‘It’s important that Michael’s voice is heard’: Jaafar Jackson says second biopic of his uncle will cover sexual abuse allegations (www.theguardian.com)
Trump is planning to announce a new program that will pay people up to 30,000 for successful tips about government fraud, according to the White House (on.wsj.com)
The Trump administration plans to hand out another 8 billion in direct payments to U.S. farmers who face losses from market disruptions and high fuel costs (on.wsj.com)
There is plenty of GOP hand-wringing about the Senate, with Democrats polling ahead in nine of 11 close races. But those leads are slim. Read more in today’s WSJ Politics Newsletter: (on.wsj.com)
Ex-officials from the Trump, Biden and Obama administrations are warning the U.S. is at risk of losing a technological and industrial race with China—unless it adopts a major energy-permitting bill (on.wsj.com)
The campaign of Republican David Flippo, who faces an unexpectedly tough race to fill a red House seat in Nevada, credited a dead woman from a prominent Nevada family for a donation (on.wsj.com)
The president’s push to move ahead quickly to overhaul the East Potomac Golf Links has put his administration in the hot seat with a frustrated judge (on.wsj.com)
President Trump said he was open to talking denuclearization with Russia and China, Elon Musk pledged a Space X share to every child in America and Saudi Arabia postponed its “Davos in the Desert” as conflict escalates in the region. Read more in today’s What’s News newsletter: (on.wsj.com)
Is the Military Low-T? - New data suggest that a quarter of American servicemen may have low testosterone. That doesn’t mean what Pete Hegseth thinks it does. (www.newyorker.com)
Gifts for Cats (and Their Owners) That Are Worth Knocking Off the Table - Scratchers that aren’t total eyesores, toys your feline friend might play with at least once (before fixating on the packaging), books and accessories for cat-obsessed humans, and some ideas for dog people, too. (www.newyorker.com)
“An Unprecedented Case of Child Abuse” - In an L.A. criminal court, new details emerge about the mysterious couple who collected more than twenty babies through surrogacy. (www.newyorker.com)
Dogs That Weren’t Rescued - People make a big deal about the hundred and one Dalmatians, and how they were saved from Cruella de Vil, but rarely do you hear about the hundred-and-second Dalmatian. (www.newyorker.com)
Behind the Settler Attack on Palestinians and a Washington Post Journalist - Jasper Nathaniel, an independent journalist who filmed the attack, describes the significant increase in West Bank violence on the eve of the Israeli election. (www.newyorker.com)
Everyone Can Be Migos Now - The viral “Hotel Lobby” meme, which lets users inhabit the bodies of Quavo and Takeoff using A.I., resembles a kind of digital blackface, but also speaks to a technology that makes appropriation the default. (www.newyorker.com)
Computer Chips Are the Most Magnificent Things Humanity Has Ever Made - They power our phones, cars, dishwashers—and the A.I. systems that prop up the economy. They’re also at the heart of fierce geopolitical rivalry. (www.newyorker.com)
Josh Safdie’s Top Ten (or So) N.Y.C. Films - The director stops by the Two Palms studio to sign prints of a list of his favorite New York movies—“Taxi Driver,” “Do the Right Thing,” and some you wouldn’t expect. (www.newyorker.com)
When God Is Another Addiction - A remarkable memoir recounts a writer’s struggles with alcoholism and religious faith—and the unsettling ways in which each has fed her longing for the other. (www.newyorker.com)
The Furry Prima Donna of “La Bohème” - Wanda the Donkey regularly steals the show at the Met’s most popular production. Here’s an inside look at her creative process. (www.newyorker.com)
The New Age of Reading - Alarm about declining interest in books is perpetual. But, as bookselling reaches unexpected heights, James Daunt, the chief executive of Barnes & Noble, thinks a different future is at hand. (www.newyorker.com)
Frank Capra’s Mythmaking Magic - A new biography of the great director inspires wonder at his irresistible vision of America and his immigrant journey. (www.newyorker.com)
Bill Irwin Is the O.G. Clown - Fresh from playing the Cyclops in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” the rubber-limbed actor chats about reviving and starring in Molière’s “The Imaginary Invalid” on Broadway. (www.newyorker.com)
The Danger of Getting Too Close to a Source - Richard Darman was my source in the Reagan and Bush Administrations—and my best friend. (www.newyorker.com)
“The Brightness,” Reviewed: Chad Harbach’s Sequel to “The Art of Fielding” - In his sweeping new novel, Chad Harbach studies the crisis of being a college student in 2015—and of being a writer trying to redeem realist fiction. (www.newyorker.com)
Restaurant Review: Faux - With the opening of Faux, in Tribeca, Keith McNally’s son steps into the family business. Is it ambition or hubris? (www.newyorker.com)