Today's Headlines: Trump Withdraws U.S. Forces From Syria, Declaring ‘We Have Won Against ISIS’

Fed Raises Interest Rates, Showing Confidence in Health of Economy View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [Most Popular]( | [Video]( | Subscribe: [Digital /]( [Home Delivery]( [My Account]( [The New York Times]( Thursday, December 20, 2018 IN THIS EMAIL: [Top News](#0) | [Editors' Picks](#2) | [Today’s Videos](#4) | [World](#5) | [U.S.](#6) | [Politics](#7) | [Business](#8) | [Technology](#9) | [Sports](#10) | [Arts](#11) | [New York](#12) | [Fashion & Style](#13) | [Obituaries](#14) | [Editorial](#15) | [Op-Ed](#16) | [CUSTOMIZE »]( [] Top News [Trump Withdraws U.S. Forces From Syria, Declaring ‘We Have Won Against ISIS’]( [Trump Withdraws U.S. Forces From Syria, Declaring ‘We Have Won Against ISIS’]( By MARK LANDLER, HELENE COOPER and ERIC SCHMITT The president overruled his military and diplomatic advisers, who warned against abandoning Kurdish allies and ceding influence in Syria to Russia and Iran. [Fed Raises Interest Rates, Showing Confidence in Health of Economy]( [Fed Raises Interest Rates, Showing Confidence in Health of Economy]( By BINYAMIN APPELBAUM Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chairman, defended the decision to raise the benchmark rate for the fifth consecutive quarter, a move made despite political pressure and financial market worries. [Secret Experiment in Alabama Senate Race Imitated Russian Tactics]( [Secret Experiment in Alabama Senate Race Imitated Russian Tactics]( By SCOTT SHANE and ALAN BLINDER A project to help the Democratic contender, Doug Jones, in his closely contested race against Roy Moore used deception on Facebook and Twitter For more top news, go to [NYTimes.com »]( ADVERTISEMENT [Get New York Today in Your Inbox]( [Get New York Today in Your Inbox]( What you need to know to start your day in New York, including news, weather, free events and a look at the lighter side of life. [Sign up »]( [] Editors' Picks [No Heat for 10 Years, and the City Is Their Landlord]( New York [No Heat for 10 Years, and the City Is Their Landlord]( By LUIS FERRÉ-SADURNÍ The living conditions of the 100-or-so residents of the Eagle Avenue apartments are emblematic of sweeping neglect by Nycha. [These Toilet Seat Lids Aren’t Gold-Plated, but They Cost $14,000]( Opinion [These Toilet Seat Lids Aren’t Gold-Plated, but They Cost $14,000]( By CHARLES GRASSLEY The Pentagon has to clean up its confusing and wasteful budget. [] QUOTATION OF THE DAY "I haven’t had heat for 12 years. We’ve been waiting." [WANDA AGEE]( a pre-K teacher who has lived in the Eagle Avenue apartments in the South Bronx since 1986. [] Today’s Videos [Politics Played ‘No Role’ in Interest Rate Increase, Fed Chairman Says]( [[Video]Video: Politics Played ‘No Role’ in Interest Rate Increase, Fed Chairman Says]( By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chairman, announced an increase in the benchmark interest rate and dismissed President Trump’s warnings to the Fed to stop raising rates. [Corbyn Appears to Mouth ‘Stupid Woman’ in Response to May]( [[Video]Video: Corbyn Appears to Mouth ‘Stupid Woman’ in Response to May]( By ASSOCIATED PRESS After Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain spoke in Parliament, the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn appeared to have mouthed the words “stupid woman.” The Labour party later said Mr. Corbyn had mouthed “stupid people.” [Watch ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ Build a Dream Home]( Anatomy of a Scene [Watch ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ Build a Dream Home]( By MEKADO MURPHY Barry Jenkins narrates a scene from his film, featuring Kiki Layne, Stephan James and Dave Franco. ADVERTISEMENT [] World [A Strategy of Retreat in Syria, With Echoes of Obama]( News Analysis [A Strategy of Retreat in Syria, With Echoes of Obama]( By DAVID