Good morning. We're covering Russia's campaign to undermine Ukraine aid, and Israel exchanging fire with Hezbollah. Plus: The essential Stephen King.
Russia intensified online efforts to derail Ukraine fundingRussia is escalating its efforts to undermine military funding for Ukraine from the U.S. and Europe, according to disinformation experts and intelligence assessments. One of the Kremlin's main tactics is amplifying online arguments for isolationism ahead of the U.S. elections. The stepped-up operations, run by aides to President Vladimir Putin, come at a critical moment in the debate in the U.S. over support for Ukraine. Russian operatives are laying the groundwork for what could be a stronger push to support candidates who oppose aiding Ukraine, U.S. officials and independent researchers say. Investigators say that firms working in the "Doppelgänger" network are creating fake versions of real news websites in the U.S., Israel, Germany and Japan, among other countries. U.S. officials noted that these techniques make identifying Russian operations particularly difficult. American intelligence agencies do not believe the Kremlin has begun its full-bore influence effort. Putin will probably shift to influence operations that more directly support former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee. More Russia news:
Israel and Hezbollah traded deadly fireHezbollah militants fired dozens of rockets yesterday into northern Israel from Lebanon in what they said was retaliation for an Israeli strike. For months, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group based in Lebanon, has traded fire with Israeli forces across the border, and yesterday the Israeli military said its forces had targeted a "significant terrorist operative" near the town of al-Habbariyeh in southern Lebanon. Lebanon's Ministry of Health said the Israeli strike had hit a medical center and killed seven paramedics. Israeli officials said that 30 rockets had been launched into Israel, with a direct hit on a building in the city of Kiryat Shmona that killed one person. The barrage came as pro-Palestinian demonstrators pressured the government in neighboring Jordan to sever ties with Israel, and as the U.S. said a previously canceled meeting with an Israeli delegation to discuss the invasion of Rafah was back on. The Israeli prime minister's office did not immediately confirm that the meeting would happen.
The five minutes before a bridge collapsed"Hold all traffic on the Key Bridge." The command from an officer in Baltimore's busy port was one of the first warnings of a disaster that experts now predict will change how ships and bridges function around the world. But after the cargo ship Dali lost power, there were precious few minutes to act. In those minutes, many people — from the ship's crew, who sent out a mayday signal, to the transportation authority police officers who stopped traffic heading onto the Francis Scott Key Bridge — did what they could to avert catastrophe, most likely saving many lives. But several factors made catastrophe all but inevitable. Related: Investigators found and identified two workers who died in the bridge collapse. Four are still missing.
Britain
A Morning Read
A visitor to the Garrick Club in London might converse with a Supreme Court justice, the master of an Oxford college or the editor of a London newspaper. But the odds are that person would be a man, since women are only allowed into the club as guests. The issue became a furor after The Guardian published a leaked list of the club's members, which included powerful government officials; the actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Brian Cox; and, yes, King Charles III (on an honorary basis). Lives lived: Joseph Lieberman was a four-term Connecticut senator who was Al Gore's running mate in the 2000 presidential election, which was won by George W. Bush. Lieberman died at 82. Conversation Starters
"Every Ukrainian was watching": Ukraine seals its Euro 2024 qualification with a playoff victory in Poland. Saudi proposal stalls: Additional bids are now expected for a new Masters tournament in men's tennis. Fallout from 2008 drivers' championship: Felipe Massa files an $80 million lawsuit against Formula 1 and its ruling body.
The essential Stephen King"Carrie," Stephen King's debut novel, turns 50 next month. To mark the occasion, we asked George R.R. Martin, Tom Hanks, the archbishop of Canterbury, Sissy Spacek (who played Carrie in the 1976 film) and others about the impact King's work has had on their lives. Gilbert Cruz, the editor of the Book Review, also compiled a list of the essential Stephen King for the uninitiated, including several books that probably won't give you nightmares. A favorite of mine is "The Long Walk," a dystopian novel about a walking contest with permanent eliminations. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times.
Cook: These lightly spiced hot cross buns are a delicious symbol of the Easter season. Watch: Our critic recommends these six terrific comedy specials. Listen: Joni Mitchell's songs are coming back to Spotify. Here's a list of our favorites. Garden: Apparently there is no such thing as having too many Japanese maples. Entertain: How to host a lunch like a Parisian gallerist. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today. Thank you for reading, and see you tomorrow. P.S. Our international staff won four Overseas Press Club Awards for their continued coverage of the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars. You can reach Dan and the team at briefing@nytimes.com.
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Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Thursday Briefing: Russia’s aid disruption campaign
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