President Trump devoted a significant portion of his speech to making the case for his signature campaign proposal: a wall at the southern border.Stacey Abrams, who attracted wide attention in her narrow loss for Georgia governor, delivered the Democratic response.Our reporters provided real-time analysis of Mr. Trump’s first address to Congress in the new era of divided government.
Fact Checking the 2019 State of the Union AddressHere’s what President Trump said and how it stacks up against the facts.
Highlights of Trump’s SpeechWhen Mr. Trump raised a time frame to keep the government fully funded, Democrats tensed and Republicans applauded.226 comments
Pope Acknowledges Priests and Bishops Have Sexually Abused NunsCatholic nuns have accused clerics of sexual abuse in recent years in India, Africa and in Italy, and a Vatican magazine last week wrote about nuns having abortions or giving birth to the children of priests.The remarks by Francis were his first acknowledgment that the Roman Catholic Church has such a problem.
Nobel-Winning Former President of Costa Rica Is Accused of Sexual AssaultAn antinuclear activist filed a criminal complaint saying Óscar Arias Sánchez assaulted her four years ago. Mr. Arias remains the most powerful figure in the country.187 comments
Inaugural Donor Who Backed Clinton Before Trump Draws ScrutinyA subpoena demanding documents about President Trump’s inauguration committee focused particularly on foreign money.But the only donors named were an American citizen, Imaad Zuberi, and his firm. Mr. Zuberi, a venture capitalist, scored coveted invitations to black-tie events.
Firms Recruited by Paul Manafort Are Investigated Over Foreign PaymentsProsecutors are looking into foreign payments to top law and lobbying firms recruited by Mr. Manafort to improve the image of the Russia-aligned president of Ukraine.50 comments
Northam Seeks Signs of Support as Crisis Strains Virginia LeadershipGov. Ralph Northam signaled his determination to stay in office and said he plans to hire an investigator to help clear his name.The Democratic governor even found support among Republicans, as his relationship with Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a fellow Democrat, deteriorated over politics and policy.
Yearbook Pages at Northam’s Medical School Recorded Both Memories and PrejudicesWhite former students say some of the offensive images were once acceptable, but their black classmates recall racially divided times when their presence was invisible.
Officer Faces No Charges in Fatal Shooting at Alabama MallThe shooting death of Emantic F. Bradford Jr., 21, incited protests and raised questions about whether police officers are too quick to assume that a nonwhite person who is armed is a wrongdoer.Attorney General Steve Marshall concluded that the Hoover police officer — identified only as Officer 1 — who shot Mr. Bradford had “reasonably exercised” his duties.
What Lunar New Year Reveals About the World’s CalendarsRather than a scientific given, calendars say a lot about the history and cultural values of the societies that created them.Performances in Hong Kong celebrating the Lunar New Year on Tuesday. Tyrone Siu/Reuters
David LeonhardtThe Real State of the Union, in ChartsIt’s not pretty. But there is one big reason for hope.85 comments
MoMA: From Monumental to ExperimentalWhat’s Likely to Change, and What Isn’t, at MoMABy 2022, MoMA will have rehung all three floors of exhibition space. The advantages of such switchovers are many. New histories will get told.Art & Design
Izzy Young, Who Presided Over the Folk Revival, Dies at 90Bob Dylan, whose first formal concert Mr. Young produced, called his Greenwich Village shop, the Folklore Center, “the citadel of Americana folk music.”Obituaries
How to Complain at a Restaurant? Just Ask Our CriticOur restaurant critic, Pete Wells, explains why bringing your gripes to the management instead of anonymously torching the place online will make everybody happier.Food111 comments