The New York Times - Thursday Briefing: Trump’s victory lap

November 14, 2024

	By Gaya Gupta

Good morning. We’re covering a White House meeting for President-elect Donald Trump and Ukraine’s shift on peace talks.

Plus, an artist sticks up for A.I.

President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with President Biden in the Oval Office.

Doug Mills/The New York Times

Trump took a victory lap in Washington

President-elect Donald Trump met briefly with President Biden in the Oval Office yesterday in a triumphant return to the White House. They were gracious to each other during brief remarks.

“Welcome back,” Biden said — an acknowledgment of his failure to prevent Trump’s return to power.

Before his meeting with Biden, Trump spoke in front of a jubilant gathering of Republican congressmen and joked about a third term. “Isn’t it nice to win?” he asked to applause by fellow Republicans.

With him was Elon Musk, who has been given considerable influence in Trump’s transition, and is leading an effort to make the government smaller and more efficient.

Secretary of Defense: Trump tapped the Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth to be his defense secretary, a choice that was outside the norm.

America First team: He also nominated Senator Marco Rubio of Florida to be his secretary of state and Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, to serve as the director of national intelligence. They fill out a team that will prioritize an America First position, and fits comfortably with Trump’s worldview, in which deal-making reigns over ideology.

More on Trump

Senate Republicans chose John Thune to replace Mitch McConnell as the party’s leader, rejecting Trump’s pick, Rick Scott.
Trump said he would nominate Representative Matt Gaetz, who was investigated for human trafficking, to be his attorney general.
Both of Trump’s nominees to serve as envoys to the Middle East have signaled strong support for Israel.

On the campaign trail, Trump proposed shutting down the Department of Education. But is that possible?
Control of the House of Representatives remains unclear, though analysts say Republicans are favored to win a narrow majority.
The worlds of fashion and wine are bracing for Trump’s promise to raise tariffs.
Here is a list of Trump’s cabinet nominations. Follow our live updates on the Trump transition.

A Ukrainian soldier near Toretsk, Ukraine, last month. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

Ukraine is shifting its peace priorities

With Trump pushing for a quick end to the war in Ukraine, the government in Kyiv is changing its tune when it comes to peace talks. After months of refusing to cede any territory occupied by Russia, Ukrainian officials are now prioritizing guarantees that a cease-fire will hold.

“The territorial question is extremely important, but it’s still the second question,” a senior Ukrainian official said. “The first question is security guarantees.”

But security guarantees are likely to be a thorny issue. Officials in Kyiv have been seeking NATO membership to prevent renewed attacks from Russia. The Kremlin has signaled that such a move would be a deal breaker for any cease-fire agreement. Western officials have signaled that they want Ukraine to join NATO, but not on any kind of accelerated timetable.

What’s next: Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited NATO headquarters to help plan for a post-Biden future.

On the ground: Russia aimed a volley of missiles at Kyiv, ending a more than two-month pause of such attacks on the capital.

Benjamin Netanyahu, in a dark blue suit, a white shirt and an electric blue tie, looks to the side. Several people surround him.

Amir Cohen/Reuters

Netanyahu must testify as planned, a court ruled

An Israeli court rejected a new request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay testifying at his corruption trial on Dec. 2. The trial has stretched on since 2020 as the court has made its way through a list of more than 300 witnesses. His testimony has already been delayed once.

Netanyahu is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust over accusations that he did favors for tycoons in exchange for gifts and sympathetic media coverage for himself and his family. He has denied the charges.

In other Middle East news:

Aid deliveries to Gaza remain low, despite the U.S. threat last month to cut military aid to Israel if the flow didn’t increase.
A militant group released a video of Sasha Troufanov, an Israeli Russian dual citizen, who was taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7. It was the first sign of him since May.
A C.I.A. official was charged with leaking classified documents that appeared to show Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran.

MORE TOP NEWS

A woman stands in the middle of a pile of rubble.

Shops razed by state authorities in Nuh, India. Saumya Khandelwal for The New York Times

India: The Supreme Court outlawed “bulldozer justice,” in which state authorities raze the homes and businesses of people, most often Muslims, as retribution.
France: Five years after a devastating fire, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will reopen to the public on Dec. 7.
Diplomacy: President Biden will meet with President Xi Jinping of China on Saturday during a global summit in Peru.
Philippines: Four storms are churning in the North Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, the most ever recorded in November.
U.K.: In a bid to curb knife crime, the government plans to fine tech executives personally for illicit weapon sales on their platforms.
Climate: Negotiators at the COP29 summit agree that trillions of dollars are needed to help lower-income countries adapt. They can’t agree on who should pay.
Military: The U.S.S. Edsall, an American destroyer that was sunk by Japan during World War II, was found off the coast of Australia.

Religion: Justin Welby resigned as archbishop of Canterbury, making the question of who succeeds him urgent. Here’s what happens next.

Sports

A man with a short gray beard wearing a navy blue zip-up sweater.

Paul Childs/Action Images, via Reuters

Soccer: Manchester City have lost four games in a row, the first time that has happened to the team’s manager, Pep Guardiola. How worried should they be?
N.F.L.: The Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, is as loved by his team as he is highly rated.
N.B.A.: Klay Thompson was given a hero’s welcome on his return to the Golden State Warriors after his off-season departure.

MORNING READ

A police officer stands in front of a building as a worker removes flower bouquets in the background.

Tingshu Wang/Reuters

A man plowed an S.U.V. into a crowd on Monday in the Chinese city of Zhuhai, killing at least 35 people. It was the country’s deadliest known violent attack in a decade. But just two days later, flowers left in memorial and videos about the attack online were being quietly removed.

This is right out of Beijing’s playbook in times of tragedy to stifle potential questions or criticism of the authorities. It appears to be working.

Lives lived: Timothy West, a staple of British television who played kings and prime ministers over a long career, is dead at 90.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Collector beware: Italian officials seized about 21,000 fake works of art as part of an effort to dismantle a Europe-wide network of forgers and dealers.
When in Rome (or Berlin): Since the connection-starved pandemic era, the international sex party scene is booming.
Their own lane: Big streaming companies haven’t killed the little platforms. They’re thriving in their niches.

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

ARTS AND IDEAS

A .gif shows a sculpture being carved based on A.I. specifications.

Amir Hamja for The New York Times

Is A.I. a friend or foe to artists?

While many artists view A.I. as a threat, Alexander Reben sees it as a collaborator. Reben was the first artist in residence at OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. Using the startup’s tools, he turned text prompts into sculptures, still images, poems and even satire.

OpenAI says artists like Reben help it understand the potential of A.I. But some artists see the residency as a strategy to appease them over their work being used to train A.I. systems without permission, credit or payment. Take a look at a few of Reben’s A.I.-assisted creations.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A white plate with sausages and red grapes on it.

David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews

Cook: Any kind of sausages can be combined with roasted grapes and vinegar-spiked onions in this cozy dish.

Read: Samantha Harvey’s “Orbital” won the Booker Prize.

Focus: New research suggests that staying busy may ease the negative effects of A.D.H.D.

Align: To save your neck, try a laptop stand.

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

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

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

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on: