Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.
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Good evening. Here’s the latest.
1. A portrait of the White House’s culture of dishonesty emerged from the special counsel’s 448-page report that was released Thursday.
At one juncture after another, President Trump made his troubles worse, giving in to anger and grievance and lashing out in ways that turned advisers into witnesses against him. Above, the president on Thursday.
Our reporters spoke with Americans across the country, many of whom agree on one thing: They are disgusted with the country’s leaders and the breakdown of functional government.
What’s next? Robert Mueller, the special counsel, has been asked to testify before the House Judiciary Committee by May 23. Read our profile of the mysterious figure behind the investigation, including his weekly Friday-night ritual of dining at a dimly lit, mostly empty restaurant near his home. He usually ordered white wine and scallops.
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2. In other Washington news:
House Democrats issued a subpoena for the unredacted report and all of its underlying evidence, escalating a fight with the attorney general over what material Congress is entitled to see. Above, Representative Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, defended her statement that “countless” F. B. I. employees had lost faith in James Comey, the F. B. I. director fired by Mr. Trump. She told investigators for the special counsel last summer that it was a “slip of the tongue.”
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3. The architect who oversaw the design of the Notre-Dame cathedral’s fire safety system acknowledged that officials had miscalculated how quickly fire could spread through the cathedral.
Benjamin Mouton, the architect, told The Times he was “stunned” by the speed. Fire safety experts said he should have known better.
The fire alarms in the attic of Notre Dame did not immediately notify fire dispatchers. Instead, a guard at the cathedral first had to climb a steep set of stairs to the attic — a trip that would take a “fit” person six minutes to complete, Mr. Mouton said.
Even a flawless response would have a built-in delay of about 20 minutes from the moment the alarm sounded until firefighters could arrive.
