Author: NY TIMES

The Biden administration believes that Israel has most likely violated international standards in failing to protect civilians in Gaza but has not found specific instances that would justify the withholding of military aid, the State Department told Congress on Friday.In the administration’s most detailed assessment of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, the State Department said in a written report that Israel “has the knowledge, experience and tools to implement best practices for mitigating civilian harm in its military operations.”But it added that “the results on the ground, including high levels of civilian casualties, raise substantial questions” as to whether the Israel…

In the weeks leading up to Opening Day of the season, MLB sent a memo to all 30 clubs highlighting the increase in catcher interference. Instances of catchers being hit by opposing batters’ bats are increasing rapidly. In 2023, Catcher in the Rye interference was called 94 times, an increase of nearly 20 times from 2022.What caused the sharp rise? The catcher keeps getting closer to home plate. In the pitch-frame era, teams reasoned that the closer a catcher was to the ball, the greater his chance of “stealing” a strike.It worked so well that catchers kept moving closer to…

An ethereal-looking image of Molly Baz, the cookbook author, with her pregnant belly exposed and her breasts covered with not much more than a rhinestone bikini top and two oatmeal cookies, floated high above Times Square.It was a digital billboard, measuring 45 feet tall, for Baz’s lactation cookies — a recipe to stimulate milk production that she developed in partnership with the breastfeeding start-up Swehl. The tag line read: “Just Add Milk.”The ad was scheduled to be up for a week, from Monday through Mother’s Day, playing for the first minute of every hour. But three days later, on Thursday,…

After being criticized last year for its store displays for Pride Month, ​​the annual celebration in June for L.G.B.T.Q. Americans, Target is taking a more limited approach this year.The retailer said in an emailed statement on Friday that its Pride-themed merchandise would be available in “select stores and on Target.com.” That is a change from previous years, when the products were highly visible and widely available in most Target stores.Target has often displayed its Pride apparel and merchandise prominently in many of its stores, sometimes near the entrances. Last year, however, Target faced outrage and calls for boycotts from some…

Utility regulators in California on Thursday changed how most residents will pay for energy by adding a new fixed monthly charge and lowering the rates that apply to energy use. Officials said the shift would reduce monthly bills for millions of residents and support the use of electric vehicles and appliances that run on electricity, rather than fossil fuels.The decision by the California Public Utilities Commission will apply to the rates charged by investor-owned utilities, which provide power to about 70 percent of the state. Starting next year, most customers of those companies will be required to pay a $24.15…

The Biden administration said on Friday that it would compensate dairy farmers for cooperating with its efforts to limit the spread of the bird flu virus, part of a series of expansive measures aimed at containing an outbreak.The payment system amounted to one of the most forceful actions taken so far by agriculture officials who have raced to keep up with the spread of the virus among dairy cows. Farm owners have been reluctant to allow state and federal officials access to cows and workers exposed to or infected by the virus, and are fearful of the financial consequences of…

Dennis Thompson, the drummer whose thunderous, hard-hitting style powered the proto-punk sound of the loud, outspoken and highly influential Detroit rock band the MC5, died on Thursday in Taylor, Mich. He was 75.He died in a rehabilitation facility while recovering from a recent heart attack, his son, Chris McNulty, said.Mr. Thompson was the last surviving member of the MC5, a band that was known for being politically outspoken and aligned with the countercultural left; it actively supported the anti-Vietnam War movement and protests against racism. The MC5 will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in October.…

Days after an Israeli military incursion into Rafah, in southern Gaza, South Africa once again asked the United Nations’ top court to issue constraints on Israel, saying “the very survival” of Palestinians in Gaza was under threat.In filings disclosed by the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Friday, South Africa asked the court to order Israel to immediately withdraw from Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city where more than a million Palestinians displaced by the war have sought shelter, and to “cease its military offensive” and allow “unimpeded access” to international officials, investigators and journalists.South Africa’s latest move is part…

Palestinian flags fluttered in the breeze above two neat rows of orange and green tents at Cambridge University on Thursday, where students read, talked and played chess at a small encampment to protest the Gaza war.There were no police officers in sight and not a lot for them to do if they did turn up, unless they felt like joining a wellness circle or a workshop on kite-making.Pro-Palestinian encampments have spread to 15 universities across Britain in recent days, but there were few signs yet of the violent confrontations that have shaken American campuses.That is partly because college authorities here…

CHICAGO — If you want to know how quickly things can change in the WNBA, look no further than Angel Reese’s week.On Monday, her 22nd birthday, the Chicago Sky rookie took an unusual trip after practice in suburban Deerfield.Typically, when people leave Saks Center, a Park District fitness club in a strip mall, they might grab some ramen at Jimmy Thai or grab a cup of coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts. If they really wanted to ruin their workout, they’d go to Portillo’s across the street.Reese, rookie or not, is a little different than the average player, and he attended the…