Ahmed Zaki Yamani, Saudi Arabia’s powerful oil minister and architect of the Arab world’s drive to control its own energy resources in the 1970s and its subsequent ability to affect oil production, fuel prices and international affairs, died on Monday at a hospital in London. He was 90. His daughter Mai Yamani said the cause was heart failure. In an era of turbulent energy politics, Mr. Yamani, a Harvard-trained lawyer, spoke for Arab oil producers on a world stage as the industry weathered Arab-Israeli wars, a revolution in Iran and growing pains. The world’s demand for oil lifted the...…Ahmed Zaki Yamani, Saudi Arabia’s powerful oil minister and architect of the Arab world’s drive to control its own energy resources in the 1970s and its subsequent ability to affect oil production, fuel prices and international affairs, died on Monday at a hospital in London. He was 90. His daughter Mai Yamani said the cause was heart failure. In an era of turbulent energy politics, Mr. Yamani, a Harvard-trained lawyer, spoke for Arab oil producers on a world stage as the industry weathered Arab-Israeli wars, a revolution in Iran and growing pains. The world’s demand for oil lifted the...WW…

AdvertisementThe days of the internal combustion engine are numbered.General Motors said Thursday that it would phase out petroleum-powered cars and trucks and sell only vehicles that have zero tailpipe emissions by 2035, a seismic shift by one of the world’s largest automakers that makes billions of dollars today from gas-guzzling pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles.The announcement is likely to put pressure on automakers around the world to make similar commitments. It could also embolden President Biden and other elected officials to push for even more aggressive policies to fight...…AdvertisementThe days of the internal combustion engine are numbered.General Motors said Thursday that it would phase out petroleum-powered cars and trucks and sell only vehicles that have zero tailpipe emissions by 2035, a seismic shift by one of the world’s largest automakers that makes billions of dollars today from gas-guzzling pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles.The announcement is likely to put pressure on automakers around the world to make similar commitments. It could also embolden President Biden and other elected officials to push for even more aggressive policies to fight...WW…

At BuzzFeed, we followed the signals of social media. A young employee followed them all the way to Charlottesville and Capitol Hill. He fit in as well as anyone did at our Los Angeles studio, a place full of ambitious misfits with an unusual gift. They knew how to make web videos people wanted to watch. His real name was Anthime Joseph Gionet, though he preferred others. His value to BuzzFeed was clear: He’d do anything for the Vine, the short video platform that had a brief cultural moment before being crushed by Instagram and Snapchat in 2017. Once, he poured a gallon of milk on his...…At BuzzFeed, we followed the signals of social media. A young employee followed them all the way to Charlottesville and Capitol Hill. He fit in as well as anyone did at our Los Angeles studio, a place full of ambitious misfits with an unusual gift. They knew how to make web videos people wanted to watch. His real name was Anthime Joseph Gionet, though he preferred others. His value to BuzzFeed was clear: He’d do anything for the Vine, the short video platform that had a brief cultural moment before being crushed by Instagram and Snapchat in 2017. Once, he poured a gallon of milk on his...WW…

AdvertisementWASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia has told the Obama administration and members of Congress that it will sell off hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of American assets held by the kingdom if Congress passes a bill that would allow the Saudi government to be held responsible in American courts for any role in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.The Obama administration has lobbied Congress to block the bill’s passage, according to administration officials and congressional aides from both parties, and the Saudi threats have been the subject of intense discussions in recent weeks between...…AdvertisementWASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia has told the Obama administration and members of Congress that it will sell off hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of American assets held by the kingdom if Congress passes a bill that would allow the Saudi government to be held responsible in American courts for any role in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.The Obama administration has lobbied Congress to block the bill’s passage, according to administration officials and congressional aides from both parties, and the Saudi threats have been the subject of intense discussions in recent weeks between...WW…

It was just hours before Mayor Bill de Blasio would reveal that New York City, and he was coming under intense pressure to find a way to keep schools open. A group of parents was furiously circulating a petition calling on the mayor to relent and promoted it with the hashtag #KeepNYCSchoolsOpen. Leading public health experts had of the city’s plan to close schools before indoor dining. Local lawmakers joined in, demanding that Mr. de Blasio reverse course.But even as he put off announcing his decision for hours, Mr. de Blasio and his team were reaching out to union leaders and principals to...…It was just hours before Mayor Bill de Blasio would reveal that New York City, and he was coming under intense pressure to find a way to keep schools open. A group of parents was furiously circulating a petition calling on the mayor to relent and promoted it with the hashtag #KeepNYCSchoolsOpen. Leading public health experts had of the city’s plan to close schools before indoor dining. Local lawmakers joined in, demanding that Mr. de Blasio reverse course.But even as he put off announcing his decision for hours, Mr. de Blasio and his team were reaching out to union leaders and principals to...WW…

