Today's Headlines: Trump Shifts Rationale for Firing Comey, Calling Him a 'Showboat'

[In a Private Dinner, Trump Demanded Loyalty. Comey Demurred.]( | View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. | [Unsubscribe]( [The New York Times]( [Most Popular]( | [Video]( | [Today's Headlines]( Friday, May 12, 2017 IN THIS EMAIL [NYT] [World](#worldNews) | [U.S.](#nationalNews) | [Politics](#politicsNews) | [Business](#businessNews) | [Technology](#technologyNews) | [Sports](#sportsNews) | [Arts](#artsNews) | [N.Y./Region](#nyregionNews) | [Movies](#dailyFeatureNews) | [Today's Video](#videoNews) | [Obituaries](#obituaries) | [Editorials](#editorialsNews) | [Op-Ed](#opinionNews) | [On This Day](#onthisdayNews) | [CUSTOMIZE »]( Top News [President Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday.]( [Trump Shifts Rationale for Firing Comey, Calling Him a 'Showboat']( By PETER BAKER and MICHAEL D. SHEAR In an NBC interview, the president said he would have dismissed the F.B.I. director even if the attorney general and his deputy had not advised it. [President Trump and James B. Comey during a reception at the White House for law enforcement officials days after the inauguration.]( [In a Private Dinner, Trump Demanded Loyalty. Comey Demurred.]( By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT James B. Comey's associates say he now believes his unwillingness to pledge personal loyalty led President Trump to fire him as the F.B.I. director. [Commuters at the Canary Wharf station. The area is the matrix of London's global banking center.]( Losing London ['Brexit' Imperils London's Claim as Banker to the Planet]( By PETER S. GOODMAN Britain's abandonment of the European Union jeopardizes London's status as the leading hub of international finance. 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 [Natasha De Alencar, whose husband, Staff Sgt. Mark De Alencar of Army Special Forces, was killed in Afghanistan, held their son Marcos, 4, as the sergeant's coffin left St. Francis de Sales Church in Abingdon, Md.]( U.S. [When the Wife of a Soldier Hears a Knock at the Door]( By DAVID ZUCCHINO After Staff Sgt. Mark De Alencar's death in America's forgotten war in Afghanistan last month, his family finds solace in sharing with the nation a man his wife calls "my hero in our little world." OPINION | Editorial [The Trump-Russia Nexus]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD Many unknowns remain, but here is what we know about the collusion story so far. QUOTATION OF THE DAY "In a word, they see him as their voice. And when their voice is shouted down, disrespected or simply ignored, that is an attack on them, not just an attack on Trump." [FRANK LUNTZ]( the Republican consultant and pollster, on how people who are sympathetic to President Trump believe he is once again being held to an unfair standard. [] Today's Videos [President Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday.]( [[Video] Video: Trump on Comey: 'He's a Showboat']( President Trump told NBC's Lester Holt that the F.B.I. was in turmoil, and that he was going to fire its director, James B. Comey, regardless of any recommendation. [Restoration at Ananda temple.]( [[Video] Video: Restoring Bagan's 11th-Century Temples]( Myanmar plans to submit a World Heritage bid to Unesco for the temples of Bagan, which were clumsily restored after one earthquake and since damaged by another. Walk among the ancient monuments in 360. [[Video] Video: Anatomy of a Scene | 'King Arthur']( Guy Ritchie narrates a sequence from "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," featuring Charlie Hunnam and Jude Law. [] World [President Moon Jae-in of South Korea and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, arrived at the Blue House in Seoul after his inauguration on Wednesday.]( [Moon Jae-in of South Korea and China Move to Soothe Tensions]( By CHOE SANG-HUN President Moon Jae-in spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and said he would send a delegation to Beijing to discuss friction over a U.S. antimissile system. [Ms. Macron with her husband, then the French economy minister, at the Élysée Palace, the presidential residence, in Paris in 2015.]( [France's First Lady, a Confidante and Coach, May Break the Mold]( By SUSAN CHIRA and LILIA BLAISE Brigitte Macron, who is 24 years older than her husband, President-elect Emmanuel Macron, and has coached him during his career is expected to define her future role. [In a moment of whimsy, the students Lloyd Jack and Ruairi Gray placed a piece of fruit on a table at an arts festival in Aberdeen, Scotland.]