Your Friday Evening Briefing – The New York Times

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Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.

When the police arrived, they found the suspect, David DePape, and Pelosi standing calmly, each with a hand on a large hammer. After the police demanded that they drop it, the intruder wrested away control of the weapon and slammed it into Pelosi’s skull.

The court also released a recording of a 911 call made by Pelosi as well as surveillance footage of the break-in, after a consortium of media outlets petitioned the court to make the evidence available to the public.

3. US officials said that there’s no evidence that any of its aid to Ukraine has been stolen.

The ouster of several top Ukrainian officials this week following accusations of government corruption renewed questions about how billions of dollars of US aid has been spent. Even the perception of fraud could threaten American political support for continued assistance, and any eventual postwar reconstruction.

But a US official said yesterday that the administration “has not seen credible evidence of any diversion of US-provided weapons outside of Ukraine.” Biden administration officials also say that the recent crackdown shows that President Volodymyr Zelensky is committed to fighting the problem.

4. Republicans re-elected a Trump loyalist as head of the RNC

Ronna McDaniel was chosen for a fourth two-year term atop the party’s national committee, despite spirited calls for a leadership change after three successive electoral disappointments. During the race, she was accused of being held to Trump, who had handpicked her in 2017. And Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida weighed in, urging “new blood” at the committee.

The heated campaign exposed deep discontent among Republicans as the party gears up for what is likely to be a wide-open primary for the 2024 presidential election.

In related news, Ads for major brands are all but absent from Trump’s Truth Social network. Instead, many are for miracle cures, gun accessories and Trump-themed trinkets.

5. The Colorado River is drying up, but states cannot agree on reducing their use of water.

The federal government may soon impose cuts in the water supply of 40 million Americans if seven southwestern states are unable to voluntarily make deep reductions in their water use by the end of the month.

The demand for the reduction, on a scale without parallel in American history, has been prompted by precipitous declines in the sizes of Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Drought and climate change have caused water levels in the lakes to plummet.

In other climate news, Tribal groups are fighting a proposed Arizona copper mine that backers say is critical to reduce fossil-fuel use.

6. New guidelines call for early and intensive interventions for children with obesity.

The American Academy of Pediatrics altered its view on childhood obesity this month, arguing that it should no longer be stigmatized as simply the result of personal choices, but understood as a complex disease with health implications.

The organization said that pediatricians should offer prompt referrals to intensive lifestyle treatment programs, in addition to prescribing weight loss drugs or advising surgery in some cases. The recommendations came as a surprise to some experts, who warned that some of the more aggressive interventions may have harmful long-term effects.

In other health news, an expert panel recommended that the US adopt stricter rules on risky virus research. The White House will decide whether to adopt the policy.

7. Joe Rogan started a bone rush in New York City.

About a month ago, Rogan, perhaps the world’s most popular podcaster, interviewed a fossil collector on his show who made an explosive claim: Tens of thousands of woolly mammoth tusks were dumped into the East River around 1940, he said, because the Museum of Natural History didn’t want them.

In the weeks since, several teams from around the country have descended upon the city and gone diving in search of the treasured bones, but none have been found, raising questions about the size of the supposed cache. Two scientists who had written the research used as evidence on Rogan’s show said they found it unlikely that any tusks had been dumped in the river in the first place.

8. A high-profile chef is trading the New York restaurant scene for West Africa.

Roze Traore checked all of the boxes for a chef pursuing fine dining stardom in the US, including stints at the luxurious Eleven Madison Park and the restaurant at the NoMad Hotel.

But recently, he dropped that path to start anew in a place that feels more like home, opening a boutique hotel and restaurant in Ivory Coast, the country where he had spent a portion of his childhood.

“I want to make another contribution to the beautiful things in this country,” Traore said. “I want to change people’s perspective.”

9. LeBron James is closing in on the NBA’s career scoring record.

James, 38, has been one of the league’s most dominant players for nearly two decades — collecting four championships and four MVP awards — and his induction into the Hall of Fame is practically a foregone conclusion. Now, he is likely just a handful of games away from breaking one of the sport’s most coveted records.

As of tonight, James stands just 158 ​​points away from eclipsing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career total of 38,387. At his current pace, James could break the record by early February.

this weekend, the NF.L.’s conference championships will decide who makes it to the Super Bowl. Here are our picks.

10. And finally, a bridal arm meant to shine.

Sara Hughes, from East London, was born without a left hand and has worn a prosthetic forearm and hand since she was a toddler. She spent years searching for an arm that would blend in perfectly, hoping to avoid the attention drawn by off-the-shelf models.

But for her wedding, Hughes opted to take a different path. Working with a bespoke prosthetics artist, she designed a limb that intentionally stands out — a moonstone forearm with a shining silver hand — and swapped it for her realistic-looking arm for the ceremony . “It was such an empowering moment for me,” she said.

Have a glowing weekend.

Brent Lewis compiled photos for this briefing.

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