When I saw the news that the king of all podcasting, Joe Rogan, had inked a deal with Spotify for his widely popular show I texted to congratulate him on getting crazy rich. How rich? “Weirdly richer,” he replied. “Like it doesn’t register. Seems fake.” According to The Wall Street Journal, the deal could amount to more than $100 million, a number that Rogan doesn’t want to discuss. “It feels gross,” he told me Thursday night. “Especially right now, when people can’t work.” News of Tuesday’s deal, which gave Spotify exclusive rights to “The Joe Rogan Experience,” sent the company’s stock...…When I saw the news that the king of all podcasting, Joe Rogan, had inked a deal with Spotify for his widely popular show I texted to congratulate him on getting crazy rich. How rich? “Weirdly richer,” he replied. “Like it doesn’t register. Seems fake.” According to The Wall Street Journal, the deal could amount to more than $100 million, a number that Rogan doesn’t want to discuss. “It feels gross,” he told me Thursday night. “Especially right now, when people can’t work.” News of Tuesday’s deal, which gave Spotify exclusive rights to “The Joe Rogan Experience,” sent the company’s stock...WW…

During the 2016 presidential election, Russian operatives used Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms to spread disinformation to divide the American electorate. Since then, the social media companies have spent billions of dollars and hired tens of thousands of people to help clean up their act. But have the platforms really become more sophisticated at handling misinformation? Not necessarily. People are engaging more on Facebook today with news outlets that routinely publish misinformation than they did before the 2016 election, according to new research from...…During the 2016 presidential election, Russian operatives used Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms to spread disinformation to divide the American electorate. Since then, the social media companies have spent billions of dollars and hired tens of thousands of people to help clean up their act. But have the platforms really become more sophisticated at handling misinformation? Not necessarily. People are engaging more on Facebook today with news outlets that routinely publish misinformation than they did before the 2016 election, according to new research from...WW…

Four years ago, when Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia faced off against Mike Pence at the vice-presidential debate, the encounter put two drastically different debate styles on display: Mr. Pence came across as mild-mannered and more formal while Mr. Kaine, a litigator by training, was more of an attack dog, with a tendency to interrupt and talk over Mr. Pence. Even as Mr. Pence made little effort to directly rebut attacks against Donald Trump, Mr. Kaine tried at nearly every turn to offer praise for his running mate, Hillary Clinton. Ahead of this year’s vice-presidential debate on Wednesday...…Four years ago, when Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia faced off against Mike Pence at the vice-presidential debate, the encounter put two drastically different debate styles on display: Mr. Pence came across as mild-mannered and more formal while Mr. Kaine, a litigator by training, was more of an attack dog, with a tendency to interrupt and talk over Mr. Pence. Even as Mr. Pence made little effort to directly rebut attacks against Donald Trump, Mr. Kaine tried at nearly every turn to offer praise for his running mate, Hillary Clinton. Ahead of this year’s vice-presidential debate on Wednesday...WW…

The Kentucky attorney general’s office said it would release the panel’s recordings after a grand juror contended in a court filing that its discussions were inaccurately characterized. Breonna Taylor's family and the lawyer Ben Crump, right, said the charges a Kentucky grand jury agreed upon in the police killing of Ms. Taylor were not enough. A juror in the Breonna Taylor case contends that the Kentucky attorney general misrepresented the grand jury’s deliberations and failed to offer the panel the option of indicting the two officers who fatally shot the young woman, according to the...…The Kentucky attorney general’s office said it would release the panel’s recordings after a grand juror contended in a court filing that its discussions were inaccurately characterized. Breonna Taylor's family and the lawyer Ben Crump, right, said the charges a Kentucky grand jury agreed upon in the police killing of Ms. Taylor were not enough. A juror in the Breonna Taylor case contends that the Kentucky attorney general misrepresented the grand jury’s deliberations and failed to offer the panel the option of indicting the two officers who fatally shot the young woman, according to the...WW…