( [How a Humble Pineapple Became Art]( By DAN BILEFSKY A prank by two students at a university in Scotland has started a conversation about what makes for a creative work. For more world news, go to [NYTimes.com/World »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] U.S. [Parishioners of Immaculate Conception Church holding a peace march in the Brighton Park neighborhood of Chicago on Wednesday.]( [A Chicago Neighborhood Faces a New Fear: Assault-Style Rifles]( By MITCH SMITH In a city where handguns are the cause of most bloodshed, one part of the South Side saw 13 people shot with the rifles in a five-day stretch. [A researcher ran tests on a miniature ecosystem of sand, sea grass, algae, invertebrates and fish that was designed to simulate the impact of climate change.]( Matter [To Simulate Climate Change, Scientists Build Miniature Worlds]( By CARL ZIMMER A series of experimental "mesocosms" in Australia show that a warming world will have unexpected effects on marine ecosystems. [Workers removing a statue of Jefferson Davis in New Orleans on Thursday morning.]( [Jefferson Davis Statue in New Orleans Is Removed]( By CHRISTOPHER MELE It was the second of four such statues or monuments targeted for removal as the city seeks to erase the vestiges of an era that celebrated racism. For more U.S. news, go to [NYTimes.com/US »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] Politics [Andrew G. McCabe, the acting director of the F.B.I., during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday. He called the bureau's Russia investigation ]( [Acting F.B.I. Chief Contradicts White House on Russia and Comey]( By ADAM GOLDMAN and MATTHEW ROSENBERG The acting director called the Russia investigation "highly significant" and said the fired F.B.I. chief had "broad support" from employees, rebutting White House claims. [A voter in Wellesley, Mass., in November. A White House official said President Trump would sign an executive order for the purpose of ]( [Trump Picks Voter ID Advocate for Election Fraud Panel]( By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS President Trump named Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state who has focused on strict voting laws, as vice chairman of a commission. [Adm. Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.]( [How Trump's N.S.A. Came to End a Disputed Type of Surveillance]( By CHARLIE SAVAGE The move increased the risk of missing something important, but removed a privacy issue at a time when the law on which the program is based will expire unless Congress extends it. For more political news, go to [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [] Business [Macy's in Herald Square in Manhattan last week. Branded credit cards accounted for 39 percent of the company's profit last year, up from 26 percent in 2013]( [Profits From Store-Branded Credit Cards Hide Depth of Retailers' Troubles]( By MICHAEL CORKERY and JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG More than one-third of profits at leading retailers like Macy's are derived from store-branded credit cards. But counting on customers' debt is not a sustainable strategy. [The skyline over Singapore's main financial district. According to one forecast, the city-state is set to become the largest cross-border financial center in the world by 2028.]( [Singapore, a Rising Home for Quiet Money, Comes Under Pressure]( By NEIL GOUGH The wealth holdings in the city-state are rising as Switzerland shares more banking information, but scandals have prompted a crackdown. [In little more than a year as the Barclays chief executive, James E. Staley has made two missteps that have resulted in shareholder protests and multiple investigations.]( Common Sense [Barclays's Latest Problem: Questions on Chief's Judgment]( By JAMES B. STEWART James E. Staley has brought vitality to the troubled bank, but two episodes have given rise to shareholder protests and multiple investigations. For more business news, go to [NYTimes.com/Business »]( [] Technology [Disappointing earnings sent Snap's stock down more than 21 percent on Thursday, two months after the company made one of the biggest tech offerings in years.]