ON TRADE ACCORD CHINA IS RENEGING U.S ......2019/05/07 · Boot Camp LONDON rince HarryP could...
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VOL. CLXVIII . . . No. 58,320 © 2019 The New York Times Company NEW YORK, TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019 U(D54G1D)y+#!;!$!=!} WASHINGTON — Humans are transforming Earth’s natural landscapes so dramatically that as many as one million plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction, posing a dire threat to ecosystems that people all over the world depend on for their sur- vival, a new United Nations as- sessment has concluded. The 1,500-page report, com- piled by hundreds of international experts and based on thousands of scientific studies, is the most exhaustive look yet at the decline in biodiversity across the globe and the dangers that creates for human civilization. A summary of its findings, which was approved by representatives from the United States and 131 other coun- tries, was released Monday in Paris. The full report is set to be published this year. Its conclusions are stark. In most major land habitats, from the savannas of Africa to the rain forests of South America, the av- erage abundance of native plant and animal life has fallen by 20 percent or more, mainly over the past century. With the human population passing seven billion, activities like farming, logging, poaching, fishing and mining are altering the natural world at a rate “unprecedented in human his- tory.” At the same time, a new threat has emerged: Global warming has become a major driver of wild- life decline, the assessment found, by shifting or shrinking the local climates that many mammals, birds, insects, fish and plants evolved to survive in. When com- bined with the other ways humans are damaging the environment, climate change is now pushing a growing number of species, such as the Bengal tiger, closer to ex- tinction. As a result, biodiversity loss is projected to accelerate through 2050, particularly in the tropics, Wildlife Facing Extinction Risk All Over Globe U.N. Says Humans Are Eroding Ecosystems By BRAD PLUMER A 1,500-page report warns that activities such as poaching and logging, coupled with climate change, have put as many as a million plant and animal species at risk of extinction — and have endangered food security and clean water in rich and poor countries alike. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TONY KARUMBA/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES; BRUNO KELLY/REUTERS; SOREN ANDERSSON/A.F.P. — GETTY IMAGES; JURGEN FREUND/NPL/MINDEN PICTURES Continued on Page A10 WASHINGTON — President Trump’s top economic advisers on Monday accused China of reneg- ing on previous commitments to resolve a monthslong trade war and said Mr. Trump was prepared to prolong the standoff to force more significant concessions from Beijing. Mr. Trump, angry that China is retreating from its commitments just as the sides appeared to be nearing a deal and confident the American economy can handle a continuation of the trade war, will increase tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods on Friday morning, his top advisers said. “We’re moving backwards in- stead of forwards, and in the presi- dent’s view that’s not acceptable,” his top trade adviser, Robert Lighthizer, told reporters on Mon- day. “Over the last week or so, we have seen an erosion in commit- ments by China.” Mr. Trump’s last-minute escala- tion highlights his administra- tion’s difficult political position as it tries to fend off criticism that he has not been sufficiently tough on China. The president is facing pressure to show that the pain of his trade war will be worth it for the companies, farmers and con- sumers caught in the middle. Mr. Trump’s decision to potentially upend an agreement that many expected to be finalized this week in Washington appears to be a po- litical calculation that staying tough on China will be a better proposition in the 2020 campaign. Fueling that decision is the president’s growing confidence that his trade policies are bolster- ing the American economy, with- out any downside. Mr. Trump and his advisers have seized on strong first-quarter economic growth as vindication that their tough ap- proach to trade is accelerating the economy, and putting the United States in a stronger position than China to withstand any blowback from higher tariffs. Gross domes- tic product surged past forecasts in the first quarter, rising 3.2 per- cent on an annual basis in part be- cause of a sharp slowdown in im- ports. Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, attributed the strong growth to Mr. Trump’s economic policies, including on trade. “There’s no question that some of the trade policies helped in the G.D.P. number,” Mr. Mnuchin said. While the president and his ad- visers have interpreted the fig- ures as evidence that his tariffs are reducing the trade deficit and boosting growth, economists have been more skeptical. “If you look at imports and ex- ports, it jumps around a lot,” said Torsten Slok, the chief economist at Deutsche Bank Securities. “The recent changes we’ve seen in net exports, it’s probably pre- mature to claim credit for that.” U.S. ADVISERS SAY CHINA IS RENEGING ON TRADE ACCORD PROLONGING A STANDOFF Booming Economy Adds Muscle to a Threat of Tariffs, Aides Say By ANA SWANSON and KEITH BRADSHER Continued on Page A9 As big-dollar political donors re- cently gathered at a TriBeCa wine bar to honor one of the country’s most powerful black state law- makers, protesters converged outside. Waving signs and chanting, shouting to be heard in the bar's darkened interior, they demanded an end to big money in politics. They were Democratic activists — and their target was one of their own: Carl E. Heastie, the Demo- cratic speaker of the New York State Assembly. But they also had to shout over the sound of counterprotesters: an equal-size group of black com- munity leaders, who had assem- bled to support the speaker and denounce the activists. The progressive movement in New York has been credited with overturning politics in Albany: The Legislature is now under Democratic control for only the third time in 50 years. But the pro- gressive push, fueled by many newly energized activists, has also alienated some of the party’s old guard of black leaders, igniting an internal battle with racial over- tones. Black community leaders have leveled accusations of paternal- ism. Black lawmakers have warned of a gulf between activ- ists’ priorities and those of their constituents. Even black activists who are part of the insurgent wing have cautioned of overreach by white progressives. “People talk about how black Progressive Push Exposes Racial Rift Among Albany Democrats By VIVIAN WANG and JEFFERY C. MAYS Continued on Page A21 KARSTEN MORAN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES Lady Gaga shed three layers while making an entrance on Monday at the Met Gala. Page A20. Boot Camp LONDON — Prince Harry could barely contain himself. Fac- ing a news camera to announce his son’s birth, he rubbed his hands together, bounced on the balls of his feet and seemed un- able to stop himself from grinning, even for a second. “It’s been the most amazing ex- perience I can ever possibly imag- ine,” he said, standing in front of the stables at Windsor Castle, where two black horses nodded behind him. “How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension, and we’re both absolutely thrilled,” he said about his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. The duchess, he said, was “amaz- ing,” and the birth “amazing,” and the love and support from the pub- lic “amazing.” Then he turned to go, so addled with happiness and sleep deprivation that he ap- peared to thank the horses. “This little thing is absolutely to die for, so I’m just over the moon,” he managed. If much of the world was drawn into the child’s birth, a few min- utes after dawn on Monday, it was not purely because of the new- born’s position, seventh in line to the British throne. It was also because he repre- sents change for the oldest of houses. He is half American, de- scended on his mother’s side from a bellhop in a Cleveland hotel, a laundry worker in Chattanooga and a bartender in an Atlanta sa- loon. And he is the first multiracial baby in the British monarchy’s re- cent history, an instant star in a country where multiracial chil- dren make up the fastest-growing ethnic category. “We have been waiting for him,” said Carol Lengolo, 38, who immi- grated to Britain from South Afri- ca and is raising a son and a daughter in southeast London. She said that she had set up multi- ple notifications so the family would know the moment the child Royalty Gains Multiracial Son Who ‘Is Absolutely to Die For’ By ELLEN BARRY and PALKO KARASZ The birth notice was posted outside Buckingham Palace. CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/GETTY IMAGES Continued on Page A11 trifuges used to produce nuclear fuel and put restrictions on nucle- ar inspections in Iran. It would be Iran’s most significant reaction to date as President Trump has steadily increased sanctions. At the same time, three United States officials cited