Here\u2019s what you need to know to start your day.<\/b>
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Good morning.
Here\u2019s what you need to know:
\u2022 The pieces of a deadly puzzle.
The Times obtained photographs of evidence collected at the scene of Monday\u2019s terrorist attack in Manchester, England, that suggest the bomb was an improvised device made with forethought and care.
Prime Minister Theresa May said today that she would confront President Trump over leaks, attributed to the U. S. government, which British officials blame for news reports, including in The Times, about the investigation.
The authorities are racing to find other parts of a \u201cnetwork\u201d that helped the bomber, Salman Abedi, who recently visited family in Libya. His younger brother and father have been detained there.
More victims have been identified after the attack, which killed 22 people. We\u2019 re tracking the latest developments and looking at some of the rumors and hoaxes that have spread online.
\u2022 Russian efforts to influence Trump.
American spies collected information last summer revealing that senior Russian officials were discussing how to exert influence on Donald Trump through his aides, according to three current and former American officials.
Our reporters learned previously unreported details of the Russians\u2019 conversations, which focused on Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump\u2019s campaign chairman at the time, and Michael Flynn, an adviser.
A House committee announced on Wednesday that it would subpoena Mr. Flynn \u2014 who became national security adviser, but lasted less than a month \u2014 in its investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election.
\u2022 If it\u2019s Thursday, this must be Belgium.
President Trump is in Brussels today for the fourth leg of his overseas trip. We have live updates.
He is expected to endorse NATO\u2019s commitment to mutual defense, breaking a long silence about whether the U. S. would automatically aid an ally under attack.
On Wednesday, the president met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, and was pressed on the subject of climate change.
\u2022 Scoring the new health bill.
By 2026, the new House health care plan would leave 23 million more people uninsured than under the Affordable Care Act, the Congressional Budget Office said on Wednesday.
We have a copy of the report, which says insurance costs could soar for consumers who are sick or have pre-existing conditions, but fall for the healthy. Here\u2019s a look at the winners and losers under the bill.
In a video, our reporter explains a crucial part of the Republican plan, which underwent changes to secure the votes for passage in the House.
\u2022 Montana race gets physical.
Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate in a special House election in Montana, was charged with assaulting a journalist on Wednesday, the day before the vote.
We look at Mr. Gianforte\u2019s background and what to watch in a race that has been examined for clues about the national political environment.
\u2022 \u201c The Daily, \u201d your audio news report.
In today\u2019s show, we discuss how the unsolved killing of Seth Rich became a case study of how and why fake news endures.
Listen on a computer, an iOS device or an Android device .
\u2022 OPEC ministers extended oil production cuts today through March 2018, although they are losing their grip on oil prices .
\u2022 Amazon is setting up shop in the heart of the publishing industry by opening a store in New York City today, at Columbus Circle.
\u2022 The deadline for many students to choose a college and place a deposit was this month, but, increasingly, negotiations continue .
\u2022 U. S. stocks were up on Wednesday. Here\u2019s a snapshot of global markets.
\u2022 Here\u2019s what to keep in mind when moving in with your significant other .
\u2022 Although it can feel as if your missteps are the focus of everyone\u2019s attention, research suggests otherwise.
\u2022 Recipe of the day: Hot and sour seared tofu with sugar snap peas is a meatless dinner to cook often.
\u2022 China\u2019s circular homes.
In today\u2019s 360 video, enter a Tulou home in Fujian Province, where multiple families live together in houses that have been designated U. N. World Heritage sites.
\u2022 Where history is personal.
We spoke with five New Orleans residents about the city\u2019s recent removal of Confederate monuments, which led to an impassioned debate about legacy, resolution and symbolism.
A speech by the mayor, Mitch Landrieu, has resonated nationally but drawn criticism back home.
\u2022 Two stories about climate change.
As President Trump moves to reverse the Obama administration\u2019s environmental policies, California has pushed back, holding itself out as a model to other states \u2014 and nations.
And we traveled to Glacier National Park in Montana, which is losing its glaciers. We mapped 50 years of melting ice.
\u2022 Best of late-night TV.
Several of the hosts were amused by Pope Francis, who looked unamused during his meeting with President Trump on Wednesday.
\u201cStar Wars\u201d appeared in theaters for the first time on this day in 1977, unleashing one of the greatest pop culture explosions this galaxy has ever seen.
The Force drew us in as much as anyone: Over the past 40 years, The Times has published thousands of articles about \u201cStar Wars\u201d and the universe that surrounds it.
Some now seem quaint: In a prerelease interview, George Lucas called Chewbacca \u201ca cross between a large bear, a dog and a monkey.\u201d (Chewie, as we know now, is a 200-year-old Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk and one of the greatest sidekicks in the history of film .)
Other reports were serious: We covered President Ronald Reagan\u2019s \u201cStar Wars\u201d antimissile system in the 1980s, the \u201cStar Wars\u201d \u201cpiracy menace\u201d of bootleg films in Hong Kong, and provided obituaries of franchise stars like Alec Guinness, in 2000, and Carrie Fisher, in December .
We also tried to be playful. We covered the recent campaign to make Jediism a religion, and the \u201cStar Wars\u201d socks worn by the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.
And maybe we got a little obsessed, too. Last year, we offered \u201cStar Wars\u201d teaching ideas \u2014 from \u201cTackle Shakespeare With Yoda, You Will\u201d to an economics primer, \u201cThe Death Star, Too Big to Fail?\u201d
In any case, may The Force be with you.
Charles McDermid contributed reporting.
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