Go for the gold: Your Weekend Briefing

May 16, 2021

Welcome to the Weekend Briefing. We're covering the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, the global supply of vaccines and the Preakness.

Hosam Salem for The New York Times

1. The worst violence between Israelis and Palestinians in seven years is spiraling.

On Saturday, Israel destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza that housed the offices of major media outlets, including The Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Hamas militants in Gaza fired more rockets toward Tel Aviv and protests broke out again in the occupied West Bank.

Officials in Gaza said that at least 170 people had been killed in Israeli airstrikes, 40 of them children, with about 1,000 injured since Monday. In Israel, the hostilities have killed 12 civilians.

American, Egyptian and Qatari officials are attempting to negotiate a pause, and the U.N. Security Council is meeting Sunday about the crisis. President Biden urged the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians to avoid additional deaths of children and other civilians on separate calls. Here's the latest.

A little-noticed police action at the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem last month was one of several provocations that led to the current crisis. We reconstructed how the conflict exploded after years of quiet.

Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times

2. Washington's response to the growing conflict is stoking tensions among Democrats.

While the Biden administration sees the violence as a highly sensitive diplomatic challenge involving a longstanding ally, progressives, like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, above, view it as a searing racial justice issue that is deeply intertwined with U.S. politics, linking the decades-long conflict over land in the Middle East to causes like police brutality and conditions for migrants at the southern border.

The Arab world has been unified in condemning Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. But in a changed region, where many Arab countries have normalized relations with Israel, the response so far has been rhetorical only.

Gulshan Khan for The New York Times

3. Everyone agrees that the global supply of coronavirus vaccines needs to greatly expand. But no one can agree on how to do it.

Only 0.3 percent of the vaccine doses administered globally have been given in the 29 poorest countries. Several solutions have emerged: vaccine manufacturers stepping up production; waiving patent protections to allow more manufacturers to copy existing vaccines; and wealthy countries donating and exporting more of their stock. All of these carry risks — and there is no consensus. Above, a vaccine station in Johannesburg.

As vaccines flow in rich countries, these charts show how the pandemic has split in two, with zero deaths in some cities and thousands in others. In Brazil, Covid-19 appears to be killing babies and small children at an unusually high rate.

Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times

4. Covid-19 cases in the U.S. are dropping. Mask mandates are lifting. We talked to more than 700 epidemiologists on when and how Americans can fully return to normal activities.

The true end of the pandemic will arrive once at least 70 percent of Americans of all ages are vaccinated, with the inoculation of children being key to ending the health crisis, they said. As of Saturday, 36 percent of people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated. Adolescents just began receiving their shots this past week.

Masks, social distancing and other restrictions bought crucial time for Americans to get immunized and helped stave off a fourth wave of infections. Now masks can come off for fully vaccinated Americans in most situations, the C.D.C. said this week. A growing number of retailers are largely moving to an honor system.

Here's what to know about the new mask guidance.

With restrictions easing, Americans from Maine to Montana are returning to concert halls, houses of worship and soapbox derbies in all 50 states. Here's what it looks like.

Joao Silva/The New York Times

5. Dozens of Black people have died in police custody after being restrained, pepper-sprayed or shocked with stun guns. But their deaths were attributed to genes.

A Times investigation found at least 47 instances over the past 25 years in which sickle cell trait was cited as a cause or major factor in deaths of Black people in custody. Fifteen such deaths have occurred since 2015. The determinations on sickle cell trait, which is carried by one in 13 Black people, often created enough doubt for officers to avert criminal or civil penalties, The Times found.

Lindani Myeni, a South African rugby player and father, died in his adopted home of Honolulu in April after he was shot and killed by the police outside a suburban house. In the U.S., this police shooting of a Black man described as a burglary suspect did not make national news, but in South Africa, it has become a cause célèbre. Above, a repatriation service for Myeni in Johannesburg.

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Andrew Kelly/Reuters

6. The Colonial Pipeline resumed full operations on Saturday, eight days after it was shut down by a ransomware attack.

It will still take days before gasoline stations in the Southeast, likethose in Washington, D.C., above, return to normal service. Nearly 2,000 outlets ran out of fuel after a surge of panic buying, and it will take some time to restock. Prices at the pump have stabilized, though.

The authorities have linked the ransomware attack to Darkside, a criminal hacking group based in Eastern Europe and, possibly, in Russia. Colonial quietly paid the extortionists nearly $5 million in Bitcoin to recover its stolen data, an episode that demonstrates how far the government and private industry have to go to prevent and deal with cyberattacks.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

7. Rombauer won the Preakness, ending a controversial Triple Crown bid by Medina Spirit, who failed a drug test after the Kentucky Derby.

Midnight Bourbon and Medina Spirit dueled for the lead throughout most of the race until Rombauer came from behind to take control at the final turn.

Also in sport, Vanessa Bryant, the wife of the late Kobe Bryant, accepted induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame on her husband's behalf. Bryant was part of a heralded class that included Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Tamika Catchings, Kim Mulkey and others.

Adeline Lulo for The New York Times

8. "It's not that I'm stronger now. It's that I'm aware of my strength."

Paulina Porizkova, the supermodel and widow of Ric Ocasek, frontman of the Cars, was abruptly cut out of his will right before he died. They were living together during what she said was an amicable divorce. Now she's in litigation with his estate.

We spoke to her about grief, flirting with Aaron Sorkin (her new boyfriend), escaping communism and learning about American culture by landing on the cover of the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

Margaret Roach

9. It's a beautiful weekend here in New York., and it's time to go outside.

If you're heading into the garden, there's a good chance you'll have a close encounter with poison ivy. Yes, it's irritating., but poison ivy also has some unappreciated superpowers, our garden expert writes. Here's how to deal with it.

Perhaps you're taking a more leisurely route. Two years ago, the drinks expert Rebekah Peppler made a bold statement that riled the internet: The Aperol spritz is not good. Peppler is back with another spritz take, this time with a nod to north-central Italy (and one that is likely to cause less outrage).

Lanna Apisukh

10. And finally, let's unwind.

How H Mart offers a piece of home. A 10-year-old chess master. Claiming the summit without reaching the top. The Weekender has these stories and more. Our editors also suggest these nine new books, "Mythic Quest" on Apple TV+ and new music from Nicki Minaj.

We also have two quizzes for you this week. It's been 17 years since the Brood X cicadas mated. How much do you remember from 2004? Test your memory. And test your knowledge of the week's headlines with our weekly news quiz.

Here's the front page of our Sunday paper, the Sunday Review from Opinion and today's Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all of our games here.

Have a comforting week.

Your Weekend Briefing is published Sundays at 6:30 a.m. Eastern.

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