new intelli- gence that Iran or its proxies were preparing to attack American troops in Iraq and Syria, leading the Pentagon to send an aircraft carrier strike group and Air Force bombers to the Persian Gulf as a warning to Tehran. “What we’ve been trying to do WASHINGTON — Tensions es- calated between the United States and Iran on Monday as the Trump administration accused Iran and militias that it backs of threat- ening American troops, and Iran signaled it might soon violate part of the 2015 nuclear deal it reached under former President Barack Obama. European diplomats in touch with senior officials in Tehran said Iran would most likely resume re- search on high-performance cen- As Washington Accuses Iran, Relations Hit a Trump-Era Low This article is by David E. Sanger, Edward Wong, Eric Schmitt and He- lene Cooper. Continued on Page A6 Michael Cohen, the president’s lawyer turned antagonist, began a three-year prison term in Otisville, N.Y. PAGE A15 NATIONAL A12-17 Ex-Fixer Now an Inmate Every spring in the village of Shukhuti, Georgia, a leather ball is used to play a brutal folk game — and then to honor loved ones who have died. PAGE B7 SPORTSTUESDAY B7-12 A Ball That Means Everything A reimagined spy museum features flashy interactive exhibits but also deals with torture, faulty intelligence and unchecked surveillance. PAGE C1 ARTS C1-8 In Washington, a Nest for Spies Norah O’Donnell will become the an- chor for the evening newscast, signal- ing a new era after a series of scandals at the network. PAGE B1 BUSINESS B1-5 CBS Shuffles Lineup The Reuters reporters, U Wa Lone, 33, and U Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, who received the Pulitzer Prize, were to serve seven years in prison. PAGE A10 INTERNATIONAL A4-11 Myanmar Frees 2 Journalists Paul Romer PAGE A23 EDITORIAL, OP-ED A22-23 Anadarko said it prefers Occidental’s takeover offer after the rival to Chevron sweetened the pot. PAGE B1 Bidding War for Oil Giant Two amateur archaeologists have found mysterious carvings on the Indian coastal plain south of Mumbai. PAGE D1 SCIENCE TIMES D1-6 Ancient Rock Art Is Uncovered Parents of a student who tackled a gun- man said their son was shot three times, once at point-blank range. PAGE A12 U.N.C. Hero Was Shot in Head The electoral authorities’ decision annuls a local defeat for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. PAGE A6 Turkey Orders a New Election The escalators in New York’s subway system are getting more unreliable, even the brand-new ones. PAGE A18 NEW YORK A18-21 Subway’s Broken Escalators Norma Miller danced on sidewalks in Harlem before becoming an interna- tional stage and screen star and the “Queen of Swing.” She was 99. PAGE B14 OBITUARIES B13-14 Legend of the Lindy Hop WASHINGTON — The Trump administration ruled out turning over President Trump’s tax re- turns to the House on Monday and girded for a looming contempt of Congress resolution against At- torney General William P. Barr. The actions ratcheted up the showdown between the executive and legislative branches, as Mr. Trump and his administration continued to resist the Demo- crats’ oversight efforts on multi- ple fronts. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told the chairman of the House Ways and Means Commit- tee, Richard E. Neal of Massachu- setts, that he would not grant ac- cess to six years of personal and business tax returns. He said the demand “lacks a legitimate legis- lative purpose,” a view that Demo- crats are almost certain to contest in court. The Democrats were already moving against Mr. Barr. The House Judiciary Committee an- nounced a vote for Wednesday that would recommend that the House hold Mr. Barr in contempt Tax Returns and Barr Subpoena Fuel Latest Clash on Capitol Hill By NICHOLAS FANDOS and ALAN RAPPEPORT Continued on Page A15 Late Edition Today, clouds and sunshine, after- noon showers or thunderstorms, high 74. Tonight, cloudy, showers, 53. Tomorrow, partly sunny, cooler, high 66. Weather map, Page B16. $3.00
Transcript of ON TRADE ACCORD CHINA IS RENEGING U.S ......2019/05/07 · Boot Camp LONDON rince HarryP could...
VOL. CLXVIII . . . No. 58,320 © 2019 The New York Times Company NEW YORK, TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019
C M Y K Nxxx,2019-05-07,A,001,Bs-4C,E2
U(D54G1D)y+#!;!$!=!}
WASHINGTON — Humans aretransforming Earth’s naturallandscapes so dramatically thatas many as one million plant andanimal species are now at risk ofextinction, posing a dire threat toecosystems that people all overthe world depend on for their sur-vival, a new United Nations as-sessment has concluded.
