Wednesday Briefing: Senate votes on Ukraine aid

April 24, 2024

	By Amelia Nierenberg

Good morning. We’re covering the U.S. Senate vote to approve aid for Ukraine and testimony from a former tabloid publisher at Donald Trump’s trial.

Plus how A.I. could change India’s elections.

People waving Ukraine flags outside the Capitol.

Activists waving Ukrainian flags outside the U.S. Capitol yesterday. Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

U.S. moved toward approving Ukraine aid bill

The Senate is on track to pass the $95 billion package of foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. A final vote is expected in the next few hours, and President Biden plans to sign it.

The bill would be a major boost for Ukraine, where troops are fighting Russia with dwindling stores of munitions. It was stalled for months by Republican lawmakers, which had prompted a wave of concern in Kyiv and across Europe that the U.S. would turn its back on Ukraine.

“What this aid means, in the most simple terms, is guns and bullets,” my colleague Marc Santora, who has been reporting from Ukraine since the beginning of the war, told us.

He said it would also provide “a much-needed boost for the morale of both Ukrainian soldiers on the front and civilians living under the threat of near-nightly Russian drone and missile bombardments.”

The breakthrough in Congress is also a boost for Biden, who has spent months pledging support for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The bill gives him a push at a time when his credibility and U.S. leadership have been questioned on the world stage.

What’s next: The first significant U.S. military aid for Ukraine in 16 months could arrive quickly. “Most military analysts think that it will take a month or two before we see it really change the dynamic on the front,” Marc said.

High tech warfare: For the U.S. military, the war has been a testing ground for new A.I. tools and other rapidly evolving technologies. The question remains whether the high tech will be enough to help turn the tide of the war as the Russians appear to have regained momentum.

Donald Trump wearing a suit and a red tie sitting in a courtroom.

Court resumes tomorrow. Pool photo by Yuki Iwamura

A tabloid publisher testified against Trump

Donald Trump sat through a bruising session in court yesterday. The judge questioned his lawyer’s credibility and a key witness pulled back the curtain on what prosecutors said was a conspiracy to influence the 2016 election.

“To me, he’s looked far angrier yesterday and today than he did during all of last week, during jury selection,” said my colleague Jonah Bromwich, who is reporting from the courtroom.

In the pivotal stretch of testimony, David Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer, described a 2015 meeting with Trump and his fixer, Michael Cohen. He said the men had asked him what he and his magazines could do “to help the campaign.” That statement supports the prosecution’s argument that they were aiding Trump’s campaign, not just protecting his reputation.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain sits at a table flanked by ministers.

Britain’s Conservative government won passage of its flagship immigration policy on Monday. Pool photo by Toby Melville

U.K. moves to send asylum seekers to Rwanda

The passage of a contentious bill by Britain’s Parliament on Monday put the country closer to sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.

The legislation overrides a ruling by the Supreme Court that deemed the plan unlawful. The law describes Rwanda as “a safe country” for refugees, after judges ruled that is not. The government says the policy will be a deterrent, especially to people who try to cross the English Channel on flimsy boats. Yesterday, at least five people died while trying to cross the Channel.

Rishi Sunak, Britain’s prime minister, said the first flights to deport asylum seekers would not depart until June or July. Legal experts say the plan is deeply flawed, and rights groups have vowed to fight any attempts to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

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MORE TOP NEWS

The Middle East

A group of people are bathed in red light from a flare being held up by one person. Another person waves a Palestinian flag.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators near the N.Y.U. campus after arrests by the police. Adam Gray for The New York Times

U.S.: Universities are trying to contain pro-Palestinian protests. Students are building encampments, and Harvard has closed its yard to the public. See photos and video from campuses.
Bodies: The U.N. human rights office called for an independent investigation into two mass graves found after Israeli forces withdrew from hospitals in Gaza.
UNRWA: The U.N. and other nations said donors should restore funding for the agency that supports Palestinians after a review found that Israel hadn’t given evidence for its claims that many employees were part of terrorist groups.
Gaza: Read about two families who are trying to find enough food to keep their children alive.

International News

Russia: Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained for over a year, was ordered to stay in prison until at least the end of June. His detention is likely to be extended.
Olympics: A new study challenged the rush to enact policies barring transgender women from women’s sports. An author said it found that “trans women are not biological men.”
Taiwan: A series of earthquakes shook the island, partly toppling four buildings, less than a month after a quake that killed 17 people.
Germany: An aide to a far-right lawmaker in the European Parliament was arrested on suspicion of spying for China, hours after three other people suspected of passing secrets to Beijing were detained.
Malaysia: Two Navy helicopters collided during a training session in the state of Perak, killing all 10 people on board.

Zoom In

Myanmar: Resistance strongholds have almost no internet, cell service or electricity. Young rebels have still found a bright side to the blackout.
India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vilification of Muslims made clear he had few checks on his power at home or abroad.

MORNING READ

Dozens of diners sit at long tables inside a community canteen in the middle of the day. There are young and old people.

A neighborhood canteen in Shanghai. Qilai Shen for The New York Times

Community canteens in China cater to seniors, offering huge plates for just a dollar or two. But in these tough economic times, they have grown popular among penny-pinching young professionals.

The portions are often so generous that they can be stretched out over several meals, and diners can often be seen packing away dishes they haven’t finished.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

The main attraction: Every year, millions visit a house in England known as Shakespeare’s Birthplace. But no one actually knows where he was born.
Pasta myths: Do noodles really have to be cooked al dente?
What makes a desert tortoise happy? Researchers are trying to get inside the minds of many animal species in order to improve their lives.

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

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ARTS AND IDEAS

An A.I. generated image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking.

A.I. comes to India’s elections

For a glimpse of where artificial intelligence is headed in election campaigns, look to India, the world’s largest democracy, where voters are casting ballots until June 1.

Some campaigns have deployed A.I. avatars of candidates. An A.I.-generated version of Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows him addressing voters directly, by name. Workers in Modi’s party send out video messages to voters that can be automatically generated in any of India’s dozens of languages.

As the technology races onto the political scene, there are few guardrails to prevent its misuse. Some experts worry that voters will have a difficult time distinguishing between real and synthetic messages.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A bowl of salmon, rice, cucumber, coleslaw mix and avocado.

Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Cook: This salmon meal is inspired by chirashi, the beloved Japanese rice and raw fish bowls.

Play: African myths inspired this video game.

Consider: Taking multiple medications? You may want to scale back.

Clean: Your microwave could use some love.

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

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

Email us at briefing@nytimes.com.

Daniel E. Slotnik contributed reporting. Thanks to Marc Santora.

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