Monday, Oct 28, 2019 | View in browser

Good morning.

President Trump announces the death of the ISIS leader. We’re also covering an H.I.V. outbreak in Pakistan and haunted finds on eBay.

By Alisha Haridasani Gupta

President Trump announcing the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from the White House on Sunday. Al Drago for The New York Times

ISIS leader is dead, Trump says

President Trump said on Sunday that a commando raid in Syria had resulted in the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State.

“Last night, the United States brought the world’s No. 1 terrorist leader to justice,” the president said in a national address from the White House.

Mr. al-Baghdadi was chased to the end of a tunnel “whimpering and crying and screaming all the way” as he was pursued by U.S. forces, said Mr. Trump. Mr. al-Baghdadi, who had three of his children with him, then detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and the children, Mr. Trump said.

Details: The C.I.A. was tipped off to Mr. al-Baghdadi’s location following the arrest and interrogation of one of his wives and a courier this summer. The agency then worked closely with Iraqi and Kurdish intelligence officials to monitor his movements.

But Mr. Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw American forces from northern Syria disrupted the meticulous planning and forced Pentagon officials to press ahead with a risky night raid.

Go deeper: Our ISIS correspondent, Rukmini Callimachi, started interviewing people who had interacted with Mr. al-Baghdadi in 2015, to build this obituary of the leader of the deadly terrorist organization.

“In all, I’ve spoken to 17 people who knew him, including his teachers, his childhood friends, his aides and three of the Yazidi girls he raped,” she noted in a tweet.

737 Max planes parked at Boeing Field in Seattle this month. Gary He/Reuters

Boeing pushed for reduced government oversight

Boeing lobbied for and helped shape new legislation last year that essentially undercut the government’s role in approving the design of new airplanes, a Times investigation reveals.

When the bill was being written, the Federal Aviation Administration and a labor group representing agency inspectors raised concerns that the new rules could compromise safety.

Weeks after the law was passed, a Boeing 737 Max jet crashed off the coast of Indonesia, killing everyone onboard. A second Max crashed in Ethiopia less than five months later, and the 737 Max was grounded.

Now, as Boeing tries to emerge from the crisis, lawmakers are scrutinizing flaws in the new rules.

How we know: The Times interviewed more than 50 regulators, industry executives, congressional staff members and lobbyists, and examined drafts of the bill and federal documents.

What’s next? Boeing’s chief executive, Dennis Muilenburg, will testify before Congress this week for the first time since the two crashes.

Panic in Pakistan amid H.I.V. outbreak

In recent months, nearly 900 children in the small city of Ratodero have tested positive for H.I.V., alarming residents and health officials, who believe the real numbers are probably much higher.

Much of the blame initially fell on a single pediatrician, Muzaffar Ghanghro, who is said to have reused syringes.

But health officials now say it’s unlikely Mr. Ghanghro was the sole cause of the outbreak. Visiting health workers saw many cases of doctors reusing syringes and IV needles.

Background: Unhygienic practices are prevalent across Pakistan and probably the leading cause of the country’s surging rates of H.I.V. infection, according to health officials. And Ratodero is so poor, and has such high illiteracy rates, that such practices are likely to be much more common.

Mr. Ghanghro was the cheapest option in the city, charging 20 cents a visit.

If you have some time, this is worth it

One year, 200 dispatches

Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

It’s been just over a year since The Times started its Dispatches series where our team of global correspondents share a unique take on an often fleeting moment in a particular place.

So far, they’ve covered suicidal dogs, chic bees, icy marathons and South Korean grandmothers, above, learning to read. Discover more here.

Here’s what else is happening

Truck deaths: A 25-year-old man was charged with manslaughter and a trafficking conspiracy in connection with the 39 bodies that were found in a refrigerated truck in England, the police said. The bodies were initially identified as Chinese citizens, but some groups have said some of the victims may have been from Vietnam.

Hong Kong: Protesters and police officers clashed outside one of the city’s oldest and most luxurious hotels on Sunday after a rally that was partly billed as a show of support for ethnic minorities. A day earlier, medical professionals demonstrated in a park against what they described as police violence.

California: More than 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as the Kincade Fire, which began late Wednesday night, continues to spread. Nearly 3,000 firefighters are trying to contain the blaze, which has already engulfed 30,000 acres, destroying dozens of buildings.

Brexit: Britain is — surprise — stuck in a deadlock: Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he won’t do business with Parliament until the opposition Labour Party agrees to a general election. But Labour says it won’t agree until the E.U. decides how long to delay Brexit. And European leaders want to first know whether the extra time would be to ratify Mr. Johnson’s deal or for an election.

Catholic Church: A gathering of bishops at the Vatican recommended that Pope Francis allow the ordination of married men as priests in the Amazon region, which would lift a roughly 1,000-year-old restriction and potentially revolutionize the priesthood.

Ishara S. Kodikara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Snapshot: Above, Hindus in Colombo, Sri Lanka, praying during Diwali on Sunday. The festival of lights, the most important holiday of the year for Hindus, marks the triumph of good over evil.

“Haunted” eBay: An artist started collecting screenshots of the spooky paraphernalia items sold online, from a haunted doll to an enchanted coin.

What we’re reading: This essay in 1843. It takes you inside the gilded Aspen Institute that has been described as celebrity summer camp meets liberal-arts college. The article, peppered with juicy sightings, questions whether the institute can help counter growing populism around the world.

Now, a break from the news

David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Cook: A happy accident resulted in this recipe for sweet and salty peanut butter-miso cookies.

Watch: Joachim Ronning, the director of “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” narrates a sequence featuring Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning.

Go: In Mexico City, Japanese-inspired businesses have been sprouting in the last few years — from fashion labels and boutiques to a new hotel — along with new places to eat and drink.

Smarter Living: Greater voice control, a more useful Reminders app and the ability to find your phone even when it’s offline — the new iOS 13 is filled with hidden gems.

We also have tips on how to pack your wallet for a trip to Europe.

And now for the Back Story on …

Floppy Disks

The antiquated system that controls the U.S. nuclear arsenal quietly got a long-awaited update this summer — eliminating the use of eight-inch floppy disks that are more than 50 years old.

Proving that the technological past — like the future — is not evenly distributed, floppy disks have hung around far longer than most people would have expected. Norway’s nationalized health plan, which once distributed thousands of 3.5-inch disks to physicians every month, only phased out their use a few years ago.

A missile combat crew member inserting a floppy disk into a communication module at a missile alert facility in 2014. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The floppy disk was initially created by IBM in 1967, with its name derived from a magnetic disk enclosed in a flexible plastic envelope. Initial versions could hold about 175 KB of data. The disks shrank over time — from eight inches to 5.25, and then to 3.5 — before abruptly falling out of favor, most notably when the iMac debuted without a disk drive in 1998.

The disks haven’t been manufactured for several years, but are still available on Amazon and from specialty retailers. The idea of them, however, may endure as the “save” icon in many modern apps and other software.

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

— Alisha

Thank you
To Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Adam Pasick, on the Briefings team, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about the zeal of Bernie Sanders’s supporters.
• Here’s our Mini Crossword, and a clue: “Piece of cake!” (Four letters) You can find all our puzzles here.
• The “Modern Love” Amazon series that was inspired by the long-running New York Times column has been renewed for a second season.