Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
Let the Games beginThe 25th Winter Olympics formally kicked off today in Italy, where four separate parades at four far-flung sites reflected the geographical expansiveness of this year’s Games. Check out the highlights. The opening ceremonies celebrated Italian culture in sometimes extravagant style. At the main ceremony in Milan, green, white and red were everywhere, up-tempo dance performances filled the stage, Andrea Bocelli performed and Mariah Carey sang in Italian. The Olympics are typically a show of global harmony, but politics have proved hard to ignore against the backdrop of a fraying world order. Scattered protests took place today in Milan, including one opposing ICE, whose personnel are in Italy to advise U.S. security forces. The sporting events technically began on Wednesday, but the first medals will be handed out in skiing events tomorrow morning. The U.S. is coming into this Olympics with high expectations, in part because of collaborations with Norway, which has dominated the Winter Games since they began. American medal hopefuls include Ilia Malinin, a figure skater nicknamed Quad God for his signature quadruple jumps; the women’s hockey team, led by Laila Edwards; and the ice dance duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates. The skier Lindsey Vonn, who is one of the biggest U.S. stars at the Games, is still planning to compete for a medal this weekend despite a torn A.C.L. However, in ski racing, the best racers often don’t win. For more: Take our quiz to test your knowledge of the Winter Games.
After outcry, Trump deletes video depicting Obamas as apesPresident Trump posted a video on his social media site last night that included a blatantly racist portrayal of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. The clip was loudly condemned by many of the president’s critics and even some of his allies. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Initially, the White House brushed off criticism of the video as “fake outrage” and made no attempt to distance the president from it. But after hours of criticism, Trump deleted the video from his account. In other Trump administration news:
U.S. and Iranian officials meet for talks to stave off a conflictTalks held today between Iranian and U.S. officials in Oman were a “good start” and exclusively about its nuclear program, Iran’s foreign minister said. He seemed to rule out the possibility of discussing Iran’s ballistic missile program or its support for militant groups, as U.S. officials had called for. A Times analysis of satellite imagery showed that Iran appeared to have rapidly repaired several ballistic missile facilities that were damaged in strikes by Israel and the U.S. last year. It has made only limited fixes to major nuclear sites. More top newsImmigration
Other Big Stories
Are you ready for the Super Bowl?This weekend, millions of Americans will gather with family and friends to watch what has become one of America’s most cherished annual traditions: the Super Bowl. If you care about the game, it should be fun. The Seattle Seahawks have a top-tier defense, and are widely favored to win. But the New England Patriots, who were abysmal the previous couple of years, keep finding ways to win behind their young quarterback, Drake Maye. We’ve got guides on what to look for when the Seahawks have the ball, and when the Patriots do. Some people, however, will be more interested in the ads (dozens of which our critic has already ranked) or the halftime show, when the Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny will deliver the Super Bowl’s first all-Spanish performance. For more: My colleague Jenna Russell has a fun dispatch from New England, where some locals aren’t so fond of the home team.
A farewell to pocket-size booksMass market paperbacks are short, squat and flimsy books that were originally designed to fit in your pocket and cost no more than a pack of cigarettes. They filled wire racks in drugstores, supermarkets and train stations and sold in enormous quantities. But now they’re heading toward extinction. Our books reporter Elizabeth Harris discussed the demise of mass market paperbacks with the author Stephen King, who said he grew up buying 35-cent mass markets at the drugstore and was sad to see them go. “The mass market paperbacks were democratic,” King said.
Dinner table topics
Cook: This tortellini soup is a cozy way to warm up your evening. Watch: Our critics are talking about “The President’s Cake” and eight other new movies. Read: “The Oak and the Larch” is one of our Book Review’s top picks of the w |