The 1,500-page report, com-piled by hundreds of internationalexperts and based on thousandsof scientific studies, is the mostexhaustive look yet at the declinein biodiversity across the globeand the dangers that creates forhuman civilization. A summary ofits findings, which was approvedby representatives from theUnited States and 131 other coun-tries, was released Monday inParis. The full report is set to bepublished this year.
Its conclusions are stark. Inmost major land habitats, fromthe savannas of Africa to the rainforests of South America, the av-erage abundance of native plantand animal life has fallen by20 percent or more, mainly overthe past century. With the humanpopulation passing seven billion,activities like farming, logging,poaching, fishing and mining arealtering the natural world at a rate“unprecedented in human his-tory.”
At the same time, a new threathas emerged: Global warminghas become a major driver of wild-life decline, the assessment found,by shifting or shrinking the localclimates that many mammals,birds, insects, fish and plantsevolved to survive in. When com-bined with the other ways humansare damaging the environment,climate change is now pushing agrowing number of species, suchas the Bengal tiger, closer to ex-tinction.
As a result, biodiversity loss isprojected to accelerate through2050, particularly in the tropics,
Wildlife Facing Extinction RiskAll Over Globe
U.N. Says Humans AreEroding Ecosystems
By BRAD PLUMER
A 1,500-page report warns that activities such as poaching and logging, coupled with climate change, have put as many as a millionplant and animal species at risk of extinction — and have endangered food security and clean water in rich and poor countries alike.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TONY KARUMBA/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES; BRUNO KELLY/REUTERS; SOREN ANDERSSON/A.F.P. — GETTY IMAGES; JURGEN FREUND/NPL/MINDEN PICTURES
Continued on Page A10
WASHINGTON — PresidentTrump’s top economic advisers onMonday accused China of reneg-ing on previous commitments toresolve a monthslong trade warand said Mr. Trump was preparedto prolong the standoff to forcemore significant concessions fromBeijing.
Mr. Trump, angry that China isretreating from its commitmentsjust as the sides appeared to benearing a deal and confident theAmerican economy can handle acontinuation of the trade war, willincrease tariffs on $200 billionworth of Chinese goods on Fridaymorning, his top advisers said.
“We’re moving backwards in-stead of forwards, and in the presi-dent’s view that’s not acceptable,”his top trade adviser, RobertLighthizer, told reporters on Mon-day. “Over the last week or so, wehave seen an erosion in commit-ments by China.”
Mr. Trump’s last-minute escala-tion highlights his administra-tion’s difficult political position asit tries to fend off criticism that hehas not been sufficiently tough onChina. The president is facingpressure to show that the pain ofhis trade war will be worth it forthe companies, farmers and con-sumers caught in the middle. Mr.Trump’s decision to potentiallyupend an agreement that manyexpected to be finalized this weekin Washington appears to be a po-litical calculation that stayingtough on China will be a betterproposition in the 2020 campaign.
Fueling that decision is thepresident’s growing confidencethat his trade policies are bolster-ing the American economy, with-out any downside. Mr. Trump andhis advisers have seized on strongfirst-quarter economic growth asvindication that their tough ap-proach to trade is accelerating theeconomy, and putting the UnitedStates in a stronger position thanChina to withstand any blowbackfrom higher tariffs. Gross domes-tic product surged past forecastsin the first quarter, rising 3.2 per-cent on an annual basis in part be-cause of a sharp slowdown in im-ports.
Steven Mnuchin, the Treasurysecretary, attributed the stronggrowth to Mr. Trump’s economicpolicies, including on trade.
“There’s no question that someof the trade policies helped in theG.D.P. number,” Mr. Mnuchin said.
While the president and his ad-visers have interpreted the fig-ures as evidence that his tariffsare reducing the trade deficit andboosting growth, economists havebeen more skeptical.
