Wednesday Briefing: Trump’s immunity claim in court

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January 10, 2024

By Amelia Nierenberg Writer, Briefings

Good morning. We’re covering a hearing on Donald Trump’s immunity and a year of record heat.

Plus, 52 travel destinations.

Donald Trump after a court hearing yesterday. Susan Walsh/Associated Press

Is Trump immune from criminal charges?

At a hearing in Washington yesterday, judges expressed deep skepticism about Donald Trump’s claim that he was immune from charges of plotting to subvert the 2020 election. Trump’s lawyers argued that he should not face prosecution because the charges stem from actions that he took as president.

The panel of three federal appeals court judges peppered one of Trump’s lawyers with tough questions about the immunity claims. Trump — who is on track to win the Republican presidential nomination — was there, but did not speak.

One judge seemed less than persuaded that Trump was upholding his constitutional duty to preserve the integrity of the election when he sought to overturn his loss.

“I think it’s paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate the criminal law,” said Judge Karen Henderson, the sole Republican appointee.

Here are five takeaways.

The issue of immunity is likely to reach the Supreme Court, which is already hearing another crucial question about whether Trump can be removed from state ballots. The pace and outcome of the immunity question will be central in deciding when, or whether, Trump will go to trial in the election interference case, which is scheduled for March. It could also help determine the timing of his three other criminal trials.

That timing could have a major impact on the 2024 presidential race. A recent poll found that nearly a quarter of his supporters think he should not be the Republican nominee if he is found guilty of a crime. “In a close race, it might be decisive even if only a sliver of voters refuse to vote for a felon,” our top political analyst has suggested.

A ‘frightening’ future: One of the judges asked whether a president could be criminally charged for ordering U.S. soldiers to assassinate a rival. Trump’s lawyer said a prosecution would be possible only if the president had first been found guilty in an impeachment proceeding.

In his response, the lawyer representing the government warned of “an extraordinarily frightening future” if a president could order the military to murder a rival and then escape criminal liability.

Background: Here’s a timeline of Trump’s pattern of pressure to overturn the 2020 election.

The New York Times

The hottest year on record

Last year was Earth’s warmest — by far — in a century and a half. Month after month, global temperatures shot past records.

Scientists also said that 2023 appeared to be among the warmest in at least 100,000 years. And this year could be even warmer.

“There were simply no cities, no books, agriculture or domesticated animals on this planet the last time the temperature was so high,” said an E.U. scientist. Researchers are trying to understand whether 2023 foretells many more years in which heat records are not merely broken, but smashed.

Greenhouse gas emissions are the main driver of global warming. But El Niño, the recurrent weather pattern, didn’t start until midyear — which means that it may not have been a main driver of abnormal warmth, scientists said. This year it could be.

Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad last year. Saiyna Bashir for The New York Times

Election disinformation will rise to new heights in 2024

False narratives and conspiracy theories have evolved into a global menace, and around half of the world’s population is preparing to vote in major elections this year. It’s a pivotal moment for rampant disinformation.

Foreign influence campaigns target polarizing domestic challenges. A.I. has supercharged propaganda efforts and distorted perceptions of reality. And major social media companies have scaled back their safeguards and downsized election teams ahead of contests that will affect how the world is run for decades.

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Asia Pacific

An air-raid alert about a Chinese satellite that flew over Taiwan airspace yesterday. Ann Wang/Reuters

The War in Gaza

Around the World

Other Big Stories

Sinead O’Connor performing in Vancouver in the late 1980s. Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A Morning Read

A wildlife photographer in Wales caught a mouse decluttering his backyard shed. Animal News Agency

For months, someone — or something — had been tidying up a retiree’s workbench in Wales after him, placing miscellaneous items in a small box. So he set up a night-vision camera to capture the helper.

“Lo and behold,” he said, “I got a video of the mouse.”

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times.

Asanka Brendon Ratnayake for The New York Times

52 places to go

Every year, the Travel desk offers up a list of travel spots. This year’s list features an elephant rehabilitation program in Kenya, sea-sculpted monoliths in Quebec and a lesser-known home of masterpieces in Italy.

Here are some more picks:

Mustang, Nepal: This ancient Himalayan kingdom is a bastion of traditional Tibetan culture, preserved for centuries by its remoteness. Visitors can take wilderness treks through mountain ranges and visit the well-preserved medieval fortress of Lo Manthang.

Yamaguchi, Japan: It’s called the Kyoto of the West, but this compact city has considerably less “tourism pollution.” The Rurikoji Temple is a national treasure, and Yamaguchi’s winding lanes offer pottery kilns, chic coffee shops and counter-only restaurants.

New Zealand, by train: Road-tripping via camper van is a free-spirited traveler’s dream. But a simpler and more sustainable way to go is by train, which can take you past volcanic peaks, world-class vineyards and dolphin pods.

Find more inspiration here.

Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

Cook: This frittata is easy and cheesy.

Drink: What makes a wine “good”?

Exercise: Yoga blocks are more versatile than you might think.

Dare: Go ahead. Wear a matching sweatsuit.

Play Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today’s briefing. See you tomorrow. — Amelia

We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.

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