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| Jeff Sessions, Obamacare, Palmyra: Your Friday Briefing | Jeff Sessions, Obamacare, Palmyra: Your Friday Briefing |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Good morning. | Good morning. |
| Here’s what you need to know: | Here’s what you need to know: |
| • Attorney general recuses himself from Russia inquiry. | • Attorney general recuses himself from Russia inquiry. |
| Jeff Sessions, facing criticism over newly disclosed contacts he had with Moscow’s ambassador to the U.S., said at a news conference that he would not take part in any investigations into Russia’s role in the 2016 election. The ambassador also met in December with President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner. | |
| The attorney general’s announcement came amid growing calls for a special prosecutor or select congressional committee to investigate efforts to influence the new administration, a push Republican lawmakers have resisted. | The attorney general’s announcement came amid growing calls for a special prosecutor or select congressional committee to investigate efforts to influence the new administration, a push Republican lawmakers have resisted. |
| Mr. Sessions said there was nothing nefarious about the contacts. “In retrospect,” he said, “I should have slowed down and said, ‘But I did meet one Russian official a couple of times, and that would be the ambassador.’ ” | Mr. Sessions said there was nothing nefarious about the contacts. “In retrospect,” he said, “I should have slowed down and said, ‘But I did meet one Russian official a couple of times, and that would be the ambassador.’ ” |
| • Health care plan proves elusive, in every sense. | • Health care plan proves elusive, in every sense. |
| Just a week before two powerful House committees are to vote on a bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, opponents point out that almost no one has actually seen the legislation, which would affect the lives and wallets of millions of Americans. | Just a week before two powerful House committees are to vote on a bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, opponents point out that almost no one has actually seen the legislation, which would affect the lives and wallets of millions of Americans. |
| While Republicans discussed details of the measure, Democrats went from office to office on Thursday hunting for a copy. Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who has criticized the measure as described publicly by party leaders, also tried and failed to see it. | While Republicans discussed details of the measure, Democrats went from office to office on Thursday hunting for a copy. Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who has criticized the measure as described publicly by party leaders, also tried and failed to see it. |
| “I have been told that the House Obamacare bill is under lock & key, in a secure location, & not available for me or the public to view,” Mr. Paul wrote on Twitter. | “I have been told that the House Obamacare bill is under lock & key, in a secure location, & not available for me or the public to view,” Mr. Paul wrote on Twitter. |
| • Two camps in White House on climate pact. | • Two camps in White House on climate pact. |
| Stephen K. Bannon, the president’s senior adviser, is said to be pressing Mr. Trump to pull the U.S. from the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change. But Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump see grave down sides to the move, according to energy and government officials. | Stephen K. Bannon, the president’s senior adviser, is said to be pressing Mr. Trump to pull the U.S. from the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change. But Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump see grave down sides to the move, according to energy and government officials. |
| While the president cannot unilaterally undo the 194-nation accord, which requires nearly every country to curb emissions, he could start the four-year process to withdraw. | |
| • Ancient wonders, retaken once again. | • Ancient wonders, retaken once again. |
| Palmyra, a Unesco World Heritage site among prewar Syria’s leading tourist attractions, swung back under government control on Thursday, as soldiers and their allies evicted Islamic State militants who have vandalized historic sites. | |
| It’s the fourth time in two years that control of Palmyra has changed hands. | It’s the fourth time in two years that control of Palmyra has changed hands. |
| • Judge ends case against Egypt’s ousted leader. | |
| The country’s top appeals court cleared former President Hosni Mubarak of any responsibility for the killing of hundreds of people during the 2011 protests that ended his 30-year rule, sweeping away the final legal hurdle to his release from detention. | The country’s top appeals court cleared former President Hosni Mubarak of any responsibility for the killing of hundreds of people during the 2011 protests that ended his 30-year rule, sweeping away the final legal hurdle to his release from detention. |
| • The Daily, your audio news report. | |
| Who is the mysterious Russian ambassador who met with Jeff Sessions and other officials before the election? | |
| Listen from a computer, update link when available on an iOS device or on an Android device. | |
| • Shares in Snap Inc., the parent of the disappearing-message app Snapchat, jumped 44 percent on their first day of trading on Thursday, valuing the company at about $34 billion. | |
| • A federal judge ruled that Harvard University must produce documents disclosing the bank accounts that a wealthy alumnus, Charles C. Spackman, used to send it money. | • A federal judge ruled that Harvard University must produce documents disclosing the bank accounts that a wealthy alumnus, Charles C. Spackman, used to send it money. |