( [In Snap's Tumble, Start-Ups See a Warning From Wall Street]( By KATIE BENNER Snap's turbulent first few months as a public company are sending a cautionary signal to start-up founders thinking of taking their companies public. [Taxi drivers protested in Valencia, Spain, in April, calling on the Spanish authorities to crack down on Uber.]( [Uber Suffers Bloody Nose in Its Fight to Conquer Europe]( By MARK SCOTT A senior adviser to the European Court of Justice said the ride-hailing company should comply with the same regulations as traditional taxi businesses. [Masayoshi Son's SoftBank is leading a $502 million investment into Improbable, a British start-up focused on creating expansive virtual worlds.]( [SoftBank Leads $502 Million Stake in Virtual-Reality Designer Improbable]( By MICHAEL J. de la MERCED The investment will value the British start-up, which focuses on creating virtual worlds, at more than $1 billion. For more technology news, go to [NYTimes.com/Technology »]( [] Sports [Members of AEM Lleida after winning the championship of a junior regional boys' league.]( [The Girls' Soccer Team That Joined a Boys' League, and Won It]( By RAPHAEL MINDER AEM Lleida recently conquered 13 boys' teams in a junior regional league in Spain, where women's soccer remains mostly a sideshow. [The Masters champion Sergio García at The Players Championship on Thursday. His greatest professional accomplishment came after personal contentment.]( [Sergio García Shows That a Woman, Not a Green Jacket, Makes the Man]( By KAREN CROUSE The Masters champion found elusive love before ending his winless streak at majors. Since announcing his engagement, he's up seven spots in the rankings. [Alex Ovechkin in Game 7 of the Capitals' second-round playoff series with the Penguins on Wednesday night.]( Sports of The Times [The Title of Saddest Sports Town Now Goes to Washington]( By JULIET MACUR How does a team so good always fare so badly in the postseason? The Capitals wonder. The Nationals wonder. So do their fans. For more sports news, go to [NYTimes.com/Sports »]( [] Arts [A small model drone above a video of a building fire at an Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum exhibition.]( [Drones Kill, Yes, but They Also Rescue, Research and Entertain]( By WILLIAM GRIMES An exhibition at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum traces the history of these radio-controlled gadgets, from Lindbergh to Lady Gaga. [Kathryn Hahn and Kevin Bacon in Amazon's ]( [Review: 'I Love Dick' Sketches an Artistic Love Triangle]( By JAMES PONIEWOZIK Kathryn Hahn stars in a curious, daring and messy new series on Amazon that explores feminism, identity and power, as expressed through culture and art. [From left, Barton Cowperthwaite and Lindsay Mendez in the Encores! production of ]( [Review: A Game Effort at Polishing Up 'The Golden Apple']( By JESSE GREEN Encores! makes a marvelous if last-ditch case for the cult musical based on "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey." For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »]( Movies [Roger J. Stone Jr., a longtime political adviser to Donald J. Trump and the subject of the documentary ]( [Review: 'Get Me Roger Stone' Profiles a President Whisperer in Peacock Mode]( By MANOHLA DARGIS The operative Roger J. Stone Jr. has a scandalous history, a Nixon tattoo and boldfaced acquaintances, including President Trump, all explored in this documentary. [Goldie Hawn, left, and Amy Schumer as a mother and daughter on vacation in Ecuador.]( [Review: She's Still a Mess, but 'Snatched' Is No 'Trainwreck']( By A. O. SCOTT Amy Schumer teams up with Goldie Hawn in "Snatched." Only one of them gets to be funny. [Charlie Hunnam as the young Arthur in Guy Ritchie's film ]( [Review: Before He Was 'King Arthur,' He Was a Guy Ritchie Lad]( By MANOHLA DARGIS The Arthurian legend gets a makeover with quips, winks, body blows, digital elephants and an easy, breezy Charlie Hunnam. [Aaron Taylor-Johnson portrays a sergeant under fire in ]( [Review: In 'The Wall,' Two Trapped Soldiers and a Chatty Sniper]( By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS Working with a minimalist script and a tight budget, the director Doug Liman brings vein-popping intensity to a claustrophobic standoff in Iraq. For more movie news and reviews, go to [NYTimes.com/Movies »]( [] New York [Joseph Ponte, the correction chief, testified before City Council on Monday about accusations against his head of internal affairs.]