Your Thursday Briefing – The New York Times

To save her plan, British leader is willing to leave

Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday said she would resign and let someone else negotiate the final details of Britain’s departure from the European Union if Parliament approved her Brexit plan.

The same day, lawmakers held a series of nonbinding votes on eight options for Britain’s future. None mustered a majority.

Mrs. May has lost the support of much of her Conservative Party. But her overture led some past critics to say they would back her plan, which Parliament has rejected twice. It could return for a vote as soon as today, but still faces long odds.

What’s next: Mrs. May didn’t specify when she would step down, but the European Union has said that it will approve an extension in the Brexit process to May 22 if her plan gains approval. Britain has until April 12 to agree on a strategy.

White House’s new push in health care fight

President Trump decided to push to overturn the Affordable Care Act despite concerns from the attorney general, the health secretary and the vice president. In doing so, he sided with Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, who spent years as a South Carolina congressman calling for a repeal.

The administration’s move angered some Republicans in Congress who worry that it could harm vulnerable incumbents in 2020 and that the party lacks a clear path to passing replacement legislation in a Democrat-controlled House.

Perspective: In an Op-Ed, a law professor argues that a repeal of the Affordable Care Act would inflict untold harm on the health care system — and on all Americans who depend on it.

Yesterday: A federal judge struck down Medicaid work requirements in Arkansas and Kentucky, a blow to Republican efforts to reshape the program.

Boeing proposes software updates for 737 Max

The company acknowledged on Wednesday that new software in its jets could have played a role in two deadly crashes and publicly laid out proposed updates for the first time. The changes would give pilots more control and make the system less likely to be set off by faulty data, two issues at the center of the crash investigations.

Boeing also faced scrutiny in a congressional hearing over the development and certification of the 737 Max jet, the process of which had been heavily delegated to the company by regulators.

Closer look: The updated software will rely on data from two sensors, so the plane won’t have a single point of failure. It will also make it easier for pilots to override the system.

March’s toughest matchup: brackets vs. ethics

By one count, more than 40 million people have filled out a bracket during the N.C.A.A. basketball tournaments.

But as a wide-ranging F.B.I. investigation into athletic recruiting continues to ensnare big-name colleges, fans know about the game’s intractable relationship to corruption.

We spoke to philosophers about the ethics of being a fan during March Madness.

Looking ahead: Here’s what to expect in the round of 16 for the men’s tournament, which starts today, and the women’s tournament, which gets underway on Friday.

If you have 5 minutes, this is worth it

A “dog suicide bridge” in Scotland

Since the 1950s, hundreds of dogs have jumped off this gothic stone bridge in a town near Glasgow. Many have ended up dead in the valley below.

Researchers say there is a rational explanation, but in a land of superstition and mystery, others are not so sure. Read our correspondent’s report.

Here’s what else is happening

Huawei security worries: The British authorities found “significant” security problems with the Chinese company’s telecommunications equipment, according to a report released today. That conclusion supports a U.S. effort to ban Huawei from next-generation wireless networks.

Congestion pricing: It could soon cost more than $10 to drive into parts of Manhattan under a new plan that is expected to be adopted April 1.

Facebook ban: The company has said that it would ban white nationalist content from its platforms. The policy change comes after a racist gunman used social media to post live video of his attacks on mosques in New Zealand this month.

Special Olympics funding: Education Secretary Betsy Devos has faced scathing criticism over a budget proposal that would eliminate funding for the nonprofit organization, which helps people with disabilities. But the cuts are unlikely to be approved by Congress.

New Jersey marijuana plan: A proposed bill to legalize the drug was backed by officials, and polls showed public support for the issue. But disagreements among lawmakers ultimately led to the unraveling of the plan.

Snapshot: Above, the New York Mets after defeating the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series, on Oct. 16, 1969. The Times looked back at the season in which the bumbling franchise became the Amazin’ Mets. We also preview the 2019 baseball season, which begins in earnest today, with all 30 Major League teams in action.

Late-night comedy: A survey found that Americans spent almost $40 billion while drunk, “which could explain the popularity of Uggs,” Jimmy Kimmel said.

What we’re reading: This piece in Kotaku, a gaming website. Mike Wines, a national correspondent, writes: “I often dream of flying passenger jets almost at street level, terrified of hitting overhead electric wires and crashing. This author’s fantastic dreams put mine to shame, and make this sad story riveting.”

Cook: Season Taiwanese three-cup chicken to your taste.

Go: “White Noise,” Suzan-Lori Parks’s new play, is an enthralling study of interracial relationships. It’s a Critic’s Pick.

Listen: The Norwegian singer and songwriter Marie Ulven, who performs as girl in red, records emotional songs about seeking and losing love.

Read: “Pleasure Activism,” a collection of essays and conversations on social justice work, is new this week on our paperback nonfiction best-seller list.

Smarter Living: “Precrastination” is like procrastination, but the other way around. It means tackling subgoals at the earliest opportunity — readying, arriving, delivering ahead of schedule. That can come at the expense of productive effort. Knowing that you’re keyed to jump the gun is a first step. Next is blocking off time for some unstructured thinking.

And adventurous women shared safety tips after reading a Times article about the dangers that solo female travelers face.

And now for the Back Story on …

Batman!

The superhero turns 80 on Saturday. He’s had countless adventures in comics, TV and film.

In “To Kill a Legend,” written by Alan Brennert and drawn by Dick Giordano for Detective Comics No. 500, published in the early 1980s, the story is personal.

Batman visits a parallel world and prevents the deaths of his parents, the cataclysmic event that makes Bruce Wayne become Batman. (Parallel worlds were a favorite of your Back Story writer, because they imagined so many different paths for DC’s heroes.)

Batman observes a bratty other-Bruce, but he is transfixed by Thomas and Martha Wayne: “Dear lord … it’s as if they’ve come alive again! As if I could … reach out and touch them.” Later, he neutralizes their would-be killer.

The story’s epilogue is genius. The other-Bruce is changed. While our Batman was born of grief, guilt or vengeance, this one knows a tragedy was averted and is driven by awe, mystery and gratitude.

Two corrections: Wednesday’s Morning Briefing misstated an early name for the Boeing Company. It was the Boeing Airplane, not Aircraft, Company. The briefing also misstated the year in which William Boeing started flying. It was around 1915, not around 1910.

And Tuesday’s Morning Briefing referred incorrectly to the number of deaths from opioid overdoses in the U.S. over the past two decades. More than 200,000 people have died from overdoses of prescription opioids, but nearly 400,000 have died from opioid overdoses overall, including heroin, fentanyl and prescription drugs.

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

— Inyoung and Chris

Thank you
To Mark Josephson, Eleanor Stanford, Chris Harcum and James K. Williamson for the break from the news. George Gene Gustines, who has been writing about comics since 2002, 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 prosecution of the singer R. Kelly.
• Here’s today’s mini crossword puzzle, and a clue: Mickey Mouse’s pet dog (5 letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• In May, The Times will launch a website devoted to parenting. Sign up for the newsletter, and read the first issue.