Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
Just two guys from QueensA remarkable scene played out this afternoon in the Oval Office: President Trump sat next to Zohran Mamdani — a democratic socialist he has described as a “lunatic,” a “radical” and an existential threat to New York City — and spent nearly half an hour showering him with compliments. Trump said he expected Mamdani to do some great things as the next mayor of their shared hometown. “We agree on a lot more than I would have thought,” the president said after the two met privately. “I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually.” It was a striking turnabout. Several times, when reporters asked Mamdani pointed questions, the president jumped in to defend him. When the mayor-elect was pressed on whether he thought the president was a fascist, Trump patted him on the arm like he was an old friend: “That’s OK,” Trump told Mamdani. “You can just say yes. That’s easier.” Mamdani, whose campaign argued that only he could stand up to Trump, smiled and nodded along. He called their meeting “productive” and said he believed they could work together to improve life in New York and make it more affordable. It was unclear how much of their private time they’d spent on their shared connection to Queens. (Trump grew up Jamaica Estates. Mamdani lives in Astoria.) At the least, the meeting seemed to defuse Trump’s threats to send National Guard troops into the city or withhold its federal funding. In fact, Trump told reporters: “I would feel very, very comfortable living in New York.”
Trump gives Ukraine six days to respond to peace planVolodymyr Zelensky said today that his country was facing “one of the most difficult moments in our history.” The new plan the White House has to end the war would force Ukraine to accept terms it has long considered unacceptable, including the surrender of territory. But if he rejects it, Ukraine risks losing U.S. support. Trump has given him until Thanksgiving to respond to the 28-point plan, which was drafted by U.S. and Russian officials. The plan would give Russia most of what it has asked for, including sharp limits on Ukraine’s military. In return, Kyiv would receive some security guarantees, including the promise of a military response if Russia invaded again. For more: To many Ukrainians, the U.S. peace plan sounds a lot like capitulation.
Satellite images shows U.S. pressure on VenezuelaU.S. Navy warships have since September consistently sailed in an area 50 to 100 miles off the Venezuelan shore, according to an analysis of satellite images verified by our investigative journalists. It is far from the Caribbean’s main drug-smuggling routes, suggesting that the effort is as much about putting pressure on Venezuela as conducting the counternarcotics operation the Trump administration says it’s waging. The vessels are part of the largest U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Over the past week, the Navy’s largest and most modern aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford, entered the Caribbean Sea, and a U.S. destroyer sailed seven miles from Venezuela’s territorial waters.
Roblox promises to protect child safetyThe online gaming platform Roblox is one of the main gathering places for children online, with at least 50 million daily users under the age of 14. It has also attracted adult predators, leading to more than 20 lawsuits. In response, Roblox rolled out a new system this week to estimate users’ ages by analyzing images of their faces. The company says the feature will help prevent children from talking to older users they do not know. Will it be enough? The hosts of our tech podcast sat down with the head of Roblox to ask that question. It got tense. More top news
Another ‘Wicked’ weekendElphaba and Glinda are back in theaters to complete Hollywood’s maximalist adaptation of the hit Broadway musical “Wicked,” after a year of pink-and-green-themed anticipation. The new film, “Wicked: For Good,” features two new songs that were not in the stage production. The movie’s creative team told us those songs were added in an effort to flesh out the second film, which runs for more than two hours. Read our review. For more: Watch the director narrate a key scene with the film’s three stars, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Jeff Goldblum.
An N.B.A. hopeful became a country starGrowing up in Brooklyn, Adrien Nunez didn’t listen to country music. His dream was to play in the N.B.A. Yet somehow, he has managed to become one of Nashville’s hottest new stars. Nunez’s improbable singing journey began at the University of Michigan, where his basketball dreams had been slowly fading. He would sing in the shower, at his locker and on the team bus. Eventually, he started posting videos on TikTok of himself belting out songs in his car, and the fans poured in. Now, he just finished headlining a 15-city North American tour.
Dinner table topics
Cook: This hearty vegetarian pasta was one of our most popular recipes this week. Watch: “Zodiac Killer Project” is a fascinating film about true-crime documentaries. Very meta. Read: “The Predicament” is one of our Book Review's top picks of the week. Relax: Reduce stress by making a holiday “to-don’t” list. Get inspired: We asked a luxury gift concierge for gift-giving advice. Test yourself: Take this week’s news quiz. Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. |