The tax returns that Mr. Trump has fought to keep secret cast a harsh light on his finances, revealing a businessman who regularly reports losing so much money that he has gone for years paying little or no income taxes and today finds himself in a tightening financial vise. He has churned through hundreds of millions of dollars in a series of career reinventions, aided by tax-avoidance maneuvers, all laid bare for the first time in tax-return data obtained by The New York Times that extends over more than two decades. The returns comprise information that Mr. Trump has disclosed to the...…The tax returns that Mr. Trump has fought to keep secret cast a harsh light on his finances, revealing a businessman who regularly reports losing so much money that he has gone for years paying little or no income taxes and today finds himself in a tightening financial vise. He has churned through hundreds of millions of dollars in a series of career reinventions, aided by tax-avoidance maneuvers, all laid bare for the first time in tax-return data obtained by The New York Times that extends over more than two decades. The returns comprise information that Mr. Trump has disclosed to the...WW…

The Times obtained Donald Trump’s tax information extending over more than two decades, revealing struggling properties, vast write-offs, an audit battle and hundreds of millions in debt coming due. Donald J. Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency. In his first year in the White House, he paid another $750. He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years — largely because he reported losing much more money than he made. As the president wages a re-election campaign that polls say he is in danger of losing, his finances are under stress,...…The Times obtained Donald Trump’s tax information extending over more than two decades, revealing struggling properties, vast write-offs, an audit battle and hundreds of millions in debt coming due. Donald J. Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency. In his first year in the White House, he paid another $750. He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years — largely because he reported losing much more money than he made. As the president wages a re-election campaign that polls say he is in danger of losing, his finances are under stress,...WW…

“Do you believe that you are one of the most powerful people on Earth right now?” Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s C.E.O., was quick to deflect. “No,” he laughed. “Everything that has made Twitter powerful has come from the people using it.” That was one of the first questions that Michael asked Mr. Dorsey in a wide-ranging interview on the role of his platform in shaping public discourse and beliefs in America. The conversation that followed probed the limits, dangers and responsibilities of that role — revealing just how complicated the struggle against misinformation and polarization on social...…“Do you believe that you are one of the most powerful people on Earth right now?” Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s C.E.O., was quick to deflect. “No,” he laughed. “Everything that has made Twitter powerful has come from the people using it.” That was one of the first questions that Michael asked Mr. Dorsey in a wide-ranging interview on the role of his platform in shaping public discourse and beliefs in America. The conversation that followed probed the limits, dangers and responsibilities of that role — revealing just how complicated the struggle against misinformation and polarization on social...WW…

My first summer job was at the port of Beirut. It was the late ’90s and I was just a teenager. I spent muggy months entering shipping data as part of an ambitious new program to move the port from analog to digital log keeping. It was as unglamorous as you would expect from a bottom-rung job in the bowels of a Middle East bureaucracy. But despite the heat and the monotony, there was optimism. The port was critical infrastructure in an economy rejuvenating after 15 years of civil war. Digital log keeping was part of the future — and an attempt to introduce much-needed order and transparency...…My first summer job was at the port of Beirut. It was the late ’90s and I was just a teenager. I spent muggy months entering shipping data as part of an ambitious new program to move the port from analog to digital log keeping. It was as unglamorous as you would expect from a bottom-rung job in the bowels of a Middle East bureaucracy. But despite the heat and the monotony, there was optimism. The port was critical infrastructure in an economy rejuvenating after 15 years of civil war. Digital log keeping was part of the future — and an attempt to introduce much-needed order and transparency...WW…

Three months ago, Bernie Sanders lost his chance at the Democratic nomination, after a brief moment in which his socialist revolution seemed poised to raze the bastions of neoliberal power. But the developments of the last month, the George Floyd protests and their cultural repercussions, may prove the more significant defeat for the Sanders cause. In the winter he merely lost a presidential nomination; in the summer he may be losing the battle for the future of the left. Throughout his career, Sanders has stood for the proposition that left-wing politics lost its way after the 1970s by...…Three months ago, Bernie Sanders lost his chance at the Democratic nomination, after a brief moment in which his socialist revolution seemed poised to raze the bastions of neoliberal power. But the developments of the last month, the George Floyd protests and their cultural repercussions, may prove the more significant defeat for the Sanders cause. In the winter he merely lost a presidential nomination; in the summer he may be losing the battle for the future of the left. Throughout his career, Sanders has stood for the proposition that left-wing politics lost its way after the 1970s by...WW…