E. SANGER President Trump’s view that U.S. forces cannot alter the strategic balance in the Middle East was fundamentally shared by his immediate predecessor, Barack Obama. [China’s ‘Belt and Road’ Plan in Pakistan Takes a Military Turn]( [China’s ‘Belt and Road’ Plan in Pakistan Takes a Military Turn]( By MARIA ABI-HABIB Under a program China insisted was peaceful, Pakistan is cooperating on distinctly defense-related projects, including a secret plan to build new fighter jets. [Trump Administration to Lift Sanctions on Russian Oligarch’s Companies]( [Trump Administration to Lift Sanctions on Russian Oligarch’s Companies]( By KENNETH P. VOGEL The Treasury Department’s decision on the firms, owned by Oleg V. Deripaska, came after a sophisticated lobbying campaign and drew criticism from some Democrats and foreign policy analysts. For more world news, go to [NYTimes.com/World »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] U.S. [Catholic Church in Illinois Withheld Names of at Least 500 Priests Accused of Abuse, Attorney General Says]( [Catholic Church in Illinois Withheld Names of at Least 500 Priests Accused of Abuse, Attorney General Says]( By LAURIE GOODSTEIN and MONICA DAVEY After opening an investigation into clergy sex abuse against minors in Illinois in August, the state attorney general released preliminary findings on Wednesday. [Fewer Births, More Deaths Result in Lowest U.S. Growth Rate in Generations]( [Fewer Births, More Deaths Result in Lowest U.S. Growth Rate in Generations]( By SABRINA TAVERNISE Not since the Great Depression when birthrates were down sharply has the population grown so slowly. Many states now rely on immigrants to retain population. [Despite Challenges, Health Exchange Enrollment Falls Only Slightly]( [Despite Challenges, Health Exchange Enrollment Falls Only Slightly]( By ROBERT PEAR Insurance enrollment on the federal HealthCare.gov website declined about 4 percent, less than many people had expected, despite challenges from the Trump administration. For more U.S. news, go to [NYTimes.com/US »]( [] Politics [Senate Passes Stopgap Spending Bill That Would Avert Shutdown]( [Senate Passes Stopgap Spending Bill That Would Avert Shutdown]( By EMILY COCHRANE The bill was expected to pass the House on Thursday and be sent to President Trump before the midnight Friday deadline, when funding lapses for nine federal departments. [Bidding Congress Farewell, Paul Ryan Laments Nation’s ‘Broken’ Politics]( [Bidding Congress Farewell, Paul Ryan Laments Nation’s ‘Broken’ Politics]( By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS On a valedictory tour, Mr. Ryan is putting a high gloss on a speakership of dubious accomplishment. He fulfilled his tax-cutting dream, but the deficit is soaring. [Nevada Becomes First State With Majority of Women in Assembly]( [Nevada Becomes First State With Majority of Women in Assembly]( By JOSE A. DEL REAL With two appointments on Tuesday, women will hold 23 of 42 seats in the Nevada Assembly when the next session begins in February. For more political news, go to [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [] Business [Japanese Justice Faces Scrutiny in Case of Nissan Chief and U.S. Board Member]( [Japanese Justice Faces Scrutiny in Case of Nissan Chief and U.S. Board Member]( By MOTOKO RICH and JACK EWING The jailing of Carlos Ghosn and Greg Kelly exposed stark differences in how crimes are pursued and suspects are handled in Japan and in Western democracies. [Italy and E.U. Reach a Budget Deal, as Populist Plan Runs Into Reality]( [Italy and E.U. Reach a Budget Deal, as Populist Plan Runs Into Reality]( By JASON HOROWITZ After months of refusals to back down, the government blinked, saying it would shave billions of euros off its budget to avoid financial penalties from the E.U. [Top Cancer Doctor Resigns as Editor of Medical Journal]( [Top Cancer Doctor Resigns as Editor of Medical