“If you look at imports and ex-ports, it jumps around a lot,” saidTorsten Slok, the chief economistat Deutsche Bank Securities.“The recent changes we’ve seenin net exports, it’s probably pre-mature to claim credit for that.”
U.S. ADVISERS SAYCHINA IS RENEGINGON TRADE ACCORD
PROLONGING A STANDOFF
Booming Economy AddsMuscle to a Threat of
Tariffs, Aides Say
By ANA SWANSONand KEITH BRADSHER
Continued on Page A9
As big-dollar political donors re-cently gathered at a TriBeCa winebar to honor one of the country’smost powerful black state law-makers, protesters convergedoutside.
Waving signs and chanting,shouting to be heard in the bar's
darkened interior, they demandedan end to big money in politics.They were Democratic activists— and their target was one of theirown: Carl E. Heastie, the Demo-cratic speaker of the New YorkState Assembly.
But they also had to shout overthe sound of counterprotesters:an equal-size group of black com-munity leaders, who had assem-bled to support the speaker and
denounce the activists.The progressive movement in
New York has been credited withoverturning politics in Albany:The Legislature is now underDemocratic control for only thethird time in 50 years. But the pro-gressive push, fueled by manynewly energized activists, hasalso alienated some of the party’sold guard of black leaders, ignitingan internal battle with racial over-
tones.Black community leaders have
leveled accusations of paternal-ism. Black lawmakers havewarned of a gulf between activ-ists’ priorities and those of theirconstituents. Even black activistswho are part of the insurgent winghave cautioned of overreach bywhite progressives.
“People talk about how black
Progressive Push Exposes Racial Rift Among Albany Democrats
By VIVIAN WANGand JEFFERY C. MAYS
Continued on Page A21
KARSTEN MORAN FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
Lady Gaga shed three layers while making an entrance on Monday at the Met Gala. Page A20.Boot Camp
LONDON — Prince Harrycould barely contain himself. Fac-ing a news camera to announcehis son’s birth, he rubbed hishands together, bounced on theballs of his feet and seemed un-able to stop himself from grinning,even for a second.
“It’s been the most amazing ex-perience I can ever possibly imag-ine,” he said, standing in front ofthe stables at Windsor Castle,where two black horses noddedbehind him.
“How any woman does whatthey do is beyond comprehension,and we’re both absolutely
thrilled,” he said about his wife,Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.The duchess, he said, was “amaz-ing,” and the birth “amazing,” andthe love and support from the pub-lic “amazing.” Then he turned togo, so addled with happiness andsleep deprivation that he ap-peared to thank the horses.
“This little thing is absolutely todie for, so I’m just over the moon,”he managed.
If much of the world was drawninto the child’s birth, a few min-utes after dawn on Monday, it wasnot purely because of the new-born’s position, seventh in line tothe British throne.
It was also because he repre-sents change for the oldest ofhouses. He is half American, de-scended on his mother’s side froma bellhop in a Cleveland hotel, alaundry worker in Chattanoogaand a bartender in an Atlanta sa-loon. And he is the first multiracialbaby in the British monarchy’s re-cent history, an instant star in acountry where multiracial chil-dren make up the fastest-growingethnic category.
“We have been waiting for him,”said Carol Lengolo, 38, who immi-grated to Britain from South Afri-ca and is raising a son and adaughter in southeast London.She said that she had set up multi-ple notifications so the familywould know the moment the child
Royalty Gains Multiracial SonWho ‘Is Absolutely to Die For’
By ELLEN BARRY and PALKO KARASZ
The birth notice was postedoutside Buckingham Palace.
CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/GETTY IMAGES
Continued on Page A11
trifuges used to produce nuclearfuel and put restrictions on nucle-ar inspections in Iran. It would beIran’s most significant reaction todate as President Trump hassteadily increased sanctions.
At the same time, three UnitedStates officials cited new intelli-gence that Iran or its proxies werepreparing to attack Americantroops in Iraq and Syria, leadingthe Pentagon to send an aircraftcarrier strike group and Air Forcebombers to the Persian Gulf as awarning to Tehran.