( [Joseph Ponte to Resign as New York City Jails Chief]( By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ and WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM The expected resignation of the correction commissioner comes amid revelations about mismanagement and dysfunction. [The scene on West 58th Street in Manhattan, where Brandon L. Woodard was shot and killed on Dec. 10, 2012.]( [A Murder Trial in Which the Gunman Is Unknown]( By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr. A Queens man goes on trial next week on charges he orchestrated the killing of a California law student, who was killed in broad daylight in Midtown. [A topographical map of New York from 1874 showing original water courses.]( About New York [Tracing the Waterways Beneath the Sidewalks of New York]( By JIM DWYER Using a 19th-century map, an artist searches for the lost waterways of the Upper East Side. For more New York news, go to [NYTimes.com/NewYork »]( []Obituaries [Stan Weston at his Manhattan office in 1990 with characters he had licensed. Besides designing G.I. Joe, he created Captain Action and helped develop the cartoon series ]( [Stan Weston, 84, Dies; Sent G.I. Joe Marching Into Childhoods of Millions]( By RICHARD SANDOMIR Mr. Weston, inspired by the success of the Barbie doll, designed a line of rugged heroes. Hundreds of millions of the action figures have been sold. [Qian Qichen, center, the Chinese foreign minister, with President Jiang Zemin of China and Fidel Castro at a ceremony in Beijing in 1995.]( [Qian Qichen, Pragmatic Chinese Envoy, Dies at 89]( By CHRIS BUCKLEY As foreign minister and vice premier, Mr. Qian shaped a foreign policy that helped China chip away at its isolation from the West after the Tiananmen Square massacre. [William J. Baumol in 1981. His work influenced not only generations of economists but also policy makers, including the architects of the Clinton administration's health care initiative.]( [William J. Baumol, 95, 'One of the Great Economists of His Generation,' Dies]( By PATRICIA COHEN A Princeton and N.Y.U. professor, he identified Baumol's cost disease, which explains why the cost of services rises faster than the cost of goods. [Christopher Boykin, known as Big Black, and the professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek had their antics filmed for the MTV reality show ]( [Christopher Boykin, Half of the MTV Odd Couple 'Rob & Big,' Dies at 45]( By MAYA SALAM Mr. Boykin, known as Big Black, was the skateboarder Rob Dyrdek's bodyguard and buddy on their reality show "Rob & Big," and later appeared on "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory." For more obituaries, go to [NYTimes.com/Obituaries »]( [] Editorial [A new law in Virginia requires that driver's education courses for public schools specifically teach how to interact with police officers in traffic stops.]( Editorial [Lifesaving Lessons for Driving While Black]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD It is absurd, but sadly worthwhile, that states need to teach drivers how not to be killed by public servants. [Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general, testifying before a Senate subcommittee on Monday.]( Editorial Observer [Sally Yates's Lesson for Her Successor]( By JESSE WEGMAN To all decent people who work for an indecent president: Doing the right thing might get you fired, and that's all the more reason to do it. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] Op-Ed Op-Ed Contributor [Apple Comes to Washington]( By NATALIE HOPKINSON It feels as if the city itself is getting a brand-new operating system. [Senator John McCain at the Capitol on Wednesday.]( Op-Ed | Timothy Egan [Who Will Save the Republic?]( By TIMOTHY EGAN We're looking for a few good men and women in Congress to understand the gravity of Trump's debasement. [Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader.]( Op-Ed Columnist [Judas, Tax Cuts and the Great Betrayal]( By PAUL KRUGMAN The Republican response to Trump's cover-up will live in infamy forever. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] ON THIS DAY On May 12, 1943, during World War II, Axis forces in North Africa surrendered. [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? [Help Section »]( [.] Visit our mobile website at [m.nyt.com »]( About This Email This is an automated email. Please do not reply directly to this email. You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Today's Headlines newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2017 | The New York Times Company | NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018