Journal]( By KATIE THOMAS and CHARLES ORNSTEIN Dr. José Baselga, the former chief medical officer of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, was asked to resign after he failed to disclose corporate ties in dozens of scientific articles. For more business news, go to [NYTimes.com/Business »]( [] Technology [A Toaster on Wheels to Deliver Groceries? Self-Driving Tech Tests Practical Uses]( [A Toaster on Wheels to Deliver Groceries? Self-Driving Tech Tests Practical Uses]( By CADE METZ With driverless passenger services slow to become realities, the autonomous industry is casting about for ways to profitably use its technology. [It’s Showtime for Elon Musk’s Boring Co., With a Long Way to Go]( [It’s Showtime for Elon Musk’s Boring Co., With a Long Way to Go]( By IVAN PENN With revisions to the initial concept, a subterranean transport system provides a one-mile ride under a Los Angeles suburb. (In a Tesla.) [Facebook Rebuked for Failing to Disclose Data-Sharing Deals]( [Facebook Rebuked for Failing to Disclose Data-Sharing Deals]( By MICHAEL LaFORGIA, NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and GABRIEL J.X. DANCE Lawmakers and others criticized the social network after a New York Times report revealed Facebook gave its partners extensive access to user data. For more technology news, go to [NYTimes.com/Technology »]( [] Sports [No Need to Mourn as Missy Franklin Retires From Swimming at 23]( On swimming [No Need to Mourn as Missy Franklin Retires From Swimming at 23]( By KAREN CROUSE Chronic shoulder pain drove Franklin from the sport, but she had a rewarding career full of memories she will carry forever. [Deal to Give Cuban Players Easy Path to M.L.B. Meets Government Resistance]( [Deal to Give Cuban Players Easy Path to M.L.B. Meets Government Resistance]( By DAVID WALDSTEIN and KATIE ROGERS An agreement involving M.L.B. would allow many Cubans to play in the United States without defecting, but the Trump administration threatened to scuttle the plan. [With ‘No Simple Solution,’ Tennis Panel on Match-Fixing Issues 12 Recommendations]( [With ‘No Simple Solution,’ Tennis Panel on Match-Fixing Issues 12 Recommendations]( By BEN ROTHENBERG A panel commissioned to address concerns over match-fixing in tennis published its final report on Wednesday after nearly three years of investigating the problem. For more sports news, go to [NYTimes.com/Sports »]( [] Arts [Should Aziz Ansari and Louis C.K. Talk About Accusations Onstage?]( On Comedy [Should Aziz Ansari and Louis C.K. Talk About Accusations Onstage?]( By JASON ZINOMAN The comics are taking opposite tacks as they return, but the art of comedy relies on personas. What happens when those constructs no longer ring true? [Director Quits ‘All My Sons’ Amid Dispute Over Cast’s Racial Makeup]( [Director Quits ‘All My Sons’ Amid Dispute Over Cast’s Racial Makeup]( By ELIZABETH A. HARRIS A Broadway revival of the Arthur Miller play has become entangled in a disagreement over the races of actors in key roles. [Nicole Kidman Still Can’t Believe What ‘Destroyer’ Did to Her]( The Carpetbagger [Nicole Kidman Still Can’t Believe What ‘Destroyer’ Did to Her]( By KYLE BUCHANAN Her detective character is so dangerous “a lot of times I would let out a huge yell or a growl before I would start, which I know sounds insane.” For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »]( [] New York [Deputy Mayor Who Oversaw Amazon Deal and Troubled Housing Authority Is Stepping Down]( [Deputy Mayor Who Oversaw Amazon Deal and Troubled Housing Authority Is Stepping Down]( By J. DAVID GOODMAN Ms. Glen, a former Goldman Sachs executive, had been in charge of major initiatives to expand and preserve affordable housing in New York City. [Why Deep Blue New York Is ‘Voter Suppression Land’]( [Why Deep Blue New York Is ‘Voter Suppression Land’]( By VIVIAN WANG New York’s onerous voting restrictions have long undercut