“What we’ve been trying to do
WASHINGTON — Tensions es-calated between the United Statesand Iran on Monday as the Trumpadministration accused Iran andmilitias that it backs of threat-ening American troops, and Iransignaled it might soon violate partof the 2015 nuclear deal it reachedunder former President BarackObama.
European diplomats in touchwith senior officials in Tehran saidIran would most likely resume re-search on high-performance cen-
As Washington Accuses Iran,Relations Hit a Trump-Era Low
This article is by David E. Sanger,Edward Wong, Eric Schmitt and He-lene Cooper.
Continued on Page A6
Michael Cohen, the president’s lawyerturned antagonist, began a three-yearprison term in Otisville, N.Y. PAGE A15
NATIONAL A12-17
Ex-Fixer Now an InmateEvery spring in the village of Shukhuti,Georgia, a leather ball is used to play abrutal folk game — and then to honorloved ones who have died. PAGE B7
SPORTSTUESDAY B7-12
A Ball That Means Everything
A reimagined spy museum featuresflashy interactive exhibits but alsodeals with torture, faulty intelligenceand unchecked surveillance. PAGE C1
ARTS C1-8
In Washington, a Nest for SpiesNorah O’Donnell will become the an-chor for the evening newscast, signal-ing a new era after a series of scandalsat the network. PAGE B1
BUSINESS B1-5
CBS Shuffles LineupThe Reuters reporters, U Wa Lone, 33,and U Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, who receivedthe Pulitzer Prize, were to serve sevenyears in prison. PAGE A10
INTERNATIONAL A4-11
Myanmar Frees 2 Journalists
Paul Romer PAGE A23
EDITORIAL, OP-ED A22-23
Anadarko said it prefers Occidental’stakeover offer after the rival to Chevronsweetened the pot. PAGE B1
Bidding War for Oil Giant
Two amateur archaeologists have foundmysterious carvings on the Indiancoastal plain south of Mumbai. PAGE D1
SCIENCE TIMES D1-6
Ancient Rock Art Is UncoveredParents of a student who tackled a gun-man said their son was shot three times,once at point-blank range. PAGE A12
U.N.C. Hero Was Shot in Head
The electoral authorities’ decisionannuls a local defeat for PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan. PAGE A6
Turkey Orders a New Election
The escalators in New York’s subwaysystem are getting more unreliable,even the brand-new ones. PAGE A18
NEW YORK A18-21
Subway’s Broken Escalators
Norma Miller danced on sidewalks inHarlem before becoming an interna-tional stage and screen star and the“Queen of Swing.” She was 99. PAGE B14
OBITUARIES B13-14
Legend of the Lindy Hop
WASHINGTON — The Trumpadministration ruled out turningover President Trump’s tax re-turns to the House on Monday andgirded for a looming contempt ofCongress resolution against At-torney General William P. Barr.
The actions ratcheted up theshowdown between the executiveand legislative branches, as Mr.Trump and his administrationcontinued to resist the Demo-crats’ oversight efforts on multi-ple fronts.
Treasury Secretary StevenMnuchin told the chairman of the
House Ways and Means Commit-tee, Richard E. Neal of Massachu-setts, that he would not grant ac-cess to six years of personal andbusiness tax returns. He said thedemand “lacks a legitimate legis-lative purpose,” a view that Demo-crats are almost certain to contestin court.
The Democrats were alreadymoving against Mr. Barr. TheHouse Judiciary Committee an-nounced a vote for Wednesdaythat would recommend that theHouse hold Mr. Barr in contempt
Tax Returns and Barr SubpoenaFuel Latest Clash on Capitol Hill
By NICHOLAS FANDOS and ALAN RAPPEPORT
Continued on Page A15
Late EditionToday, clouds and sunshine, after-noon showers or thunderstorms,high 74. Tonight, cloudy, showers,53. Tomorrow, partly sunny, cooler,high 66. Weather map, Page B16.
$3.00
