(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. The global trade war had a momentary reprieve.

President Trump delayed a decision on auto tariffs, taking a step back from opening another front in the continuing conflict. He set a tight six-month deadline for the U.S. to reach agreements for automobiles imported from Europe, Japan and other countries. Above, BMWs at Columbus Terminal in Charleston, S.C.

The delay came as the White House reached agreements with Canada and Mexico to lift import tariffs on metals after a yearlong standoff.

Separately, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin rejected a House subpoena to hand over Mr. Trump’s tax returns, likely the last step before the matter heads to the courts.

_____

2. Venezuela’s fall is the largest economic collapse outside of war in decades, economists say.

The crumbling economy has now outpaced the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba’s unraveling in the 1990s and Zimbabwe’s collapse under Robert Mugabe. Corruption and misguided policies of President Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, have now brought the country to its knees. Above, men searched for salvageable items in Maracaibo.

The Times is launching a series in which we revisit major news events to see if promises made by those in power were kept. First up: Colombia’s peace deal.

And in other international news, lawmakers in Taiwan have voted to legalize same-sex marriage, a first for Asia, a region where gay rights have lagged.

_____

3. Low-income college students are being taxed like trust-fund babies because of a little-noticed provision in President Trump’s new tax law. Now, higher-education leaders want Congress to fix it.

Students with large financial aid packages are finding their non-tuition assistance taxed by as much as 37 percent, even if their family income tax rates are lower. Republicans say they had not anticipated the tax hike on low-income scholarship winners, and that they are working as quickly as possible to address the issue. Above, Queens College in New York.

Separately, the House passed sweeping legislation that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Trump administration opposes the measure.

_____

4. Missouri lawmakers passed a bill criminalizing abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, without exception for cases of rape or incest. Four other states have passed similar laws this year.

Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, is expected to sign it into law, although other so-called heartbeat bills have been suspended in court challenges. If enacted, doctors who break the law would be prosecuted and could receive prison sentences of five to 15 years. Above, abortion rights advocates at the state capitol in Jefferson City.

In Alabama, which passed the country’s most restrictive law this week, opposition to the procedure runs deep. A majority of women in the state oppose abortion, and for many of them, the ban was a triumph.

_____

5. Unions are rethinking how they balance their responsibilities in sexual harassment cases.

The most difficult conflicts arise when one union member accuses another of harassment. Such is the case for Amar Ramasar, above, a New York City Ballet dancer who was fired for sharing sexually explicit photos of a dancer with a colleague. An arbitrator ordered he be reinstated.

Separately, an Ohio State team doctor sexually abused at least 177 men over decades and officials knew about the actions for years, a university report found. The university said that Richard Strauss, who committed suicide in 2005, groped students under the guise of providing medical treatment.

_____

6. “I serve as a steppingstone for everything else that is going to come to the Citadel.”

For most of its 176-year history, the military college in South Carolina did not admit undergraduate women. That changed in 1995. But it wasn’t until last year that the school appointed its first female regimental commander, Sarah Zorn.

As the head of the student body, Ms. Zorn led the corps’ five battalions and 21 companies, some 2,400 cadets. Our photographer followed Ms. Zorn over the last year.

_____

7. We have news on the obesity front.

A new study suggests intervening early in cases of extreme obesity may help. Researchers followed 161 teenagers and 369 adults for five years after weight-loss surgery and found that teenagers actually fared better than adults.

In recent years, many nutrition experts have linked the obesity epidemic to the spread of ultra-processed foods. New research provides strong evidence that these foods not only tend to make people eat more, but may result in dramatic and rapid weight gain.

_____

8. Hope is slipping away from the Portland Trailblazers.

The Blazers are staring at a 2-0 deficit, which means that they would need to win four of their next five games against the Golden State Warriors. The Blazers have shown their toughness in the playoffs, our basketball reporter writes, but the Warriors’s will to win seems as strong as ever. Game 3 is Saturday in Portland.

Back on the golf course: Tiger Woods has reclaimed golf’s spotlight heading into the P.G.A. Championship this weekend, but his stardom has not produced a diverse array of stars, which some had predicted.

_____

9. The sculptor Jeff Koons has long been a lightning rod in the art world. Our art critic says it’s time to stop hating him.

Earlier this week, “The Rabbit” by Mr. Koons sold for $91.1 million, including fees, smashing the record at auction for a work by a living artist. Roberta Smith offers a defense of his work — and writes why his work continues to speak to us. Above, the artist and sculpture in February.

We also have a review of “Boom” by Michael Shnayerson, a dishy look at the art world’s most powerful gallerists — including Larry Gagosian, Mr. Koons’s dealer — about how artworks became multimillion-dollar commodities.

_____

10. And lastly, saying goodbye to a beloved feline.

Grumpy Cat, the ubiquitous internet celebrity know for her permanent expression of discontent, died this week at the age of 7. The announcement of the cat’s death was one of the best-read stories on our site today.

Many cats have had moments of mini-fame on the internet, but few, if any, have had the reach and staying power of Grumpy Cat, whose actual name was Tardar Sauce. She even appeared in a Lifetime movie, above.

Have cheerful weekend.

_____

Correction: An earlier version of this briefing incorrectly referred to the location of BMWs in a photo caption. The automobiles were at the Columbus Terminal in Charleston, S.C., not Columbus, S.C.

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing. Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning.

Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at [email protected].

Source: Read Full Article