Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday.
The Supreme Court will hear Trump's immunity claim in AprilThe Supreme Court agreed today to decide whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. The justices scheduled arguments for the week of April 22, putting trial proceedings on pause at least until then. The court will decide this question: "Whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office," according to the court's brief order. How quickly the justices were to take up the case has been closely watched, as Trump has sought to delay the proceedings. Trump argued that appeals court judges had been wrong to rule that he could be criminally charged for his conduct as president. Total immunity for his official conduct, Trump's application said, is required by the separation of powers. In New York, Trump said it was currently "impossible" for him to cover the more than $450 million judgment he faces in his civil fraud case without selling some of his properties. Trump offered a $100 million bond instead, in a request to pause judgment pending his appeal, but the request was denied, exposing him to a potential financial disaster.
McConnell will step down from his leadership roleMitch McConnell, who has been the top Senate Republican for the last 18 years, making him the chamber's longest-serving leader in history, announced today that he would give up his leadership position following the November elections. The move was not a surprise. McConnell, who turned 82 last week, suffered a serious fall last year and experienced some episodes where he momentarily froze in front of the media. In addition, some of his views, especially on foreign policy, had put him out of step with a party now headed by Donald Trump. Still, my colleague Carl Hulse, who has covered Washington for nearly 40 years, told me: "McConnell's departure from leadership will represent a tectonic shift, where the majority of senators have never known a Senate where Mitch McConnell was not the Republican leader." McConnell, regarded as a master tactician, will be most remembered for installing three conservatives on the Supreme Court, Carl said. But he acknowledged in a speech today on the Senate floor that some of his strongest political beliefs were no longer widely accepted in his party. Hakeem Jeffries, who leads the Democrats in the House, suggested that stepping down would free McConnell to push more aggressively for military assistance to Ukraine. "It says something about the state of the Republican Party that in many far-right circles McConnell is not considered conservative enough these days," Carl said.
Justices appeared divided over a bump stock banThe Supreme Court wrestled today with the issue of whether the Trump administration had acted lawfully when it banned so-called bump stocks. The firearm accessory was used during a mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, the deadliest in modern U.S. history. During arguments, the justices appeared to be split largely along ideological lines. Some conservatives suggested that the administration may have overstepped its bounds by imposing a ban without action by Congress. The liberals raised their concerns about reversing the ban on the attachment, which enables a semiautomatic rifle to fire at speeds rivaling that of a machine gun. A decision is unlikely before June.
Fast-spreading wildfires prompted evacuations in TexasA raging blaze in the Texas Panhandle, called the Smokehouse Creek fire, has spread to at least 500,000 acres since it was ignited on Monday, making it the state's second largest wildfire ever recorded. Several other wildfires are burning in the region, fueled by strong winds and dry conditions. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for several towns, the governor issued a disaster declaration and a plant that disassembles nuclear weapons was closed down. More top news
The art world is celebrating a century of SurrealismMany museums around the world, including in Paris, Fort Worth, Munich and Shanghai, are dedicating exhibitions this year to the centennial of Surrealism, born in 1924 when a French poet published a treatise decrying the vogue for rationality. At the time, it was a literary idea. But it caught on in the world of fine art, inspiring masters like Salvador Dalí and Man Ray. Now, curators are using the anniversary to ask whether our crazy dreams can still set us free.
Where to start with James Baldwin's workIt's been nearly 40 years since James Baldwin's final book was released, yet his writing is no less relevant today. He wrote with the kind of moral vision that was as comforting as it was chastising. And his work could be accurately described as a mirror — for the things we don't want to see about ourselves, but also for our potential. His most popular book was "The Fire Next Time," a pairing of essays on race and religion. But if you're just getting started, there's no better place to begin than with his first novel, "Go Tell It on the Mountain."
Dinner table topics
Cook: Elevate your grapes with ricotta and toast. Watch: Our critic believes even non-fans would enjoy the best sports documentaries. Read: Sloane Crosley's new memoir works through the grief of losing a beloved friend. Look: Microsoft changed its longtime default typeface for Word and Outlook. Did you notice? Save: Streaming prices keep going up. Here's how to manage the costs. Listen: Wirecutter tested more than 250 pairs of running headphones. These are their favorite. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.
The simple power of saying 'no'Turning down a request, favor or activity can be incredibly challenging: It often feels harsh or selfish. But, as many of us have found out the hard way, saying "yes" all the time can lead to burnout. The writer Leslie Jamison came up with a solution to make her feel better about saying "no." For the last decade, she has kept a journal of every opportunity she declined, noting what she did instead. Looking through the entries, Jamison saw that rejections did not restrict her options, but rather freed up time for better things. Have a liberating evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.
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Wednesday, February 28, 2024
The Evening: Justices will hear Trump’s immunity claim
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