| • The combined fortunes of the wealthiest members of China’s Parliament and its advisory body amount to $500 billion, just below the annual economic output of Sweden. | • The combined fortunes of the wealthiest members of China’s Parliament and its advisory body amount to $500 billion, just below the annual economic output of Sweden. |
| • U.S. stocks were down on Thursday. Here’s a snapshot of global markets. | • U.S. stocks were down on Thursday. Here’s a snapshot of global markets. |
| • Feeling groggy this morning? Here’s our guide to getting a better night’s sleep. | • Feeling groggy this morning? Here’s our guide to getting a better night’s sleep. |
| • Recipe of the day: If you want a chicken dish with real flavor, consider a tagine. | |
| • The fog catchers. | |
| In Lima, Peru, where little rain falls, a community project turns fog into water to irrigate 50 household gardens. Here’s our 360 video. | In Lima, Peru, where little rain falls, a community project turns fog into water to irrigate 50 household gardens. Here’s our 360 video. |
| • A Palestinian hip-hop film, from Israel. | • A Palestinian hip-hop film, from Israel. |
| “Junction 48,” which received some financing from the Israeli government, offers an Arab’s view of contemporary life in Israel. | “Junction 48,” which received some financing from the Israeli government, offers an Arab’s view of contemporary life in Israel. |
| But the changing political climate means backing for such projects is becoming rare. “The possibility of a film like this getting state funding in Israel — that’s over, there’s no way,” an executive producer of the movie said. | But the changing political climate means backing for such projects is becoming rare. “The possibility of a film like this getting state funding in Israel — that’s over, there’s no way,” an executive producer of the movie said. |
| • Is baseball too slow? | • Is baseball too slow? |
| The average game last season took three hours. Playoff games are even more trying, now often stretching beyond three and a half hours. | The average game last season took three hours. Playoff games are even more trying, now often stretching beyond three and a half hours. |
| The sport’s officials are finally addressing the issue, and our reporters and readers offered some ideas. | The sport’s officials are finally addressing the issue, and our reporters and readers offered some ideas. |
| • Something to get your claws into this weekend. | • Something to get your claws into this weekend. |
| We review “Logan,” in which Hugh Jackman again plays the Wolverine, and the comic-book stalwart turns noirish western. Our critic calls the movie an “old-school meets new-school pulp filled with intimations of mortality, and raw, ugly violence.” | We review “Logan,” in which Hugh Jackman again plays the Wolverine, and the comic-book stalwart turns noirish western. Our critic calls the movie an “old-school meets new-school pulp filled with intimations of mortality, and raw, ugly violence.” |
| • Best of late-night TV. | |
| George W. Bush carefully avoided taking any shots at Mr. Trump on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Thursday. But the 43rd president showed that he could laugh at himself. | George W. Bush carefully avoided taking any shots at Mr. Trump on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Thursday. But the 43rd president showed that he could laugh at himself. |
| Iceland endured a mock constitutional crisis last week after the president, Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson, jokingly told a class of high school students that he would like to ban pineapple as a pizza topping. | |
| An uproar on social media ensued, and Mr. Johannesson retracted his comment. He wrote in a statement that “presidents should not have unlimited power,” adding that he “would not want to live in such a country.” | |
| “For pizzas, I recommend seafood,” he said. | |
| Unlike Mr. Johannesson, Saparmurat Niyazov, the president of Turkmenistan who died in 2006, stood out as a head of state who used his office to impose his personal preferences on citizens. | Unlike Mr. Johannesson, Saparmurat Niyazov, the president of Turkmenistan who died in 2006, stood out as a head of state who used his office to impose his personal preferences on citizens. |
| He renamed January after himself, and April after his mother. | He renamed January after himself, and April after his mother. |
| Mr. Niyazov declared a public holiday in honor of melons. He also banned circuses and video games. | Mr. Niyazov declared a public holiday in honor of melons. He also banned circuses and video games. |
| And he had a golden rotating statue of himself installed in Ashgabat, the capital. | And he had a golden rotating statue of himself installed in Ashgabat, the capital. |
| His successor, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, relocated the statue and ordered his own built. Last month, he was re-elected, winning more than 97 percent of the vote. | |
| Patrick Boehler contributed reporting. | Patrick Boehler contributed reporting. |
| _____ | _____ |
| Correction: An early version of the Thursday Briefing misstated the milestone that Snap Inc. reached on Wednesday. It was a pricing of its offering, not a market debut. | Correction: An early version of the Thursday Briefing misstated the milestone that Snap Inc. reached on Wednesday. It was a pricing of its offering, not a market debut. |
| Your Morning Briefing is published weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern and updated on the web all morning. | Your Morning Briefing is published weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern and updated on the web all morning. |
| What would you like to see here? Contact us at briefing@nytimes.com. | What would you like to see here? Contact us at briefing@nytimes.com. |
| You can sign up here to get the briefing delivered to your inbox. | You can sign up here to get the briefing delivered to your inbox. |