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National Guard troops in Starr County, Tex., along the border with Mexico. "They're going to be there, I perceive, for a long time," Gov. Greg Abbott said. Lynsey Addario for The New York Times
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| Good morning. |
| Here's what you need to know: |
| Paul Ryan upends his party's plans |
| • It was a job he never wanted. |
| But the House speaker's surprise decision to abandon one of the most powerful jobs in Washington blindsided many Republican candidates who were counting on him to lead them to victory in the November midterm elections. |
| Once considered one of his party's brightest stars, Mr. Ryan, 48, said on Wednesday that he would quit politics for now. We looked at his two-and-a-half-year tenure. |
| • We also visited his hometown, Janesville, Wis., where his constituents were stunned … sort of: "Nobody can do a good job on their own," one said. "I don't think anyone in Washington is doing what they're supposed to be doing. They just yell at each other." |
| He found what Facebook had on him. Yikes. |
| • One of our technology columnists downloaded his Facebook data last week, "an exercise I highly recommend if you care about how your personal information is stored and used." Here's what he learned. |
| What lawmakers learned, after two days of questioning Mark Zuckerberg, is that social media technology leaves huge potential for abuse. Calls for congressional oversight are growing. |
| • The biggest obstacle to regulating Facebook is not Congress's lack of digital expertise, our columnist argues. It's a lack of political will. |
| What really happened in Syria? |
| • The suspected chemical attack by pro-government forces last weekend has increased tensions among world powers and threatens to escalate Syria's seven-year war. |
| A review by The Times offers new details about the attack on the rebel-held town of Douma, where at least 43 people were killed and many more were left struggling to breathe. Here's what we know and don't know. |
| • President Trump left little doubt on Wednesday about plans for a U.S. response, announcing that missiles "will be coming" at Syria. We looked at the risks of a military intervention. |
| Tabloid catches investigators' eyes |
| • The parent company of The National Enquirer has been drawn into the sweeping investigation of President Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. |
| Federal prosecutors are examining the relationship between Mr. Trump and the publisher, whose chairman, David Pecker, is a close friend of the president's. |
| A search warrant served to Mr. Cohen this week requested all communication between him, Mr. Pecker and another official at American Media Inc. |
| • We answered some of the legal questions about the raid on Mr. Cohen's office and hotel room on Monday, which led Mr. Trump to declare on Twitter that "attorney-client privilege is dead!" |
| On the border with the National Guard |
| • One of our reporters spent time this week with 250 troops stationed in Texas along the border with Mexico, part of President Trump's plan to stop immigrants from entering the country illegally. |
| "We're like an extra pair of eyes and ears," one soldier said. |
| • The troops have two somewhat contradictory missions: standing out and blending in. On the border, they are meant to be seen and feared. But when traveling through South Texas cities, they keep a low profile, to try to reduce criticism that the deployments turn border towns into militarized zones. |
| "The Daily": Questioning Facebook |
| • Calls for oversight of the social media giant are growing. |
| Listen on a computer, an iOS device or an Android device. |
| Business |
| • Economists across the political spectrum say President Trump is right to highlight concerns about trade with China. Many also say his planned tariffs would backfire. |
| • The Trump administration hopes to reach a deal on the North American Free Trade Agreement by early May. But it hasn't ceded much ground. |
| • Are you good in a crisis? Hijacked airplanes, prison breaks and evading serial killers are usually the stuff of nightmares, but a growing number of businesses offer customers a chance to test themselves in such situations for fun. |
| • U.S. stocks were down on Wednesday. Here's a snapshot of global markets today. |
| Smarter Living |
| Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life. |
| • Avoid getting sick on a flight. Choose your seat wisely. |
| • What you need to know about online testing for the ACT and SAT. |
| • Recipe of the day: If you like baklava, you'll love this sweet pastry from Dorie Greenspan. |
| What We're Reading |
| Our journalists recommend these great pieces from around the web: |
| "Ben White tells a story about his early years as a reporter in Eastern Europe, offering lessons for us all: How personal perceptions and naïveté colored his reporting, and the consequences of an article that stayed with him a long, long time." [BuzzFeed News] — John Schwartz, Climate change reporter |
| "Imagine paying a hefty price once, but then being able to fly first class at no further charge for the rest of your life. Only about 28 people bought in, but they got a deal so good that American Airlines had to cancel their contracts any way it could." [The Hustle] — Alan Henry, Smarter Living editor |
| Noteworthy |
| • A life-or-death crisis |
| Black infants in America are now more than twice as likely to die as white infants, a disparity that is wider than it was in 1850, 15 years before the end of slavery. |
| The Times Magazine examines the reasons for the divide, and the idea that being a black woman in America contributes directly to higher rates of infant and maternal death. |
| • Retiring in harmony |
| "First, they need music. Second, they want to be treated not as common guests, but as special guests — as a star." |
| That's the idea behind Casa Verdi, a retirement home in Milan for musicians. |
| • The suspense never ends |
| Since 1975, Mary Higgins Clark has written over 50 novels. This week, the 90-year-old suspense writer debuts at No. 1 on our hardcover fiction best-seller list with "I've Got My Eyes on You." Find all of our best-seller lists here. |
| • Best of late-night TV |
| Stephen Colbert feigned surprise at Paul Ryan's announcement that he won't seek re-election: "What? Working with President Trump is frustrating? That's not what the last 30 people who quit said!" |
| • Quotation of the day |
| "This is the nightmare scenario. Everybody figured he'd just hang in there till after the election." |
| — Thomas Davis III, a former Republican representative from Virginia, on the fallout from Speaker Paul Ryan's announcement. |
| • The Times, in other words |
| Here's an image of today's front page, and links to our Opinion content and crossword puzzles. |
| Back Story |
| Today is the 102nd birthday of the prolific and celebrated author Beverly Cleary. |
| Her children's books have been translated into many languages and have sold tens of millions of copies around the world. She was declared a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress in 2000. |
Happy 102nd birthday to Beverly Cleary.
Oregon Public Broadcasting |
| Her birthday is honored in the U.S. as National D.E.A.R. Day (Drop Everything and Read). |
| But as a child, she struggled with reading, according to her official biography. She grew up in an Oregon town so small it didn't have a library, and when her family moved to the much larger city of Portland, her reading skills were lagging. |
| Portland's libraries allowed her to quickly catch up. In fact, her school librarian suggested she start writing herself. |
| She liked the idea, but found no model for the types of stories she wanted to read: funny tales about the sort of children she knew. Years later, after working as a librarian herself, she changed that. |
| Her first book, "Henry Huggins" (1950), introduced characters like Henry, Ramona Quimby and other residents of Klickitat Street. She dramatized everyday problems in a humorous style, without condescension. |
| She lives in Northern California and gave this zinging interview for her 100th birthday. |
| Karen Zraick contributed reporting. |
| _____ |
| Your Morning Briefing is published weekdays and updated all morning. Browse past briefings here. |
| Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning. To receive an Evening Briefing on U.S. weeknights, sign up here. |
| Check out our full range of free newsletters here. |
| What would you like to see here? Contact us at briefing@nytimes.com. |
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