Your Friday Briefing – The New York Times

U.S. rolls back rule on clean water

The Trump administration on Thursday announced the repeal of an Obama-era regulation that had limited the chemicals that could be used near bodies of water.

The change, expected to take effect in a matter of weeks, would mean polluters no longer need a permit to release potentially harmful substances into streams and wetlands.

President Trump promised to repeal the rule during his campaign, saying it impinged on the rights of farmers, landowners and real estate developers.

Closer look: The administration has moved to eliminate more than 80 environmental rules and regulations.

Britain’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, has ruled out leaving Northern Ireland under European Union regulations, but he is said to be considering putting parts of the territory’s economy into an “all-Ireland” zone that would presumably preserve the open border with the south.

Another angle: Food and medicine shortages, dayslong waits at the border and civil unrest are among the potential consequences of a no-deal Brexit. The “reasonable worst case planning assumptions” are outlined in a policy paper that lawmakers forced the government to release.

If you have 6 minutes, this is worth it

Cable cars over a holy city

A planned cable-car project in Jerusalem would shuttle visitors to the Western Wall, the holiest site in the Jewish world, by 2021. The plan would bypass a Palestinian district of East Jerusalem and has horrified Israeli preservationists.

The network also illustrates how Israel uses architecture and urban planning to extend its authority in the occupied territories, our architecture critic writes.

Here’s what else is happening

New threat to Bahamas: Another potential tropical storm — this one would be called Humberto — is expected to affect the area that was recently devastated by Hurricane Dorian, forecasters warned.

Snapshot: Above, Jane Goodall, the celebrated primatologist, is 85 and still passionately preaching environmentalism. Working with chimpanzees taught her a lot about humans: “We’re not, after all, separate from the animal kingdom,” she said. “We’re part of it.”

News quiz: Did you follow the headlines this week? Test yourself.

Modern Love: In this week’s column, a queer woman who fought for the right to be married finds herself fighting for the space to be human.

Late-night comedy: The hosts were watching the Democrats. “I don’t know who won the debate,” Jimmy Kimmel said, “but watching candidates discuss the issues intelligently, using real facts, I’d forgotten what it was like.”

What we’re reading: This confession of a kitchen pest in Britain’s The Observer. Mike Wolgelenter, an editor based in London, connected with the part about “trying to edit” a colleague’s sandwich. “Been there. Done that. Not proud.”

Now, a break from the news

Menthol cigarettes are particularly popular among black smokers, and black leaders have accused the tobacco industry of targeting African-Americans in marketing campaigns. Antismoking groups say menthol makes cigarettes easier to smoke and harder to quit.

Canada banned menthol cigarettes in 2017, and a European Union prohibition goes into effect next year. A U.S. proposal, announced last year, is in limbo.

When Juul Labs faced pressure last year over its products’ appeal to young people, the company pulled e-cigarettes with fruity or dessert flavors. But many vapers simply switched to Juul’s mint version.

One Juul official said the company was considering challenging the proposed restrictions, specifically on mint and menthol. And stock of the tobacco giant Altria held firm on the belief among some investors that the two flavors would not be banned, according to an analyst at CFRA Research.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Chris

Thank you
Melina Delkic helped compile today’s briefing. Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news, and Victoria Shannon wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [email protected].

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Today’s episode is about the Democratic debate.
• Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Unit of bananas (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• Nick Casey, our Andes bureau chief since 2016, and Sarah Lyall, who wrote the Abroad in America newsletter during the 2018 midterm elections, will join the politics desk to cover the 2020 campaign.