times 2. “China is not afraid of a trade war.” That was a senior Chinese finance official, who also said that the “[new China” would “never succumb]( to external pressure.” But our correspondent says China is more vulnerable than officials admit. Here’s a [blow-by-blow account]( of what has transpired in the U.S.-China trade conflict so far. And in our news podcast, [“The Daily,”]( pro-Trump farmers like Eldon Gould, above, worry about the effect on American agriculture. ____ Doug Mills/The New York Times 3. President Trump was in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., to promote his tax overhaul. But he tossed aside his prepared remarks — literally threw them — and instead [went on a lengthy tirade about immigration](. He boasted about calling immigrants rapists during his election campaign and said that female migrants “are raped at levels they’ve never seen before” as they travel north through Mexico. Our reporter is [in Mexico with the migrant caravan]( he referred to. Aboard Air Force One on the way back to Washington, Mr. Trump denied knowing of any [hush money paid to Stormy Daniels]( the pornographic film actress who claims she had an affair with him. ____ Andrew Harnik/Associated Press 4. Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, above, is [under increased White House scrutiny](. Ethics questions have threatened his good standing with the president and driven away some senior staff members. For instance: the arrangement to pay $50 a night for a room in a Capitol Hill apartment — owned in part by the wife of a top energy lobbyist. At least five officials at the agency were reassigned or requested new jobs [after they raised concerns]( about Mr. Pruitt’s spending and management. ____ Pilar Olivares/Reuters 5. Brazil’s top court ruled that [former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva can be sent to prison]( while he continues to appeal his corruption conviction. It’s an explosive decision that appears to quash Mr. da Silva’s bid to return to power. The 72-year-old is a towering and divisive figure in his country’s politics — with a considerable lead in the polls for October’s presidential election. Above, a “No prison for Lula” poster in Rio de Janeiro. Mr. da Silva has called his prosecution a ploy to keep him off the ballot. ____ Caroline Tompkins for The New York Times 6. Women who worked [for the world-famous architect Richard Meier]( say his history of sexual misconduct was common knowledge at his firm — but no one had the power to stop it. We first revealed the accusations against Mr. Meier last month. He has since taken a leave of absence from his firm and said that “while our recollections may differ, I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my behavior.” Meanwhile, four more women who used to work for him, above, have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct. ____ William Widmer for The New York Times 7. More middle-class families are sending their offspring to [two-year colleges as a way to keep costs down](. Many plan to transfer to four-year institutions later on. Byria Hamblin, above, graduated from Lone Star College near Houston, then transferred to Tulane University in New Orleans, which costs more than $50,000 a year. She said that when she tells her new friends there where she spent her first two years, she often hears, “I really should have done that.” ____  8. We’re doing an open [casting call for the new season]( of our illustrated web video series, [“Conception.”]( We will choose some accounts for the second season of the series, which will explore parenting today. We want to hear from all types of parents — from all over the world and all points on the political spectrum — about the issues affecting your families. We’re interested in stories from those who have chosen not to become parents, too. ____ Jamie Squire/Getty Images 9. After a long absence because of back injuries, Tiger Woods is back at the Masters as one of the early favorites. The toll his training regimen took on his body serves as a cautionary tale. The question now: [Will he be the golf champion of old]( We have [live scores, updates and analysis](. ____  10. Finally, a new EP called [“Universal Love: Wedding Songs Reimagined” features covers]( of pop hits — with a same-sex twist. The artists, above, include Bob Dylan, who recorded the 1929 song “She’s Funny That Way,” from the Great American Songbook catalog, as “He’s Funny That Way.” “If we view music as something that brings people together, shouldn’t these popular songs be open to everyone?” the album’s co-producer asked. On the late-night shows, Dr. Evil, of “Austin Powers” fame, [dropped by Jimmy Fallon’s show]( to announce that he’s running for president under the slogan “Make the World Evil Again.” He said his running mate would be “the only man who’s more hated right now than Donald Trump”: Mark Zuckerberg. Have a great night. ____ Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing. [Sign up here]( to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning. Want to catch up on past briefings? [You can browse them here](. 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). LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. ADVERTISEMENT Sponsor a Subscription Inspire a future generation of readers by contributing to The New York Times [sponsor-a-subscription program](. For every subscription granted through contributions to this program, The Times will provide a digital subscription to one additional student. 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 2018 The New York Times Company 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018