President Biden met today with Xi Jinping, the president of China, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in California. It was their first conversation in a year, and both leaders framed the meeting as a step toward easing tensions that had dramatically worsened in recent years. “Planet Earth is big enough” for both superpowers, Xi said, adding that their countries should be “fully capable of rising above differences.”
Aides to Biden said that his primary goal was finding a way to avoid the bitter competition with China tipping into conflict.
The leaders are expected to reach an outline of an agreement that would commit Beijing to regulating components of fentanyl, according to a senior American official. They are also expected to announce a forum on keeping A.I. away from nuclear controls.
But plenty of thorny issues remain. Biden’s aides said he would address the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the upcoming election in Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as its own.
Israel’s seizure of a Gaza hospital could shape the war
Israeli troops conducted searches and interrogations at Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, after storming the complex overnight. The operation appeared to be more like a police raid than a pitched battle.
Details about the raid of the hospital remain scarce. But images, statements from Gazan officials and an interview with a witness indicated that Israeli troops controlled at least the northeast side of the hospital. Israel claims that Hamas built a military command center beneath the hospital and Israeli officials reported finding rifles, ammunition, body armor and other military equipment. Their assertions could not be verified.
The heads of U.N. agencies condemned the raid, warning that it risked the lives of Gaza’s most vulnerable. The seizure of Al-Shifa, along with whatever evidence the Israelis produce, could affect international sentiment about the war as well as the continuing negotiations to free the Israeli hostages captured by Hamas.
Salty drinking water threatens lower Louisiana
This year, a drought in the Midwest weakened the Mississippi River and allowed saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to creep dozens of miles upstream. In many homes near the mouth of the river, saltwater has coursed through faucets, making it undrinkable, unpleasant for showers and unsuitable for plants.
Forecasts show that the salt could reach water treatment plants in New Orleans by late fall, contaminating the drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people and possibly leaching dangerous materials, including lead, from the city’s aging pipes.
Catalytic converter thefts are a billion-dollar problem
Across the U.S., thieves have nabbed tens of thousands of pollution-reducing catalytic converters from cars in the last few years. They contain valuable metals, but little has been known about their resale market. So we traced where the stolen devices end up and found that many are sold back to companies that make catalytic converters, as well as pharmaceutical companies for drugs, military contractors for weapons production and banks for their precious-metals trading desks.
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A first for autistic actors on Broadway
“How to Dance in Ohio,” which is in previews at the Belasco Theater in Manhattan, has a simple and relatable story: It’s about the lives of teenagers and young adults as they prepare for a formal spring dance. However, it focuses on people who are not often given the spotlight: Seven of the main characters are autistic.
When the show officially opens next month, it will be the first time in Broadway history that openly autistic actors play autistic characters.
How to salvage your day after a bad night’s sleep
Good sleep is a pillar of good health. But just about all of us have nights where everything seems to go sideways and we don’t get enough of it. For help, we asked experts for tips on making the most of the day after a restless night.
Their top suggestion was to take a 30-minute nap, if you can. It will help you feel less sleepy, and could even improve your cognitive performance. A midday walk can also help because it exposes you to the benefits of both exercise and natural light. Here’s what else you can do.
McDonald’s has developed an appetite for fashion
Fans of McDonald’s can now enjoy a double cheeseburger, a medium order of French fries and … a pair of purple clogs. The eye-catching shoes, which resemble the McDonald’s character Grimace, are part of a new collaboration between the company and Crocs. It’s the latest in a series of fashion projects tapping into the iconic fast-food chain.
The collaborations, which have produced clothing emblazoned with yellow “M”s and a fashion show staged inside a McDonald’s on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, emerged in 2014, after the luxury fashion brand Moschino used the golden arches and other McDonald’s iconography without asking.
Have a stylish evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
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