Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.
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Good evening. Here’s the latest.
1. President Trump made good on his long-running threat to disavow the Iran nuclear deal.
In a fiery speech, he announced that he would not certify Iran’s compliance. That kicks the matter to Congress to decide whether to reimpose sanctions, which could threaten the agreement.
In this video, our national security correspondent explains why the president hates the deal. European leaders condemned the decision, and Iran’s president, above, called Mr. Trump’s comments “nothing but abuse and threats against the people of Iran.”
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2. Congress is also facing new pressure on health care, after President Trump’s decision to cut off subsidies to insurance companies that help defray costs for low-income people. That could cause premiums to rise.
Our resident expert on the Affordable Care Act says that the move could end up costing the government more in the long run.
On Thursday evening, we hosted a TimesTalk with our executive editor and two White House correspondents, about how we cover the Trump administration. Here are seven takeaways from the talk, and you can watch the full video here.
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3. Air quality is at “unhealthy” levels across much of Northern California as some of the worst wildfires in the state’s history continue to burn.
The death toll is at 32, and a burnt smell is inescapable. Thick plumes of smoke are blowing through population centers across the Bay Area.
Health officials are warning the elderly, children and people with heart and lung conditions to stay inside with their windows closed.
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4. The Las Vegas police revised the timeline of the Mandalay Bay attack, saying that Stephen Paddock shot at a security guard on his hotel floor at about the same time he began to spray bullets on the crowd below.
Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said he was “absolutely offended” at allegations of incompetence over the revised chronology, saying it was the result of the vast scope of the investigation.
And our reporters delved into the story of Mr. Paddock’s father, Benjamin Paddock, above, a serial bank robber who was described as having “a sociopathic personality.”
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5. The 54-member board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will meet in Beverly Hills on Saturday to discuss what to do about Harvey Weinstein.
In the wake of the revelations of sexual harassment and rape allegations against him going back decades, the academy could choose to revoke his membership or nullify the Oscar he won in 1999, for “Shakespeare in Love.”
The police in London and New York are looking into accusations against him. And top names in fashion, like Anna Wintour, above with Mr. Weinstein in 2010, are speaking out: She called his behavior “appalling and unacceptable.”
We collected the best writing from the right and left on the Weinstein case.
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6. The N. C. A. will not penalize the University of North Carolina over what is considered the worst academic scandal in college sports history.
The case, involving fake classes that U. N. C. Chapel Hill athletes were steered into over two decades, did not technically break any rules — because other students had access to them, too.
That was the rationale from the N. C. A. A., which also said it had limited power to determine what constitutes academic fraud. The university says it has corrected the “irregularities.” Above, its head basketball coach, Roy Williams, during the Final Four.
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7. For generations, millions of Indians have celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, by setting off a symphony of fireworks.
But they’ve been banned in the capital this year over concerns about poisonous air quality. (After last year’s celebrations, a thick haze stayed over the city for 10 days, forcing officials to close elementary schools.)
Angry vendors say sales will simply be forced underground. The festival takes place on Thursday.
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8. No matter how you raise a wolf, you can’t turn it into a dog. To figure out exactly why that is, scientists are spending a lot of time cuddling and testing wolf puppies.
The animals are very similar — some scientists say they’re the same species — but with important genetic differences that researchers are trying to understand. Our reporter went to see the research firsthand.
“You have to be with them 24/7. That means sleeping with them, feeding them every four hours on the bottle, ” explained one evolutionary biologist.
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9. The truth is unavoidable: The Cubs are no longer the lovable losers of Major League Baseball.
That became clear with their victory on Thursday over the Nationals in Game 5 of their National League division series. It was another close one — just like when they defeated Cleveland last November to clinch the World Series.
So our baseball writer had to ask: Who’s the new worst team? The jury is out.
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10. Finally, we’ve heard a lot lately about “dad jokes.” (Full disclosure, not all of it flattering.) Now, our TV writer says, “mom comedy” is the genre on the verge of a breakthrough.
Ali Wong, above, who shot her last special while seven months pregnant, has been touring a new show about motherhood. Her hotly anticipated next special comes out in 2018, and in the meantime, several other comics are turning diapers and epidurals into blunt, confessional comedy.
Have a great weekend.
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