European Union countries rushing to revive their economies and reopen their borders after months of coronavirus restrictions are prepared to block Americans from entering because the United States has failed to control the scourge, according to draft lists of acceptable travelers reviewed by The New York Times. That prospect, which would lump American visitors in with Russians and Brazilians as unwelcome, is a stinging blow to American prestige in the world and a repudiation of President Trump’s handling of the virus in the United States, which has more than 2.3 million cases and upward of...…European Union countries rushing to revive their economies and reopen their borders after months of coronavirus restrictions are prepared to block Americans from entering because the United States has failed to control the scourge, according to draft lists of acceptable travelers reviewed by The New York Times. That prospect, which would lump American visitors in with Russians and Brazilians as unwelcome, is a stinging blow to American prestige in the world and a repudiation of President Trump’s handling of the virus in the United States, which has more than 2.3 million cases and upward of...WW…

The program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, protects people brought to the United States as children by shielding them from deportation and letting them work. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration may not immediately proceed with its plan to end a program protecting about 700,000 young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation. The court’s ruling was a blow to one of President Trump’s central campaign promises — that as president he would “immediately terminate” an executive order by former President Barack Obama that Mr. Trump had called an illegal...…The program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, protects people brought to the United States as children by shielding them from deportation and letting them work. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration may not immediately proceed with its plan to end a program protecting about 700,000 young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation. The court’s ruling was a blow to one of President Trump’s central campaign promises — that as president he would “immediately terminate” an executive order by former President Barack Obama that Mr. Trump had called an illegal...WW…

Editors’ Note, June 5, 2020: After publication, this essay met strong criticism from many readers (and many Times colleagues), prompting editors to review the piece and the editing process. Based on that review, we have concluded that the essay fell short of our standards and should not have been published. The basic arguments advanced by Senator Cotton — however objectionable people may find them — represent a newsworthy part of the current debate. But given the life-and-death importance of the topic, the senator’s influential position and the gravity of the steps he advocates, the essay...…Editors’ Note, June 5, 2020: After publication, this essay met strong criticism from many readers (and many Times colleagues), prompting editors to review the piece and the editing process. Based on that review, we have concluded that the essay fell short of our standards and should not have been published. The basic arguments advanced by Senator Cotton — however objectionable people may find them — represent a newsworthy part of the current debate. But given the life-and-death importance of the topic, the senator’s influential position and the gravity of the steps he advocates, the essay...WW…

The move is almost certain to face a court challenge and signals the latest salvo by President Trump to crack down on online platforms. The Trump administration is preparing an executive order intended to curtail the legal protections that shield social media companies from liability for what gets posted on their platforms, two senior administration officials said early Thursday. Such an order, which officials said was still being drafted and was subject to change, would make it easier for federal regulators to argue that companies like Facebook, Google, YouTube and Twitter are...…The move is almost certain to face a court challenge and signals the latest salvo by President Trump to crack down on online platforms. The Trump administration is preparing an executive order intended to curtail the legal protections that shield social media companies from liability for what gets posted on their platforms, two senior administration officials said early Thursday. Such an order, which officials said was still being drafted and was subject to change, would make it easier for federal regulators to argue that companies like Facebook, Google, YouTube and Twitter are...WW…

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the police had enforced rules properly, but other officials expressed concern about tactics similar to unfair “stop and frisk” practices. A police officer enforcing social-distancing rules broke up a group of people on a stoop during a nighttime cookout in East New York, Brooklyn, punching one man in the face. Another dispute between officers and residents of the same predominantly black neighborhood over the guidelines led to a man being knocked unconscious. Days later, three men were arrested after taking part in a sprawling vigil at the Queensbridge Houses for...…Mayor Bill de Blasio said the police had enforced rules properly, but other officials expressed concern about tactics similar to unfair “stop and frisk” practices. A police officer enforcing social-distancing rules broke up a group of people on a stoop during a nighttime cookout in East New York, Brooklyn, punching one man in the face. Another dispute between officers and residents of the same predominantly black neighborhood over the guidelines led to a man being knocked unconscious. Days later, three men were arrested after taking part in a sprawling vigil at the Queensbridge Houses for...WW…

Regional partnerships may offer a new framework for dealing with urgent issues on which Washington has failed to lead. Three groups of governors in the East, West and Midwest announced that they would work together on plans to lift the lockdowns in their states once the peak of the coronavirus outbreak has passed. At a time of federal abdication, these state leaders are thinking seriously about alternatives to the existing model of American federalism. The regional partnerships may signal the emergence of a new framework for dealing with other pressing issues on which Washington has...…Regional partnerships may offer a new framework for dealing with urgent issues on which Washington has failed to lead. Three groups of governors in the East, West and Midwest announced that they would work together on plans to lift the lockdowns in their states once the peak of the coronavirus outbreak has passed. At a time of federal abdication, these state leaders are thinking seriously about alternatives to the existing model of American federalism. The regional partnerships may signal the emergence of a new framework for dealing with other pressing issues on which Washington has...WW…

