Wednesday Briefing: A legal blow to Trump

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February 7, 2024

By Amelia Nierenberg Writer, Briefings

Good morning. We’re covering a court ruling against Donald Trump and an Israeli report on the death of hostages in Gaza.

Plus, a Korean food renaissance in New York.

Donald Trump is at the center of at least four separate criminal investigations. Dave Sanders for The New York Times

A court rejected Trump’s immunity claim

A federal appeals court rejected Donald Trump’s claim of absolute immunity in a criminal indictment accusing him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. The court ruled that he was subject to federal criminal law — like any other American — and must stand trial.

The ruling is unlikely to be the final word. Trump, who is on track to win the Republican presidential nomination, is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court.

But it is an important moment in American law. The ruling answered a question that an appeals court had never addressed: Can former presidents escape being held accountable by the criminal justice system for things they did while in office?

“For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant,” the panel of judges wrote. “But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as president no longer protects him against this prosecution.”

What’s next: If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, there is a chance that a trial on the election charges would occur before the general election in November. But if the justices take their time, it is possible that a trial could be delayed until after the election. Were Trump to win, he would be in a position to ask the Justice Department to dismiss the case or even seek to pardon himself.

For more: Here is where each of Trump’s four criminal cases stand.

A board in Tel Aviv displays pictures of hostages. Susana Vera/Reuters

A fifth of the Gaza hostages are dead, Israel said

Israeli intelligence officers say that at least 32 of the remaining 136 Israeli hostages have died. That’s about a fifth of all the hostages who were captured by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack.

The deaths are confirmed, and military officials said that the families have been informed. The Israeli officials also said that officers were also assessing intelligence that indicated that at least 20 other hostages may have also been killed.

The news will likely worsen a debate in Israel over the government’s approach to the war in Gaza. Survivors and families of the hostages have said that the campaign is endangering their loved ones. They have wanted Israel to prioritize a new hostage deal, instead of pressing ahead with its invasion.

Cease-fire: Hamas has responded to a cease-fire framework that could free hostages in Gaza. The U.S. secretary of state said that there is “a lot of work to be done.”

A visual investigation: An analysis of social media found Israeli soldiers in Gaza filming themselves and destroying what appears to be civilian property.

King Charles had 425 royal engagements last year, The Daily Telegraph reported. Alberto Pezzali/Associated Press

What’s next after King Charles’s diagnosis

Prince Harry arrived in London yesterday to visit his father, leading to speculation that the King’s health crisis could prompt a reconciliation between Harry and his family.

The burden of the king’s illness is likely to fall heavily on his 41-year-old heir, William, who would take on the king’s duties were he to become incapacitated. My colleague Mark Landler writes that the sidelining of Charles, who has been a highly visible royal, may finally force the royals to rethink how they choose to project themselves in a social-media age.

Context: The king’s cancer diagnosis is the latest blow to the British royal family, which has seen its ranks depleted by death (Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip), scandal (Prince Andrew), self-exile (Harry and his wife, Meghan), and other health woes (Catherine, William’s wife).

Cancer diagnosis: Experts weighed in on what type of cancer the king might have, and noted that such a diagnosis was not unheard-of during routine examinations.

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Martine Moïse, the widow of President Jovenel Moïse. Maria Alejandra Cardona for The New York Times

The Middle East

Russia

Tucker Carlson has been in Moscow for a few days. Rebecca Noble for The New York Times

Business and Tech

What Else Is Happening

A Morning Read

An artist’s rendering of a giant sail that scientists want to send into space to block some solar radiation. Technion Israel Institute of Technology and Asher Space Research Institute

A “sun shield” was once seen as a fringe idea to fight climate change. Now, a team of scientists says that it could launch a prototype of one of the giant parasols into space in just a few years.

Lives lived: Toby Keith was a larger-than-life star in American country music. He died at 62.

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

It’s not uncommon for a dish at Hojokban, a sleek Korean restaurant in New York, to go viral on TikTok or Instagram. Janice Chung for The New York Times

The cutting edge of Korean food in N.Y.C.

Korean dining in New York has never been more interesting, dynamic or diverse. A single company, which owns or co-owns 21 restaurants — including the lauded Atoboy and Atomix — is generating much of that innovation.

The company, Hand Hospitality, has achieved in its restaurants what many non-Western establishments in the U.S. still find difficult: winning wide appeal while focusing on a narrow audience — in this case, young Koreans and Korean Americans keen for a taste of the energy pouring out of South Korea.

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Stir: Pasta and lentils is a warm pantry staple.

Read: In “Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here,” Jonathan Blitzer reckons with the migrant crisis.

Stop: Cut back on aimless phone scrolling.

Pare: Clean out your closet.

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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