its reputation as a progressive beacon. Democrats have promised to remake them entirely. [New Yorkers Have a Constitutional Right to Nunchucks, Judge Rules]( [New Yorkers Have a Constitutional Right to Nunchucks, Judge Rules]( By MICHAEL GOLD Thanks to an ardent practitioner, the New York State ban on the martial arts weapon, enacted in 1974, has been struck down in court. For more New York news, go to [NYTimes.com/NewYork »]( [] Fashion & Style [2018: The Year in Stuff]( [2018: The Year in Stuff]( By MATTHEW SCHNEIER Cardi couture, genderless handbags, CBD skin care, natural wine and more: 11 wearables, massagables and drinkables that defined a strange, fractious year. [Tinder and Bumble Are Hungry for Your Love]( [Tinder and Bumble Are Hungry for Your Love]( By JONAH ENGEL BROMWICH The big online dating rebrand means the apps want you to fall in love with them now. [The Biggest Fake News in Fashion]( Unbuttoned [The Biggest Fake News in Fashion]( By VANESSA FRIEDMAN Untangling the origins of a myth repeated so often that no one thought to question it. For more fashion news, go to [NYTimes.com/Fashion »]( [] Obituaries [John Ford Noonan, ‘Coupla White Chicks’ Playwright, Dies at 77]( [John Ford Noonan, ‘Coupla White Chicks’ Playwright, Dies at 77]( By NEIL GENZLINGER His plays, produced frequently in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, often threw polar opposites together to explore themes both comic and serious. [Michael Paul Smith, 67, Founder of a Beloved Imaginary Town, Dies]( [Michael Paul Smith, 67, Founder of a Beloved Imaginary Town, Dies]( By NEIL GENZLINGER In carefully staged photographs made with miniature cars, tiny model buildings and a cheap camera, he created Elgin Park on Flickr. Millions have visited. [Jerry Chesnut, 87, Country Songwriter With Blue-Collar Hits, Dies]( [Jerry Chesnut, 87, Country Songwriter With Blue-Collar Hits, Dies]( By BILL FRISKICS-WARREN His songs have been sung by Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Jerry Lee Lewis and two Elvises: Presley and Costello. For more Obituaries, go to [NYTimes.com/Obituaries »]( [] Editorial [Trump’s Decision to Withdraw From Syria Is Alarming. Just Ask His Advisers.]( [Trump’s Decision to Withdraw From Syria Is Alarming. Just Ask His Advisers.]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD This isn’t the first time the president and his administration have sent mixed messages. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] Op-Ed [It Is So Much Worse Than I Thought]( [It Is So Much Worse Than I Thought]( By CHARLES M. BLOW How can a family that can’t run a charity run a country? [The West at an Impasse]( [The West at an Impasse]( By ROSS DOUTHAT How meritocracy and populism reinforce each other's faults. [Sexual Harassment Is Illegal, but It May Not Get You Fired]( [Sexual Harassment Is Illegal, but It May Not Get You Fired]( By BRYCE COVERT The grim lesson of the Les Moonves scandal at CBS is that many companies still don’t take sexual harassment allegations seriously. [The Dangers of Calling ‘Mission Accomplished’ in Syria]( [The Dangers of Calling ‘Mission Accomplished’ in Syria]( By JOSHUA A. GELTZER and CHRISTOPHER P. COSTA The Islamic State has been degraded, but not defeated. Despite what President Trump said, our mission is not complete. [Flying While Blind]( Disability [Flying While Blind]( By GEORGINA KLEEGE I am not only an experienced traveler; I am an experienced blind person. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( Follow NYTimes [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@NYTimes]( [Pinterest] [Pinterest]( [Instagram] [Instagram]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL This is an automated email. Please do not reply directly to this email from NYTimes.com. You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Today's Headlines newsletter. 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