Here are the facts on hydroxychloroquine, which the president has promoted despite little evidence that it works against the coronavirus. Hydroxychloroquine was approved decades ago to treat malaria, and it is also used to treat autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. There is no proof that any drug can cure or prevent infection with the coronavirus. But in the face of an exploding pandemic with a frightening death toll, people are desperate for a bit of hope, a chance to believe there is something that will help. The drug that has received the most attention is...…Here are the facts on hydroxychloroquine, which the president has promoted despite little evidence that it works against the coronavirus. Hydroxychloroquine was approved decades ago to treat malaria, and it is also used to treat autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. There is no proof that any drug can cure or prevent infection with the coronavirus. But in the face of an exploding pandemic with a frightening death toll, people are desperate for a bit of hope, a chance to believe there is something that will help. The drug that has received the most attention is...WW…

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont dropped out of the Democratic presidential race on Wednesday, concluding a quest for the White House that began five years ago in relative obscurity but ultimately elevated him as a champion of the working class, a standard-bearer of American liberalism and the leader of a self-styled political revolution. Mr. Sanders’s exit from the race establishes former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. as the presumptive nominee to challenge President Trump, and leaves the progressive movement without a prominent voice in the 2020 race. In a live stream on Wednesday...…Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont dropped out of the Democratic presidential race on Wednesday, concluding a quest for the White House that began five years ago in relative obscurity but ultimately elevated him as a champion of the working class, a standard-bearer of American liberalism and the leader of a self-styled political revolution. Mr. Sanders’s exit from the race establishes former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. as the presumptive nominee to challenge President Trump, and leaves the progressive movement without a prominent voice in the 2020 race. In a live stream on Wednesday...WW…

Opening a new front in the campaign to dominate digital entertainment, Amazon is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into becoming a leading creator and distributor of video games. The internet giant said it intended to release its first original big-budget game, an ambitious science-fiction shooter called Crucible, in May after several coronavirus-related delays. It is also developing a full-fledged cloud gaming platform under the code name Project Tempo. And it is working on new casual games that broadcasters on its popular Twitch streaming service can play alongside viewers in...…Opening a new front in the campaign to dominate digital entertainment, Amazon is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into becoming a leading creator and distributor of video games. The internet giant said it intended to release its first original big-budget game, an ambitious science-fiction shooter called Crucible, in May after several coronavirus-related delays. It is also developing a full-fledged cloud gaming platform under the code name Project Tempo. And it is working on new casual games that broadcasters on its popular Twitch streaming service can play alongside viewers in...WW…

A Navy hospital ship docked in Manhattan this morning and is expected to provide relief to New York City’s overwhelmed hospitals. ]Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said that 1,218 people had died in New York State, up from 965 Sunday morning. Here’s what you need to know: Governor Cuomo said that 1,218 people had died in New York, up from 965 on Sunday morning. “We’re left for dead”: Fears a virus catastrophe at Rikers Island are growing. Five more transit workers have died. For doctors and nurses, anxiety is growing: ‘I feel like we’re all just being sent to slaughter.’ A Fire Department mechanic...…A Navy hospital ship docked in Manhattan this morning and is expected to provide relief to New York City’s overwhelmed hospitals. ]Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said that 1,218 people had died in New York State, up from 965 Sunday morning. Here’s what you need to know: Governor Cuomo said that 1,218 people had died in New York, up from 965 on Sunday morning. “We’re left for dead”: Fears a virus catastrophe at Rikers Island are growing. Five more transit workers have died. For doctors and nurses, anxiety is growing: ‘I feel like we’re all just being sent to slaughter.’ A Fire Department mechanic...WW…

Tracking entire populations to combat the pandemic now could open the doors to more invasive forms of government snooping later. In South Korea, government agencies are harnessing surveillance-camera footage, smartphone location data and credit card purchase records to help trace the recent movements of coronavirus patients and establish virus transmission chains. In Lombardy, Italy, the authorities are analyzing location data transmitted by citizens’ mobile phones to determine how many people are obeying a government lockdown order and the typical distances they move every day. About 40...…Tracking entire populations to combat the pandemic now could open the doors to more invasive forms of government snooping later. In South Korea, government agencies are harnessing surveillance-camera footage, smartphone location data and credit card purchase records to help trace the recent movements of coronavirus patients and establish virus transmission chains. In Lombardy, Italy, the authorities are analyzing location data transmitted by citizens’ mobile phones to determine how many people are obeying a government lockdown order and the typical distances they move every day. About 40...WW…