Fwd: NYT Now: Your Wednesday Briefing

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Date: Wed, Jul 29, 2015 at 12:34 PM
Subject: NYT Now: Your Wednesday Briefing
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View in Browser | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. Wednesday, July 29, 2015 Wednesday, July 29, 2015 nytnow.com » Enjoy this newsletter? The NYT Now app for iPhone is now completely free. It's the fastest way to catch up with the news throughout the day. Download now. Migrants near the French end of the Channel Tunnel on Tuesday. Philippe Huguen/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images Your Wednesday Briefing By ADEEL HASSAN Good morning. Here's what you need to know: • Cram session. House Republicans are poised today to pass an extension of only three months to keep the Highway Trust Fund afloat during peak construction season. The Senate would be forced to follow suit or face a lapse in highway programs. Congress is getting ready for a five-week summer recess. • The effects of the Iran deal. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifies to the Senate Armed Services Committee on the impact of the Iran nuclear accord on American interests. At the same time, France's foreign minister is in Tehran, where he invited Iran's president to visit France in November. • Desperate bids to get to Britain. A man, reported to be Sudanese, was killed when at least 1,500 migrants tried to enter the Channel Tunnel in Calais, France, overnight, the police said. He is the ninth man to die there this summer. In the dark, the migrants try to get aboard trains that carry passenger cars and trucks under the English Channel. • The Tom Brady appeal. The N.F.L. the players' union is vowing to appeal in federal court the league ruling upholding the four-game suspension of Tom Brady, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the New England Patriots. A judge could delay Brady's suspension until a court resolves the case, which stems from a charge that the Patriots improperly deflated footballs before a game in January. • Security Council vote. A vote today at the United Nations on a draft Security Council resolution would create an international tribunal to prosecute those found responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine a year ago. The plane was carrying 298 people, all of whom were killed by what some believe was a missile fired from territory controlled by pro-Russian separatist. Russia is expected to use its veto power to block the resolution. • Report cites possible Israeli war crimes. In a report released today, Amnesty International says there is "strong evidence" that Israel committed war crimes, and possibly crimes against humanity, in Gaza during last summer's war. And Jonathan J. Pollard, who was convicted of spying for Israel and is the only person in U.S. history to receive a life sentence for spying for an American ally, will be released on parole just before Thanksgiving. MARKETS • Today's historically low 0.25 percent target for U.S. interest rates is due for an increase. The Federal Reserve may drop clues at the end of a policy meeting today about when that could happen. • Microsoft's Windows 10 is out today, available as a free upgrade for owners of Windows 7 or 8. Our reviewer says it has a few new features that might make the switch worthwhile. • Second-quarter earnings continue to pour out, with Facebook, Goodyear, GlaxoSmithKline, Kraft Heinz and Anthem among today's big names. • Wall Street stock futures are slightly higher. European shares are ahead, and China's main index jumped more than 3 percent. NOTEWORTHY • Road trip down memory lane. In 1983, Chevy Chase starred in "National Lampoon's Vacation." Today, the sequel, "Vacation," opens at theaters. In the new version, the grown-up son of Clark Griswold takes his own family on a holiday only to encounter mishaps along the way. Chevy Chase is back, too. • "How old are you now?" A hearing was scheduled for today in Los Angeles to examine new evidence that lawyers say shows the song "Happy Birthday to You" should not be subject to copyright restrictions. The song, an early version of which was written by two sisters in the late 1800s, earns the Warner Music Group about $2 million a year in licensing fees. • Chart topper. The Atlanta rapper Future is No. 1 in Billboard's album rankings this week with his latest release, "DS2." • Trump under oath. Hundreds of pages of sworn testimony by Donald J. Trump show a variety of hyperbolic overstatements, shadings of the truth, outright misstatements, and boorish and demeaning comments. The testimony, drawn from a series of lawsuits since 2007, reveals some of the personal preoccupations and business tactics of the developer-turned-candidate. • Birkin bag brouhaha. The actress Jane Birkin asked Hermès to remove her name from one of its bags because of what she called "cruel" crocodile farming and slaughtering practices. The Birkin Croco costs more than $20,000 and is routinely sold out. BACK STORY Hundreds of people are descending on a Washington hotel today, and they're bringing their dolls named Barbie Millicent Roberts. But the National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention, held through Saturday, isn't just child's play. Attendees with collector items will try to impress judges across four dozen categories during the competition event. The holy grail of Barbie dolls is the 1959 version. That's the year she debuted, clad in a black-and-white swimsuit and stiletto heels. Barbie was born when Ruth Handler, a founder of Mattel, saw a doll, a well-endowed woman with blond hair, in the window of a shop while on vacation in Europe. She didn't speak German, so she didn't realize that the Bild Lilli doll was a vixen of German comic strips. What she saw was a model for a girls' toy. At the time, baby dolls dominated the toy market. Within a year, Barbie became the biggest-selling fashion doll of all time; Ken came soon after. They are named after Ms. Handler's daughter and son. Barbie has had about 150 careers, 50 nationalities, 40 pets and thousands of makeovers. More than one billion dolls have been sold in 150 countries. Victoria Shannon contributed reporting. Your Morning Briefing is published weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern and updated on the web all morning. What would you like to see here? Contact us at briefing@nytimes.com. Want to get the briefing by email? Here's the sign-up. ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW NYTNOW @NYTNOW NYT Now app for iPhone Now the news keeps up with you Available on the App Store Get more NYTimes.com newsletters » | Sign Up for the Morning Briefing newsletter » ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's NYT Now newsletter. 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